GB1354512A - Presses for both welding and cutting heat-weldable materials - Google Patents

Abstract

1354512 Welding and cutting presses for heat-weldable material COX & WRIGHT Ltd 20 May 1971 [20 May 1970] 24481/70 Heading B5K A press in which weld seams are made in workpieces comprising heat-weldable material and the workpieces are trimmed to final shape by knife blades is characterized in that two work trays 14, 15 are provided which travel alternately into the region between the press platens 11, 12 one being retracted between the press platens while the other is extended at the front of the press (i.e. where the operator stands or sits) for loading so that the operator can be laying up a fresh workpiece on a die on one work tray while work on the other tray is undergoing the cut/weld cycle, the two work trays 14, 15 running horizontally on guides 18, 19 one above the other, and being interconnected by chains which run around sprockets at the rear of the press, and there are provided dual mechanisms and controls 49, 50 whereby the depth of penetration of a heated welding tool carried by the platen 12 into the material of the workpiece and also the depth of penetration of a knife blade carried by the platen 12 through the workpiece material may be preset. The work trays 14, 15 each comprise a rectangular open-bottomed frame whereby the lower, vertically movable platen 12 can rise through the tray into engagement with a die assembly carrying the workpiece, e.g. shoe uppers. The controls 49, 50 each comprise a knob turnable relative to a calibrated disc 59, 60 and connected via articulated links 53, 54 to pulleys 52. The pulleys 52 are in turn connected via belts 58 to pulleys 55, 56 mounted on the top of vertical, rotatable screwed rods 39, 40. The rods 39, 40 are mounted on a frame 36 which is in turn mounted on the outer fixed telescopic member 35 of the piston/cylinder arrangement 13 which raises and lowers the platen 12. The inner telescopic member 34 carries two rods 45, 46 which are themselves telescopic. Each rod 39, 40 carries a non-rotatable nut 41, 42, each of which carries a limit switch 43, 44, the position of which is set by rotation of the knobs 49, 50. The limit switches 43, 44 are engaged by a foot 47, 48 projecting from the outer telescopic member of the rods 45, 46 respectively. Engagement of one of the limit switches sets the depth of penetration for the welding operation, and the engagement of the other limit switch sets the depth of penetration for the cutting operation. The telescopic nature of the rods 45, 46 allows the override for the engagement of the second limit switch. Each rod 45, 46 comprises a spring-loaded telescopic assembly to prevent damage to the press in the event of failure of a limit switch. In the welding operation, the workpiece is preferably also embossed to resemble a line of stitches.