US3690207A

US3690207A - Press

Info

Publication number: US3690207A
Authority: US
Inventors: Francis J Mccabe
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-08-31
Filing date: 1970-08-31
Publication date: 1972-09-12
Anticipated expiration: 1989-09-12

Abstract

A fluid piston actuated press is provided with a lever arm and a bearing means for transmitting and amplifying the force exerted by the piston to the movable parts of the press and the work piece.

Description

United States Patent McCabe Sept. 12, 1972 [54] PRESS 2,241,794 5/1941 Stull ..100/270 72 Invemor: Francis J. Mccabe Regency woods 3,230,812 l/1966 Puccl et a1. ..l00/266 UK .1 poylestown, p 3901 1,488,562 4/1924 Spauldmg ..83/627 Filed: Aug. 31, 1970 Appl. No.: 68,406

US. Cl. ..83/627, 100/266, 100/271 Int. Cl. ..B26d 5/08, B30b 1/08 Field of Search ..100/266, 270, 271; 83/627 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,038,934 9/1912 Mode ..100/270UX Primary Examiner-Andrew R. Juhasz Assistant Examiner-Leon Gilden Attomey-Frank J. Benasutti ABSTRACT A fluid piston actuated press is provided with a lever arm and a bearing means for transmitting and amplifying the force exerted by the piston to the movable parts of the press and the work piece.

10 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PRESS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION I have invented a new means for transmitting pneumatic power from a pneumatic piston and cylinder to theoperating parts of a press. My invention comprises a lever means interconnecting a bearing thrust means and the pneumatic actuating means in a press; the bearing thrust means operating directly against the movable press member to close the member in response to pneumatically generated force on the lever means.

An object of my invention is to provide a simple and effective means for amplifying the power and thrust capacity of a pneumatic press.

This and other objects of my invention will become apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a pneumatic press in accordance with the preferred embodiment of my invention;

FIG. 2 is a section taken as indicated by the lines and arrows 2-2 in FIG. 1, showing a portion of the apparatus partially broken away, and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2 with alternate positions shown in phantom.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Although specific forms of the invention have been selected for illustration in the drawings, and the following description is drawn in specific terms for the purpose of describing these forms of the invention, this description is not intended to limit the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

Referring to the figures, FIGS. 1 and 2 show the frame 10 of a press having mounted therein a base portion 12 and a movable upper portion 14. The guide means 16, 18 are shown for illustrative purposes together with spring means 20. These cooperate in guiding the movable member 14 toward the fixed base member 12 and in retnming the movable member to its original position. Between the fixed and movable members a punch and die set designated generally 22 is mounted. These parts are all illustrated schematically and are not described in further detail herein since they are well known in the art and form no part of this invenportion of the frame 10 as at 26 by any suitable means such as a shaft fixedly attached thereto and passing through the

flanges

28 and 30 which are fixed to the frame 10.

Pneumatic lines

32 and 34 are shown attached to each end of the cylinder 24 to illustrate the well known means of supplying air to the cylinder to actuate the piston therein. Connected to the piston (not shown) within the cylinder and extending therefrom is a piston rod 36. The rod terminates in a yoke which is pivotally connected to the ear 40 by the shaft 42 passing therethrough. The piston and cylinder and piston rod arrangement forming the pneumatic means are well known in the art and upon appropriate air input function to drive the piston rod and extend or retract it with respect to the cylinder.

The lever and bearing thrust means connected to the piston rod and acting against the movable member 14 to amplify the actuating power of the piston, comprises a lever arm 44 having the ear 40 connected to one end and being pivotally connected at the other end to the frame 10 by the shaft 46 passing through the hollow cylindrical bearing 48 which is fixedly connected to the lever arm 44 as by means of welding. The shaft 46 is fixedly mounted in the frame 10 and

spacer sleeves

50 and 52 are provided about the shaft 46 between the sides of the frame 10 and the hollow cylindrical bearing 48 to maintain the bearing in position on the shaft. The inner cylindrical surface of the bearing 48 bears against the external surface of the shaft 46 to provide a pivotal hearing.

A bearing member 56 is fixedly connected to the lever arm 44 as by means of welding. It is preferably connected beneath and intermediate the ends of the lever arm 44, closer to the axis of the shaft 46 than to the axis of the shaft 42. This bearing member comprises a cylindrical rod having its axis parallel to the axis of the shaft 46.

A complimentary thrust bearing member designated 57 engages the bearing member 56 and comprises a cradle 58 having a concave surface formed by a portion of a hollow cylinder in preferably close bearing engagement with the cylindrical surface of the rod (bearing member) 56. This cradle is welded to a block 60 having a flat surface 62 lying in a plane parallel to the axis of the rod 56. The thrust bearing member which includes the cradle and the block is free floating between the bearing member 56 and the upper surface 64 of the movable member 14 and can slide on said upper surface. Since the normal force exerted between the surface 62 and the upper surface 64 of the movable member 14 will be great during the operation of the press, a lubricating means is provided comprising a standard lubrication fitting 66 mounted in the block 60 and communicating by means of lubrication passages 68 with the

flat surfaces

62 and 64.

The operative positions of the apparatus are shown in FIG. 3 wherein a portion of the apparatus is shown in full lines in the raised position of the press. Upon actuation of the pneumatic means, the piston rod 36 will be extended from the cylinder 24 and will cause the lever arm 44 to pivot about the shafi 46 from the position shown in full lines in FIG. 3 to the position shown in phantom. This will cause the bearing member 56 to move from the position shown in full lines in FIG. 3 to the position shown in phantom as its axis swings on a circular are about the axis of the shaft 46. The cylindrical surface of the rod 56 bearing against its complimentary surface in the cradle 58 will cause the thrust bearing member 57 to move downwardly and to the right as viewed in FIG. 3. The block 60 will slide along the surface 64 in driving the movable portion 14 downwardly from the position shown in full lines to the position shown in phantom.

To raise the upper portion 14, the pneumatic impulses are reversed and the piston rod is retracted thereby pivoting the lever arm 44 upwardly and relieving the pressure on the upper portion 14 of the press. The spring means will then return it to its original position. Since the force of the springs is always bearing against the portion 14 and trying to return it to its original position, the thrust bearing means 57 will be forced against the rod 56 and will thereby be returned to its original position.

The apparatus described is capable of greatly amplifying the force capacity of the press in a pneumatic press and the amplification can be varied depending on the distance between respective axes as will readily be understood by one skilled in the art by reference to the above description. Likewise the bearing forces can be adjusted by changing the dimensions of the bearings.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials and arrangement of parts which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of this invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a press having a fixed portion and a movable portion for movement toward said fixed portion, and actuating means for transmitting force to said movable portion and moving it as aforesaid, an improved force amplification means comprising:

a. lever means connected to said actuating means for pivotal movement in response thereto;

b. bearing means connected to said lever means for movement therewith, said bearing means comprising member having a bearing surface thereon; and

c. bearing thrust means engaging said bearing surface and coacting therewith for movement and force transmission in response to movement of said bearing surface, said bearing thrust means being in sliding bearing contact with said movable portion to transmit force to said movable portion through said lever means and bearing means in response to movement of said actuating means.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said bearing thrust means is free floating between the bearing means and the movable portion.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein said bearing surface is arcuate and said bearing thrust means comprises a cradle portion having a complimentally configured surface in relatively rotatable bearing engagement with said arcuate surface.

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein said bearing thrust means comprises a flat portion in sliding engagement with said movable portion of said press.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein said lever means comprises a lever pivoted at one end to said actuating means and pivotally connected at the other end to a fixed portion of said press, and said flat surface is paralacetates ssssa rishsissas atssgmeans comprises a cylindrical body.

7. The invention of claim 6 wherein said lever means comprises a lever pivoted at one end to said actuating means and pivotally connected at the other end to a fixed portion of said press, and the axis of said cylindrical body is parallel to the axis of said last mentioned pivotal connection.

8. The invention of claim 7 wherein said cylindrical body is closer to said last mentioned pivotal connection than to the pivotal connection with said actuating means.

9. The invention of claim 1 wherein said actuating means comprises a pneumatic piston and cylinder, said cylinder being pivotally connected to a fixed portion of said press and said piston being connected to a rod extending from the free end of said cylinder, said rod having its free end pivotally connected to said lever means.

10. The invention of claim 9 wherein said lever means comprises a lever pivotally connected at its free end to said rod and pivotally connected at its other end to a fixed portion of said press, and said bearing means is connected to said lever intermediate the ends thereof.

Claims

1. In a press having a fixed portion and a movable portion for movement toward said fixed portion, and actuating means for transmitting force to said movable portion and moving it as aforesaid, an improved force amplification means comprising: a. lever means connected to said actuating means for pivotal movement in response thereto; b. bearing means connected to said lever means for movement therewith, said bearing means comprising member having a bearing surface thereon; and c. bearing thrust means engaging said bearing surface and coacting therewith for movement and force transmission in response to movement of said bearing surface, said bearing thrust means being in sliding bearing contact with said movable portion to transmit force to said movable portion through said lever means and bearing means in response to movement of said actuating means.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein said lever means comprises a lever pivoted at one end to said actuating means and pivotally connected at the other end to a fixed portion of said press, and said flat surface is parallel to the axis of said last mentioned pivotal connection.

6. The invention of claim 1 wherein said bearing means comprises a cylindrical body.