GB1249394A - Power presses - Google Patents

Abstract

1,249,394. Metal working press line; stamping. WILKINS & MITCHELL Ltd. 14 April, 1970 [7 March, 1969; 1 April, 1969], Nos. 12079/69 and 16918/69. Headings B3H and B3Q. A press line 10-12 has transfer devices 33, 34 between the presses and control means for the presses to change the speed or stop or start the press in dependence on the number of workpieces in the transfer device. One press (the master press) 12 is driven at a fixed speed and the other presses are each controlled by the succeeding transfer device. Each transfer device has a set of arms 35-40 with workpiece holders 42. The arms are driven by an electric motor through a clutch and have abutments 44 to prevent overtaking. Each press has pairs of grippers 14, 15 moved in synchronism with the press to transfer workpieces through the press. The presses have locking means (not further described) to hold the arms in position to receive or discharge a workpiece. The press 10 is stopped or started in dependence on the workpieces in the transfer device 33. In the embodiment the press is stopped when there are three workpieces in the arms of the device between the presses and started when there is only one Alternatively the presses 10, 11 can be run continuously and their speeds varied by an eddy current coupling between an A.C. drive motor and its press or by a regulatable D.C. motor. In a second embodiment, Figs. 3 and 4 (not shown), the master press (60) precedes the variable speed or discontinuous presses (61)- (63). The transfer device (64) between the first press (60) and the press (61) is similar to those of the first embodiment and also inverts the work-pieces. The other transfer devices (65)- (67) are in the form of carriages on conveyers (110). Each press can have its bottom bolster (68)- (71) replaced by moving it along guide rails (72)-(76) to a magazine, Fig. 4 (not shown).