Pulley splitting machine

An apparatus for manufacturing split pulleys comprising a spindle assembly including an upper spindle, a lower spindle assembly, means for rotatably supporting a blank to be split between said upper spindle and said lower spindle assembly, and a clamping mechanism, said clamping mechanism including gripping means operatively connected to one of said upper and lower spindle assemblies and grippable means operatively connected to the other of said upper and lower spindle assemblies, said gripping means being operable to engage said grippable means for drawing said upper spindle toward said lower spindle assembly and said lower spindle assembly toward said upper spindle to clamp a blank to be split between said upper spindle and said lower spindle assembly, a frame for independently supporting said spindle assemblies thereon, a splitting tool supported by said frame and movable toward and away from a blank supported by said spindle assembly to engage with a peripheral edge of the blank to effect splitting thereof, and bearing means disposed between said frame and said spindle assembly for supporting said spindle assembly for rotation relative to said frame, said clamping mechanism being operable to exert a clamping force between said upper spindle and said lower spindle assembly when said gripping means engages said grippable means and which clamping force is isolated from the frame and said bearing means, said splitting tool when engaged with the blank exerting a radial force on said blank, said spindle assembly and said bearing means, and exerting a vertical force on said blank and said upper spindle and said lower spindle assembly between said gripping means and said grippable means which vertical force is counterbalanced between said upper spindle and said lower spindle assembly and isolated from said bearing means.

An apparatus for manufacturing split pulleys comprising a two piece work holder for rotatably supporting a blank to be split, said two pieces of said work holder being relatively movable toward and away from each other to clamp and support a blank therebetween, a splitting tool supported for relative movement toward and away from a blank supported in said work piece holder for engaging with the peripheral edge of the blank to effect splitting thereof, a spindle assembly operatively associated with said work holder for supporting said work holder for rotation, said spindle assembly including a clamping mechanism for drawing one of said pieces of said work holder toward the other of said pieces of said work holder and drawing the other of said pieces of said work holder toward said one piece of said work holder to clamp a blank to be split in said work holder while enabling the clamping forces established in said one of said pieces of said work holder to be counteracted and balanced by the clamping forces established in the other of said pieces of said work holder, a main frame, and bearing means for supporting said spindle assembly for rotation in said main frame, said bearing means supporting the weight of said spindle assembly and being isolated from the clamping forces established on a blank by said clamping mechanism, said spindle assembly including an upper spindle and a lower spindle assembly, said upper spindle supporting one piece of said work holder and said lower spindle assembly supporting the other piece of said work holder, said clamping mechanism being operable to draw said upper spindle toward said lower spindle assembly, said lower spindle assembly including said clamping mechanism disposed therein, said clamping meahanism being disposed concentric to the longitudinal axis of said lower spindle assembly, said clamping mechanism including a screw mechanism operatively associated with said lower spindle for drawing said upper spindle toward said lower spindle assembly upon energization of said clamping mechanism, said upper spindle including locating means attached to said upper spindle and movable relative thereto for centering blanks to be split in said work holder, said locating means including a grippable portion to be gripped by said clamping mechanism and pulled toward said lower spindle assembly upon rotation of said screw mechanism to draw said upper spindle toward said lower spindle assembly.

An apparatus for manufacturing split pulleys comprising a spindle assembly including an upper spindle, a lower spindle assembly, means for rotatably supporting a blank to be split between said upper spindle and said lower spindle assembly, a clamping mechanism for drawing said upper spindle toward said lower spindle assembly and said lower spindle assembly toward said upper spindle to clamp a blank to be split between said upper spindle and said lower spindle assembly, a frame for independently supporting said spindle assembly thereon, a splitting tool supported by said frame and movable toward and away from a blank supported by said spindle assembly to engage with the peripheral edge of the blank to effect splitting thereof, and bearing means disposed between said frame and said spindle assembly for supporting said spindle assembly for rotation relative to said frame, said clamping mechanism being operable to exert a clamping force between said upper spindle and said lower spindle assembly which is isolated from the frame and said bearing means, said clamping mechanism including a screw mechanism for establishing a clamping force between said upper spindle and said lower spindle assembly, said screw mechanism including a first threaded member fixed against axial movement relative to said spindle assembly and a second threaded member engagable with said first threaded member and movable parallel to the axis of rotation of said spindle assembly upon rotation of said first threaded member relative thereto, said movement of said second threaded member establishing said clamping force between said upper spindle and said lower spindle assembly, and locating means associated with said upper spindle for centering blanks to be clamped and split, said clamping mechanism further includes finger members operatively connected to said second threaded member for movement therewith in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of said spindle assembly, said finger members being adapted to engage with said locating means and moved relative to said lower spindle assembly to effect relative movement of said upper spindle and said lower spindle assembly and clamping of a blank therebetween.

An apparatus for manufacturing split pulleys comprising a two-piece work holder for rotatably supporting a blank to be split, said two pieces of said work holder being relatively movable toward and away from each other to clamp and support blank therebetween, a splitting tool supported for relative movement toward and away from a blank supported in said work piece holder for engaging with the peripheral edge of the blank to effect splitting thereof, a spindle assembly operatively associated with said work holder for supporting said work holder for rotation, said spindle assembly including a clamping mechanism, said clamping mechanism including gripping means operatively connected to one of said pieces of said work holder and grippable means operatively connected with the other piece of said work holder, said gripper means being operable to engage said grippable means for drawing said one piece of said work holder toward said other of said pieces of said work holder and drawing said other of said pieces of said work holder toward said one piece of said work holder to clamp a blank to be split in said work holder while enabling the clamping forces established in said one of said pieces of said work holder to be counteracted and balanced by the clamping forces established in said other of said pieces of said work holder, a main frame and bearing means for supporting said spindle assembly for rotation in said main frame, said bearing means supporting the weight of said spindle assembly and being isolated from the clamping forces established on a blank by said clamping mechanism, said spindle assembly including an upper spindle and a lower spindle assembly, said upper spindle supporting one piece of said work holder and said lower spindle assembly supporting the other piece of said work holder, said clamping mechanism being operable to draw said upper spindle toward said lower spindle assembly, said lower spindle assembly including said clamping mechanism disposed therein and said gripping means is associated therewith, said grippable means being associated with said upper spindle assembly, said clamping mechanism being disposed concentric to the longitudinal axis of said lower spindle assembly, said clamping mechanism including a screw mechanism operatively associated with said lower spindle for enabling said gripper means to engage with said grippable means to draw said upper spindle toward said lower spindle assembly upon energization of said clamping mechanism.

An apparatus for manufacturing split pulleys comprising a spindle assembly including an upper spindle, a lower spindle assembly, means for rotatably supporting a blank to be split between said upper spindle and said lower spindle assembly, and a clamping mechanism, said clamping mechanism including gripping means operatively connected to one of said upper and lower spindle assemblies, and grippable means operatively connected to the other of said upper and lower spindle assemblies, said gripping means being operable to engage said grippable means for drawing said upper spindle toward said lower spindle assembly and said lower spindle assembly toward said upper spindle to clamp a blank to be split between said upper spindle and said lower spindle assembly, a frame for independently supporting said spindle assemblies thereon, a splitting tool spported by said frame and movable toward and away from a blank supported by said spindle assembly to engage with the peripheral edge of the blank to effect splitting thereof, and bearing means disposed between said frame and said spindle assembly for supporting said spindle assembly for rotation relative to said frame, said clamping mechanism being operable to exert a clamping force between said upper spindle and said lower spindle assembly when said gripping means engages said grippable means and which clamping force is isolated from the frame and said bearing means, said clamping mechanism including a screw mechanism for establishing a clamping force between said upper spindle and said lower spindle assembly by effecting engagement of said gripping means with said grippable means, said screw mechanism including a first threaded member fixed against axial movement relative to said spindle assembly and a second threaded member engageable with said first threaded member and movable parallel to the axis of rotation of said spindle assembly upon rotation of said first threaded member relative thereto, said movement of said second threaded member establishing said clamping force between said upper spindle and said lower spindle assembly.