US 2002/0117033 A1 · Loose lamination die with rotating blanking station

Abstract

In a method and apparatus for rotating loose laminations in a loose lamination die, a strip is fed through the die to a rotatable blanking chamber of a blanking station. There, a punch engages with a die ring to punch a lamination free from the strip. The rotatable blanking chamber is biased in an upwardly direction. When the punch is not engaging with the die ring, the rotatable chamber is in an upward position wherein a gap develops between laminations retained at a bottom of the rotatable chamber, and those laminations lying directly below the rotatable chamber. The rotatable chamber can then be rotated without damage to the laminations at the gap because of the presence of the gap. Thereafter, a succeeding lamination can be punched after the rotation has occurred. As the punch engages the strip on top of the die ring, the rotatable chamber is pushed downwardly so that the gap at the bottom of the rotatable chamber disappears. A finger joint having an upper and lower portion is provided below the rotatable chamber which permits the gap to develop when the rotatable chamber is biased in the upward direction since the laminations in the upper portion of the finger joint are not tightly held and slide with respect to the upper portion as the upper portion moves upwardly.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A method for operating a loose lamination die, comprising the steps of:

feeding a strip through the die to a blanking station having a rotatable chamber with a die ring at a top thereof;
biasing the rotatable chamber into an upward position prior to rotation of the chamber so that a separation zone occurs between a lamination at a bottom of the rotatable chamber and a lamination just below the bottom of the rotatable chamber;
rotating the rotatable chamber while the separation zone is present;
and
after the rotating, punching a lamination from the strip by engaging a punch onto and through the strip and into the die ring to push the rotatable chamber to a downward position so that the separation zone is reduced or eliminated.

2 more elements

A loose lamination die, comprising:

a die block having a blanking station with a rotatable chamber having a die ring at an upper end thereof;
a punch for engaging with the die ring;
a retaining member for the rotatable chamber permitting the rotatable chamber to move in a downward direction as the punch punches the strip and enters the die ring;
a biasing member for pushing the rotatable chamber to an upward position when the punch is no longer engaging with the strip or die ring;
and
a joint having an upper portion and a lower portion allowing for vertical separation of the upper and lower portions as the rotatable chamber moves to the upward position so that a separation zone occurs between a bottom-most lamination held in the rotatable chamber and an uppermost lamination just below a bottom of the rotatable chamber.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Loose lamination die with rotating blanking station

Life of this patent

Loose lamination die with rotating blanking station

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims15