Force Control Industries, Inc.

Reginald D Kelley

John Brown

Jerry L Yater

Michael J Sharratt

Kenneth A Baker

A pair of horizontally spaced and horizontally extending part support rails or elongated platens are each guided and supported for vertical movement by a pair of guide and support members having linear bearing blocks mounted on vertical guide rails attached to corresponding vertical housings. A bell crank is pivotally supported adjacent each housing and is pivotally connected to the corresponding bearing block by a first link member. Second and third link members pivotally connect each pair of bell cranks for each platen to each other and to a crank arm mounted on a horizontal crankshaft extending laterally below the platens. A combined electric motor and gear reducer have an output shaft coupled to one end portion of the crankshaft, and an electric brake unit is connected to the motor shaft. An overtravel arm is also secured to the output shaft of the gear reducer and actuates an overtravel switch connected to control the electric motor. The output shaft also drives a programmable limit switch and feedback device for precisely controlling the electric motor and brake unit according to the position of the platens.

Lifter apparatus for raising and lowering a part

A plurality of flat timing belts each has parallel spaced teeth, and opposite end portions of each belt are attached to a carriage by corresponding relatively adjustable clamping blocks and plates. The belts extend around a common drive sprocket on a drive shaft connected to a drive having a reversible electric motor. The belts also extend around corresponding tail sprockets on a tail shaft, and adjacent tail sprockets are free to rotate relative to each other. A clamping block for each belt is adjusted to obtain the same tension in all belts so that each belt may be operated at its full rated capacity. The belt drive system may be used for transferring or shuttling a plurality of tool trays laterally with respect to a working station at a conveyor assembly line and storage stations on opposite sides of the working station.

Belt transfer system

A plurality of adjacent open-ended flat timing belts each has parallel spaced teeth, and opposite end portions of each belt are connected to a shuttle or carriage platform by corresponding relatively adjustable clamping blocks and plates having teeth engaging the teeth on the belts. The belts extend around a common drive sprocket having engaging teeth and formed as part of a drive shaft connected to a multiple speed drive having reversible electric motors and oil-shear clutch and brake discs. The belts also extend around a tail shaft having corresponding tail sprockets with teeth, and adjacent tail sprockets are free to rotate relative to each other. One of the clamping blocks for each belt is adjusted relative to the platform and the other clamping block for the belt to obtain the same tension in all belts so that each belt may be operated at its full rated capacity.

A hub member receives a tapered collect for gripping a drive shaft such as a shaft projecting from an electric motor. The hub member extends into a surrounding cylindrical housing which is secured to rotate with the hub member and carries a set of generally square clutch plates. An annular drive member is supported for relative rotation by the hub member and has an inner portion projecting into the housing to support a set of annular clutch disks which interfit between the clutch plates. The housing encloses oil which circulates between the clutch plates and disks, and a set of rotary seals confine the oil within the housing while providing for rotation of the drive member relative to the hub member and housing. The drive member has external teeth for driving a load through an endless belt or gears, and the housing encloses a set of compression springs which normally urge the stack of clutch plates and disks together for transmitting a selectable maximum torque from the drive shaft to the drive member through the hub member and housing.

Torque limiting clutch

A tubular hub member receives a shaft and is surrounded by a housing formed by a base section coupled to a cup-shaped closure section. The hub member defines an inlet passage for circulating cooling oil and supports a set of brake discs which interfit between a set of brake plates supported by pins projecting inwardly from the base section. An annular thrust plate is supported by the base section for axial movement and carries a set of compression springs which urge the thrust plate for clamping the brake plates and discs against a pressure plate mounted within the closure section. An annular electrical coil and support body are mounted by screws and spacer sleeves within the closure section, and an annular armature plate is supported by the sleeves for axial movement adjacent the end wall of the closure section. A set of actuating pins extend axially between the armature and thrust plates through the coil body and pressure plate, and the armature plate cooperates with a portion of the closure section to define a variable oil recirculating passage. Axial movement of the armature plate displaces cooling oil into the inlet passage to provide a surge of cooling oil during braking. The pressure plate has passages which are aligned with recesses in the coil body for recirculating cooling oil when the brake unit is positioned with a vertical axis, and diametrically opposed rotatable members provide for manually releasing the brake unit and for automatic reset to inactive positions.

Liquid cooled brake apparatus

An oil shear clutch-brake unit includes a housing rotatably supporting an input shaft and an output shaft in axial alignment, and the housing encloses a set of interfitting clutch plates and discs for coupling the input shaft to the output shaft and a set of interfitting brake plates and discs for braking the output shaft. A non-rotating actuating member or piston is also enclosed within the housing and is actuated from a neutral position by springs and/or fluid for either clamping the clutch plates and discs or clamping the brake plates and discs. A cooling and lubricating oil is circulated within the housing and between the plates and discs, and the pressure of the fluid for actuating the piston is adjustable for selecting the torque transmitted through the clutch and brake. The output shaft of the clutch-brake unit drives the shaft of a high speed electric motor, and the input shaft is coupled to the output shaft of a gear reducer which mounts on the housing of the clutch-brake unit and is driven by a second electric motor. The assembly of the clutch-brake unit may be arranged in-line with the high speed motor with a direct coupling of the shafts, or the assembly may be located above the high speed motor with a belt drive coupling of the shafts. In one embodiment, a second annular piston is located within the housing and actuates stop pins which hold the first piston in the neutral position.

Multiple speed drive system

A pair of clutch-brake units each include a housing confining a cooling oil and rotatably supporting an input shaft and an aligned output shaft with interfitting clutch plates and discs for connecting the aligned shafts and interfitting brake plates and discs for connecting the output shaft to the housing. Each housing also encloses an axially movable non-rotating actuating piston for selectively engaging the clutch and brake plates and discs, and the input shafts of the clutch-brake units are driven continuously by a common electric motor. The output shaft of one clutch-brake unit is connected by a first drive mechanism to raise and lower or reciprocate a vertical shaft supporting a head member which carries a transfer arm, and the output shaft of the other clutch-brake unit is connected by a second drive mechanism to oscillate the vertical shaft, head member and transfer arm.

Apparatus for rotating and reciprocating a transfer member

An oil shear clutch-brake unit includes a housing rotatably supporting an input shaft and an output shaft in axial alignment, and the housing encloses a set of interfitting clutch plates and discs for coupling the input shaft to the output shaft and a set of interfitting brake plates and discs for braking the output shaft. A non-rotating piston is also enclosed within the housing and is fluid actuated in both directions from a spring biased neutral position for either clamping the clutch plates and discs or clamping the brake plates and discs. A cooling and lubricating oil is circulated within the housing and between the plates and discs, and the pressure of the fluid for actuating the piston is adjustable for selecting the torque transmitted through the clutch and brake. The output shaft of the clutch-brake unit drives the shaft of a high speed electric motor, and the input shaft is coupled to the output shaft of a slow speed motor-gear reducer unit which mounts directly on the housing of the clutch-brake unit. The assembly of the clutch-brake unit may be arranged in-line with the high speed motor with a direct coupling of the shafts, or the assembly may be located above the high speed motor with a belt drive coupling of the shafts.

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Lebanon, OH, United States of America

Reginald D Kelley