GB2160493A - Badge-making press - Google Patents

Abstract

In the manufacture of a lapel badge comprising a cup C, a print P and a print-retaining ring R, separately actuable cup-charging 36 and ring-charging 26 plungers are employed. After the badge components have been introduced and upper and lower die members 62 and 20 brought together to trap the periphery of the print P, the cup-charging plunger 36 is raised to introduce the print and the cup together into the upper die member 62. A making plunger 72 then forces the cup and print downwards from the first die member, and after the periphery of the print has been turned inwards by a making face 86 of the second die, the ring R is introduced into the cup by raising the ring-charging plunger 26. The making plunger then completes assembly of the badge by further compression of the assembly against the making face 86. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Badge manufacture This invention is concerned with improvements to or relating to the manufacture of lapel badges of a kind hereinafter defined, and is especially concerned with apparatus suitable for use in assembling such badges.

A well known kind of lapel badge (referred to hereinafter as a badge of the kind hereinbefore defined) comprises a shallow dished body, usually of thin sheet metal and commonly known as a cup, and a member known as a ring which is retained more-or-less within the cup by means of a permanently deformed inturned lip of the cup. The ring, which is not necessarily circular, cooperates with the cup to retain a print (for example of paper) which decorates a front (outer) surface of the cup, a peripheral portion of the print being turned into the cup to become trapped between the ring and the cup. A safety pin, or other kind of pin or other fastening enabling the badge to be secured to clothing, may be secured at the back of the cup and may be retained by means of a back plate.

Badges of the kind hereinbefore defined can be assembled, in quantity production, by means of presses utilising suitable dies which deform the lip of the cup about the ring to secure the ring and clamp the print. The operation is generally done in two separate stages:(i) the print and cup are charged manually into a recess provided by a first die, and (ii) the charged die and a second die, charged with the ring, are then brought together for the press to assemble the badge by pressure there between.

It is an object of the present invention to provide improved apparatus suitable for use in assembling a badge of the kind hereinbefore defined, which apparatus may enable faster production to be achieved than could be attained by the two-stage process employed hitherto.

In one of its aspects the invention provides apparatus suitable for use in assembling a badge of the kind hereinbefore defined comprising making tools comprising first and second die sets adapted to cooperate to form a badge therebetween, the first die set comprising a making plunger reciprocably arranged within a first die member and the second die set comprising separately actuable cupcharging and ring-charging plungers which are reciprocably arranged within a second die member, the apparatus being so constructed arranged and adapted to operate that in assembling a badge the print, the cup and the ring are introduced between the two die sets and the cup-charging plunger is moved relative to the ring-charger plunger and the second die member to charge the first die member with the print and the cup prior to the ring-charging plunger being moved relative to the second die member to introduce the ring into the cup, the cup thereafter being urged against the second die member by the making plunger moving relative to the first die member to cause required deformation of the cup lip about the ring to secure the ring and the print.

By means of such apparatus, and particularly in view of the cup-charging plunger being separate (i.e. independently movable) elements, the first die may be charged with the print and the cup, and the ring introduced into the cup, in successive operations in a fast badge-making sequence.

The apparatus may comprise first operating structure associated with the first die set and comprising first operating means arranged to move the first die member in directions towards and away from the second die member to close and open, respectively, the making tools and second operating means arranged to move the making plunger relative to the first die member and towards the second die member in making a badge.

The apparatus may be so arranged that after closing the making tools in making a badge the introduced print is held trapped between the first and second die members until the cup charging plunger is operated to charge the first die member with the print and the cup, the print being trapped by operation of the first operating means to urge the first and second die members together against resilient mountings supporting the second die member.

The apparatus may be such that prior to actuation of the second operating means in making a badge, in each cycle of operation of the apparatus, movement of the first die member in the direction towards the second die member is limited relative to the making plunger, the first operating means being enabled to advance the first and second die member together up to an abutment upon the second operating means advancing the making plunger towards the second die member in making the badge. The abutment may be in the form of a base ring on which the second die member is resiliently mounted by means of compression coil springs.

In a preferred arrangement, the second die set is one of a plurality of such die sets arranged on conveying means (e.g. a rotary work table) for successive presentation opposite the first die set. The apparatus may conveniently comprise second operating structure associated with a second die set presented opposite the first die set, the second operating structure comprising third operating means arranged to move the cup-charging plunger in charging the first die member and fourth operating means arranged to move the ring-charging plunger in introducing a ring into a cup.

In another of its aspects the invention provides making tools suitable for use in apparatus as set out in the last preceding paragraph but five, the tools comprising a first die set comprising a making plunger reciprocably arranged within a first die member and a second die set comprising separately actuable cup-charging and ring-charging plungers which are reciprocably arranged within a second die member.

There now follows a detailed description to be read with referenc to the accompanying drawings of apparatus,in the form of a badge-making press, which illustrates the invention by way of example.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional view illustrating a lower die set of the press loaded with badge components prior to assembly of a badge; Figures 2, 3 and 4 show the lower die set opposed by an upper die set in various arrangements marking stages in progressive assembly of the badge; and Figure 5 illustrates the construction of the press as a whole, with the upper and lower die sets shown held apart prior to use.

With reference to Figure 5, the press comprises a rotary work table 10 arranged to be rotated about a vertical axis to bring each of a plurality of lower die sets 12 in turn to a making station of the press.

When positioned at the making station, a lower die set 12 is held between fixed lower structure 16 of the press and an upper die set 14 which is mounted on fixed upper structure 18. An operator may work at a loadingiunloading station of the press to remove assembled badges from the lower die sets, when they are presented in turn by the work table 10, and to introduce badge components for assembly. The upper die set 14 and any one of the lower die sets 12 constitute making tools of the press.

With reference to Figure 5, each of the lower die sets comprises an annular making die 20 supported by compression springs 22 above a base ring 24 supported by the work table 10. A tubular ring-charging plunger 26 of the die set comprises a cylindrical bottom end portion 28 slidably located in a bore 30 through the work table 10.A flange 32 of the plunger, positioned immediately above said portion 28 and within the base ring 24, serves both to locate the base ring 24 on an upper surface of the work table and, by resting on that upper surface, to prevent the plunger dropping through the bore 30. An upper end portion 34 of the plunger 26 is slidably mounted in the making die 20, and so serves to locate the making die relative to the axis of the bore 30. Lastly, the lower die set comprises a cup-charging plunger 36 seated within the ringcharging plunger 26.

The lower structure 16 of the press comprises first operating means arranged to raise the cupcharging plunger 36 slidably within the ring-charging plunger 26, and second operating means arranged to raise the ring-charging plunger 26 slidably within the base ring 24 and the making die 20. The first operating means comprises a cupcharging nose 38 in the form of a piston slidable vertically in a bore 40 through a ring-charging collar 42, and guided in a bore 44 in a secondary cross-member 46 of the structure 16. The collar 42 is supported by an upper surface of the crossmember 46 and centred simply by the nose 38.

The nose 38 is secured to the piston 48 of a vertically-aligned pneumatic cylinder 50 mounted on a primary cross-member 52 of the structure 16; by means of the cylinder 50 the nose 38 and the cupcharging plunger 36 can be vertically reciprocated within the ring-charging collar 42 and the ringcharging plungeer 26.

The secondary cross-member 46 of the lower structure 16 is spaced vertically above the primary cross-member 52 and is vertically reciprocable over a short distance by means of a pair of verti cally aligned pneumatic cylinders 54 mounted on the primary cross-member. Piston rods 56 of the cylinders extend upwards to the secondary crossmember 46, and movement of the cross-member 46 is limited in one direction (upwards) by means of bolts 58, which extend through clearance holes in the primary cross-member 52 and are secured in spacers 60 secured between the two cross-members, and limited in the downwards direction by the spacers themselves. Accordingly, by means of the cylinders 54, the ring-charging collar 42, supported by the secondary cross-member 46, can be vertically reciprocated within the base ring 24 and the making die 20.

Whereas the press comprises a plurality of lower die sets 12 mounted on the work table 10, one lower die set at a time being registered by the table at the making station of the press, there is but a single upper die set 14 secured at the making station to the fixed upper structure 18 of the press.

The upper die set 14 comprises an annular die member 62 secured to an under surface of a composite secondary cross-member 64 of the upper structure 18 By means of pneumatic die-closing cylinders 66 the cross-member 64 and hence the die member 62, can be reciprocated vertically; the cylinders 66 are mounted on a primary cross-member 68 with their piston rods 70 extending vertically downwards therefrom to the secondary crossmember 64. A making plunger 72 (which can be referred to as a cork) is slidably mounted in a vertical bore 74 through the die member 62, and is secured to the free end of the piston rod 76 of a making cylinder 78 mounted on the primary crossmember 68; by means of the making cylinder 78 the plunger 72 can accordingly be reciprocated vertically within the die member 62.An arresting pin 80 extends diametrically through the making plunger 72 to be received at opposite ends in diametrically-opposed vertical slots 82 in the die member 62; the slots 82 so serve to limit the possible relative axial movement between the plunger and die member 62.

Operation of the press will now be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. Use of the press is described in assembling a badge comprising a cup C, a print and a ring R. At the loadingl unloading station of the press, the operator removes an assembled badge from a lower die set 12 presented by the work table, and inserts a ring R, a cup C and a print (in that order)for assembly of a further badge. As shown in Figure 1, the ring R rests on an upper end face 84 of the ring-charging plunger 26 within the making die 20. The cup C rests with its lip on an annular, downwardly convergent, making face 86 (which can be referred to as a roll) of the making die 20, above the ring R. Above the cup C, the print rests on a flat annular upper face of a shoulder 88 of the making die within an upper recess 90 of the die. The lower die set 12 being in a relaxed condition, the making die 20 is held spaced above the base ring 24 by the springs 22.

Furthermore, the cup-charging plunger 36 and the ring-charging plunger 26 are in fully dropped positions, with the former seated in the latter and the flange 32 of the latter resting on the upper surface of the work table.

In due course the work table progresses the loaded lower die set 12 to the making station of the press, where it becomes aligned co-axially with the cup-charging nose 38 and the ring-charging collar 42, of the lower structure 16, and with the upper die set 14. In an automatically controlled operating sequence, the press next operates to assemble the badge in five identifiable stages.

In the first stage (Figure 2) the two die-closing cylinders 66 are operated to advance their piston rods 70 to lower die member 62 of the upper die set 14.

The making cylinder 78 is operated simultaneously to maintain its piston rod 76 retracted, and hence the making plunger 72 raised. Owing to the consequent relative movement between the descending die member 62 and the static making plunger 72, the arresting pin 80 through the plunger 72 eventually engages the top ends of the slots 82 in the die member. Since the making cylinder 78 applies a greater load than the two die-closing cylinders 66 combined, the descent of the die member 62 is there arrested by the pin 80. By the time the die member 62 has been so arrested, a tubular nose portion 92 of the die member has entered the recess 90 in the making die 20, the print has become trapped between the nose portion 92 and the shoulder 88 of the making die, and the making die has been depressed a distance against the springs 22 acting between the base ring 24 and the making die.However, there remains a small gap 94 between the base ring and the making die, which means that the print is trapped at this stage under the pressure of the springs 22 and not under the pressure of the die-closing cylinders 66.

In the second stage (again Figure 2) the cylinder 50 of the lower structure 16 is operated to raise the cup-charging nose 38 through the ring-charging collar 42. The nose 38 engages and lifts the cupcharging plunger 36 to pick up the cup C from the making face 86 of the making die 20 and push the cup into a lowermost portion of the bore 74 of the die member 62 vacated by the relatively raised making plunger 72. As the cup is raised, the trapped print becomes stretched over the outer (upper) surface of the cup and pulled by the rising cup from between the die member 62 and the making die 20, and forced with the cup into the bore 74.

Operation of the cylinder 50 can then be reversed to lower the nose 38, and the plunger 36, leaving the die member 62 charged with the print-covered cup C.

In the third stage of operation (illustrated by Figure 3) the making cylinder 78 is actuated to advance its piston rod 76 and lower the making plunger 72. At first the plunger and the member 62 descend together (i.e. without relative movement between them) since the die-closing cylinders 66 are still pressurised; the effect of lowering the plunger 72 is to lower the arresting pin 80, and under the action of the cylinders 66 the member 62 follows the pin down whilst further depressing the making die 20 against the springs 22. However, once the gap 94 between the base ring 24 and the making die 20 has been closed, the making die is thereafter held against the base ring by the action of the die-closing cylinders 66.After the making die 20 has abutted the base ring 24, continued operation of the making cylinder 78 serves to move the making plunger 72 downwards through the die member 62, so pushing the print-covered cup C down towards the making face 86 of the making die 20. As the cup C approaches the making face 86, engagement of a depending peripheral portion of the print with the making face 86 causes that portion of the print to be gathered (i.e. turned radially inwards, across the lip of the cup C).The cylinders 54 of the lower structure 16 are then actuated to raise the ring-charging collar 42 in the fourth stage of operation; the collar 42 engages and lifts the ring-charging plunger 26, so to raise the ring R and push it up into position in the cup C, the peripheral portion of the print so becoming turned up into the cup by the ring R to become generally radially trapped between the ring and the cup.

During that fourth stage the making plunger 72 continues to descend under the action of the making cylinder 78. In the fifth stage of operation (Figre 4) the making plunger pushes the print-covered lip of the cup C down against the inclined making face 86 of the making die, and after that applies sufficient downwards pressure on the cup to cause the lip to be turned by the making face 86 radially inwardly about the ring R. Upon reversal of the various cylinders, the die is then opened in order that the work table can be indexed to remove the lower die set, carrying the assembled badge, from the making station.

There is illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 the assembly of a badge which does not have a solid back.

Should a solid back badge be required (i.e. comprising a back plate, which may serve to retain a safety pin) the cup-charging plunger 36 can be employed to introduce a back plate (separate from the ring) into the cup at the same time as it serves to charge the print-covered cup into the die member 62 of the upper die set 14. The plunger 36 can serve to hold the back plate in position within the cup, at least until such time as the ring R has been introduced to retain the back plate permanently.

Claims (9)

1. Apparatus suitable for use in assembling a badge of the kind hereinbefore defined comprising making tools comprising first and second die sets adapted to cooperate to form a badge therebetween, the first die set comprising a making plunger reciprocably arranged within a first die member and the second die set comprising separately actuable cup-charging and ring-charging plungers which are reciprocably arranged within a second die-member, the apparatus being so constructed arranged and adapted to operate that in assembling a badge the print the cup and the ring are introduced between the two die sets and the cup-charging plunger is moved relative to the ringcharging plunger and the second die member to charge the first die member with the print and the cup prior to the ring-charging plunger being moved relative to the second die member to introduce the ring into the cup, the cup thereafter being urged against the second die member by the making plunger moving relative to the first die member to cause required deformation of the cup lip about the ring to secure the ring and the print

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising first operating structure associated with the first die set and comprising first operating means arranged to move the first die member in directions towards and away from the second die member to close and open, respectively, the making tools and second operating means arranged to move the making plunger relative to the first die member and towards the second die member in making a badge.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 so arranged that after closing the making tools in make a badge the introduced print is held trapped between the first and second die member until the cup charging plunger is operated to charge the first die member with the print and the cup, the print being trapped by operation of the first operating means to urge the first and second die members together against resilient mountings supporting the second die member.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 in which prior to actuation of the second operating means in making a badge, in each cycle of operation of the apparatus, movement of the first die member in the direction towards the second die member is limited relative to the making plunger, the first operating means being enabled to advance the first and second die members together up to an abutment upon the second operating means advancing the making plunger towards the second die member in making the badge.

5. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 in which the second die set is one of a plurality of such die sets arranged on conveying means for successive presentation opposite the first die set.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 comprising second operating structure associated with a second die set presented opposite the first die set, the second operating structure comprising third operating means arranged to move the cup-charging plunger in charging the first die member and fourth operating means arranged to move the ringcharging plunger in introducing a ring into a cup.

7. Apparatus suitable for use in assembling a badge of the kind hereinbefore defined constructed arranged and adapted to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

8. Making tools suitable for use in apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, the tools comprising a first die set comprising a making plunger reciprocably arranged within a first die member and a second die set comprising separately actuable cup-charging and ring-charging plungers which are reciprocably arranged within second die member.

9. Making tools substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.