Slot cutter
AssigneeM & S Tool and Die Company
InventorsDavid Schultz, Donald E. Heinz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for punching a line of apertures in a workpiece having a channel. The apparatus comprises a punch press mounted to a base over a work space, a removable punch tool mounted on the punch press, an elongated table slidably mounted to the base having a line of travel extending through the work space, a mandrel, a clamping mechanism on the table for clamping a workpiece thereon with the workpiece channel aligned with the mandrel, and a drive mechanism for selectively moving the table in increments as the punch press sequentially strokes. When the workpiece is clamped to the table, it will be incrementally drawn along the mandrel, the mandrel being in the channel, and repeatedly punched by the punch tool, as the table is moved through the work space.
Claims12
An apparatus for punching a line of apertures in a workpiece having a channel, said apparatus comprising:
- a base having a portion thereof defining a work space,
- a punch press mounted to the base over the work space, said punch press having a punch tool,
- an elongated table slidably mounted to the base and adapted to reciprocate on a line of travel between a first position wherein most of the table is on one side of the work space, and a second position wherein most of the table is on another side of the work space, said line of travel extending through the work space,
- a mandrel fixed to the base and disposed within the work space over the table, said mandrel having a punch recess in register with the punch tool and adapted to receive the punch tool,
- a clamping mechanism on the table for clamping a workpiece thereon with the workpiece channel aligned with the mandrel, and
- drive means for selectively moving the table in increments as the punch press sequentially strokes, whereby when the workpiece is clamped to the table, it will be incrementally drawn over the mandrel, the mandrel being received in the channel, and repeatedly punched by the punch tool, as the table is moved between the first position and the second position.
A method of making a line of apertures in a workpiece having a channel comprising the steps of:
- positioning the workpiece on a movable table;
- clamping the workpiece to the table;
- moving the table incrementally through a punch press while simultaneously drawing the workpiece along a mandrel with the mandrel in the channel;
- and
- punching at least one aperture in the workpiece after each incremental movement of the table.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.