Machine having a drive shaft and a method of operation

Claim 3

The method according to claim 1 in which the machine is a mechanical press.

Claim 4

The method according to claim 1 in which the shaft is a crankshaft.

Claim 5

The method according to claim 1 in which the driving member is a flywheel.

Claim 6

The method according to claim 1 in which the machine is a mechanical press, the shaft is a crankshaft, and the driving member is a flywheel.

Claim 7

The method according to claim 1 which includes sensing the speed of the shaft and developing a signal in conformity with the sensed speed, and coNtrolling the application of the brake to the shaft in conformity with said signal.

Claim 8

The method according to claim 6 which includes sensing said second rotated position of said shaft and controlling the application of the brake to the shaft in conformity with said signal.

Claim 9

The method according to claim 1 which includes supplying a start signal to clutch the shaft to the driving member while releasing the brake from the shaft, supplying a stop signal for releasing the clutch while applying the brake, making the stop signal effective in response to the shaft reaching said second rotated position when the shaft is rotating below a predetermined speed, making said stop signal immediately effective when the shaft is rotating above said predetermined speed and then releasing the brake when the shaft speed drops to near said predetermined speed and again applying said brake when said shaft reaches said predetermined second rotated position.

Claim 10

The method according to claim 8 which includes sensing the speed of said shaft and developing a signal indicative of the shaft speed, and controlling the response of the clutch and brake to the stop signal in conformity with said signal.

Claim 15

The method according to claim 11 which includes supplying a stop signal to initiate halting of the crankshaft, sensing the speed of the crankshaft and developing a signal indication of the crankshaft speed, and selecting I or II in conformity with said signal.

Claim 18

In a mechanical press having a frame and a crankshaft rotatable in the frame, a driven flywheel, clutch means engageable to clutch said flywheel to said crankshaft and brake means engageable for braking the crankshaft in the frame and operable to bring said crankshaft to rest near a predetermined first rotated postion if applied near a predetermined second rotated position of the crankshaft when the crankshaft is rotating no faster than a predetermined speed; first means actuatable for disengaging said brake means and engaging said clutch means, second means actuatable for disengaging said clutch means and engaging said brake means, third means actuatable for disengaging both said clutch means and said brake means, means for supplying a stop signal when said first means is actuated and the crankshaft is rotating, and control means operable in response to said stop signal when the crankshaft is rotating above said predetermined speed for actuating said second means and for then actuating said third means when the crankshaft has slowed down to a second speed near said predetermined speed and for again actuating said second means when the crankshaft has reached said second rotated position to halt said crankshaft in a predetermined second angular position.

Claim 19

In a mechanical press having a frame and a crankshaft rotatable in the frame, a driven flywheel, clutch means engageable to clutch said flywheel to said crankshaft and brake means engageable for braking the crankshaft in the frame and operable to bring said crankshaft to rest near a predetermined first rotated postion if applied near a predetermined second rotated position of the crankshaft when the crankshaft is rotating no faster than a predetermined speed; first means actuatable for disengaging said brake means and engaging said clutch means, second means actuatable for disengaging said clutch means and engaging said brake means, third means actuatable for disengaging both said clutch means and said brake means, means for supplying a stop signal when said first means is actuated and the crankshaft is rotating, and control means operable in response to said stop signal when the crankshaft is rotating above said predetermined speed for actuating said second means and for then actuating said third means when the crankshaft has slowed down to a second speed near said predetermined speed and for again actuating said second means when the crankshaft has reached said second rotated position to halt said crankshaft in a predetermined second angular position.

Claim 20

A mechanical press according to claim 14 in which said control means is operable in response to the supplying of a stop signal thereto when the crankshaft is rotating at a speed less than said predetermined speed to actuate said second means immediately upon the crankshaft reaching said first angular position thereof.

Claim 21

A mechanical press according to claim 15 which includes spring means for actuating one of said clutch means and brake means into actuated position while simultaneously disengaging the other thereof and fluid operable means arranged in opposing relation to said spring means, said fluid operable means being responsive to a predetermined higher pressure to disengage said one of said clutch means and brake means while engaging the other thereof and to a predetermined lower pressure for disengaging said one of said clutch means and brake means while not engaging the other thereof, one of said first and third means supplying said higher pressure to said fluid operable means and the other thereof supplying said lower pressure to said fluid operable means.

Claim 22

In a mechanical press; a frame, a crankshaft rotatable in the frame, a rotatable flywheel, clutch means interposed between the flywheel and the crankshaft and brake means interposed between the frame and the crankshaft, said brake means when applied in a predetermined first rotated position of the crankshaft when the crankshaft is rotating at not more than a predetermined speed bringing the crankshaft to rest near a predetermined second rotated position; first means operable to engage said clutch means while disengaging said brake means to drive said crankshaft in rotation, second means operable to engage said brake means while disengaging said clutch means to brake said crankshaft, third means operable to disengage both of said clutch means and brake means to permit said crankshaft to coast, and clutch control means controlling said first, second and third means and responsive to a start signal to actuate said first means, means responsive to a stop signal supplied to said control means to condition said control means for actuation of said second and third means, said control means including crankshaft speed and position sensing means and being operable when conditioned by a stop signal and said speed sensing means senses a crankshaft speed above said predetermined speed to actuate said second means to slow the crankshaft down to near said predetermined speed and then to actuate said third means and then to actuate said second means at said first rotated position of said crankshaft.

Claim 23

In a mechanical press; a frame, a crankshaft rotatable in the frame, a rotatable flywheel, clutch means interposed between the flywheel and the crankshaft and brake means interposed between the frame and the crankshaft, said brake means when applied in a predetermined first rotated position of the crankshaft when the crankshaft is rotating at not more than a predetermined speed bringing the crankshaft to rest near a predetermined second rotated position; first means operable to engage said clutch means while disengaging said brake means to drive said crankshaft in rotation, second means operable to engage said brake means while disengaging said clutch means to brake said crankshaft, third means operable to disengage both of said clutch means and brake means to permit said crankshaft to coast, and clutch control means controlling said first, second and third means and responsive to a start signal to actuate said first means, means responsive to a stop signal supplied to said control means to condition said control means for actuation of said second and third means, said control means including crankshaft speed and position sensing means and being operable when conditioned by a stop signal and said speed sensing means senses a crankshaft speed above said predetermined speed to actuate said second means to slow the crankshaft down to near said predetermined speed and then to actuate said third means and then to actuate said second means at said first rotated position of said crankshaft.

Claim 24

A mechanical press according to claim 17 in which said control means when conditioned by a stop signal and the speed sensing means senses a crankshaft speed below said predetermined speed is operable to actuate said second means only at said first rotated position of said crankshaft.

Claim 25

In a mechanical press having a crankshaft and a flywheel, a clutch engageable to clutch the crankshaft to the flywheel and a brake engageable for braking the crankshaft, said brake being operable to bring said crankshaft to rest near a predetermined first rotated position if actuated near a predetermined second rotated position of the crankshaft when the crankshaft is rotating at not more than a predetermined speed; first means actuatable to engage said clutch while releasing said brake, second means actuatable to engage said brake while releasing said clutch, third means actuatable to release both of said clutch and said brake; speed sensing means sensitive to crankshaft speed and developing a first signal at crankshaft speeds above said predetermined speed and a second signal at crankshaft speeds below said predetermined speed, position sensing means sensitive to the position of said crankshaft and operable to develop a third signal in response to rotation of the crankshaft into said second rotated position, means for developing start and stop singals; and a control means having inputs to which said signals are supplied and having outputs connected in controlling relation to said first, second and third means, said control means going to a fitst condition in response to a start signal and in said fitst condition actuating said first means, said control means going to a second condition in response to a stop signal and in said second condition being responsive to said first signal for actuating said second means and to said second signal for actuating said third means and being jointly responsive to said second signal and said third signal for actuating said second means.

Claim 26

In a mechanical press having a crankshaft and a flywheel, a clutch engageable to clutch the crankshaft to the flywheel and a brake engageable for braking the crankshaft, said brake being operable to bring said crankshaft to rest near a predetermined first rotated position if actuated near a predetermined second rotated position of the crankshaft when the crankshaft is rotating at not more than a predetermined speed; first means actuatable to engage said clutch while releasing said brake, second means actuatable to engage said brake while releasing said clutch, third means actuatable to release both of said clutch and said brake; speed sensing means sensitive to crankshaft speed and developing a first signal at crankshaft speeds above said predetermined speed and a second signal at crankshaft speeds below said predetermined speed, position sensing means sensitive to the position of said crankshaft and operable to develop a third signal in response to rotation of the crankshaft into said second rotated position, means for developing start and stop singals; and a control means having inputs to which said signals are supplied and having outputs connected in controlling relation to said first, second and third means, said control means going to a fitst condition in response to a start signal and in said fitst condition actuating said first means, said control means going to a second condition in response to a stop signal and in said second condition being responsive to said first signal for actuating said second means and to said second signal for actuating said third means and being jointly responsive to said second signal and said third signal for actuating said second means.