Apparatus and method for compacting prismatic or pyramidal articles from powder material
AssigneePTX-Pentronix, Inc.
InventorsRaymond P. DeSantis, Herbert J. Puffer, Jr.
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for compacting powder material into a prismatic or pyramidal article in a molding cavity formed by the end face of a lower punch reciprocable in a die bore, a portion of the die bore and the end faces of a pair of telescopic concentric punches being disposed above the die bore. The lower punch end face forms an end surface of the prismatic or pyramidal article, the die bore wall forms the peripheral surface of the article, and the upper telescopic punches form the other end surface of the article, one of the telescopic punches being disposed peripherally to the other punch and forming a sharp edge between the peripheral surface of the article and its other end surface.
Claims13
An apparatus for compacting powder material to a compacted article provided with a sharp edge at the junction of two surfaces of said article, said apparatus comprising a die having an upper surface and a bore vertically disposed in said die, said bore having peripheral walls forming a die cavity disposed at the top of said bore, said die cavity forming an opening in said upper surface of said die, a punch reciprocably movable in said bore and having an upper end face, a housing displaceable from a position away from said die cavity opening to a position over said die cavity opening, said housing having an end face engageable with said die upper surface, a longitudinal bore in said housing having an opening in said end face, a pair of concentric telescopic counterpunches permanently disposed in said bore in said housing, the innermost of said counterpunches being rigidly interconnected with said housing and having an end face of a peripheral perimeter smaller than the peripheral perimeter of said die cavity opening and the outermost of said counterpunches having an end face of a peripheral perimeter larger than the peripheral perimeter of said die cavity opening and smaller than said housing end face opening, the end face of said outermost counterpunch having a surface portion proximate the peripheral perimeter thereof engageable with said die upper surface and the end face of said outermost counterpunch having an aperture slidably accepting the end of said innermost counterpunch and a surface portion from the edge of said aperture to the surface portion ngageable with said die upper surface overlapping said die cavity opening, means simultaneously advancing said housing end face toward said die upper surface for engagement therewith and said innermost counterpunch end face toward said die cavity opening whereby the advance of said housing and of said innermost counterpunch is limited to a predetermined position relative to said outermost counterpunch by engagement of said housing and bore with said die upper surface, and means advancing said punch toward said counterpunches for compacting powder material disposed in said die cavity between the end face of said punch, the end face of said innermost counterpunch and the portion of the end face of said outermost counterpunch overlapping said die cavity opening, whereby an article molded in said die cavity is provided with a lower face formed by said punch end face, sidewalls formed by the walls of said die cavity and an upper face formed by the surface of the end faces of both said counterpunches disposed over said die cavity opening, said sharp edges being at the junction between said sidewalls and said upper face.
A method for compacting powder material into an article having at least two surfaces intersecting in a sharp edge, said method comprising disposing a measured amount of said powder material in a die cavity disposed in a die having an upper surface, said die cavity being closed at its bottom by the end face of a punch reciprocable below said die cavity and said die cavity having an opening at its top, placing above said die cavity opening a housing having a lower surface and provided with a pair of substantially concentric counterpunches disposed reciprocable one within the other, the innermost of said counterpunches being rigidly interconnected with said housing and having an end face with a peripheral perimeter smaller than the peripheral perimeter of the die cavity opening, the outermost of said counterpunches being independently reciprocable and having an end face with a peripheral perimeter larger than the peripheral perimeter of said die cavity opening, the end face of said housing having an aperture accepting the end faces of said outermost and innermost counterpunches, the end face of said outermost counterpunch having an aperture accepting the end of said innermost counterpunch and the end face of said outermost counterpunch forming a first surface portion disposed overlapping said die cavity opening and a second surface portion proximate the peripheral perimeter of said end face having edges disposed beyond said die opening such that said second surface portion of the end face of the outermost of said counterpunches engages said die upper surface and causes said first surface portion to be placed firmly in said overlapping position, simultaneously advancing said housing and the innermost of said counterpunches for engaging said housing lower surface with said die upper surface and for advancing the end face of said innermost counterpunch to a predetermined position over said die opening whereby the advance of said innermost punch is stopped when said housing lower surface engages said die upper surface, advancing said punch for compacting said powder material in a molding cavity defined by the walls of said die cavity, the end face of said punch, the end face of the innermost of said counterpunches and the end face first surface portion of the outermost of said counterpunches overlapping said die opening, removing said housing and said counterpunches from over said die cavity, and advancing said punch to a position at least flush with the die cavity opening for ejecting said article from said die cavity, wherein the sharp edge of said article is formed during compacting of the powder material between the sidewalls of said die cavity and the end face first surface portion of the outermost of said counterpunches overlapping the die opening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.