Toggle action closing and locking devices for presses

Claim 1

A press comprising: (a) a stationary plate, (b) a reaction plate spaced a fixed distance from the stationary plate, (c) a moveable plate between the stationary and reaction plates and moveable toward and away from the stationary plate, (d) a toggle mechanism pivotally mounted between the reaction plate and moveable plate, (e) a first piston-cylinder device for moving the moveable plate between a position relatively far from the stationary plate to a position relatively close to the stationary plate, and (f) a second piston-cylinder device, operable independently of the first piston-cylinder device, for activating the toggle mechanism to lock the moveable and stationary plates together, (g) both of the piston-cylinder devices and the toggle mechanism being located in their entireties between the reaction plate and the moveable plate when the moveable plate is in its closest location to the stationary plate, (h) the toggle mechanism including a first link pivoted to the reaction plate, a second link pivoted to the moveable plate, the two links being pivoted to each other at their free ends, a crosshead moveable by the piston-cylinder devices, and a third link pivoted between the crosshead and at least one of the first and second links, and (i) when the moveable plate is at its farthest location from the stationary plate, the angle between the direction of movement of the moveable plate and the third link is greater than the angle between the direction of movement of the moveable plate and a line drawn between the pivot point of the third link to the crosshead and the pivot point of the first link to the reaction plate.