Upper tool for a press

An upper tool for a punch press which includes an upper tool holding member, comprising:

• a unitary punch guide adapted to be mounted on the upper tool holding member so as to be movable up and down, the punch guide having a lower end portion, the lower end portion having a lower surface, the punch guide is supported by the upper tool holding member through a first elastic member;
• a punch being inserted in the punch guide so as to be movable up and down;
• a stripper spring being interposed between the punch and the punch guide for exerting downward force on the punch guide enough to retract the punch from a hole punched in a workpiece;
• a shock damping member releasably fixed directly on the lower end portion of the unitary punch guide;
• a stripper plate releasably fixed directly on the shock damping member for coming in contact with a workpiece and pushing the workpiece to strip the workpiece from the punch when the punch retracts, the stripper plate being fitted on an outer surface of the punch so as to be able to push a circumferential portion of the workpiece defining the hole punched in the workpiece, the stripper plate having an upper surface;
• and
• an air gap between the lower surface and the upper surface, the air gap being dimensioned so that the air gap is equal to the maximum deformation of the damping member and the upper surface collides with the lower surface if the shock damping member is deformed excessively.