Flexible grip die-alignment arrangement

Abstract

A die press assembly for producing punched parts from a travelling web of material, the die press comprising: a lower die shoe securing a compound punch holder plate thereon, the compound punch holder biasedly gripping a compound punch tool therein, the lower die shoe also supporting a reciprocably movable stripper holder plate, wherein the compound punch extends slideably through a biasedly gripped stripper holder tool in the stripper holder plate; an upper punch holder movable with respect to the lower die shoe, the upper punch holder having a center punch holder plate which biasedly grips a center punch tool therewithin; and a die holder plate fixedly attached to the center punch holder plate with a biasedly gripped die tool slideably enclosing the center punch, wherein each of the biasedly gripped tools are in co-axial alignment in distortable bores in their respective plates.

Claims

1. A method of gripping a single tool in a punch press assembly, comprising: machining an irregularly shaped curvilinear walled bore in a tool supporting plate, the irregularly shaped curvilinear walled bore comprised of two semicircular wall configurations, each semicircular wall configuration having a center of curvature, the center of curvature being different for each semicircular wall configuration; machining a curvilinear J-shaped cut in the tool supporting plate to form and define an elongated, biasable, curvilinear gripping finger, the J-shaped cut defining the curvilinear gripping finger extending more than 180 degrees around the irregularly shaped curvilinear walled bore in the tool supporting plate; inserting a tool into the irregularly shaped curvilinear walled bore in the tool supporting plate; and biasing the elongated, J-shaped curvilinear gripping finger to pivot to distort the irregular shaped curvilinear bore into a circular configuration so as to form a snug tool gripping circular wall about the single tool inserted therein.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the elongated curvilinear gripping finger is biased by an adjustable bolt member.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the J-shaped curvilinear cut has a first end that extends into the wall of the bore in the tool supporting plate.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the adjustable bolt has a longitudinal axis which is in alignment with the first end of the curvilinear cut in the tool supporting plate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent when viewed in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a side elevation view in section of a compound die assembly and a sheet of material passing therewithin to be punched by a punch and die arrangement including an arrangement of flexible gripping members for readily aligning and securing those punch and die components therein;

(3) FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the compound die assembly shown in FIG. 1, with the gripped punch and die components mating and piercing the sheet of material passing therebetween;

(4) FIG. 3 is an exemplary plan view of a center punch holder plate;

(5) FIG. 4 is a view taken along the lines 4-4 of FIG. 3 showing the center punch holder played in a side view; and

(6) FIG. 5 is an enlarged exemplary plan view of the compound die holder plate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(7) Referring now to the drawings in detail and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown the present invention which comprises a die set assembly or arrangement 10 for the manufacture of punched parts from a traveling web or sheet of material 12 such as metal or plastic to produce washers 14 or the like.

(8) The die set assembly or arrangement 10 of the present invention comprises a base portion 16 which comprises a lowermost die shoe 18. The lowermost die shoe 18 has a central bore 20 of a first diameter D1, extending therethrough. A compound punch holder plate 22 is attached, by an arrangement of bolts 24, to the upper side 26 of the die shoe 18 and has a second diameter central bore 28 extending therethrough, of a second diameter D2. A stripper holder plate 32 is reciprocably supported on an arrangement of shoulder screws 34 arranged between the lowermost die shoe 18 and the stripper holder plate 32 itself. Die springs 36 compressibly support the stripper holder plate 32 over the compound punch holder plate 22.

(9) An elongated compound punch 38 is secured in component-controlled coaxial alignment by a gripping finger means G, described hereinbelow, within the second diameter central bore 28 of the compound punch holder plate 22, and has a lower end which rests upon the upper side of the die shoe 18, as may be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. The compound punch 38 extends into the reciprocably displaceable stripper holder plate 32. The compound punch 38 has a bore 40 in coaxial alignment with the bore 20 in the lowermost die shoe 18. A stripper ring 42, is securably seated in component-controlled co-alignment within an annular shoulder 33 of the holder plate 32, and which stripper ring 42 also slidably surrounds the uppermost end of the compound punch 38 within the reciprocably displaceable stripper holder plate 32.

(10) The die set arrangement of the present invention also comprises an upper portion 50 which comprises the upper center punch holder plate 52. The upper center punch holder plate 52 is disposed parallel to and reciprocably movable toward and away from the stripper holder plate 32 on the base portion 16 of the die set arrangement 10, as may be seen from the representation in FIGS. 1 and 2. The punch holder plate 52 is supported on guide pins 54 which are received in guide bushings 56 at their lowermost end, as represented in FIG. 1. The center punch holder plate 52 is bolted to the lower side 58 of the punch holder 60 by an arrangement of bolts 62. The center punch holder plate 52 has an commonly co-axially aligned adjustable bore 64 which grips, by a gripping finger means G, described hereinbelow, a commonly co-axially aligned center punch 66 therewithin, which gripping finger means G as noted, is described hereinbelow. A die holder plate 68 is also supported by those same pins or bolts 62 onto the lower side of the punch holder 60 as may be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. The die holder plate 68 has an adjustable central bore or opening 70 of a third diameter D3. The opening 70 in the die holder plate 68 is arranged to adjustably enclose and align a die member 72 therewithin, by another commonly aligned gripping finger means G, described hereinbelow. The die holder plate 68 also encloses an annular, compressible, reciprocably movable knockout member 74 within the bore 76 of the die member 72. The compressible annular knockout member 74 has a central bore 78 through which the center punch 66, supported at its upper end against the lower side 58 of the punch holder 60, by the center punch holder plate 52, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The knockout member 74 temporarily compresses as the punch 66 strikes the material 12 to be pierced.

(11) Reciprocating motion of the upper portion 50 of the die set arrangement 10, with its die 72 arranged downwardly therefrom, impacts the sheet of material 12 moving across the stripper holder plate 32 supported on the lower portion 16 of the die set arrangement 10, during the traveling of that web of material 12 moving therebetween, to effect the manufacture of a punched part 14 by virtue of the center punch 66 and the die 72 mating with the compound punch 38 and its associated stripper ring 42 and the stripper holder plate 32.

(12) The concentric co-axial alignment each of the center punch 66 and compound punch 38 and associated die components is critical to the proper manufacture of a proper punched part 14.

(13) The center punch holder plate 52 and the die holder plate 68 in the uppermost portion 50 of the die set arrangement 10, and the stripper holder plate 32 and the compound punch holder plate 22 in the lower portion 16 of the die set arrangement 10, each utilize their own gripper means G, comprising a flexible generally J shaped gripping member or grip arrangement 84 to secure the center punch 66, the die 72, stripper holder 42 and the compound punch 38 respectively, as tool components efficiently securely in co-axial alignment within their commonly aligned bores in their respective holders (plates) 52, 68, 32 and 22.

(14) Such gripper means G comprises the generally J shaped, flexible gripping finger 84, with its inner peripheral, (semicircular) tool engaging surface, and is shown in an exemplary manner in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5.

(15) The center punch holder plate 52, shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 as an example of the gripper means G cited hereinabove, has its adjustable central bore 64 for squeezably pinching and holding a tool (i.e. here, center punch 66 in phantom) concentrically therewithin, with respect to adjacent tool holding plates 68, 32 and 22, as represented in FIGS. 1 and 2. The central bore 64 in the exemplary center punch holder plate 52 is slightly out of round. A generally J shaped cut 86 is made through the holder plate 52, as shown in the example in FIG. 3. That J shaped cut 86 begins as a gap at one location A, as a first point on the inner periphery of the bore 64 and extends circumferentially around and beyond 180 from that one location A, as represented in FIG. 3, and extends to a radially extended location E, in a curved point circumferentially and radially beyond point B. The bore 64 has a first semicircular configuration C1 extending from location A to point B, and has a second semicircular configuration C2 extending from point B as presented in FIG. 3. The bore 64, is thus irregular (i.e. non-circular) when it is originally machined. Each semicircular configuration C1 and C2 has its own center of curvature Y and Z respectively.

(16) A finger biasing adjustment bolt 90 is threadedly received into a bore 92 in the side 94 of the plate 52 as represented in FIGS. 3 and 4. The biasing adjustment bolt 90, such as a bolt or the like, has a longitudinal axis L which is in alignment with the location A, and a midpoint in the gap thereat. Advancement of the adjustment bolt 90 against the finger 84 effects a tightening of that elongated, curvilinear finger 84, to pivot the finger 84 slightly around the location B, (which is generally diametrically opposite the first point A, the location of the cut through the side wall of the bore 64), thus forming that bore 64 into a perfect circle, and thus tightening that gripping finger 84 about the center punch 66. Retraction of that biasing member 90 from its threaded bore 92 removes the bias from the gripping finger 84, so as to loosen its grip on the member received therewithin, which in this exemplary case is the punch 66, thus returning the bore 64 to its undistorted, non-circular state.

(17) The adjustment bolt 90 is thus adjustably disposed within that threaded bore 92 so as to effect (or release) a bias on the radially outward side of the cut 86, when that adjustment bolt 90 is rotated within that bore 92. That generally J shaped, yet generally semicircular cut 86 through the exemplary center punch holder plate 52 in effect creates the flexible grip finger 84. A bias inwardly by the adjustment bolt 90 against the finger 84 presses that finger slightly (about for example, one half of a degree) inwardly radially, as indicated by arrow R in FIG. 5, so as to distort the pre-biased irregular distorted non-circular bore 64 into a biased now circular bore and hence create a accurate tool-gripping perfect circular hole within that central bore 64. When for example, a tool such as for example, a center punch 66 is placed within for example, the center punch holder plate 52, and its respective adjustment bolt 90 is adjusted and tightened with respect to that gripping finger 84, the center punch 66 is squeezed tightly within a now biased-induced perfect, tool receiving circular hole 64 therewithin. By aligning the respective center bores 64, 70, 33 and 28 of the adjacent holder plates 52, 68, 32 and 22 respectively within the upper portion 50 and the lower portion 16 of the die set arrangement 10 by virtue of their commonly machined and aligned bolt holes shown in the figures, the respective matable tool components secured respectively therein may be efficiently held and easily removably changed and re-inserted in perfect axial alignment. In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the center punch holder plate 52, the die holder plate 68, the stripper holder plate 32, and the compound punch holder plate 22 all may have an initial pilot bore drilled therethrough to establish the initial alignment thereof. The slight irregularity of those respective bores may be machined when the generally semicircular cut 86 is made in each respective holder plate 52, 68, 32 and 22. Thus when a tool such as for example, the center punch 66 is clamped within its respective holder plate 52, that irregular bore 64 within that holder plate 52 becomes a perfect circle by the biasing of the finger 84 by the adjustment bolt 96. When no tool is clamped within the respective holder plates, the bore within those respective holder plates returns to its irregular and out of round, awaiting receipt of a tool therein.