Support for a steel rule die member and method of producing the same

Claim 1

IN A CUTTING DIE INCLUDING A CUTTING DIE MEMBER HAVING A CUTTING RULE AND ENGAGED WITHIN A KERF IN A DIE BOARD, SAID CUTTING DIE PERPENDICULARLY PROJECTING FROM SAID DIE BOARD TO A CUTTING END, SAID CUTTING RULE INCLUDING AN INNER SURFACE AND AN OUTER SURFACE, SAID INNER SURFACE OF SAID CUTTING RULE HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM CROSSSECTION COMPLEMENTARY TO THE DIMENSIONS AND CONFIGURATION OF THE PART TO BE MANUFACTURED, SAID OUTER SURFACE OF SAID CUTTING RULE HAVING A CROSS-SECTION OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM CONFIGURATION, SAID OUTER SURFACE DEFINING AN OUTER CUTTING EDGE ADJACENT SAID CUTTING END OF THE RULE; A SUPPORT FOR THE CUTTING RULE COMPRISING: A HIGH TENSILE STRENGTH MEMBER HAVING A CROSS-SECTION LARGER THAN SAID CROSS-SECTION OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM CONFIGURATION OF SAID OUTER SURFACE OF SAID CUTTING RULE, SAID HIGH TENSILE STRENGTH MEMBER INCLUDING AN INNER EDGE DEFINING AN OPENING PRECISELY COMPLEMENTARY IN CONFIIGURATION AND DIMENSION TO SAID CROSS-SECTION OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM CONFIGURATION OF SAID OUTER SURFACE OF SAID CUTTING RULE, SAID INNER EDGE BEING DISPOSED ABOUT SAID OUTER SURFACE OF SAID CUTTING RULE, THEREBY ENGAGING SAID OUTER SURFACE IN PRECISE CONTINUOUS ABUTMENT, AND SAID HIGH TENSILE STRENGTH MEMBER DISPOSED ABOUT SAID OUTER SURFACE OF SAID CUTTING RULE THEREBY SUPPORTING SAID CUTING RULE.

Claim 3

A METHOD OF FORMING A SUPPORT FOR A CUTTING RULE MOUNTED IN A KERF OF A DIE BOARD OF A CUTTING IN A DIE MEMBER AND HAVING AN OUTER SURFACE OF SAID CUTTING RULE DEFINING AT ITS FREE END AN OUTER CUTTING EDGE, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF MOUNTING SAID CUTTING DIE MEMBER IN A DIE PRESS, FORMING A BLANKING DIE MEMBER HAVING A BLANKING MEMBER INNER EDGE DEFINING A BLANKING MEMBER OPENING COMPLEMENTARY IN CONFIGURATION AND DIMENSION TO THE CROSS-SECTION OF SAID OUTER CUTTING EDGE OF SAID CUTTING RULE, MOUNTING SAID BLANKING DIE MEMBER IN SAID DIE PRESS WITH SAID BLANKING MEMBER OPENING IN COOPERATIVE ALIGNMENT WITH SAID OUTER CUTTING EDGE OF SAID CUTTING RULE, PLACING A LAYER OF MATERIAL LARGER THAN SAID CROSS-SECTION OF SAID OUTER CUTTING EDGE OF SAID CUTTING RULE ADJACENT SAID B LANKING DIE MEMBER COVERING SAID BLANKING MEMBER OPENING, AND CLOSING SAID DIE PRESS SO THAT SAID OUTER CUTTING EDGE OF SAID CUTTING RULE AND SAID BLANKING MEMBER INNER EDGE SHEAR SAID LAYER OF MATERIAL TO FORM A FIRST SHEARED SUPPORT MEMBER AND FORCE SAID FIRST SHEARED SUPPORT MEMBER ABOUT SAID OUTER SURFACE OF SAID CUTTING RULE TO A PREDETERMINED POSITION RELATIVE SAID CUTTING END OF SAID CUTTING RULE.

Claim 4

A METHOD OF FORMING A SUPPORT FOR A CUTTING RULE MOUNTED IN A KERF OF A DIE BOARD OF A CUTTING IN A DIE MEMBER AND HAVING AN OUTER SURFACE OF SAID CUTTING RULE DEFINING AT ITS FREE END AN OUTER CUTTING EDGE, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF MOUNTING SAID CUTTING DIE MEMBER IN A DIE PRESS, FORMING A BLANKING DIE MEMBER HAVING A BLANKING MEMBER INNER EDGE DEFINING A BLANKING MEMBER OPENING COMPLEMENTARY IN CONFIGURATION AND DIMENSION TO THE CROSS-SECTION OF SAID OUTER CUTTING EDGE OF SAID CUTTING RULE, MOUNTING SAID BLANKING DIE MEMBER IN SAID DIE PRESS WITH SAID BLANKING MEMBER OPENING IN COOPERATIVE ALIGNMENT WITH SAID OUTER CUTTING EDGE OF SAID CUTTING RULE, PLACING A LAYER OF MATERIAL LARGER THAN SAID CROSS-SECTION OF SAID OUTER CUTTING EDGE OF SAID CUTTING RULE ADJACENT SAID B LANKING DIE MEMBER COVERING SAID BLANKING MEMBER OPENING, AND CLOSING SAID DIE PRESS SO THAT SAID OUTER CUTTING EDGE OF SAID CUTTING RULE AND SAID BLANKING MEMBER INNER EDGE SHEAR SAID LAYER OF MATERIAL TO FORM A FIRST SHEARED SUPPORT MEMBER AND FORCE SAID FIRST SHEARED SUPPORT MEMBER ABOUT SAID OUTER SURFACE OF SAID CUTTING RULE TO A PREDETERMINED POSITION RELATIVE SAID CUTTING END OF SAID CUTTING RULE.