Arrangement Of Two Or More Automatically Operating Punching Machines In Form Of A Cooperating Machine Set

Abstract

An arrangement of at least two automatically operated stamping machines in the style of a cooperating machine set, which comprises a plurality of stamping machines disposed in one line and spaced apart equally from each other. A plurality of sheet supporting tables is disposed at a unitary level and a rotatable table is releasably inserted between each pair of adjacent of the stamping machines. The transfer tables connect a workpiece depositing station of each of the machines with a feeding station of the next following of the machines. The stamping machines comprise notching presses for the production of dynamo sheets for electromachines and disposed in series, and a separating press is disposed at the end of the row of the machines, the separating press dislocating said sheets combined during the passage of the preset notching presses into stator- and rotor-sheets and depositing the same separately.

Parent Case Text

This is a divisional application of the copending Pat. application, Ser. No. 730,277, filed May 20, 1968.

Description

The present invention relates to an arrangement of two or more automatically operating stamping machines in the style of a cooperating machine set.

It is known to combine stamping machines to a machine set, which forms a unit closed in itself, in which then a plurality of stations to be passed by a workpiece are provided. A typical example for this known combination of stamping machines is formed by the so-called transfer notching presses. This relates to an automatically operating machine, which is rigidly combined to part machines adapted relative to each other.

In this automatic machine, the raw workpiece, for instance a round, is fed in a feeding station into a first working station in which stator slots are punched.

Thereafter, the workpiece is fed from a corresponding device to the next operating station, in which the stator and the rotor are separated from each other. The following station forms the depositing station for the stator sheets and can be equipped, under circumstances, with a readiness magazine, while a next depositing station is provided for the deposit of the rotor sheets and can likewise be equipped with a readiness magazine. If instead of these mentioned five stations, a transfer automatic machine with six stations is produced, then after the separation and depositing of the stator sheets, a further working station can be provided, in which the rotor sheets prior to their deposit are grooved in the following depositing station.

Due to its relatively great, voluminous and complicated structure, the manufacturing costs for transfer notching presses are extremely great. The advantage of such automatic machines is, on the other hand, relatively slight, because they are capable of performing only one single operation. They form, therefore, relatively seldom usable special machines, the application of which is advantageous and economical only in exceptional cases.

In the industry, generally one must assume a frequent change of the operations to be performed by stamping machines. This applies also to the known notching presses, which, contrary to the transfer automatic machines, have only one stamping station. In the interest of a possibly multiple usable machine equipment and low purchasing cost in the practice generally a plurality of stamping machines are provided and set up, which are different as to their output, which are chosen such, that a possibly great working program, which may be required, can be covered. By corresponding additional devices such individual stamping machines can be transformed into notching presses, however, the machines can thereby operate noneconomically only, because individual already mentioned operating steps cannot be performed during groove stamping and production of stator- and rotor-sheets for electromachines in one single machine, so that a complicated and cumbersome transportation of the workpieces from one machine to another is required.

It is one object of the present invention to provide an arrangement of two or more automatically operating stamping machines in the style of a cooperating machine set, wherein the drawbacks set forth above of the known transfer notching presses are avoided, as well as the drawbacks of the known application of individual machines.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an arrangement of two or more automatically operating stamping machines in the style of a cooperating machine set, wherein the stamping machines are disposed in a line at equal relative distances and with sheet depositing tables arranged at a unitary level and wherein into the gaps between adjacent machines rotatable transfer tables are removably inserted, which connect the workpiece depositing station of a machine with the feeding station of the next following machine.

By this arrangement, it is brought about that by removal of the transfer table between two adjacent machines in accordance with the requirement, a separation of the arrangement can be obtained very easily and simply. Accordingly, the two stamping machines, which were combined by the transfer table, are independently from each other and individually operated. The transfer table forms a coupling member to which, on the other hand, during performance of complicated operations, the machines set up in one line are combined to a unitary machine set, which is in the position to perform the above-mentioned plurality of working operations in several stations, if, for instance, dynamo sheets are to be produced. The arrangement of sheet receiving tables takes place at a unitary height or level and the transfer tables form during their use for connection of adjacent stamping machines disposed in one line for the previous machines the depositing station, for the next following machine the feeder station. In comparison to the known transfer notching presses, in the novel arrangement of the stamping machines the costs for the purchase of the required machines themselves as well as for the transfer tables stand in an appreciably more favorable ratio to the obtainable advantage, as well as to the obtainable versatility.

A very appreciable further advantage of the arrangement according to the present invention can be obtained in a further development of the present invention such, that stamping machines of different output and size can be combined, if the transfer tables are equipped with stacking magazines for the workpieces.

With this further embodiment of the arrangement, the advantage is brought about, that the purchase of the stamping machines, which are to be set up in a line and which can be combined by means of the rotary tables to a cooperating machine set, can be chosen such, that, as has been set forth above, a possibly great range of different stamping operations can be performed. This means, that no care has to be taken, that all stamping machines have a unitary size or working output. The economy of the individual machines, as well as of the entire machine set formed by the arrangement of the individual machine, rises thereby appreciably, by the fact that due to the suitably adjusted output and size of the prevailing machine to the working operation to be performed an extensive complete exploitation can be obtained. The stacking magazines with which the transfer tables are equipped, take care, that also during operation in the arrangement no attention has to be paid to the fact, that all machines with the same working speed are operated, since due to the stacking magazines buffer stations are created, which balance out the different working speeds of the machines.

A possibly multiple working program is obtained by a further development of the arrangement of the present invention such, that stamping machines with one machine only and/or machines with two workpiece depositing stations are arranged in a line, whereby in case of machines with two depositing stations, one of these stations is either put to rest or is connected by means of the rotatably transfer table with additionally crosswise arranged machines. In case of such arrangement, the situation occurs, that in machines with two workpiece depositing stations, one of these stations is provisionally brought to rest during combination of these machines to a unitary working machine set. It is, however, the great advantage obtained, that upon removal of the transfer table, which causes the connection of the individual machines to a machine set, and individual stamping machine with two depositing stations is present, which can be operated within far limits individually.

If the individual stamping machines combined in accordance with the arrangement of the present invention are used particularly frequently in form of a machine set for the production of the dynamo sheets for electromachines, then particular advantages can be brought about such, that notching presses for the production of dynamo sheets for electromachines are arranged in form of a line, while at the end of the row of machines a separating press is provided, which divides the sheets combined during passing of the preset notching presses into stator- and rotor-sheets and deposits the latter separately. This arrangement is not only of advantage in view of the production of dynamo sheets, since a separating press can be applied in a multiple manner to other punching tasks, if by removal of the transfer table to the preset notching press, care is taken that the separating press is separated from the other machines of the arrangement.

In case of the arrangement in accordance with the present invention of stamping machines in form of a cooperating machine set and in particular then, when greater numbers of machines are combined in the arrangement, an advantage, not mentioned until now, can be obtained such, that by removal of only one single transfer table at the suitable point from the large machine set comprising many individual machines, under circumstances, two arrangements with a lesser number of combined individual machines can be created. The new arrangement permits a great number of diversifications and forms therefore the presumption for a nearly complete economical exploitation of each stamping machine belonging individually to the arrangement.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent in the following detailed description, the present invention will be clearly understood in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of an arrangement of two stamping machines of different size and formed as notching presses;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view, shown schematically, of two notching presses of equal size; and

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of an arrangement of two notching presses of equal size and a separating press.

Referring now to the drawing, and in particular to FIG. 1, two stamping machines 1 and 2 of different size formed as notching presses are disposed. Both are set up in a line next to each other, whereby care is taken, that the sheet receiving tables of both machines have a unitary level, in spite of the fact that the size or the output of the two machines 1 and 2 is different.

Both stamping machines 1 and 2 are equipped with a feeder station 1a and 2a, respectively, a working station 1b and 2b, respectively, a first depositing station 1c and 2c, respectively, and a second depositing station 1d and 2d, respectively. In both stamping machines 1 and 2 combined in an arrangement, as shown in FIG. 1, a rotatable transfer table 3 serves the connection of the two machines. It takes from the depositing station 1d of the stamping machine 1 rounds 4 which are obtained in case of stator slots, which is performed in the working station 1b of the stamping machine 1, while the complete stator sheets 5 are deposited in the depositing station 1c. The rotor rounds 4 received from the rotatable transfer table 3 are fed from the latter to the feeding station 2a of the stamping machine 2, pass there the working station 2b and are deposited into the depositing station 2c. The depositing station 2d of the stamping machine 2 is not required in this shown machine structure.

In the machines 1 and 2 shown in FIG. 1, the arrangement of two equal machine types, however, machines of different output are formed. Deviating from the shown embodiment of the arrangement machines 1 and 2 can also be combined, which are equipped with readiness--or stacking magazines 6, equipped in the feeding and depositing station, respectively. An example therefor shows, for instance, the arrangement of stamping machines disclosed in FIG. 2. The numerals applied in FIG. 2 correspond with those applied in FIG. 1. In summary, in the arrangement in accordance with FIG. 2, two stamping machines 7, equal as to output and type, are set up, whereby the machines are set up as in the arrangement of FIG. 1, such that they form one row. It is, however, as shown clearly in FIGS. 1 and 2, not a presumption, that the working stations of the prevailing machines, combined in an arrangement to a machine set, are provided in one line, rather it is essential, that from a depositing station of the one machine to the depositing station of the always following machine, a straight line connection is possible, that means, the feeding stations and the depositing stations, respectively, to be connected by means of the transfer table 3 must be flush relative to each other

In the arrangement in FIG. 2, the second machine is equipped with an index line having the numeral 7' for a better distinction. All stations carry a corresponding prime.

In the arrangement which is disclosed in FIG. 2, the sheets are transferred from a feeding station 7a into the working station 7b of the machine 7, and from the working station 7b of the machine 7 and from the working station 7b in the example stator sheets are deposited in the depositing station 7c, while rotor sheets are released in the deposit station 7d to the transfer table 3. The latter guides the stator sheets for forming the slots, upon performing a rotation of 180.degree. to the feeding station 7a' of the stamping machine 7' which, in turn, performs in the station 7b' the slotting of the rotor sheets and their deposition in the depositing station 7c'. The station 7d' is not used in the present example of the arrangement of two stamping machines 7 and 7'.

However, all depositing and feeding stations not charged by the rotary table of the two machines 7 and 7' are prepared by stacking and depositing magazines 6 for receiving a greater number of workpieces.

In FIG. 3 a further example for an arrangement of a plurality of stamping machines in form of a cooperative machine set is disclosed. In this arrangement, two equal stamping machines 8 and 8', as well as a separating press 9 are combined to a machine set. For the coupling of rotatable transfer tables 3, which can perform rotary steps for 180.degree. stepwise and successively, serve the individual machines 8 and 8' in which relative to the numerals the same principle has been applied as in connection with FIG. 2. In the stamping machine 8 and 8' and the separating press 9 the tool reception and deposit tables are arranged at an equal height. The stamping machines 8 and 8' are arranged in a row adjacent each other, on which in the same distance, however, in an angular position the separating press 9 is joined. Essential in this arrangement is, however, as has been set forth above, that a depositing station of one machine is flush with the feeding station of the next machine and that the centerlines of these two stations form a straight line, respectively.

During the production of dynamo sheets for electromachines, the arrangement shown in FIG. 3 operates in the following manner:

In the feeding station 8a rounds are inserted in one working station 8b and the stator slots are stamped out. The rounds are thereafter released in the depositing station 8c to the transfer table 3, while the second depositing station 8d remains unused. The transfer table 3 transfers the workpieces equipped with stator slots to the feeding station 8a' of the second stamping machine 8' of this arrangement, which equips the workpieces in the working station 8b' now additionally also with rotor slots. In the depositing station 8c' of this stamping machine the workpieces are transferred to a further rotatable transfer table 3, which performs the further transportation of all workpieces to the following separating press 9. The second depositing station 8b' of this stamping machine 8' remains unused. In the separating press 9, the workpieces, which are fed by the rotary table 3 thereto, are received in the feeding station 9a and in the working station 9b in such manner that stator and rotor are separated from each other.

In the depositing station 9c of the separating press 9, for instance, the stator sheets are piled up and mounted in layer form over each other, while the rotor sheets pass through the depositing table and are collected separately.

In the arrangement in accordance with FIG. 3, stacking magazines are not provided. It should be emphasized however, that in all FIGS. 1--3 shown examples of arrangements of two or more stamping machines to a cooperative machine set, stacking magazines can be used at any time. The advantage results thereby that the working rhythm of the individual machines combined to an arrangement can be different, since the stacking magazines balance out such differences by temporary reception and again release, if required, of the workpieces.

While we have disclosed on embodiment of the present invention, it is to be understood that this embodiment is given by example only and not in a limiting sense.

Claims

We claim:

1. An arrangement of at least two automatically operated stamping machines in the style of a cooperating machine set, comprising:

a plurality of stamping machines disposed in one line and spaced apart equally from each other;

a plurality of sheet supporting tables disposed at a unitary level;

a rotatable transfer table releasably inserted between each pair of adjacent of said stamping machines;

said transfer tables connected a workpiece depositing station of each of said machines with a feeding station of the next following of said machines;

said stamping machines comprising notching presses for the production of dynamo sheets for electromachines and disposed in series; and

a separating press disposed at the end of the row of said machines, said separating press dislocating said sheets combined during the passage of said preset notching presses into stator- and rotor-sheets and depositing the same separately.