# US 10,369,608 B2 · Tool mounting stocker, tool storing device and tool/hand storing device, and tool replacing method by robot and control device thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,369,608 B2 - Document ID: US10369608B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/956,249 - Filed: 2018-04-18 - Published: 2018-08-23 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2012-06-25 - Assignees: Amada Company, Limited - Applicants: Amada Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Masaaki Sato - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369608B2 ## CPC - B21D 5/0254: {Tool exchanging} - B21D 5/004: {with program control} - B21D 5/0218: {Length adjustment of the punch} - B21D 5/0227: {Length adjustment of the die} - B21D 37/145: {Die storage magazines} - B23Q 3/15724: {Chains or belts} - B25J 9/1679: {characterised by the tasks executed} - B30B 15/028: {Loading or unloading of dies, platens or press rams} - Y10S 901/02: Arm motion controller - Y10T 483/10: Process - Y10T 483/1729: Reciprocating tool machine tool [e.g., broaching machine, shaping machine, etc.] - Y10T 483/1731: including matrix - Y10T 483/1891: Chain or belt - B21D: WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS OR PROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL (working or processing of wire B21F) - B23Q: DETAILS, COMPONENTS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR MACHINE TOOLS, e.g. ARRANGEMENTS FOR COPYING OR CONTROLLING (tools of the kind used in lathes or boring machines B23B27/00); MACHINE TOOLS IN GENERAL CHARACTERISED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF PARTICULAR DETAILS OR COMPONENTS; COMBINATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF METAL-WORKING MACHINES, NOT DIRECTED TO A PARTICULAR RESULT - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) - B30B: PRESSES IN GENERAL (producing ultra-high pressure or ultra-high pressure and high temperature to effect modifications of a substance, e.g. for making artificial diamonds B01J3/00 ){(compressing means for refuse receptacles B65F1/1405)} - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract In a tool storing device handling a tool mounting stocker in which a punch and a die of a press brake are mounted in one stocker with rear surfaces facing each other, each of the stockers is supported on both sides by endless belts having one driving shaft, and the endless belts are circulated so that each of the supported stockers does not protrude to a worker side, whereby a position of a path line of the appropriate one of the stockers can be freely positioned at a position of the path line PL of a tool holder on the press brake side. This enables rapid and easy tool replacement by a bending robot by storing not only the tool made of the punch and the die but also the hand for the robot together. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A plurality of tool mounting stockers movably disposed inside a tool storing device, each of the plurality of tool mounting stockers for storing a respective punch and a respective die to be employed in a press brake, each of the plurality of tool mounting stockers comprising: a respective upper slot that opens upward in a vertical direction; and a respective lower slot that opens downward in the vertical direction and that is disposed below the respective upper slot in the vertical direction, wherein each of the plurality of tool mounting stockers is configured so as to be movable between a first position in which a path line of the respective punch thereof coincides with a path line of a punch holder on the press brake, and a second position in which the path line of the respective punch thereof does not coincide with the path line of the punch holder on the press brake, and each of the plurality of tool mounting stockers is further configured so as to be movable between a third position in which a path line of the respective die thereof coincides with a path line of a die holder on the press brake, and a fourth position in which the path line of the respective die thereof does not coincide with the path line of the die holder on the press brake, and within each of the plurality of tool mounting stockers, the upper slot thereof is configured to engage a first surface of the respective die and the lower slot thereof is configured to engage a first surface of the respective punch such that the respective first surfaces of the respective die and the respective punch are disposed proximal one another in the vertical direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The plurality of tool mounting stockers according to claim 1, wherein for each of the plurality of tool mounting stockers, the first surface of the respective die thereof and the first surface of the punch thereof are each disposed opposite respective work portions in the vertical direction, the work portions of the respective die and the respective punch being configured to subject a workpiece to bending. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The plurality of tool mounting stockers according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of tool mounting stockers is configured to be movable both in the vertical direction and a front-back direction so as not to coincide with the respective path lines of the punch holder and the die holder. ### Claim 4 A tool storing device for storing a respective punch and a respective die to be employed in a press brake, the tool storing device comprising: a plurality of tool mounting stockers, wherein each of the plurality of tool mounting stockers includes: a respective upper slot that opens upward in a vertical direction; and a respective lower slot that opens downward in the vertical direction and that is disposed below the respective upper slot in the vertical direction; and a controller configured to enable each of the plurality of tool mounting stockers to be moved so that a path line of the respective punch mounted therein coincides with a path line of a punch holder on the press brake, and the controller is further configured to enable each of the plurality of tool mounting stockers to be moved so that a path line of the respective die mounted therein coincides with a path line of a die holder on the press brake, wherein within each of the plurality of tool mounting stockers, the upper slot thereof is configured to engage a first surface of the respective die and the lower slot thereof is configured to engage a first surface of the respective punch such that the respective first surfaces of the respective die and the respective punch are disposed proximal one another in the vertical direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The tool storing device according to claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of tool mounting stockers is configured to be movable both in the vertical direction and a front-back direction so as not to coincide with the respective path lines of the punch holder and the die holder. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The tool storing device according to claim 4, wherein for each of the plurality of tool mounting stockers, the first surface of the respective die thereof and the first surface of the punch thereof are each disposed opposite respective work portions in the vertical direction, the work portions of the respective die and the respective punch being configured to subject a workpiece to bending.