# US 2018/0021843 A1 · Forging machine with robotic handler > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0021843 A1 - Document ID: US20180021843A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/712,249 - Filed: 2017-09-22 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2015-02-26 - Assignees: The National Machinery Company - Applicants: National Machinery LLC - Inventors: Aaron T. Hall; Douglas M. Hoerig; James A. Gase - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180021843A1 ## CPC - B21J 13/085: {handling of tools} - B21D 37/14: Particular arrangements for handling and holding in place complete dies - B21D 43/057: {Devices for exchanging transfer bars or grippers; Idle stages, e.g. exchangeable} - B21J 9/022: {multi-stage forging presses (handling devices B21K27/00)} - B21K 27/04: allowing successive working steps - B30B 15/028: {Loading or unloading of dies, platens or press rams} - Y10S 483/901: Robot end effectors - Y10T 483/16: with means to transfer work - Y10T 483/1731: including matrix - B21J: FORGING; HAMMERING; PRESSING METAL; RIVETING; FORGE FURNACES (rolling of metal B21B; making particular products by forging or pressing B21K; cladding or plating B23K; finishing surfaces by hammering B23P9/04; compacting surfaces by blasting with particulate material B24C1/10; general features of presses, presses for consolidating scrap B30B; furnaces in general F27) - 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) - B21K: MAKING FORGED OR PRESSED METAL PRODUCTS, e.g. HORSE-SHOES, RIVETS, BOLTS OR WHEELS (making particular articles by working sheet metal without essentially removing material B21D; processing wire B21F; making pins, needles or nails B21G; making particular articles by rolling B21H; forging machines, pressing machines, hammering machines, in general B21J; making chains B21L; plating B23K) - 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 A progressive cold forming machine and a robot for automatically changing a cutoff cassette, tooling cassettes, a transfer slide and transfer cam. A loading area adjacent the machine and robot has provisions for supporting a tooling cassette pallet and a transfer slide and camshaft pallet and a holding area for temporarily receiving some of the componentry being exchanged. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising a progressive forming machine having a station with a cutoff cassette, a plurality of workstations with tooling cassettes and a six axis shelf robot for automatically changing the cutoff and tooling cassettes, the robot having an arm with a flange distal from a supported end of said arm, a coupling device on the distal flange, the cutoff and tooling cassettes each having a coupling element engageable by the coupling device to enable the cutoff and tooling cassettes to be transported to and from the machine by the robot. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the respective coupling elements of the cutoff cassette and the tooling cassettes are identical. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein each respective coupling element is a bulbous pin. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein the cutoff cassette and the tooling cassettes each include a respective formation adjacent the bulbous pin thereof to angularly orient a selected cassette relative to the coupling device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the machine includes a transfer slide and a transfer camshaft, apparatus mountable on the distal flange for transporting the transfer slide and the camshaft to and from the machine. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein said apparatus includes a first fixture for carrying the transfer slide and a second fixture for carrying the camshaft, said fixtures having tool plates compatible with a master plate mounted on the robot arm flange. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein each of said first and second fixtures have respective actuators operated by the robot that function to inter-engage elements with respective parts of the transfer slide and the transfer camshaft. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further including a displaceable work platform moveable between a die area of the progressive forming machine and a storage area adjacent the progressive forming machine, the work platform having a coupling element engageable by the coupling device to enable the work platform to be transported between the die area and the storage area by the robot. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein the work platform coupling element is identical to the respective coupling elements of the cutoff cassette and the tooling cassettes. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein a robot base of said robot is mounted vertically above and horizontally offset from the progressive forming machine out of a die area thereof. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein the robot base is mounted laterally away from an operator station. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, including a loading area that is disposed adjacent the progressive forming machine for supplying and receiving cutoff and tooling cassettes, transfer slides, and transfer camshafts to and from the robot. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein the loading area has dedicated zones for simultaneously storing two transfer slides, two transfer camshafts, two cutoff cassettes, and more tooling cassettes than the progressive forming machine has workstations. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein each of the tooling cassettes comprises an associated tool cassette and a die cassette, and the loading area dedicated zone for tooling cassettes has only one space more for each tool cassette and each die cassette than the number of workstations of the progressive forming machine. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein the loading area includes a support for both a tooling cassette pallet and a transfer slide and transfer camshaft pallet. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus as set forth in claim 15, wherein the support is a bi-level arrangement wherein the tooling cassette pallet is lower and more proximal to the progressive forming machine than the transfer slide and cam shaft pallet. ### Claim at position 17 17-19. (canceled)