Indexable multi-tool for punch press

A turret punch press comprising the following:

• a press frame supporting rotatable upper and lower turrets, each of said turrets including a plurality of sets of circumferentially spaced tool holding stations, each of said sets including an upper station in said upper turret and a corresponding lower station in said lower turret;
• at least one of said sets of tool holding stations being an indexing set that is provided with means for rotating tool holders received therein;
• a multi-tool holder comprising a punch carrier with a plurality of spaced apart punch-carrying openings therein with punches in said openings, said multi-tool holder being received in the upper station of said at least one indexing set;
• a die carrier bearing a plurality of dies corresponding to said punches, said die carrier being received in the lower station of said at least one indexing set below said multi-tool holder, whereby a punch in each of said punch-carrying openings of said punch carrier will mate with a die carried by said die carrier;
• said multi-tool holder including a striker body having a striker member, said punch carrier being selectively rotatable with said striker body and movable with respect to said striker body;
• and
• a lock selectively actuable to retain said striker body against movement when said punch carrier of said multi-tool holder is moved by said indexing set.

A method of punching holes of similar configuration, but with differing angular orientations, in sheet material, said method comprising the following steps:

• providing a multi-tool holder including a striker body having a striker member, said multi-tool holder further including a punch carrier for holding a plurality of punching tools, said punch carrier being selectively positionable with respect to said striker body;
• placing said striker body and said punch carrier in a predetermined relative position in which said striker member of said striker body is aligned over a predetermined one of said plurality of punching tools;
• rotating said multi-tool holder to a plurality of predetermined orientations;
• and
• actuating said predetermined punching tool to punch at least one hole while said punch assembly is in each of at least two of said predetermined orientations.

A method of punching holes of different angular orientations in sheet material, said method comprising the following steps:

• providing a multi-tool holder including a striker body having a striker member, said multi-tool holder further including a punch carrier for holding a plurality of punching tools, said punch carrier being selectively positionable with respect to said striker body;
• placing said striker body and said punch carrier in a first predetermined relative position in which said striker member of said striker body is aligned over a first predetermined one of said plurality of punching tools;
• rotating said multi-tool holder to a plurality of predetermined orientations;
• actuating said first predetermined punching tool to punch at least one hole while said multi-tool holder is in each of at least two of said predetermined orientations;
• placing said striker body and said punch carrier in a second predetermined relative position in which said striker member of said striker body is aligned over a second predetermined one of said plurality of punching tools;
• rotating said multi-tool holder to a plurality of predetermined orientations;
• and
• actuating said second predetermined punching tool to punch at least one hloe while said multi-tool holder is in each of at least two of said predetermined orientations.

A method of changing the angular orientation of a punching tool so that said punching tool can be actuated to punch holes of identical shape, but with different angular orientations, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a punch press having at least one indexable station;
• providing a multi-punching tool carrier bearing a plurality of punching tools at said station;
• providing a striker for said carrier capable of acting on only one of said punching tools at a time;
• rotating one of said striker and carrier by indexing said station to align said striker with a selected one of said punching tools;
• rotating said striker and said carrier by indexing said station to position said one tool at a desired angular orientation.

In a punch press of the type including a plurality of tool stations selectively positionable beneath a selectively actuable ram, a multi-tool holder disposed in one of said tool stations and comprising the following:

• a punch carrier bearing a plurality of punching tools;
• a striker body capable of selectively acting on any one of said punching tools at a time;
• and
• means for positioning said striker body and said punch carrier such that said ram can be actuated to cause a predetermined one of said punching tools to punch holes of identical shape, but with different angular orientations, by rotation of said punch carrier with said striker body.

A method of changing the angular orientation of a punching tool so that said punching tool can be actuated to punch holes of identical shape, but with different angular orientations, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a punch press having at least one indexable station;
• providing a multi-punching tool carrier bearing a plurality of punching tools at said station;
• providing a striker for said carrier capable of acting on only one of said punching tools at a time;
• affecting relative movement between said striker and carrier to align said striker with a selected one of said punching tools;
• rotating said striker and said carrier by indexing said station to position said selected one of said punching tools at a desired angular orientation.