Abstract: A rolling tool assembly is provided that has a generally three-piece housing construction including a main, generally C-shaped body or frame member and a pair of opposing side plate members, that are fastened together to close off the open sides of the generally C-shaped body member for forming an interior space into which the remaining components of the rolling tool assembly can be mounted. In one alternative, the body member is made to be of a standard size with the side plate members being custom-made so that the side plate members vary in predetermined dimensions thereof to correspond to the size of the crankshaft bearing to be rolled. In another alternative, the side plate members are made to be of standard size while the body member is custom-made to vary in predetermined dimensions thereof to correspond to the size of the crankshaft bearing to be rolled.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for performing multiple machining operations on a workpiece such as a crankshaft. Oil holes may be drilled in a crankshaft by a tool shifted along a curved path between successive, acute angle tool plunging locations. The tool's carrier is shifted parallel to the crankshaft axis and the tool carrier is rotated to the desired acute angle about a point on the crankshaft axis for each of successive oil hole drilling locations thereby reducing programming needed to drill the oil holes at the specified angles. Offset tolerance errors are reduced by a large factor as the tool is plunged from an outer initial position toward the crankshaft axis.

Abstract: There is provided a new and improved apparatus and method for rolling workpieces such as crankshafts. The apparatus has first and second rolling heads mounted at spaced positions along a common rolling arm to receive a crankshaft bearing therebetween which can then be shifted relative to one another along the common rolling arm to close the heads or rolling tools for clamping onto the workpiece. The in-line clamping action and force provided by the tools on the rolling arm are created by actuation of a tall, thin cylinder assembly including a number of aligned individual cylinders sized to keep the width of the cylinder assembly to a minimum so that all of the rolling arms can likewise be of a thin construction pivotally mounted on one side of the crankshaft and axially spaced according to the crankshaft bearing spacing for rolling all of the bearings in a single rolling operation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for rolling outer fillets of arcuately offset, split pin bearings on crankshafts with a pair of work rollers, each pair engaging and rolling a respective outer pin fillet. A backup roller is positioned opposite the pair of work rollers. The work rollers may be positioned above and below a centerline of the split pin, preferably about 90° apart. The work rollers can perform identical rolling operations at identical pressure and the work rollers and backup rollers are positioned to keep the adjacent tool heads in parallel planes during these rolling operations. Rolling arms carry the tool heads and stops are provided to keep rear portions of the tool arms in parallel planes against sideways forces. The work rollers and the backup roller may be mounted on the same tool arm and are movable relative to each to clamp or release a pin bearing.

Abstract: There is provided a new and improved apparatus and method for rolling workpieces such as crankshafts. The apparatus has first and second rolling heads mounted at spaced positions along a common rolling arm to receive a crankshaft bearing therebetween which can then be shifted relative to one another along the common rolling arm to close the heads or rolling tools for clamping onto the workpiece. The in-line clamping action and force provided by the tools on the rolling arm are created by actuation of a tall, thin cylinder assembly including a number of aligned individual cylinders sized to keep the width of the cylinder assembly to a minimum so that all of the rolling arms can likewise be of a thin construction pivotally mounted on one side of the crankshaft and axially spaced according to the crankshaft bearing spacing for rolling all of the bearings in a single rolling operation.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for roll hardening of crankshafts having split-pin bearings without requiring multiple rolling stages or operations therefor. The apparatus and method herein utilize a single tool unit that varies the rolling pressure on the fillets on either side of one of the split-pin bearings such that the areas needing strengthening are simultaneously rolled with a higher pressure than those areas at which bending of fence walls between adjacent bearings can occur with high pressure rolling, despite their arcuately offset orientation relative to each other. The tool unit has a pair of rollers rotatively housed at predetermined positions so that, when engaged against the opposite fillets of a bearing, they will be at arcuately offset or spaced positions from each other about the bearing.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for roll hardening of crankshafts having split-pin bearings without requiring multiple rolling stages or operations therefor. The apparatus and method herein utilize a single tool unit that varies the rolling pressure on the fillets on either side of one of the split-pin bearings such that the areas needing strengthening are simultaneously rolled with a higher pressure than those areas at which bending of fence walls between adjacent bearings can occur with high pressure rolling, despite their arcuately offset orientation relative to each other. The tool unit has a pair of rollers rotatively housed at predetermined positions so that, when engaged against the opposite fillets of a bearing, they will be at arcuately offset or spaced positions from each other about the bearing.

Abstract: A crankshaft is mounted in a fixture which rotates the crankshaft about its longitudinal axis and which tilts the crankshaft about a horizontal axis to allow machining of holes such as oil holes at various rotational positions and at various tilt angles to the longitudinal axis. Preferably, a cutting tool moves along a horizontal plunging axis Z to machine the depth of the hole and moves along a horizontal X axis to machine holes on or offset from the longitudinal axis. The cutting tool may also be shifted vertically along a Y-axis. Preferably, a pair of crankshafts are mounted side-by-side in the fixture to machine two crankshafts simultaneously. The fixture is mounted for tilting by trunnions. The pair of crankshafts are spun about the longitudinal axes by a motor carried on the tiltable fixture. An automatic tool changer and loading apparatus store cutting tools and associated guide bushings for the cutting tools.

Abstract: A crankshaft milling apparatus is provided including a bed having a front and rear side. The bed includes a slanted portion on the rear side of the bed. A milling unit is pivotally mounted on the rear slanted portion of the bed with the milling unit carrying the internal milling cutter for encircling a crankshaft extending along the front side of the bed. The front side of the bed is open such that the milling cutter is easily accessible without having to climb into the machine.

Abstract: An apparatus for deep fillet rolling the undercut radii of crankshaft bearings, especially on a production scale basis. The apparatus is provided with increased versatility and flexibility for various engine crankshafts that may vary in number of pins and mains.

Abstract: An improved cutter disk for machining rotating workpieces, and in particular an improvement in such cutters useful in monotonic-type cutters in which the tool inserts carried on the disk are mounted in such a manner as to present the inserts to the workpiece at a radical lead angle, optimally on the order of 60 degrees. The tool inserts are preferably carried on both sides of a V-shaped edge on the cutter disk. Chip gullets are formed in the disk parallel to the tool inserts and are angled with respect to the plane of the disk. This optimizes the space for chip gullets and allows either a doubling of the feed rate for a given chip thickness and insert density, or a reduction in chip thickness by 50% for a given feed rate. The invention also results in the optimal use of space for the chosen insert density, especially on narrow cutters, and permits an improvement in the pocket strength and insert strength, as well as improving tool life.

Abstract: A crankshaft is mounted in a fixture which rotates the crankshaft about its longitudinal axis and which tilts the cranksahft about a horizontal axis to allow matching of holes such as oil holes at various rotational positions and at various tilt angles to the longitudinal axis. Preferably, a cutting tool moves along a horizontal plunging axis Z to machine the depth of the hole and moves along a horizontal X axis to machine holes on or offset from the longitudinal axis. The cutting tool may also be shifted vertically along a Y-axis. Preferably, a pair of crankshafts are mounted side-by-side in the fixture to machine two crankshafts simultaneously. The fixture is mounted for tilting by trunnions. The pair of crankshafts are spun about the longitudinal axes by a motor carried on the tiltable fixture. An automatic tool changer and loading apparatus store cutting tools and associated guide bushings for the cutting tools.