Element blanking apparatus and method

An element blanking method for blanking from a substantially flat plate material using an element blanking apparatus a CVT belt element that is formed by a body portion to be placed on an inner periphery of a CVT belt hoop, a head portion to be placed on an outer periphery of the CVT belt hoop, and a neck portion connecting the head portion and the body portion at a central position, wherein the element blanking apparatus includes:

• a die having a blanking blade that has an opening shape conforming to a planar shape of the element to be formed,
• an ejector that has a sectional shape conforming to the opening shape of the blanking blade and is located inside the blanking blade,
• a punch that has a sectional shape conforming to the opening shape of the blanking blade and moves downward into the blanking blade to blank the element together with the blanking blade, and
• a pusher that is located around the punch and presses the flat plate material against the die,
• an upper surface of the ejector has a body portion-side upper surface portion in a region that is located on one side in a lateral direction and that is used to form the body portion, and a head portion-side upper surface portion in a region that is located on the other side in the lateral direction and that is used to form the head portion and the neck portion,
• the body portion-side upper surface portion has a raised surface in a region located on the one side in the lateral direction, and the raised surface is raised with respect to a region of the body portion-side upper surface portion which is located on the other side in the lateral direction, the method comprising:
• moving the punch downward to press the flat plate material by the punch and the ejector so as to form a reduced thickness portion in the flat plate material by the body portion-side upper surface portion;
• moving the pusher downward to press the flat plate material against the die by the pusher;
• and
• blanking subsequently the element by the punch and the blanking blade, wherein
• the head portion-side upper surface portion has a lowered surface in a region located on the other side in the lateral direction, and the lowered surface is tilted downward toward the other side in the lateral direction, and
• the lowered surface is caused to face parallel to a lower surface of the flat plate material when the body portion-side upper surface portion contacts the lower surface of the flat plate material and the ejector is tilted in a clearance between the ejector and the blanking blade so as to be lowered on the one side in the lateral direction.