Bridge type punch press

A punch press for acting on a worksheet comprising:

• a main frame defining an elongated opening extending therethrough and being supported from only two areas;
• a table frame securely attached to the front of the main frame and having only a single area support spaced apart from the connection to said main frame to define in conjunction with said main frame only a three-area support system;
• a punch head mechanism supported from said main frame including a ram which can be reciprocated;
• a work table supported on said table frame for supporting the portion of the worksheet in front of said main frame;
• X-Y axes sheet positioning means disposed for two-axis positioning of the worksheet on said work table;
• a plurality of punches positionable with respect to said main frame;
• punch support means for supporting said plurality of punches from said main frame;
• a plurality of dies associated with said plurality of punches positionable with respect to said main frame;
• die support means for supporting said pulanty of dies from said main frame;
• and,
• connecting means for connecting the ram of said punch head to a selected punch which in cooperation with the associated die acts on the worksheet when the punch head ram reciprocates.

A punch press for acting on a worksheet to form parts comprising:

• a frame formed from structural members defining an elongated opening into which the sheet workpiece can be positioned;
• punch holding cartridge means for supporting a plurality of punches and being supported from and movable with respect to said frame;
• die holding cartridge means for supporting a plurality of dies and being supported from and movable with respect to said frame;
• a punch head mechanism supported from said frame having an interposer for engaging and reciprocating a punch to act on the worksheet;
• positioning means for positioning said punch holding cartridge means and said die holding cartridge means to the desired position;
• said punch holding cartridge means comprises a punch driver section and at least one detachable punch cartridge which is latchable to said punch driver section for unitary movement therewith;
• and,
• said die holding cartridge means comprises a die driver section and at least one detachable die cartridge which is latchable to said die driver section for unitary movement therewith.

A punch press for operating on a sheet metal workpiece comprising:

• a bridge type main frame which spans a punching area;
• a punch head mechanism disposed on said bridge type main frame above the punching area;
• a workpiece positioning table extending from the punching area for supporting the worksheet;
• a two axes positioning mechanism disposed for positioning the worksheet at desired location in the punching area;
• an elongated linear punch holding cartridge assembly movable on said bridge type frame above the punching area having two parallel rows of punches disposed thereon, each row aligned with the direction of movement of said cartridge assembly, with the axes of the punches in each row staggered with respect to the axes of the punches in the other row;
• connecting means for connecting said punch head mechanism to a selected punch for a punching operation, said connecting means including a member having a pair of features aligned with a respective one of said rows and aligned with each other along a direction normal to said rows, each of said features engageable with each punch in a respective row upon being positioned thereover, the opposite feature from that feature aligned over a punch being not engageable with any of the said punches due to said staggered relationship of said rows;
• and,
• a mating, die holding cartridge assembly mechanism disposed beneath said punch holding cartridge assembly and being positioned with the punch holding cartridge so the appropriate die is in position during a punching operation.

A punch press comprising:

• a bridge type press frame spanning an elongated workpiece area wherein a workpiece is located during a punching operation;
• a table frame attached at one end to said bridge frame;
• a work table supported from said table frame for supporting a workpiece;
• a carriage extending across and movable along said work table in a Y-axis direction;
• a cross slide supported from and movable along said carriage in an X-axis direction;
• a first pair of worksheet grippers supported from and movable with said cross slide in an X-axis direction;
• a primary punch head mechanism disposed on said bridge type press frame above the workpiece area;
• a plurality of punches supported in a punch holding assembly from said bridge type press frame;
• connecting means for connecting a selected punch to said primary punch head mechanism;
• a plurality of dies supported in a die holding assembly from said bridge type press frame beneath said punch holder, one of said dies to work in conjunction with the selected punch on a workpiece disposed there between;
• a secondary punch head mechanism disposed on said bridge type press frame spaced apart in the X-axis direction from said primary punch head mechanism and supported above the workpiece area;
• and,
• second connecting means for connecting a second selected punch to said secondary punch head mechanism.