US4034631A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for supporting and precision turning of large rotary members
Assignee: Continental Field Machining Co Inc
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Filing: 1976-10-26
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Granted: 1977-07-12
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Expires: 1996-10-26
Abstract
Abstract The subject invention relates to a portable, heavy-duty apparatus for machining large rotary devices. The apparatus includes a heavy-duty, portable base for supporting the apparatus on an uneven surface; and a pair of movable pedestals are adjustably mounted on the base to accommodate work pieces of varying sizes and lengths. A cutting element is adjustably mounted on a cutter support for positioning the cutter in a selected position and attitude.
Inventors
- 👤 Siegfried Schulz
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 08:32
CPC Classifications
B; B23; B23B; B23B3/00; B23B3/06; B23Q; B23Q1/00; B23Q1/01; B23Q1/015; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T82/00; Y10T82/25; Y10T82/2522; Y10T82/2566
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
216 words
In an apparatus for supporting and turning a large rotatable work piece, said apparatus having a pair of spaced supports for rotatably supporting a large rotatable work piece, a cutter support for holding a cutter in position adjacent to the work piece, the improvement comprising a base for connecting the cutter support to the spaced supports in a selected spaced relationship and holding the spaced supports in a selected spaced relationship, said base including, a pair of I-beams spaced from each other, a plurality of beam connectors securing the I-beams to each other and holding the I-beams parallel to each other to form a gap of a uniform width between selected portions of the beams, a second pair of I-beams spaced from each other, another plurality of beam connectors securing the beams of the second pair to each other and holding the beams parallel to each other to form a gap of uniform width between the beams, a plurality of spacers securing the pairs of I-beams to each other, holding each pair of I-beams parallel to the other pair of I-beams and a selected surface of each of the beams in substantially one plane, and a plurality of levelers mounted on the I-beams for adjusting the selected surface of the I-beams to a substantially flat surface.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
216 words
In an apparatus for supporting and turning a large rotatable work piece, said apparatus having a pair of spaced supports for rotatably supporting a large rotatable work piece, a cutter support for holding a cutter in position adjacent to the work piece, the improvement comprising a base for connecting the cutter support to the spaced supports in a selected spaced relationship and holding the spaced supports in a selected spaced relationship, said base including, a pair of I-beams spaced from each other, a plurality of beam connectors securing the I-beams to each other and holding the I-beams parallel to each other to form a gap of a uniform width between selected portions of the beams, a second pair of I-beams spaced from each other, another plurality of beam connectors securing the beams of the second pair to each other and holding the beams parallel to each other to form a gap of uniform width between the beams, a plurality of spacers securing the pairs of I-beams to each other, holding each pair of I-beams parallel to the other pair of I-beams and a selected surface of each of the beams in substantially one plane, and a plurality of levelers mounted on the I-beams for adjusting the selected surface of the I-beams to a substantially flat surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
229 words
In an apparatus for supporting and turning a large rotatable work piece as defined in claim 1, including a fifth I-beam parallel to the second pair of I-beams and being spaced from, and adjacent to, one of the I-beams in the second pair, another plurality of beam connectors securing the fifth I-beam to the adjacent I-beam and holding the beams parallel to each other to form a third gap of uniform width between the beams, each of said I-beams having the same cross-section and same length, each of the beam connectors being a plate welded to the beams which the plate connects and being substantially perpendicular to the length of the beams, each of said plates having a recess in its upper portion for being positioned between the respective I-beams to form a T-slot between the I-beams, each of the spacers of the plurality of spacers being a stub I-beam having the same cross-section as the aforementioned I-beams, said stub I-beams being welded on each end to the adjacent I-beams, and a pair of stub I-beam connector plates being welded to a web of each of the stub I-beams, one end of each of the stub I-beam connector plates being welded to the web of the respective stub I-beam and the other end being welded to the adjacent I-beam for holding the stub I-beam substantially perpendicular to the I-beams.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
83 words
In an apparatus for supporting and turning a large rotatable work piece as defined in claim 2, including a side guide on one side of the base, said side guide including a plurality of guide plates welded to one of said I-beams, forming one side of the base, each of said guide plates having a recess formed therein, a pair of spaced guide bars welded to the guide plates to cooperate with the recess in the guide plates to form a T-slot therein.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
92 words
In an apparatus for supporting and turning a large rotatable work piece as defined in claim 2, wherein each of the levelers includes a threaded column threadedly mounted on a lower flange of an I-beam, and a foot mounted on the lower end of each of the threaded columns, a tool aperture formed in an upper flange of the respective beam directly above the threaded column to allow insertion of a tool through the upper flange to engage the threaded column to turn the column and adjust the level of the foot.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
In an apparatus for supporting and turning a large rotatable work piece as defined in claim 1, wherein said base includes a side guide generally forming a T-slot on one side of the base.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
43 words
In an apparatus for supporting and turning a large rotatable work piece as defined in claim 1, the improvement including a guide rail spaced from the base and being connectable to the cutter support for positioning the cutter support relative to the base.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
73 words
In an apparatus for supporting and turning a large rotatable work piece as defined in claim 1, the improvement including a cutter support base, the cutter support being mounted on the cutter support base and being connected to the base, said cutter support including a tower having a rotatable connector, said rotatable connector allowing 360° rotation of an upper portion of the cutter support relative to a lower portion of the cutter support.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
76 words
In an apparatus for supporting and turning a large rotatable work piece as defined in claim 1, the improvement being wherein each of the spaced supports is slideably mounted on each of the pair of I-beams and connected to the I-beams at the gap between said I-beams, whereby the spaced supports are movable along the I-beams in the gap for adjusting the distance between the supports for receipt of a work piece of a selected length.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
96 words
In an apparatus for supporting and turning a large rotatable work piece as defined in claim 1, the improvement including a cutter support base, the cutter support being mounted on the cutter support base and being connected to the first-mentioned base, each of the spaced supports being slideably mounted on each of the pair of I-beams and connected to the I-beams at the gap between said I-beams, whereby the spaced supports are movable along the I-beams in the gap for adjusting the distance between the supports for receipt of a work piece of a selected length.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
95 words
In an apparatus for supporting and turning a large rotatable work piece as defined in claim 1, the improvement including a cutter support base, the cutter support being mounted on the cutter support base and being connected to the firstmentioned base, each of the spaced supports including a yoke at the upper end thereof, each yoke being pivotal and adjustable on the upper portion of the spaced support for receipt of a shaft portion of the workpiece, each of said yokes including a thin plastic liner for engagement with the shaft of the work piece.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
154 words
In an apparatus for supporting and turning a large rotatable work piece as defined in claim 1, the improvement including a side guide generally forming a T-slot on one side of the base parallel to the I-beams, a cutter support base releasably connected to the base at the side guide T-slot, the cutter support being mounted on the cutter support base and being slideably connected to the first-mentioned base, said cutter support including a tower having a rotatable connector allowing 360° of an upper portion of the cutter support relative to the cutter support base, each of the spaced supports being slideably mounted on each of the pair of I-beams and connected to the I-beams at the gap between the I-beams, and each of the spaced supports including a yoke at the upper end thereof, each yoke being pivotal and adjustable on the spaced support for receipt of a shaft portion of the workpiece.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
30 words
In an apparatus for supporting and turning a large rotatable work piece as defined in claim 1, wherein the base is separable into three sections for transportation of the base.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
72 words
In an apparatus for supporting and turning a large rotatable work piece as defined in claim 1, the improvement being wherein each of the spaces supports includes a yoke at the upper end thereof, each yoke being pivotal and adjustable on the spaced support for receipt of a shaft portion of the work piece, each of said yokes including a thin plastic liner for engagement with a shaft of the work piece.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
125 words
In an apparatus for supporting and turning a large rotatable work piece as defined in claim 1, the improvement including a cutter support base connected to the first-mentioned base, the cutter support being mounted on the cutter support base and being slideably connected to the first-mentioned base, each of the spaced supports being slideably mounted on each of the pair of I-beams and connected to the I-beams at the gap between said I-beams, each of the spaced supports including a yoke at the upper end thereof, each yoke being pivotal and adjustable on the spaced support for receipt of a shaft portion of the work piece, and each of said yokes including a thin plastic liner for engagement with the shaft of the work piece.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
290 words
An apparatus for supporting and turning a large rotatable work piece, comprising, a base having a substantially flat upper surface, said base having three parallel T-slots formed in said upper surface, a plurality of levelers mounted on the lower portion of said base for adjusting the base to position the three T-slots into a substantially single plane, a side guide T-slot formed in the base on one side thereof, said side guide being parallel to the three parallel T-slots, a cutter support base releasably secured to the first-mentioned base at the side guide, a guide rail releasably secured to the cutter support base, a pair of support pedestals mounted on the first-mentioned base and being connected to said base in a pair of adjacent T-slots, said support pedestals being releasably slideably connected to said base, each of said support pedestals having a yoke in its upper portion for receipt of the rotatable work piece, a cutter support mounted on the cutter support base, said cutter support including a bed being connected to the third T-slot of the first-mentioned base, said bed having a pair of cutter T-slots substantially perpendicular to the three parallel T-slots, a support tower slideably mounted on the bed, a plurality of roller jacks connected to the support tower for raising the support tower relative to the bed for moving the tower relative to the bed, said tower having a rotatable connector for rotating an upper portion of the tower 360° relative to a lower portion of the tower, an elongated way connected to the upper portion of the tower, a second rotatable connector mounted on the way, and a cutter holder connected to the rotatable connector for rotating the cutter holder 360° relative to the tower.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
290 words
An apparatus for supporting and turning a large rotatable work piece, comprising, a base having a substantially flat upper surface, said base having three parallel T-slots formed in said upper surface, a plurality of levelers mounted on the lower portion of said base for adjusting the base to position the three T-slots into a substantially single plane, a side guide T-slot formed in the base on one side thereof, said side guide being parallel to the three parallel T-slots, a cutter support base releasably secured to the first-mentioned base at the side guide, a guide rail releasably secured to the cutter support base, a pair of support pedestals mounted on the first-mentioned base and being connected to said base in a pair of adjacent T-slots, said support pedestals being releasably slideably connected to said base, each of said support pedestals having a yoke in its upper portion for receipt of the rotatable work piece, a cutter support mounted on the cutter support base, said cutter support including a bed being connected to the third T-slot of the first-mentioned base, said bed having a pair of cutter T-slots substantially perpendicular to the three parallel T-slots, a support tower slideably mounted on the bed, a plurality of roller jacks connected to the support tower for raising the support tower relative to the bed for moving the tower relative to the bed, said tower having a rotatable connector for rotating an upper portion of the tower 360° relative to a lower portion of the tower, an elongated way connected to the upper portion of the tower, a second rotatable connector mounted on the way, and a cutter holder connected to the rotatable connector for rotating the cutter holder 360° relative to the tower.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-07-11 | 1981-01-10 | 1981-07-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-07-11 | 1985-01-10 | 1985-07-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-07-11 | 1989-01-10 | 1989-07-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |