Method and mechanism for grinding rods

Application filed June 23, 1828. Serial No. 287,788.

My invention relates to improvements in methods and mechanisms for grinding tapered rods, and relates particularly to methods and mechanisms adaptable to form 0 tapered rods by grinding processes.

An object of my invention is to provide for grinding rods to a tapered form in such a way that the rod may be varied in outside diameter in a predetermined manner.

li) Another object of my invention is to provide for the grinding of tapered rods, the degree of taper of which is not uniform throughout the length of the rod.

Another object of my invention is to pro15 vide for grinding the rods to a tapered form in a highly efficient and economical manner.

Other objects of my invention and the invention itself will become apparent from the following description of a method and mech20 anism embodying my invention, and in which reference will be had to the accompanying drawing illustrating the said embodiment, and forming a part of this specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 illustrates a plan view of a mechanism adapted to carry out a process of my ’ invention. ‘° . .

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the 30 mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view taken on the line 3—3 of Fig. 2, of certain parts of the mechanism including the grinding wheel, work rest, and gage block. .

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the gear driving mechanism taken on the line 4—4 of Fig. 2. . ,

Fig. 5 is a view of a steel fishing rod distorted by multiplying only the transverse 40 dimensions by a factor to show relatively the variations in outside diameter of a rod made according to the principles of my invention.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the clutch key of Fig. 2.

4B Referring now to the different figures of drawing and for convenience referring first to Fig. 5, there is therein shown a side elevational view of a fishing rod which is of the type specifically known as a casting rod and 5© which is provided with a body portion 1, adapted to be inserted into a handle socket, a portion 2 adjacent the body and of relatively enlarged diameter, and other portions 3, 4, and 5 disposed progressively nearer the tip end 7. Such a rod may be of, say, 3½ feet gg to 5½ feet in length and of diameters varying, say, from .350 inches in the portion 2 tapered to a minimum diameter* of .147 inches in the portion 3, then tapering slightly to a larger diameter such as .156 in the por- 60 tion 4, whence toward the tip the rod is greatly tapered in portions 5 and 6, and in the tip portion 7 the degree of taper is preferably at a relatively more rapid rate than in the portions 5 and 6, the tip portion being 65 preferably fa inch in diameter.

A rod so formed has very desirable Properties in use but heretofore has been difficult of production by the well known forms of steel drawing mechanisms and, therefore, by 70 the present invention, as stated in the foregoing objects of invention, a special grinding operation is proposed in order to produce a rod formed, for instance, as is the fishing rod of Fig. 5. 75

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, in all of which like parts are designated by like reference characters, and in all of which the rod is generally designated by the character R, at 81 show a longitudinally extending so machine bed provided with supports 9 and comprising longitudinally extending guides 10 and 11 slotted at 12 and 13 for a purpose later described.

At one end of the bed an electric motor 14 85 is provided which is adapted to drive a spindle 15 provided at its end with a chuck 16. The chuck 16 is adapted to receive th® butt end 1 of a rod B which it is desired to grind to the form illustrated in Fig. 5. 90

The rod is first reduced by grinding, turning or the like at the end 1, to its finished plug form for introduction into the socket of a fishing rod handle and is chucked by this reduced portion. Otherwise the rod to be op- 95 erated upon will be of approximately uniform diameter throughout its length.

At 17 I show a carriage for a second electric motor 18, carrying on one end of its rotatable shaft, a grinding wheel 19, and sup2

1,864,584 porting a stop or abutment member 20, having a working face 21 of hardened steel material. At 22 I show a rest for the rod operated upon, and which is rigidly secured to g the abutment member 20. The motor has a base portion which is dove-tailed at 26 into a guiding groove 25 provided in the carriage 17 so that the motor may move laterally relative to the carriage depending on the laterjo ally adjusted position of the guide 24 which is secured directly to the motor.

Likewise the abutment member 20 is provided with a base 27 which is dove-tailed into a similar transversely extending groove 28 in 15 the base and the abutment member, with the rest 22 secured to it, is guided to such a laterally adjusted position as is determined by the guiding projection 23 in the guide slot 12. The rest, abutment member, and motor are all 20 supported on the same base 17, the base being mounted on the machine bed. Projections 23 and 24, from the motor and abutment member respectively, extend into the guide slots 12 and 13.

The frame is, therefore, movable longitudinally of the bed and the slots 12 and 13 through the motor and abutment projections received in the slots at all times determines the lateral adjustment of the motor and the 30 abutment member respectively. The slots 12 and 13 do not extend parallel each to the other but follow the longitudinal configuration of opposite sides of the rod R, as illustrated in Fig. 5, which it is desired to obtain 35 by the grinding process.

Consequently the projections 23 and 24 are adapted to be guided laterally relative to each other.

Through a suitable set of gears 14', a 40 threaded shaft 29 is continuously rotated in axially aligned bearings 30 and 31 being driven at a rate of speed reduced relative to that of the spindle 15. A depending extension 32 of the carriage 17 is longitudinally 45 bored and the shaft 29 being telescoped within the bore with its threads in driving engagement with the rack shaped teeth 40 of a clutch key 41 projecting from above into the bore of the extension 32. Rotation of the' ³⁰ shaft 29 will effect a movement of the carriage 17 longitudinally of the bed and at a rate which is predetermined by the pitch of the threads on the shaft 29 and the rotational rate of the shaft as predetermined by the ⁵³ gear ratios and relative positions of the gears of the gear set 14'.

The clutch key 41 is in the form of a cylindrical pin and is telescoped within a bore of the carriage extension 32 disposed vertically ^e® above and at right angles to the bore which receives the threaded shaft 29. A handle 42 is provided at the top end of the clutch key and a spring 43 is provided to continuously force the key downward so that its end which ** contains arcuately formed transversely ex tending rack teeth, is resiliently pressed to that position wherein the teeth enter the grooves between the threads of the shaft 29.

Preferably the rotational rate will be such that when the carriage is moved from a posi- 70 tion corresponding with the end 1 of the rod to be operated upon toward the foot 33 of the bed, and the motor 17 being simultaneously operated with the motor 14, to respectively rotate the grinding wheel 19 and the rod R, 75 simultaneously, the rod may be ground down from its initial uniform diameter generally increasingly as the grinding operation progresses, being guided by the slots 11 and 12, the grinding wheel 19, supported by the mo- 80 tor, and the abutment member will approach and recede, correspondingly, so that when the grinding operation is completed the rod will have the form of that illustrated in Fig. 5. 85

It is obvious that other forms of rod of circular cross-sectional form may be made by the grinding machine substantially as illustrated and above described, by simultaneously and oppositely varying the inclination of 80 the guiding slots relative to the longitudinal medial line of the machine bed so that if desired, “ferrules”, “swirls”, “necks” or the like could be formed in different portions of the length of the rod. 05

At the foot end of the machine, I provide a steady rest for the rod comprising a block 35 bored at 36 in axial alignment with the rod and preferably having flaring mouthopenings at either end containing a pressure 100 shoe 37 recessed in the block above.and medially of the bore 36 which is urged downwardly by a spring 38. The pressure shoe is preferably provided with a rounded contact end adapted to engage the rod R. The bore 36 is 105 sufficiently large so as to provide a proper clearance for the rod R before the rod is operated upon, and the block 35 is slidably mounted on the bed of the machine so that when the grinding carriage 17 is in position 110 for grinding the tip end 6 of the rod, the steady rest block 35 for the tip end can be moved toward the foot of the machine in order to permit grinding of the rod tip.

After the shaft has been completely H5 formed, the carriage 17 may be retracted by manually lifting the handle 42 to disengage the rack teeth on the clutch key from the threads of the shaft 29 whereupon the carriage with the grinder, abutment and rest, 120 will be radially shiftable on the bed to the ^vstarting position for grinding another rod, which may be then secured in the chuck 16.