Abstract:
An improved punch press workholder has a relatively high flexural rigidity in the X and Y directions and a relatively low flexural rigidity in the Z direction. The high flexural rigidity of the workholder in the X and Y directions enables it to hold a work sheet accurately in place during punching operations. The low flexural rigidity in the Z direction enables the work sheet to assume a proper position relative to a die under the influence of forces applied to the work sheet by a punch. The workholder includes a gripper having an upper or movable pivot arm which is pivotally connected with a lower or fixed pivot arm. A resiliently yieldable connection is integrally formed with the fixed pivot arm and connects the fixed pivot arm with a rigid base. The resiliently yieldable connection has a generally rectangular cross-sectional configuration with a small dimension measured in a direction parallel to the Z axis and a relatively large dimension measured in a direction parallel to the X axis so that the yieldable connection has a high flexural rigidity in the X direction and a low flexural rigidity in the Z direction.
Abstract:
An improved knitting machine includes an encoder which provides signals which vary with variations in the relative position of a needle cylinder and associated feeders. The encoder includes code tracks for providing binary coded needle count signals, feeder count signals, and revolution count signals. A control system receives these binary coded signals and effects the knitting of a selected one of a plurality of patterns. A pattern selector switch is operable to vary the selected pattern.
Abstract:
Improved dual-cycle camshaft grinding machine, method of operation thereof, and improved wheel feed control sub-assembly therefor with a grinding wheel feed driven by an electrohydraulic pulse motor regulated by open loop numerical control. Solid state machine logic regulates the initiation of open loop wheel feeding steps and controls related machine functions. Hand control for purposes of calibration setup is accomplished through the automatic controls eliminating the redundant handwheel and like manual controls of the art.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for verifying knitting machine data which has been prepared from a pattern drawing and will be used by an electronically controlled circular knitting machine or by a pin setting machine for setting pins in pattern drums or wheels. The knitting pattern data includes knit and non-knit indications which are stored at memory locations on a suitable memory means such as punched paper tape, magnetic tape, or a magnetic disc or drum Verification is effected by logically examining all of the knit and non-knit instructions for each stitch of each stitchrow of the pattern defined by the knitting pattern data. If the combination of knit and non-knit instructions for a stitch does not conform to the format for the type of fabric to be knitted, then readout devices indicate the stitchrow and stitch number where the error exists.
Abstract:
An improved apparatus for operating on sheets of material includes an unloader assembly which engages a sheet of material and removes it from a punch press. Interconnected controls for both the punch press and unloader automatically initiate an unloading cycle upon completion of a punching cycle. Upon initiation of an unloading cycle, a clamp mounted on an unloader trolley is moved into gripping engagement with a leading end portion of the sheet. The trolley is then moved away from the punch press along a path extending over the pile on which the sheet is to be deposited. When the trailing end portion of the sheet has cleared the punch press, the trolley is stopped and the clamp is opened to release the sheet. To prevent interference between the pile of sheets and the trolley, the pile is disposed on a support table which is lowered whenever a detector assembly on the trolley detects that the pile extends above a predetermined height.
Abstract:
An improved flyer assembly for twisting a strand of material in either of two directions and winding the twisted strand of material onto a spool includes a pair of capstans which are rotated about a central axis of the flyer assembly to twist the strand. A floating guide wheel or roller guides the strand from the central axis of the flyer to one of the capstans. Since the direction of rotation of both the flyer assembly and the capstans is reversed when the twist of the strand is reversed, the guide wheel is freely movable between a first position in which the strand is initially fed to one side of a capstan and a second position in which the strand is initially fed to the opposite side of the capstan. If the strand should break during a twisting operation, the end portion of the length of strand leading to the spool is held against one of the capstans by a retainer roller to prevent spilloff and whipping movement of the strand.
Abstract:
In a precision grinding machine including mutually spaced workpiece supporting assemblies rotatable about a common axis and each incorporating a relatively fixed clamping jaw disposed to support one end of a workpiece during successive workpiece unloading and loading operations and a cooperating relatively movable clamping jaw selectively movable into and out of engagement with a workpiece supported in the cooperating relatively fixed clamping jaw; auxiliary work supporting means mounted upon each workpiece supporting assembly adjacent to its relatively fixed clamping jaw, operative, whenever the relatively movable clamping jaw is released, to support and remove a portion of the weight of the workpiece off the adjacent relatively fixed clamping jaw, including, means operative to facilitate axial and/or angular rotary movement of a workpiece engaged by the auxiliary supporting means for precise axial and/or angular positioning of the workpiece relative to the respective relatively fixed clamping jaws.
Abstract:
Apparatus for drafting fibrous textile material in which a drafting system includes at least one three-roll control unit having first and second intermeshing fluted feed rolls and a fluted slip roll adjacent on of the feed rolls and spaced forwardly of the nip of the feed rolls. A first one of the feed rolls is driven positively from a power source to, in turn, rotate the other feed roll solely by the intermeshing relationship of the feed rolls and the textile material passing therebetween whereby the textile material is gripped between and fed by the feed rolls. The slip roll is driven in fixed angular relation to one of the feed rolls, but not to the other, to cause the teeth of the slip roll to register with the grooves between the teeth of said first one of the feed rolls, without gripping the textile material passing therebetween, and thereby to cause the material therebetween to move in an undulating path while a fiber-distributing slip draft thus is applied to the material as it is being pulled therebetween and drafted in its forward course from the nip of the feed rolls.
Abstract:
A machine tool having a rotatable machine tool spindle for performing drilling and tapping operations. The spindle has limited axial movement relative to the spindle carrier. Fluid pressure means may be operated to displace the spindle in opposite directions for a predetermined position in the spindle carrier and to apply a force yieldably opposing return of the spindle to the predetermined position. The position of the spindle in its carrier is sensed by control means and the spindle carrier is translatable toward or away from the workpiece in response to the direction of displacement of the spindle from its predetermined position. The spindle is displaced forwardly to effect translation of the spindle carrier and spindle to engage a tool with a workpiece and the return of the spindle to the predetermined position upon the engagement of the tool with the workpiece is utilized to initiate control means for automatically controlling the depth of drilling or tapping as measured from the surface of the workpiece and the return of the spindle to an automatic repeat position or to a home position. The spindle is allowed to float while a tapping tool is in engagement with the workpiece and the feed and return of the spindle carrier is controlled during this period by sensing the position of the spindle in the carrier. During drilling the spindle is locked against axial movement relative to the carrier while the tool is in engagement with the workpiece. The locking means is engageable over the range of axial movement of the spindle relative to the carrier to locate the spindle in a predetermined position relative to the carrier.
Abstract:
A control system for a direct-current servo motor drive amplifier which changes the magnitude of the voltage supplied to the amplifier according to the magnitude of the input signal to the amplifier in order to reduce the power loss in the amplifier and thereby permit the use of lower rated components, for example, transistors. The amplifier input signal is supplied to a plurality of operational amplifiers in a level-detecting circuit that operates to selectively connect a plurality of voltage sources to supply the voltage requirements of the drive amplifier in accordance with the magnitude of the input signal. An embodiment of the voltage-switching circuit employing controlled rectifiers and an embodiment employing transistors are disclosed.