Quench press
AssigneeSterling Detroit Company
InventorHerman M. Canner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and press for uniformly quenching a heated annular workpiece while fixturing the workpiece to prevent distortion during quenching. The press has a conically shaped lower die for receiving a workpiece to be quenched thereon and a vertically reciprocable conically shaped upper die for clamping and fixturing a workpiece between them. The press has a generally cylindrical quench ring carried by the upper die for engaging against the lower die to form a chamber around the workpiece to immerse the workpiece in quenching fluid. The lower die has a plurality of spaced apart inlets for uniformly distributing quenching fluid around the workpiece and which are preferably angled relative to the center axis of the lower die for producing a swirling turbulent flow of fluid within the chamber to more rapidly and uniformly quench the workpiece.
Claims13
An apparatus for quenching an annular workpiece having axially spaced apart and opposed ends with radially inner edges and inner and outer surfaces extending between the ends, comprising:
- a lower die having a base and a conical portion for receiving an inner edge of the annular workpiece thereon, an upper die having a base and an opposed conical portion for overlying and bearing on an axially spaced apart and opposed inner edge of the annular workpiece, said dies being relatively movble to an open position to receive the annular workpiece between them and a closed position to engage the opposed inner edges of the annular workpiece and clamp it between them, said conical portions being inclined to the inner and outer surfaces of the workpiece so that they are spaced from and do not engage either of the inner surface and the outer surface of the workpiece when its radially inner edges are engaged by said conical portions of said dies, the surface of the conical portion of each of said dies which engages an inner edge of the annular workpiece being inclined to the base of its associated conical portion at an acute included angle of about 15.degree. to 45.degree. , a quench ring operably cooperating with said lower die and said upper die to provide a chamber surrounding the annular workpiece for receiving quenching fluid to quench the annular workpiece in the chamber, said quench ring having a larger inside diameter than the workpiece and encircling and being spaced from and not engaging the workpiece when received in the chamber, and an inlet opening into the chamber for rapidly introducing quenching fluid into the chamber in contact with both the inner and outer surfaces of the annular workpiece to quench the annular workpiece while clamped between the dies.
An apparatus for quenching an annular workpiece having axially spaced apart and opposed ends with radially inner edges and inner and outer surfaces extending between the ends, comprising:
- a lower die having a base and a conical portion for receiving an inner edge of an annular workpiece thereon, an upper die having a base and an opposed conical portion for overlying said lower die and bearing on an axially spaced apart and opposed inner edge of the annular workpiece, said upper die being reciprocable between an open position for allowing an annular workpiece to be placed on said lower die and a closed position for clamping the annular workpiece between said upper and lower dies, said conical portions of said dies being inclined to the inner and outer surfaces of the workpiece so that they are spaced from and do not engage either of the inner surface and the outer surface of the workpiece when its radially inner edges are engaged by said conical portions of said dies, the surface of the conical portion of each of said dies which engages an inner edge of the annular workpiece being inclined to the base of its associated conical portion at an acute included angle of about 15.degree. to 45.degree. , a quench ring carried by said upper die for encircling the conical portion of said lower die when said upper die is in said closed position so they define a chamber encompassing the workpiece for receiving a fluid therein to quench the workpiece when said upper die is in said closed position, said quench ring having a larger inside diameter than the workpiece and encircling and being spaced from and not engaging the workpiece when received in the chamber, and at least one fluid passageway in said lower die and opening into the chamber for introducing quenching fluid into said chamber when said upper die is in said closed position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.