Adjustable joining machine

A workpiece-contacting apparatus comprising:

• (a) a workpiece-joining die including an anvil and upstanding die blades adjacent lateral sides of the anvil, the anvil having a workpiece-contacting surface;
• (b) an elongated workpiece-joining punch coaxially aligned with the die;
• (c) a fluid-powered actuator operably moving the punch from a retracted position to a workpiece-joining position;
• and
• (d) a movable adjuster;
• and
• (e) a secondary actuator moving the adjuster to vary a fully advanced distance between the workpiece-joining position of the punch and the workpiece-contacting surface of the die between joining cycles of the apparatus;
• (f) a sensor;
• (g) a programmable controller electrically connected to the sensor;
• (h) the controller being electrically connected to the secondary actuator to automatically control a position of the adjuster based at least in part on a sensed workpiece thickness characteristic and a desired longitudinal shut height of the punch;
• (i) wherein the adjuster comprises:
• a linear slide;
• a first spacer extending from the slide with a first height;
• at least a second spacer extending from the slide with a second height, the first height being greater than the second height;
• and
• the spacers being laterally offset from each other.

A workpiece-contacting apparatus comprising:

• a workpiece-joining die including an anvil and upstanding die blades adjacent lateral sides of the anvil, the anvil having a workpiece-contacting surface;
• an elongated workpiece-joining punch coaxially aligned with the die;
• a fluid-powered actuator operably moving the punch from a retracted position to a workpiece-joining position;
• and
• a movable adjuster;
• and
• a secondary actuator moving the adjuster to vary a fully advanced distance between the workpiece-joining position of the punch and the workpiece-contacting surface of the die between joining cycles of the apparatus;
• a sensor;
• a programmable controller electrically connected to the sensor;
• and
• the controller being electrically connected to the secondary actuator to automatically control a position of the adjuster based at least in part on a sensed workpiece characteristic;
• at least second and third punches, three of the punches being elongated parallel to each other, spaced apart from each other and co-planar;
• at least second and third dies, three of the dies each including an anvil and die blades, three of the dies being spaced apart from each other and co-planar;
• the adjuster operably changing a fully advanced distance between all of the punches and the dies;
• and
• the punches and the dies being configured to clinch together workpieces.

A workpiece-contacting apparatus comprising:

• a die including a workpiece-contacting surface;
• a punch coaxially aligned with the die;
• a primary actuator operably moving the punch from a retracted position to a fully advanced position, the primary actuator including a fluid-powered piston;
• and
• a linearly moveable slide comprising at least one of:
• (a) a first spacer extending from the slide a first height, and at least a second spacer extending from the slide a second height, the first height being greater than the second height, the spacers being laterally spaced away from each other such that only one of the spacers is aligned with the punch when the punch is advanced;
• or
• (b) a first portion of a tapered wedge extending from the slide with a first height and at least a second portion of the tapered wedge extending from the slide with a second height, the first height being greater than the second height;
• and
• a secondary actuator automatically moving the slide, along a plane between the primary actuator and the punch, to change a distance between the fully advanced position of the punch and the workpiece-contacting surface of the die.