Broaching machine having means for laterally positioning a plurality of punch mechanisms

Claim 1

IN A MACHINE FOR BROACHING AN ELONGATED WORKPIECE COMPRISING A FRAME, A WORKPIECE SUPPORT MOUNTED ON THE FRAME FOR SUPPORTING THE WORKPIECE, AND AT LEAST ONE PUNCH MECHANISM MOUNTED IN THE MACHINE ADJACENT SAID WORKPIECE SUPPORT, SAID PUNCH MECHANISM INCLUDING A HOUSING AND A SHIFTABLE CUTTER WHICH IS SHIFTED RELATIVE TO THE HOUSING UPON ACTUATION OF THE PUNCH MECHANISM TO PRODUCE A PUNCH IN THE WORKPIECE; MEANS SUPPORTING THE HOUSING OF THE PUNCH MECHANISM FOR PROPERLY POSITIONING THE PUNCH MECHANISM IN THE MACHINE, SAID MEANS COMPRISING AN ELONGATED MOUNTING BAR DETACHABLY MOUNTED IN A STATIONARY POSITION IN THE MACHINE AND DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO A WORKPIECE MOUNTED IN SAID WORKPIECE SUPPORT, SAID BAR HAVING PLURAL AND SEPARATE SEEATING PORTIONS FORMED ALONG THE LENGTH THEREOF AND SPACED AT REGULAR MODULES THEREALONG, SAID SPACED SEATING PORTIONS DEFINING GRADUATIONS ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE BAR, A CLIP DETACHABLY MOUNTED IN ONE OF SAID SEATING PORTIONS AND SUPPORTED IN A STATIONARY POSITION ON SAID MOUNTING BAR, SAID CLIP BEING REMOVABLE FROM THE MOUNTING BAR BY SHIFTING IT LATERALLY OF THE BAR AND INCLUDING A BODY PORTION UPON WHICH THE HOUSING OF SAID PUNCH MECHANISM IS DETACHABLY MOUNTED, AND ELONGATED GAUGE MEANS SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLELING SAID MOUNTING BAR AND FIXED TO THE BAR AND DETACHABLE FROM THE MACHINE TOGETHER WITH SAID BAR, SAID GAUGE MEANS HAVING GRADUATIONS ALONG THE LENGTH THEREOF ALIGNED WITH AND COMPLEMENTING THE GRADUATIONS DEFINED ALONG SAID MOUNTING BAR, SAID GAUGE MEANS BEING LATERALLY SPACED FROM SAID MOUNTING BAR A SUFFICIENT DISTANCE TO ENABLE THE GRADUATIONS ON THE PORTION THEREOF DIRECTLY LATERALLY ADJACENT SAID CLIP TO BE VISIBLE WITH SAID PUNCH MECHANISM REMOVED FROM SAID CLIP.