Method of measuring strain forces in a press

Claim 1

A method of measuring strain forces in an underdrive press having a lower shoe attached to a bed, and an upper shoe attached to a movable slide, the upper and lower shoes adapted to retain upper and lower dies respectively, comprising the steps of: a. determining the position of a frame of the movable slide relative to a surface of the movable slide in the underdrive press, the movable slide being an upper slide; and b. mounting at least two strain force sensing transducers at predetermined positions on said surface of said upper slide in relation to said slide frame whereby said transducers generate signals representing the forces applied to said dies, they being attached to the upper and lower shoes of the press during operation of the press.

Claim 2

A method of measuring strain forces in an underdrive press having a lower shoe attached to a bed, and an upper shoe attached to a movable slide, the upper and lower shoes adapted to retain upper and lower dies respectively, comprising the steps of: a. determining the position of a frame of the movable slide relative to a surface of the movable slide in the underdrive press, the movable slide being an upper slide; and b. mounting at least two strain force sensing transducers at predetermined positions on said surface of said upper slide in relation to said slide frame whereby said transducers generate signals representing the forces applied to said dies, they being attached to the upper and lower shoes of the press during operation of the press.

Claim 9

A method of measuring the forces applied to dies in an underdrive press having a bed adapted to retain a lower die, an inner upper slide adapted to retain an inner upper die and an outer upper slide adapted to retain an outer upper die, comprising the steps of: a. determining the position of a frame of the inner upper slide relative to a surface of the inner upper slide in the underdrive press; b. determining the position of a frame of the outer upper slide relative to a surface of the outer upper slide in the underdrive press; c. mounting at least a first strain force sensing transducer at a predetermined position on said surface of the inner upper slide, whereby said transducer generates a signal representing the force applied to the inner upper die, it being attached to the inner upper slide during operation of the press; d. mounting at least a second strain force sensing transducer on said surface of the outer upper slide, whereby said second transducer generates a signal representing the force applied to the outer upper die, it being attached to the outer upper slide during operation of the press; e. connecting said first and second transducers to a load monitoring device to indicate the forces being sensed by said first and second transducers; and f. calibrating said load monitoring device to indicate the forces applied to said inner and outer upper dies during the operation of the press.

Claim 10

A method of measuring the forces applied to dies in an underdrive press having a bed adapted to retain a lower die, an inner upper slide adapted to retain an inner upper die and an outer upper slide adapted to retain an outer upper die, comprising the steps of: a. determining the position of a frame of the inner upper slide relative to a surface of the inner upper slide in the underdrive press; b. determining the position of a frame of the outer upper slide relative to a surface of the outer upper slide in the underdrive press; c. mounting at least a first strain force sensing transducer at a predetermined position on said surface of the inner upper slide, whereby said transducer generates a signal representing the force applied to the inner upper die, it being attached to the inner upper slide during operation of the press; d. mounting at least a second strain force sensing transducer on said surface of the outer upper slide, whereby said second transducer generates a signal representing the force applied to the outer upper die, it being attached to the outer upper slide during operation of the press; e. connecting said first and second transducers to a load monitoring device to indicate the forces being sensed by said first and second transducers; and f. calibrating said load monitoring device to indicate the forces applied to said inner and outer upper dies during the operation of the press.

Claim 13

A method of measuring the forces applied to dies in an underdrive press having a bed adapted to retain a lower die, an inner upper slide adapted to retain an inner upper die, and an outer upper slide adapted to retain an outer upper die, comprising the steps of: a. determining the position of a frame of the inner upper slide relative to a surface of the inner upper slide in the underdrive press; b. determining the position of a frame of the outer upper slide relative to a surface of the outer upper slide in the underdrive press; c. mounting at least four strain force measuring transducers on said surface of the inner upper slide with at least one of said transducers being mounted adjacent each corner of the frame of the inner upper slide, whereby said transducers each generate a signal representing the force applied to a corresponding area of the inner upper die, it being attached to the inner upper slide during operation of the press; d. mounting at least four strain force measuring transducers on said surface of the outer upper slide with at least one of said transducers being mounted adjacent each corner of the frame of the outer upper slide, whereby said transducers each generate a signal representing the force applied to a corresponding area of the outer upper die, it being attached to the outer upper slide during operation of the press; e. connecting each of said transducers to a load monitoring device to indicate the forces being sensed by each of said transducers; and f. calibrating said load monitoring device to indicate the forces applied to said inner and outer upper dies during the operation of the press.

Claim 14

A method of measuring the forces applied to dies in an underdrive press having a bed adapted to retain a lower die, an inner upper slide adapted to retain an inner upper die, and an outer upper slide adapted to retain an outer upper die, comprising the steps of: a. determining the position of a frame of the inner upper slide relative to a surface of the inner upper slide in the underdrive press; b. determining the position of a frame of the outer upper slide relative to a surface of the outer upper slide in the underdrive press; c. mounting at least four strain force measuring transducers on said surface of the inner upper slide with at least one of said transducers being mounted adjacent each corner of the frame of the inner upper slide, whereby said transducers each generate a signal representing the force applied to a corresponding area of the inner upper die, it being attached to the inner upper slide during operation of the press; d. mounting at least four strain force measuring transducers on said surface of the outer upper slide with at least one of said transducers being mounted adjacent each corner of the frame of the outer upper slide, whereby said transducers each generate a signal representing the force applied to a corresponding area of the outer upper die, it being attached to the outer upper slide during operation of the press; e. connecting each of said transducers to a load monitoring device to indicate the forces being sensed by each of said transducers; and f. calibrating said load monitoring device to indicate the forces applied to said inner and outer upper dies during the operation of the press.