Punch press with improved slug handling system

Claim 2

A punch press having a vertically reciprocable punch adapted to coact with an underlying die to punch holes in an intervening workpiece, said press including a bin disposed below said die to collect the slugs punched from the workpiece, a passage communicating between the die and the bin, a vacuum source connected with said bin to draw the slugs through the passage and into the bin, a door mounted on the bin to move to an open position to enable the removal of the slugs from the bin, a conveyor disposed below the door to carry the slugs away from the bin, and means for automatically opening said door to dump the slugs onto the conveyor during an interruption in the punching operation of said press.

Claim 3

A punch press having a vertically reciprocable punch adapted to coact with an underlying die to punch holes in an intervening workpiece, said press including a bin disposed below said die to collect the slugs punched from the workpiece, a passage communicating between the die and the bin, a vacuum source having a suction pipe and a discharge pipe, said suction pipe being connected to the bin to draw the slugs through the passage and into the bin, a door mounted on the bin to move to an open position to enable the removal of the slugs from the bin, a conveyor disposed below the door to carry the slugs away from the bin, power means for operating said conveyor, mechanism for opening said door to dump the slugs onto the conveyor, and signal responsive means operable to disable the vacuum source, to actuate the conveyor power means and to actuate said door mechanism to open the door and dump the slugs on the conveyor for transportation away from the bin.

Claim 4

A punch press having a vertically reciprocable punch adapted to coact with an underlying die to punch holes in an intervening workpiece, said press including a bin disposed below said die to collect the slugs punched from the workpiece, a passage communicating between the die and the bin, a vacuum source having a suction pipe and a discharge pipe, said suction pipe being connected to the bin to draw the slugs through the passage and into the bin, a door mounted on the bin to move to an open position to enable the removal of the slugs from the bin, a conveyor disposed below the door to carry the slugs away from the bin, power means for operating said conveyor, mechanism for opening said door to dump the slugs onto the conveyor, and signal responsive means operable to disable the vacuum source, to actuate the conveyor power means and to actuate said door mechanism to open the door and dump the slugs on the conveyor for transportation away from the bin.

Claim 5

A punch press as defined by claim 2 including a limit switch mounted on said bin and operable to detect when said bin door is opened partially and to produce an electrical signal in response thereto.

Claim 6

A punch press as defined by claim 3 wherein said door mechanism includes a fluid-actuated cylinder, a rod extending from said cylinder, said rod and said cylinder being connected to said door whereby the latter is closed and opened by advancing and retracting said rod within said cylinder, and said signal responsive means being operable to actuate said cylinder to retract the rod and open the door.

Claim 7

A punch press with a vertically reciprocable ram mounted on a frame, a punch carried on the lower end of said ram and adapted to coact with an underlying die to punch holes in an intervening workpiece, said press including a bin mounted on said frame below said die to collect the slugs punched from the workpiece, a passage communicating through the frame between the die and the bin, an exhaust pipe with an inlet end connected to the bin, a vacuum source connected to the pipe to draw the slugs through the passage and into the bin, a door mounted on the bottom of the bin to pivot about a substantially horizontal axis between an open position and a closed position, said door sealingly engaging the bin when in said closed position, a belt-type conveyor disposed below the door to carry the slugs away from the bin, power means for operating said conveyor, mechanism for opening said door to dump the slugs onto the conveyor during an interruption in the punching operation of the press, said mechanism including a fluid-actuated cylinder and rod connected between said door and said frame to close and open said door by advancing and retracting Said rod within the cylinder, and means operable during said interruption to disable said vacuum source, to actuate the conveyor power means and to actuate said cylinder to open the door and dump the slugs on the conveyor for transportation away from the bin.

Claim 8

A punch press with a vertically reciprocable ram mounted on a frame, a punch carried on the lower end of said ram and adapted to coact with an underlying die to punch holes in an intervening workpiece, said press including a bin mounted on said frame below said die to collect the slugs punched from the workpiece, a passage communicating through the frame between the die and the bin, an exhaust pipe with an inlet end connected to the bin, a vacuum source connected to the pipe to draw the slugs through the passage and into the bin, a door mounted on the bottom of the bin to pivot about a substantially horizontal axis between an open position and a closed position, said door sealingly engaging the bin when in said closed position, a belt-type conveyor disposed below the door to carry the slugs away from the bin, power means for operating said conveyor, mechanism for opening said door to dump the slugs onto the conveyor during an interruption in the punching operation of the press, said mechanism including a fluid-actuated cylinder and rod connected between said door and said frame to close and open said door by advancing and retracting Said rod within the cylinder, and means operable during said interruption to disable said vacuum source, to actuate the conveyor power means and to actuate said cylinder to open the door and dump the slugs on the conveyor for transportation away from the bin.

Claim 9

A punch press having a vertically reciprocable punch adapted to coact with an underlying die to punch holes in an intervening workpiece, said press including a bin disposed below said die to collect the slugs punched from the workpiece, a passage communicating between the die and the bin, a vacuum source connected with said bin to draw the slugs through the passage and into the bin, a door on the bin for movement to an open position enabling removal of the slugs from the bin, a conveyor disposed below the door to carry the slugs away from the bin, means for automatically opening said door to dump the slugs on the conveyor during an interruption in the punching operation of said press, a housing disposed around the punch and defining an enclosed chamber, and means for forcing refrigerated air and lubricant under pressure into said chamber to form a mist around the punch for lubricating and cooling the latter, said mist also cooling and lubricating the die by being forced by said means out of the chamber through an opening in the bottom of said housing to be drawn across the exposed surfaces of said die by said vacuum.

Claim 10

A punch press having a vertically reciprocable punch adapted to coact with an underlying die to punch holes in an intervening workpiece, said press including a bin disposed below said die to collect the slugs punched from the workpiece, a passage communicating between the die and the bin, a vacuum source connected with said bin to draw the slugs through the passage and into the bin, a door on the bin for movement to an open position enabling removal of the slugs from the bin, a conveyor disposed below the door to carry the slugs away from the bin, means for automatically opening said door to dump the slugs on the conveyor during an interruption in the punching operation of said press, a housing disposed around the punch and defining an enclosed chamber, and means for forcing refrigerated air and lubricant under pressure into said chamber to form a mist around the punch for lubricating and cooling the latter, said mist also cooling and lubricating the die by being forced by said means out of the chamber through an opening in the bottom of said housing to be drawn across the exposed surfaces of said die by said vacuum.

Claim 11

A punch press having a vertically reciprocable ram carrying a punch adapted to coact with an underlying die to punch holes in an intervening workpiece, said press including a bin disposed below said die to collect the slugs punched from the workpiece, a passage communicating between the die and the bin, a vacuum source having a suction pipe and a discharge pipe, said suction pipe being connected to draw the slugs through the passage and into the bin, a sealed door in the bin and adapted to be opened to remove the slugs from the bin, a conveyor disposed below the door to carry the slugs away from the bin, power means for operating said conveyor, mechanism for opening said door to dump the slugs onto the conveyor during an interruption in the punching operation of said press, means operable during said interruption to disable the vacuum source, to actuate the conveyor power means and to actuate said door mechanism to open the door and dump the slugs on the conveyor for transportation away from the bin, a housing defining an enclosed chamber disposed around the punch at the lower end of the ram, means for forcing refrigerated air into said chamber, means for forcing lubricant into said chamber to form a mist of cold air and lubricant around the punch for lubricating and cooling the latter, said mist also cooling and lubricating the die by being forced out of the chamber through an opening in the bottom of the housing to be drawn across the exposed surfaces of said die and into the bin by said vacuum, and a filter connected to said discharge pipe to separate the lubricant from the air before the air is exhausted into the atmosphere.

Claim 12

A punch press having a vertically reciprocable ram carrying a punch adapted to coact with an underlying die to punch holes in an intervening workpiece, said press including a bin disposed below said die to collect the slugs punched from the workpiece, a passage communicating between the die and the bin, a vacuum source having a suction pipe and a discharge pipe, said suction pipe being connected to draw the slugs through the passage and into the bin, a sealed door in the bin and adapted to be opened to remove the slugs from the bin, a conveyor disposed below the door to carry the slugs away from the bin, power means for operating said conveyor, mechanism for opening said door to dump the slugs onto the conveyor during an interruption in the punching operation of said press, means operable during said interruption to disable the vacuum source, to actuate the conveyor power means and to actuate said door mechanism to open the door and dump the slugs on the conveyor for transportation away from the bin, a housing defining an enclosed chamber disposed around the punch at the lower end of the ram, means for forcing refrigerated air into said chamber, means for forcing lubricant into said chamber to form a mist of cold air and lubricant around the punch for lubricating and cooling the latter, said mist also cooling and lubricating the die by being forced out of the chamber through an opening in the bottom of the housing to be drawn across the exposed surfaces of said die and into the bin by said vacuum, and a filter connected to said discharge pipe to separate the lubricant from the air before the air is exhausted into the atmosphere.

Claim 13

A punch press having a reciprocable ram carrying a punch adapted to coact with an underlying die to punch a hole in an intervening workpiece, said press including a housing defining a substantially enclosed chamber disposed around said punch and having a lower opening for admitting said punch therethrough to punch a hole in said workpiece, and means for forcing refrigerated air and lubricant into said chamber under pressure to form a mist of the lubricant around the punch for lubricating and cooling the latter, said means also forcing the mist out of said lower opening to cool said underlying die.

Claim 14

A punch press having a reciprocable ram carrying a punch adapted to coact with an underlying die to punch a hole in an intervening workpiece, said press including a housing defining a substantially enclosed chamber disposed around said punch and having a lower opening for admitting said punch therethrough to punch a hole in said workpiece, and means for forcing refrigerated air and lubricant into said chamber under pressure to form a mist of the lubricant around the punch for lubricating and cooling the latter, said means also forcing the mist out of said lower opening to cool said underlying die.

Claim 15

A punch press with a vertically reciprocable ram mounted on a frame, a punch carried on the lower end of said ram and adapted to coact with an underlying die to punch a hole in an intervening workpiece, said press including a housing mounted on said frame around the lower end of said ram and defining a substantially enclosed chamber around said punch, said hoUsing having a bottom plate with a central opening therein to admit said punch therethrough to punch a hole in said workpiece, and means for forcing refrigerated air and lubricant into said chamber under pressure to form a mist of the lubricant around the punch for lubricating and cooling the punch and for forcing the mist out of said housing through said opening and toward said die, an exhaust pipe with an inlet end communicating with said die, a vacuum source connected with said pipe to draw the lubricant into the die to lubricate and cool the exposed surfaces of the die and to exhaust the excess lubricant through the pipe.

Claim 16

A punch press with a vertically reciprocable ram mounted on a frame, a punch carried on the lower end of said ram and adapted to coact with an underlying die to punch a hole in an intervening workpiece, said press including a housing mounted on said frame around the lower end of said ram and defining a substantially enclosed chamber around said punch, said hoUsing having a bottom plate with a central opening therein to admit said punch therethrough to punch a hole in said workpiece, and means for forcing refrigerated air and lubricant into said chamber under pressure to form a mist of the lubricant around the punch for lubricating and cooling the punch and for forcing the mist out of said housing through said opening and toward said die, an exhaust pipe with an inlet end communicating with said die, a vacuum source connected with said pipe to draw the lubricant into the die to lubricate and cool the exposed surfaces of the die and to exhaust the excess lubricant through the pipe.

Claim 17

A punch press as defined by claim 9 including means for purging said chamber of said mist prior to changing punches on the end of the ram to avoid releasing the mist into the atmosphere around the punch press.

Claim 18

A punch press as defined by claim 10 in which said purging means include an air hose communicating with the top of said chamber through said housing and a pressure source for forcing clean air through said hose to purge the chamber of lubricant by driving the mist out of the chamber through the opening.

Claim 19

A punch press as defined by claim 11 wherein said means for forcing refrigerated air and lubricant into the chamber includes two nozzles located adjacent the sidewalls of said housing at angularly spaced positions from each other to direct the lubricant in generally opposing directions past opposite sides of the central axis of the ram to create a swirling of the mist in the chamber.

Claim 20

A punch press as defined by claim 10 including a filter connected to the outlet of said pipe to separate the lubricant from the air before the air is exhausted into the atmosphere.