Process and apparatus for producing a lock nut

An automatic apparatus for producing a lock nut from a crude block comprising, in combination,

• a holder assembly including a horizontal table provided thereon with a shaping center,
• a compression mould positioned at said shaping center and provided with a truncated shaping recess of a polygonal transverse cross section for compression of the crude block and compressing means for pressing said mould against the crude block when the block is positioned at said shaping center to form the block into a lock nut,
• a supply chute for crude blocks attached to said table of said holder assembly, and
• a delivery chute for lock nuts attached to said table of said holder assembly,
• said holder assembly further including means for periodically and intermittently transferring said crude blocks from said supply chute to said shaping center and said lock nuts from said shaping center to said delivery chute,
• means, arranged adjacent said shaping center, for monitoring a dimension of said lock nut resulting from said compression by said compressing means;
• and
• means for selectively applying supplementary compression to said lock nut only when said dimension does not conform to a required dimension, in which said transferring means includes
• a first substantially linear guide path which is formed in said table in communication with said supply chute and leading to said shaping center,
• a first pneumatic unit including a piston plunger reciprocal in said first guide path,
• a second substantially linear guide path which is formed in said table in communication with said delivery chute and extending past said shaping center, and
• a second pneumatic unit including a piston plunger reciprocal in said second guide path.

An automatic apparatus for producing a lock nut from a crude block comprising, in combination,

• a holder assembly including a horizontal table provided thereon with a shaping center,
• a compression mould positioned at said shaping center and provided with a truncated shaping recess of a polygonal transverse cross section for compression of the crude block and compressing means for pressing said mould against the crude block when the block is positioned at said shaping center to form the block into a lock nut,
• a supply chute for crude blocks attached to said table of said holder assembly, and
• a delivery chute for lock nuts attached to said table of said holder assembly,
• said holder assembly further including means for periodically and intermittently transferring said crude blocks from said supply chute to said shaping center and said lock nuts from said shaping center to said delivery chute, in which
• said transferring means includes a circular disc arranged on said table and provided with a plurality of bottomless, open seats which are arranged circumferentially at equal center angle intervals, each of said open seats being receptive of a crude block, and means for driving said disc for a periodical, intermittent rotation about its center,
• whereby said plurality of open seats stop sequentially at a plurality of stations arranged, at equal center angle intervals, along a circular path of travel, and
• said stations include at least a joint to said supply chute and a joint to said delivery chute and said shaping center, the apparatus further comprising
• means, arranged adjacent said shaping center, for monitoring a dimension of said lock nut resulting from said compression by said compressing means and
• means for selectively applying supplementary compression to said lock nut only when said dimension does not conform to a required dimension.