Vertical pierce die

In a piercing die assembly for punching a plurality of radially extending holes in a tubular member, a die structure having an open end for receiving a tubular member to be punched and with the die structure having means for supporting the tubular member in a pre-punching position including radially inner and outer die walls for backing up inner and outer wall surfaces of the tubular member to be punched, a plurality of spaced radially movable punch assemblies operatively connected with the die structure and having a series of radially movable punches, the punch assemblies having bearings positioned at radially outer ends of the punches and with each bearing and its associated punch being radially movable simultaneously together, a vertically movable ring-shaped actuator member positioned radially outwardly of the punches and movable axially from a pre-punching position, a plurality of spaced cams mounted on the ring-shaped actuator member and movable up and down therewith from a pre-punching position to a post-punching position and with the cams being positioned for contacting and actuating the bearings and the punches to punch holes in the tubular member in a preplanned manner, press means for moving the actuator member from its pre-punching position and actuating said cams to actuate the punches to punch the tubular member, each of said cams being associated in radial adjacency with an associated one of said punch assemblies and workable together for punching holes in the tubular member, means for returning said press means to its pre-punching position, and retraction means for retracting the bearings and the punches after completing a punching operation to place the punches in readiness for another punching operation, the vertically movable ring-shaped actuator member engageable at its upper end by said press means for moving the actuator member, said press means including circumferentially spaced press rods with lower rod ends engaged against said ring-shaped actuator member, and a press plate connected to said press rods in unitary assembly, the press plate being spaced above the article supporting structure when in a pre-punching position a sufficient distance to allow a tubular member to be punched and to be moved into and out of said open end before and after punching.

In a piercing die assembly for punching a plurality of radially extending holes in a tubular member,

• a structure having an open end for receiving a tubular member to be punched and with the article supporting die structure having stop means for supporting the tubular member in a pre-punching position, the die structure including a radially inner backup ring, a radially outer punch guide ring being concentrically positioned with respect to said backup ring, and a cam holder ring being positioned radially outwardly of the backup ring and the guide ring whereby all of said rings are concentrically disposed with respect to one another, the backup ring having a radially outer die wall and the punch guide ring having a radially inner die wall which inner and outer die walls co-act for providing backup for inner and outer wall surfaces of the tubular member to be punched and further defining the aforesaid open end, the cam holder ring being positioned radially outwardly of the punches and movable axially from a pre-punching position to a post-punching position and operatively engaged with said punch guide ring,
• a plurality of radially spaced movable punch assemblies operatively connected with the article supporting die structure and having a series of radially movable punches, the punch assemblies having punch actuating bearings positioned at radially outer ends of the punches and with each bearing and its associated punch being radially movable simultaneously together,
• a plurality of spaced cams mounted on the cam holder ring and movable up and down therewith from a pre-punching position to a post-punching position and with the cams being positioned for contacting and actuating the bearings and the punches for punching holes in the tubular member in a preplanned manner,
• press means for moving the cam holder ring and actuating said cams to actuate the punches to punch the tubular member, each of said cams being associated in radial adjacency with an associated one of said punch assemblies and workable together for punching holes in the tubular member,
• means for returning said press means to its pre-punching position,
• retraction means for retracting the bearings and the punches after completing a punching operation to place the punches in readiness for another punching operation, the axially movable cam holder ring being comprised of solid metal and being engaged at one end by said press means for moving the cam holder ring, said cams being mounted upon said cam holder ring and being carried in spaced relation to one another when said ring is in a pre-punching position, the cams being in close proximity to one another enabling the ring to be moved a relatively short distance to complete a punching operation.

In a piercing die assembly for punching a plurality of radially extending holes in a tubular member,

• a die structure having an open end for receiving a tubular member to be punched and with the die structure having means for supporting the tubular member in a pre-punching position including radially inner and outer die walls for backing up inner and outer wall surfaces of the tubular member to be punched,
• a plurality of spaced radially movable punch assemblies operatively connected with the die structure and having a series of radially movable punches, the punch assemblies having ball bearings positioned at radially outer ends of the punches and with each bearing and its associated punch being radially movable simultaneously together,
• a vertically movable ring-shaped actuator member positioned radially outwardly of the punches and movable axially from a pre-punching position to a post-punching position,
• a plurality of spaced cams mounted on the ring-shaped actuator member and movable up and down therewith from a pre-punching position,
• a plurality of spaced cams mounted on the ring-shaped actuator member and movable up and down therewith from a pre-punching position to a post-punching position and with the cams being positioned for contacting and actuating the ball bearings and the punches to punch holes in the tubular member in a preplanned manner,
• press means for moving the actuator member from its pre-punching position and actuating said cams to actuate the punches to punch the tubular member, each of said cams being associated in radial adjacency with an associated one of said punch assemblies and workable together for punching holes in the tubular member,
• means for returning said press means to its pre-punching position,
• retraction means for retracting the bearings and the punches after completing a punching operation to place the punches in readiness for another punching operation, the vertically movable ring-shaped actuator member comprising a solid metal ring and engageable by said press means for moving the actuator member, the punch assemblies being oriented for punching at least one series of vertically spaced holes in the tubular member, the vertically movable ring-shaped actuator member comprising a solid metal ring and engageable by said means for moving the actuator member, said means for moving the actuator member including a press plate and a series of vertically extending circumferentially spaced push pins each having an end engaged against the solid metal ring, the spaces between the push pins allowing tubular members to be inserted and removed from said open end for punching.

In a piercing die assembly for punching a plurality of radially extending holes in a tubular member,

• a structure having an open end for receiving a tubular member to be punched and with the article supporting die structure having stop means for supporting the tubular member in a pre-punching position, the die structure including a radially inner backup ring, a radially outer punch guide ring being concentrically positioned with respect to said backup ring, and a cam holder ring being positioned radially outwardly of the backup ring and the guide ring whereby all of said rings are concentrically disposed with respect to one another, the backup ring having a radially outer die wall and the punch guide ring having a radially inner die wall which inner and outer die walls co-act for providing backup for inner and outer wall surfaces of the tubular member to be punched and further defining the aforesaid open end, the cam holder ring being positioned radially outwardly of the punches and movable axially from a pre-punching position to a post-punching position and operativey engaged with said punch guide ring,
• a plurality of radially spaced movable punch assemblies operatively connected with the article supporting die structure and having a series of radially movable punches, the punch assemblies having punch actuating bearings positioned at radially outer ends of the punches and with each bearing and its associated punch being radially movable simultaneously together,
• a plurality of spaced cams mounted on the cam holder ring and movable up and down therewith from a pre-punching position to a post-punching position and with the cams being positioned for contacting and actuating the bearings and the punches for punching holes in the tubular member in a preplanned manner,
• press means for moving the cam holder ring and actuating said cams to actuate the punches to punch the tubular member, each of said cams being associated in radial adjacency with an associated one of said punch assemblies and workable together for punching holes in the tubular member,
• means for returning said press means to its pre-punching position,
• retraction means for retracting the bearings and the punches after completing a punching operation to place the punches in readiness for another punching operation, the axially movable cam holder ring being comprised of solid metal and being engaged at one end of said press means for moving the cam holder ring, said cams being mounted upon said cam holder ring and being carried in spaced relation to one another when said ring is in a pre-punching position, the cams being in close proximity to one another enabling the ring to be moved a relatively short distance to complete a punching operation, the axially movable cam holder ring being engageable by said means for moving the cam holder ring, said press means for moving the cam holder ring including a press plate and a series of vertically extending circumferentially spaced push pins each having an end engaged against the cam holder ring, the spaces between the push pins allowing successive tubular members to be inserted and removed from said open end for punching.