Guided keeper assembly and method for metal forming dies

A guided keeper assembly for a metal forming die having first and second die members mounted a spaced apart distance for reciprocation between converged and diverged positions, comprising:

• a base having:
• a generally cylindrically shaped, body with an outside wall portion, first and second oppositely disposed end portions, and a central portion with a central aperture extending axially therethrough;
• a retainer ring groove in said outside wall portion and disposed axially between said first and second end portions;
• and
• a mounting flange groove on said outside wall portion and disposed axially between said second end portion and said retainer ring groove;
• a two-piece, interlocking mounting flange, including:
• a first flange member having a width that is substantially the same as the width of said mounting flange groove, at least one through hole for attaching said first flange member to the first die member, an arcuate inside wall portion with a profile which matingly engages half of said mounting flange groove on said outside wall portion of said base and axially interconnects said base and said first flange member, and first and second end connectors;
• and
• a second flange member that is identical to said first flange member having at least one through hole for attaching said second flange member to the first die member, an arcuate inside wall portion with a mounting flange groove profile which matingly engages half of said mounting flange groove on said outside wall portion of said base and axially interconnects said base and said second flange member, and third and fourth end connectors which securely, yet detachably lock with said first and second end connectors on said first flange member to laterally interconnect said first and second flange members with and about said base in an assembled condition to facilitate installing the same in the first die member, wherein when said first and second flange members are interconnected, said mounting flange groove keeps said first and second flange members aligned;
• a guide pin having:
• a cylindrically shaped central portion closely received in said central aperture in said base for precisely guiding reciprocal motion between the first and second die members;
• a first end having an enlarged head shaped to abut said base to positively limit travel between the first and second die members;
• and
• a second end, positioned generally opposite said first end, and having a locator portion that engages the second die member, and precisely locates said second end of said guide pin on the second die member;
• fasteners extending through said through holes in said first and second flange members and being adapted for anchoring in the first die member;
• and
• a retainer ring detachably received and securely retained in said retainer ring groove in said base, and having an interior face disposed over at least a portion of said fasteners, whereby engagement between said fasteners and said retainer ring positively prevents said fasteners from unintentionally unfastening from the first die member.

In a method for making a metal forming die having first and second die members mounted a spaced apart distance for reciprocation between converged and diverged positions, comprising:

• forming a base with a generally cylindrically shaped, body with an outside wall portion, first and second oppositely disposed end portions, and a central portion with a central aperture extending axially therethrough, including:
• forming a retainer ring groove in the outside wall portion at a location disposed axially between the first and second end portions;
• and
• forming a mounting flange groove on the outside wall portion at a location disposed axially between the second end portion and the retainer ring groove;
• forming a two-piece, interlocking mounting flange, including:
• forming a first flange member having a width that is substantially the same as the width of said mounting flange groove, at least one first through hole for attaching the first flange member to the first die member, an arcuate inside wall portion with a profile which is shaped for matingly engaging half of the mounting flange groove on the outside wall portion of the base, and first and second end connectors;
• and
• forming a second flange member that is identical to said first flange member, at least one second through hole for attaching the second flange member to the first die member, an arcuate inside wall portion with a profile which is shaped for matingly engaging half of the mounting flange groove profile on said outside wall portion of the base, and third and fourth end connectors;
• forming a guide pin with a cylindrically shaped central portion shaped for close reception in the central aperture in the base for precisely guiding reciprocal motion between the first and second die members, a first end with an enlarged head shaped to abut the base to positively limit travel between the first and second die members, and a second end, positioned generally opposite the first end, with a locator portion that engages the second die member;
• forming a non-threaded base aperture in the first die member shaped to closely receive the second end portion of the base therein;
• forming retainer apertures in the first die member in a laterally spaced apart relationship on opposite sides of the base aperture;
• providing fasteners shaped to extend through the through holes in the first and second flange members;
• providing a retainer ring shaped for close reception in the retainer ring groove in the base, and having an interior face;
• positioning the first flange member abuttingly against an adjacent portion of half of the mounting flange groove on the base;
• positioning the second flange abuttingly against an adjacent portion of half of the mounting flange groove on the base at a location generally diametrically opposite the first flange member;
• radially converging the first and second flange members about the base until the first, second, third and fourth end connectors snap lock together, thereby axially interconnecting the base with the first and second flange members in an assembled condition to define a base subassembly that facilitates installing the same on the first die member;
• positioning the base subassembly on the first die member with the second end portion of the base closely received in the base aperture in the first die member, and with the through holes in the first and second flange members aligned with the retainer apertures in the first die member;
• inserting the fasteners through the through holes in the first and second flange members and into the threaded retainer apertures in the first die member;
• inserting the retainer ring into the retainer ring groove in the base with the retainer ring disposed over at least a portion of the fasteners, whereby engagement between the fasteners and the retainer ring positively prevents the fasteners from unintentionally unfastening from the first die member;
• inserting the central portion of the guide pin into the central aperture of the base for precisely guiding reciprocal motion between the first and second die members;
• and
• connecting the second end of the guide pin with the second die member.