Stock lifter for progressive dies

A stack lifter for a progressive die having upper and lower die members for forming workpieces therebetween, said stock lifter comprising a vertically disposed fluid cylinder fixedly mounted on the lower die member, a piston slideably arranged within said cylinder and having a piston rod extending upwardly through the upper end of the cylinder in sealed relation therewith, means sealing the lower end of the cylinder from the surrounding atmosphere, said piston rod having a smaller outer diameter than said piston so that the bottom face of the piston has a larger area than the top face thereof, said piston rod having an axial passageway extending downwardly from the upper end thereof and communicating freely with the portions of the cylinder above and below the piston, means adjacent the upper end of the piston rod communicating with said passageway for charging the cylinder to a selected predetermined gas pressure so that the piston is biased upwardly in the cylinder with a predetermined desired force and means at the upper end of the piston rod for engaging strip stock disposed between the die members and adapted to lift it from the lower die member when the upper die member is raised.