GB2238502A - Demountable template punching device - Google Patents

Abstract

A self contained punching device for mounting complete in a variety of presses with different throat depths includes template means 21, 26-28, quick change tooling means (29-36, Figs 3 & 4) and tool mountings including adaptors e.g. (56 Fig 6) for accommodating different tool sizes. The device has a main base casting 24 with hardened steel shafts 13 running through bearings 18. To the end of these shafts is attached a bridge casting 20 which spans the base. The bridge, by way of the hardened steel shafts, moves in the direction of the horizontal arrow on Fig 1 to give an 'X' axis movement, The stylus/sheetholder casting 21, which moves along two shafts 11 in the bridge, gives a 'Y' axis movement in the direction of the vertical arrow on Fig 1. The main casting has an offset die aperture and also has the facility at 10 of clamping the template. The tooling system comprises of a tooling arm (29, Fig 3) positioned to miss the back of presses, a pivoted tooling head (31) with a built-in stripping mechanism (41-44, 49, 51 Fig 5) also having punch and die height adjustment facility (62, 63 Fig 5) and (57, Fig 6) respectively. <IMAGE>

Description

DEMOUNTABLE TEMPLATE PUNCHING MACHINE This invention is a demountable 1:1 sheetmetal template copy machine which will work to a variable throat depth on presses, it also has an adaptable quick change tooling system.

Sheetmetal copy punching machines are numerous and very expensive relative to the cost of this invention. This machine has been designed to work with any type of press, i.e. manual fly presses or any other form of power press and, because our machine is demountable, the press can be used for numerous other functions when not in use for punching holes in conjunction with our machine.

The main technical features are that the machine is designed with an offset stylus which can be moved to co-ordinates on a template and the sheet clamped in the sheetholder moves to corresponding co-ordinates above the die which is also offset in relation to the centre line of the machine base.

The offset of both the stylus and die enables the machine to work on a minimum throat depth of 152mm to a maximum of 300mm which allows the machine to be mounted on the majority of fly, lever, toggle and power operated presses of varying throat depths. The machine has been kept to a minimum in size as the main 'X' axis movement is mounted on shafts which run through the main casting on linear bearings - thus reducing the extra width of having side mounted shafts. In addition the tooling system goes to the rear of the 0 machine at an angle of approximately 45 so that it does not infringe on the throat of the press. The tooling system has a swivel tooling head which can be released and will swing out to have adaptor punch heads holding normal proprietary brand punches and dies dropped in and locked into the punch head and die in the die adaptor.Both the punch heads and die adaptors can be turned through 900. Both the height of the punches and the height of the die holders are adjustable, enabling a unique stripping plate to be used which is common to a range of punches, both in shank and punch size, by the use of punch sleeves. The tooling system allows punches and dies to be reloaded without the necessity of the press being realigned.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows plan view of the punching machine Figure 2 shows a side elevation of the punching machine Figure 3 shows a plan view of the tooling arm Figure 4 shows a side elevation of the tooling arm Figure 5 shows a part cross sectional view of the tooling head configuration Figure 6 shows a cross sectional view of the die, die adaptor and holder The demountable template punching machine can be mounted on the bed of any punching machine using slots 12. The machine is made up of six basic parts the base of the machine Fig 1 & 2, the bridge 20, the stylus/sheetholder 21, the tooling arm Fig 3 & 4, the punch assembly Fig 5 and the die assembly Fig 6.The bridge 20 has two hardened steel shafts 13 fixed to it and moves in the direction of the horizontal arrow back and forward along its 'X' axis through linear bearings 18 in the main block 24. The stylus/sheetholder 21 moves along two hardened steel shafts 11 along its 'Y axis, indicated by the vertical arrow, by means of linear bearings 19 which are mounted in the stylus/sheetholder casting 21. The template goes in a position indicated on the main casting 24 and has two stops 'Y' axis 28 and 'X' axis 27. The XO YO position of the template is 39 on Fig 3 and, when the stylus is on this position, the corner of the sheetholder is XO YO at the centre point of the die 15 over 38.The first template is cut to the size of the work piece and is marked by scribing lines so that co-ordinates can be picked up by passing the spring loaded pointer stylus 23 downwards. Spring roller 17 is an aid to help creep the 'X' axis to very fine adjustment. The marked up template is put in the template position 70 and locked into position by clamps 10 which can be moved in slots 26. the pointer stylus 23 is put into the stylus holder and a blank template sheet is put in the sheetholder 16 and clamped with lever 25. A 5mm punch 45 and die 58 are locked into position and each co-ordinate that the stylus is moved to a punching system can now punch a 5mm hole in the template after all holes are punched.The template can be removed from the sheet clamp 16 by releasing 25, the scribed template is to be removed and the template turned through 1800 and locked in the template holder position 70. The pointer stylus 23 should now be changed for a ball stylus 22. The ball stylus 22 is spring loaded and wherever it is pressed down to engage one of the 5mm punched holes on the template will now position the work piece in the sheetholder 16 to the correct co-ordinates under the centre of the punch 45. The appropriate punch and dies placed in 45 and 58 will result in the correct hole being punched on the co-ordinates determined by the template.The sheetholder, when used in conjunction with a tooling arm assembly, cannot get closer than 80mm from the XO YO position on the die 38, this means that the first 80mm of the template would be redundant as would be the first 80mm of the work piece sheetholder. This area would be cut off on the work piece after all the punching has been carried out and would be put down to a wasted clamping area. However, if no waste is required, the material can be turned through 1800 in both the sheetholder and the template holder for a second phase of punching, which would result in the work piece and the template being the same size with no wasted clamping area. There is an 'X' axis lock lever 67 which will lock the 'X' axis in position and allow a row of holes to be punched along the 'Y' axis.The 'Y' axis can be locked by means of lever 68 which will allow movement along the 'X' axis in a likewise fashion. The tooling head 31 is opened by releasing lever 30 and swivelling the tooling head 31 on the swivel plate 33 attached to the tooling arm 29 in the direction of the curved arrow. The tooling head will clear the die holder in the base of the machine 24. The new die and die holder can be locked into position by lever 14 and the tooling head assembly complete with stripper - as shown in Fig 5 - can be lowered into the tool holder 31 by holding the head of punch holder 40. The height of punch 45 can be altered by a socket dog point screw 63 which can be adjusted and locked into position by screw 62.

The die 58 is held in position in the die adaptor 56 by a locking set screw 60. The height of the die is controlled by the position of the adjustment ring 57 which is threaded and locked into position by set screw 59. Keyway 55 orientates the die adaptor 56 in the die holder 61. The tool holder 31 on the tooling arm 29 should now be moved in a direction against the curved arrow in Fig 3 and locked into position by lever 30. The polyurethane spring 41 will work in conjunction with the stripper body 51 which is allowed to move upward by pin 42 in slot 44. The first stage of compression to allow the tool holder 31 to reach the work piece is achieved by compressing spring on pin 43, at which point the stripper plate 49 will come into contact with the material. Further downward movement will now come to the second stage of compression which will compress polyurethane spring 41 and allow punch 45 to punch a hole in the work piece. On the release of downward force the upward movement of the punch head 40 would be corrected by polyurethane spring 41 relaxing to its normal uncompressed state, allowing the stripper body 51 to rise by the movement of the roller on pin 42 in slot 44. Stripper 49 will hold the work piece under pressure until such time as punch 45 has retracted through the work piece. Further upward movement will now allow the spring on 43 to raise the stripper body to a quiescent position allowing a gap to form between the die 58 and the stripper plate 49, which will allow the work piece to be moved to a new position.

Claims (9)

1. The demountable template punching machine in the form of a portable punching system that can be mounted on varying types of presses with different throat depths and has a quick change tooling system, with adjustment for punches and dies together with adaptors for use with standard punch and dies.

2. As claimed in Claim 1 having an offset die in the base of the machine allowing it to work on variable throat depths.

3. As claimed in Claim 1 and Claim 2 shafts allowing free movement on the 'X' axis run through the main block of the machine.

4. As claimed in Claim 1 the tooling system has a swivel tooling head and the main body of the tooling arm is designed at an angle to miss the throat of the press, without restricting the movement of the work -piece on the 'X' axis and to minimise the throat depth in the tooling arm to a practical and workable length to keep deflection to a minimum.

5. As claimed in Claim 1 and Claim 4 the height of the punches is adjust able to allow for height of the punch from the stripper plate to control stripping forces, also to restrict depth that the punch may enter the die.

6. As claimed in Claim 1 the height of the dies is adjustable to present the same surface plain for the die adaptor and the die.

7. As claimed in Claim 5 and Claim 6 both punches and dies are used with the adaptors, enabling a varied selection of both punches and dies to be interphased to the quick change tooling system.

8. As claimed in Claim 7 shaped punches and dies, used in conjunction with punch and die adaptors,have keyways to orientate their positions.

9. As claimed in Claim 1 and Claim 4 the tooling head does not need realignment in use.