Stock feed apparatus

Claim 2

A stock-feeding apparatus operable through alternate feed and indexing strokes for incrementally feeding stock to a workperforming machine in synchronism with the operating cycle thereof, said stock-feeding apparatus being powered by a fluid prime mover and comprising: a stationary body; a feed head; means for connecting said feed head to said stationary body for reciprocal rectilinear motion with respect thereto; fluid-pressure operated means for controlling the rectilinear motion of said feed head; fluid-pressure-operated energy-absorbing means mounted between said stationary body and said feed head, said energy-absorbing means being operable between energy-absorbing and retracted positions; and means including a control valve for controlling the application of fluid pressure to said means for controlling the rectilinear motion of said feed head and to said energy-absorbing means; said control valve providing fluid pressure to said energyabsorbing means in timed relationship with the fluid pressure applied to said means for controlling the rectilinear motion of said feed head so that said energy-absorbing means absorbs the kinetic energy of said feed head through an incremental distance of the travel of said feed head at the end of said feed stroke.

Claim 3

The stock-feeding apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein: said control valve provides fluid pressure to urge said energy-absorbing means to said energy-absorbing position while providing fluid pressure to said means for controlling the rectilinear motion of said feed head to urge said feed head in a feeding direction; and said control valve provides fluid pressure to urge said energy-absorbing means to said retracted position while providing fluid pressure to said means for controlling the rectilinear motion of said feed head to urge said feed head in an indexing direction.

Claim 4

The stock-feeding apparatus recited in claim 2, wherein: said stationary body is formed with a cylinder therein; said energy-absorbing means includes a double-acting piston mounted in said cylinder and a rod attached to said piston adapted to protrude rearwardly from said cylinder toward said feed head.

Claim 5

The stock-feeding apparatus recited in claim 3, wherein: said stationary body if formed with an orifice communicating the pressure from said control valve with the forward end of said cylinder; said energy-absorbing means is urged to said energy-absorbing position when fluid pressure is supplied to said cylinder forward of said piston; the kinetic energy of said feed head is absorbed by compression of the fluid in said cylinder and the release of said fluid through said orifice, the cross-sectional area of said orifice being so related to the cross-sectional area of said cylinder that a substantial portion of the kinetic energy of said feed head is absorbed during the time required for the excess pressure in said cylinder to be released through said orifice.

Claim 6

A stock-feed apparatus operable through alternate feed and indexing strokes for incrementally feeding stock to a work-performing machine in synchronism with the operating cycle thereof, said stock-feeding apparatus being powered by a fluid prime mover and comprising: a stationary body; a feed head; means for connecting said feed head to said stationary body for reciprocal rectilinear motion with respect thereto; fluid-pressure-operated means for controlling the rectilinear motion of said feed head; fluid-pressure-operated stock-gripping means mounted on said feed head and movable between gripping and releasing positions, said stocK-gripping means being normally in said gripping position; means including a control valve for controlling the application of fluid pressure to said stock-gripping means in timed relationship with the fluid pressure applied to said means for controlling the rectilinear motion of said feed head; and a release valve for selectively moving said stock-gripping means to said releasing position, said release valve being movable between open and closed positions and being normally urged to said closed position by said fluid pressure, said release valve being formed with a hole therethrough the transmit fluid pressure to said stock-gripping means from said control valve when in said normally closed position; said release valve being shaped and configured to interrupt the supply of fluid pressure from said control valve to said stock-gripping means and to exhaust fluid pressure from said stock-gripping means when in said open position.

Claim 7

A stock-feed apparatus operable through alternate feed and indexing strokes for incrementally feeding stock to a work-performing machine in synchronism with the operating cycle thereof, said stock-feeding apparatus being powered by a fluid prime mover and comprising: a stationary body; a feed head; means for connecting said feed head to said stationary body for reciprocal rectilinear motion with respect thereto; fluid-pressure-operated means for controlling the rectilinear motion of said feed head; fluid-pressure-operated stock-gripping means mounted on said feed head and movable between gripping and releasing positions, said stocK-gripping means being normally in said gripping position; means including a control valve for controlling the application of fluid pressure to said stock-gripping means in timed relationship with the fluid pressure applied to said means for controlling the rectilinear motion of said feed head; and a release valve for selectively moving said stock-gripping means to said releasing position, said release valve being movable between open and closed positions and being normally urged to said closed position by said fluid pressure, said release valve being formed with a hole therethrough the transmit fluid pressure to said stock-gripping means from said control valve when in said normally closed position; said release valve being shaped and configured to interrupt the supply of fluid pressure from said control valve to said stock-gripping means and to exhaust fluid pressure from said stock-gripping means when in said open position.

Claim 8

A stock-feeding apparatus operable through alternate feed an indexing strokes for incrementally feeding stock to a work-performing machine in synchronism with the operating cycle thereof, said stock-feeding apparatus being powered by a fluid prime mover and comprising: a stationary body; a feed head; means for connecting said feed head to said stationary body for reciprocal rectilinear motion with respect thereto; fluid pressure operated means for controlling the rectilinear motion of said feed head; fluid-pressure-operated stock-gripping means mounted on said feed head and movable between gripping and releasing positions; fluid-pressure-operated stock-clamping means mounted on said stationary body and movable between clamping and releasing positions; and means including passageways defining first and second operative sides of said apparatus and a control valve for controlling the application of fluid pressure through said passageways to said means for controlling the rectilinear motion of said feed head, to said stock-gripping means and to said stock-clamping means; said control valve providing fluid pressure alternately to said first and second operative sides and cooperatively with said passageways providing fluid pressure in timed relationship to said fluid-pressure-operated stock-gripping, clamping and rectilinear-motion-controlling means; said control valve providing fluid pressure to said first operative side when in a first position and providing fluid pressure to said second operative side when in a second position; said control valve further simultaneously applying fluid pressure to both said first and second operative sides when in a momentary position, said control valve passing through said momentary position each time it passes between said first and second positions.

Claim 9

A stock-feeding apparatus operable through alternate feed an indexing strokes for incrementally feeding stock to a work-performing machine in synchronism with the operating cycle thereof, said stock-feeding apparatus being powered by a fluid prime mover and comprising: a stationary body; a feed head; means for connecting said feed head to said stationary body for reciprocal rectilinear motion with respect thereto; fluid pressure operated means for controlling the rectilinear motion of said feed head; fluid-pressure-operated stock-gripping means mounted on said feed head and movable between gripping and releasing positions; fluid-pressure-operated stock-clamping means mounted on said stationary body and movable between clamping and releasing positions; and means including passageways defining first and second operative sides of said apparatus and a control valve for controlling the application of fluid pressure through said passageways to said means for controlling the rectilinear motion of said feed head, to said stock-gripping means and to said stock-clamping means; said control valve providing fluid pressure alternately to said first and second operative sides and cooperatively with said passageways providing fluid pressure in timed relationship to said fluid-pressure-operated stock-gripping, clamping and rectilinear-motion-controlling means; said control valve providing fluid pressure to said first operative side when in a first position and providing fluid pressure to said second operative side when in a second position; said control valve further simultaneously applying fluid pressure to both said first and second operative sides when in a momentary position, said control valve passing through said momentary position each time it passes between said first and second positions.

Claim 10

The stock-feeding apparatus recited in claim 6, wherein: said stationary body is formed with a control valve bore therein; and said control valve is a four-way valve mounted for longitudinal movement in said bore and connected with said passageways. 8. The stock-feeding apparatus recited in claim 7 wherein: said control valve includes a stem mounted one end thereof and a cap telescopically mounted on said stem, said stock-feeding apparatus further comprising: first means for continuously biasing said control valve to said first position; and second means for biasing said cap away from said control valve, said second biasing means being stronger than said first biasing means; said cap being contacted by said work-performing machine during its work-performing cycle so as to move said control valve from said first position through said momentary position to said second position, said work-performing machine then continuing movement in the same direction to perform work on said stock, thereby telescoping said cap on said stem toward said control valve, said work machine then retracting from the vicinity of said stock before said control valve returns to said firSt position to initiate another cycle of said stock-feeding apparatus.

Claim 11

A stock-feeding apparatus operable through alternate feed and indexing strokes for incrementally feeding stock to a work-performing machine in synchronism with the operating cycle thereof, said stock-feeding apparatus being powered by a fluid prime mover and comprising: a stationary body; a feed head; means for connecting said feed head to said stationary body for reciprocal rectilinear motion with respect thereto; fluid-pressure-operated means for controlling the rectilinear motion of said feed head; fluid-pressure-operated stock-gripping means mounted on said feed head and movable between gripping and releasing positions; fluid-pressure-operated stock-clamping means mounted on said stationary body and movable between clamping and releasing positions; and means including passageways defining first and second operative sides of said apparatus and a control valve for controlling the application of fluid pressure through said passageways to said means for controlling the rectilinear motion of said feed heads to said stock-gripping means and to said stock-clamping means; said control valve providing fluid pressure alternately to said first and second operative sides and cooperatively with said passageways providing fluid pressure in timed relationship to said fluid-pressure-operated stock-gripping, clamping and rectilinear-motion-controlling means; said stationary body being formed with a control valve bore therein, said control valve being a four-way valve mounted for longitudinal movement in said bore and connected with said passageways; said control valve being formed with a first port connected to said first operative side of said apparatus, a second port connected to said second operative side, a fluid pressure port and an exhaust port; said control valve having normal and alternate main positions and a momentary position, said control valve passing through said momentary position when changing from one main position to the other; said control valve normally connecting said fluid pressure port to said first port and said exhaust port to said second port, and alternately connecting said fluid pressure port to said second port and said exhaust port to said first port; said control valve connecting said fluid pressure port to both said first and second ports when in said momentary position.

Claim 12

A stock-feeding apparatus operable through alternate feed and indexing strokes for incrementally feeding stock to a work-performing machine in synchronism with the operating cycle thereof, said stock-feeding apparatus being powered by a fluid prime mover and comprising: a stationary body; a feed head; means for connecting said feed head to said stationary body for reciprocal rectilinear motion with respect thereto; fluid-pressure-operated means for controlling the rectilinear motion of said feed head; fluid-pressure-operated stock-gripping means mounted on said feed head and movable between gripping and releasing positions; fluid-pressure-operated stock-clamping means mounted on said stationary body and movable between clamping and releasing positions; and means including passageways defining first and second operative sides of said apparatus and a control valve for controlling the application of fluid pressure through said passageways to said means for controlling the rectilinear motion of said feed heads to said stock-gripping means and to said stock-clamping means; said control valve providing fluid pressure alternately to said first and second operative sides and cooperatively with said passageways providing fluid pressure in timed relationship to said fluid-pressure-operated stock-gripping, clamping and rectilinear-motion-controlling means; said stationary body being formed with a control valve bore therein, said control valve being a four-way valve mounted for longitudinal movement in said bore and connected with said passageways; said control valve being formed with a first port connected to said first operative side of said apparatus, a second port connected to said second operative side, a fluid pressure port and an exhaust port; said control valve having normal and alternate main positions and a momentary position, said control valve passing through said momentary position when changing from one main position to the other; said control valve normally connecting said fluid pressure port to said first port and said exhaust port to said second port, and alternately connecting said fluid pressure port to said second port and said exhaust port to said first port; said control valve connecting said fluid pressure port to both said first and second ports when in said momentary position.

Claim 13

The stock-feeding apparatus recited in claim 9 wherein: said means for controlling the rectilinear motion of said feed head includes a double-acting piston assembly having its forward side connected to said first operative side of said apparatus and its rearward side connected to said second operative side of said apparatus; said stock-gripping means includes a double-acting differential piston assembly having its lower side connected to said first operative side of said apparatus and its upper side connected to said second operative side of said apparatus; said stock-clamping means includes a double-acting differential piston assembly having its upper side connected to said first operative side of said apparatus and its lower side connected to said second operative side of said apparatus; whereby said feed head is normally urged in a feeding direction, said gripping means is normally urged to a gripping position and said clamping means is normally urged to releasing position; whereby said feed head is alternately urged in an indexing direction, said gripping means is alternately urged to a releasing position and said clamping means is alternately urged to a clamping position; and whereby said feed head remains stationary, said clamping means is urged to a clamping position and said gripping means is urged to a gripping position when said control valve is in said momentary position.

Claim 14

The stock-feeding apparatus recited in claim 10, and further comprising: fluid-pressure-operated energy-absorbing Means mounted between said stationary body and said feed head, said energy-absorbing means being operable between energy-absorbing and retracted positions. 12. The stock-feeding apparatus recited in claim 11, wherein: said energy-absorbing means includes a double-acting differential piston assembly having its forward side connected to said first operative side of said apparatus and its rearward side connected to said second operative side of said apparatus; whereby said energy-operative means is normally urged to said energy-absorbing position, alternatively urged to said retracted position and urged to said energy-absorbing position when said control valve is in said momentary position.

Claim 15

The stock-feeding apparatus recited in claim 9, and further comprising: means for continuously biasing said control valve toward said normal position.