Repco Inc.

Repco Research Proprietary Limited

Other

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

Bernard M Hadaway

Robin Wingate-Hill

A method of forming an integral fastener such as a rivet on a sheet metal component such as part of a clutch plate assembly. The method involves placing the metal sheet between a pair of dies so that portion of the sheet overlies a cavity in one die. The other die has an annular working face which surrounds the cavity in immediately adjacent relationship. A biased plunger is arranged for movement relative to both dies and is receivable in the die cavity with clearance. That plunger is engaged with the sheet portion on the side thereof opposite the cavity so as to apply a bias force to that portion which acts in the direction of the cavity. The annular working face is then applied to the metal sheet so as to compress an annular zone of that sheet. The combined effect of the bias force and the compression then causes material to yield in the annular zone and to be displaced from that zone to flow into the die cavity to form a hollow fastener in the clearance between the cavity and the plunger.

Method of forming a hollow fastener from sheet metal

Apparatus for removing bark from logs, particularly from logs of stringy-bark eucalyts and other rough-barked tree species, and for crushing logs, consists of a plurality of pairs of concave rollers which are mounted in spaced-apart relationship along the linear passage of the log through the apparatus. Each pair of concave rollers applies pressure to regions of the log to loosen the bark from the body of the log. Knives may be included on the concave surfaces of some or all of the rollers to cut the loosened bark.

Apparatus for removing bark from logs

A friction component for a clutch or brake including a facing of friction material and at least one metal section of plate-like form embedded in a rear surface of that facing and having an integral rivet or other fastener projecting outwardly from the facing rear surface. The metal section extends across a relatively small part of the facing rear surface and if there is a plurality of such sections they may be interconnected through integral bands. In the case of an annular friction component the metal sections are spaced circumferentially around the friction facing and if connecting bands are used they are preferably adjacent the inner periphery of the facing.

Clutch plate and method of making same

A metal working press having a base, a die set located over the base, and coaxial primary and secondary rams movable towards and away from the base to drive the die set through a working stroke and return it to an open condition. The die set includes upper and lower die assemblies and the upper die assembly is connected to the primary ram in such a manner as to prevent axial separation but permit lateral movement of the die set relative to the ram whereby the die set can be moved into and out of the press. The upper die assembly includes two die members which are relatively movable in the axial direction of the ram and the extent of that relative movement is preset by a lost motion mechanism existing in the connection between the primary ram and the upper die assembly and also by engagement between opposed surfaces of the two rams. An adjustable stop fixes the open position of the die set by cooperation with the secondary ram and a locking mechanism is provided to releasably hold the die set in the open position during removal from and replacement in the press. The rams are mounted in a cylinder which is connected to the base through side plates and each side plate has two part-cylindrical surfaces each of which engages with a complementary surface of the base and cylinder respectively, and those part-cylindrical surfaces are formed about a common axis.

Press and method of making same

A traversing mechanism of the kind in which a carriage is alternately releasably clamped to a respective one of two parallel runs of an endless belt so as to be reciprocated along a guided path. A coupling wheel is rotatably mounted on the carriage at a location between the two belt runs and has a plurality of radially projecting lobes provided around its outer periphery. In operation, the wheel is rotated in stepwise fashion as permitted by a sliding escapement, to sequentially adopt a plurality of operative positions in each of which a run of the belt is clamped between a wheel lobe and one of the backing surfaces. Each backing surface is mounted for movement towards and away from the respective adjacent belt run under the influence of a camming actuator. The actuator is movable between an engage position in which it urges the two backing surfaces into a position in which it can adopt clamping engagement with the belt, and a disengage position in which the backing surfaces cannot adopt clamping engagement with the belt.

Traversing mechanism

A fluid seal for use between two relatively rotatable members and including a body section to be secured to one member or its support, and a circular lip projecting from the body for sealing engagement about or around a surface of the other member. The lip is defined by two angularly arranged surfaces which meet at a common edge to form a sealing edge of the lip, and a pumping configuration is provided on one of those surfaces. A feature of the invention is the provision of discontinuities around the lip edge so that relatively small discrete passages provide a communication between the two sides of the lip whereby fluid can be returned through the seal under the influence of the pumping configuration. The discontinuities can be formed by projections on the lip edge which are depressed to create the communication passages through distortion of the lip, or they may be recesses or gaps preformed in the lip edge.

Fluid seal

Traversing mechanism for use in any type of machine in which part of the machine is required to reciprocate between two predetermined limits of travel. The mechanism includes a carriage which is attachable to that machine part, and an endless belt which, in operation, is continuously driven in one direction and has two parallel runs located on opposite sides of the carriage. A rotatable coupling wheel is mounted on the carriage and has an odd number of radially projecting lobes arranged around its periphery so that in one rotational position of the wheel one lobe engages one run of the belt, and in another rotational position of the wheel another lobe engages the other run of the belt. The arrangement is such that in each rotational position of the wheel there is only one lobe in full engagement with the belt. Stops are provided at the extremities of the carriage travel, and each time a stop is engaged the resulting interaction between the belt and the wheel causes the wheel to rotate to adopt a new position such that the drive imparted to the carriage alternates between the two belt runs. A sliding escapement is provided to restrain the wheel against inadvertant movement from an operative position, and that escapement is moved to release the wheel each time a stop is engaged.

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Highett, Australia

Bernard M Hadaway