US2429821A - Metal-working machine - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 28,` 1947. H. GKELLOGG METAL-WORKING MACHINE Filed July 25, 1945 2 Is11eets-sret'-1 FIGJ.

ATTORNEYS Oct. 28, 1947. G, KELLOGG 2,429,821

METAL-WORKING MACHINE Filed July 25, 1945 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR.

HOMER G1..KEL LOGG f' BY ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 28, 1947 2,429,821 METAL-WORKING MACHINE Homer G. Kellogg, Highland Park, Mich., assignor to Motor Products Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of New York Application July 23, 1945, Serial No. 606,561

12 Claims. l

This invention relates generally to work handling equipment and refers more particularly to apparatus for producing rivets.

In general, the present invention has as one of its objects to provide apparatus for making rivets at a rapid rate from a strip of preformed stock by a stamping operation. More particularly, it is an object of this invention to periodically feed a substantially continuous length of sheet metal stock through rivet forming equip-- ment having means for simultaneously stamping a plurality of rivets from the stock during the intervals of rest of the latter.

A further object of this invention is to provide apparatus of the above type having rivet forming equipment comprising a punch movable in a direction toward a cooperating die assembly to punch rivets from the stock and having means responsive to movement of the punch unit for advancing the rivets toa retainer which is removably attached to the apparatus to enablev the same to be readily detached when filled with the proper number of rivets. In apparatus equipped with a die assembly having a plurality of dies and with a punch unit having a corresponding number of punches, a separate retainer is associated with each punch to receive the rivets formed by 'the latter. When these retainers are iilled with rivets, they may be simultaneously removed and assembled with suitable riveting machines for supplying rivets to the latter.

The foregoing as Well as other objects will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a semi-diagrammatic side elevation of a press having rivet forming means associated therewith;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevation, partly in section, of the rivet forming and conveying mechanism;

Figure 3 is an elevation partly in section showing the rivet retainer and the manner in which the latter is removably attached to the apparatus;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view through the punch unit and die assembly showingthe punch unit in its raised position;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional View taken substantially on the plane indicated by the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 showing a plurality of cooperating punch and die members;

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on the plane indicated by the line '1-1 of Figure 6; K Figure 8 is a perspective view of one of the rivets; and

` Figure 9 is a cross sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 9-9 of Figure 4.

In general, the reference character III indicates a strip of sheet metal stock of substantial length which has previously been rolled to a T-shaped cross section indicated in Figure 4 of the drawings. The strip oi stock I0 is fed step by step through a die assembly II and during the intervals of rest of the strip is punched by a punch unit I2 to form the rivets I3. During successive punching operations, the rivets I3 are advanced in superposed relation upwardly through the punch unit and are ultimately ejected through the top of the latter. As the rivets are ejected from the punch unit, they are introduced to tracks I4 and are guided by the latter into retainers I5. The retainers I5 are readily detachably connected to the delivery ends of the tracks I4 so as to enable the same to be removed when filled with rivets and assembled With suitable automatic rivetingmachinery for supplying the rivets thereto.

The apparatus briefly described above is adapted to be used in connection with a press I6 having a table I'I and having a platen I8 movable toward and away from the table Il. The die assembly I I is supported in any suitable manner on the tableI'I and comprises a plurality of rivet forming dies I9 secured in juxtaposition to each other by means of a pair of clamping plates 20. The Viront plate 2li is formed with a longitudinally extending key 2l, which engages in grooves 22 formed in the corresponding sides of the dies I9 and servesto hold the dies in proper relation to one another. Each die is formed with a cavity 23 corresponding in cross section to the cross sectional contour of the strip of stock or rivet I3 and the cavities in adjacent dies are .in exact alignment With one another. The number of dies in the assembly II may, of course, vary in dependence upon the number of rivets to be pro-A duced simultaneously. For the purpose of illustration, the die assembly II comprises nine individual dies I9 with the result that nine rivets 'may be formed simultaneously from the strip of stock. The punch unit I2 comprises nine individual punches 24 held in assembled relation by means of the clamping plates 25 respectively positioned on opposite sides oi the punches 24. Each plate 25 is provided with a longitudinally eXtendingkey for engagement in grooves 21 formed in the adjacent sides of the punches for holding the latter in proper` position with respect to each other. The punch unit I2 is secured to the platen with the individual punches 24 in vertical alignment with respective dies I 9.

As shown particularly in Figure 7 of the drawings, each punch 24 comprises a pair of laterally spaced plates 29 held in proper spaced relation to each other by means of spacers 30. The spacing between adjacent plates is predetermined to form vertical passages 3I respectively aligned with the cavities 23 in the dies I9 to receive the rivets I3. Suitable longitudinally extending projections 32 are formed on opposite sides of each plate 29 to provide ribs in the passages 3|. The ribs or projections 32 function during the operative strokes of the punches to respectively form recesses 33 in opposite edges of the head portions on the rivets I3 and cooperate with the recesses subsequent to the punching operations to guide the rivets in an upward direction through the passage 3 I.

'Ihe spacers 3l! are positioned between the plates 29 at the upper ends of the latter and the lower ends of the plates of each punch are adapted to straddle the aligned die member I9. Suitable projections 34 are formed on opposite sides of each plate 29 at opposite longitudinal edges of the latter and these projections slidably engage in recesses 35 formed in opposite sides of the die members I9. The construction is such as to provide for guiding the punches 24 during vertical movement of the latter by the platen I8.

The bottom edge of each plate 29 between the projections 34 is formed with a recess 36 and the bottom edge of the recess is fashioned with a depending projection 3'! aligned with the ribs 32 at opposite sides of the punch plates. The recesses 36 in the punch plates receive the stock III at opposite sides of the die cavities 23 upon movement of the punches 24 downwardly relative to the dies and the edges of the recesses serve to sever the stock at opposite sides of the dies I9 to provide rivets I3 in the die cavities 23. The projections 3l! cooperate with the ribs 32 to form the recesses 33 in opposite sides of the head portions of the rivets and these recesses 33 subsequently engage the ribs 32 on the punch plates 29 to guide the rivets I3. The lateral distance between adjacent punch plates, or in other words, the width of the passages 3i is such that the rivets are frictionally engaged by the plates, so that when the punch unit I 2 is retracted from the die assembly, the rivets are retained between the punch plates. The scrap resulting from the punching operation drops out of the dies through the recesses 35,

It follows from the above that during successive punching operations, the rivets are moved upwardly in the punch passages 3l and assume the superposed relationship shown in Figure 4 of the drawings. In this figure of the drawings, the uppermost rivet I3 is illustrated as being ejected from the upper end of the punch into the track I4. It will, of course, be understood that a track I4 is provided for each punch and, accordingly, nine tracks are shown in the drawings. Upon reference to Figure 9 of the drawings, it will be noted that the tracks are channel-shaped in cross section and that the free edges of the side flanges are bent, rolled or otherwise formed to extend inwardly. The inwardly extending portions -are indicated in the drawings by the reference character 4Q and the portions 49 of each track respectively engage in the recesses 3 formed in opposite sides of the rivets.

- punching operations, the rivets I3 are not only advanced upwardly through the punch passages l3| but are also moved along the tracks I4.

Asithe rivets are discharged from the ends of the tracks I4, they are received by the retainers I5. Each retainer I5 comprises a length of track 4I similar in construction to the tracks I4 and having sockets 42 welded or otherwise suitably secured to opposite sides thereof. The sockets 42 respectively slidably receive pins 43 secured to opposite sides of the delivery end portion of each track I4. The number oi rivet retainers I5 corresponds to the number of tracks I4 and when the sockets 42 are in assembled relation with the pins 43, the tracks 4I on the retainers are respectively aligned with the delivery ends of the tracks I4. The arrangement is such that the rivets I3 ejected from the tracks I4 are received by tracks 4I on the retainers. The retainers I5 remain in assembled relationship with the tracks until they are llled with rivets, whereupon the lled retainers are replaced with empty retainers. The filled retainers may then be readiiy transported to an automatic riveting machine for supplying rivets to the latter.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In apparatus of the class described, a die having a cavity for receiving a strip of stock, means coacting with the die to punch parts from the stock including a punch having a passage for receiving the lparts and having means for slidably supporting the parts in superposed relation in the passage whereby preceding parts are advanced along the passage by succeeding parts during the punching operation, and means for collecting the parts ejected from the punch passage.

2. In apparatus of the class described, a die` having a cavity for receiving a strip of stock, a punch successively movable toward and away from the die to punch parts from thel stock, a vertical passage through the punch for receiving the parts, and means for slidably supporting the v parts in superposed position in the passage whereby preceding parts are advanced through the passage by succeeding parts in response to movement of the punch toward the die.

3. In apparatus of the class described, a die having a cavity for receiving a strip of stock, a punch successively movable toward and away from the die to punch rivets from the stock, a vertical passage through the punch for receiving the rivets, means for slidably supporting the rivets in superposed position in the passage whereby preceding rivets are advanced through the passage by succeeding rivets in response to movement of the punch toward the die, a removable retainer for the rivets, and means for directing the rivets ejected from the passage to the retainer.

4. In apparatus of the class described, a die having a cavity for receiving a strip of stock, a punch successively movable toward and away from the die to punch rivets from the stock, a vertical passage through the punch for receiving the rivets, means for slidably supporting the rivets in superposed position in the passage whereby preceding rivets are advanced through the passage by succeeding rivets in response to movement of the punch toward the die, a track for receiving the rivets ejected from the delivery end of the passage, and a retainer having a length of track registering with the delivery end of the iirst track and removable from the latter.

5. In apparatus of the class described, a die having a cavity for receiving a strip of stock, means coacting with the die to punch rivets from the stock including a punch having means. for forming grooves in opposite sides of the rivets and having a vertical passage therethrough for receiving the rivets as the latter are punched from the stock, and vertical ribs projecting inwardly from opposite sides of the passage and engageable with the grooves in opposite sides of the rivets to guide the latter in superposed relation through the passage.

9. In apparatus of the class described, a, die having a, cavity for receiving a strip of stock, a punch successively movable toward and away from the die to punch rivets from the stock, a vertical passage through the punch for receiving the rivets, a. track movable with the punch and having the entrant end registering with the upper end of the passage, a retainer removably connected to the delivery'end of the track for receiving rivets discharged from the latter, and means for slidably supporting the rivets in superposed position in th'e'passage whereby preceding rivets are advanced through the passage, along the track and into engagement with the retainer by succeeding rivets during each punching operation.

10. In apparatus of the class described, a die unit comprising a plurality of dies supported in 6. In apparatus of the class described, a die" having a cavity for receiving a strip of stock, means coacting with the die t0 punch rivets from the stock including a punch having means for forming grooves in opposite sides o the rivets and having a vertical passage therethrough for receiving the rivets asthe latter are punched from the stock, means for slidably supporting the rivets in superposed relation in the passage whereby preceding rivets are advanced through the passage by succeeding rivets during the punching operation, said rivet supporting means comprising vertical ribs projecting inwardly from opposite sides of the passage and engageable in the grooves in opposite sides of said rivets, and a track for receiving the rivets ejected from thev passage and having opposed'inwardly extending anges for engagement in the grooves at opposite sides of the rivets.

7. In apparatus of the class described, a die having a cavity for receiving a strip of stock, a punch successively movable toward and away from the die to punch rivets from the stock with grooves in opposite sides thereof, a vertical passage through the punch for receiving the rivets,

,means for slidably supporting the rivets in superposed position in the passage whereby preceding rivets are advanced through th passage by succeeding rivets in response to movement of the punch toward said die, said last named means comprising ribs extending inwardly from opposite walls of the passage and engageable in the grooves at opposite sides of the rivets, a track positioned to receive the rivets ejected from the passage and having opposed inwardly extending iianges respectively engageable in the grooves at opposite sides of the rivets, and a removable retainer for collecting the rivets discharged from said track.

8. In apparatus of the class described, a die having a cavity for receiving a strip of stock, a K

punch successively movable toward and away from the die to punch rivets from the stock, a vertical passage through the punch for receiving the rivets, a track having the entrant end registering with the upper end of the passage, and means for slidably supporting the rivets in superposed position in the passage'whereby preceding rivets are advanced through the passage and along said track by succeeding rivets in response to movement of the punch toward said die.

juxtaposition and adapted to receive a strip of stock, a corresponding number of punches movable in directions toward and away from the dies to simultaneously punch a plurality of rivets from the stock, a vertical passage through each punch for receiving the rivets formed by the latter,rand means for slidably supporting the rivets in superposed position in said passages whereby preceding rivets are advanced along the passages by the succeeding rivets during each punching operation.

11. In apparatus of the class described, a die unit comprising a plurality of dies supported in juxtaposition and adapted to receive a strip of stock, a corresponding number of punches movable in directions toward and away from the dies v porting the rivets in superposed position in the passages whereby preceding rivets in the passages are advanced by the succeeding rivets through the passages, along the tracks and into engagement with the retainers.

12. In apparatus of the class described, a die having a cavity through which an elongated length of stock is fed, a punch successively movable toward and away from the die in timed relation to the movement of the stock to punch parts from the stock, means for cooling the parts as they are formed and for supporting the parts in a stack whereby preceding parts are advanced by succeeding parts during each punching operation, and a removable retainer positioned to receive the' parts and having means for slidably supporting said` parts in juxtaposition to each other lengthwise of the retainer.

HOMER G. KELLOGG.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Novick Apr. 5, 1932

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