US3587454A - Seal press die mounting - Google Patents

Abstract

D R A W I N G
A SEAL PEAL HAVING A UNITIZED DIE ASSEMBLY WHEREIN ON OF THE DIES IS SPRING MOUNTED BY A BLADE SPRING FOR MATING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE OTHER DIE AND BOTH DIES ARE ROTATABLE FOR PAPER ORIENTATION. THE MOUNTING IS IMPROVED IN STRUCTURE AND ASSEMBLY TO ASSURE IN PRODUCTION CLOSE CLEARANCES AND COINCIDENT AXES FOR ACCURATE MATING REGISTRATION WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER WHEN CLOSED TO CONTACT PAPER FOR EMBOSSING.

Description

United States Patent lnventors John W. Meyer Glenview;

Ralph J. Steiner, Chicago, Ill. 826,840

May 22, 1969 June 28, 1971 Meyer & Wenthe, Inc. Chicago, Ill.

Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee SEAL PRESS DIE MOUNTING 8 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl. 101/3 Int. Cl. B44b 5/02 Field oiSearch 101l3,3

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1921 Hellberg l0l/3SP 1,561,423 11/1925 Evans 101/3 1,741,595 12/1929 Witt 101/3SP 2,998,766 9/1961 Priesmeyer.... l0l/3SP 3,177,801 4/1965 Priesrneyer l01/3SP 3,313,231 4/1967 Priesmeyer et al. 101/3SP Primary Examiner-William B. Penn Assistant Examiner-E. M. Coven Attorney-Harbaugh and Thomas ABSTRACT: A seal press having a unitized die assembly wherein one of the dies is spring mounted by a blade spring for mating relationship with the other die and both dies are rotatable for paper orientation. The mounting is improved in structure and assembly to assure in production closeclearances and coincident axes for accurate mating registration with respect to each other when closed to contact paper for embossing.

PATENTED JUH28 19w SHEET 1 BF 2 mw'rvn JRS JOHN W. MEYER BY RALPH JSTE l E R ATT'YS PATENTEU JUNZB l9?! SHEET E OF 2 SEAL PRESS DIE MOUNTING CROSS REFERENCES Priesmeyer U.S. Pat. No. 3,313,231 Priesmeyer U.S. Pat. No. 3,177,801

Priesmeyer Priesmeyer BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The descriptions and construction of the seal presses in the above patents are useful in many ways in understanding the present invention. The presses generally include a press frame having a lever handle pivotally mounted thereon and the seal press die unit receivable in the frame includes mating dies that are separately supported by carriers which are mounted one on a spring blade and another on a rigid plate supporting the spring blade, so that they are movable toward one another upon depression of the lever handle and are also mounted to rotate about axes normal to their respective faces. The die faces diverge when open to receive paper therebetween and are parallel when brought into engagement with the paper and when the spring blade is flexed by operation of the handle for embossing the axes of the mating dies are moved from an angularly disposed relationship when open to receive the paper to a coincident relationship as they are closed to engage and emboss the paper in any one of several rotatably attained orientations. The seal press die unit can be removed from and inserted in a desk or pocket-type seal press frame and the frames of either type can be used interchangeably with different die units when the dies are manually closed with the handle raised.

I-Ieretofore, maintaining concentricity and close journal tolerances for mateability has been a compounded problem in production and inspection.

The seal press die units are made up for inventory without the dies and after sale they are individually finalized later with personalized dies. Because of this, difficulty is experienced in production, in checking the presses for exact mateability or coincidence of the die axes before the dies are installed months later.

If the axes of rotation of the dies are production-assured, concentrically for the embossing position of the dies, the presses can be sold out of inventory to others without concern. The matrix die can be engraved by others, mounted on its carrier in the die unit and the counter die disposed in mating relationship therewith when adhered to its carrier and the two dies will accurately mate whenever closed, regardless of their coordinated orientation with respect to the sheet of paper.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the invention the die carrying unit is made up of a stiff, heavy flat metal blade and a spring blade, both formed by stamping and coining and both being generally T-shaped in their plan form. They are arranged to be secured at their leg ends so that they normally diverge at their enlarged head ends to receive the paper between them where they can move towards and away from each other by flexure of the spring blade in the embossing operation. The movable ends are provided with the journal supports for multiorientation of the dies and at the time they are secured together they are disposed in flexed relation with the journal elements parallel and the journal axes coincident. Thereupon, the secured ends are fastened together either by spot welding or riveting to integrate the unit.

With concentricity thus provided, it is one of the objects of the invention to provide production which will assure concentricity orient the dies squarely, later when dies are installed and lateral tilting or shifting is eliminated when the paper is being engaged, and the dies will accurately mate with even pressure over the die surfaces each time the dies emboss.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide in production, rotatably oriented die carriers for multiposition operation and excellent quality which assure accurate mating each embossment with personalized dies.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,998,766 U.S. Pat. No. 2,909,817

It is another object of the present invention to provide a seal press and die support of the foregoing character which is durable and rugged and yet which can be simple andeconomically manufactured with minimum inspection and very little need for corrective adjustments.

The lower die support plate rotatably receives the counter die flat against its upper face in any working position and has a pin that permits resilient axial movement therebetween when rotated from one working position to another as determined by detent engagement between the elements in the manner described in Priesmeyer U.S. Pat. No. 3,177,801.

In the present invention the upper die employs two snugly telescoped elements that may be swaged together without journal distortion and provide a loose bearing relationship between a shoulder on one of the elements and an end face on the other element. The other element is supported on a wide shoulder secured against rotation in a frustocircular opening on the spring member. Frustoconical detents resiliently received in widely spaced openings on arm portions of the spring support determine rotative positioning.

The formal engagement between the swaged parts is substantially elongated axially and the inner member is recessed within the journal area to receive an assembly anvil which sustains the axial swaging force without distortion of the metal at the journal ends of the inner member. The detent relation is under self-centering tension at all times in any working position with space between the matrix die holder and the spring support that urges the holder to engage the shoulder in squared, concentric relationship at all times until after the paper is engaged whereupon the end wall of the outer swaged member engages the die holder to transmit the embossing effort with the holder loosened ever so slightly by contact with the paper to permit the matrix die to work while being held in place almost exclusively by the detent elements.

The features of the invention which are believed to be new are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood however, by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a seal press in its assembled form embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective exploded view of the two main units of the seal press shown in FIG. 1 with the die carrier unit manually held for either insertion or removal with respect to the main frame unit;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the die carrier unit;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the die carrier shown in FIGS. 2 and 3;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the upper die spring support;

FIG. 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a section taken on line 7-7 in FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a section taken on line 8-8 in FIG. 5.

Generally considered as more particularly described in Priesmeyer U.S. Pat. No. 3,177,801, the seal press incorporating the invention, as herein disclosed for purposes of illustration, comprises a die carrier unit 10 for the upper and lower dies, 12 and 14 respectively, with the supporting elements including a rigid flat member 28 and a. spring member 16 terminally secured thereto and disposed to urge the dies to their parted relationship. The unitary assembly is readily installed in a throat 17 of a press frame 18 having a leverlike handle 20 carrying a roller 22 that is operable to close the dies and apply embossing pressure thereon. The upper die has thereon a saddle member 24 engaged by the roller 22 in latching relationship when the die carrier unit 10 is disposed between the side frames for purposes discussed in Priiesmeyer U.S. Pat. No. 2,998,766. Except for the latching interlock between the saddle 24 and the roller 22, the unitary assembly is free to move in the press frame and rests in supported relation on the bottom side 26 of the throat 17 opposite to the roller so that a single frame 18 can receive interchangeably any one of a number of die carrier units 10 of various sizes in proper working position as located solely by the latching relationship between saddle and roller.

More particularly, the lower die support 28 is stamped from heavy flat metal stock to have an inner end portion 32 with parallel sides and preferably bent as at 33 where it is secured to the upper die support 16. The front end portion of the lower support 28 is planar and shaped to receive and support a lower counter die unit 14, as further described in Priesmeyer et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,313,231 and is oriented to rest upon edges 26 when in place.

The upper die support 16 is a T-shaped blade stamped from flat spring metal stock with the front end portion 40 planar and formed to receive and support the upper matrix die 12. The matrix die is removably received in a cup-shaped retainer 30 as further described in Priesmeyer U.S. Pat. No. 2,937,590.

As shown in FIG. 5, the front part 40 of the spring blade 16 is provided with a circular hole 42 truncated at 44, whose axis is accurately spaced from the holes 39, and, is also provided with punched holes 46 whose axes are spaced equal distances from the hole 42. The axes of holes 46 are parallel and coplanar with the axis of the hole 42. After the holes 46 have been simultaneously stamped for accuracy and uniformity along with the holes 39 then, with a fixture die centered in the hole 42 with a mild burnishing snugness, the die entry side of the holes 46 are die struck to swage the edge of the hole to a conical form as shown at 48 in FIG. 6 and at the same time camming surfaces 50 are coined in the edges of the spring stamping 16 where they are diagonally in line with the axis of the hole 42. Two camming surfaces 52 are on opposite sides of the leg portion 47 for purposes set forth a little later.

The lower end of the saddle member 24 is of reduced size and shape at 54 to fit in the hole 42 in snug relationship and provide a shoulder 56 engaging the upper face of the spring element around the hole 42. The saddle member 24 has an elongated bore 58 terminating at its upper end in a counter bore 60 of restricted depth providing a shoulder 62. The bore terminates in a saddle contour 64 at its lowest point as bordered fore and aft by projections 66 receiving the roller 22 between them.

The matrix die receiving cup 30 has an upwardly offset portion 68 in the bottom 70 thereof at its geometric center and in this is provided a circular opening 72 exactly the same diameter as the bore 58. Equal distances from the axis thereof frustoconical detents 74 are offset, upwardly to engage in mating relationship with the conical surfaces 48 of openings 46, the axes of the detents and openings, being identically located geometrically and identically spaced with the axes of the matching holes 46 and bore 58 already described.

A .pin 76 having a shank portion 78 with a pilot bore 77 is snugly received in the bore and is provided with an end flange portion 80 received in the offset 68 with sufficient clearance between it and the plane of the cup bottom 70 to receive the offset portion thereon in axially loose but radially snug journaled relation. The length of the pin 76 above the shoulder is slightly greater than the shortest length of the bore so that there is appreciable space between the offset and the lower end of the saddle member.

The final accuracy of concentricity is assured in the assembly of the parts wherein the ends of the die holder blades 16 and 18 are clamped to each other with the rivets 37 engaging in the holes 39 and the die supporting head ends are brought to substantially parallelism which would exist when the dies are closed far enough to just engage paper between them to be embossed. A fixture alignment pin (not shown) is then inserted in the opening 42 and brought to a position perpendicular to the flat portions of the elements whereupon the rivet-elements 37 are struck and the two stampings are thereby accurately unitized.

Thereafter, the blades are released, and in another fixture the saddle element 24 is located in place with the cup 30 and pin 76 in place. An anvil member (not shown) is received in the bore 77 and the upper margin of the pin at 82 is offset outwardly into the counter bore 60 with the upper end of the pin and the lowest point in the saddle held coplanar with each other.

When this assembly is completed it will be observed, as shown in H6. 6, that the resiliency in the arms of the T- shaped spring member 16, as confronted with the detents 74 that extend high enough to utilize spring resiliency, provides a snap and holding action at the detents. When the detents are released the flat tops of the detents slidably engage the bottom face of the spring element with a mild pressure until the detents clear the spring blade whereupon the assembly loosens slightly for ease of movement to a different orientation of the dies as described in Priesmeyer U.S. Pat. No. 3,177,801.

The rotational movement of the upper die cup 30 is facilitated by the cams 50 and 52 which assist the detents to move over the intermediate edges of the spring plate that are encountered in reorienting the die.

The lower die carrier is a plate with a round pin 84 secured thereto that journals in the opening on the bottom plate 28 and the shank of the pin 84 extends beyond the bottom where it is circumferentially grooved at 84 to be received in a keyhole slot 86 in a light spring blade that is then terminally riveted as at 88 to the bottom of the plate 28. The spring 89 is flexed to urge the lower die carrier 14 towards the plate as further described in Priesmeyer U.S. Pat. No. 3,177,801 and detents 90 are provided for the lower plate corresponding with the detents described for the upper die to locate the dies in mating position.

In personalizing the seal press, lettering is struck or engraved in the upper die blank to form the matrix die whereupon the counter die is formed therefrom as described in Priesmeyer U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,313,231 and 2,909,817 and secured permanently to the lower plate while mated with the matrix die under pressure. Thereafter the dies, being rotatable about axes which coincide when the paper is contacted, are assured accurate mating and registration by the structure and assembly relationship described. The dies mate accurately without any post-production adjustments.

As suggested, the upper die 12 includes on its die face a series of depressed characters. Mateable therewith on the upwardly facing die face of lower die 14 are corresponding series of raised die characters. in order to insure proper registration of the die characters indicating handle means 92 individually fixed to each die carrier cooperate to indicate the relative rotational positions of the dies in determination of registration. The handle means comprise tabs projecting laterally from the die carriers. With proper registration of die characters, the tabs are aligned one above the other. However, should one die be moved to a position improper with respect to the other, an immediate visual indication is afforded to the user by the appearance of tabs projecting more than one way from the assembly.

We claim:

1. In a seal press having a frame defining a throat and a bandle lever means pivotally mounted thereon, a unitary die holder assembly receivable in said throat and comprising:

a lower die support and an upper die support interconnected at one end and having flat portions at their other ends to support mating dies in cooperating relationship, one of said supports being an elongated spring urging separation of the dies, said flat portions having aligned openings with coincident axes when said die supporting flat portions are advanced by flexure of the spring support to substantially parallel positions for the engagement of the dies;

a die carrier including a shaft for journaling the lower die support at its one of said openings and urged to engage against the upper die support in predetermined rotatably oriented positions;

an upper die carrier having a hole in the bottom thereof;

means for rotatably mounting the upper die carrier on the upper die support including a member received in the upper die support opening;

means interengaging said upper die support and said member to support said member against rotation with respect to said upper die support;

said member having a hole in it concentric with the upper die support opening and a shoulder engaging the upper face of the flat portion of the upper die support bordering said upper die support opening in compressive force transmitting relationship;

a pin secured in said hole journaling the upper die carrier for rotative orientation thereof and having a head thereon defining a shoulder retaining the upper die carrier thereon against said upper die support; and

detent means spaced from said upper die support opening for locating said upper die carrier in predetermined positions related to the positions of the lower die carrier.

2. The combination called for in claim 1 in which said nonrotative member has a counter bore at the upper end of its hole defining a shoulder, and the upper end of said pin is swaged outwardly to engage said shoulder.

3. The combination called for in claim 1 in which said upper die carrier comprises a cup having an upwardly offset portion bearing against said elongated spring and apertured to receive said pin therethrough in journaled relationship with said head disposed in the offset portion to hold said die carrier in operative journaled relationship.

4. The combination called for in claim 1 in which said elongated spring is the upper die support and has punched holes equally spaced from the opening therein with their axes parallel and coplanar with the axis of said opening, the lower ends of said holes being truncated, and said upper die carrier has coined frustoconical detents engaging said truncations and being of a height greater than the difference in distance between the die carrier and the elongated spring whereby the flat portion of the elongated spring is flexed under stress while said detents are engaging in said truncated holes.

5. The combination called for in claim 1 in which the said head is spaced a distance from said nonrotative member to provide a lost motion for said upper die carrier for loose axial movement of the upper die carrier, laterally extending flat resilient elements on the upper die carrier, said detent means being disposed between said upper die carrier and said resilient elements and including tapering detent elements on one engaging holes on the other under stress upon said resilient elements to take up said lost motion by engagement between said detent elements and holes, and cam means formed on said other part in the path of movement of said detent elements during rotary movement of said upper die carrier for assisting said detent elements in their movement from one hole .to another hole in association with said lost motion.

6. In a seal press having upper and lower die support members, one of which comprises a spring blade element, and a die carrier member rotatably mounted on each of said support members, one of said carriers having a mounting hole through a bottom wall thereof, the combination of:

a pin extending rotatably through said mounting hole in the bottom wall of said one of the carriers and having a flange axially supporting on its inner face said one of said carriers on said spring blade element;

a member secured to said spring blade element and having a bore therein receiving said pin in concentric supported relationship;

means securing said pin and member together as an assembled unit including metal upset from the pin engaging the wall of the bore to assure concentricity and support the pin against axial removal from the bore; and detent means interengaging said one carrier member and the spring blade under self centering tension for rotatively locating said one carrier member with respect to the other carrier for equal angles of movement of the carrier members about coincident axes of rotation for registration of mating dies carried thereby when said carrier members are substantially parallel with each other. 7. The seal press defined in claim 6 in which said pin securing means includes a shoulder at the upper end of said bore and said upset metal is swaged from the upper marginal end of the pin to en age said shoulder.

8. In a sea press having a frame notched out to provide a lower arm facing upwardly and an upper arm over-hanging said lower arm,

a lever handle means pivotally mounted on the upper arm,

a unitary die assembly received in said notch and comprising a stiff lower die support resting on the lower arm,

a spring blade upper die support,

said die supports having planar surface portions with holes through them between said arms at their front ends and being rigidly secured together at their rear ends to dispose said front ends in a cooperating relationship,

said upper die support comprising spring blade urging engagement with said handle in guiding relationship,

and being movable toward said other support by depression of the lever handle means into a position wherein said planar surface portions are in parallel relationship and the axes of the holes are coincident,

a die receiving member journaled on the lower die support,

means for securing said die receiving member to said lower die support including a shaft carried by said die receiving; member and mounted in the hole on said lower die support for relative rotation and axial movement therein,

a set of angularly spaced pairs of axially interengaging detent members carried by said lower die support and the die receiving member, respectively, for positioning same in a plurality of relative rotationally attained positions,

a die receiving cup,

means rotatably supporting the cup on the upper die sup port including a saddle member engaged by said lever handle means in latching relation having a reduced end portion snugly received in said upper die support hole and bordered by a shoulder engaging the planar portion around the hole,

means interlocking said elongated spring and said saddle member against relative rotation,

said saddle member having an elongated bore and terminating in a saddle contour engaged by said handle,

a pin snugly received in said bore to journal said die receiving cup and having a head thereon holding said cup in place,

a set of spring actuated pairs of detent members interconnecting said cup and upper die support and angularly spaced identically with the first mentioned pairs of detents.

Images