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US 4,378,688 AGranted
Apparatus for feeding and orienting workpieces in a press
AssigneeGulf & Western Manufacturing Company
InventorsEdwin A. Spanke, Melvin H. Francey
Life of this patent
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AssigneeGulf & Western Manufacturing Company
InventorsEdwin A. Spanke, Melvin H. Francey
Estimating the term…
Apparatus is disclosed for shuttling a workpiece to a work station in a forging press and rotating the workpiece about a vertical axis to orient different portions thereof relative to the work station. The apparatus includes a workpiece support mounted on a horizontally reciprocable shuttle plate for displacement therewith toward and away from the press and for displacement relative thereto about and along a vertical axis. A workpiece to be forged is positioned on the workpiece support while the shuttle plate is displaced from the press, and displacement of the shuttle plate toward the press positions a portion of the workpiece at the press work station. A pair of leveling units are mounted on the shuttle plate adjacent the workpiece support and are operable to support portions of the workpiece outside the work station during a forging operation. During the forging operation, the workpiece support is lowered out of engagement with the workpiece and, following the forging operation, the workpiece support is raised to lift the workpiece from the leveling units and the press anvil at the work station. The workpiece support is then pivoted about the vertical axis to position another portion thereof at the work station, whereafter the workpiece support is lowered for the workpiece to be supported by the anvil and leveling units. When the entire forging operation has been completed, the workpiece is again elevated by the workpiece support and the shuttle plate is displaced outwardly from the press to facilitate removal of the finished workpiece.
Apparatus for feeding and orienting a workpiece relative to a work station in a press comprising, shuttle means, means supporting said shuttle means for reciprocation relative to said press between workpiece receiving and press loading positions, means including workpiece support means on said shuttle means underlying and supporting a workpiece in a working position at said work station and in a feeding position spaced above said working position, mounting means supporting said workpiece support means on said shuttle means for displacement relative thereto along a vertical axis for said workpiece support means to engage under and displace a workpiece between said feeding and working positions, said mounting means further supporting said workpiece support means for displacement about said vertical axis to rotate a workpiece supported at said work station in said feeding position, and means for displacing said workpiece support means along and about said axis.
Apparatus for feeding and orienting a workpiece relative to a work station in a press comprising, shuttle means, means supporting said shuttle means for reciprocation relative to said press between workpiece receiving and press loading positions, means including workpiece support means on said shuttle means for supporting a workpiece in a working position at said work station and in a feeding position spaced above said working position, mounting means supporting said workpiece support means on said shuttle means for displacement relative thereto along a vertical axis for said workpiece support means to displace a workpiece between said feeding and working positions, said mounting means further supporting said workpiece support means for displacement about said axis, and means for displacing said workpiece support means along and about said axis, said means including workpiece support means further including vertically displaceable workpiece leveling means for supporting said workpiece in said working position, and means for displacing said leveling means vertically relative to said shuttle means and said workpiece support means.
Apparatus for feeding and orienting a workpiece relative to a work station in a press comprising, shuttle means, means supporting said shuttle means for reciprocation between first and second positions relative to said press, workpiece support means, means mounting said workpiece support means on said shuttle means for reciprocation therewith and for displacement relative thereto about and along a vertical axis, said workpiece support means positioning a workpiece thereon at said work station when said shuttle means is in one of said positions and being laterally spaced from said work station when said shuttle means is in the other of said positions, workpiece leveling means mounted on said shuttle means for displacement therewith and for vertical reciprocation relative thereto and to said workpiece support means, and means for displacing said workpiece support means relative to said shuttle means.
Apparatus for feeding and orienting a workpiece relative to a work station in a press comprising, shuttle plate means, means supporting and guiding said shuttle plate means for reciprocation between first and second positions relative to said press, means for reciprocating said shuttle plate means between said positions, workpiece supporting member means, mounting means supporting said member means on said shuttle plate means for displacement therewith, said member means positioning a workpiece thereon at said work station when said shuttle plate means is in one of said positions and being laterally spaced from said work station when said shuttle plate means is in the other of said positions, said mounting means including means supporting said member means for pivotal movement relative to said shuttle plate means about a vertical axis and for reciprocation relative to said shuttle plate means along said axis, first means to pivot said member means about said axis, second means to reciprocate said member means along said axis, and workpiece leveling means on said shuttle plate means adjacent said member means and including workpiece engaging upper end means and means to elevate and lower said upper end means relative to said shuttle plate means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.