Continuous rod-making machine
AssigneeMolins Machine Company, Inc.
InventorMichael N. Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ledger assembly for a continuous rod cut-off includes a rigid beam (12) carrying ledger tubes (10) and pivotally supported by fibreglass springs (16,22). Vertical springs (22) resist the cutting force of the cut-off knife (30) and allow reciprocal movement of the tubes (10) while imparting a vertical displacement to the beam (12) so that the tubes follow a straight path along the rod line (28). A horizontal spring (16) allows this vertical displacement while providing lateral stiffness for the base of the beam (12). A drive arrangement for the beam (12) includes a lubricating system for a bearing (42) of a connecting rod (36) in which lubricant is collected for return by action of centrifugal force in a housing (72) located on the side of the bearing opposite a lubricant supply path (86, 88) through a crankshaft (40).
Claims26
A machine for producing rod-like articles, including a continuous rod cut-off device and a ledger assembly, said assembly comprising means for supporting a rod during cutting, a substantially rigid beam carrying the supporting means, drive means for reciprocating the beam, and resilient means supporting the beam for pivotal movement about an imaginary axis such that said supporting means follows an arcuate path relative to the imaginary axis, said resilient means comprising first means for permitting movement of the imaginary axis in a direction generally transverse to the rod during reciprocation of the beam and second means allowing movement of the imaginary axis in a direction generally transverse to said rod while resisting movement of said imaginary axis in a direction parallel to the rod, so that, during reciprocation of said beam caused by said drive means, said supporting means moves substantially parallel to the rod, and said transverse motion of said imaginary axis operates at least partly to compensate for transverse movement of said supporting means on said arcuate path, so that said supporting means follows a substantially straight path parallel to the rod.
A machine for producing rod-like articles including a continuous rod cut-off device and a ledger assembly, said assembly comprising means for supporting a rod during cutting, a substantially rigid beam carrying the supporting means at one end thereof, drive means for reciprocating the beam, first mounting means connected to a position intermediate the length of the beam for allowing movement of the beam so that the rod supporting means is movable in a direction parallel to the rod, and second mounting means connected to the other end of the beam for allowing movement of the beam so that the rod supporting means is movable in a direction transverse to the rod, whereby said rod supporting means is constrained to follow a substantially straight path while at least partially surrounding the rod during reciprocation of said beam by said drive means, and wherein said drive means includes means for causing movement of said beam about a pivotal axis defined by said second mounting means, and said first mounting means comprises means for constraining said pivotal axis to move in a direction transverse to a longitudinal path of a rod passing said supporting means to compensate for transverse movement of the supporting means during pivotal movement about the pivotal axis.
A machine for producing rod-like articles, including a continuous rod cut-off device and a ledger assembly, said assembly comprising means for supporting a rod during cutting, a substantially rigid beam carrying the supporting means at one end thereof, drive means for reciprocating the beam, and mounting means connected to said beam adjacent the other end thereof for supporting said beam while allowing pivotal movement of the beam, and a pivotal linkage connected to said beam and extending substantially parallel to the beam from the connection point therewith to a stationary support intermediate said ends of the beam in a direction away from said other end and towards said one end of the beam.
A machine for producing rod-like articles, including a continuous rod cut-off device and a ledger assembly said ledger assembly comprising means for supporting a rod moving axially along a path;
- a substantially rigid beam carrying said supporting means;
- mounting means for supporting said beam for pivotal movement about an imaginary axis, during which pivotal movement said supporting means follows an arcuate path relative to said imaginary axis resulting in arcuate movement of said supporting means relative to the path of said rod;
- drive means for reciprocating the beam through a predetermined stroke;
- and compensating means for constraining said imaginary axis to move in a direction generally transverse to the rod during reciprocation of the beam by an amount which compensates the arcuate movement of said supporting means caused by said pivotal movement of said beam, so that said supporting means follows a substantially straight path parallel to the path of said rod.
A machine for producing rod-like articles, including a continuous rod cut-off device and a ledger assembly, said ledger assembly comprising means for supporting a rod during cutting;
- a substantially rigid beam carrying said supporting means at one end thereof;
- a first leaf spring pivotally coupled to the other end of said beam and mounted on a fixed support so as to permit pivotal movement of said beam about an imaginary axis passing through said other end thereof and movement in a direction generally transverse to said rod;
- a second leaf spring connected between a connection point on said beam adjacent said other end thereof and a fixed support intermediate the ends of said beam and extending substantially in parallel to the beam from said connection point toward said one end of said beam;
- and drive means for reciprocating the beam.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.