Die stamping system

Claim 1

In a die stamping system that includes opposed die members which clamp a metal workpiece to be cut and pierced after which the die members are moved away from one another and the slugs punched from the blank and the cut blanks are sequentially ejected wherein the ejector is controlled for a selected delay time by a plurality of cylinder assemblies mounted in a manifold so that they are connected to a source of inert gas under high pressure, the improvement wherein each cylinder assembly includes each cylinder assembly including a body and a piston in said body, a hydraulic time delay circuit associated with said cylinder assemblies such that upon downward movement of the pistons, hydraulic fluid may flow freely without inhibiting the movement of the pistons, and upon actuation, hydraulic fluid locks the pistons against movement and thereby prevents them from moving upwardly until the circuit is actuated so that a predetermined time delay is provided, said hydraulic circuit including passages in said manifold communicating with said cylinder assemblies, said hydraulic circuit including a valve externally of said cylinder assemblies and said manifold, and an accumulator connected to said valve, said valve being operable to permit hydraulic fluid to flow freely or to interrupt flow in said circuit and locks said pistons.