Angularly adjustable punch adaptor

Abstract

An angularly adjustable adaptor for sheet material punching tools consisting of a first cylindrical member adapted to seat in the ram or table of a punch press and keyable in a plurality of angular positions with respect thereto. A second member telescopically insertable into the first member and keyable in a plurality of positions with respect to the first member. The second member being adaptable to hold an active punching member.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

This invention relates to an adaptor for punching tools which provides the facility of positioning co-operating punch and die members in a plurality of closely spaced angular positions.

In known punch systems the punch adaptor may be provided with, for instance, four internal splines and the punch member per se is also provided with four external mating splines which, when the punch is inserted in the adaptor, prevent relative angular movement.

If the splines are spaced 90.degree. apart, it is possible to obtain four angularly spaced positions of a punch 90.degree. apart.

This angular adaptability is not always sufficient and it has been necessary to have on hand a number of punches with similarly shaped active punch faces but with different angular relationships with respect to the splines.

In an effort to improve on this situation, punch adaptors have been provided with a number of possible angular positions with respect to a press ram or table, but these positions have been rather widely spaced. As an example of such a device, reference can be made to U.S. Pat. No. 3,086,419 - Fox - issued Apr. 23, 1963.

However, with increasing complexity and miniaturization of apparatus, spacings and angular relationships have become critical and it is very desirable to have the facility to position a contoured punch face readily at one of a number of angular positions with respect to a punch press work table. The same reasoning of course applies to the co-operating die member and adaptor and in the further descriptive statements made with respect to adaptors are equally applicable to punch and die adaptors alike taking into account that the angular relationships must be mirror.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

According to the present invention an agularly adjustable adaptor for a punch member comprises a first cylindrical member mountable in a supporting surface of a punch press and provided with plurality of circumferentially spaces slots substantially parallel to the axis of the cylinder, the slots are individually selectable to co-operate with a key member to fix the position of the first member with respect to the supporting surface, a plurality of radial slots are provided on one end surface of the first member, a second cylindrical member is mounted within the first member, the second member having an end surface provided with a plurality of radial slots at least individually alignable and keyable with respect to each end slot of the first member, the second member, being adapted to hold therein an active punch member in a predetermined angular position with respect to the second member.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a punch or die adaptor which provides for easy angular rotational adjustment of the adaptor to any one of a multiple of angular positions, for instance, angular positions spaced 1.degree. apart about a complete circle.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an adaptor that is simple to use and economical to manufacture.

Further objects and advantages of the adaptor according to the present invention with become apparent as the description proceeds with reference being made to the figures of the drawing in which;

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of an embodiment of the invention as applied to a punch adaptor.

FIG. 2 shows an assembled view of the components of FIG. 1 and,

FIG. 3 shows an assembled view of an adaptor mounted in a supporting surface of a punch press.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the Figure designation number 1 refers to a first cylindrical member which can be termed the main body member of the adaptor, the part of the mechanism which is secured, at least angularly, with respect to the press ram table. Numeral 2 designates a second cylindrical member which can be termed an intermediate member which provides an interconnection between the main body member 1 and a punch member 3. The term "punch member" can be regarded as referring either to a punch per se or the die with which a punch co-operates during the punching action.

Adaptor main body 1 is provided with a cylindrical body portion 4 and a larger diameter rim portion 5 located at one end of the cylinder part. An inner ledge 6 is provided and may be constituted by the end face of cylinder portion 1, the portions preferably forming one integral part. The inner ledge 6 acts as a stop or locating surface for part 2 of the adaptor. The lower surface 7 of rim 5 acts as a locating surface when, for instance, the adaptor part 5 is inserted into a counter-sunk hole in a worktable of a punch press with which the punchint adaptor may be used. The upper surface 8 of rim 5 preferable is flush with the surface of the punch press worktable when the adaptor is mounted therein.

The outer surface of rim 5 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots 9a, 9b, 9c, etc., shown spaced 20 apart, which are designed to co-operate with a key member 10, see FIG. 3, to fix the adaptor at a desired angular position with respect to the worktable or other supporting surface in which the adaptor is mounted. Key 10 may be integral with the supporting surface. It will be obvious that any particular outer rim slot 9 may be positioned to co-operate with key 10. The calibrations shown associated with slots 9 are for illustration of the use of the invention and will be referred to subsequently.

The upper surface of rim 5 is provided with a plurality of slots 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d, 11e, one of which, 11a, coincides in location with one of the outer slots 9a. Slots 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d and 11e are preferably spaced 46.degree., 47.degree., 48.degree. and 49.degree. apart respectively. Each slot 11 is provided with a screw accommodating hole 12 so that a further key 13 may be secured thereto, see FIG. 3. Key 13, as shown in FIG. 3, co-operates with surface slots 18 of a second cylindrical member 2 which is similar in configuration to main member 1 and telescopically insertable thereinto with a close fit as shown best in perspective in FIG. 2.

Intermediate member 2 is supplied with an internal key 17, which co-operates with a key slot 19 on the head portion of an active punch member 3 shown in part only.

OPERATION OF THE INVENTION

The use of the adaptor, according to the invention, will now be described with particular reference to FIG. 3.

Key 10, secured to the supporting surface 19, is shown in position in slot 9b calibrated 60.degree.. If 0.degree. calibrated slot 9a is considered the reference point of member 1 for angular rotation, then the first cylindrical member 1 has been rotated clockwise 60.degree. with respect to the supporting surface reference or 0.degree. line designated O--O and shown as a dashed line.

Key member 13 is secured to member 1 at slot 9a, the 0.degree. reference for the member, and member 2 has been rotated anti-clockwise 90.degree. from the 0.degree. reference slot 18a of member 2. Considering clockwise movement as being positive and counter-clockwise as being negative, the angular position of member 2 with respect to reference line O--O can be represented by the equation 60.degree. - 90.degree. = -30.degree..

Thus reference slot 18a of member 2 is positioned 30 counter-clockwise from reference line O--O of the supporting surface. If key 13 were mating with slot 18b instead of 18c, the angular position of member 2 with respect to reference line O--O would be

60.degree. - 45.degree. = 15.degree.

or 15.degree. clockwise with respect thereto.

It will be seen that with key 10 at 60.degree., reference slot 9b of member 1, and key 13 at slot 9a and using slots 18a, 18b, 18c and 18d member 2 can be positioned at 60.degree., 15.degree., -30.degree., and -75.degree. with respect to reference line O.

By using slots 18d, 18e, 18f and 18g positions 180.degree. displaced from these may be obtained. For instance, the 180.degree. position related to the position shown in FIG. 3 is -30.degree. + 180.degree. = +150.degree. or conversely -30.degree. - 180.degree. = -210.degree. which of course, is the same angular position with respect to the reference line O--O. Also using other slots 45.degree., 90.degree. and 135.degree. related positions can be obtained. For instance, with keys as shown in member 1 in FIG. 3 the following angular locations of member 2 can be obtained:

60.degree.

60.degree. - 45.degree. = 15.degree.

60.degree. - 90.degree. = -30.degree. = +330.degree.

60.degree. - 135.degree. = -75.degree. = +285.degree.

60.degree. - 180.degree. = -120.degree. = +240.degree.

60.degree. - 180.degree. - 45.degree. = -165.degree. = +195.degree.

60.degree. - 180.degree. - 90.degree. = -210.degree. = +150.degree.

60.degree. - 180.degree. - 135.degree. = -255.degree. = +105.degree.

By moving key 10 to other slots 9, 20.degree. related position to the above can be obtained - i.e. 35.degree., -10.degree., -100.degree., -145.degree. and -190.degree.. An examination of the above and other possibilities will show that any angular position between 0.degree. and 360.degree. spaced 5.degree. apart, may be obtained for member 2 with respect to reference line O--O by proper placement of keys 10 and 13.

In order that even smaller angular increments of displacement may be achieved, slots 11b, 11c, 11d and 11e are supplied in member 1. These slots are displaced clockwise from 0.degree. slot 11a by 46.degree., 92.degree., 138.degree. and 184.degree. so that by adding, for instance, 92.degree. by using slot 11c and subtracting 90.degree. by using slot 18c and adding 90.degree. a clockwise rotation of 2.degree. of member 2 with respect to member 1 may be obtained. It is considered for illustration that the 0.degree. reference position of member 2 with respect to member 1 exists when key 13 is in slot 11a of member 1 and slot 18a of member 2. It will now be obvious that any position between 0.degree. and 360.degree. spaced by 1 angular increment, may be obtained for member 2 with respect to reference line O--O.

Although the adaptor according to the invention has been described with reference to obtaining 1.degree. increments of angular displacement, it will be obvious that other particular displacements may be provided in the embodiments of the invention by those skilled in the art, which embodiments do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims appended hereto.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. An angularly adjustable adaptor for a punch member comprising a first cylindrical member mountable in a supporting surface of a punch press and provided with plurality of circumferentially spaced slots substantially parallel to the axis of the cylinder, the slots are individually selectable to cooperate with a key member to fix the position of the first member with respect to the supporting surface, a plurality of radial slots are provided on one end surface of the first member, a second cylindrical member is mounted within the first member, the second member having an end surface provided with a plurality of radial slots at least individually alignable and keyable with respect to each end slot of the first member, the second member, being adapted to hold therein an active punch member in a predetermined angular position with respect to the second member.

2. The adaptor as claimed in claim 1 wherein the circumferential slots of the first member are circumferentially spaced by an angle which is an integral subdivision of 360.degree..

3. The adaptor as claimed in claim 1 wherein the angular spacing between the end slots of the first member differ by an integral subdivision of the angle between the circumferential slots.

4. The adaptor as claimed in claim 1 wherein the angular spacing between the circumferential slots, is an integral subdivision of 360.degree., the angular spacing between the end slots of the first member differ by an amount which is an integral subdivision of the angle between circumferential slots of the first member and wherein the angular spacing between the end slots of the second member encompass an angle which is equal to an integral number of angular spacings between the circumferential slots plus the total angular difference between the end surface slots of the first member plus one further such angular difference spacing.

5. An angularly adjustable adaptor for an active punching member for use in a sheet material punching press comprising a first cylindrical member adapted to be mounted vertically in a supporting surface of the punch press in a selected one of a plurality of related angular positions with respect thereto, the angular positions each being a sub-multiple of 360.degree., a second cylindrical member insertable into the first cylindrical member in one of a plurality of angular positions differing by an angle which is a sub-multiple of the angular spacing of the selectable positions of the first cylindrical member, said second cylindrical member being adapted to hold an active punch member therein in a fixed angular position.

6. An angularly adjustable adaptor for mounting an active punch member in a sheet metal punching machine comprising a first cylindrical member having axially aligned circumferential slots spaced by equal angles about the circumference of the cylindrical member and being keyable with respect to a fixed position of a mounting surface of the punching maching, the first member being provided with radial slots on one end surface thereof, the radial slots being spaced by angles which differ from each other in sequence by an angle which is a sub-multiple of the angular spacing of the circumferential slots, a second cylindrical member insertable within the first cylindrical member and provided with a plurality of end surface slots spaced by angles which equal (N+1) d degrees plus an integral multiple of the angular spacings of the circumferential slots, where N is the number of end surface slots of the first cylinder and d is the difference angle between adjacent ones of these end slots, each of the end slots of the first cylindrical member being keyable with respect to each end slot of the second cylindrical member and the second cylindrical member being adapted to hold an active punching member therein in a fixed position.

7. The adaptor as claimed in claim 6 wherein the circumferential slots of the first cylinder are spaced by 20.degree. about the circumference thereof, the end slots of the first cylindrical member are five in total spaced by 46.degree., 92.degree., 138.degree. and 184.degree. respectively and the end slots of the second cylindrical member are spaced by 45.degree..

8. The adaptor as claimed in claim 6 wherein one of the end slots of the first cylinder corresponds in radial position with one of the circumferential slots.