Punching machine and structure therefor

Claim 1

A PUNCHING MACHINE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A FRAME HAVING A BED; A MOVABLE RAM CARRIED BY SAID FRAME AND ADAPTED TO BE SELECTIVELY MOVED TOWARD AND FROM SAID BED; AN UPPER TOOL SUPPORT SECURED IN A FIXED STATIONARY POSITION TO SAID FRAME AND ADAPTED TO SLIDABLY SUPPORT A SEPARATE UPPER TOOL BELOW AND IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE RAM; MEANS ON THE BED ADAPTED TO SUPPORT A SEPARATE LOWER TOOL FOR COOPERATION WITH THE UPPER TOOL; A HORIZONTALLY DIRECTED TABLE ENCIRCLING SAID TOOL SUPPORT MEANS ON SAID BED AND DISPOSED TO DIRECTLY SUPPORT A WORKPIECE WITH THE LOWER FACE OF THE WORKPIECE NORMALLY IN SUBSTANTIALLY COPLANAR RELATION WITH THE UPPER FACE OF THE LOWER TOOL; SAID TOOL SUPPORTING MEANS ON SAID BED BEING OPERATIVE TO SUPPORT ITS TOOL WITH THE UPPER END OF THE TOOL SUBSTANTIALLY FLUSH WITH THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID TABLE; AND MANUALLY ACTUATABLE MEANS CARRIED BY SAID BED AND NORMALLY DISPOSED IN A POSITION OUT OF ANY SUPPORTING RELATION TO SAID TOOL SUPPORT MEANS ON SAID BED, FOR EFFECTING A RELATIVE VERTICAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID LOWER TOOL SUPPORT MEANS AND SAID TABLE IN SUCH DIRECTION THAT THE WORKPIECE MAY THEREBY THE SPACED UPWARDLY FROM SAID TABLE, SAID MANUALLY ACTUATABLE MEANS INCLUDING A HANDLE EXTENDING TO ONE ACCESSIBLE SIDE OF THE MACHINE BELOW THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID TABLE TO ENABLE ACTUATION THEREOF WITH THE WORKPIECE OVERLYING ANY PORTION OF SAID TABLE.