Apparatus for severing a tubular workpiece
OwnerJohn F. Riera, Billy J. Bielawski, Sr. +1inventors
InventorsJohn F. Riera, Billy J. Bielawski, Sr., John J. Pavelec
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tube cut-off die set includes a compliant cam driver received in a jaw carrying cartridge each adapted to be removably mounted to a die shoe as a separate unit or kit, horizontally and vertically driven tube notching and severing blades which pass through the jaws with the notching blade extending from a cross slide which moves horizontally and has its opposite ends secured during the notching movement, and guide posts having the forward ends of guide bushings rigidified to form a box-like structure to shoulder loads during tube severing. Positioning of a cam drive plate so that a cam slot therein drives the notching blades horizontally when the slot is at its lowest position transfers notching forces to the tube.
Claims41
A tube cut-off machine for severing elongated material moving continuously longitudinally of its length, comprising
- a lower die shoe defining a horizontal plane,
- tube clamping means for releasably clamping said tube during the severing operation and including two jaw members,
- a cam follower operably connected to one jaw member,
- a ram assembly vertically reciprocable relative to said die shoe and including a tube severing blade and a cam, the improvement characterized in that
- said tube clamping means comprises a cartridge that is removably mounted as a unit to said die shoe, said cartridge comprising
- a base mounted to and stationary relative to said die shoe,
- bias means for laterally biasing the jaw members apart, and
- a frame slidably mounted on said base to hold said cam follower and jaw members in a predetermined side-by-side relation, said follower and jaw members being adapted to slide relative to said frame and said base in a direction transverse to the tube axis, operation of said ram assembly simultaneously causing said cam to engage the follower and drive the jaw members into clamping relation with the tube and the blade to be driven into the tube such that the tube is severed;
- further including a second cam follower, the respective cam followers and jaw members being confronting and each mounted on a holder slidably disposed relative to the frame, one and the other cam holder abutting, respectively, one short tie bar and one jaw holder and the other jaw holder abutting the other short tie bar, the cam followers engaging the cam driven therebetween, the adjustment means includes a threaded adjustment member threadably extending through said one short tie bar to drive the second cam holder towards the first cam holder when engaging the cam driver whereby the jaw holders and their jaw members move laterally toward or away from one another.
A tube cut-off die set for use in a vertically reciprocating press, comprising, in combination,
- a lower die shoe,
- a vertically reciprocating upper die shoe, including a cam and a cut-off blade mounted for movement in a vertical direction,
- a first guide means for guiding reciprocation between the shoes, and
- tube holding means on said lower die shoe for releasably clamping said tube, the improvement characterized by
- said tube holding means comprising a unitary cartridge adapted to be removably mounted to said lower die shoe, said cartridge including spaced confronting jaw members, spaced confronting cam followers for receiving the cam each follower being mounted on a slidable follower holder, bias means for biasing the jaw members apart, a frame member and adjustment means operating against a cam holder for adjusting the clamping pressure of the tube holding means relative to the tube, said cam followers being operating on by said cam to drive the jaw members into clamping relation with said tube prior to cutting by the blade.
Apparatus for performing work on a tubular workpiece, including a base, a ram assembly including a cam vertically reciprocable relative to said base, and a tube severing blade operated by said assembly, the improvement characterized by a tube holding cartridge adapted to be placed in cartridge receiving means associates with said base and locked against movement by cartridge locking means, said cartridge including reciprocable first and second jaw members arranged to clamp against said tube, first and second cam followers adapted to be operated by said cam to drive said jaw members into and out of clamping engagement with said tube, said cam followers and jaw members mounted on respective holders slidably mounted directly to said base with said second cam follower abutting the first jaw member, one said follower being a tapered wear plate, and adjustment means acting against the first cam follower and second jaw member for changing the spacing between the jaw members when the cam followers are engaging said cam.
A tube holding apparatus including a tube feed mechanism, a cam driver compliant in its lateral width, and a tube severing blade, said apparatus comprising a base mountable relative to said die set, a pair of laterally spaced jaws, both slidable on the base with respect to one another, means for adjusting the spacing between the jaws, and closure means operated by said compliant cam driver for clamping about the tube, the closure means including a spring which biases the jaws apart, a pair of cam followers which define an opening for receiving the compliant driver, at least one cam following being a roller and operating on one jaw member, and frame means for captivating the jaw members and cam followers in side-by-side relation on said base, the frame means being operably associated with the other side cam follower and the other jaw member.
A tube holding apparatus including a tube feed mechanism, a compressible cam driver, and a tube severing blade, said apparatus comprising a base mountable relative to said die set, a pair of laterally spaced jaws, both slidable on the base with respect to one another, means for adjusting the spacing between the jaws, and closure means operated by said compressible cam driver for clamping about the tube, the closure means including a spring which biases the jaws apart, a pair of cam followers which define a lateral opening for receiving the compressible driver vertically reciprocated therebetween, at least one cam following being a wear pad including a flat surface and and operating on one said jaw member, and frame means for captivating the jaw members and cam followers in side-by-side relation on said base, the frame means being operably associated with the other side cam follower and the other jaw member.
A ram driver apparatus in which sections of tubing are successively severed from a continuous length thereof comprises a tube clamping mechanism including a pair of opposed complemental die jaws mounted on slides which are controlled by a cam follower, a passage partially defined by said cam follower and through which a driver cam may pass to drive the die jaws into engaging relations with the tube, said driver cam being characterized by a longitudinally extending member having an elongated way, a load bar disposed in and extending substantially the length of said way, and bias means acting on said load bar for biasing said load bar against said cam follower, unsymmetrical loading placed by said ram on said driver being compensated for by deflection of the load bar whereby to reduce undesired wear and overloading on the cam follower.
A cam driver for tube clamping apparatus of the type having complemental die jaws and a cam follower adapted to be engaged by the driver to drive the die jaws into clamping relation with the tube, comprising an elongated shaft of generally rectangular cross section one surface of which having a cavity extending therealong, a load bar disposed in said cavity, means for retaining the bar in said cavity, and bias means acting between the cavity surface and load bar for biasing the load bar outwardly of the cavity, engagement of the load bar by the cam follower forcing the bar inwardly.
A kit for use in a vertically reciprocating press and clamping a tubular workpiece to be severed, the press including two relatively reciprocable die shoes and a cut-off blade fixed to and driven by one said die shoe, said kit comprising a saddle including laterally spaced first and second cam followers at least one being a roller mounted by a pin for rotation about an axis parallel to the axis of tube feed, and a cam driver engaged by said cam followers and having one end portion adapted to be connected to one die shoe, said saddle further including first and second jaw holders slidably mounted to the saddle in confronting relation each jaw holder having a jaw mounted thereto, bias means for biasing the holders apart, frame means for retaining the cam followers and jaw holders in side-by-side relations, and adjustment means acting in a direction transverse to said tube axis for changing the separation between the jaw holders, said adjustment means being separated from said pin and operably disconnected from said roller.
A kit for use in a vertically reciprocating press and clamping a tubular workpiece to be severed, the press including two relatively reciprocable die shoes and a cut-off blade fixed to and driven by one side die shoe, said kit comprising a saddle including laterally spaced first and second cam followers at least one being a wear plate having a planar surface, and a cam driver engaged by said cam followers and having one end portion adapted to be connected to one die shoe, said saddle further including first and second jaw holders slidably mounted to the saddle in confronting relation each jaw holder having a jaw removably mounted thereto, bias means for biasing the holders apart, frame means for retaining the cam followers and jaw holders in side-by-side relation, and adjustment means for changing the separation between the jaw holders, operation of said adjustment means being separate from said cam followers.
Apparatus for performing work on a tubular workpiece, including a pair of die shoes vertically reciprocable relative to one another, a tube slotting blade horizontally reciprocable relative to said shoes and guide means including first and second ends affixed to one and the other said she for guiding vertical reciprocation of the shoes, said apparatus characterized in that said guide means includes a first, second and third guide post each extending axially and the axes of the posts defining a right triangular array, each said guide post comprising a guide bearing mounted for reciprocation within a guide bushing the bearing including a first end and the guide bushing including a second end and a forward end portion for receiving the bearing, the forward end portions being spaced vertically from said other shoe and extending towards said one shoe, a first tie bar rigidly joining the forward end portions of the first and second bushings, and a tie plate rigidly joining the forward end portions of the second and third bushings.
A tube cut-off die set for use in a vertically reciprocating die press comprising in combination a movable upper die shoe, a stationary lower die shoe, a cut-off blade and a cam driver mounted on the upper shoe for movement in a vertical tube severing plane, tube holding means mounted on the lower shoe and operated by said cam driver for releasably clamping the tube, said tube holding means comprising a unitary cartridge having a saddle removably mounted on the lower shoe and including a pair of tube holding jaw members for releasably engaging the tube, each member mounted on a holder slidably mounted directly to the saddle, one holder being driven by a cam in response to the cam driver, a first, a second and a third axially extending guide post each having their like respective ends connected to one and the other said shoe for guiding relative reciprocation therebetween such that the guide post axes define a right triangular array, means coupling the forward end portions of the first and the second, and the second and the third guide posts together for stiffening the frame formed by the array of guide posts, a rail mounting plate rigidly mounted on the lower die shoe, a slotting blade for notching the upper wall of the tube, a slotting blade bearing member carrying a first cam roller and the slotting blade holder, said bearing member being supported to the mounting plate for horizontal sliding movement relative to the lower shoe, a drive link pivotally mounted at its lower end to the lower shoe for movement in a plane parallel to the severing plane, the link carrying a second cam roller and having a cap member abutting said first cam roller, and a cam driver plate extending vertically downward from the upper shoe and having a cam slot receiving the second cam follower, vertical reciprocation of said driver plate causing said second cam follower to pivot said link pin whereby the cap member drives the first cam follower in a horizontal path, causing the driver to cam the jaws about the tube and notching blade to traverse and notch the tube.
A tube cut-off die set for use in a vertically reciprocating die press comprising in combination a movable upper die shoe, a stationary lower die shoe, a cut-off blade and a cam driver mounted on the upper shoe for movement in a vertical tube severing plane, tube holding means mounted on the lower shoe and operated by said cam driver for releasably clamping the tube, said tube holding means comprising a unitary cartridge having a saddle removably mounted on the lower shoe and including a pair of tube holding jaw members for releasably engaging the tube, each member mounted on a holder slidably mounted directly to the saddle, one holder being driven by a cam in response to the cam driver, a first, second and third axially extending guide post each having their like respective ends connected to one and the other said shoe for guiding relative reciprocation therebetween such that the guide post axes define a right triangular array, a rail mounting plate rigidly mounted on the lower die shoe, a slotting blade for notching the upper wall of the tube, a slotting blade bearing member carrying a first cam roller and the slotting blade holder, said bearing member being supported to the mounting plate for horizontal sliding movement relative to the lower shoe, a drive link pivotally mounted at its lower end to the lower shoe for movement in a plane parallel to the severing plane, the link carrying a second cam roller and having a cap member abutting said first cam roller, and a cam driver plate extending vertically downward from the upper shoe and having a cam slot receiving the second cam follower, vertical reciprocation of said driver plate causing said second cam follower to pivot said link pin whereby the cap member drives the first cam follower in a horizontal path, causing the driver to cam the jaws about the tube and notching blade to traverse and notch the tube, wherein said clam driver comprises a compliant beam including a longitudinally extending cavity on opposite faces thereof, each cavity retaining a load bar extending the length of the cavity and bias means for biasing the bar outwardly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.