Cutting press having control for initiating cutting strokes of different lengths

Claim 1

IN A CUTTING PRESS HAVING A FRAME, A WORK SUPPORT FIXED TO THE FRAME, A PLATEN SUPPORTED FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE SUPPORT, AND POWER MEANS FOR MOVING THE PLATEN TOWARD THE SUPPORT IN CUTTING STROKES FOR PRESSING DIES THROUGH WORK PIECES ON THE SUPPORT, IN COMBINATION THEREWITH, CONTROL MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE POWER MEANS AND COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF STROKE TRIP SWITCHES MOUNTED ON THE PLATEN, A CORRESPONDING PLURALITY OF MANUALLY MOVABLE MEMBERS MOUNTED ON THE PLATEN FOR ACTUATION OF EACH OF THE TRIP SWITCHES BY MOVEMENT OF THE CORRESPONDING MEMBER, POWER CONTROLLING MEANS COMPRISING A SOLENOID CONNECTED TO THE POWER MEANS FOR CONTROL THEREOF TO CAUSE THE POWER MEANS TO MOVE THE PLATEN TOWARD THE SUPPORT WHEN THE SOLENOID IS ENERGIZED, AN ACTUATING MEMBER CONNECTED TO THE POWER MEANS FOR MOVEMENT THEREBY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MOVEMENT OF THE PLATEN BY THE POWER MEANS, SWITCH MEANS MOUNTED ON THE FRAME FOR ACTUATION BY SAID ACTUATING MEMBER WHEN IN AN INITIAL POSITION WITH THE PLATEN AT THE TOP OF ITS STROKE, A PLURALITY OF LIMIT SWITCHES ARRANGED FOR ACTUATION BY SAID ACTUATING MEMBER AT DIFFERENT POSITIONS THEREOF CORRESPONDING TO DIFFERENT STROKE LENGTHS, RELAY MEANS CONTROLLED BY SAID PLURALITY OF TRIP SWITCHES AND OPERATIVE UPON ACTUATION OF EACH TRIP SWITCH SELECTIVELY TO CONNECT ONE OF SAID LIMIT SWITCHES IN A HOLDING CIRCUIT FOR SAID RELAY MEANS, SAID SWITCH MEANS BEING OPERATIVE UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID ACTUATING MEMBER FROM ITS INITIAL POSITION TO RENDER THE TRIP SWITCHES INOPERATIVE FURTHER TO AFFECT THE RELAY MEANS, THE SELECTED ONE OF SAID LIMIT SWITCHES BEING OPERATIVE UPON ACTUATION THEREOF BY THE ACTUATING MEMBER TO INTERRUPT THE HOLDING CIRCUIT FOR SAID RELAY MEANS AND THEREBY EFFECT DEENERGIZATION OF THE SOLENOID TO TERMINATE THE CUTTING STROKE.