APPARATUS FOR ORIENTING RIMS OF WHEELS FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES

• US 3,616,985 A
• Filed: 04/21/1969
• Issued: 11/02/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ulrich Koch
• Original Assignee: Ulrich Koch
• Inventors: Koch, Ulrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Campbell, John F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DiPalma, Victor A.
• Application Number:
  US04/817,742
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: 29/28D,477.7,475,39,159.1,481 72/109 228/48,18,49,4 113/113,127 269/57 219/136
• US Class Current: 228/18
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 43/003 Positioning devices B21D28/04 and B21D28/265 take precedence; stops B21D43/26; centering moving strips B21D43/023
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/028 for curved planar seams
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49524 Rim making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53448 Vehicle wheel
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53478 with magazine supply

Abstract

Apparatus for orienting semifinished automobile wheel rims which are formed with radially extending gaps comprises a chute which delivers successive rims into registry with a rotary disk and with a pusher which transfers successively delivered rims into the range of clamping members on the disk. A radially extending pin is thereupon rotated through 360* within the thus clamped rim to enter the gap and to rotate the rim and the disk until the gap is located in a predetermined angular position. The thus oriented rim is thereupon transferred into a welding machine while the angular position of its gap remains unchanged.

Claims

1. In an apparatus for manipulating ring-shaped articles, particularly semifinished wheel rims of the type having a gap located in a radial plane, a combination comprising rotary carrier means provided with article retaining means;

feeding means for supplying articles into registry with said carrier means; and

transfer means for delivering articles supplied by said feeding means into the range of said retaining means so that the thus delivered articles are engaged by said retaining means and can rotate with said carrier means, said transfer means comprising a pusher reciprocable in the axial direction of said carrier means and fluid-operated drive means for reciprocating said pusher.

2. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said feeding means comprises a chute and intermittently actuated stop means cooperating with said chute to effect movements of successive articles into registry with said carrier means.

3. A combination as defined in claim 2, wherein said feeding means comprises a conveyor for articles and intermittently pivotable stop means cooperating with said conveyor to permit movements of successive articles into axial alignment with said carrier means.

4. A combination as defined in claim 1, further comprising orienting means rotatable about the axis of said carrier means from and back to a predetermined starting position and having a portion arranged to enter the gap of an article which is engaged by said retaining means and to thereby move the gap of such article to a predetermined angular position in response to movement of said orienting means to starting position.

5. In an apparatus for manipulating ring-shaped articles, particularly semifinished wheel rims of the type having a gap located in a radial plane, a combination comprising rotary carrier means provided with article retaining means;

feeding means for supplying articles into registry with said carrier means; and

transfer means for delivering articles supplied by said feeding means into the range of said retaining means so that the thus delivered articles are engaged by said retaining means and can rotate with said carrier means, said retaining means comprising clamping means operative to effect deformation of articles delivered by said transfer means so that the width of gaps defined by the thus deformed articles is within a predetermined range.

6. A combination as defined in claim 5, wherein said feeding means comprises a chute and intermittently actuated stop means cooperating with said chute to effect movements of successive articles into registry with said carrier means.

7. A combination as defined in claim 5, wherein said feeding means comprises a conveyor for articles and intermittently pivotable stop means cooperating with said conveyor to permit movements of successive articles into axial alignment with said carrier means.

8. A combination as defined in claim 5, further comprising orienting means rotatable about the axis of said carrier means from and back to a predetermined starting position and having a portion arranged to enter the gap of an article which Is engaged by said retaining means and to thereby move the gap of such article to a predetermined angular position in response to movement of said orienting means to said starting position.

9. In an apparatus for manipulating ring-shaped articles, particularly semifinished wheel rims of the type having a gap located in a radial plane, a combination comprising rotary carrier means provided with article retaining means;

feeding means for supplying articles into registry with said carrier means; and

transfer means for delivering articles supplied by said feeding means into the range of said retaining means so that the thus delivered articles are engaged by said retaining means and can rotate with said carrier means, said retaining means comprising sets of inner and outer clamping members arranged to engage the inner and outer surfaces of an article delivered by said transfer means, at least some of said clamping members being movable with reference to said carrier means into and away from engagement with the corresponding surface of an article.

10. A combination as defined in claim 9, wherein the clamping members of one of said sets are provided with means for deforming articles delivered by said transfer means so that the width of gaps on the thus deformed articles is within a predetermined range.

11. A combination as defined in claim 10, wherein said one set includes said inner clamping members and wherein said means for deforming includes inclined faces provided on said inner clamping members.

12. In an apparatus for manipulating ring-shaped articles, particularly semifinished wheel rims of the type having a gap located in a radial plane, a combination comprising rotary disk-shaped carrier means provided with article retaining means;

feeding means for supplying articles into registry with said carrier means, said carrier means being adjustable with reference to said feeding means; and

transfer means for delivering articles supplied by said feeding means into the range of said retaining means so that the thus delivered articles are engaged by said retaining means and can rotate with said carrier means.

13. In an apparatus for manipulating ring-shaped articles, particularly semifinished wheel rims of the type having a gap located in a radial plane, a combination comprising rotary carrier means provided with article retaining means;

feeding means for supplying articles into registry with said carrier means;

transfer means for delivering articles supplied by said feeding means into the range of said retaining means so that the thus delivered articles are engaged by said retaining means and can rotate with said carrier means; and

orienting means rotatable through 360* about the axis of said carrier means from and back to a predetermined starting position and having a portion arranged to enter the gap of an article which is engaged by said retaining means and to thereby move the gap of such article to a predetermined angular position in response to movement of said orienting means to said starting position, said portion of said orienting means being arranged to rotate said carrier means by way of an article which is engaged by said retaining means while said portion of said orienting means extends into the gap of such article and the orienting means rotates toward said starting position.

14. A combination as defined in claim 13, wherein said carrier means comprises a hollow shaft and said orienting means extends axially through said shaft.

15. In an apparatus for manipulating ring-shaped articles, particularly semifinished wheel rims of the type having a gap located in a radial plane, a combination comprising rotary carrier means provided with article retaining means;

feeding means for supplying articles into registry with said carrier means;

transfer means for delivering articles supplied by said feeding means into the range of said retaining means so that the thus delivered articles are engaged by said retaining means and can rotate with said carrier means;

orienting means rotatable about the axis of said carrier means from and back to a starting position and having a portion arranged to enter the gap of an article which is engaged by said retaining means and to thereby move the gap of such article to a predetermined angular position in response to movement of said orienting means to said starting position;

a processing machine spaced from said carrier means; and

carriage means for transporting articles from said carrier means to said processing machine while holding the gaps of such articles in said predetermined angular positions.

16. A combination as defined in claim 15, wherein said carriage means comprises a first carriage movable at right angles to the axis of said carrier means and a second carriage movable with reference to said first carriage in the axial direction of said carrier means, one of said carriages being supported by the other carriage and said one carriage having article gripping means.

17. A combination as defined in claim 16, wherein said gripping means comprises a first holder fixedly secured to said one carriage and a second holder pivotably secured to said one carriage and movable with reference to said first holder to respectively grip or release an oriented article a portion of which is located between said holders.

18. A combination as defined in claim 15, wherein said processing machine is a welding machine arranged to weld oriented articles along the respective gaps.