Die apparatus

Claim 2

Die apparatus including upper and lower die halves comprising means to receive therebetween a work piece and to act thereon to modify said work piece, said lower die half including a lower die plate defining a platform for said work piece, and said upper half including a tool retainer plate mounting die tools movable therewith to and from said platform to engage said work piece and modify the same, and a disc-shaped element in association with at least a portion of said die tools for establishing the effective position thereof, said disc-shaped element being reformable as to its depth in an axial sense in correspondence with the shortening or modification of one or more of said die tools so as to maintain a prescribed relative positioning of the working portions of said die tools.

Claim 3

Die apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said disc-shaped element is independent of the associated die tool and forms an axial extension thereof.

Claim 4

Die apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said disc-shaped element is positioned in backing relation to the die tools which have less tendency to wear than other of said die tools.

Claim 5

Die apparatus as in claim 3 wherein said disc-shaped elements as originally applied, are all of equal length or depth.

Claim 6

Die apparatus as in Claim 1 including a stripper plate interposed between said tool retainer plate and said platform and suspended relative said tool retainer plate by hangers, and biasing means interposed between said tool retainer plate and said stripper plate, said hangers and said biasing means each having one of said disc-shaped elements in association therewith to provide for the adjustment of the effective position thereof to accommodate a modification of the effective length of die tools mounted to said tool retainer plate.

Claim 7

Die apparatus as in claim 5 wherein said disc-shaped elements have a form facilitating a simultaneous reforming thereof to accommodate a change in the effective projected length of said die tools in reference to said tool retainer plate.

Claim 8

Die apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said lower die plate incorporates die elements having a mating relation to tools and/or other die elements projected from said tool retainer plate, and at least a portion of said mating die elements including, as an extension thereof, means for varying the position thereof to maintain a prescribed operating condition of said die apparatus.

Claim 9

Apparatus as in claim 1 characterized by guide means interrelating said die halves to control the alignment thereof as one thereof moves relative the other, said guide means incorporating means for determining the shut height of the die apparatus.

Claim 10

Apparatus as set forth in claim 8 characterized by said means for determining the shut height of said apparatus having in association therewith means reformable to compensate within the guide means for a reduction of the projected length of said one or more of said die tools so as to facilitate the precise positioning thereof in reference to said lower die plate.

Claim 11

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 characterized by said lower die plate having backing plate means which extend peripherally thereof and peg means mounted to said backing plate means for guiding a work piece onto said platform and said peg means having in association therewith means reformable to compensate for a change in the level of said platform to maintain a feed plane which is constant relative to the plane of said platform.

Claim 12

Apparatus as set forth in claim 10 characterized by die elements embodied in said lower die plate for cooperation with said die tools, at least a portion of said die elements having means defining extensions thereof, said extensions providing means reformable to compensate for reduction in thickness of said lower die plate to obviate the need for grinding die elements per se in maintaining said die elements in a proper frame of reference to the associated die tools.

Claim 13

For use in a stamping system, die apparatus including a tool retainer plate mounting die tools to project therefrom and an opposed die retainer plate mounting die elements having an aligned working relation to respective die tools, and including elements constituting guide and alignment means having a bearing relation to each other in movement of one said plate relative the other to punch, cut and/or form a work piece disposed therebetween, at least a portion of said guide and alignment means having means embodied therein for establishing the shut height of the die apparatus, the last mentioned means including related means at least one element of which is mounted for a rotative movement to be selectively positioned for establishing the shut height or to provide for an operation of said die apparatus without interference and with the elements of said die apparatus disposed in position to inhibit damage thereto.

Claim 14

For use in a stamping system, die apparatus including a tool retainer plate mounting die tools to project therefrom and an opposed die retainer plate mounting die elements having an aligned working relation to respective die tools, and including elements constituting guide and alignment means having a bearing relation to each other in movement of one said plate relative the other to punch, cut and/or form a work piece disposed therebetween, at least a portion of said guide and alignment means having means embodied therein for establishing the shut height of the die apparatus, the last mentioned means including related means at least one element of which is mounted for a rotative movement to be selectively positioned for establishing the shut height or to provide for an operation of said die apparatus without interference and with the elements of said die apparatus disposed in position to inhibit damage thereto.

Claim 15

For use in a stamping system, die apparatus including a tool retainer plate mounting die tools to project therefrom and an opposed die retainer plate mounting die elements having an aligned working relation to respective die tools, and including elements constituting guide and alignment means having a bearing relation to each other in movement of one said plate relative the other to punch, cut and/or form a work piece disposed therebetween, at least a portion of said guide and alignment means having means embodied therein for establishing the shut height of the die apparatus including a post and a telescopically related bushing and adjustable means on said post having a ring-like configuration and being rotatable on said post, a surface of said ring-like means and an end portion of said telescopically related bushing being contoured in complementary fashion to provide optionally for said ring-like means in one position to serve a function in establishing the shut height of the die apparatus and in the other position to provide for the free operation of said die apparatus.

Claim 16

For use in a stamping system, die apparatus including a tool retainer plate mounting die tools to project therefrom and an opposed die retainer plate mounting die elements having an aligned working relation to respective die tools, and including elements constituting guide and alignment means having a bearing relation to each other in movement of one said plate relative the other to punch, cut and/or form a work piece disposed therebetween, at least a portion of said guide and alignment means having means embodied therein for establishing the shut height of the die apparatus including a post and a telescopically related bushing and adjustable means on said post having a ring-like configuration and being rotatable on said post, a surface of said ring-like means and an end portion of said telescopically related bushing being contoured in complementary fashion to provide optionally for said ring-like means in one position to serve a function in establishing the shut height of the die apparatus and in the other position to provide for the free operation of said die apparatus.

Claim 17

Apparatus as in claim 13 characterized by means for varying the axial placement of said ring-like structure to prevent interference in the operation of previously set die tools and die elements.

Claim 18

Apparatus as set forth in claim 12 characterized by said plates each having backing plate means, the said backing plate means for said die retainer plate extending peripherally thereof and the said guide and alignment means positioning in connection with said backing plates.

Claim 19

Apparatus as set forth in claim 12 characterized by stock guide means in association with said die retainer plate having in a connected relation therewith means reformable to compensate therein for any modification of the level of the surface of said die retainer plate so as to readily maintain a predetermined and prescribed disposition in reference thereto.

Claim 20

For use in a stamping system, die apparatus including a tool retainer plate mounting die tools to project therefrom and an opposed die retainer plate mounting die elements having an aligned working relation to respective die tools, and means constituting independent disc-like segments in association with selected of said die tools, said disc-lIke segments being reformable per se as to their depth, in an axial sense, independent of said selected tools to accommodate a change in position of the tools whereby to provide for a change in their effective projected length so as to maintain the relative position of the working portions of all said die tools as originally established.

Claim 21

For use in a stamping system, die apparatus including a tool retainer plate mounting die tools to project therefrom and an opposed die retainer plate mounting die elements having an aligned working relation to respective die tools, and means constituting independent disc-like segments in association with selected of said die tools, said disc-lIke segments being reformable per se as to their depth, in an axial sense, independent of said selected tools to accommodate a change in position of the tools whereby to provide for a change in their effective projected length so as to maintain the relative position of the working portions of all said die tools as originally established.

Claim 22

Apparatus as in claim 17 characterized by said die retainer plate incorporating therein die elements which have in associated relation therewith means defining an effective extension thereof, said means defining effective extensions thereof being reformable grind plugs.

Claim 23

Apparatus as set forth in claim 18 characterized by guide means providing for a controlled and aligned movement of one of said tool retainer plate or said die retainer plate to the other, said guide means incorporating means in association therewith for determining the required shut height of said die apparatus and including means to prevent interference in the operation of previously set die tools and die elements.

Claim 24

Apparatus as set forth in claim 19 including feed and stock control means in association with said die retainer plate incorporating therein means constituting grind plugs reformable to change the level of said feed and stock control means in correspondence with changes in the plane of said die plate which serves as a platform for a work piece interposed between said tool retainer plate and said die retainer plate.