Pivotal clamping mechanism for die sets

Claim 2

In a metal working apparatus having one or more bolsters for supporting metal shaping die components, a clamping mechanism for securing die components in operative position upon a bolster, comprising: a. a clamping plate having outwardly sloped shoulders along two opposing edges thereof in a spaced relationship approximating two opposing nonparallel sides of a trapezoid; b. means for rigidly securing die components to said clamping plate; c. stop means rigidly secured to said bolster near one edge thereof and having an inwardly sloped shoulder adapted to coact with one of the sloped shoulders of said clamping plate; d. clamping means pivotally mounted upon said bolster near the opposite edge thereof and including a body having an inwardly sloped shoulder adapted to coact with the other outwardly sloped shoulder of said clamping plate and with said stop means to wedge said clamping plate between the sloped shoulders of said stop means and said pivotal clamping means; and e. means for actuating said clamping means to pivot the clamp body so that said clamp shoulder moves toward said coacting plate shoulder and wedges said clamping plate firmly against the shoulder of said stop means and flush upon the surface of said bolster in operative position.

Claim 3

A clamping mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein said clamping means also includes a spring means biasing said clamping means for reverse pivotal movement opposite to that produced by said actuating means, the biasing force of said spring means causing sufficient reverse pivotal movement upon deactivation of said clamp actuating means to release said clamping plate from its wedged position and free it for translational movement in relation to said bolster.

Claim 4

A clamping mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein a series of at least four roller means are recessed within the outer bolster surface at locations adjacent to the inner surface of said clamping plate and arranged so that each roller is in position to support a proportionate share of the total weight of all die plates and components, said roller means having a freely rotatable bearing portion adapted to project a substantial distance above said bolster surface and a spring means biasing said bearing portion above said bolster surface with sufficient force to support said proportionate die assembly weight and maintain said clamping plate free of the bolster surface when said clamping means is deactivated.

Claim 5

A clamping mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said clamp actuating means is comprised of a piston mounted within an actuating cylinder in said clamp body and adapted to thrust against said bolster when activated to forcefully pivot said clamp shoulder toward said coacting plate shoulder to wedge said clamping plate in operative position.

Claim 6

A clamping mechanism according to claim 1 mounted upon a first bolster of a metal workIng apparatus and a second clamping mechanism according to claim 1 mounted upon a second bolster of the same apparatus in spaced relation to said first clamping mechanism; said bolsters being arranged for reciprocal movement toward and away from each other and said second clamping mechanism being adapted to secure die components on said second bolster in operative position to coact with die components secured in operative position on said first bolster during reciprocal movement of said bolsters, the coaction between said first and second die components producing metal shaping operations on metal blanks inserted therebetween.

Claim 7

In a metal working machine having a lower bolster to support the lower die plate of a die set and an upper bolster to support the upper die plate of a die set, a die set clamping device comprised of lower and upper clamping plates adjacent to said lower and upper bolsters, respectively, each plate having outwardly sloped surfaces along two opposing edges thereof; means for rigidly securing said upper clamping plate to the upper die plate and said lower clamping plate to the lower die plate; stop means rigidly mounted near one edge of each of said bolsters and having an inwardly sloped face adapted to frictionally engage one of said outwardly sloped plate surfaces; and pivotal clamping means including a body portion rotatably mounted near the opposite edge of each of said bolsters for pivotal movement toward and away from said stop means and having an inwardly sloped clamping face adapted to frictionally engage the other outwardly sloped plate surface, activating means arranged to forcefully pivot said clamp body toward said opposing stop means and bring said clamping face into engagement with said sloped plate surface so as to wedge each clamping plate upon its respective bolster between the sloped faces of said stop means and said clamping means, and spring means adapted to pivot said lower clamp body away from said opposing stop means with sufficient force to release said lower clamping plate from said wedging action upon deactivation of said activating means.

Claim 8

In a metal working machine having a lower bolster to support the lower die plate of a die set and an upper bolster to support the upper die plate of a die set, a die set clamping device comprised of lower and upper clamping plates adjacent to said lower and upper bolsters, respectively, each plate having outwardly sloped surfaces along two opposing edges thereof; means for rigidly securing said upper clamping plate to the upper die plate and said lower clamping plate to the lower die plate; stop means rigidly mounted near one edge of each of said bolsters and having an inwardly sloped face adapted to frictionally engage one of said outwardly sloped plate surfaces; and pivotal clamping means including a body portion rotatably mounted near the opposite edge of each of said bolsters for pivotal movement toward and away from said stop means and having an inwardly sloped clamping face adapted to frictionally engage the other outwardly sloped plate surface, activating means arranged to forcefully pivot said clamp body toward said opposing stop means and bring said clamping face into engagement with said sloped plate surface so as to wedge each clamping plate upon its respective bolster between the sloped faces of said stop means and said clamping means, and spring means adapted to pivot said lower clamp body away from said opposing stop means with sufficient force to release said lower clamping plate from said wedging action upon deactivation of said activating means.

Claim 9

In a metal working apparatus having a lower bolster to support the lower die components of a die set and an upper bolster to support the upper die components of a die set, a die set clamping device comprising: a. a lower clamping plate having outwardly tapered faces along two opposing edges thereof; b. stop means rigidly secured to the lower press bolster near one edge thereof and having an inwardly tapered face arranged to frictionally engage one of the tapered faces of said lower clamping plate; c. lower clamping means pivotally mounted upon said lower bolster near the edge opposite said stop means and including a body having an inwardly tapered face arranged to frictionally engage the other outwardly tapered face of said lower clamping plate, and actuating means arranged to pivot said clamp body toward said opposing stop means and bring said clamp face and said stop face into frictional engagement with said plate faces to wedge the lower plate into operative position upon the lower bolster between said stop means and said lower clamping means; d. an upper clamping plate with substantially squared edges along two opposing sides thereof, each edge having an outer clamping surface; e. upper clamping means including a first clamp body pivotally mounted upon said upper press bolster near one edge thereof and having an inwardly projecting shoulder with an inner clamping surface arranged for normal clamping engagement with the outer clamping surface of one of the squared edges of said upper clamping plate, a second clamp body pivotally mounted upon said upper press bolster near the edge opposite said first clamp body and having an inwardly projecting shoulder with an inner surface arranged for normal clamping engagement with the outer clamping surface of the other squared edge of said upper clamping plate, and actuating means arranged to pivot said upper clamp bodies toWard each other and bring said inner clamp surfaces into normal engagement with said outer plate surfaces to clamp the upper plate into operative position upon the upper bolster between said opposing clamp bodies; and f. means for rigidly securing the lower die components to the lower clamping plate and the upper die components to the upper clamping plate.

Claim 10

In a metal working apparatus having a lower bolster to support the lower die components of a die set and an upper bolster to support the upper die components of a die set, a die set clamping device comprising: a. a lower clamping plate having outwardly tapered faces along two opposing edges thereof; b. stop means rigidly secured to the lower press bolster near one edge thereof and having an inwardly tapered face arranged to frictionally engage one of the tapered faces of said lower clamping plate; c. lower clamping means pivotally mounted upon said lower bolster near the edge opposite said stop means and including a body having an inwardly tapered face arranged to frictionally engage the other outwardly tapered face of said lower clamping plate, and actuating means arranged to pivot said clamp body toward said opposing stop means and bring said clamp face and said stop face into frictional engagement with said plate faces to wedge the lower plate into operative position upon the lower bolster between said stop means and said lower clamping means; d. an upper clamping plate with substantially squared edges along two opposing sides thereof, each edge having an outer clamping surface; e. upper clamping means including a first clamp body pivotally mounted upon said upper press bolster near one edge thereof and having an inwardly projecting shoulder with an inner clamping surface arranged for normal clamping engagement with the outer clamping surface of one of the squared edges of said upper clamping plate, a second clamp body pivotally mounted upon said upper press bolster near the edge opposite said first clamp body and having an inwardly projecting shoulder with an inner surface arranged for normal clamping engagement with the outer clamping surface of the other squared edge of said upper clamping plate, and actuating means arranged to pivot said upper clamp bodies toWard each other and bring said inner clamp surfaces into normal engagement with said outer plate surfaces to clamp the upper plate into operative position upon the upper bolster between said opposing clamp bodies; and f. means for rigidly securing the lower die components to the lower clamping plate and the upper die components to the upper clamping plate.

Claim 11

A die set clamping device as claimed in claim 7 wherein means is provided for actuation of said upper clamping means after said lower clamping plate has been wedged into operative position by prior actuation of the lower clamping means.

Claim 12

A clamping mechanism as claimed in claim 7 wherein said lower clamping means also includes a spring means biasing said clamp body for reverse pivotal movement opposite to that produced by said actuating means, the biasing force of said spring means causing sufficient reverse pivotal movement upon deactivation of said lower clamp actuating means to release the lower clamping plate from its wedged position and free it for translational movement in relation to the lower bolster.

Claim 13

A clamping mechanism as claimed in claim 7 wherein a series of at least four roller means are recessed within the outer surface of the lower bolster at locations adjacent to the inner surface of the lower clamping plate and arranged so that each roller is in position to support a proportionate share of the total weight of all clamping plates and die components, said roller means having a freely rotatable bearing portion adapted to project a substantial distance above said bolster surface and a spring means biasing said bearing portion above said bolster surface with sufficient force to support said proportionate die assembly weight and maintain said lower plate free of the lower bolster surface when said clamping means is deactivated.

Claim 14

A clamping mechanism according to claim 7 wherein said clamp actuating means includes a piston mounted within an actuating cylinder in each clamp body and arranged to thrust against the clamp mounting bolster when activated to forcefully pivot the engaging surface of the clamp body against the engaged surface of the associated clamping plate.

Claim 15

In a metal working apparatus having at least one bolster for supporting metal working die components, a clamping mechanism for securing die components in operative position upon the bolster comprising a clamping plate having an outer clamping surface along each of two opposing edges thereof; clamping means including a first clamp body pivotally mounted upon said bolster near one edge thereof and having an inner clamping surface arranged to coact in clamping engagement with one of the outer clamping surfaces on the clamping plate and a second clamp body pivotally mounted upon said bolster near the edge opposite said first clamp body and having an inner clamping surface arranged to coact in clamping engagement with the other outer clamping surface on said clamping plate; means for actuating said clamping means including a piston mounted within an actuating cylinder in each of said clamp bodies, said pistons being arranged to thrust against said bolster when activated to pivot opposing clamp bodies toward each other and bring said clamp surfaces into clamping engagement with said coacting plate surfaces to wedge the plate in operative position upon the bolster between said clamp bodies; and means for rigidly securing the die components to said clamping plate.

Claim 16

In a metal working apparatus having at least one bolster for supporting metal working die components, a clamping mechanism for securing die components in operative position upon the bolster comprising a clamping plate having an outer clamping surface along each of two opposing edges thereof; clamping means including a first clamp body pivotally mounted upon said bolster near one edge thereof and having an inner clamping surface arranged to coact in clamping engagement with one of the outer clamping surfaces on the clamping plate and a second clamp body pivotally mounted upon said bolster near the edge opposite said first clamp body and having an inner clamping surface arranged to coact in clamping engagement with the other outer clamping surface on said clamping plate; means for actuating said clamping means including a piston mounted within an actuating cylinder in each of said clamp bodies, said pistons being arranged to thrust against said bolster when activated to pivot opposing clamp bodies toward each other and bring said clamp surfaces into clamping engagement with said coacting plate surfaces to wedge the plate in operative position upon the bolster between said clamp bodies; and means for rigidly securing the die components to said clamping plate.