US3455141A - Mechanical press - Google Patents

Description

July 15, 1969 Q BRACCO ET AL MECHANICAL PRESS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 25, 1967 July 15, 1969 BRACCO ETAL MECHANICAL PRESS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 23, 1967 July 15, 1969 BRACCO ETAL MECHANICAL PRESS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 25, 1967 July 15, 1969 c BRACCO ET AL 3,455,141

MECHANICAL PRES S July 15, 1959 c, BRACCO ET AL 3,455,141

MECHANICAL PRESS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 23, 1967 .M II .1.

3,455,141 Patented July 15, 1969 3,455,141 MECHANICAL PRESS Cesare Bracco and Sergio Taverna, Turin, Italy, assignors to Fiat Societa per Azioni, Turin, Italy Filed Jan. 23, 1967, Ser. No. 610,987 Claims priority, application Italy, Apr. 8, 1966, 8,518/66 Int. Cl. B21j 13/08; B21d 43/02; B30b 15/06 U.S. Cl. 72446 14 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An improved mechanical press of the type generally used for drawing sheet metal, the press comprising a substantially quadrilateral bedplate to which one-half of a mould is secured, a ram to which the other mould half is secured and means for removing the ram towards and away from the said bedplate. Supporting tables are provided on each side of the bedplate, the supporting tables having roller conveyors and the bedplate itself carrying rollers which may be either retracted to below the bedplate surface or raised to above the said bedplate surface. Positioning means are provided on the supporting tables for moving the moulds transversely of the conveyors. With this roller arrangement moulds may be removed and replaced along a path which is substantially at right angle to the path followed by the sheet metal.

The invention relates to mechanical presses which in use include a mould and more particularly to presses for drawing sheet metal components of motor vehicle bodies.

In known presses of the above-mentioned type drawing is eifected by means of a divided mould, the bottom half of which is secured to a bedplate, and the top half of which is secured to a ram which is mounted to be vertically slidable in a frame overlying the bedplate. The said frame is formed with lateral openings for feeding into the mould of the sheet metal to be drawn and for removal of the drawn parts therefrom. The moulds themselves are also introduced and removed through these openings.

When the moulds are of considerable size, their replacement becomes difiicult and use of the press for manufacture is thus prevented for long periods at a time. Moreover, replacement of such moulds necessitates the use of lifting and conveying means, such as hoists, cranes and the like and such use, of course, calls for the presence of skilled operators.

It is an object of the invention to obviate such drawbacks by simplifying and shortening mould replacement.

A further object of the invention is to provide a press of the above-mentioned type wherein the mould may be replaced by means which themselves form a part of the press, thereby avoiding the necessity to use hoists, cranes and the like and reducing labour requirements.

According to these and further objects of the invention there is provided a press for a mould, for instance for drawing material such as sheet metal parts of motor vehicle bodies and of the type having a substantially quadrilateral bedplate to which one mould half is secured, a ram to which the other mould half is attached and means for effecting vertical movements of the ram towards and away from the said bedplate, the material to be drawn being fed to the mould on one side of the bedplate and removed, after drawing, from the opposite side thereof, the press comprising two supporting tables for the moulds, the said tables being substantially co-planar with the press bedplate and extending from two opposite sides thereof towards the press exterior transversely of the direction of material feed and removal.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be clear from the following description, given with reference to the accompanying drawings which are by way of example and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a press according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of a detail of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a mould for the press;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a possible modification of the invention;

FIGS. 5 and 6 show further details, of a press according to the invention, also on an enlarged scale and in sectional views respectively taken along lines V--V and VI-VI of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a part sectional plan view of the press; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a detail of FIG. 4 taken along the line VIIIVIII thereof.

With reference first to FIGS. 1 and 2, the press according to the invention may be seen to comprise a frame 1 having four pillars 2, 3, 4, 5 which are arranged at the corners of a rectangular bedplate 6, the four sides of which bedplate are denoted A, B, C and D respectively. A rectangular ram 7 is mounted between the four columns to be slidable in a vertical direction and means known per se (not shown) are provided in the top portion 8 of the said frame 1 for effecting movement of the ram 7 towards and away from the bedplate 6. Such means may, for instance, comprise mechanically operated cylinders.

The bedplate 6 is formed in its sides A and B which extend between the columns 1, 2 and 3 with four notches 9 each adapted to receive the stem 10 of a T-shaped bolt 11, the head portion of each of which bolts is situated above the plane of the bedplate. The bottom end of each bolt stem 10 is hinged, by means of a pin 12 which is arranged parallel to the respective side of the bedplate, to

one end of a rod 13. The said rods 13 are each associated with the piston of a vertically arranged pneumatic cylinder 14 which is secured to the bedplate 6 by means of a support 15.

Four similar vertically arranged pneumatic cylinders 16 are secured, by means of supports 17, to the sides of the ram 7 which is formed with four notches 18 adapted to receive the stems 19 of T-bolts 20 hingered, by means of pins 21, to piston rods 22 of the said cylinder 16.

The bolts 11 and 20 serve respectively to anchor the bedplate 6 to the bottom half 23 of a mould 25 and the ram 7 to the top half 24 0f the said mould 25 (FIG, 3). Supporting plates 26, 27, are secured respectively to the bottom face of the bottom half 23 and top face of the top half 24 of the mould 25. The supporting plate 26 is formed, in areas of its side edges M, N extending beyond the block which forms the bottom mould half 23, with four notches 28 and four notches 29 (two notches 28 and two notches 29 being formed in each said side). The supporting plate 27 is formed in its corresponding edges M1, N1 with four notches 30 (two notches 30 being formed in each said side).

When the mould 25 is positioned on the bedplate 6 and the ram 7 is lowered to bear thereon, the notches 28 are aligned with the notches 9 and the notches 30 are aligned with the notches 18. This arrangement enables the bolts 11, 20, respectively, to be inserted in the aligned notch pairs.

The sheet metal to be drawn is fed to the mould and the drawn parts are removed therefrom, through the openings existing between the columns 2 and 3, and between the columns 4 and 5, the metal being moved in the direction denoted by the arrow F1 (FIGS. 1 and 2) by suitable conveying means known per se and not shown.

According to previously known techniques, the operations of inserting and removing the moulds have been carried out with suitable equipment also in the direction of the arrow F1 which direction is transversely of the sides A and B of the bedplate 6.

According to the invention, however, the press is providcd with means for introducing and removing the moulds in the direction denoted by the arrow F2 (FIGS. 1 and 2) which direction is transversely of the direction of sheet metal feed and removal of the drawn parts.

The said means comprises two supporting tables 31, 32 which are arranged to be substantially co-planar with the bedplate 6 and which extend from the sides C and D of the said 'plate through the openings between the columns 2 and 4 and 3 and 5.

The supporting table 31 comprises a rectangular frame 33 on which two free roller conveyors 34, 35 are mounted, the rollers 36 thereof being arranged parallel with the side C of the bedplate 6. As shown in FIG. 1, there is arranged a pusher 37 beside each conveyor 34, 35, one pusher 37 only being however provided between the con veyors 34, 35, in the alternative embodiment shown on an enlarged scale in FIG. 4. Each pusher 37 comprises a hydraulic cylinder 38 of length not less than half the length of the conveyors 34, 35. Each cylinder 38 is secured to the frame 33, so that the rod 39 of the piston of the cylinder 38 extends towards the side C of the bedplate 6.

Rails 40, 41 (illustrated in detail by way of example in FIGS. 4 and 8 in association with the single pusher thereof) are arranged on both sides of the cylinder or cylinders 38 and extend throughout the length of the frame 33. Rollers 42, 43 are arranged to roll along the rails 40, 41 and together carry a head portion 44 which is secured transversely of the piston rod 39, further rollers 45, 46 being movable over the rails and carrying a lug 47 which is axially slidable on the cylinder 38. The said head portion 44 and the said lug 47 are rigidly interconnected by rods 48 which are equal in length to the cylinder 38 and which extend parallel to the axis of the said cylinder.

The rollers which carry the head portion 44 and the lug 47 have arranged beside them further rollers 49, 50 and 51, 52, respectively, over which further roller pairs 49, 51 and 50, 52 links of stroke-amplifying transmission chains 53,- 54 are respectively wound. The said chains extend parallel to each other and their lower sides are respectively attached to the rails 40, 41 at the level of the head portion of the cylinder 38, the top sides of the said links being attached to a slide 55 which is movable over the rails 40, 41. An angle member 56 and a hook 57 are hinged to the slide 55 respectively by means of pins 58, 59 which pins extend transversely of the axis of the cylinder 38.

The intermediate portion of each side of the frame 33 has secured thereto a bracket 60 having mounted thereon, for displacement transversely of the movement of the slide 55, a girder 61. The said girders 61 each carry, on

their side facing the frame 33, a plurality of free rollers 62 which extend beyond the supporting table 31 and are rotatable about their vertical axes. The movements of each girder 61 are elfected by respective pneumatic cylinders 63 secured to the sides of the frame 33.

The supporting table 32, which is arranged axially opposite the table 31, comprises a rectangular frame 64 having mounted thereon two free roller conveyors 65, 66 which are positioned as extensions of the conveyors 34, 35, respectively, from the side D of the bedplate 6.

A plurality of cylindrical recesses 67, each having a vertical axis, are formed in the bedplate 6 (FIGS. 1 and 2), the recesses being arranged in two parallel rows adjacent the sides A and B of the said bedplate. The recesses 67 each receive a free roller 68 which is caused, by a hydraulic jack 69 (FIG. 5), to perform vertical movements between two end positions. In one of these end pos1tions the roller 68 extends beyond the bedplate 6 and 1s co-planar with the rollers 36 of the conveyors 34, 35, and in the other the said roller is withdrawn into the recesses 67. The latter is conveniently referred to as the inoperative position of the roller 68.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the said roller 68 is mounted on a pivot 70, the ends of which are guided vertically in two eyelets 71 formed in the body portion of the hydraulic jack 69. The axes of the pivots extend parallel to those of the rollers 36 of the conveyors 34, 35. All the hydraulic jacks 60 are connected to a common pressure fluid pump (not shown) by a pipe 72, so that the said jacks are simultaneously operated both on extension and collapse.

As shown in FIG. 6, two retractable plungers 73 are arranged along the side D of the bedplate 6, each plunger being urged by a spring 74 to extend beyond the plane of the plate 6 and arranged to be withdrawn by means of a hydraulic cylinder 75 fed with pressure fluid through a conduit 76.

In order to assemble the mould 25 in its operative position in the press, the said mould is placed on the conveyors 34, 35 of the supporting table 31 so that the sides M, N of the plate 26 having the notches 28, 29 are parallel with the sides A, B of the bedplate 6 (FIG. 7). The mould is centred on the table 31 by operation of the cylinders 63 to engage the girders 61 with the sides M, N of the plate 26 and so move the mould transversely of the longitudinal axis of the table 31. Fluid under pressure is then supplied to the hydraulic jacks 69 and the hylraulic cylinders 75 in order respectively to lift the rollers 68 above the plane of the bedplate and to withdraw the plungers 73.

The pushers 37 are then operated and the mould 25 is moved by the angle members" 56 towards the bedplate 6. As will be evident, during displacement over the bedplate, the mould is supported by the rollers 68 in order to avoid sliding contact between the plate 26 and the bedplate 6.

When the notches 29 in the plate 26 lie above the plungers 73, the hydraulic cylinders are emptied so that the springs 74 can extend and urge the said plungersinto the said notches. This prevents any further movement of the mould with respect to the bedplate. The rollers 68 are now lowered by emptying of the cylinders of the hydraulic jacks 69. When the mould is lowered it bears directly upon the upper surface of the bedplate 6. The ram 7 is then lowered on the mould and the bolts 11, 20 are engaged by the notches 28, 40 respectively in the latter.

The press is now ready for operation and during such operation a further mould can be stored on the supporting table 31 for subsequent use in the press, the further mould being centred by means of the girders 61 and pneumatic cylinders 63 as described above.

In order to substitute the said further mould situated on the supporting table 31, for the mould being used in the press, the bolts 11, 20 are released from their notches, the ram 7 is lifted and the pushers 33 are operated after the plungers 73 have been withdrawn and the rollers 68 raised to lift the mould above the bedplate 6 on which it is situated.

Movement of the pushers 37 causes the further mould to be moved towards the bedplate 6 and the mould thereon is pushed thereoif and onto the supporting table 32. The further mould is attached to the bedplate 6 and ram 7 by means of the bolts 11, 20 respectively, and the mould which now rests on the supporting table 32 can be removed and stored or returned to the supporting table 31.

If desired, the mould can be returned directly from the bedplate 6 to the supporting table 31. This is elfected by engaging it with the hooks 57 and moving the pushers in an opposite direction, that is to say, away from the bedplate 6.

Various modifications of the invention are of course possible within the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. Press for a mould for drawing material such as sheet metal parts of motor vehicles, having two halves, the press comprislng a substantially quadrilateral bedplate, a ram, means for effecting vertical movements of the ram towards and away from the bedplate, releasable attachme t means securing respective mould halves to the bedplate and the ram respectively, two mould supporting tables arranged substantially coplanar with the bedplate and extending from two opposite sides thereof, wherein the improvement comprises the combination of:

(a) respective roller conveyors on said supporting tables, the axes of the conveyor rollers being parallel to the direction of feed of material to and from the mould,

(b) means engageable with moulds on said conveyors and effective to move moulds longitudinally of said conveyors transversely to the axes of the conveyor rollers, and

(c) pusher means on each supporting table, and actuator means for moving said pusher means parallel to the conveyor roller axes to move a mould thereon transversely of the respective conveyor to align the mould with the bedplate.

2. Press as claimed in claim 1 wherein each said supporting table comprises:

(a) a stationary frame extending towards the press bedplate, and

(b) two parallel roller conveyors mounted on the said stationary frame to extend towards the press bedplate.

3. Press as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said bedplate has formed therein a plurality of vertically extending recesses and there are provided a plurality of free rollers, the said free rollers being housed within the bedplate recesses with their axes parallel to the rollers of the said conveyors, fluid pressure actuator means being provided for simultaneously displacing the said rollers in their respective recesses between an inoperative condition in which they are withdrawn and an operative position in which they extend beyond the surface of the said bedplate to present a rolling surface co-planar with that of the rollers of the said conveyors.

4. Press as claimed in claim 1 wherein recesses are formed in the said bedplate and retractable plungers are provided in the said recesses, the said plungers being spring baised to extend beyond the said bedplate surfaces to engage notches defined in the said mould, and fluid pressure actuator means being provided to withdraw the said plungers to or below the said bedplate surface.

5. Press as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said means for moving the said mould longitudinally of the said conveyors comprises at least one pusher, the said pusher having an angle member arranged above the said supporting table, a slide being provided which slide carries the said angle member and which is movable longitudinally of the said conveyors.

6. Press as claimed in claim 5 wherein the said slide is movable by a hydraulic jack arranged parallel to the said conveyors and secured to the said frame.

7. Press as claimed in clai-m 5 wherein the said slide is movable by a pneumatic jack arranged parallel to the said conveyors and secured to the said frame.

8. Press as claimed in claim 5 wherein a hook is provided on a said pusher, by means of which said hook the said pusher may draw a said mould away from the said bedplate.

9. Press as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said pusher means for moving the said mould transversely of the said conveyors comprise two girders extending parallel to the said conveyors and protruding above the said supporting table on opposite sides thereof, each said girder being operabel by said actuataor means to effect movements of the said girder transversely of the said conveyors.

10. Press as claimed in claim 9, wherein said girders are provided on their mould-engaging sides with free rollers rotatable about vertical axes.

11. Press as claimed in claim 9, wherein said girder actuator means comprise respective fluid pressure actuators.

12. Press as claimed in claim 5, in which the pusher comprises a fluid pressure actuator arranged parallel to the conveyors, a head movable by the actuator longitudinally of the conveyors, rollers carried by the head having axes of rotation parallel to the conveyor roller axes, and stroke-amplifying chains anchored at one end to the respective supporting table and passing around respective said rollers and secured at their other ends to the slide.

13. Press as claimed in claim 5, in which two pushers are mounted on the frame of each supporting table outwardly of the two roller conveyors thereon.

14. Press as claimed in claim 12, in which a single hydraulic pusher is mounted on the frame of each supporting table between two roller conveyors and directly connected to the mould.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,543,498 2/ 1951 Japikse -299 X 2,913,946 11/1959 Ellrich 100-299 X 2,965,369 12/1960 Acker et al 198-221 X 2,996,025 8/ 1961 Georgeff 100-224 3,002,479 10/1961 Johansen et al 100-224 3,111,100 11/1963 Georgeff 100-224 3,134,350 5/1964 Danly et a1 100-299 X 3,225,686 12/ 1965 Clements 100-229 3,229,791 1/ 1966 Soman 100-229 3,230,869 1/ 1966 Wilkens 100-224 3,316,834 5/1967 Draganti 100-229 FOREIGN PATENTS 950,884 2/1964 Great Britain.

CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner E. M. COMBS, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 72-421, 422; 100-229, 299

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