EP0270762B1 - Press whose base is elastically supported in a vertical direction - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a press according to the preamble of claim 1.

Such presses are often designed as high-speed punch presses or as high-frequency presses with several hundred to over two thousand punching processes per minute. Of course, other presses could also be mounted to avoid vibrations. Such presses represent the highest level of performance today, with operation being largely automated.

When considering how a further automation in the supply and removal of parts would be possible, it turned out that this storage, which is very damping for the operation, has disadvantages for this purpose, namely that its height can vary depending on the weight load of the machine. Especially when handling devices are to be used, rigid programming of their various positions is no longer sufficient. There are robots as handling devices that can control the position to be controlled with the help of sensors, but these are not only relatively expensive, but also more prone to repairs. Of course, such problems also occur with conventional conveyor systems, but are easier to bridge.

DE-OS-2740042 describes a tool changing device for a machine, on which the individual machining steps are carried out with tool inserts which are independent of one another and also fastened independently of one another. The replacement of the individual tool inserts must therefore be carried out separately one after the other, in each case the die and the punch in a separate process.

A height adjustment or locking of the tool changing device is necessary in the mentioned DE-OS in the course of the movement during a tool changing process as one of the necessary steps. Adjustment of different spring-loaded positions of the press could again only be accomplished with the help of sensors or the like.

The invention is based on the object of designing a press of the type mentioned in the preamble of claim 1 in such a way that, on the one hand, optimum storage for operation is ensured, and on the other hand the introduction or removal of parts is facilitated. In particular, the cooperation of the press with a handling device, especially for handling the punching tools with a weight of several hundred kilos, should be simplified to such an extent that an uncomplicated and therefore inexpensive, but nevertheless reliable manipulation device can be used.

This object is achieved by the features of the characterizing part of claim 1. This makes it possible to use the elastic mounting in the operation of the press, whereas during operation of the handling device, i.e. with the press switched off, the locking device comes into effect. This can easily be automated so that the locking device is automatically switched on when the press is switched off.

For better adaptation, in particular to different handling devices (if one is replaced, for example), it is advantageous to provide the features of claim 2.

If the features of claim 3 are realized, it is easy to provide this centering stop at a location (spaced apart) from the locking device in order to counteract the formation of load moments and to create a rigid frame in a locked position.

Of course, the locking could also be operated by hand, but it is advantageous in the sense of the desired automation if the features of claim 4 are provided.

As can be seen from the description, the elastically supported substructure does not necessarily have to be the frame for the entire press, but rather parts connected to it can also be elastically supported, in particular with regard to damping the punching strokes.

• Fig. 1 einen Längsschnitt durch das Schallschutzgehäuse einer Hochfrequenzpresse samt einer angeschlossenen Werkzeugablage nach der Linie I-I der Fig. 2, wobei Teile der Presse und der Ablage ebenfalls geschnitten sind und ein Handhabungsgerät an der Presse mit seiner Schiebeführung gezeigt ist;
• Fig. 2 ist ein Querschnitt durch das Schallschutzgehäuse nach Fig. 1 entlang der Linie 11-11, wobei Teile der Presse geschnitten sind, um die Arbeitsweise des Handhabungsgerätes beim Werkzeugwechsel zu veranschaulichen;
• Fig. 2a das in Fig. 1 gezeigte rechte Bein des Unterbaues in grösserem Massstab zur Veranschaulichung einer Ausführungsvariante, von der
• Fig. 2b ein Detail in noch stärkerer Vergrösserung darstellt; und die
• Fig. 2a' und 2b' jeweils einen vergrösserten Ausschnitt aus Fig. 1, bzw. Fig. 3a, jedoch in einer Abwandlung;
• Fig. 3a einen Querschnitt durch die Presse, wovon
• Fig. 4a ein Schnitt nach Linie IV-IV der Fig. 3a ist.

Further details emerge from the following description of exemplary embodiments shown schematically in the drawing. It shows.

• Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the soundproof housing of a high-frequency press together with a connected tool tray along the line II of Figure 2, parts of the press and the tray are also cut and a handling device on the press with its sliding guide is shown.
• FIG. 2 is a cross section through the soundproof housing according to FIG. 1 along the line 11-11, parts of the press being cut to illustrate the operation of the handling device during the tool change;
• Fig. 2a shows the right leg of the substructure shown in Fig. 1 on a larger scale to illustrate an embodiment, of which
• 2b shows a detail in an even greater magnification; and the
• 2a 'and 2b' each show an enlarged section from FIG. 1 or FIG. 3a, but in a modification;
• Fig. 3a shows a cross section through the press, of which
• Fig. 4a is a section along line IV-IV of Fig. 3a.

1 and 2, a high-frequency punch press 1 is shown, to which the invention is preferably applied, because the high production speed in such presses means that a tool change is required more quickly and is therefore a problem in this regard. Training as a high-frequency stamping Press is recognizable by the fact that counterweights 2 are connected to an eccentric drive 3, which incidentally also drives a feed drive 4 for the punched sheet 6 wound on a strip roll or coil 5, as is indicated by dash-dotted lines. The counterweights 2 are arranged as shown, as has already been described in US Pat. No. 4,156,387, but it is understood that any other arrangement can be used for this.

The punch press 1 rests on a substructure 7, on which a holding device 8 for a stationary punching tool 9 is mounted. The eccentric drive 3 moves a movable holding device 11 up and down in the vertical direction via plunger 10, to which a movable counter tool 12 is fastened. It goes without saying that it is only a matter of the relative movement of the two tools 9, 12, and that the upper one could be stationary and the lower one could be movable, as it would also be conceivable to make both movable. The vertical arrangement is also preferred because the impacts emanating from the punch press 1 are diverted into the ground, but the invention is not restricted to this.

Since these shocks are very strong in high-frequency stamping presses, the base 7 is generally elastically supported. For this purpose, support springs 14 are installed in the four legs 13 of the substructure 7 (only two are visible in FIG. 1). The function of this suspension for the purposes of the invention will be explained later.

The punch press 1 is expediently accommodated in a soundproof housing 15, which is accessible from the rear via a door 16 (FIG. 2) and can be entered at the front via an entrance 17. The stamping plate 6 enters and exits via narrow openings 18, 19. Incidentally, FIG. 2 also shows the motor M that drives the drives 3 and 4.

The parts described so far are conventional on a high-frequency punch press. It goes without saying that the invention is by no means limited to such presses, but is preferably used there because the problems to be solved by the invention are particularly exacerbated here in a soundproofing housing 15 due to the high production speed, the rapid intermittent movement and the tightness are.

Precisely because of the high production speed, it will be necessary to change the tools 9, 12 frequently if such a press 1 is also to be used to produce smaller quantities at once. If the tool change is problematic, as was previously the case, it is necessary to produce a large number of tools with the tools once attached to the holding devices 8, 11 (which can be of any known type, by the way), which then only gradually can be delivered to the customer, causes storage costs in the meantime and ties up the capital employed.

For this reason, a tool magazine is accommodated in an auxiliary compartment 20 of the insulating housing 15, in which tools 9 and counter-tools 12 of the most varied types are placed one above the other on an orbital chain 21 (only indicated in FIG. 1) on axes 22 and pallets 24 suspended thereon via support levers 23.

A heating device (not shown) can be provided within the compartment 20 for the tool storage in order to keep the tools 9, 12 constantly at the working temperature, since the precision can be impaired by relatively small temperature differences during the punching process. For this reason, the compartment 20 is expediently closed and insulated on all sides, access from the outside being possible only through a sliding door 25, which can be moved, for example, by a cylinder unit 26. Analogously to this, a door 27 to be opened to the punch press 1 is provided with a cylinder assembly 28, which closes an opening 29.

In order to be able to replace the very heavy tools 9, 12 easily and quickly, a bearing body 30 for storing a handling device 31 is attached to the base 7 of the press 1. The handling device 31 has a gripping arm 32 shown in FIG. 2, with which at least one tool 9 or 12 can be removed from the punching press as soon as it is released from its holding devices 8 or 11. For this it is necessary to explain some special features of such tools.

The movable holding device 11 is on the sides of four guide columns 33 fastened to it and moved with it, but moreover guide columns 34 are also provided on the tools 8, 12. During operation of the press 1, the respective tool 9 or 12 is held on its holding device 8 or 11 by means of a releasable fastening device, for example by means of rotatable clamping jaws 35, three of which are loosened in FIG. are shown rotated away from the tool 9, whereas the clamping jaw 35 'still grips over the tool 9 and holds it.

Since both tools 9, 12 are to be put down together, the handling device can grip both together with the columns 34 and must then (after loosening the clamping jaws 35) move them out of the narrow space between the sub-components 36 surrounding the guide columns 33. This would in itself be possible in that the front end of the gripping arm is moved around two joints of the arm in such a way that it moves at least approximately along a straight line. The gripping arm would therefore have to be divided into two parts by a joint and, moreover, would still have to rotate around a further joint at its end facing the bearing body 30.

It is favorable to provide at least one sliding guide. This can be a telescopic guide, but the bearing body 30 itself is preferably designed as a sliding guide. The hand Habitsgerät 31 this sliding guide 30 is slidable along, namely parallel to the plane of the holding device 9, 11 or perpendicular to the direction of movement of the movable tool 12 and its holding device 11. Because the bearing body 30 is seated on the base 7, its center of gravity is relatively low, if at the same time the punch is working with a vertical direction of movement. On the other hand, the storage on the substructure 7 makes it possible to keep the floor below the device 31 free of feet, so that an operator can get close enough to the press 1.

Along such a sliding guide 30, the handling device 31 is designed to be displaceable according to the representations of the other figures by means of a built-in motor or with the aid of a spindle running along the sliding guide 30 (in the manner of a lathe), its gripper arm 32 being connected by another one, also by means of the Fig. 3,4 explained drive in the manner shown in Fig. 2 is pivotable. With the help of such a sliding guide 30, it is possible to have a common control unit, e.g. with a microprocessor to be arranged in a control cabinet 37 (cf. FIG. 2), which controls the sliding movements of the handling device 31 and the pivoting movements of its gripper arm 32 in the manner described below with reference to FIG. 2.

The position of the handling device 31 that it occupies during the operation of the press 1 is shown in full lines in FIG. 2, while the handling device itself is at rest. It is important that the handling device is not switched on while the press 1 is in operation. It is therefore advisable to provide a corresponding safety device. This can be designed, for example, in such a way that the handling device can only be switched on by actuating two switch buttons in order to prevent involuntary switch-on in a similar manner to that which occurs when switching recording heads in the case of magnetic devices. Another possibility is to provide mechanical or electrical interlocking of the switches. This can be done most simply in the manner shown in FIG. 2, where a main switch S1 for the press motor M is connected via a single actuating element A to a standby switch for the program control 37 of the handling device 31 so that the one switch is switched on at the same time switching off the other switch means.

As soon as the switches S1, S2 are in the position shown in FIG. 2, the handling device 31 can be put into operation, expediently via a further switch S3 in series with the switch S2. It can now be seen that the rest position of the handling device, shown in full lines, serves a dual purpose. The fact that the gripper arm 32 faces the interior of the press during operation of the press 1, with most or all of it within the common contour lines given by the contour lines of the press and the handling device, ensures that the The gripper arm 32 is not exposed to strong moments due to the vibrations of the press 1, which would be the case if it were approximately in the opposite side, ie would protrude downward with respect to FIG. 2.

Another advantage is that the load on the elastic mounting 14 (see FIG. 1) is also more uniform, which is important for effective damping because the handling device 31 and additional weight act on the two legs 13 facing it , so that it can be expedient to make the springs 14 stronger there than on the side facing the entrance 17. Finally, however, the rest position shown ensures that the handling device can start to work immediately when it is switched on, without first having to be guided to the tool 9 or 12. After switching on the handling device 31, such a coordinated movement of the sliding and pivoting drive begins that the gripper 38 provided at the end of the gripper arm 32 within a path extending approximately along a straight line L (with the slight deviations shown in FIG. 2 ) emotional. The pivot axis 39 of the gripper arm 32 moves along the sliding guide 30 into the position 39 ', while the gripper arm 32 pivots into the position 32', so that the tool 9 gripped by it on the line L is exactly in the middle between the sub-components 36 remains. Thus, despite the cramped conditions and the simplest and robust construction of the handling device, the pulling out or lifting of the tool 9 or 12 can be accomplished. At the end of the movement, the tool 9 is in a tool removal position 9 ", while the handling device 31 has reached the position 31" along the sliding guide 30 and the gripper arm is in the position 32 ".

Here it can now be seen that the arrangement of the tool storage in the compartment 20 is optimal insofar as the gripper arm 32 in the tool removal position 32 ″ lies parallel to the sliding guide 30, so that the tool 9 can on the one hand just pass the base legs 36 for storage, on the other hand the tool does not protrude so far beyond the press frame that it obstructs operators or even requires an expansion of the soundproof housing 15.

The control required for this movement coordination is a program control of any type and otherwise known per se. If it is a step control, it is possible to find enough with a minimum of position transmitters, since each position depends on the number of steps from the end of the program .

Therefore, if the handling device in the wide If the course of the tool removal position 31 "is moved to the right (based on FIG. 2) along the sliding guide 30, it finally reaches a tool transfer position 31". Before that, however, it is necessary for the opening 29 to be opened, ie for the door 27 to be in the position shown in FIG. 1. For this purpose, the control of the cylinder unit can be integrated into the step control, so that during handling the handling device 31 assumes a position in which the tool is just in front of the door 27 and at the same time the door 27 is opened. However, a position transmitter, for example with a light source 40 and a photo receiver 41, can be assigned to a control for the door 27 which is separate from the control 37, the moment at which the tool 9, the gripper arm 32 or the body of the handling device 31 is used Beam of light source 40 passes through, door 27 is opened.

The tool storage within the compartment 20 is now expediently designed in the manner of a lift control, so that the pallets 24 always assume predetermined positions and the tool thus safely reaches them (cf. the tool transfer position in FIG. 1). If particularly heavy tools with weights up to a ton are now to be moved, the suspension 14 can represent a decisive source of interference. On the other hand, it is important that the handling device itself is not subjected to very hard impacts, which is why the elastic mounting would also be expedient if it was not a high-frequency punch press, the elastic mounting being able to be provided between the base 7 and the bearing body 30. The problem thus arises of how, on the one hand, an elastic bearing can be provided and, on the other hand, its possible adverse effects can be avoided if such heavy tools actually have to be handled.

The solution may lie in the locking device shown in FIG. 1, which, if desired, prevents (elastic) movement of the substructure and thus of the bearing body 30 together with the handling device 31 in the manner of a scale lock and thus ensures that the gripper arm 32 always has a transfer position 32 '"in occupies the same height which corresponds to the position of a pallet 24.

The locking device can now be designed such that between the floor and the legs 13 of the base 7, which are held elastically by the springs 14, cylinder units 42 are provided, the pistons 43 of which assume the position shown in FIG. 1 during the operation of the press 1. Such cylinder units 42 can only be provided on the side facing the handling device 31 on two legs 13 or on all legs of the substructure 7. Each piston 43 has a piston rod 44 which, outside of the cylinder 42, has a support surface 46 directed against an extension 45 of the associated base leg 13, from which a guide bolt 47 expediently (but not necessarily) protrudes upward and passes through a guide opening in the extension 45. If the press 1 is now switched off by opening the switch S1 (FIG. 2) and the switch S2 is closed, the magnet 48 of a solenoid valve MV can be excited by the control unit 37 immediately or only after the switch S3 has been switched on (which is preferred). In the position of the solenoid valve MV shown, a line 49 is interrupted, which is intended to connect the cylinder assemblies 42 to a pressure medium source 50. On the other hand, if the solenoid valve (based on FIG. 1) is moved to the right, the connection to the pressure medium source 50 is released, whereupon the pistons 43 move upwards. Her support surfaces 46 lie against the underside of the extensions 45 and thus directly support the legs 13, so that the springs 14 are relieved. As a result, the legs 13 are locked and can no longer carry out any elastic movement, the transfer position 32 ″ of the gripper arm 32 being secured in its height.

It should be mentioned here that this locking device 42 is also advantageous if the gripper mechanism is not mounted directly on the base 7 by means of the sliding guide 30, but rather the axis of rotation 39 of the gripper shown in FIG. 3a is mounted on a base located next to the press , so that the gripper is not mechanically connected to the press. The reason for this will be explained later with reference to FIG. 3a.

It can be seen from FIGS. 3a and 4a that the substructure 7 consists of a bracket 51 provided with the legs 13 and a bearing bed 52. Also shown are the drives D arranged in the holding device 8 or 11 for the clamping jaws 35 (here, however, engaging in recesses of the tool), of which clamping jaws only one is shown.

Furthermore, it can be seen that the bearing body 30 is designed as a T-guide, and that therefore extensions 54 project upward and downward, T-shaped, from a fastening body 53 connected to the bearing bed 52. These extensions 54 are encompassed by guide lugs 55 of the handling devices 31. The lugs 55 protrude from a housing 56 in which the drive parts of the handling device 31 are accommodated. Although a sliding guide 54, 55 is shown here for the sake of simplicity, rollers can be provided on individual surfaces if desired.

For the displacement drive of the handling device for the movement along the sliding guide 30 (see the above description with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2), the housing 56 can contain its own motor, in which case, however, its own power supply cable must be tracked. It is cheaper to drive a continuous spindle like a lathe from a fixed motor. Such a spindle could be the spindle 57 (FIG. 3a). On the other hand, this spindle 57 and a Similar spindle 58 are each driven by a drive unit 59 or 60 (Fig. 4a).

A helical gear 61 mounted in the housing 56 is in engagement with the spindle 57, on the axis of which a pinion 62 is in engagement with a toothed rack 63 provided on the sliding guide 30. In this way, the displacement movement is driven.

In order to achieve the swiveling movement about the swiveling axis 39 already described above (see FIG. 2), a hollow shaft 64 is provided which has at its lower end a helical gear 65 which engages with the spindle 58. At its upper end, the hollow shaft 64 carries a turntable 66 which is provided with bearing cheeks 67 for receiving a pivot axis 68 running in the plane of the holding devices 8, 11 or parallel to the same. The gripper arm 32 can thus be pivoted up and down on the one hand about the axis 39 and on the other hand about the horizontal axis 68. For this up and down movement, a piston 69 is displaceable within the hollow shaft 64, which - under the control of the control device 37 - pressure medium from a pressure source, e.g. can be fed to the source 50 (FIG. 1) in a manner not shown.

In addition to these drives, one or more drives are often provided for the gripper 38 itself in conventional handling devices, which would make very heavy gripper tongs necessary in the case of a conventional design. Another path was therefore taken here.

In order to relieve the tool manufacturer of the trouble of having to produce special gripping surfaces for the gripper, prefabricated adapters Ad are expediently screwed onto the tool 9 by means of screw bolts Sb (best seen in FIG. 4a). Each adapter Ad consists of a fastening part 70, a neck part 71 and a bracket part 72. Since, as can be seen particularly from FIG. 1 and the tools in the compartment 20, the tools can have different dimensions, either adapters with different lengths are used for compensation the neck parts 71 are provided and kept in stock, or the neck part is adjustable in length, for example by the bracket part 72 with the neck part 71 via a bolt 73 indicated by a broken line, for example a screw bolt is connected, along which a length adjustment is possible. In this way, the length of the neck part 71 can be set so that the bracket part 72 (regardless of the width of the tool 9) always comes to the same place. This avoids having to equip the gripper 38 with a complicated sensor control, which would first have to recognize the approach to the bracket or a gripping surface of the tool in order to control the further gripper movement.

Therefore, the gripper 38 can be made extremely simple and in the exemplary embodiment shown a) simply consists of at least one, as shown in FIG. 4a, two fork-shaped hooks H. If the handling device is thus used for the first time, the turntable 66 becomes in brought such a position that the gripper arm points straight to the adapter Ad according to FIG. 4a. Now either the associated motor 60 is designed as a stepper motor, in which case this position can be controlled very precisely, but with expensive means; or an inexpensive, conventional motor 60 is used, in which case a latching is expediently provided. This can either be done in such a way that the turntable 66 still has a certain degree of rotational mobility with respect to the hollow shaft 64 and is brought into the correct position at the end by a wedge catch 74, which can be actuated, for example, by a piston-cylinder unit 75. Additionally or alternatively, a position transmitter can be provided for the turntable, with the motor 60, for example, only being switched off until the catch 74 has fallen into the associated (in plan view) funnel-shaped recess in the turntable 66. In this case, the turntable 66 can be rigidly connected to the hollow shaft 64.

During this pivoting operation, the piston 69 assumes its lowest position, so that the hook H is in the dash-dotted position shown in FIG. 3a and is pivoted in under the bracket part 72. As soon as the catch 74 has fallen into the associated recess of the turntable 66, pressure medium is left under the piston 69 so that it rises until the gripper arm 32 assumes the position shown in full lines in FIG. 3a, the hook H captured the bracket 72.

The gripper arm 32 rests on the piston rod of the piston 69 only under its own weight. It is therefore understood that during the operation of the press 1 there would be a risk of constant vibration, with the development of noise, and the risk of the pivoting bearing swinging out on the axis 68. It is therefore expedient to move the gripper arm 32 in its rest position, i.e. to clamp against a stationary part during the operation of the punch press 1. In itself, this could be any part of the press, but the gripper arm 32 is preferably clamped immediately against the bracket part 72, so that no special devices are required. This means that the piston 69 is kept under pressure in its upper position during press operation. This can be done either by providing a shunt line to the switch S2 for control of the valve controlling the pressure medium inflow (not shown), or by this valve connecting the pressure medium source 50 to the underside of the piston 69 when the magnet is de-energized.

Another problem is that with such a simple gripper 38, the tool 9 (including the tool 12 placed thereon) can only be gripped on one side, if not expensive constructions should be required for a second point of attack. However, the tool thus exerts a considerable pivoting moment on the gripper arm 32 and above all on the gripper 38 itself.

In order to absorb these pivoting moments, at least one support surface F is expediently provided on the gripper 38, with the aid of which it can be supported on a counter support surface cf of the tool, but preferably of the adapter. As FIG. 3a shows, the support surface F of the gripper 38 is located on its front face, whereas the counter support surface cf on the fastening part 70 of the adapter Ad is opposite it. If adapters with adjustable neck part 71 are used, the counter support surface would either have to be adjustable as well, or be connected to the bow part 72, from which it must have a corresponding, predetermined distance for support on the gripper 38.

If the gripper were not mounted on the press by means of the sliding guide 30, but would stand freely on a separate substructure next to the press, which, however, is expediently provided with the support springs 14 in the case of a high-frequency press, there would be an uncertainty when gripping the adapter Ad, which could be higher or lower depending on the load (e.g. by tool 9). Relatively expensive gripper constructions are known, which can be found with the help of sensors to find the necessary position, but the gripper construction should be simplified as much as possible. The locking device 42 is also of great interest for such cases because it then secures a predetermined height when the gripper arm 38 is intended to grip the adapter Ad.

It goes without saying that a fluid actuation of the locking device is preferred, but that any drive can be used by means of which the press and gripper can be brought to a predetermined height relative to one another, such as wedges, spindles with a motor drive, etc.

2a and 2b illustrate a particularly advantageous embodiment of such a locking device, which is combined here with a damping system. As shown in FIG. 2b, a double ring of helical springs 14, 14 ', each with an opposite spring winding, is provided to support one leg 13 in order to improve stability. The springs 14, 14 'are supported on the underside on a shaped plate 91 with a cone ring 92, which is opposed by a counter-cone ring 92' on the top.

The type of suspension is only shown in detail here by way of example and can easily be replaced by equivalent constructions, for example by replacing a spring ring surrounding the plate 91 with about four (or more) individual coil springs on the axes of a cross or the arms of one Star are arranged.

A cylinder 142 is formed or attached to the form plate 91 coaxially with the conical ring 92. As in the present case, the cylinder 142 can be open at the top. In the interior of the cylinder 142, which is filled with a hydraulic fluid, a damping piston 93 is provided, which is connected to a pin 96 screwed to a support plate 95 for the leg 13 via a ball 94 formed thereon (as a ball joint). Before the damping piston 93 is described in detail, the remaining construction will first be explained.

According to FIG. 2a, the shaped plate 92 is seated on a base plate G resting on the floor, from which a stationary base 97 protrudes. The line 49 also lies in this base plate G (cf. FIG. 1), and it can also be seen that the cylinder 142 continues downward into a recess in this base plate G, where it can be seen more clearly from FIG. 2b End wall 97 'is completed. This end wall 97 'may be screwed in (as shown in FIG. 2b) or otherwise secured in any way.

Furthermore, the cylinder 142 is surrounded or closed on its underside by a cap 98 which is screwed to the molding plate 91. The line 49 is connected to this cap 98 in the manner shown in FIG. 2b and supplies - when the solenoid valve MV (FIG. 1) is opened - fluid, e.g. a hydraulic fluid, into the interior of the cap 98, from where it can reach the interior of the cylinder 142 via at least one opening h in the end plate 97 '.

In the exemplary embodiment shown (FIG. 2b), the damping piston 93 has two bores leading to its upper side, in which valves RV and PV are arranged. The valve RV is constructed in the manner of a check valve, the valve member of which, however, is formed by a plate 99 with a thin opening, which can be moved up and down in a chamber of larger diameter. If the damping piston 93 is pressed downward, the liquid present in the cylinder 142 pushes the plate 99 upward, so that the est receiving chamber is closed with the exception of the small flow opening in the plate 99. Downward impacts, which naturally occur with presses, are therefore strongly dampened.

If the damping piston 93 is then to go up again, the plate 99 falls down within its chamber and allows the hydraulic medium accumulated above the piston 93 not only through its small opening but also past its circumference through the chamber, so that the upward movement of the piston 93 can be done quickly. For violent, sudden impacts, a pressure relief valve PV can also be provided in the piston 93, which is only indicated schematically here.

Thus, while the described damping is important for the operation of the press, the cylinder 142 provided for this purpose is also used for locking the substructure 7 at a predetermined height. For this purpose it would be conceivable to design the valves RV and PV to be lockable and to use the damping piston 93 as the piston of the locking device (analogous to the piston 43 of FIG. 1). However, it is structurally simpler to provide a second piston 143 in the cylinder 142, which is pressurized from below when the solenoid valve MV (FIG. 1) is opened, moves upwards, and with an extension 146 against the damping piston 93 (expediently presses against a stop nut AN) to push it up to a predetermined position. The stop nut AN protrudes a little above the projecting parts of the valves RV, PV in order to protect them.

It has already been mentioned above that various other actuation mechanisms could also be used instead of a fluidic drive, and it is easily conceivable when considering FIG. 2b to omit the piston 143, to thread the opening h and to screw one, e.g. lead through motor-driven screw spindle, which takes over the function of the stop projection 146 against the nut AN.

The predetermined position into which the damping piston 93 can be brought may be determined either by appropriate control of the solenoid valve MV (FIG. 1), since since the piston 143 always starts from the starting position shown in FIG. 2b, its height only depends on from the amount of hydraulic medium supplied, which can be easily regulated via the valve MV; or a stop is provided in the cylinder 142, which can be formed, for example, by an inserted ring Ri, but possibly also by an adjustable stop screw.

It was mentioned above that the gripper can also be elastically mounted separately. With reference to FIGS. 2a ', 2b', it should now be shown that even in such a case, a locking device for fixing a predetermined relative height of the press and gripper is favorable. A separate elastic bearing of the gripper is particularly recommended to protect any electric motors, the bearings of which are often very sensitive to impact.

Fig. 2a 'now shows a partial view of the sliding guide shown in Fig. 1, but partly in section along the line a'-a' of Fig. 2b '. As FIG. 2b 'shows, the bed 152 is somewhat modified compared to the bed 52 of FIG. 3a and provided with a cover CO in order to be able to accommodate internals to be described later.

For the elastic mounting of the gripper on the base 7, springs 114 are accommodated in recesses CA of the sliding guide 30 here. The springs 114 are shown here as simple leaf springs, but a plurality of leaf springs can also be provided, as it would also be possible to use spiral springs or the like. to provide for support. In any case, this elastic mounting means that the sliding guide 30 moves downward into a position 30 'under the load, and it is also possible for tilting moments (for example when the gripper is at one end of the sliding guide 30) that the sliding guide 30 at the other end moved up into position 30 ".

Here, too, it is important to simplify the gripper design to provide predetermined relative positions for the press and gripper. Therefore, before starting the gripper, the sliding guide 30 can be locked in a predetermined position by providing a conical depression CN in it, into which a centering cone CC can engage for orientation.

At this point, reference is again made to FIG. 2a, which has a similar arrangement with depression CN 'and CC', the depression CN 'being provided in a plate of the stationary frame 97, the centering cone CC' on the upper side of the elastically supported substructure 7 is. This arrangement can result in a double fixation when the piston 143 is raised, the height of the centering cone CC 'can expediently be adjusted and can then act as a stop for the desired predetermined position.

This is similar in the case of FIG. 2b ', in which, however, an actuating drive for the centering cone CC must be provided. A cylinder CY is provided for this, which can be a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder or is formed by a powerful moving coil magnet. If you want to use the bed 52 without the cover CO, it may be advantageous to reverse the arrangement and to accommodate the depression CN on the bed, but the centering cone CC together with its actuating cylinder CY on the sliding guide 30. If desired, after the centering cone CC has fallen into the depression CN, a locking finger Fi shown in FIG. 2a 'can also be inserted into a corresponding opening of the sliding guide 30 by means of a solenoid SO (see also FIG. 2b') in order to prevent any slipping to prevent. However, it is also understood that a plurality of such locking devices CC, CN, or at most Fi, are expediently provided along the sliding guide 30, preferably at least two spaced apart.

As explained, there will be a displacement of the respective elastically mounted substructure 7 and / or 30, above all in height, and a fixation in a predetermined position is also of particular interest for the interaction with the gripper arm 38 of the handling device. It would therefore be sufficient, for example in the case of the CC, CN device (FIG. 2b), to replace the centering cone CC by a wedge centering the height, but the cone CC has the advantage of additional centering to the side, so that, for example, when used of a stepping motor for the displacement movement, a predetermined number of step pulses can be provided in order to move the gripper into the position 31 "'- (FIG. 2), it being possible to dispense with the light barrier 40, 41.

Claims (8)

1. A press (1) which is supported by a vertically sprung substructure (7), characterised in that, for alignment with a handling device (31), an arrester device (42; 142; 143; CC', CN; CC, CN) is provided for the spring-mounted substructure (7; 30) in order to lock said substructure in a predetermined vertical position.

2. The press according to claim 1, characterised in that the predetermined vertical position is defined by a stop (Ri, CC', CN'; CC, CN), and that preferably an adjustment device is provided for the stop (CC', CN').

3. The press according to claim 2, characterised in that the stop (CC', CN'; CC, CN) has oblique centering surfaces (CC; CC') opposite to which there are preferably correspondingly shaped counter-surfaces (CN; CN').

4. The press according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterised in that the arrester device (42; 142; 143 CC', CN'; CC, CN) is preferably provided with a fluid drive, in particular a hydraulic actuator (42; 142; CY, SO).

5. The press according to claim 4, characterised in that the construction of the fluid drive (42; 142, 143) incorporates a damping device (93, 142) and that preferably the actuator (142, 143) and the damping device (93,142) have a common cylinder (142).

6. The press according to claim 4 or 5, characterise in that the damping device (93, 142) is provided with a non-return valve (RV) which, when closing, continues to have a passage.

7. The press according to claim 4, 5 or 6, characterised in that the damping device (93,142) has a pressure relief valve (PV).

8. The press according to anyone of claims 4 to 7, characterised in that the actuator (142, 143) is arranged centrally within the resilient mounting (14, 14') and is preferably enveloped by helical springs (14, 14').

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