GB Patent 556856 - A device for measuring changes of distance between two relatively movable parts such as parts of machine tools

Description

L:Y S: _ i S,;E,

Ht,' ' He

PATENT SPECIFICATION

1, IVAN BE Nxio E, of 25, Maresfield

Gardens, London, N W 3, a German citizen, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows The present invention provides a lathe accessory with the aid of which any changes of diameter of the article upon which work is being perfornmed may be measured speedily and with precision.

The record of the change of diameter is a continuous one and may therefore be observed at any time while work is in progress.

In order that the nature of the invention may be appreciated clearly, a preferred form will now be described with reference to the accompanying diagrammatice drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan of a portion of a lathe showing the lathe-head and crossslide, and Figure 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Referring to Figure 1, the lathe bed slides are shown at 3 the lathe-head at 4, the chuck at 3 and the article upon which work is being performed at 6 The cross-slide is shown generally at 7, longitudinal and transverse movemenits thereof being effected by manipulation of the hand wheels 8 and 9 respectively, whilst the cutting tool is shown at 10 and the cross-slide base at 11.

The arrangement so far described is quite well-known.

The device for measuring changes of diameter of the article 6 comprises two parlts one of which is mounted on the (,ross-slide and the other of which is mounted on the cross-slide base, so that as the cross-slide is moved towards the article, to cause the tool to turn down the diameter of the article, relative motion occurs between the two parts of the measuring device.

The moving part of the measurinl device, i e the part mounted upon the cross-slide, comprises a plate 12 rigidly secured to the cross-slide upon which is fixed a known type of indicator 13 The indicator 13 comprises a gauge pin 14 which slides within a sleeve 15 and the f P, 1/-l 56,856 motion of which is transferred through suitable gearing to a rotatable pointer 16 moving around a clock-type of dial With 66 this known form of indicator all movements of the gauge pin 14 are recorded as a rotation of the pointer 16 around the dial and may therefore be observed; an indicator of this type in common use has 60 a range of measurement of half an inch and shows changes of one thousandth of an inch with reasonable accuracy.

The movable gauge pin 14 bears tgainst a stop 17 which normally is immovably 65 mounted uponl the cross-slide base It will be appreciated therefore that, during normal use of the instrment, as the crossslide is moved inwardly to move the tool against the article being turned so as to 7 () reduce its diameter, tile indicator which is mounted upon the cross-slide moves with the latter so that the gaugepin 14 is pushed into the sleeve 15 a distance equal to that over which the cross,-slide is moved 7 This distance is equal to half the change in diameter effected upon the article in the chuck and is recorded upon the indicator dial.

It will be appreciated that by this 80 means there is provided a continuous record of the change of diameter of the article upon which work is being performed.

It has been indicated above that the 85 normal type of indicator has a maximum range of measurement of half an inch but it is desirable that the same instrument may be used to measure greater changes of diameter than one inch and in order 90 that this may be achieved the stop 17 is made adjustable with respect to the crossslide base 11 For this purpose the stop 17 is fixedly secured in a block 18 slidably mounted on a rod 19 which in turn is 095 fixedly secured to a plate 20 rigidly secured to the end of the cross-slide base 11 The block 18 is preferably held in frictional engagement with the rod 19 by means of a leaf-spring 21 the ends of which 100 are urged against two pins 22 bearing against the rod 19 Slidably mounted within the block 18 is a link 23 secured at its end to tile plate 12 which is secured rrce 4 S A Application Date: April IS, 1942 No 4993/42 5 Complete Specification Left: March 10, i 943.

Complete Specification Accepted; Oct 25, 1943.

PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATIONI

A Device for Measuring Changes of Distance between two relatively Movable Parts such as Parts of Machine Tools i) -36 O, 80 J to the cross-slide and upon which is mounted the indicator 13 Fixedly secured on the link 23 by means of setscrews are two collars 24 and 25.

During normal operation of the device i.e when the device is being used to record changes of diameter within a range of one inch, the block i S and therefore the stop 17, are held stationary by virtue of the frictional engagement between the block 18 and the rod 19, whilst the link 23 slides freely within the block 18 The distance apart between the collars 24 and is such that the link 23 may move over a range of half an inch before either of the collars bears against one end of the block 18.

W Vhen it is desired to take readings over a range greater than half an inch the crossslide is moved in such manner that one or other of the collars 24 or 25 drags the block 18 and with it the stop 17 over the rod 19 until the stop 17 occupies a position corresponding with the new range 2 b over which measurements are to be taken.

When starting a new job or when setting up a new tool the indicator must first be brought into position in relation to the tool After making one or more cuts the dimension of the article is checked and the dial gauge set accordingly Another way of using the indicator is to turn down I the article roughly to within an inch of the required diameter, then to measure it and set the indicator accordingly If desired 35 the collars 24 and 25 may be set apart a distance such that the indicator is brought into action only after the cross-slide has moved a certain pre-determined distance.

It will be appreciated by those skilled 40 in the art that by means of the present invention many normal lathe operations may be speeded up so that production is increased and that waste may be reduced.

It will be appreciated that the indi 45 cator 13 and the stop 17 may be reversed in position i e the stop 17 may be mounted upon the cross-slide and the indicator upon the base of the cross-slide.

It will be seen also that the device may 60 be used upon machines other than lathes for example upon any machine, such as a drill, in which it is desired to measure the distance travelled by a tool into or' against an article upon which the tool is 56 working.

Dated this 15th day of April 1942.

Agent for the Applicant, R G C JENKINS, Chartered Patent Agent.

77, Chancery Lane London, W C 2.

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

A Device for Measuring Changes of Distance between two relatively Movable Parts such as Parts of Machine Tools I, I Vx BENK;OI, of 25, Maresfield

Gardens, London, N W 3, a Gernan citizen do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and aseertai:e(l in and by the following statement:-

The present invention relates to a device for measuring changes of distance between two relatively movable parts.

The device is particularly suitable for use in conjunction with a lathe for measuring changes of diameter of the workpiece being turned, but may also be used as an accessory with any machine during the use of which it is desired to measure the distance apart of two relatively movable parts The record of change distance 76 given by the device is a continuous one and may, therefore, be observed at any time whilst the two parts are in relative motion, for example, the change of diameter of a piece of work in a lathe may be continuously observed.

Gauges for measuring changes of distance are already known One such gauge for this purpose comprises a longitudinally mnovable feeler-pin which is meia Ilicamllv linked through suitable gearing with a 85 pointer moving over a circular dial, a measure of changes of the longitudinal position of the feeler being directly recorded by the pointer on the dial as so many hundredths or thousandtlls of an 90 inch.

Normally, however, the range of distance measurable by such gauges is limited; usually from zero to about an inch 95 A known form of gauge, such as that above described, may if desired be uned in carrying out the present invention although the basic idea underlying the invention is independent of the type of 100 gauge used But whatever the type of gauge employed, it is one object of the present invention to provide means whereby there may be measured changes of distance greater than the range covered 110 by the gauge alone.

It has been proposed to provide devices for measuring changes of distance between two relativelyv movable parts having a gauge mounted Oil one part and means for'115 556,856 actuating the gauge mounted on the other part, said actuating means being adjustable so that the range of distance measurable by the device as a whole is greater than that measurable by the gauge alone.

In these prior constructions the actuating means was secured to its part by screw devices.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a device for measuring changes of distance between two relatively movable parts comprising a gauge of limited range, mounted upon one of said parts and a stop mounted upon the other part, the gauge and stop being in contact and one of them being normally frictionally held in position on its part but capable of slidable movement thereon so that the range of distance measurable by the device as a whole is greater than that measurable by the gauge alone Preferably the stop is adjustable on its part, being in the form of a rod frictionally mounted within a block secured to one part so as to be slidable in the block.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which are illustrations of a preferred form of the device as applied to a lathe for measuring changes of diameter of work being turned on the lathe and in which, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form of the invention, Figure 2 is an elevation partly in section of the gauging device shown in Figure 1, whilst Figure 3 is a view taken in the direction of the arrows 3-3 of Figure 2.

In the Figures the lathe bed is shown at 10, the cross-slide base at 11, and the cross-slide is shown at 12 It will be appreciated that changes of diameter of work being turned in the lathe can be measured by measuring the relative motion between the cross-slide 12, and its base 11, the change of diameter actually being equal to twice this relative motion.

The required changes of distance are measured by means of a gauge 13 mounted fixedly bn the base 11, which co-operates with a stop adjustably mounted on the slide 12 and which will be described presently in detail.

As illustrated by way of example tho gauge is of well-known type and comprises a longitudinally movable feeler 14 coupled through suitable gears with a pointer 15 rotatable over a dial 16 bearing a scale reading in hundredths, thousandths or ten-thousandths of an inch.

All movements of the feeler are thus accurately recorded by the pointer moving over its scale.

Movement of the cross slide 12, relative 66 to the gauge 13 (or to the slidebase 11 on which the gauge is mounted) is Iecorded on the gauge as a result of the pressure against the feeler 14 of an upstanding pin 17 rigidly mounted in a link 1 7 A pivotted onl a rod 18 which is frictionally mounted, 70 so as to be slidable therein, in a block 19 fixedly secured, as by screws 20, to the cross-slide 12.

The function of the upstanding pin 17 is to avoid the necessity of mounting the 75 rod 18 in the same horizontal plane as the feeler 14 Actually, as can be seen from Figure 1, the rod 18 is sunk in a groove 21, with which the cross-slide bases of most existing lathes are formed 80 It will be appreciated, therefore, that if the present device is to be added to an existing lathe the rod 18 does not interfere in any way with the operation of the lathe 85 The rear end of the rod 18 is slidably mounted within the block 19 but is normally prevented from moving with respect to the block by the engagement, with the rod 18, of two plungers 22 located in bores 90 in the block 19 and pressed upon the rod 18 by a leaf-spring 23 secured to the block 19.

During normal operation of the device the friction between the plungers 22 and 95 the rod 18 is sufficient to prevent the rod 18 moving within the block 19 Consequently, as the cross-slide 12 is moved towards the gauge 13, during the operation of tuyning work held in the lathe, the 100 upstanding pin 17 moves against the feeler 14 so that the distance by which the crossslide approaches the gauge is recorded by the pointer 15 moving over the dial 16.

The rod 18 is preferably, and as illus 10 b trated, pivotally connected with the link 17 A about a pivot 24 in order to avoid the necessity of mounting the block 19 accurately in line with the feeler 14 This mechanical device also ensures that 110 strains and 'vibrations of the cross-slide 12 are not transferred to the sensitive mechanism of the gauge 13.

The link 17 A is slidable within a bore 26 formed in the base 27 of the gauge 13 115 and on either side of the gauge 13 the link 17 A is provided with two bosses 28 and 29.

The base 27 of the gauge is secured to the cross-slide base 11 in any convenient 120 manner It is provided with two end plates 30 and 31 which are removed when the gauge is to be dropped into the base, the feeler cover 32 then resting in a slot 33 formed in the base 125 The dial of the gauge is provided with a cover 34 which protects it and by the rotation of which the dial can be moved into any desired angular position.

The device is used as follows: let it be 130 assumed that the device is to be used in order to measure a change of distance between two alternative mnovable parts greater than can be measured by the dial gauge alone; for example, let it be supposed that the maximum range of the dial is 1 inch whilst the distance to be measured is 1 t inches 'A first cut is taken off the wvork being turned in the lathe The boss 29 is then pushed to the left as far as it will go, the rod 18 meanwhile sliding through its friction block 19 The cover 34 is then rotated to bring the reading to zero The work is then turned down until the gauge approaches the end of its range i e when the feeler 14 has nearly completed its nmaxium possible travel A note is made of the reduction in diameter which has been effected, the boss 29 is again pushed to the left as far as it will go, by means of the button shown, and work is recommenced until the desired change in diameter has been achieved.

The position of the boss 28 is such that if inadvertently, turning is not stopped before the gauge comes to the en(l of its range damage cannot be done to the instrtument The bos, 28 bears against the gauge base 27 when the feeler 14 is pushed in by its maximum travel; if, therefore, turning is continued beyond this point the rod 18 is prevented from moving further to the right and hence it slides through its friction block 19.

The bosses 28 and 29 functimn in the reverse sense when turning is being carried out internally and the cross-slide and its base are being moved apart.

It will be seen that the device is capable of measuring over a range greater than that given by the gauge alone by virtue of the adjustment of the rod 18 with respect to the cross-slide 12 An adjustnent may be repeated as often as may be necessary so that the range covered by the device as a whole is limited only by the length of the rod 18.

It will be clear that the rod 18 mnay be fixed on the cross-slide whilst the gauge is made adjustable on the cross-slide base.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to