GB805183A - Material handling apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

805,183. Feeding mechanism for stamping presses. PRESS AUTOMATION SYSTEMS, Inc. Dec. 21, 1956 [Dec. 27, 1955], No. 38988/56. Class 83 (4). A sheet metal handling apparatus for a press comprises a stationary casing element 16 suspended adjacent the press, a reciprocable gripper element 31 movable on guides on the casing element in a plane parallel to the working plane of the press, workpiece engaging means on said movable element and actuating means operatively interposed between the casing element and the movable element for effecting relative reciprocatory movement therebetween. The casing element is attached to a split clamp 23 which secures the apparatus to a mounting shaft 25. The reciprocable gripper element 31 moves on a slide shaft 30 supported in spaced hangers 28 from the upper flange 18 of the casing element and is guided by a block 40 depending from the lower flange of the casing member, said block being engaged by a pair pair of rollers 41 on the element 31 (Fig. 3). The lower flange 34 of the gripper element carries a longitudinally apertured block 45 accommodating an adjustable return cut-off cam 47 and also mountings 52 and 58 for an additional slide shaft 57 which carries a collar 58 movable along the shaft towards an end stop 59. The collar carries a pivoted gripping arm 62 having a gripper finger 64 at one end and a cam 63 at the other, which is engaged by a projection 66 on the stop 59 for closing the gripper finger against the gripper projection 66 on the stop for grasping a sheet metal blank. Reciprocation of the gripper element 31 is effected by a pneumatic cylinder unit 70 fixed to the casing element. The cylinder actuating rod 73 carries a pinion 76 meshing with racks 77 and 78 on the stationary casing elements and gripper element respectively. This arrangement enables the gripper element 31 to be displaced through a distance twice that of the actuating piston in the pneumatic cylinder and therefor gives a rapid stroke to the gripper element. A second actuating cylinder 80 supported on the slide shaft 57 actuates the grippers by means of a rod 82. Actuating fluid is supplied to the cylinders 70 and 80 from a supply 95 via a regulator valve 98 and a control valve 100 (Fig. 5). The control valve is automatically operated by an electrical control circuit fully described in the Specification and an arrangement of switches is incorporated in the control circuit for initiating each cycle of operation manually if desired. The handler may be supported independently of the press on stanchions displaced to either side of a conveyer or on a cantilever arm attached to the press. Alternatively, the handler 15 may be suspended over a conveyer C from an overhead arm 127 (Fig. 10), attached to the press P.