US2444946A - Punch - Google Patents

Description

July 13, 1948. J, F, MURIsHY 4 2,444,946

PUNCH Filed Dec. 14. 1945 INVEN TOR.

19/7765 Murphy ATTORNEY Patented July 13, 1948 2,444,946 PUNCH James F. Murphy, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application December 14, 1945, Serial No. 635,134

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April so, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 15 Claims.

The presentinvention concerns a punchfor *forming holes in sheet material, and particularly concerns an attachment for the punch adapted to manipulate a piece of work with respect to the punch.

In forming holes in sheet material such as metal plates, it is conventional to employ a punch that includes a jig for supporting the piece of Work, a die having a central opening disposed beneath the work and a punchin tool disposed above the'work and adapted for downward movement to punch out a piece from the sheet material where it is desired to form the hole. It is conventional in punches of this kind for the operator to manipulate the piece of Work relative to the supporting jig with his fingers. Thus, the piece of work is inserted into the jig and is positioned therein relative to the die and punch tool by the ing the punching operation and is later ejected from the jig subsequent to the punching operation by the operator with the use of his fingers.

Such manipulation of the workpiece involving the use of the operators fingers within the jig 1 and in the area of the die and punch tool is dangerous, since the operators fingers may he caught inadvertently and injured during the operation.

This is especially true when the operator manipulates small pieces of work, which necessitates the presence of his fingers in close proximity to the die and punching tool.

A further objection to manual manipulation of the workpiece arises from the fact that precision is not achieved in the punching operation because correct positioning of the workpiece and rigid clamping thereof during the punching operation depend upon the dexterity of the operator. Human error, variations in dexterity between diiTerent operators, and variations in manipulation of difierent workpieces by the same operator, cause erratic results.

Many defective pieces are thus produced in which the hole that has been punched is located incorrectly upon the piece of work, and, even among the pieces of work that are acceptable,

many are inferior in quality because of a lack of precision. Production of defective pieces of work results in loss of material, since the defiective pieces must be discarded. Furthermore; the erratic results that are produced require an inordinate amount of time and labor to be consumed by inspectors in order that defective pieces can be detected "and rejected. An additional loss of time and labor is generatedby the erratic resuits since it is necessary to punch additional workpieces to replace the defective ones that are discarded.

An object of this invention is to provide a mechanical attachment for a punching machine adapted to manipulate a workpiece within the machine and eliminate the need for using an operators fingers for such purpose.

4 Another object is to provide a mechanical attachment for a punching machine adapted to position work within the machine.

Another object of this invention is to provide a mechanical attachment for a punching machine adapted to clamp a piece of work in position rigidly during the punching operation.

Another object is to provide a mechanical attachment for a punching machine adapted to eject a piece of work from the machine after the punching operation. a

Another object is to provide a mechanical attachment for a punching machine comprising a clamp mechanism and ejector mechanism for manipulatin the piece of work so that during the operation of either mechanism the other mechanism is automatically inoperative.

Another object is to provide a safety device for a punch machine whereby the manipulationof the workpiece in the machine is performed mechanically by an attachment on the machine. thus eliminating the need for the operator to use his fingers in the dangerous area in the machine. Another object is to provide a mechanical attachment for a punching machine comprising a combined manipulator clamp and ejector mechaaccompanying drawing, in which,

a Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view, partly in section, of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan vew of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 with the cover plate removed, showing the manipulator attachment in position to clamp a piece of work during the punching operation;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig.2 but with the manipulator attachment in position to eject a piece of work.

Punch H comprises a jig l2 havingabase l3 workpiece 2 I.

'stop: 32.

and a U-shaped work support M provided with upstanding parallel legs I5 and it. The opposed faces of legs l5 and it are provided with notches ll and I8 forming guide tracks l9 and 20 for supporting a workpiece 2i and for guiding said workpiece into and out of support I l.

The topsof legs id-and it are provided with threaded holes 22 and 23 accommodating screws 24 and 25 for holding in place a cover plate 26 having a central opening 2'l'. (Cover plate'ZG has been shown as removed in Figs. 2 and 3 for clarity of illustration.) Work support I2 is provided with a rear wall 28 extending between-legs l5 and It and provided with an opening 29 there in for a purpose hereinafter described.

Mounted on rear wall 28 with its center line in the plane including workpiece 2! is a lug 29, which is threaded internally to accommodate apositioning screw 38 having a head 3! for manual adjustment thereof, and at its opposite extremity "formed-'into a "stop 32 for positioning workpiece '2l' and limiting reciprocation thereof along guide tracks 19 and 28 toward wall 28.

Mounted centrally within worksupport M be *tween' legs l5and Hi is-a female die 33 having a central cylindrical openin 34, the center line of which defines the line of punch. Die 33 can be secured rigidly in place as, for example, by welding or the like. The topsurface ofdie 33 is fiush with the surface of guide'tracks l9 and 20 so that workpiece 2 I, when in position for punching, will have its bottom surface flush with the top sur- "face' of die 33.

26 to punch workpiece 2i and slide into opening 34 of die33.

Mounted on jig base 13 to one side of work support I4 is a vertical shaft 35 that is secured to base =l3 in any suitable manner. Mounted for rotation uponthe upper end of shaft 36 is a manipulator arm 31 thatrotates in the plane of One extremity'cf manipulator arm 31 is formed into an ejector finger 38 having a contact surface 39. As seen in Fig. 3, when manipulator arm 37 is rotated in a clockwise direction, contact surface 39 of ejector finger 33 swings through a suitable opening in wall 28 and reciprocates workpiece 2| along guide tracks l9 and'w, and as manipulator arm 37 is moved to itsextreme position-workpiece 2! is ejected.

vFormedon manipulator arm 31 in spaced relation to ejector finger 38 is a clamp finger 4i! having a contact'surfacedi that is disposed in opposed relation to'contact surface 39. As seen in .Fig. 2, when manipulator arm 31 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, contact face '4! of clamp finger-4c abutsworkpiece 2i and causes reciprocationthereof along guide tracks l9 and 2!] toward stop 32 of positioning screw 30. As

manipulator arm -31 reaches its extreme position,

clamp finger 4'0 rigidly holds workpiece 2| against A handle 42 is provided on manipulator arm 31.

Operation of the punch machine-is as follows:

'Whcn'it is desired to perform a punch operation,

manipulator arm 3'! is first adjusted into the position indicated in Fig. 3. Positioning'screw 39 is then regulated untilstop 32 thereof is properly disposed so that when a workpiece is subsequently inserted intothe machine, stop 32 will :position the workpiece correctly .relative to die 33 and punch tool 35. A workpieces 2| is then inserted partially into support 14 upon guide ger 4E.

downwardly through workpiece 2|,

position for workpiece 2i.

wise rotation of manipulator *arm 3l causes the workpiece to be broughtinto contact with stop 32, and the operator by exerting pressure upon handle 42 of manipulator arm 3'! clamps workpiece M in place rigidly between stop 32 and clamp fin- The punching operation is then performed by causing punching tool 35 to move and the punching operation is completed by withdrawing vpunch tool 35 from workpiece 2|.

After the punching operation is completed, manipulator-arm 37 is rotated in a clockwise direction to withdraw clamping finger 40 from workpiece 2i and cause ejector finger 38 to move through the opening in wall 28 until contact'surface 39 abuts workpiece 21. Further rotation of manipulator arm 3'! into its extreme position as seen in Fig. 3 causes reciprocation of workpiece 25 along guide tracks l9 and 22 until workpiece fl is ejected from the machine.

As described above, clamping finger 40 is designed to clamp workpiece 21 in place rigidly during the punching operation and ejector finger 38 is designed to eject workpiece 2! from the machine. However, clamping finger 4i! and ejector finger 33 can by proper rotation of manipulator arm 3'! be used to manipulate workpiece 2! into any desired position within work support M relative to die 33 and punching tool 35. For example, in setting up a job where numerous-pieces of work of the same size are to be punched in the same manner, the pilot work- .piece can be inserted manually partway into work support 14 upon guide tracks [9 and 20, and proper operation of manipulator arm 31 can then be effected to cause clamp 40 to move the pilot workpiece toward wall 2801" to cause ejector finger 38 to reciprocate the pilot workpiece away from wall 28 until the workpiece is brought into the desired position. Position screw 30 is then adjusted until stop 32 thereof is in contact with the pilot workpiece so that subsequent work- "pieces can be brought into the desired position by being reciprocated into contact with stop 32.

For special punch jobs, a workpiece 21 can be inserted manually by the operator into work support l l, and manipulator arm 31 then rotated so that clamp-finger 40 reciprocates workpiece 2| into a predetermined position not in contact with stop 32.

Clamping finger 40 can thus beused rather than stop 32 for determining the-correct The operator then holds manipulator arm 31 stationary while positioning screw '30 is tightened into contact'with workpiece 2| to-lock workpiece 2l'in position for punching.

Various modifications and changes can be made in the subject device without departing from the scope of the invention.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and-used by or for'the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of anyroyalties thereon or therefor.

-I claim:

1. A punch for forming a hole-in a workpiece comprising a die having a central opening defining the line of punch, a jig for supporting-the workpiece in the line of punch and relative to said die, a pair of opposed notches in said jig serving to support the workpiece for reciprocation relative to said jig and said die, an adjustable screw in said jig having an extremit designed to serve as a stop for limiting reciprocation of the workpiece in one direction, and an arm mounted on said jig for rotation in a plane transverse to said line of punch and including the workpiece, a finger on said arm adapted upon rotation of said arm in one direction to cause reciprocation of the workpiece toward said sto and adapted upon rotation of said arm to its extreme position to clamp the work piece against said stop to prevent movement thereof in said jig, a second finger on said arm spaced from said first finger and in opposed relation thereto adapted upon rotation of said arm in the other direction to cause reciprocationof the workpiece away from said stop and to eject the workpiece from said jig.

2. A punch comprising means to support a workpiece, a female die mounted in said means, a male die in reciprocal relation to said female die, and an arm mounted on said means, said arm including means to position said workpiece be tween said female di and said male die, and means to eject said workpiece from said position.

3. A punch comprising a jig adapted to support a workpiece, a female die mounted in said jig, a male die in reciprocal relation to said female die, and an arm mounted on said jig, said arm including means to position said workpiece between said female die and said male die, and means to eject said workpiece from said position.

4. A punch comprising a jig adapted to sup- .port a workpiece, associated male and female dies mounted in said jig in reciprocal relation, and an arm mounted on said jig, said arm including means to position said workpiece between said male die and said female die, and means to eject said workpiece from said position.

5. A punch comprising a jig adapted to support a workpiece, associated male and female dies mounted in said jig in reciprocal relation, and an arm mounted on said jig, said arm including means to secure said workpiece between said male die and said female die, and means to eject said workpiece from said secured position.

6. A punch comprising a jig adapted to support a workpiece, associated male and female dies mounted in said jig in reciprocal relation, and an arm mounted on said jig, said arm including a plurality of fingers, a selected finger being adapted to secure said workpiece between said male die and said female die and another selected finger being adapted to eject said workpiece from said secured position.

'7. A punch comprising a jig adapted to support a workpiece, associated male and female dies mounted in said jig in reciprocal relation, and an arm mounted on said jig, said arm including a plurality of fingers, a selected finger being adapted to position said workpiece between said male die and said female die and to secure said workpiece therebetween and another selected finger being adapted to eject said workpiece from said secured position.

8. A punch comprising a jig adapted to guide a workpiece into operative position and support said workpiece in that position, associated male and female dies mounted in said-jig in reciprocal relation, and an arm mounted rotatably on said jig, said arm including a plurality of integral fingers, a selected finger being adapted upon rotation of said arm in one direction to position said workpiece in said operative position and to secure said workpiece thereat, and another selected finger being adapted upon rotation of said arm in the opposite direction to eject said workpiece from said jig.

9. A punch comprising a jig adapted to guide a workpiece into operative position against an adjustable screw mounted on a wall of said jig, said screw being adapted to proscribe the length of travel of said workpiece relative said jig, associated male and femal dies mounted in said jig in reciprocal relation, and an arm mounted rotatably on said jig, said arm including a plurality of integral fingers, a selected finger being adapted upon rotation of said arm in one direction to position said workpiece in said operative position and to secure said workpiece thereat, and another selected finger being adapted upon rotation of said arm in the opposite direction to eject said workpiece from said jig.

10. In a, workpiece jig, an arm secured rotatably to said jig, said arm including means to position a workpiece upon said jig and means to eject said workpiece from said position.

11. In a workpiece jig, an arm secured rotatably to Said jig, said arm including means to secure a workpiece upon said jig and means to eject said workpiece from said secured position.

12. In a workpiece jig, an arm secured rotatably to said jig, said arm including means to position and secure a workpiece upon said jig and means to eject said workpiece from said secured position.

13. In a workpiece jig, an arm secured rotatably to said jig, said arm including a pluraliti of fingers, a selected finger being adapted to secure a workpiece upon said jig and another selected finger being adapted to eject said workpiece from said secured position.

14. In a workpiece jig, an arm secured rotatably to said jig, sai-d arm including a plurality of fingers, a selected finger being adapted to position and to secure a workpiece upon said jig and another selected finger being adapted to eject said workpiece from said secured position.

15. In a workpiece jig, an arm secured rotatably to said jig, said arm including a plurality of fingers, a selected finger being adapted to position a workpiece against an adjustable screw mounted on a wall of said jig, said screw being adapted to proscribe the length of travel of said workpiec relative said jig, and another selected finger being adapted to eject said workpiece from said secured position.

JAMES F. MURPHY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 369,970 Stiles Sept. 13, 1887 2,229,393 Steffen Jan. 21, 1941

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