US3167990A - Die clicker conductive blocks - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 2, 1965 F. P. GlLMARTlN DIE CLICKER CONDUCTIVE BLOCKS Filed Jan. 5, 1960 v INVENTOR, FRANCIS P, GILMARTIN,

ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofifiee 3,1519% Patented Feb. 2, 1965 3,167,990 DIE CLICKER CONDUCTIVE BLOCKS Francis P. Gilmartin, 172 Pacific St, Brooklyn, N.Y. Filed Jan. 5, 1960, Ser. No. 539 3 Claims. (Cl. 83-658) The present invention relates to presses of the type commonly known as clickers used for cutting blanks of sheet material by bringing the platen towards a cutting block on its bed. On the cutting block is a piece of sheet material on which rests a cutting die. Upon movement of the platen as aforesaid, it pushes the die through the sheet stock, then moves away so that the press is ready for the next operation. There is an electrically operated system to cause automatic return of the platen away from the cutting block, as soon :as the cutting edge of the die contacts the block, the circuit of which system is controlled by the closing of a switch means. The cutting block is electrically conductive, but the electrically conductive bed plate of the press is insulated from the electrically conductive platen. It is evident that if the platen is made one terminal of such switch device :and the bed plate the other, that the circuit would be closed when the die has passed through the sheet stock to contact the block; either the sheet stock is a dielectric or a dielectric sheet as of paper is laid under the sheet stock. This invention relates to such switching means, but particularly to .a novel and improved cutting block which is part thereof and is applicable to any electrical control system of the character mentioned.

Various attempts have been made heretofore to provide an electrically conductive cutting block having some resilient quality and they have been made of a rubber composition impregnated throughout with substance to make it electrically conductive. Not only is it expensive to be made such way, but its thickness is rather limited due to the electrical resistance offered.

It is therefore the principal object of this invention to provide a cutting block which can be made of any desired thickness and yet be a good electrical conductor for the purposes it is employed in the aforementioned switch means.

Another object thereof is to provide novel and im proved cutting block construction which is easy and cheap to manufacture and efficient in carrying out the purposes for which it is designed.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this disclosure proceeds.

For the practice of this invention, the cutting board shall be of dielectric material of a composition of suitable hardness and preferably having some resilient quality, presenting on one or both of its surfaces on which the cutting is done by the die, a multiplicity of relatively small-area soft electrically conductive elements in spaced relation so that regardless of how the die is positioned thereon, the die will contact .at least one of said elements after it has cut the blank; each of said elements offering electrically conductive paths in the board and preferably terminating in the opposite surface of such cutting board, for contact with the bed plate of the press.

The cutting board may assume the form of a laminated structure consisting of a multiplicity of dielectric planks of a rubber composition and of a multiplicity of soft metal sheet members as of aluminum; said metal sheets and dielectric planks being assembled in alternate relation; the surface of said cutting board on which the blank is cut by the die, being one presenting edges of said metal sheet members and it is preferred that the opposite edges of said sheet members shall be in the opposite surface of the board to contact the bed plate of the press. Other forms of construction following the teachings of this invention, will also be shown and described herein.

In the accompanying drawing which is part of this specification, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side view of an hydraulicallyoperated clicker equipped with one form of electrical control system for automatic return of the platen when the die has reached the cutting board; the wiring system being shown in diagrammatic fashion, but it is the cutting board included in the switch means to close such circuit which embodies the teachings of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cutting board included in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of a cutting board of a slightly modified construction.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view shown part in section, of another modified construction.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of still another form of construction for a cutting board.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view shown partly in section, showing another construction of cutting board.

All constructions shown, being examples of cutting boards which embody the teachings of this invention.

In the drawing, the numeral 15 designates generally a clicker whose electrically conductive bed plate 16 is in sulated from the platen 17 by use for instance of a dielectric sheet 18. On the bed plate is the cutting block denoted generally by the numeral 19, which in FIGS. 1 and 2, is a laminated structure consisting of alternate rubber composition planks 2t) and aluminum sheets 21; said structure presenting top and bottom flat parallel surfaces formed in part by the small-area edges of said metal sheets. The numeral 22 denotes the sheet stock of paper, leather, felt and the like, laid on the cutting block 19 to be cut by the blank-cutting die 23 When the platen is moved toward the work by for instance hydraulicallyoperated means, not shown, housed within the casing 24, which driver is controlled by the electrically operated mechanism for Working the valve 25. The normal condition of such valve means is such that the platen 17 is up. It is evident that the thickness of the cutting block 19 may be of any desired dimension.

One form of electrical circuit is shown in FIG. 1. Here the electrical mechanism 25 controlling the valve means 25, is connected to the power lines 26, 27, in series with a normally open switch 28 which is closed upon a downward push of its spring-loaded handle 29 and also in series with a normally closed switch means 30 oifered by the spring-loaded armature 31 in contact with the fixed contact points 32, 33 of the relay denoted generally by the numeral 34. The electro-magnet 35 of said relay, is connected to said power lines 26, 27 in series with the switch means indicated generally as 28 having the terminals 36, 37 and which constitutes in succession, the platen 17, the cutting die 23, the metal sheets 21 or any one of them .and the bed plate 16. When the cutting die 23 is through the work and its cutting edges in contact with the exposed edge of at least one of the metal sheets 21 of the cutting block 19, switch 28 will close, whereupon the electromagnet 35 will be actuated, causing the armature 31 to move away from the contact points 32, 33 and open the switch .30, thereby opening the circuit of the means 25 operating the valve 25, causing such valve to assume the condition to cause the platen to be raised to its normal rest position as shown in FIG. 1.

To trace the flow of current in the circuit shown, consider the initial condition of the apparatus to be as in FIG. 1. The operator say places a piece of leather sheeting 22 on the cutting block 19 and usually interposes a paper sheet, not shown, therebetween. He sets the die 23 with cutting edge on such leather piece to encompass the region to be blanked out. Now, he pushes the handle 29 downward to close the switch 28. Current 3 will flow from the power terminal 26, in succession through the connector 38, the closed switch 28, the connector 39, the closed switch 30', the connector 40, the valve operating means 25' and then through the connector 41 to the other power terminal 27. The platen 17 will come down and press the die 23 until the dies cutting edge will contact at least one of the metal sheets 21 of the cutting block 19. Now, current will flow from power terminal 26, successively through the connector 49, the electromagnet 35, the connector 43, through the now closed switch 28 constituting the bed 18, at least one of the metal sheets 21, the die 23 and the platen 17, and thence through conductors 44 and 41 to the other power terminal 27. This will actuate the electromagent 35, whereupon the switch 30 will open, thus cutting olf the power to the means 25' and the valve'25 willshift to the condition to cause the platen to be raised.

Since the metal sheets 21 are all the way through the cutting block structure 19', ending in the opposite surfaces thereof, said block may have either of its surfaces as the cutting surface.

I will now give other examples of cutting block lconstructions embodying the teachings of this invention. For instance, all the metal inserts may be formed of one continuous piece bent in sinuous fashion with square corners as shown at 45, with rubber composition planks '46 set between its flights 21'. As another embodiment, the cutting board may be as 46, comprising concentric memhers, namely the rings 47 of rubber composition and of similar material the central core piece 47', having intermediate them respectively, the rings 48 of thin aluminum sheeting. Or, a solid rubber composition board 49 may have soft metal wires 59 therethrough, ending in its opposite surfaces. Or, a solid rubber composition board 51 may have slit channels 52 part Way down, filled by the flights 53 of a sinuous thin metal part 54, shaped like 45 of suitable dimension, with its end flights as 53 preferably the full height of the'cutting block 51 to make contact with the bed 18 when such cutting block is set thereon.

As heretofore mentioned, this'invention concerns itself with the cutting block construction herein'taught which serves as part of the switch means 28, in an electrical system to effect automatic limitation of the stroke of the platen 17 regardless of the motive means of the press apparatus.

This invention is capable of numerous forms and various applications without departing from the essential features herein disclosed. It is therefore intended and desired that the embodiments shown herein be deemed merely illustrative and not restrictive and that the patent shall cover all patentable novelty herein set forth; reference being had to the following claims rather than to the specific description herein to indicate the scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. In a cutting block to serve as part of an electrical switch means in a die clicker, of the character described, a dielectric cutting block body presenting two opposite surfaces, each of comparatively large area and any of them for presentment to be met by the cutting edge of a cutting die; said dielectric block body comprising a plu- 1 rality of relatively thick, wear-resisting insulative members, each said member extending to said opposite surfaces and electrically-conductive sheet elements, each said element extending through said block from one such surface to the other; said members and elements being in alter- .nate relation and adjacent elements and members being in contact with each'other to form a unitary laminated structure; the edges of said elements being spaced in the surface they are part of and together constitute but a small part of the area of the surface'they are part of; the spacing of the elements being such that when a die meets one of said surfaces, it will meet at least one of said element; said elements being of softer material than the die which is to meet any of saidsurfaces.

2. A cutting block as defined in claim 1, wherein the dielectric members are planks.

3. A cutting block as defined in claim 1, wherein the dielectric members and the sheet elements are rings.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,783,838 Ericson et al Mar. 5, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 699,112 France Dec. 8, 1930 685,343 Great Britain Dec. 31, 1952

Claims (1)

1. IN A CUTTING BLOCK TO SERVE AS PART OF AN ELECTRICAL SWITCH MEANS IN A DIE CLICKER, OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, A DIELECTIC CUTTING BLOCK BODY PRESENTING TWO OPPOSITE SURFACES, EACH OF COMPARATIVELY LARGE AREA AND ANY OF THEM FOR PRESENTMENT TO BE MET BY THE CUTTING EDGE OF A CUTTING DIE; SAID DIELECTRIC BLOCK BODY COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF RELATIVELY THICK, WEAR-RESISTING INSULATIVE MEMBERS, EACH SAID MEMBER EXTENDING TO SAID OPPOSITE SURFACES AND ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE SHEET ELEMENTS, EACH SAID ELEMENT EXTENDING THROUGH SAID BLOCK FROM ONE SUCH SURFACE TO THE OTHER; SAID MEMBERS AND ELEMENTS BEING IN ALTERNATE RELATION AND ADJACENT ELEMENTS AND MEMBERS BEING IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER TO FORM A UNITARY LAMINATED STRUCTURE; THE EDGES OF SAID ELEMENTS BEING SPACED IN THE SURFACE THEY ARE PART OF AND TOGETHER CONSTAITUTE BUT A SMALL PART OF THE AREA OF THE SURFACE THEY ARE PART OF; THE

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