GB2234931A

GB2234931A - Turret punch press

Info

Publication number: GB2234931A
Application number: GB9013529A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Boris Potemkin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-09-11
Filing date: 1990-06-18
Publication date: 1991-02-20
Also published as: GB8920459D0; GB9013529D0

Abstract

A numerically controlled turret punch press has a number of rotatable tool holders 6, 25 and a combined turret and tool drive mechanism separate for each turret 1, 21. Transmission member 9 of the combined drive mechanism of upper turret 1 comprises gears 8, 10 permanently engaged respectively with all the rotatable tool holders 6 and the drive 12. For rotating only the turret 1,the drive is actuated with the member 9 locked to the turret by pin 14 or toothed quadrant 17. For rotating only the tool holders 6, pin 14 and quadrant 17 are unlocked, so that the member 9 is freely rotatable on axle 2 rigid with the turret 1, and the turret is locked to the frame of the press pin 19. A similar combined drive mechanism 26, 28 is provided for the lower turret 21. Synchronism between the turrets 19 achieved by means of the numerical control. <IMAGE>

Description

TURRET PUNCH PRESS This invention relates to numerically controlled turret punch presses designed to punch holes of various size, shape and orientation in sheet materials and having a pair of upper and lower turrets in which punching tools, some or all of them indexing or rotating, are mounted in various orders.

Conventional turret presses for punching sheet materials usually comprise a C-shaped frame with a cantilever overhead beam, adjacent the end of which a vertically movable ram and an upper turret are mounted. The feeding mechanism with clamps for sheet materials is mounted in the throat of the C-shaped frame.

A lower turret is mounted adjacent the end of the press bed and below the sheet material level. The upper and lower turrets are coaxial, vertically spaced from each other and can be simultaneously rotated by the numerically controlled drive to bring corresponding upper and lower parts of the desired tool into alignment beneath the ram which can also be moved horizontally. In order to achieve synchronous and accurate positioning of the tool, the turrets are usually connected to a common drive by numerous mechanical links and provided with a locking mechanism and keys to hold the turrets in correct position during punching. The indexing or rotating tools have brakes and own numerically controlled drive, usually connected to the upper and lower rotating tool holders also by a series of mechanical elements.The workpiece is moved horizontally by a two-axis numerically controlled feeding mechanism, having a number of clamps, the position of which on the carriage can be automatically adjusted. The numerical control of the ram, turrets, tool and feeding mechanism is preprogrammed.

The principal disadvantage of so arranged drives and transmissions is that all mechanical elements of the transmissions, together with C-shaped frame, are inevitably subjected to deflection at the overhead beam under the punching load and are affected by vibration caused by punching operations.

A substantive length of the transmissions runs from the upper to lower turrets through the C-shaped frame, and the number of precision elements and mostly lubricated interacting surfaces, affected by deflections, vibration and heavy working conditions make transmissions complicated, expensive and unreliable. This causes poor punching accuracy, shortens the working life of the punching tools and increases maintenance requirements.

It is an object of the present invention to improve the performance of the turret press, accuracy of punching and working conditions of the punching tool, to simplify the press and its manufacture and to reduce maintenance requirements of the press by eliminating lengthy and complicated mechanical transmission between drives and turrets and by using combined transmission for separate rotation of turrets or tool holders by one drive.

According to the present invention there is provided a turret punch press with the upper turret having at least one upper rotating tool holder and a drive which is common for the upper turret and upper tool holders, permanently remaining in engagement with any number of rotating tool holders through a member of the transmission which is positioned coaxially to the turret, connected to it by a locking mechanism and can be unlocked and freely rotated in relation to the turret, a corresponding lower turret with a similarly arranged drive which is common for the lower turret and lower tool holders, a means for upper and lower drives synchronisation, means for preventing rotation of the turret when the tool holders are rotated, means for manipulating the workpiece and means for producing power punching impact.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows a schematic arrangement of the combined transmission for separate rotation of the turret or tool holders from one drive.

Referring to the drawing, there is schematically shown upper turret 1 rigidly connected to axle 2 which rotates freely in bearings 3, incorporated in the cantilever section 4 of the C-frame of the press, not shown on the drawing. Several stationary tool stations 5 or rotating tool holders 6 can be arranged in the turret 1 according to the given tool requirements. Each rotating tool holder 6 has gear 7 which is permanently engaged with gear ring 8 of member 9 of the combined transmission. A second gear ring 10 of member 9 is permanently engaged with pinion 11 of drive 12 which is common for the upper turret 1 and upper rotating tool holders 6. The member 9 of the combined transmission rotates freely on axle 2 of upper turret 1 and its cylindrical body has radial holes 13 for radially movable springloaded pin 14 of turret-transmission locking mechanism 15.Alternative turret-transmission locking mechanism 16 is circumferentially adjustable and has springloaded radially movable toothed quadrant 17 interacting with gear ring 8. The turret-frame locking mechanism 18 is circumferentially adjustable and has springloaded radially movable pin 19 interacting with sockets 20 of the turret 1.

pin 19 can be i:iade i,ollow for colinecting, for example, internal pneumatic control communications of the turret 1 with the control system of the press.

The lower turret 21 has rigidly connected to it axle 22 which rotates freely in bearing 23, incorporated in bed 24 of the press frame, not shown on the drawing. Stationary tool stations and rotating tool holders 25 correspond respectively to tool stations 5 and rotating tool holders 6 of upper turret 1.

The combined transmission of lower turret 21 is arranged similarly to the transmission of upper turret 1. Member 26 of the lower combined transmisson is permanently engaged with lower rotating tool holders 25 and pinion 27 of drive 28 which is common for lower turret 21 and lower rotating tool holders 25.

Locking mechanisms of the lower turret 21 are similar to those of the upper turret 1.

There is no mechanical connection between the upper and lower combined transmissions. Synchronous work of transmissions is provided by numerical control of upper drive 12 and lower drive 28. Normally, turrets 1 and 21 and members 9 and 26 of the combined transmission are locked. Referring to the upper combined transmission, if the turret-frame locking mechanism 18 is actuated, pin 19 releases turret 1 and rotation of drive 12 causes rotation of turret 1. If the turret 1 is locked and the turret-transmission locking mechanism 15 or 16, depending on which one is used, is actuated, member 9 of the combined transmission is released and rotation of drive 12 causes simultaneous rotation of all tool holders 6. The similar combined transmission of the lower turret 21 works simultaneously and synchronously with the upper transmission.

Claims

1. A turret punch press having upper and lower turrets which are coaxial, vertically spaced from each other and can be simultaneously rotated by the numerically controlled drive to bring into alignment corresponding upper and lower parts of the desired tool which can also be rotating or indexing, wherein each turret is provided with a member of the combined turret and tool rotating transmission, which member is permanently engaged with all rotating tool holders and with the drive which is common for rotating one turret and all its rotating tool holders and has no mechanical connection with the drive or transmission of the other turret.

2. A turret punch press according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate members of the transmissions can be rotated on axles which are rigidly connected respectively to the turrets and that the intermediate members are normally locked to the turrets for rotating the turrets when drives are actuated and turrets are not locked to the frame of the press, or, when turrets are locked to the frame of the press, the intermediate members can be unlocked and the same drives actuated for rotating the tool holders.

2. A turret punch press according to Claim 1, wherein the members of upper and lower combined transmissions are locked respectively to the turrets for rotating the turrets and can be unlocked for rotating the tool holders, permanently engaged with these members.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A turret punch press having upper and lower turrets which are coaxial, vertically spaced from each other and can be simultaneously rotated by a numerically controlled drive with transmission to bring into alignment corresponding upper and lower parts of the desired tool, the holders of which can also be rotatable and permanently engaged with the numerically controlled drive through an intermediate member of the transmission, wherein the said intermediate member, respectively and similarly for each turret, is positioned in the centre of the turret, is directly and permanently engaged with all rotatable tool holders and with the numerically controlled drive which is common for rotating the turret and all its rotatable tool holders, and that two gear rings of the said intermediate member together with drive pinion and gears of the rotatable tool holders form a combined turret-tool transmission which is mechanically separate from the mechanisms of the other turret.