Apparatus for forming a blank for finish forging for a forged crankshaft for a three-cylinder engine and method for manufacturing a forged crankshaft for a three-cylinder engine using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9707618-B2
Application number	US-201314650347-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2013
Priority date	Dec 12, 2012
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

In a forming apparatus, journal dies hold and retain rough journal portions of a preform blank therebetween, and reference crank pin die and movable crank pin dies contact rough crank pin portions thereof. In this state, the journal dies and the movable crank pin dies are moved axially toward the reference crank pin die and the reference crank pin die and the movable crank pin dies are moved perpendicular to an axial direction. With this, rough crank arm portions are axially compressed to reduce their thickness to that of crank arms of a forged crankshaft, and the rough crank pin portions are pressed perpendicular to the axial direction to increase an amount of eccentricity to that of the forged crankshaft crank pins. Consequently, it is possible to form a blank for finish forging having a shape generally in agreement with a shape of the forged crankshaft for a three-cylinder engine.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for forming a blank for finish forging for a forged crankshaft for a three-cylinder engine, the apparatus configured to form, in a process of manufacturing the forged crankshaft, the blank for finish forging to be subjected to finish forging by which a final shape of the forged crankshaft is obtained,
the apparatus configured to form the blank for finish forging from a preform blank, the preform blank including the following elements spaced along an axial direction: rough journal portions having an axial length equal to an axial length of journals of the forged crankshaft; rough crank pin portions having an axial length equal to an axial length of crank pins of the forged crankshaft; and rough crank arm portions having an axial thickness greater than an axial thickness of crank arms of the forged crankshaft, wherein the rough crank pin portions are separated from each other by corresponding rough journal portions and rough crank arm portions
the rough crank pin portions of the preform blank having a smaller amount of eccentricity in a direction perpendicular to an axial direction than an amount of eccentricity of the crank pins of the forged crankshaft,
the apparatus, comprising:
a reference crank pin die disposed at a location of one rough crank pin portion among the rough crank pin portions located at a center of the preform blank, the reference crank pin die configured to be brought into contact with such one rough crank pin portion, the reference crank pin die configured to move in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction, but be constrained from moving axially, while being in contact with side surfaces of rough crank arm portions through which the rough crank arm portions connect with such one rough crank pin portion;
movable crank pin dies disposed at locations of the corresponding rough crank pin portions at opposite sides of the reference crank pin die on the preform blank and excluding the rough crank pin portion being in contact with the reference crank pin die, the movable crank pin dies configured to be brought into contact with such rough crank pin portions, the movable crank pin dies configured to move axially toward the reference crank pin die and in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction, while being in contact with side surfaces of the rough crank arm portions through which the rough crank arm portions connect with such rough crank pin portions; and
journal dies disposed at locations of the corresponding rough journal portions, the journal dies configured to hold and retain such rough journal portions therebetween in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction, the journal dies configured to move axially toward the reference crank pin die while being in contact with side surfaces of the rough crank arm portions through which the rough crank arm portions connect with such rough journal portions,
wherein, in a state where the rough journal portions are held and retained by the journal dies, and the rough crank pin portions are contacted by the reference crank pin die and the movable crank pin dies, the journal dies are configured to be moved axially, the movable crank pin dies are configured to be moved axially and in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and the reference crank pin die is configured to be moved in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction, thereby compressing the rough crank arm portions in the axial direction so as to reduce the thickness thereof to the thickness of the crank arms of the forged crankshaft, and pressing the rough crank pin portions in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction so as to increase the amount of eccentricity thereof to the amount of eccentricity of the crank pins of the forged crankshaft.

2. The apparatus for forming the blank for finish forging for the forged crankshaft for the three-cylinder engine according to claim 1 ,
wherein the reference crank pin die and the movable crank pin dies each includes an auxiliary crank pin die disposed at a location outside of the corresponding rough crank pin portion, opposite to the side where the reference crank pin die and the movable crank pin dies are contacted, and
wherein, in conjunction with the axial movement of the journal dies as well as that of the movable crank pin dies and the auxiliary crank pin dies forming pairs therewith, a movement of the reference crank pin die and the movable crank pin dies in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction is controlled in a manner that the rough crank pin portions to be deformed by pressing reach the auxiliary crank pin dies after spaces between the journal dies, the reference crank pin die, the movable crank pin dies, and the auxiliary crank pin dies are filled.

3. The apparatus for forming the blank for finish forging for the forged crankshaft for the three-cylinder engine according to claim 2 ,
wherein provided that a total length of movement of the reference crank pin die and the movable crank pin dies in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction is a 100% length of movement thereof, when the axial movement of the journal dies that are adjacent to such crank pin dies is completed, a length of movement of such crank pin dies in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction is 90% or less of the total length of movement, and thereafter, the movement of such crank pin dies in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction is completed.

4. The apparatus for forming the blank for finish forging for the forged crankshaft for the three-cylinder engine according to claim 1 ,
wherein the reference crank pin die, the movable crank pin dies, and the journal dies are mounted on a press machine that is capable of being moved downward along the direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and
wherein, by downward movement of the press machine, the journal dies are caused to hold and retain the rough journal portions therebetween, and the reference crank pin die and the movable crank pin dies are brought into contact with the rough crank pin portions, and with continued downward movement of the press machine, the journal dies are moved axially by wedge mechanisms, and the movable crank pin dies are caused to move axially by the movement of the journal dies.

5. The apparatus for forming the blank for finish forging for the forged crankshaft for the three-cylinder engine according to claim 4 ,
wherein the wedge mechanisms have different wedge angles for each of the journal dies.

6. The apparatus for forming the blank for finish forging for the forged crankshaft for the three-cylinder engine according to claim 4 ,
wherein the reference crank pin die and the movable crank pin dies are coupled to hydraulic cylinders and caused to move in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction by driving the hydraulic cylinders.

7. An apparatus for forming a blank for finish forging for a forged crankshaft for a three-cylinder engine, the apparatus configured to form, in a process of manufacturing the forged crankshaft, the blank for finish forging to be subjected to finish forging by which a final shape of the forged crankshaft is obtained,
the apparatus configured to form the blank for finish forging from a preform blank, the preform blank including the following elements spaced along an axial direction: rough journal portions having an axial length equal to an axial length of journals of the forged crankshaft; first, second and third rough crank pin portions having an axial length equal to an axial length of crank pins of the forged crankshaft; and rough crank arm portions having an axial thickness greater than an axial thickness of crank arms of the forged crankshaft, among the rough crank pin portions in the perform blank,

Assignees

• Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp

Inventors

• Okubo Junichi
• Tamura Kenji
• Yoshida Kunihiro
• Fukuyasu Tomihiko
• Tanimoto Nobutaka
• Matsui Tadashi

Classifications

• Y10T29/49286

  Crankshaft making · CPC title

• B21J9/027

  with punches moving along auxiliary lateral directions (B21J13/025 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B21J1/04

  Shaping in the rough solely by forging or pressing · CPC title

• B21J9/00

  Forging presses · CPC title

• B21J13/025

  Dies with parts moving along auxiliary lateral directions · CPC title