Method and apparatus for forming parts of a predetermined shape from a continuous stock material

A method of forming a plurality of parts from a continuous stock material which includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart registration features, the method comprising the steps of:

• intermittently advancing the continuous stock material along a predetermined path such that the stock material advances longitudinally in a downstream direction;
• forming a portion of the continuous stock material into a predetermined shape following at least one advancing step, wherein said forming step comprises the step of selecting the portion of the continuous stock material which is formed such that the formed portion is longitudinally spaced from a registration feature by a predetermined distance;
• and
• at least partially compensating for longitudinal growth of the continuous stock material created during said forming step by allowing longitudinal movement of the continuous stock material.

An apparatus for forging a plurality of parts from a continuous stock material, the apparatus comprising:

• an indexer which intermittently advances the continuous stock material along a predetermined path such that the stock material advances longitudinally in a downstream direction through the forging apparatus;
• a clamp which clamps and securely holds a fixed portion of the continuous stock material following at least one intermittent advance of the continuous stock material;
• and
• a forge which forges a portion of the continuous stock material into a first predetermined shape while the fixed portion of the continuous stock material is clamped, wherein the fixed portion of the continuous stock material is disposed in a predetermined longitudinal direction from the forged portion of the continuous stock material,
• wherein the forging apparatus at least partially compensates for longitudinal growth of the continuous stock material created by said forge by allowing movement of the continuous stock material in a longitudinal direction away from said forge and opposite the predetermined longitudinal direction.

An apparatus for forging a plurality of parts formed from a continuous stock material which includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart registration features, the forging apparatus comprising:

• an indexer which intermittently advances the continuous stock material along a predetermined path such that the stock material advances longitudinally in a downstream direction;
• and
• a forge station comprising:
• a forge, downstream of said indexer, which forges a portion of the continuous stock material into a first predetermined shape;
• a sensor for identifying a registration feature on the continuous stock material;
• and
• positioning means, responsive to said sensor, for positioning said forge such that the forged portion is longitudinally spaced from the registration feature by a predetermined distance.

An apparatus for trimming a plurality of parts formed from a continuous stock material which includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart registration features, the trimming apparatus comprising:

• an indexer which intermittently advances the continuous stock material along a predetermined path such that the stock material advances longitudinally in a downstream direction;
• and
• a trimming station comprising:
• a trimmer, downstream of said indexer, for trimming predetermined portions of each part;
• a sensor for identifying a registration feature on the continuous stock material;
• and
• positioning means, responsive to said sensor, for positioning said trimmer such that the predetermined portions which are trimmed are longitudinally spaced from the registration feature by a predetermined distance.

An apparatus for separating a plurality of parts formed from a continuous stock material which includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart registration features, the apparatus comprising:

• an indexer which intermittently advances the continuous stock material along a predetermined path such that the stock material advances longitudinally in a downstream direction;
• and
• a saw station comprising:
• a cutter, downstream of said indexer, for cutting each part from the continuous stock material to thereby separate the continuous stock material into a plurality of discrete parts;
• a sensor for identifying a registration feature on the continuous stock material;
• and
• positioning means, responsive to said sensor, for positioning said cutter such that the portion of the continuous stock material which is cut is longitudinally spaced from the registration feature by a predetermined distance.

An apparatus for forging a plurality of parts from a continuous stock material, the apparatus comprising:

• indexing means for intermittently advancing the continuous stock material along a predetermined path such that the stock material advances longitudinally in a downstream direction through the forging apparatus;
• clamping means for clamping a portion of the continuous stock material, following at least one intermittent advance of the continuous stock material, so as to hold the clamped portion of the continuous stock material at a fixed location;
• forging means for forging a portion of the continuous stock material while the continuous stock material is clamped and held at the fixed location, wherein the fixed location established by said clamping means is disposed in a predetermined longitudinal direction from the forged portion of the continuous stock material;
• and
• compensating means for at least partially compensating for longitudinal growth of the continuous stock material created by said forging means by allowing movement of the continuous stock material in a longitudinal direction away from said forging means and opposite the predetermined longitudinal direction.

An apparatus for forging a plurality of parts from a continuous stock material, the forging apparatus comprising:

• an indexer for intermittently advancing the continuous stock material along a predetermined path such that the stock material advances longitudinally in a downstream direction through the forging apparatus;
• a first forge which forges a portion of the continuous stock material into a first predetermined shape following at least one intermittent advance of the continuous stock material, wherein said first forge creates longitudinal growth of the continuous stock material while forging the portion of the continuous stock material into the first predetermined shape;
• and
• a second forge, downstream of said first forge, which forges another portion of the continuous stock material into a second predetermined shape following the at least one intermittent advance of the continuous stock material such that the resulting parts have both the first and second predetermined shapes imparted by said first and second forges, respectively, wherein said second forge also creates longitudinal growth of the continuous stock material while forging the other portion of the continuous stock material into the second predetermined shape,
• wherein the forging apparatus at least partially compensates for longitudinal growth of the continuous stock material created by said first and second forges by allowing movement of the continuous stock material in a longitudinal direction away from the respective forge.

A method of forging a part of a predetermined shape from a workpiece comprising the steps of:

• at least partially closing a plurality of forging dies such that the forging dies move inward in a predetermined direction to contact the workpiece, wherein the plurality of forging dies cooperate to define a cavity therebetween which defines at least a portion of the predetermined shape of the resulting part;
• applying axial and radial forces to the workpiece with the radially closing forging dies, wherein said applying step includes the step of generating compressive and shear stresses within the workpiece such that the workpiece deforms outwardly to the predetermined shape defined by the opposed forging dies;
• and
• structurally reinforcing the plurality of forging dies during the application of compressive and shear forces with a die housing which receives and circumferentially encompasses the plurality of forging dies during the forging process.

An apparatus for forging a part of a predetermined shape from a workpiece, the forging apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of forging dies which cooperate to define a cavity therebetween which defines at least a portion of the predetermined shape of the resulting part;
• and
• a die housing defining an internal cavity of a predetermined shape for receiving and circumferentially encompassing said plurality of forging dies, wherein said plurality of forging dies are at least partially closed from an open position to an operative position upon the insertion of said plurality of forging dies into said die housing,
• wherein each forging die includes an inner contact surface for contacting and shaping the workpiece and an opposed outer surface having a predetermined shape for operably contacting said die housing, wherein the predetermined shape of the outer surface of each forging die is different than the predetermined shape of the internal cavity of said die housing when said plurality of forging dies are in the open position, and wherein said forging dies rotate upon insertion into said die housing such that the predetermined shape of the outer surface of each forging die corresponds to the predetermined shape of the internal cavity of said die housing once said forging dies are in the operative position.

A method of forging a part of a predetermined shape from a workpiece comprising the steps of:

• providing a plurality of forging dies which cooperate to define a cavity which defines at least a portion of the predetermined shape of the resulting part;
• and
• inserting the plurality of forging dies into an internal cavity of a predetermined shape defined by a die housing which circumferentially encompasses the plurality of forging dies, wherein said inserting step comprises the step of at least partially closing the plurality of forging dies from an open position to an operative position,
• wherein each forging die includes an inner contact surface for contacting and shaping the workpiece and an opposed outer surface having a predetermined shape for operably contacting the die housing, wherein the predetermined shape of the outer surface of each forging die is different than the predetermined shape of the internal cavity of the die housing when the plurality of forging dies are in the open position, and
• wherein said step of at least partially closing the plurality of forging dies comprises the step of rotating the forging dies upon insertion into the die housing such that the predetermined shape of the outer surface of each forging die corresponds to the predetermined shape of the internal cavity of the die housing once the forging dies are in the operative position.

An apparatus for forming a part of a predetermined shape from a workpiece, the forming apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of forming dies which cooperate to define a cavity which defines at least a portion of the predetermined shape of the resulting part, wherein the cavity defined by said plurality of forming dies is open at both ends such that the workpiece can extend therethrough;
• means for inwardly biasing said plurality of forming dies;
• first and second clamps disposed on opposite ends of said plurality of forming dies for clamping respective portions of the workpiece which extend beyond the respective uses of said plurality of forming dies;
• and
• means for urging at least one of said clamps toward the other of said clamps with sufficient force to overcome the inward biasing of said plurality of forming dies such that the portion of the workpiece disposed within the cavity defined by said plurality of forming dies is upset and expands outwardly, thereby forcing said plurality of forming dies to move outwardly so as to define a larger cavity.

A method of forming a part of a predetermined shape from a workpiece comprising the steps of:

• providing a plurality of forming dies which cooperate to define a cavity which defines at least a portion of the predetermined shape of the resulting part, wherein the cavity defined by the plurality of forming dies is open at both ends;
• extending the workpiece through the cavity defined by the plurality of forming dies such that portions of the workpiece extend beyond each end of plurality of forming dies;
• clamping respective portions of the workpiece which extend beyond the respective ends of the plurality of forming dies;
• inwardly biasing the plurality of forming dies;
• and
• upsetting the portion of the workpiece which is disposed within the cavity defined by the plurality of forming dies such that the workpiece expands outwardly, thereby forcing the plurality of forming dies to move outwardly so as to define a larger cavity,
• wherein said upsetting step comprises the step of urging one of the portions of the workpiece which is clamped toward the other of the portions of the workpiece which is clamped with sufficient force to overcome the inward biasing of the plurality of forming dies.

A spade-type boring bit comprising:

• an elongate shank defining a central longitudinal axis;
• and
• a blade portion joined at a rear end to one end of said shank along the central longitudinal axis, said blade portion including:
• a central segment being disposed along the central longitudinal axis and defining a central plane;
• and
• a pair of generally flat side segments which extend laterally in opposite directions from opposite sides of said central segment, said side segments defining respective lateral planes which are parallel to each other and the central longitudinal axis and which intersect the central plane at an oblique angle, said side segments including respective forward cutting edges which are axially offset relative to each other such that one of said forward cutting edges is axially rearward of the other one of said forward cutting edges;
• and
• a spur extending axially from a forward end of said blade portion opposite the rear end.

A method of drilling a hole in a workpiece with a spade-type boring bit having an elongate shank defining a central longitudinal axis, a blade portion joined to one end of the elongate shank and a spur extending axially from the blade portion wherein the blade portion includes a central segment which defines a central plane and a pair of generally flat side segments which extend laterally in opposite directions from the central segment wherein the side segments define respective lateral planes which are parallel to each other and which define an oblique angle with the central plane, and wherein said side segments also include respective forward cutting edges which are axially offset relative to each other to thereby define an axially advanced forward cutting edge and an axially rearward forward cutting edge, the method comprising the steps of:

• entering the workpiece with the spade-type drill bit such that the spur guides the spade-type drill bit into the workpiece;
• rotating the spade-type drill bit in a predetermined direction to form a hole in the workpiece such that the spade-type drill bit longitudinally advances in a forward direction wherein said rotating step comprises the steps of engaging and removing portions of the workpiece with both the axially advanced forward cutting edge and the axially rearward forward cutting edge, thereby creating chip swarf;
• and
• directing the chip swarf created during said rotating step in a longitudinally rearward direction, opposite the forward direction in which the spade-type drill bit is advanced, such that the chip swarf is removed from the surface of the workpiece engaged by the spade-type drill bit.