Assembly and process for a press feed mechanism for providing rapid, efficient and tuned hold and release displacement of an upper feed roller relative to a lower roller and between which is communicated a sheet material for subsequent feeding into a press operation

A feed assembly for transferring an uncoiled sheet material to a downstream material forming operation, said assembly comprising:

• a frame supporting a displaceable upper feed roller and a fixed lower feed roller between which the sheet material passes, at least one of said rollers being rotary driven, said upper roll being actuated between engaging or disengaging positions relative to an upper surface of the sheet material;
• a cam shaft with end support cam lobe provided in supported and extending fashion between a pair of side supporting plates;
• a spaced apart pair of continuous force applying components exerting a hold down force against said upper feed roll;
• and
• a programmable counterbalance component located between said pair of force applying components, said counterbalance component being calibrated to counter the hold down force exerted by said force applying components and in order to cycle the upper roller between the engaged and disengaged positions during advance cycling of the uncoiled material to the downstream forming operation.

A feed assembly for transferring an uncoiled sheet material to a downstream material forming operation, said assembly comprising:

• a frame including a pair of side support plates, between which a cam shaft with end support cam lobe is provided in supported and extending fashion;
• a servo cam and gearbox for operating said cam shaft for providing responsive movement of said upper feed roller relative to said lower feed roller;
• upper and lower feed rollers rotary supported between said side support plates and between which said sheet material passes, at least one of said rollers being rotary driven, said upper roller including a supporting structure with an end support roller in contact with said cam lobe, such that said displaceable roller is actuated between engaging or disengaging positions relative to an upper surface of the sheet material;
• at least one continuous force applying component exerting a hold down force against said upper feed roller;
• and
• a programmable counterbalance component calibrated to counter the hold down force exerted by said force applying components and in order to cycle the upper roller between the engaged and disengaged positions during advance cycling of the uncoiled material to the downstream material forming operation.