Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
155 words
Apparatus for assembling a blade unit havinG a plurality of housing components and a plurality of blade components, said housing components have cooperating housing alignment surfaces and blade alignment surfaces, comprising: support structure for holding a first housing component, first clamp structure for applying an aligning force to a second housing component to place the cooperating housing alignment surfaces of said first and second housing components in engagement, second clamp structure for applying a clamping force to said housing components to clamp said blade components between said first and second housing components, securing structure for modifying a portion of at least one of said housing components for permanently securing said first and second housing components with interposed blade components together as a unit, and common drive structure for operating said first and second clamp structure and said securing structure in coordinated relation to align, clamp and secure said housing components to form said blade unit.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
155 words
Apparatus for assembling a blade unit havinG a plurality of housing components and a plurality of blade components, said housing components have cooperating housing alignment surfaces and blade alignment surfaces, comprising: support structure for holding a first housing component, first clamp structure for applying an aligning force to a second housing component to place the cooperating housing alignment surfaces of said first and second housing components in engagement, second clamp structure for applying a clamping force to said housing components to clamp said blade components between said first and second housing components, securing structure for modifying a portion of at least one of said housing components for permanently securing said first and second housing components with interposed blade components together as a unit, and common drive structure for operating said first and second clamp structure and said securing structure in coordinated relation to align, clamp and secure said housing components to form said blade unit.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
70 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein each said blade component is a planar blade member that has a sharpened cutting edge, and further including blade alignment structure for generating a force against an edge surface of each said planar blade member, said force tending to urge each said planar blade member forward to position the sharpened cutting edge of said planar blade member against said blade alignment surface.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
47 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and further including blade alignment structure for urging said blade components against said blade alignment surfaces, said blade alignment structure including means for applying fluid pressure to said blade components for urging said blade components against said blade alignment surfaces.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
64 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein one of said housing components has a plurality of apertures and the other of said housing components has a plurality of posts that extend through said apertures in said one housing component, and said securing structure includes means for deforming said posts in a cold heading operation to secure said first and second housing components together.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said second clamp structure includes a member for applying clamp force generally parallel to the axes of said posts.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second clamp structure and said securing structure are mounted for reciprocating movement along parallel paths.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
55 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second clamp structure includes a drive member, a clamping member and biasing means interposed between said drive and clamping members for resiliently urging said members apart, said clamping member carrying a plurality of spaced clamping elements and said drive member being connected to said drive structure.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
41 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first clamp structure imposes said aligning force on said second housing component at an angle greater than 25* to the direction of application of clamping force imposed by said second clamp structure.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
46 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first clamp structure includes means for imposing an initial aligning force of low magnitude to the second housing component and a subsequent clamping force of magnitude at least ten times the magnitude of said initial aligning force.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
126 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first clamp structure is mounted for movement between first and second positions and includes a support member, a clamping member carried by said support member and movable relative thereto, said clamping member having a clamp portion adapted to engage said second housing component, and biasing means for maintaining said second portion spaced from said support member when said clamp structure is in said first position, said first clamp structure being movable to a position intermediate said first and second positions where sAid clamp portion is in engagement with said second housing component and said clamping member is shifted relative to said support member so that said biasing means applies said aligning force to said second housing component.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
41 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein said first clamp structure imposes said aligning force on said second housing component at an angle greater than 25* to the direction of application of clamping force imposed by said second clamp structure.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
55 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein said second clamp structure includes a drive member, a clamping member and biasing means interposed between said drive and clamping members for resiliently urging said members apart, said clamping member carrying a plurality of spaced clamping elements and said drive member being connected to said drive structure.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein said second clamp structure and said securing structure are mounted for reciprocating movement along parallel paths.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
64 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein one of said housing components has a plurality of apertures and the other of said housing components has a plurality of posts that extend through said apertures in said one housing component, and said securing structure includes means for deforming said posts in a cold heading operation to secure said first and second housing components together.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
128 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 14 wherein said first clamp structure is mounted for reciprocating movement between said first and second positions, said suppprt member has a seating surface, said clamping member has a second surface, said biasing means maintains said second surface spaced from said support member seating surface when said clamp structure is in said first position and further including a drive member, and second biasing means coupled between said drive member and said support member, said first clamp structure being movable to said second position where said clamping member is further shifted relative to said support member so that said second surface is in engagement with said seating surface and said second biasing means applies said subsequent clamping force to said second housing component.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
69 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein each said blade component is a planar blade member that has a sharpened cutting edge, and further including blade alignment structure for generating a force against an edge surface of each planar blade member, said force tending to urge each said planar blade member forward to position the sharpened cutting edge of said planar blade member against said blade alignment surface.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
32 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 16 wherein said blade alignment structure includes means for applying fluid pressure to said blade components for urging said blade components against said blade alignment srufaces.