[0001] The present invention relates to a method of making hinge devices and hinge devices
obtained thereby.
[0002] Currently known are hinges having an internally hollow male element in order to achieve
a lighter construction and lower manufacturing costs.
[0003] Such a product and the method of making it are described in the published German
Patent Application No. 2808411 filed by the same Applicant on February 27, 1978.
[0004] That prior type has, however, some small drawbacks: first, owing to the particular
construction of the male element, the female element bears on the base of the same.
[0005] This is disadvantageous where the hinge is formed from ferrous materials and then
used in a marine environment: there occur, in fact, in such conditions oxide formations
which create an area of high frictional resistance on the pin base which reduces the
overall functionality of the hinge.
[0006] To obviate such drawbacks one may use such materials such as stainless steel or brass,
which however, greatly increase the cost of the end product.
[0007] Further, with the particular hollow construction of the male element, another drawback
is encountered: during galvanic bath treatment, some of the liquid seeps into the
interior of the male element which then contaminates other tanks containing different
liquids during the successive steps required to complete the treatment.
[0008] This also results in a cost increase, albeit a minor one.
[0009] During storage, moreover, any liquid left inside the male element may seep out of
it and attack, due to its prevailingly acidic nature, other hinges.
[0010] In an effort to partly solve the problem, the holder of this Application filed a
European Patent Application No. 85108665.2 on July 11, 1985 wherein a hinge device
is described which includes a hollow male element, at the end of which there is mounted
a hardened sphere adapted to plug the open end of the hinge's hollow male element
or pin and to bear on the base of a seat, formed on the female element and correspondingly
shaped to accommodate the pin.
[0011] However, that prior type also has the disadvantage that it is more expensive to manufacture
owing to the added material and machining involved in mounting the sphere at the end
of the male element.
[0012] It is the primary aim of the present invention to eliminate such drawbacks of prior
types by providing a method which permits the obtainment of a hinge device of reduced
overall cost and in particular reduced material requirements, as well as being of
watertight construction.
[0013] A further important object is to provide a method which permits the obtainment of
a watertight hinge device without resorting to the use of additional elements of a
different material.
[0014] Another object is to provide a method which permits the obtainment of a hinge device
having a strong pivot point of homogeneous construction well protected against any
oxidizing agents which may be present in the environment.
[0015] A not least object is to provide a method which is automatable throughout and implementable
with ordinary equipment.
[0016] These and other objects are achieved by a method of making hinge devices and hinge
devices obtained thereby, characterised in that it comprises the following steps:
a) shearing a section from a cylindrical drawn blank;
b) cold impact extruding said cylindrical sections using a punch effective to form
the material to provide a hollow body having at least one open end;
c) reducing a portion of said hollow body from the open end thereof by impact with
a shaped punch;
d) upsetting and consequent plugging of said open end of the reduced portion;
e) surface finishing the obtained hinge. According to another aspect of the invention
there is provided a hinge device obtained by the above cited method, which is characterised
by that it comprises a hollow male element having a pin whose end is upset and stopped,
said hinge further comprising a female element shaped to match and bearing on said
end of the pin, a means being also provided for associating the same with standing
finish.
[0017] Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following
detailed description of a particular, but not exclusive, embodiment thereof, with
reference to the accompanying illustrative and not limitative drawings, where:
Figure 1 is a perspective, exploded partly sectional view of the hinge;
Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a cylindrical drawn blank;
Figures 3,4,5 and 6 show a view taken on the longitudinal section plane of the male
element as depicted during some machining steps.
Figures 7 to 11, show processing sequences as carried out by cooperating tool means.
[0018] With reference. to the previously cited figures, the method comprises a first step
of shearing or severing a section or length from a cylindrical drawn wire rod blank
to define a blank section cut from a wire rod (not shown). The volume of the material
making up the blank section should be equal to the volume of the material of the semifinished
product obtained during the last step. That section is impact upset on a die to provide
a regular cylinder 1 with one end 2 having a flat surface 3, and possibly a rounded
area 4 at the other end as shown in Figure 2.
[0019] During a subsequent step (Figures 7 and 8), the cylinder 1 is cold reverse-extruded
in a suitable die 30 by means of a first cylindrical punch 31 and subsequently a second
cylindrical punch 32, if desired, having a smaller cross-section than that of the
surface 3; thus, the material is upturned laterally to define a body 5 (Figure 3)
or 5a (Figure 8) with a cavity 6 of cylindrical form and an opening 7 at the end 2.
[0020] Thereafter, a die 33 will reduce a portion of the body 5 at the end 2 by striking
as shown in Figure 4 or 9, to define a pin 8 (Figure 4) or 8a (Figure 9) of cylindrical
shape having an inside cavity 9 with the same shape and an opening 10 at its end extremity
11.
[0021] The pin 8 or 8a has a smaller outside diameter than the body 5, there being formed
a flat annular base 12 therebetween or a transitional bevelled shoulder 12a (Figure
9) which is subsequently rendered flat in 12b (Figure 10).
[0022] The next step of the method is one of cold or hot upsetting the end extremity 11
of the pin 8, with a single strike or more strikes, the inner cavity 9 of the latter
communicating with the 6.
[0023] In Figures 5 and 6 and 10,11 there are shown an intermediate step wherein the walls
13 of the end extremity 11 are brought together first, and the final step wherein
an end of essentially hemispherical shape is defined which is radiused to the side
walls 15 of the pin 8 and closes the cavity 9 thereof.
[0024] The end extremity 14 thus defined prevents penetration of the liquid during the successive
step of immersion into galvanic baths for the necessary treatment.
[0025] The extremity 14 becomes, therefore, the terminating end of the pin 8 on which the
female 16 is made to bear and turn friction-free.
[0026] The latter has a cylindrical body 17 shaped to match the pin 8 of the male element
18, the depth of its seat 19 being slightly smaller than the length of the pin 8 itself.
[0027] Secured on each of the side surfaces 20 and 21 of the bodies 5 and 17 is a means
22 adapted to associate the hinge 23 to the casings, said means consisting of an outside
threaded shank.
[0028] The hinge 23, owing to the configuration of the pin 8 and seat 19, characteristically
works on the end 14 rather than on the base 9. This improves the functional aspect
in that sliding is improved and the pivot point, represented by the extremity 14,
is protected, inside the female element 16, against any environmental agents.
[0029] The male element 18 being of hollow construction, manufacturing cost is lowered because
of the reduced raw material requirements.
[0030] The upsetting of the end 11 defining the extremity 14 of essentially hemispherical
shape results in the cavity 9 being closed and the liquid present in the galvanic
bath tanks being prevented from entering the male element 18, and this without any
addition or remowal of foreign bodies.
[0031] Thus, it has been shown how the method of forming a hollow male hinge with a closed
cavity achieves all its objects by affording lower costs and improving the functional
aspect.
[0032] Of course, the invention herein is susceptible to many modifications and changes
without deviating from the scope of the inventive concept.
[0033] Thus, as an example, during the cold impact reverse-extrusion step for extruding
the cylinder 1, a tang may be formed at the end 4 which protrudes along the same longitudinal
mid-axis, which tang may be then fashioned plastically into a desired aesthetic configuration.
Such tang may be formed by providing a counter-punch 34, which normally closes the
bottom 35 of the die 30, with a central bore (not shown) or by omitting the use of
a counter-punch 34 so that the bottom 35 of the die 30 is left with a bore-like opening
in which the counter-punch 34 may be arranged if desired. Of course, also the materials
used and the dimensions of the hinge may be any ones according to necessity.
1. A method of forming a closed cavity hollow male hinge, characterised in that it
comprises the following steps:
a) providing a blank having a preestablished volume of solid materal;
b) reverse-extruding said blank by a punch and die action effective to upturn the
material laterally to provide a hollow body having an axis and at least one open axial
end;
c) reducing the diameter of a portion of said hollow body at said open end by a die
action defining a pin formation;
d) upsetting and consequent closing the open end of said pin formation to form a bearing
surface on the top of said pin formation;
e) surface finishing at least said pin formation.
2. A method according to Claim 1, characterised in that said blank is a solid cylinder
having, at at least one end, a flat surface.
3. A method according to Claims 1 and 2, wherein said reverse-extruding is a cold
reverse-extruding obtained by means of a cylindrical punch having a smaller diameter
than the die cavity and the cylindrical blank the material being upturned laterallly
to define a cylindrical cavity body, being subjected to a reverse-extrusion action
through the circular interspace left between said die cavity and said punch.
4. A method according to Claims 1,2 and 3, wherein the step of reducing the diameter
of a portion of said hollow body near the open end thereof is carried out by the action
of a die having a constant cylindrical cross-section equal to the diameter of the
female bore wherewith the male hinge is to be associated , said pin formation formed
thereby having a cylindrical cavity and transitionally an opening at the end extremity
thereof.
5. A method according to the preceding claims, wherein said upsetting and closing
said end comprises imparting to the same a rounded shape for the bearing surface formed
thereon.
6. A hinge device having a hollow male hinge as obtained with the method of the preceding
claims, characterised in that it comprises said hollow male element (18) having a
pin (8) the end (14) whereof is upset and closed, said hinge device further comprising
a matingly shaped female element (16) rotatably supported on said pin end (14), a
means (22) being provided for associating the hinge with the component parts to be
hingedly connected.
7. A hinge device according to Claim 6, comprising said male element per se, characterised
in that it comprises a cylindrical body from one end whereof a pin with the same shape
protrudes which lies along the same longitudinal axis but has a smaller outside diameter,
said male element being hollow inside.
8. A hollow male hinge according to Claims 6 and 7, comprising a pin characterised
in that it has the end extremity upset and closed, said extremity having an essentially
hemispherical shape.
9. A hinge device according to Claims 6,7 and 8, having a female element characterised
in that it is shaped to match the pin of the male element, the inner seat for the
same having a slightly smaller depth than the height of said pin.
10. A hinge device according to the preceding claims, characterised in that on the
outer surface of each of the male and female elements there is secured a means consisting
of a threaded shank adapted to associate said elements with standing finish.