Die assembly

Claim 2

In the process of forming sheet material in which a punch assembly and die assembly receive the sheet material therebetween and the punch assembly is reciprocated toward and away from the die assembly to effect repetitive punching and forming operations on the material and wherein at least one peripheral ring member is provided on the die assembly and is movable with respect thereto between an inoperative position for supporting the sheet material between punching operations and an operative position for forming the sheet material into shape; an improved method of the forming process which comprises providing a pressurized gaseous fluid to directly and resiliently support said ring member on the die whereby the ring is free-floating and selflevelling with respect to the punch assembly and will yieldably conform to the surfaces of the punch assembly during a forming operation.

Claim 3

In the process of forming sheet material in which a punch assembly and die assembly receive the sheet material therebetween, and one of said assemblies is reciprocated toward and away from the other assembly to effect repetitive punching and forming operations on the material; and in which peripheral ring members are movably mounted on the die assembly between an inoperative position for supporting the sheet material between punching operations and an operative position for forming the sheet material into shape; an improved method of the forming process which consists of injecting a pressurized gaseous fluid in The die assembly and punch assembly to resiliently support said assemblies with respect to one another; and free-floating said ring members on the die assembly by direct support of the gaseous fluid so that the ring members yieldably conform with precision to the surfaces of the punch assembly during a forming operation.

Claim 4

In the process of forming sheet material in which a punch assembly and die assembly receive the sheet material therebetween, and one of said assemblies is reciprocated toward and away from the other assembly to effect repetitive punching and forming operations on the material; and in which peripheral ring members are movably mounted on the die assembly between an inoperative position for supporting the sheet material between punching operations and an operative position for forming the sheet material into shape; an improved method of the forming process which consists of injecting a pressurized gaseous fluid in The die assembly and punch assembly to resiliently support said assemblies with respect to one another; and free-floating said ring members on the die assembly by direct support of the gaseous fluid so that the ring members yieldably conform with precision to the surfaces of the punch assembly during a forming operation.

Claim 5

Apparatus for forming sheet material comprising a punch assembly and die assembly adapted to receive the sheet material therebetween, said punch assembly being reciprocally movable toward and away from the die assembly to effect repetitive punching and forming operations on the material; at least one peripheral ring member on the die assembly, said ring being movable with respect thereto between an inoperative position for supporting the sheet material between punching operations and an operative position for forming the sheet material into shape; and a pressurized gaseous fluid directly and yieldably supporting said ring member on the die assembly whereby the ring is free-floating and self-levelling with respect to the punch assembly.

Claim 6

Apparatus for forming sheet material comprising a punch assembly and die assembly adapted to receive the sheet material therebetween, said punch assembly being reciprocally movable toward and away from the die assembly to effect repetitive punching and forming operations on the material; at least one peripheral ring member on the die assembly, said ring being movable with respect thereto between an inoperative position for supporting the sheet material between punching operations and an operative position for forming the sheet material into shape; and a pressurized gaseous fluid directly and yieldably supporting said ring member on the die assembly whereby the ring is free-floating and self-levelling with respect to the punch assembly.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 3 including a plurality of telescopic columns disposed about the die assembly and supporting said ring member; the pressurized gaseous fluid being restricted to the interior of said columns.

Claim 8

Apparatus for forming sheet material comprising a punch assembly and die assembly adapted to receive the sheet material therebetween, said punch assembly being reciprocally movable toward and away from the die assembly to effect repetitive punching and forming operations on the material at least one peripheral ring member mounted circumferentially on the die assembly and being movable with respect to the die between an inoperative position for supporting the sheet material between punching operations and an operative position for forming the sheet material into shape; and a pressurized gaseous fluid resiliently and directly supporting the ring member to its inoperative position with respect to the die whereby the ring is free-floating and self-levelling with respect to the punch assembly and yieldable with respect thereto during forming of the sheet material.

Claim 9

Apparatus for forming sheet material comprising a punch assembly and die assembly adapted to receive the sheet material therebetween, said punch assembly being reciprocally movable toward and away from the die assembly to effect repetitive punching and forming operations on the material at least one peripheral ring member mounted circumferentially on the die assembly and being movable with respect to the die between an inoperative position for supporting the sheet material between punching operations and an operative position for forming the sheet material into shape; and a pressurized gaseous fluid resiliently and directly supporting the ring member to its inoperative position with respect to the die whereby the ring is free-floating and self-levelling with respect to the punch assembly and yieldable with respect thereto during forming of the sheet material.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said pressurized gaseous fluid is air.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to claim 5 including a cavity in the die assembly to accommodate said ring in its operative position; and a plurality of telescopic columns positioned in the cavity and being secured to and supporting said ring member, said columns receiving the pressurized gaseous fluid to move said ring to its inoperative position.

Claim 12

Apparatus for forming metal foil containers on a punch press having a bed and reciprocating ram, said apparatus comprising a punch assembly on the ram and a die assembly on the bed; the punch assembly including a punch ring secured to said ram and a center form, having a cavity, positioned for limited vertical movement in the punch ring; the die assembly including a center block secured to said bed and having an upper surface corresponding to the cavity in the punch center form to effect shaping therebetween of a foil container; a cut edge ring on said bed concentric with but spaced radially from the center block; an inner draw ring and an outer draw ring positioned for limited vertical movement in the space between the cut edge ring and the center block; said draw rings having an upper, inoperative position for supporting said metal foil and a lower operative position when engaged by the punch curl ring and center form; a peripheral cavity beneath said draw rings; gasket means on the components of the die assembly to provide a substantially airtight relationship between the cut edge ring, draw rings and center block; said cavity being adapted to receive pressurized air therein to directly support said draw rings thereby to (a) allow the draw rings to yieldably conform with precision to the forming faces of the punch assembly during a forming operation and (b) to effect movement thereafter of the rings to the inOperative position and to eject the formed container from the die assembly.

Claim 13

Apparatus for forming metal foil containers on a punch press having a bed and reciprocating ram, said apparatus comprising a punch assembly on the ram and a die assembly on the bed; the punch assembly including a punch ring secured to said ram and a center form, having a cavity, positioned for limited vertical movement in the punch ring; the die assembly including a center block secured to said bed and having an upper surface corresponding to the cavity in the punch center form to effect shaping therebetween of a foil container; a cut edge ring on said bed concentric with but spaced radially from the center block; an inner draw ring and an outer draw ring positioned for limited vertical movement in the space between the cut edge ring and the center block; said draw rings having an upper, inoperative position for supporting said metal foil and a lower operative position when engaged by the punch curl ring and center form; a peripheral cavity beneath said draw rings; gasket means on the components of the die assembly to provide a substantially airtight relationship between the cut edge ring, draw rings and center block; said cavity being adapted to receive pressurized air therein to directly support said draw rings thereby to (a) allow the draw rings to yieldably conform with precision to the forming faces of the punch assembly during a forming operation and (b) to effect movement thereafter of the rings to the inOperative position and to eject the formed container from the die assembly.

Claim 14

Apparatus according to claim 8 including circumferential grooves on the die center block and the outer draw ring and wherein the gasket means comprises seal rings in said grooves to provide air sealing engagement between the cut edge ring, the draw rings and the die center block.

Claim 15

Apparatus for forming metal foil containers on a punch press having a bed and reciprocating ram, said apparatus comprising a punch assembly on the ram and a die assembly on the bed; the punch assembly including a punch ring secured to said ram and a punch center form having a cavity and positioned for limited vertical movement in the punch ring; the die assembly including a center block secured to said bed and having a surface corresponding to the cavity in the punch center form to effect shaping therebetween of a foil container; a cut edge ring on said bed concentric with but spaced radially from the center block; a draw ring positioned for limited vertical movement in the space between the cut edge ring and the center block; said draw ring having an upper, inoperative position for supporting said metal foil and a lower operative position when engaged by the punch ring; a peripheral cavity beneath said draw ring; and a plurality of substantially fluidtight telescoping columns secured at their lower ends in said cavity and at their upper ends to said draw ring; the columns being adapted to receive pressurized air therein to (a) allow the draw ring to yieldably conform with precision to the opposed surfaces of the punch assembly during a forming operation and (b) to effect movement thereafter of the ring to its inoperative position and to eject the formed container from the die assembly.

Claim 16

Apparatus for forming metal foil containers on a punch press having a bed and reciprocating ram, said apparatus comprising a punch assembly on the ram and a die assembly on the bed; the punch assembly including a punch ring secured to said ram and a punch center form having a cavity and positioned for limited vertical movement in the punch ring; the die assembly including a center block secured to said bed and having a surface corresponding to the cavity in the punch center form to effect shaping therebetween of a foil container; a cut edge ring on said bed concentric with but spaced radially from the center block; a draw ring positioned for limited vertical movement in the space between the cut edge ring and the center block; said draw ring having an upper, inoperative position for supporting said metal foil and a lower operative position when engaged by the punch ring; a peripheral cavity beneath said draw ring; and a plurality of substantially fluidtight telescoping columns secured at their lower ends in said cavity and at their upper ends to said draw ring; the columns being adapted to receive pressurized air therein to (a) allow the draw ring to yieldably conform with precision to the opposed surfaces of the punch assembly during a forming operation and (b) to effect movement thereafter of the ring to its inoperative position and to eject the formed container from the die assembly.

Claim 17

Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the telescopic columns consist of interfitting tubes of gradually reduced diameter, the outer periphery of each tube slidably engaging the inner periphery of the adjacent larger tube; grooves in the outer periphery of the tubes and seal rings in said grooves for rendering the columns airtight.

Claim 18

Apparatus for forming metal foil containers comprising a punch assembly and die assembly adapted to receive the metal foil therebetween, said punch assembly being reciprocally movable toward and away from the die assembly to effect repetitive punching and forming operations on the foil; at least one peripheral ring member mounted circumferentially on the die assembly and being movable with respect to the die between an inoperative position for supporting the foil between punching operations and an operative position for forming the foil into shape; a peripheral cavity beneath said ring; pressurized air injected into said cavity for directly and resiliently supporting the ring member to its inoperative position on the die whereby the ring is free-floating and self-levelling on the pressurized air with respect to the punch assembly so that it will yieldably conform to said punch assembly during forming of the metal foil containers; and seal rings on said ring member to provide a substantially airtight relationship between said ring member and the die assembly.

Claim 19

Apparatus for forming metal foil containers comprising a punch assembly and die assembly adapted to receive the metal foil therebetween, said punch assembly being reciprocally movable toward and away from the die assembly to effect repetitive punching and forming operations on the foil; at least one peripheral ring member mounted circumferentially on the die assembly and being movable with respect to the die between an inoperative position for supporting the foil between punching operations and an operative position for forming the foil into shape; a peripheral cavity beneath said ring; pressurized air injected into said cavity for directly and resiliently supporting the ring member to its inoperative position on the die whereby the ring is free-floating and self-levelling on the pressurized air with respect to the punch assembly so that it will yieldably conform to said punch assembly during forming of the metal foil containers; and seal rings on said ring member to provide a substantially airtight relationship between said ring member and the die assembly.