Automatic transfer mechanism for forging machines

Claim 1

IN AN UPSETTING FORGING MACHINE HAVING A STATIONARY GRIPPING DIE, A HORIZONTALLY RECIPROCABLE GRIPPING DIE ADAPTED TO BE RECIPROCATED INTO AND OUT OF COOPERATIVE WORK GRIPPING RELATIONSHIP TO SAID STATIONARY DIE, SUPPORT MEANS SPACED FROM SUCH GRIPPING DIES OPERATIVE TO HELP SUPPORT AND THUS PREVENT SAGGING OF AN ELONGATED CYLINDRICAL WORKPIECE GRIPPED BY SUCH GRIPPING DIES, AND A THIRD DIE HORIZONTALLY RECIPROCABLE IN A DIRECTION NORMAL TO SUCH RECIPROCATION OF SAID RECIPROCABLE GRIPPING DIE TO ENGAGE AND UPSET AN END PORTION OF SUCH ELONGATED CYLINDRICAL WORKPIECE THUS GRIPPED BY SAID GRIPPING DIES; WORK FEED AND TRANSFER MEANS COMPRISING A STOCK LOADING ARM HAVING SPACED WORKPIECE SUPPORTING FINGER MEANS THEREON DISPOSED ABOVE SAID GRIPPING DIES OPERATIVE DIRECTLY TO DELIVER INDIVIDUAL CYLINDRICAL BLANKS FROM A POSITION REMOTE FROM SUCH MACHINE TO SUCH MACHINE, SAID ARM BEING MOUNTED FOR OSCILLATION ABOUT A FULCRUM MOUNTED ON SUCH MACHINE; A PAIR OF SPACED DEALING DISCS HAVING ALIGNED EQUALLY PERIPHERALLY SPACED NOTCHES THEREIN FOR RECEIVING SUCH BLANKS FROM SAID FINGER MEANS, SAID DEALING DISCS BEING MOUNTED ON AN INDEX SHAFT DIRECTLY ABOVE THE PARTING LINE OF SAID GRIPPING DIES, SAID INDEX SHAFT BEING ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SUCH MACHINE; A PLURALITY OF PAIRS OF VERTICALLY SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL OPPOSED STOCK GRIPPING FINGERS HAVING SPACED STOCK ENGAGING PORTIONS MOUNTED ON SUCH MACHINE REARWARDLY OF SAID GRIPPING DIES AND OPERATIVE DIRECTLY TO RECEIVE SUCH STOCK FROM SAID DEALING DISCS AND MOVE SUCH STOCK THROUGH SAID GRIPPING DIES WHEN SEPARATED TO POSITION SUCH STOCK SUCCESSIVELY IN A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY SPACED PAIRS OF OPPOSED DIE CAVITIES IN THE RESPECTIVE WORK ENGAGING FACES OF SUCH GRIPPING DIES, SUCH PAIRS OF CAVITIES BEING VERTICALLY SPACED DISTANCES EQUAL TO THE VERTICAL DISTANCE SEPARATING SAID OPPOSED STOCK ENGAGING FINGERS, SUCH SUPPORT MEANS PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR SUCH STOCK WHEN GRIPPED IN EACH OF SUCH PAIRS OF OPPOSED DIE CAVITIES; DRIVE MEANS SUBSTANTIALLY DIRECTLY VERTICALLY TO RECIPROCATE SAID GRIPPING FINGERS IN UNISON SUCCESSIVELY TO POSITION SUCH STOCK IN SUCH OPPOSED DIE CAVITIES AS AFORESAID; DRIVE MEANS LATERALLY TO SEPARATE SAID GRIPPING FINGERS; DRIVE MEANS LATERALLY TO CLOSE SAID GRIPPING FINGERS, SUCH CLOSING AND SEPARATING OF SAID GRIPPING FINGERS OCCURRING ALTERNATELY WITH A VERTICAL RECIPROCATORY STROKE OF SAID FINGERS IN UNISON; DRIVE MEANS TO IMPART A UNIDIRECTIONAL INTERMITTENT ROTARY MOVEMENT TO SAID INDEX SHAFT; AND DRIVE MEANS TO OSCILLATE SAID STOCK LOADING ARM ABOUT SAID FULCRUM, ALL SAID DRIVE MEANS BEING DRIVEN IN SYNCHRONISM WITH SUCH HEADER DIE THEREBY TO EFFECT A CONTINUOUS AUTOMATIC OPERATION OF SUCH FORGING MACHINE.