Apparatus for punching steel studs

An apparatus for punching knock-outs out of light gauge steel framing studs used in building construction to form holes of sufficient size to allow building wiring and piping to extend therethrough, the apparatus comprising:

• a compact hand held frame having a generally C-shaped portion with sufficiently spaced apart ends located along a working axis for receiving a light gauge steel framing stud used in building construction therebetween, and a handle for gripping by a user;
• a punch and die assembly including a punch and a die mounted opposite each other at the ends of the C-shaped portion of the frame, the punch and the die being mounted for movement relative to each other along the working axis the die having a body defining a cavity, and the punch being configured with respect to the cavity such that punching a hole produces a knock-out wherein the punch and the die are sized and configured to produce the knock-out and form the hole in the stud with the hole having sufficient size to allow building wiring and piping to extend therethrough;
• an electric motor mounted to the frame and having a drive shaft;
• a gear reduction assembly having an input portion driven by the drive shaft, and an output portion;
• a cam mechanism driven by the output portion of the gear reduction assembly, the cam mechanism driving the punch and die assembly over a working stroke range between a deactuated position in which the punch and the die are spaced apart with the stud positioned therebetween, and an actuated position in which the punch extends into the die cavity by punching through the stud to form the punched hole;
• and
• a gross adjust mechanism configured for moving the punch and the die relative to each other over a gross adjust stroke range significantly larger than that required to punch through the stud between an open position allowing the positioning of the stud between the punch and the die, and a closed position based on the working stroke range to cause punching of the punch through the stud upon actuation of the driving mechanism.

An apparatus for punching knock-outs out of light gauge steel framing studs used in building construction to form holes of sufficient size to allow building wiring and piping to extend therethrough, the apparatus comprising:

• a compact hand held frame having a generally C-shaped portion with sufficiently spaced apart ends located along a working axis for receiving a light gauge steel framing stud used in building construction therebetween, and a handle for gripping by a user;
• a punch and die assembly including a punch and a die mounted opposite each other at the ends of the C-shaped frame portion, the punch and the die being mounted for movement relative to each other along the working axis the die having a body defining a cavity, and the punch being configured with respect to the cavity such that punching a hole produces a knock-out wherein the punch and the die are sized and configured to produce the knock-out and form the hole in the stud with the hole having sufficient size to allow building wiring and piping to extend therethrough, wherein the die body defines an opening in communication with the cavity, the opening being sized such that the knock-out exits the die cavity by passing through the opening;
• and
• an actuatable driving mechanism mounted to the frame and operable to drive the punch and die assembly over a working stroke range between a deactuated position in which the punch and the die are spaced apart with the stud positioned therebetween, and an actuated position in which the punch extends into the die cavity by punching through the stud to allow the knock-out to exit the die cavity by passing through the opening.