U.S. patent number 3,602,030 [Application Number 04/771,515] was granted by the patent office on 1971-08-31 for method and apparatus for producing tapered tube.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha. Invention is credited to Yoshio Noda, Hiromichi Sugiura.
United States Patent |
3,602,030 |
Noda , et al. |
August 31, 1971 |
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING TAPERED TUBE
Abstract
A production method of tapered tube comprising the steps of
passing a tube blank made of a metal over the surface of a tapered
core; placing on the outer surface of said tube blank a die
consisting of a material having a plasticity and elasticity, but
the resistivity thereof against the plastic deformation being
higher than that of said tube blank, and having an inner bore of
substantially equal diameter to that of the narrower end of said
tapered core; shifting said tapered core and said die against each
other so that the die is conveyed from one end to the other end of
the tapered core; and forming said tube blank into a tapered tube
in accordance with the surface of said tapered core.
Inventors: |
Noda; Yoshio (Shizuoka-ken,
JA), Sugiura; Hiromichi (Shizuoka-ken,
JA) |
Assignee: |
Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki
Kaisha (Shizuoka-ken, JA)
|
Family
ID: |
27277659 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/771,515 |
Filed: |
October 29, 1968 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
Current U.S.
Class: |
72/347; 72/285;
72/283; 72/468 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B21C
37/18 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B21C
37/18 (20060101); B21C 37/15 (20060101); B21c
003/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;72/276,370,347,467,468
;113/12M ;29/DIG.41 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Herbst; Richard J.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method of producing a tapered tube comprising the steps of
positioning a tapered core within a metal tube blank and relatively
advancing along and in engagement with the outer face of s said
core engaging tube from the tapered toward the opposite end of said
core, a die of substantially uniform thickness and having
substantially parallel front and rear faces facing respectively the
direction of advance of said die and the opposite direction thereto
and provided with a central aperture of approximately the diameter
of the tapered end portion of said core and formed of an elastic
plastic material having a plastic deformation resistivity higher
than that of said tube blank to axially inwardly rearwardly flare
the section of said die bordering said aperture with the advance of
said die and effect the bearing of the front face of said die
flared portion on said tube blank whereby said tube blank is formed
by said advancing die to a shape corresponding to the outer surface
of said core.
2. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein a tube blank, having a
constant diameter approximately equal to the maximum inside
diameter of the desired tapered tube, is repeatedly drawn in
several steps from its least tapered state to the maximum tapered
state, employing a plurality of tapered cores having different
taper angles, varied by a predetermined ratio, and a plurality of
dies having different inside bores corresponding each of the above
mentioned tapered cores, and also having a plasticity and
elasticity, but the resistivity thereof against the plastic
deformation being higher than that of said tube blank.
3. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein the die is made of soft
iron, brass, aluminum, amuminum alloy, lead, polyurethane, or the
like.
4. An apparatus for producing tapered tubes comprising: a movable
plate horizontally shiftable under the action of a driving shaft; a
fixed plate located opposingly to said movable plate and including
a dieholder at the central portion thereof; a tapered core coupled
with said movable plate and shifted through said dieholder
supported by said fixed plate; and a centrally apertured disc
shaped die having substantially parallel, substantially coextensive
front and rear faces extending between the inner and outer
peripheries of said die and formed of a material having plasticity
and elasticity, but the resistivity thereof against the plastic
deformation being higher than that of said tube blank, and having
an inner bore plastically deformable according to the taper of the
tapered core.
5. An apparatus for producing curved tapered tubes comprising: a
movable plate horizontally shiftable under the action of a driving
shaft; a fixed plate located opposingly to said movable plate and
having, at the central portion thereof, a dieholder fitted with die
being attached so that the dieholder can be freely rotatably, said
die having an inner bore border plastically axially deformable
according to the taper of a core and forming thereby a tube blank
into the tapered tube; and a tapered core having a curved
centerline and coupled to said movable plate through an
intermediate rod freely movably, so that the tapered core is
shiftable through said die attached on the fixed plate; whereby
said curved tapered tube is automatically formed under the
existence of said die, the angle of which is gradually changeable
in accordance with the shift of said tapered core.
6. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein a tube removing
device consisting of a pair of sectors which can be swung around a
shaft against the tension of coiled springs spun across the pair of
said sectors is provided at an outward position from the die fitted
on the dieholder provided on the central portion of the fixed
plate, whereby said pair of sectors are swung open along the
tapered surface of the tapered core.
Description
This invention relates to a method and apparatus to be used in the
production of tapered tubes, and more particularly to the type
wherein seamless tube blank is placed over a tapered core of a
desired shape, and both the blank and the tapered core are
thereafter passed a die plastically deformable, whereby the tube
blank is formed into a tapered tube having the same configuration
as the tapered core.
Heretofore, methods as described hereinbelow have been known for
producing tapered tube from the seamless tube blank:
1. Swagging method; in which a metallic mold divided into upper and
lower halves are prepared in a press machine, the tube blank is
rotatingly inserted inside of the mold, and the pressing machine is
operated so that the tube is formed into a desired configuration
between the upper and lower mold halves.
2. Spinning method; in which the tube blank is attached on a lathe
or the like machine through a core metal and then rotated, whereby
the tube blank is drawn by means of one or more rollers.
3. Pressurizing method; such as bulge forming by employing a liquid
pressure, or as explosion forming utilizing high energy and high
speed at the time of explosion.
Although each of the above-described conventional methods has its
own merit, they have also drawbacks as follow:
Methods (1) and (2):
1. With these methods, the thickness of the products tends to be
thicker at the portion thereof having smaller diameter and thinner
at the portions having larger diameter, and the methods also have
difficulties in obtaining high precision products.
2. The surface of the products is apt to be rough, and the
smoothening thereof requires a considerable amount of additional
labor.
3. The carrying out of these methods requires high degree of
skill.
4. The formation process in these methods needs considerable length
of time period.
1. A significantly large installation is required.
2. The distribution of thickness in each of the products cannot be
uniform.
3. In some cases where a certain kind of material is used, wasteful
products will be obtained successively.
4. Dangerous operations are involved.
5. Roughening of the surfaces is easily accompanied.
Among all of the drawbacks, unequality of the thickness is the one
which should be most obviated in the application for the wind
musical instruments, because in the thin thickness tapered tube
utilized in the musical instruments, the unequality causes not only
the difference in the tone color and timbre but also in the tone
pitch and the tone volume of the instrument. The above described
conventional production methods of the tapered tube, with their
inherent difficulty in obtaining uniformity in the thickness, have
been found to be utterly unprofitable when they are used in the
production of such tubes.
Therefore, the primary object of the present invention is to
provide a unique production method and the apparatus for carrying
out such method, in which no complicated process is required and
the tapered tube of uniform thickness is thereby produced with high
precision without accompanying the difficulties encountered in the
conventional methods.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel
method, wherein the tapered tube having uniform thickness is easily
obtained by one step or repetition of the similar steps with the
use of a simple device.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel
production method of the tapered tube, which is not only applicable
to a straight tapered tube having the diameter monotonously varies,
but also to a mildly curved tube wherein the increasing rate of the
diameter is always positive and the centerline thereof is in a
plane, so that the product is easily taken out of the core member
after the completion of the production process.
Further object of the present invention is to provide a novel
production apparatus which comprises: a movable plate which is
shiftable horizontally in unison with the driving shaft operable in
one direction; a fixed plate provided in a position opposing to
said movable plate and having a dieholder at the central portion
thereof; a core member having a taper and connected with said
movable plate so that the member is made movable through said
dieholder supported by said fixed plate; and a die having a larger
resistivity against the plastic deformation than that of the tube
blank to be worked, and the inner diameter thereof is plastically
deformed when the core member and the blank are moved through the
die; and also to provide a device which automatically takes out the
products drawn along the tapered core member by the action of a
self-closing catching means at the time the core member retracts
from its operating position.
According to the present invention, the above-described objects are
accomplished by the provision of a core member of a desired shape
having a tapered surface at a suitable angle and a die which is
made of a material having plasticity and elasticity and the
resistivity against the plastic deformation is larger than that of
the tube blank. The tube blank to be worked by these members may
consist of any metal and the end of the blank fitted with the
narrower end of the core member should be folded back to inside so
that the blank is firmly held by the core member placed
therein.
Then, the blank firmly held at one end by said core member is
forcibly passed through the die having an inner bore approximately
equal to the diameter of the narrower end of the core member,
starting at first from the narrower end, and the tube blank is
drawn along the tapered surface of the core member by the
compressive force exerted from the inner bore of the die while the
blank and the die are relatively shifted in the horizontal
direction one against the other.
The movable plate which is horizontally shifted together with the
core member and the tube blank is driven by a driving shaft
(hereinafter called threaded shaft) which is shifted without
rotation by a driving member rotated by a chain around the threaded
shaft, said chain being driven by a motor, whereby the movable
plate is slidingly shifted on a pair of horizontally extended
tierods between said fixed plate and a pair of supporting plates
which are also standing in parallel on the base plate. The movable
plate is somewhat loosely coupled with the core member through a
coupling means, and the core member is thereby pulled slowly
through the die starting at first from the narrower end, so that
the tube blank is drawn into a tapered tube between the die and the
tapered core member. The die is made of a material having
plasticity and elasticity such as soft iron, brass, aluminum, lead,
and polyurethane, and the shape thereof may be selected suitably.
However, in usual case, it is formed into a disclike configuration
having comparatively less thickness, the outside diameter of which
is so determined that some remaining portion not received any
plastic deformation is left after the completion of the drawing
operation, and the inner diameter of the bore is determined at
first approximately equal to the diameter of the narrower end, i.e.
smaller diameter end of the core member.
Furthermore, the dieholder may be attached to the fixed plate
either stationary or movably depending on the shape of the tapered
tube to be produced. That is, the stationary dieholder is used for
the production of the straight line tapered tube, and the movable
dieholder is employed for the production of the curved tapered tube
which has a curved center line.
Because the production method of the tapered tube according to the
present invention utilizes a tapered core and a die having
plasticity and elasticity for the drawing of the tube blank, the
features as described hereinafter can be obtained:
1. The tapered tube thereby produced is not limited to those having
circular cross sections, but also the tapered tube having polygonal
or elliptical cross sections can be obtained by the use of similar
and single process.
2. The tapered tube having the center line slightly curved also can
be produced easily.
3. The distribution of the thickness of the tapered tube can be
made into surprisingly uniform, and the precision of the products
also can be remarkably enhanced because of its tight fitting nature
on the surface of the core.
4. No flaw or wrinkles are created on the surfaces of the tapered
tube, whereby the labor for finishing the surface can be
eliminated.
5. Because of the capability for drawing the tapered tube of not
only the straight line configuration, but also of the curved
configuration, when the increasing rate (drawing increment) of the
diameter is never negative, the method can be applied in extremely
wide range of the production.
6. Not requiring any complicated or high cost installation, and not
requiring any high class technique and skill, the processing period
also can be significantly economized.
7. In the case where the movable dieholder is used, the angle of
the dieholder can be automatically regulated so that it is always
maintained at right angle against the centerline of the core,
whereby the curved tube can be automatically produced as in the
case of the straight line tapered tube.
The method and apparatus for producing the tapered tube in
accordance with the present invention will be made apparent from
the following description with respect to the preferred embodiments
thereof when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in
which:
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional plan view of the principal part of the
apparatus according to the present invention at the time of the
tapered tube being produced.
FIGS. 2A and 2B are perspective views of a die showing the
conditions of before and afterward of its operation.
FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C are cross-sectional profile views of the
principal part of the apparatus according to the present invention,
each of the views showing the relative conditions of the blank,
core, and the die before the initiation of the drawing operation in
each step when the production of the tapered tube is performed in
three steps.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional profile view of the tapered tube, along
its longitudinal axis, which is produced through the steps as shown
in FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C.
FIG. 5 is a plan view of the whole apparatus according to the
present invention.
FIG. 6 is a profile view of the same apparatus shown in FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 is a similar cross-sectional view of the principal part of
the apparatus for drawing a curved tapered tube, which constitutes
another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the coupling relation between
the core and the movable plate.
FIG. 9 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the core and the
movable plate in their coupled condition.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the dieholder which is utilized in
producing the curved tapered tube according to another embodiment
of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a longitudinal cross-sectional profile view of the
apparatus, showing the principal part only, at the time the tapered
tube is drawn.
FIG. 12 is a longitudinal cross-sectional profile view of the
apparatus, showing the principal part only, at the time of thus
produced tapered tube is removed from the apparatus, and
FIG. 13 is a front view of a releasing device of the product out of
the core member.
Referring at first to FIG. 1, there is indicated a tapered core 1
made of a metal such as SK having high rigidity with its surface
treated by heat, and on one of the narrower end 2 (of smaller
diameter) thereof a threaded hole 3 is provided. For the purpose of
coupling the tapered core 1 to a movable plate 6, there are
provided an intermediate rod 4 and a coupling jaw 7 fitted on the
movable plate 6. On one end of the intermediate rod 4, a threaded
projecting portion 3a is provided and this engages with the
threaded hole 3 of the tapered core. The other end of the
intermediate rod 4 is enlarged into a coupling frange 5 which
engages with the coupling jaw 7 fitted on the movable plate 1
driven by a driving mechanism.
A die 8 is made of a material such as soft iron, brass, aluminum,
lead, polyurethane, or the like having a plasticity and elasticity,
and although the die 8 is shown as a comparatively thin disc, it
may be of any desired shape adapted to its own material and the
drawing condition of the tube blank. The material of the die 8
should have a stronger resistivity against the plastic deformation
than that of the metal forming of the tube blank and preferably
made of a different material than the latter, because when the same
kind of metals are used for the die 8 and the blank, there is a
frequent occurrence of seizure between the two members. The size of
the die 8 should be determined in such a manner that the inner
diameter 9 thereof is approximately equal to that of the narrower
end of the tapered core 1, and the outside diameter of the die 8 is
much larger than the wider end of the tapered core 1 so that some
portion of the die 8 is left without subjected to the plastic
deformation even at the last stage of the drawing operation.
The peripheral area of the inner bore 9 of the die 8 is slightly
chamfered or contracted. However, if the die 8 is of a planar
configuration, the inner bore may be punched out and the
deformation thereby caused around the punched bore may be utilized
in the drawing step following thereafter. The die 8 at the initial
condition is shown in FIG. 2a and the same at the completion of the
drawing step is shown in FIG. 2b.
Numeral 10 designates a dieholder having an inside bore 11 of
enough large diameter, and the die 8 is supported inside of a
stepped portion 12 of the dieholder 10, which is in turn supported
stationary on a fixed plate 13.
A tube blank 14 is made of a metal tube having an inside diameter
which is approximately equal to the maximum inside diameter of the
desired tube, and one end of the tube blank 14 is folded back
inwardly so that this portion of the blank can be seized on the
narrower end 2 of the tapered core 1.
Furthermore, according to the method of the present invention, the
tube blank 14 is slipped over the tapered core 1 having been
prepared beforehand, as shown in FIG. 1, so that the one end of the
tube blank 14 is held against the narrower end 2 of the tapered
core 1, and at the same time seized between the end face of the
intermediate rod 4 which couples the tapered core 1 to the movable
plate 6 and the narrower end 2 of the core 1.
When the movable plate 6 is driven, for instance, by a manipulation
of a switch, to the direction tensioning the tapered core 1 to the
left, the die 8 stationary supported by the dieholder 10 acts on
the tube blank 14 as if the die 8 moves over the outside of the
tube blank 14. Since in this case, the inside diameter of the bore
9 of the die 8 is so determined as it is less than the outside
diameter of the tube blank 14, the tube blank 14 is subjected to a
strong plastic deformation resistance force of the die 8 and
collapsed to be brought to contact with the tapered core 1.
However, the compressive force of the die 8 cannot overcome the
strong rigidity of the core 1 and the inner bore 9 of the die 8 is
also deformed to be enlarged. When the tapered core 1 is further
driven to the left, the portion of the tube blank 14 coming under
the die 8 is successively collapsed and brought to contact with the
tapered core 1, and at the same time, the inner bore 9 of the die 8
is subsequently enlarged its diameter, whereby the desired tapered
tube is ultimately obtained.
In the course of the above-described operation, if the material and
the thickness of the die 8 are suitably selected against the
material and thickness of the tube blank 14, the tube blank 14 can
be plastically compressed and deformed with thus compressed
material being forcibly elongated in the longitudinal direction
only, so that the partial increase or decrease of the thickness is
almost nullified throughout the length of the tube blank 14. It
should also be noticed that, because of the champered or compressed
peripheral surface of the inner bore 9 of the die 8, there is no
chance of damaging the blank tube during the time the die 8 is
shifted relative to the tube blank 14, whereby a smooth and shining
surface of the product tube can be obtained.
Although the hereinabove described is for the case wherein the
tapered tube is produced through only one step of the drawing, such
procedure can be divided into two or more steps if the taper of the
tube is too steep and it is not practicable to finish it in one
step, and by so doing, the tapered tube of steep nature can be
obtained with the same advantageous quality as defined above.
Such a procedure is illustrated in FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C wherein each of
the steps indicated by A, B, C, is provided for obtaining a steep
tapered tube indicated in FIG. 4. The tapered cores 1, 1a, 1b
utilized in these steps have their tapers different between each
other by a definite ratio, and the diameters of the inner bores 9,
9a, 9b of the dies 8, 8a, 8b are also different between each other
corresponding to the dimensions of the tapered cores 1, 1a, 1b. In
the last step in which the difference between the diameters at the
narrower end and the wider end of the core 1b is large and the
inner diameter 9b of the die 8b is difficult to be expanded and
tends to be broken, it is also possible to employ another die 8c
having a suitable diameter starting from the middle of the third
step, whereby the drawing operation can be continued without
rendering any stepwised difference at the portion of the product
tube.
By this way, it is apparent that even a steeply tapered tube can be
produced with the utilization of different cores and dies having
different inner bores in thus separated steps.
In the course of the above described drawing operation, an ordinary
lubricating agent to be used in the drawing procedure of higher
viscosity should be employed to prevent a seizure caused by the
fusion of the contacting materials.
Furthermore, the die 8 used in each of the steps is deformed and
expanded its diameter during its drawing procedure, and for this
reason, the die 8 will not damage the product tube even when the
core 1 and the product tube are shifted to rightward for delivering
after the completion of the tube. The die 8 may be discarded after
each drawing operation. However, some of the die made of
polyurethane and utilizing only its elasticity may be used
repeatedly.
FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate an apparatus embodied to the extent
adaptable to the practical use. In the drawing, there are provided
a fixed plate 13 and parallel extending supporting plates 17 on
both ends of an apparatus frame 16. On both of the laterial sides
of the above described plates 13, 17, a pair of tierods 18 are
extended horizontally. Numeral 6 designates a movable plate
supported between these tierods 18 so that is is freely slidable in
the longitudinal direction of the apparatus. On the surface of the
movable plate 6 facing to the fixed plate 13, there is fitted in
unison a coupling jaw 7, and on the other side of the movable plate
6, a threaded shaft 19 penetrating the through bores of the
supporting plates 17 is fixed not rotatably. This threaded shaft 19
has a driving member 20 mounted thereon freely rotatably and
supported between the above described a pair of supporting plates
17. On and around of the driving member 20, there is fixedly
mounted a sprocket wheel which is rotated by a string of chain 22
spun between the sprocket wheel and another sprocket wheel mounted
on a motor shaft 21. By the aid of these two sprocket wheels, the
driving member 20 is rotated around the threaded shaft 19, and due
to the thread cut inside of the driving member 20 and engaging with
the threaded shaft 19, the driving member can shift the movable
plate 6 together with the threaded shaft 19 and forth along the
tierod 18.
Moreover, in the embodiment shown in the drawing, an intermediate
rod 4 provided at the narrower end of the tapered core 1 is
attached to the coupling jaw 7 through a pin 23, whereby the
tapered core 1 is shifted along the longitudinal direction of the
apparatus together with the movable plate 6.
On the other hand, on the dieholder 10 provided on the central
portion of the fixed plate 13, a die 8 plastically deformable is
attached, and through the inside bore of the die 8, the tube blank
14 and the tapered core 1 are passed.
The above described attachment of the die 8 and the dieholder 10 is
different by the cases wherein the tapered tube to be produced is
of rectilinear or curved configuration. When a curved tapered tube
is desired, the dieholer 10 is movably attached on the fixed plate
6 as indicated in FIGS. 7 and 10. In the example shown in FIG. 7,
there is provided a inner ring 26 having a convexed outer surface
25 which is concentric with the inner surface 24 of the fixed plate
13, and a dieholder 10 attached with a die 8 is mounted inside of
the inner ring 26. Between the inner surface 24 and the outer
surface of the ring 26, there is provided balls or rollers 27
inserted between retainer rings so that the inner ring 26 is freely
rotatable within the inner surface 24 of the fixed plate 13, and
the die 8 is always maintained rectangular to the part of the
curved center line X--X of the core 1 located at the center of the
fixed plate 13.
In the other example shown in FIG. 10, so-called universal joint is
used wherein a ring 29 is supported between the inner edges of the
fixed plate 13 through a pair of vertically extending shafts 28 so
that the ring 29 is freely rotatably around the vertical axis, and
another ring 31 likewise supported by a pair of horizontally
extending shafts 30 so that it is freely rotatably around the
shafts 30. The die 8 is fixed on the second ring 31 and functions
in the similar manner as described above.
The coupling between the coupling jaw 7 and the intermediate rod 4
may be otherwise obtained than with the pin 23, but through a
construction of these coupling members in which the coupling jaw 7
is provided with a projected receiving plate 33 having a recessed
portion 32, and on the other hand, a neck portion 34, is provided
on one end of the intermediate rod 4, whereby the neck portion is
inserted into the recessed portion 32, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9.
The neck portion 34 may be so arranged that it engages with a
similarly recessed portion 35 of a coupling plate 36 inserted
inside of the receiving plate 33 in such a manner that the coupling
plate 36 is somewhat movable in the vertical direction. By this
way, the intermediate rod 4 can be coupled with the movable plate 6
with an allowance somewhat movable in the vertical direction.
The above-described apparatus for producing tapered tubes operates
as follows:
At first the tube blank 14 one end of which has been bent back
inwardly is slipped over the tapered core 1, and the intermediate
rod 4 is attached on the narrower end of the tapered core 1. Thus
combined tube blank and the tapered core 1 are inserted through the
inner bore 9 of a die 8 and the intermediate rod 4 is coupled with
the coupling jaw 7 on the movable plate 6. When the motor is
started, the driving member 20 is rotated through the chain 22 and
the sprocket wheels and the threaded shaft 19 is shifted outwardly
(leftwardly in FIGS. 5 and 6) from the supporting plates 17.
When the threaded shaft 19 moves outwardly, the movable plate 6
coupled with the tapered core 1 and the tube blank 14 is shifted
together with the threaded shaft 19 along the tierods 18 and pulls
the tapered core 1 and the tube blank 14 thereon through the die 8.
The die attached to the dieholder 10 acts on the tube blank 14
while these two members are moved each other, and the tube blank 14
is thereby subjected to a strong compressive force from the
periphery of the inner bore 9 of the die 8 which is smaller than
the outside diameter of the tube blank 14. The tube blank is thus
plastically deformed and brought to contact with the surface of the
tapered core 1, whereby the desired tapered tube is produced.
FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate another embodiment of the apparatus
according to the present invention in which only the principal
parts thereof are shown and an automatic products releasing device
is provided. In FIG. 11 showing the embodiment at the time the tube
blank is being drawn, it is seen that the larger end of the tapered
core 1, instead of the narrower end thereof, is this time coupled
to the movable plate 6 (not shown ) through the coupling member 7
and the intermediate rod 4 (these are also not shown) so that the
larger end 2a of the tapered core 1 is placed inward of the fixed
plate 13. The narrower end 2 of the tapered core is now extended
through a working potion 27 provided at the center of the fixed
plate 13.
The above described working portion 37 is constituted from a die 8
attached on a dieholder 10 and a product removing device 38
self-closing and provided at the outward side (right-hand side in
FIG. 11 and 12) of the dieholder 10. The removing device 38 is in
itself a removing element, as shown in FIG. 13, which consists of,
for instance, a pair of sectors 39 and a pair of coiled springs 40
extended across the sectors 39 so that the sectors may be expanded
outwardly but close inwardly when released. Such sectors 39 can be
obtained by dividing a disc having an inner bore 42 insertable
around the peripheral surface of the tapered core 1, and by
disposing thus obtained sectors opposingly along the divided edges.
The pair of sectors 39 are further connected together by means of a
pin 41 located at one side of the inner bore 42 and extended in
axial direction from the dieholder 10, so that the pair of sectors
39 may be swung open around the pin 41 against the contracting
force of the coiled springs 40 by means of an expanded force
exerted from the peripheral surface of the tapered core 1 which is
inserted inside of the inner bore 42 of the pair of the sectors
39.
With these constructions, when a tapered tube product 15 which is
drawn along the tapered surface of the tapered core 1 is pushed out
through the die 8 into the inner bore 42 of the pair of sectors 39,
and if the larger end 2a of the tapered core approaches the pair of
sectors 39, the sectors 39 are swung open, and at a position where
the larger end of the product 15 just passed the inner bore 42, the
pair of sectors 39 are pulled back together by the amount
corresponding to the thickness of the product 15 through the
contracting force of the coiled springs 40 until the sectors
contact directly with the tapered core 1.
In this condition, if the tapered core 1 is pulled back to its
initial position together with the movable plate 6, the product 15
is prevented from its leftward progress by means of the pair of
sectors 39, and when the tapered core 1 returns to its initial
position, the product 15 is completely removed from the tapered
core 1 and falls down. It should be noticed that, owing to the
above described construction of the product removing device 38, the
removing force is applied uniformly around the end portion of the
product 15, and the removal can be carried out without inflicting
any damage on the thin product 15. Furthermore, since the device
makes it possible to carry out alternately the drawing operation
and the removal of the product by the reciprocating movement of the
tapered core, the provision of such device is extremely profitable
when the apparatus is employed for the mass production of the
tapered tubes.
PRACTICAL EXAMPLES
Followings are the examples wherein the production method according
to the present invention is carried out in practice. ##SPC1##
As described above, since the production method according to the
present invention makes it possible to acquire the tapered tube
precisely formed in accordance with the outer surface of the
tapered core, the method can be profitably utilized in the
formation of the tapered tube of minor thickness, or more
particularly of the type applicable to the wind musical
instruments, wherein an extremely uniform distribution of the
thickness and smooth surfaces thereof are required. Furthermore,
with the simple processes and with the high precision workability
of this method, the production cost of the tapered tube is
remarkably reduced, and the mass production thereof of uniform
quality can be obtained.
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