Apparatus for compacting granular material

Claim 2

A press for compacting granular materials comprising, in combination, a fixed mechanical stroke actuating means for providing two reciprocating motions having a fixed displacement relationship to each other, a floatable die table provided with a number of dwell positions, cushion means for controlling an adjustable stroke for said die table and lower punch means operable by said fixed mechanical stroke actuating means, stop means for providing fixed dwell positions for said die table, and upper punch means actuated by said fixed mechanical stroke actuating means for reciprocating said upper punch means in a predetermined nonvariable sequence with said die table and lower punch means.

Claim 3

A press for compacting granular material comprising, in combination, fixed mechanical stroke actuating means including a first and a second reciprocating mechanism with a predetermined displacement relationship, a floating die table provided with a number of dwell positions, cushion means for controlling adjustable strokes for said die table and lower punch means carried by said press, said lower punch means operable with respect to said die table to support compacting loads, said cushion means, and lower punch means actuated by said first reciprocating mechanism of said fixed mechanical stroke actuating means, stop means cooperating wIth said cushion means for providing dwell positions for said die table ad lower punch means, and upper punch means actuated by said second reciprocating mechanism for cooperation with said die table and lower punch means.

Claim 4

A press for compacting granular material comprising, in combination, fixed mechanical stroke actuating means including a first and a second reciprocating mechanism with a predetermined displacement relationship, a floating die table provided with a number of dwell positions, cushion means for controlling adjustable strokes for said die table and lower punch means carried by said press, said lower punch means operable with respect to said die table to support compacting loads, said cushion means, and lower punch means actuated by said first reciprocating mechanism of said fixed mechanical stroke actuating means, stop means cooperating wIth said cushion means for providing dwell positions for said die table ad lower punch means, and upper punch means actuated by said second reciprocating mechanism for cooperation with said die table and lower punch means.

Claim 5

A press according to claim 2 wherein the lower punch means is reciprocated over a fixed stroke length wherein said length is established by cooperating cushion and stop means so that the lower punch stroke is less than the stroke of the fixed stroke actuating means.

Claim 6

A press according to claim 2 wherein an additional surrounding punch means is provided in association with said lower punch means for supporting flanged parts and supported independently from said lower punch means.

Claim 7

A press according to claim 4 wherein the additional surrounding punch means is operable by the said first reciprocating mechanism in cooperation with additional cushion and stop means.

Claim 8

In a press for compacting granular materials and having a head and a bed and uprights extending therebetween, a die table adapted to support a die on a vertical axis, punch support means beneath said die table adapted to support lower punch means extending into said die from below, a vertically reciprocable slide above said die table adapted to support upper punch means for entering said die from above, said die table and punch support means having uppermost positions wherein the upper ends of said die and lower punch means are disposed in the plane of the top of said die table, a downwardly facing stationary first abutment operatively engaging said die table in its uppermost position and a downwardly facing second abutment on said die table operatively engaging said punch support means when said die table and punch support means are both in the uppermost positions thereof, a lift out bridge beneath said punch support means vertically reciprocable between uppermost and lowermost positions, an upwardly facing third abutment engageable with said punch support means for raising the punch support means to the uppermost position thereof, upwardly acting first cushion means associated with said die table and permitting the die table to yield downwardly during compaction, second cushion means acting upwardly on said punch support means, a downwardly facing fourth abutment on said bridge engageable with said punch support means upon a predetermined downward travel of said bridge from its uppermost position and third downwardly acting cushion means supporting said fourth abutment on said bridge, an upwardly facing stationary fifth abutment engageable with said punch support means in a predetermined lowermost position thereof spaced from the said uppermost position thereof a distance less than the distance between said uppermost and lowermost positions of said bridge, and drive means connected to said slide and said bridge operable to effect reciprocation thereof in timed relation to each other.

Claim 9

In a press for compacting granular materials and having a head and a bed and uprights extending therebetween, a die table adapted to support a die on a vertical axis, punch support means beneath said die table adapted to support lower punch means extending into said die from below, a vertically reciprocable slide above said die table adapted to support upper punch means for entering said die from above, said die table and punch support means having uppermost positions wherein the upper ends of said die and lower punch means are disposed in the plane of the top of said die table, a downwardly facing stationary first abutment operatively engaging said die table in its uppermost position and a downwardly facing second abutment on said die table operatively engaging said punch support means when said die table and punch support means are both in the uppermost positions thereof, a lift out bridge beneath said punch support means vertically reciprocable between uppermost and lowermost positions, an upwardly facing third abutment engageable with said punch support means for raising the punch support means to the uppermost position thereof, upwardly acting first cushion means associated with said die table and permitting the die table to yield downwardly during compaction, second cushion means acting upwardly on said punch support means, a downwardly facing fourth abutment on said bridge engageable with said punch support means upon a predetermined downward travel of said bridge from its uppermost position and third downwardly acting cushion means supporting said fourth abutment on said bridge, an upwardly facing stationary fifth abutment engageable with said punch support means in a predetermined lowermost position thereof spaced from the said uppermost position thereof a distance less than the distance between said uppermost and lowermost positions of said bridge, and drive means connected to said slide and said bridge operable to effect reciprocation thereof in timed relation to each other.

Claim 10

A press according to claim 6, in which said first cushion means yields at a load greater than the weight of said die table and parts carried thereby while said second cushion means yields at a load greater than the weight of said punch support means and parts carried thereby and less than the combined weights of said die table and said punch support means and the parts carried thereby.

Claim 11

A press according to claim 7, wherein a sixth abutment means is spaced upwardly from said first cushion a predetermined first distance to establish the fill level of said die table.

Claim 12

A press according to claim 8, in which said fourth abutment is spaced upwardly from said punch support means a second predetermined distance to provide dwell time for positioning the fill shoe over the die.

Claim 13

A press according to claim 9, in which said punch support travels upward from said fifth abutment to a predetermined upper position for work product ejection.

Claim 14

A press according to claim 6, in which said drive means comprises a crankshaft having first throw means operatively connected to said bridge and second throw means angularly related to said first throw means and operatively connected to said slide.

Claim 15

A press according to claim 11, in which said first throw means leads said second throw means by an angular interval that depends upon the relative strokes of the two throw means and the predetermined timing relationship within the press mechanism.

Claim 16

A press according to claim 6, which includes a supply hopper for material to be compacted, a fill shoe open on the bottom and pressed against the top face of said die table and connected to said hopper to receive material therefrom by gravity, means for advancing said fill shoe into fill position over said die during upward movement of said slide and after upper punch means thereon is out of the vertical range of said fill shoe and said die table and punch support means are in said uppermost positions thereof, and means for retracting said fill shoe from fill position during downward movement of said slide after said punch support means reaches said lowermost position thereof and before the upper punch means comes within the vertical range of said fill shoe.

Claim 17

A press according to claim 13 in which said means for advancing and retracting said fill shoe comprises an arm pivotally supported at one end on the press and operatively connected at the other end to said fill shoe, a cam on said slide, and a cam follower on said arm engaging said cam.

Claim 18

A press according to claim 14, which includes actuating means continuously urging said fill shoe toward fill position, said cam and cam follower acting in opposition to said actuating means.

Claim 19

A press according to claim 15, in which said cam is adjustable and easily replaceable with another cam of modified contour on said slide to adjust the timing of said fill shoe movements.

Claim 20

A press according to claim 13, in which said fill shoe is readily interchangeable with other fill shoes of different size.

Claim 21

A press according to claim 11, in which said die table includes sixth abutment means adapted to engage said first cushion means, said sixth abutment means being adjustable on said die table to adjust the length of travel of the die table from the uppermost position thereof downwardly to the position where it is supported by said first cushion means.

Claim 22

A press according to claim 11, in which said first abutment comprises the bed of the press, said die table having rod means adjustably carried thereby and extending downwardly into said bed and having collar means thereon for engagement with the bed in said uppermost position of said die table to establish the dwell position of said die table for ejection of the work product.

Claim 23

A press according to claim 19, in which said second abutment comprises a flange on said lower punch support means extending laterally beyond said rod means and said rod means having downwardly facing shoulder means for engagement with said flange to maintain said lower punch support means in fixed relationship to the die table as said die table descends from a dwell position for ejection of the compacted material to a dwell position for fill.

Claim 24

A press according to claim 19, in which said fifth abutment comprises said press bed whereby said punch support means is solidly supported in the said lowermost position thereof to receive compacting loads.

Claim 25

A press according to claim 15, which actuates a lower core rod within said lower punch support means, said core rod extending downwardly through said punch support means and through said bed, said core rod having an uppermost position wherein the upper end of the core member carried thereon is disposed in said plane of the top of said die table, and means beneath said bed connected to said core rod for adjusting the axial position of said core member.

Claim 26

A press according to claim 22, in which the said means connected to said core rod comprises means adjustably connecting the core rod to said die table for movement in controlled relation therewith.

Claim 27

A press accordiNg to claim 22, in which the said means connected to said core rod comprises an adjusting nut threaded thereon, an upper table beneath said bed to which the adjusting nut is rotatably connected, rod means connected to said die table and extending therefrom through said bed and said upper table, stop nuts adjustable on the rod means on opposite sides of said upper table, fourth cushion means disposed between said bed and said upper table, said fourth cushion means being adapted to be supplied with air under pressure to bias said upper table downwardly, fifth cushion means operable when energized to urge said upper table upwardly, said cushion means to be exhausted to remove said bias from the said upper table.

Claim 28

A press according to claim 24, in which said core rod extends completely through said adjusting nut, and a bottom table adjustably suspended from said bed disposed below the lower end of said core rod a fourth distance and is adapted to abut the said lower end of the core rod and halt the said core rod in a predetermined lower position thereof.

Claim 29

A press according to claim 25, which includes a lower table between said upper table and bottom table and through which said core rod extends, stationary rods dependent from said bed and extending through said upper and lower and bottom tables, shoulders on said stationary rods above said lower table for abutment therewith, and sixth cushion means acting between said bottom table and said lower table for providing a floating action for said core rod during compaction.

Claim 30

A press according to claim 2, which includes a punch support table beneath said die table upon which a second lower punch can be mounted, said second lower punch extending upwardly into said die, punch support table having an uppermost position wherein the upper end of said second lower punch is disposed in the said plane of the top face of said die table and also having a lowermost position and floating against a further cushion when moving downwardly toward said lowermost position, said die table is floating on cushion supports while punch support table is forced down against adjustable stops on said bed flanges, and abutment rod means adjustably mounted on said die table and engaging said punch support table with rod elements adjustable connected to said punch support table and extending downwardly through the bed and against the lower punch mounting flange when both said die table and said punch support table are in the uppermost positions thereof, so that the punches mounted on the lower punch support member and on the lower punch support table will be disposed in said plane of the top of said die table.

Claim 31

A press according to claim 22, in which said first cushion is disposed so that said die table moves downwardly a predetermined first amount from its said uppermost position before it engages said first cushion to establish its fill position and to provide floating resistance during compaction.

Claim 32

A press according to claim 22, in which said punch support means moves downwardly a predetermined second amount after said first amount before engaging said second cushion means for establishing the fill position of said punch support means, and to provide floating resistance during compaction.

Claim 33

A press according to claim 5, wherein said additional surrounding punch means is carried by a floating table.

Claim 34

A press according to claim 6 provided with a fill shoe mechanism and with an actuating linkage and having an adjustable stop in said actuating linkage for mechanically controlling a variable dwell time of the fill shoe over the die.