Apparatus for slant punching a plurality of elongate holes in a penetrable blank of material

Apparatus for simultaneously creating a plurality of elongate, linear bores or holes in a substantially solid slab made of a relatively rigid, penetrable material wherein said slab comprises two spaced, broad, flat faces forming opposite sides thereof and a relatively narrow exposed perimeter edge wall, and wherein further the elongate bores or holes extend inwardly in a uniform direction from one of the broad, flat faces of said slab, with the elongate bores or holes all being parallel with each other, said apparatus comprising

• a substantially planar support bed for supporting said slab of material within a punching chamber such that one of the broad, flat faces of said slab is substantially exposed to the interior of said chamber as said slab is supported on said bed;
• a substantially planar punching member positioned within said chamber such that an inner, broad, flat face of said punching member faces said one, broad, flat face of said slab which is support on said bed;
• a plurality of elongate punching elements extending into said chamber from said inner face of said punching member, with the longitudinal axes of said punching elements being parallel with each other, and further with said longitudinal axes of said punching elements being oriented at a uniform, oblique angle with respect to said one, broad, flat face of said slab which is supported on said bed;
• means for moving the planar support bed and the planar punching member in relative, reciprocating movement toward and away from each other in a direction which is parallel with the longitudinal orientation of the plurality of elongate punching elements extending from said planar punching member;
• and
• means for retaining the slab of material in a fixed position relative to the planar support bed during the relative, reciprocating movement of the planar support bed and the planar punching member, said means for retaining the slab of material in a fixed position comprising a pair of channels position along opposite side edges of said planar support bed so as to face each other, such that the slab of material can be positioned on said planar support bed by sliding opposite edges of the slab of material into engagement with the pair of oppositely faced channels,
• whereby said elongate punching elements pierce said slab of material supported by said planar support bed during the relative, reciprocating movement of the planar support bed and the planar punching member to form said plurality of bores or holes in said slab of material.