Automatic stamping press arrangement and method of operation

Claim 2

An integrated pressing arrangement comprising a press having a bed and a reciprocable slide, said slide and bed defining therebetween a working space, a die set storage device cooperating with the press adapted for storing a plurality of die sets for use in the press, said storage device having movable members to locate a sElected die set in a position of alignment with said working space of the press, said storage device including power operable means to move a die set in said position from the storage device into the working space of the press and to withdraw the die set from the press back into the storage device, means for holding said die set in said press and control means operable for selecting a die set and for controlling the operation of said press and the said movable members of said storage device and the actuation of said power operable means.

Claim 3

An arrangement according to claim 1 in which said storage device is rotatable and comprises a plurality of circumferentially distributed compartments for receiving die sets.

Claim 4

issuing instructions from the program storage unit to actuate a die set storage and change unit to transfer a die set, a stock feed unit for intermittently transferring stock in conformity with the amount required on each stroke of the press and adjusting the parameters of the press to adapt the press to the respective die set received from the storage and change unit in accordance with said instructions to repetitively produce a number of workpieces.

Claim 5

issuing instructions from the program storage unit to actuate a die set storage and change unit to transfer a die set, a stock feed unit for intermittently transferring stock in conformity with the amount required on each stroke of the press and adjusting the parameters of the press to adapt the press to the respective die set received from the storage and change unit in accordance with said instructions to repetitively produce a number of workpieces.

Claim 6

An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein said holding means include clamps to clamp the respective parts of die sets thereto and said press includes means for adjusting the shut height thereof, the said storage device including means for transporting the die sets and for placing said die sets in said clamps on said bed and slide when the slide is located at a predetermined position of its stroke and the press is adjusted for a predetermined shut height.

Claim 7

An arrangement according to claim 1 in which said control system is operable to effect positioning of said slide and to effect adjustment of the slide to a shut height permitting the exchange of a die set between said press and said storage device.

Claim 8

An arrangement according to claim 3 which includes bridging guides extending from said transporting means to said clamps.

Claim 9

An arrangement according to claim 1 which includes supply means for supplying material to said press for being acted upon in the die set in the press.

Claim 10

An arrangement according to claim 6 wherein the supply means includes a support means for supporting a reel of stock and feeding means for threading said stock from said reel toward said press.

Claim 11

An arrangement according to claim 7 which includes an intermittent feed means associated with the press for feeding a predetermined length of material on each press stroke in timed relationship to the press operation.

Claim 12

An arrangement according to claim 8 which includes a guide means for supporting flexible material as it is threaded into the press, said guide means adapted to permit said flexible material to form a loop between the intermittent feed means and the material supply means.

Claim 13

An arrangement according to claim 6 wherein the supply means includes a plurality of support means for supporting reels of stock and being movable for presenting said reels selectively to a supply position, and means operated by said control means for actuating said supply means to move a coil of stock thereon which corresponds to the selected die set into said supply position.

Claim 14

An arrangement according to claim 6 wherein the supply means includes means for accepting individual pieces of material and transferring said individual pieces to said press.

Claim 15

An arrangement according to claim 6 which includes feed means for feeding stock from said supply means to said die set, said feed means including power operated straightener means receiving the stock from a respective reel in supply position and power operated intermittent feed means on the press receiving the stock from said straightener and supplying the stock to the respective die set in the press.

Claim 16

An arrangement according to claim 12 which includes a table having one end pivotally supported adjacent the intermittent feed means on the press and having the other end tiltable from an upper position adjacent the exit side of said straightening means to a lower position, means for tilting said table to the upper position thereof for the initial supply of stock from a reel to said intermittent feed means and for tilting the table to the lower position thereof prior to the initiation of the operation of said press, said control means actuating said straightening means after downward tilting of said table to maintAin a stock loop ahead of said intermittent feed means.

Claim 17

An arrangement according to claim 9 which includes means for sensing the length of said stock loop and for adjusting the speed of said feeding means to maintain the length of the loop substantially constant.

Claim 18

An arrangement according to claim 14 which includes means operable in response to the said loop exceeding a predetermined maximum length of interrupting the feeding of stock from said feeding means.

Claim 19

An arrangement according to claim 9 which includes sensing means operable in response to the loop being less than a predetermined minimum length to stop operation of said feed means and said press.

Claim 20

An arrangement according to claim 7 which includes elements of a cut off die positioned at a predetermined location in the press for establishing a length reference on the strip of stock by cutting of the end of the strip, and means for retracting the strip a predetermined distance.

Claim 21

An arrangement according to claim 8 which includes elements of a cut off die on said slide and bed at the side thereof opposite said intermittent feed means, bridging die means carried by said storage device insertable into the press to bridge between said intermittent feed means and said cut off die, means operable prior to the insertion of a die set into said press and following the retraction of a die set from the press for inserting said bridging die means into the press and for actuating said intermittent feed means for advancing the stock from said intermittent feed means across said bridging die means to said cut off die and for actuating the press to cut off the stock and for then actuating said intermittent feed means for retracting the stock from the working space of the press by a predetermined distance.

Claim 22

In a press having a bed and a slide and holding means thereon adapted for receiving the parts of a die set, said press having shut height adjusting means associated therewith, die set storage means associated with the press supporting die sets with the parts thereof arranged to be received in said holding means when the press slide and shut height adjustments are in predetermined positions, transfer means associated with said storage means operable for transferring die sets from said storage means to said holding means and from said holding means back to said storage means, and programmed control means operable for adjusting said slide and shut height to predetermined positions for the transfer of die sets between said press and storage means, and for actuating said transfer means to transfer a die set in transfer position from said storage means to said holding means and then back to said storage means, and for actuating said shut height adjusting means when a die set is in said holding means to adjust the shut height of the press in conformity with the respective die set.

Claim 23

In a press having a bed and a slide and holding means thereon adapted for receiving the parts of a die set, said press having shut height adjusting means associated therewith, die set storage means associated with the press supporting die sets with the parts thereof arranged to be received in said holding means when the press slide and shut height adjustments are in predetermined positions, transfer means associated with said storage means operable for transferring die sets from said storage means to said holding means and from said holding means back to said storage means, and programmed control means operable for adjusting said slide and shut height to predetermined positions for the transfer of die sets between said press and storage means, and for actuating said transfer means to transfer a die set in transfer position from said storage means to said holding means and then back to said storage means, and for actuating said shut height adjusting means when a die set is in said holding means to adjust the shut height of the press in conformity with the respective die set.

Claim 24

A press according to claim 1 which includes stock supply means associated with the press supporting reels of stock and movable to present said reels selectively to a supply position, said press including stock feed means for feeding stock to the die set in the press, said stock supply means including stock actuating means operable to insert stock from the reel in supply position into said feed means and to withdraw the stock from said feed means, said control means also being operable for moving said stock supply means to present the reel of stock thereon which conforms to a selected die set to supply position and for actuating said stock actuating means to insert the selected stock into said feed means while the respective die set is in the press and to withdraw the stock from the feed means when the respective die set is to be withdrawn from the press.

Claim 25

In a press having means for detachably receiving die sets and operable for actuating the die sets to form workpieces therein and also having feed means to feed strip stock to a die set in the press, a die set storage device associated with the press adapted to stOre a plurality of die sets and having a transfer means to present the die sets therein selectively into transfer position for movement into and out of said press and also including transfer means for transferring die sets when in said transfer position into the press and from the press back into the storage device, a stock storage device associated with the press adapted to store reels of stock and having transporting means to present said reels selectively into supply position to supply said feed means and also including stock drive means to drive the stock to said feed means and to withdraw the stock from said feed means, and programmed control means connected in controlling relation to said press and to said transporting means and to said feed means and said stock drive means and transfer means, said programmed control means being operable to cause selected die sets to be moved sequentially into transfer position and to be transferred into said press and withdrawn therefrom and for a selected reel of stock to be moved into supply position for each die set transferred into the press and for the stock to be supplied to said feed means, said programmed control means also being operable for actuating said press while a respective die set is in the press and for causing said feed means to feed stock to the die set, said programmed control means being operable upon a predetermined number of workpieces being produced by a respective die set to interrupt operation of said press and to cause withdrawal of the respective die set from the press and withdrawal of the respective stock from said feed means.

Claim 26

In a press having means for detachably receiving die sets and operable for actuating the die sets to form workpieces therein and also having feed means to feed strip stock to a die set in the press, a die set storage device associated with the press adapted to stOre a plurality of die sets and having a transfer means to present the die sets therein selectively into transfer position for movement into and out of said press and also including transfer means for transferring die sets when in said transfer position into the press and from the press back into the storage device, a stock storage device associated with the press adapted to store reels of stock and having transporting means to present said reels selectively into supply position to supply said feed means and also including stock drive means to drive the stock to said feed means and to withdraw the stock from said feed means, and programmed control means connected in controlling relation to said press and to said transporting means and to said feed means and said stock drive means and transfer means, said programmed control means being operable to cause selected die sets to be moved sequentially into transfer position and to be transferred into said press and withdrawn therefrom and for a selected reel of stock to be moved into supply position for each die set transferred into the press and for the stock to be supplied to said feed means, said programmed control means also being operable for actuating said press while a respective die set is in the press and for causing said feed means to feed stock to the die set, said programmed control means being operable upon a predetermined number of workpieces being produced by a respective die set to interrupt operation of said press and to cause withdrawal of the respective die set from the press and withdrawal of the respective stock from said feed means.

Claim 31

The method according to claim 23 which includes the further step of cutting off a partially completed workpieces at the end of the stock after the said predetermined number of workpieces have been produced in the respective die set to remove the partially formed workpieces from the stock.

Claim 32

The method according to claim 23 which includes the further step of selecting a speed of operation of the press for each die set placed in the press by a programmed control means.

Claim 33

The method according to claim 23 which includes the further step of selecting a length of feed of the stock for each die set placed in the press by a programmed control means.

Claim 34

The method according to claim 23 which includes the further step of locating the side edges of the stock with stock guides near the die set and adjusting the spacing between the stock guides in relation to the width of stock selected by a programmed control means.

Claim 35

The method according to claim 23 which includes the further step of forming a loop in the stock between the die set and the reel supplying the die set, feeding the stock toward the die set at both ends of said loop and adjusting the rate of said feed at the reel end of said loop to maintain thE size of the loop within predetermined limits by a programmed control means.

Claim 36

The method according to claim 28 which includes the further step of straightening the stock simultaneously with the feeding thereof at the reel side of said loop.

Claim 37

The method according to claim 28 which includes the further steps of feeding the stock at the die set end of the loop intermittently while feeding the stock at the reel end of the loop continuously.

Claim 38

The method according to claim 24 which includes the further steps of withdrawing the stock from the press after trimming of the stock and also withdrawing the respective die set from the press.

Claim 39

The method according to claim 23 which includes establishing an accurately known position of the end of the stock by the steps of threading the end of stock through a cut off die at a known location in the press and operating the cut off die to cut off the end of the stock.

Claim 40

The method according to claim 23 which includes the further step of adjusting the press shut height for the selected die set by a programmed control means.

Claim 43

A method in accordance with claim 34 wherein the step of inserting instructions comprises sensing the information on a storage medium.

Claim 44

A method in accordance with claim 34 wherein the step of inserting instructions comprises sensing the information on a storage medium and then translating the thus sensed information into a form for storage in said program storage unit.