GB1328685A - Method and apparatus for feeding strip material to presses - Google Patents

Abstract

1328685 Feeding webs CEGEDUR GP 14 Oct 1970 [16 Oct 1969] 48772/70 Heading B8R Metal or plastics strip Q, Fig. 1, is fed to a press P such as a cutting, die or extrusion press, by a pair of reciprocating grippers AM, BM, one situated upstream and the other downstream of the press, and is held stationary during the return movement of the grippers AM, BM by a pair of simularly positioned stationary grippers AF, BF, the gripper BF being opened before the grippers AM, BM close on the strips to effect feed and the gripper AF being opened after the grippers AM, BM close. The arrangement allows for any expansion of the strips caused by the operation of the press. The feeding devices are operated from the crank-shaft 1 of the press which, in one embodiment, Fig. 3, drives a shaft 17 through gears 11, 12, shaft 13 and universal joint 16. A cam 22 on the shaft 17 engages follower rollers 23, 24, one of which is spring-biased, on a slider 26 connected by a link 27 to a carriage carrying one of the reciprocating grippers, the carriage of the other gripper being connected by a link to the first carriage, so that the two carriages move in unison. The pivot 28 of the lever 27 may be adjustable to vary the stroke of the carriages. The grippers, constructed as described below, are fluidpressure operated, and an electric switch 29 on the shaft 17 controls the admission of fluid pressure to the grippers to close them in the sequence set out above. In another embodiment (Figs. 8, 9), a crank disc (542) with an adjustable throw is used to reciprocate the carriages of grippers AM, BM, and a shaft (63) driven from the shaft 1 carries cams (67) controls the opening and closing of the fixed grippers AF, BF, and also operates rotary distributers 68 effecting operation of the reciprocating grippers AM, BM. Gripper construction.-Each gripper, Fig. 2, comprises an adjustable fixed jaw 41 and a movable jaw 42, the latter being moved to open position by springs or fluid-pressure means and closed by fluid pressure acting on a piston 431. Transverse guiding devices.-One edge of the strip Q is engaged by two spaced-apart fixedaxis rollers (72, Fig. 10) opposed to which are two spring-pressed rollers (73, 74) engaging the opposite edge of the strip.