Press for punching holes in tubular members

Claim 2

A press for punching a slug from the side of a tubular member to form a hole therein, said press including a frame, a vertically reciprocable ram mounted on said frame, a female die member carried by said ram, a horn secured to said frame and projecting beneath said female die member to telescopically receive said tubular member, a male die member secured to said horn and underlying said female die member, said female die member having a central opening of predetermined size and shape and having a lower surface curved in conformance with the outer surface of said tubular member, said male die member having a cross-sectional size and shape approximately equal to the size and shape of said opening and projecting upwardly from said horn to mate with said female die member to punch said slug from the side of said tubular member, said male die member further having an upper surface curved in conformance with the inner surface of said tubular member to keep from deforming said slug as the latter is punched from the tubular member so the slug may be refitted within the hole in the side of the tubular member, a small punch carried by the ram and projecting downwardly through said opening in said female die member, and a small hole formed through said male die member to receive said small punch to form a small hole in said slug as an incident tO punching said slug from the tubular member.

Claim 3

A press as defined by claim 1 including a stripper mounted on said horn adjacent said male die member and normally projecting upwardly beyond the upper surface of said male die member to lift said tubular member above the upper surface and to facilitate removal of the tubular member from the horn after the slug is punched from the side of the tubular member.

Claim 4

A press as defined by claim 2 wherein said stripper is formed of resiliently yieldable material which is pressed downwardly by engagement with the inner surface of the tubular member as the latter is moved downwardly by the ram to punch out the slug, said material expanding upwardly to lift the tubular member from around the male die member when the ram is retracted.

Claim 5

A press as defined by claim 3 in which two of said strippers are mounted on said horn, one of said strippers being located adjacent each of the opposite ends of said male die member, cavities formed in said horn adjacent opposite ends of said male die member and receiving said strippers, said cavities being substantially larger in diameter than the diameter of said strippers to permit the latter to expand radially as they are pressed downwardly by engagement with the inner surface of the tubular member.

Claim 6

A press as defined by claim 2 including a pin supported on the lower end of said ram and extending vertically into the opening in said female die member to slide vertically with respect to said ram, a knock-out plate anchored to the lower end of said plate and having a lower surface curved to conform with the curvature of said slug to engage said slug and push the latter from the opening in said female die member as the ram is retracted upwardly relative to said male die member.

Claim 7

A press as defined by claim 5 including a head secured to the lower end of said ram, a spacer plate secured to the underside of said head and having a central opening, a punch holder mounted on the underside of said head within the opening in said spacer plate and supporting said small punch on the ram, said female die member being secured to the underside of said spacer plate, therebeing two of said pins spaced from each other, said pins being telescoped through said head, said spacer plate and the opening in said female die member with the lower ends of said pins anchored to said knock-out plate adjacent opposite ends thereof.

Claim 8

A press as defined by claim 6 wherein each of said pins includes a boss on the upper end thereof to keep said pin from falling through said head, said pins sliding downwardly within the opening of said female die member to move said knock-out plate to push said slug out of said opening as the bosses engage said frame when the ram is retracted.

Claim 9

A press for punching a slug from the side of a tubular member to form a hole therein, said press including a frame, a vertically reciprocable ram mounted on said frame, a female die member carried by said ram, a horn secured to said frame and projecting beneath said female die member to telescopically receive said tubular member, a male die member secured to said horn and underlying said female die member, said female die member having a central opening of predetermined size and shape and having a lower surface curved in conformance with the outer surface of said tubular member, said male die member having a cross-sectional size and shape approximately equal to the size and shape of said opening and projecting upwardly from said horn to mate with said female die member to punch said slug from the side of said tubular member, said male die member further having an upper surface curved in conformance with the inner surface of said tubular member to keep from deforming said slug as the latter is punched from the tubular member so the slug may be refitted within the hole in the side of the tubular member, and a knock-out plate mounted within said opening to move within said vertical opening as said ram is reciprocated, said plate having a lower surface curved to conform with the curvature of said slug and engaging said slug to push the slug out of the opening as said female die is retracted away from said male die member after punching out said slug.

Claim 10

A press for punching a slug from the side of a tubular member to form a hole therein, said press including a frame, a vertically reciprocable ram mounted on said frame, a female die member carried by said ram, a horn secured to said frame and projecting beneath said female die member to telescopically receive said tubular member, a male die member secured to said horn and underlying said female die member, said female die member having a central opening of predetermined size and shape and having a lower surface curved in conformance with the outer surface of said tubular member, said male die member having a cross-sectional size and shape approximately equal to the size and shape of said opening and projecting upwardly from said horn to mate with said female die member to punch said slug from the side of said tubular member, said male die member further having an upper surface curved in conformance with the inner surface of said tubular member to keep from deforming said slug as the latter is punched from the tubular member so the slug may be refitted within the hole in the side of the tubular member, and a knock-out plate mounted within said opening to move within said vertical opening as said ram is reciprocated, said plate having a lower surface curved to conform with the curvature of said slug and engaging said slug to push the slug out of the opening as said female die is retracted away from said male die member after punching out said slug.