US2651398A - Corrugated cushion roll - Google Patents

Description

Sept, 8, 1953 w. F. MOGRAW 2,651,398

CORRUGATED CUSHION ROLL Filed April 21, 1949 -WLL/AM EM E'AW w ww afW

Patented Sept. 8, 1 953 z,65i;39 ,3 CORRUGATED CUSHION-HOLLY William F. McGraw, Detroit, Mich; assignorto j,

Detroit, Mich, a' corporationofMichigan i Mn en ment 1949, s rial N 8.8.82. j F

The present invention relates tojimprpvements in self-cleaning cushion ions and bumpers particularly designed for the handling of materials which are susceptible to being marred or denting by rough handling.

In the automotive industry, the sheet metal panels making up the exterior of the automobile must be handled with great care if an excessive amount of rework and refinishing is to be avoided. During the course of fabrication and finishing, these panels are handled a great many times. First in the unformed sheet state, then into and out of the forming presses. Thereafter they are handled many times in the finishing and leading up to the final assembly line.

Heretofore both hard and sponge rubber rolls have been employed for cushioning and conveying material. The contour of the rolls has generally been either crown or cylindrical. While some form of ribs on the surface of the roll have been used, the shape and construction has been such as to be completely lacking in any selfcleaning properties or of possessing the degree of cushioning and softness required to obtain the desired freedom from marring, scratching and denting of the conveyed parts which are very roughly handled by the fabricating operators.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a resilient conveying roll or bumper, which may be of any suitable resilient and flexible material, for example, natural or synthetic rubber, so constructed and arranged that the supporting surface of the roller is soft, resilient and flexible and under the action of the supported load has a self cleaning character.

Another object is to provide a conveying roll or bumper of the type described consisting of a series of closely arranged and tapered peripheral fins so constructed and arranged to avoid to a great extent the accumulation of foreign and abrasive matters upon the peripheral crown at each fin and at the same time have an inh rent self-cleaning motion under the rolling and supporting action while in use.

A further object and advantage of the present invention is provided in an improved soft cushion roll for conveying and bumper purposes comprising a corrugated surface formed by a plurality of relatively thin flexible fins.

These and other objects and advantages residing in the specific construction, arrangement and combination of parts will more fully appear from a consideration of the following specification and the appended claim.

In the drawings,

' f Fig. I' is' a planned view of arch embodying the principles of. the present invnt ion and. partly shownin'vertical cross'sec'tion,"

Fig. If is an end view on a reduced scale of Fig. I,

Fig. III shows the deflection of the fins under a supported load,

Fig. IV shows the present invention being used on opposite sides of a large panel die for assisting in the conveying of the sheet metal strip into the die before forming and from the die after forming, and

Fig. V is an end view of a conveying arrangement in which the conveying rolls are complementary to the surface of the article being conveyed.

Referring to the drawings, in Fig. I the principles of the present invention are shown applied to a molded rubber roll Ill vulcanized to a sheet metal sleeve It in which the bearing I5 is preferably press fitted. A bolt l6 clamps the bearing M to the support structure l8 through the use of a suitable spacer 20. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention resides in the surface construction of the roller and that any suitable mounting structure may be employed.

As more clearly shown in Fig. I, the molded rubber roll I0 is preferably provided with a solid molded intermediate body portion 2 with which the peripheral tapered fins 24 are integrally molded. To avoid an accumulation of foreign and abrasive matter, the outer edge of each fin 24 is preferably crowned as at 26. The tapered construction of each fin 24 provides a groove 28 between each fin 24 the sides thereof converging outwardly.

In practice, a natural or synthetic roll molded with a softness not to exceed a Shore durameter reading of 33 points has been found satisfactory for handling material loads capable of being manually manipulated. The fins ar spaced approximately inch with a radial depth of approximately inch.

As more clearly shown in Fig. III, the deflection of the fins under a load causes a progressive wave action of each fin as the roll rotates upon its axis. It is this action which gives the roll l0 its self-cleaning characteristic, assisted by the tapered construction of the fins and the crowned outer edges 26.

Fig. IV shows the roll I0 handling a sheet 3!! being inserted between the punch 32 and die 34 from th conveyor 36/ In-Fig. V a panel 38 is shown supported and conveyed by the rolls II] with the fins ther of be- 3 ing indicated as deflected by the supported weight.

Iclaim:

A cushion conveyor and bumper r011 characterized by its self-cleaning action under conditions of deflection by the supported load comprising a rubber body to receive an axle about which the roll is rotatably mounted, a plurality of narrow, slightly tapered rubber radial fins integral with. said body, the radial height of said fins being substantially greater than the basal width of said fins, said fins being axially spaced with the annular peripheral edge of each fin being sub stantially pointed and collectively defining the peripheral supporting surface of the roll, the rubber of said fins being of a consistency providme said fins with structural characteristics resulting in said fins being readily deflected by the supported load for which the roll is designed to displace the peripheral edges of said fins in an axial direction shifting the point of load support slightly to one side of the pointed peripheral edge '4 of each fin whereby a wiping action takes place across the peripheral edge of each fin as rolling support is given the load to obviate accumulation of foreign matter upon the peripheral surface of the roll, adjacent fins defining narrow V-grooves which are distorted upon axial deflection of said fins under load tending to dislodge any accumulation of foreign matter in said grooves, the resiliency of said fins returning said fins to their normal radial position following deflection by the load.

WILLIAM F. MCGRAW.

' References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 149,645 Egery Apr. 14, 1874 2,052,900 Searles et al Sept. 1, 1936 2,169,624 Weiss et al Aug. 15, 1939 2,271,166 Weiss Jan. 2'7, 1942 2,423,407 Searles et a1. July 1, 1947

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