Automatic punching apparatus

Claim 1

AN AUTOMATIC SYSTEM FOR MOVING A WORKPIECE A PREDETERMINED LONGITUDINAL DISTANCE THROUGH AND BEYOND A WORK STATION COMPRISING A WORK STATION, A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SUPPORT MEANS MOUNTED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID WORK STATION, A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING TRACK MOUNTED ON ONE SIDE OF SAID LONGITUDINAL SUPPORT MEANS, A CARRIAGE MOUNTED ON SAID TRACK AND MOVABLY THEREALONG FOR DRAWING A WORKPIECE LONGITUDINALLY THROUGH SAID WORK STATION, A CLAMP MEANS ON ONE END OF SAID CARRIAGE FOR ENGAGING THE FORWARD END OF SAID WORK PIECE, A CARRIAGE DRIVE MOTOR FOR MOVING SAID CARRIAGE, SPEED CONTROL MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CARRIAGE DRIVE MOTOR FOR DETERMINING THE SPEED AND DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID CARRIAGE, SAID SPEED CONTROL MEANS INCLUDING A FORWARD SOLENOID FOR CAUSING MOVEMENT OF SAID CARRIAGE IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID WORK STATION AT FULL SPEED, A REVERSE SOLENOID FOR CAUSING MOVEMENT OF SAID CARRIAGE TOWARDS SAID WORK STATION AT FULL SPEED AND A SLOW SOLENOID FOR CAUSING MOVEMENT OF SAID CARRIAGE AT SLOW SPEED IN EITHER DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT, A PLURALITY OF FOOT STOPS MOUNTED AT EVENLY SPACED INTERVALS ALONG SAID CARRIAGE, A MEASURING STATION LOCATED ALONG SAID LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SUPPORT MEANS AT A FIXED DISTANCE FROM SAID WORK STATION, A FRACTION DRUM MOUNTED ON SAID MEASURING STATION FOR ROTATION ON AN AXIS SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID CARRIAGE, A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING FRACTION CAM SECURED TO THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID FRACTION DRUM AT EVENLY SPACED INTERVALS AROUND THE PERIPHERY THEREOF, THE ENDS OF SAID FRACTION CAMS TERMINATING LONGITUDINALLY AT DIFFERENT DISTANCES WITH RESPECT TO SAID WORK STATION BY DIFFERING AMOUNTS REPRESENTING THE LOWEST DESIRED FRACTION OF AN INCH TO BE EMPLOYED IN STOPPING THE CARRIAGE, AN INCH DRUM SUPPORT MOUNTED ON SAID MEASURING STATION BUT MOVABLE LONGITUDINALLY RELATIVE THERETO, A FIXED STOP ON SAID INCH DRUM SUPPORT ADAPTED TO ENGAGE ONE END OF A FRACTION CAM ON SAID FRACTION DRUM, A RETRACTING SOLENOID ADAPTED TO MOVE SAID INCH DRUM SUPPORT SO THAT SAID FIXED STOP ENGAGES THE END OF AN APPROPRIATE FRACTION CAM WHEN SAID FRACTION DRUM HAS MOVED TO ITS DESIRED POSITION, AN INCH DRUM MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ON SAID INCH DRUM SUPPORT ON AN AXIS SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE ROTATIONAL AXIS OF SAID FRACTION DRUM, A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING INCH CAMS MOUNTED AT EVENLY SPACED INTERVALS ON THE PERIPHERY OF SAID INCH DRUM, THE ENDS OF SAID INCH CAMS FACING SAID WORK STATION TERMINATING AT DIFFERENT DISTANCES RELATIVE TO SAID WORK STATION AND AT ONE INCH INTERVALS WITH RESPECT