Patent Application
20230150007
Die assemblies often include several heavy parts that are difficult to handle properly. More particularly, preparing a die assembly for processing, including manipulating its parts for material loading, creates significant risk of injury and damage to the die assembly, work structures, and process machinery. To make these tasks easier, makeshift clamps are often used to keep the parts together and to provide gripping points and leverage. Unfortunately, the clamps themselves are unwieldy, and their general-purpose construction may create a false sense of secureness between the clamps and the die assembly, which perpetuates the risk of injury or damage to the die assembly, work structures, and process machinery.
Embodiments of the present invention solve the above-mentioned problems and provide a distinct advance in the art of die assembly tools. More particularly, the present invention provides a die assembly tool (hereinafter “tool”) that minimizes or eliminates the physical difficulties in handling die assembly parts during preparation for processing.
An embodiment of the invention is a die assembly tool broadly comprising a rocker and a swivel. The tool facilitates a controlled reconfiguration of die assembly parts via particular manipulations of the rocker and swivel.
The rocker includes a foot, a backrest, and a chamfered surface. The rocker (and hence the tool) is configured to be in an upright orientation, a tilted orientation, and a reclined orientation.
The foot includes left and right arms, left and right handles, a through-slot, and a groove and is configured to engage a base of the die assembly. The foot has sufficient width and depth to support the tool itself in the upright orientation. The foot may include an adapter for accommodating bases of different sizes.
The left and right arms extend laterally outward (when the tool is in the upright orientation) for embracing the base. To that end, the left and right arms extend in an arc complementary to the shape of a base of the die assembly. The left and right arms include an inwardly-facing beveled ledge for engaging the bevel of the base.
The left and right handles are positioned horizontally on sides of the foot. The left and right handles include grip material or geometry for improving a user’s grip thereon.
The through-slot extends laterally through the foot and is configured to receive a circumferential strap therethrough. The through-slot is positioned at a height from a bottom of the foot so that a strap fed through the through-slot can encircle the base without any twisting, curling, or localized side-loading of portions the strap.
The groove extends from a bottom side of the foot, along the chamfered surface, and up a back side of the backrest for receiving a strap encircling the die assembly in a vertical plane.
The backrest extends vertically from the foot and includes a slot, left and right handles, and portions of the groove described above. The backrest has sufficient width and depth to balance the tool itself and an outer shell, female component, and male component of the die assembly in the reclined position without tipping over.
The slot extends vertically (when the tool is in the vertical orientation) on a front face of the backrest. The slot is configured to guide movement of the slider of the swivel.
The left and right handles of the backrest are positioned vertically on sides of the backrest. The left and right handles include grip material or geometry for improving a user’s grip thereon.
The chamfered surface extends diagonally from the foot to the backrest at an angle of between approximately 1 degree and 89 degrees, more preferably between 20 degrees and 70 degrees, and most preferably between approximately 26 degrees and 60 degrees. The chamfered surface connects to a bottom surface of the foot via an edge and to the rear surface of the backrest via a filleted surface.
The edge is a well-defined boundary between the chamfered surface and the bottom surface of the foot. This allows the tool to be leaned from the upright orientation to the tilted orientation via the edge as a fulcrum. The well-defined boundary facilitates initial leaning to verify that components of the die assembly and tool are well-supported and assembled properly.
The fillet is a curved surface between the chamfered surface and the rear surface of the backrest. This allows the tool to be leaned from the tilted orientation to the reclined orientation via the fillet as a fulcrum. The curvature of the fillet (compared to a well-defined edge) facilities gradual leaning (e.g., rolling) the tool from the tilted orientation to the reclined orientation and from the reclined orientation to the tilted orientation.
The swivel includes a slider, a bearing, and a cradle. The swivel is configured to support the outer shell, female component, and male component of the die assembly as they are maneuvered when the tool is in the reclined orientation. The swivel may also include an adapter for accommodating die assembly components of different sizes.
The slider resides in the groove and is configured to translate toward and away from the foot. The slider may be interlocked with the groove so that the slider 40 cannot easily be dislocated from the groove.
The bearing pivotably connects the cradle to the slider. The bearing may be a ball bearing, fluid bearing, plain bearing, or the like.
The cradle includes left and right arms and is pivotably connected to the slider via the bearing. The cradle thereby also is configured to translate with the slider toward and away from the foot.
The left and right arms of the backrest extend laterally outward (when the tool is in the upright orientation) for embracing an outer shell of the die assembly. To that end, the left and right arms extend in an arc complementary to the shape of the outer shell.
In use, the tool may be maneuvered toward the die assembly (with the die assembly in an inverted configuration) such that the left and right arms of the foot are against the base and such that the backrest is against the outer shell. The beveled ledge of the foot should engage a bevel of the base. A strap may then be inserted into the through-slot, passed around the base, and cinched or fastened to secure the base to the foot.
The rocker may then be leaned from the upright orientation to the tilted orientation via the left and right handles of the foot or backrest. The rocker may be tilted an initial amount to verify the die assembly is fully supported by the tool. In the tilted orientation, the tool should be balanced on the chamfered surface. With the tool in the tilted orientation, another strap may be passed in a vertical loop to encircle the tool and die assembly via the slot and cinched or fastened to secure the die assembly to the tool.
The rocker may then be leaned from the tilted orientation to the reclined orientation via the filleted surface. The outer shell should be resting entirely on the cradle when the rocker is in the reclined orientation. The strap encircling the tool and die assembly may then be at least partially loosened or unfastened.
The slider may then be moved in the groove away from the foot such that the outer shell, female component, and male component are spaced from the base. The cradle may then be rotated a half turn via the bearing such that the outer shell, female component, and male component are in a non-inverted orientation (i.e., a processing orientation) and hence the die assembly is in a non-inverted configuration. The slider may then be moved in the groove toward the foot such that the outer shell is against the base.
The strap previously encircling the tool and die assembly may then be cinched or fastened again to resecure the die assembly to the tool. The rocker may then be leaned from the reclined orientation to the tilted orientation. The tool and die assembly may then be lifted and carried to a processing machine or other location via the handles.
The rocker may then be leaned from the tilted orientation to the upright orientation. The straps may then be removed from the tool and from around the die assembly, and the tool may be moved away from the die assembly.
The above-described invention provides several advantages. For example, the tool secures the die assembly as the die assembly is leaned to the reclined orientation. The die assembly can be safely switched between its inverted configuration and non-inverted configuration without having to provide a lifting force. The tool does not require cumbersome clamps yet can accommodate die assemblies of different sizes. The tool can also be used to carry the die assembly.
This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Other aspects and advantages of the current invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments and the accompanying drawing figures.
Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:
The drawing figures do not limit the current invention to the specific embodiments disclosed and described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the invention.
The following detailed description of the invention references the accompanying drawings that illustrate specific embodiments in which the invention can be practiced. The embodiments are intended to describe aspects of the invention in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments can be utilized and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the current invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the current invention is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
In this description, references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or “embodiments” mean that the feature or features being referred to are included in at least one embodiment of the technology. Separate references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or “embodiments” in this description do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment and are also not mutually exclusive unless so stated and/or except as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the description. For example, a feature, structure, act, etc. described in one embodiment may also be included in other embodiments, but is not necessarily included. Thus, the current technology can include a variety of combinations and/or integrations of the embodiments described herein.
Turning to the drawing figures, a tool 10 constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is illustrated. The tool 10 broadly comprises a rocker 12 and a swivel 14. The tool 10 may be used for handling and manipulating a die assembly 100.
The die assembly 100 may include a base 102, an outer shell 104, a female component 106, and a male component 108, as best seen in
The base 102 may be circular or disc-shaped and supports the outer shell 104, female component 106, and male component 108. The base 102 may include a circumferential, inwardly-angled beveled surface 110, which is configured to be engaged by the foot 16 of the rocker 12. An outer diameter of the base 102 may be equal to an outer diameter of the outer shell 104.
The outer shell 104 may be an open-ended, cylindrical wall configured to encircle the female component 106 and male component 108. The outer shell 104 may have alignment geometry, guides, and other features for ensuring the outer shell, female component 106, and male component 108 are assembled correctly. An outer diameter of the outer shell 104 may be equal to an outer diameter of the base 102.
The female component 106 fits within one end of the outer shell 104 opposite the male component 108 and may include molding geometry for forming portions of an article. The female component 106 may also include generally concave geometry complementary of the male component 108.
The male component 108 fits within one end of the outer shell 104 opposite the female component 106 and may include molding geometry for forming other portions of the article. The male component 108 may also include generally convex geometry complementary of the female component 106.
The outer shell 104, female component 106, and male component 108 cooperatively form an inner molding chamber 112 configured to receive molding material for forming the article. The tool 10 described herein facilitates loading the molding material in the inner molding chamber 112 and reorienting the die assembly 100 for molding.
The rocker 12 broadly comprises a foot 16, a backrest 18, and a chamfered surface 20. The rocker 12 may have an L-shaped profile. The rocker 12 (and hence the tool 10) may be configured to be in an upright orientation, a tilted orientation, and a reclined orientation. The rocker 12 is configured to engage the base 102 of the die assembly 100 when the tool 10 is in an upright orientation and stabilize the die assembly 100 as the tool 10 is leaned from the upright orientation to a reclined orientation via a tilted orientation, as discussed in more detail below.
The foot 16 may include left and right arms 22A,B, left and right handles 24A,B a through-slot 26, and a groove 28. The foot 16 has sufficient width and depth to support the tool 10 itself in the upright orientation. The foot 16 may include an adapter for accommodating bases of different sizes.
The left and right arms 22A,B extend laterally outward (when the tool 10 is in the upright orientation) for embracing the base 102. To that end, the left and right arms 22A,B may extend in an arc (in one embodiment, a circular arc) in a C-shape or other shape complementary to the shape of the base 1-2. The left and right arms 22A,B may also include an inwardly-facing beveled ledge 30 for engaging the bevel 110 of the base 102.
The left and right handles 24A,B may be positioned horizontally on sides of the foot 16 and may be integral components or separate fastened pieces. The left and right handles 24A,B may include grip material or geometry for improving a user’s grip thereon.
The through-slot 26 extends laterally through the foot 16 and is configured to receive a circumferential strap therethrough. The through-slot 26 may be positioned at a height from a bottom of the foot 16 so that a strap fed through the through-slot 26 can encircle the base 102 without any twisting, curling, or localized side-loading of portions the strap.
The groove 28 extends from a bottom side of the foot 16, along the chamfered surface 20, and up a back side of the backrest 18 and is configured to receive a strap encircling the die assembly 100 in a vertical plane. The strap positioned in the through-slot 26 and the strap positioned in the groove 28 cooperatively secure the die assembly 100 to the tool 10.
The backrest 18 extends vertically from the foot 16 and includes a slot 32, left and right handles 34A,B, and portions of the groove 28 described above. The backrest 18 also sufficient width and depth to support the tool 10 itself and the die assembly 100 in the reclined position without tipping over.
The slot 32 extends vertically (when the tool 10 is in the vertical orientation) on a front face of the backrest 18. The slot 32 guides the slider of the swivel as described below.
The left and right handles 34A,B may be positioned vertically on sides of the backrest 18 and may be integral components or separate fastened pieces. The left and right handles 34A,B may include grip material or geometry for improving a user’s grip thereon.
The chamfered surface 20 extends diagonally from the foot to the backrest 18 at an angle of between approximately 1 degree and 89 degrees, more preferably between 20 degrees and 70 degrees, and most preferably between approximately 26 degrees and 60 degrees. The chamfered surface 20 may connect to a bottom surface of the foot 16 via an edge 36 and to the rear surface of the backrest 18 via a filleted surface 38.
The edge 36 may be a well-defined boundary between the chamfered surface 20 and the bottom surface of the foot 16. This allows the tool 10 to be leaned from the upright orientation to the tilted orientation via the edge 36 as a fulcrum. The well-defined boundary facilitates initial leaning to verify that components of the die assembly 100 and tool 10 are well-supported and assembled properly.
The fillet 38 may be a curved surface between the chamfered surface 20 and the rear surface of the backrest 18. This allows the tool 10 to be leaned from the tilted orientation to the reclined orientation via the fillet 38 as a fulcrum. The curvature of the fillet 38 (compared to a well-defined edge) facilities gradual leaning (e.g., rolling) the tool 10 from the tilted orientation to the reclined orientation and from the reclined orientation to the tilted orientation.
The swivel 14 broadly comprises a slider 40, a bearing 42, and a cradle 44. The swivel 14 supports the outer shell 104, female component 106, and male component 108 during maneuvering of these components when the tool 10 is in the reclined orientation. The swivel 14 may also include an adapter for accommodating outer shells of different sizes.
The slider 40 resides in the groove 28 and is configured to translate toward and away from the foot 16 in the groove 28. The slider 40 may be interlocked with the groove 28 so that the slider 40 cannot easily be dislocated from the groove 28.
The bearing 42 pivotably connects the cradle 44 to the slider 40. The bearing 42 may be a ball bearing, fluid bearing, plain bearing, or the like.
The cradle 44 includes left and right arms 46A,B and is pivotably connected to the slider 40 via the bearing 42. The cradle 44 thereby also translates with the slider 40 toward and away from the foot 16.
The left and right arms 46A,B extend laterally outward (when the tool 10 is in the upright orientation) for embracing the outer shell 104. To that end, the left and right arms 46A,B may extend in an arc (in one embodiment, a circular arc), thereby forming a concave surface or other shape complementary to the shape of the outer shell 104.
Use of the tool 10 will now be described in more detail. First, the die assembly 100 may be assembled in an inverted configuration. More particularly, the outer shell 104, female component 106, and male component 108 may be assembled on the base 102 in an inverted orientation (e.g., a material loading orientation). Material may then be loaded into the inner molding chamber 112 (this may require one of the female component 106 and male component 108 to be removed from the outer shell 104).
The tool 10 may then be maneuvered toward the die assembly 100 such that foot 16 (and more particularly, the left and right arms 22A,B of the foot 16) is against the base 102 and such that the backrest 18 is against the outer shell 104, as shown in
The rocker 12 (and hence the tool 10 and die assembly 100) may then be leaned from the upright orientation to the tilted orientation via the left and right handles 24A,B and/or the left and right handles 34A,B, as shown in
The rocker 12 (and hence the tool 10 and die assembly 100) may then be leaned from the tilted orientation to the reclined orientation via the filleted surface 38 and via the left and right handles 24A,B and/or the left and right handles 34A,B, as shown in
The slider 40 may then be moved in the groove 28 away from the foot 16 such that the outer shell 104, female component 106, and male component 108 are spaced from the base 102, as shown in
The strap previously encircling the tool 10 and die assembly 100 may then be cinched or fastened again to resecure the die assembly 100 to the tool 10. The rocker 12 (and hence the tool 10 and die assembly 100) may then be leaned from the reclined orientation to the tilted orientation via the filleted surface 38 and via the left and right handles 24A,B and/or the left and right handles 34A,B. The tool 10 and die assembly 100 may then be lifted and carried to a processing machine or other location via the handles 24A,B of the foot 16 and/or the handles 34A,B of the backrest 18. This can be performed by one or two individuals. If two individuals carry the tool 10, it may be more ergonomic for one of the individuals to lift from the left handle 24A and left handle 34A and the other individual to lift from the right handle 24B and right handle 34B. This also has the advantage of approaching the desired location with the lifting individuals on each side of the tool 10.
The rocker 12 (and hence the tool 10 and die assembly 100) may then be leaned from the tilted orientation to the upright orientation via the left and right handles 24A,B and/or the left and right handles 34A,B. The straps may then be removed from the through-slot 26 and slot 32. The tool 10 may then be moved away from the die assembly 100.
The above-described invention provides several advantages. For example, the tool 10 secures the die assembly 100 as the die assembly 100 is leaned to the reclined orientation. The die assembly 100 can be safely switched between its inverted configuration and non-inverted configuration without having to provide a lifting force. The tool 10 does not require cumbersome clamps yet can accommodate die assemblies of different sizes. The tool 10 can also be used to carry the die assembly 100.
Although the invention has been described with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the attached drawing figures, it is noted that equivalents may be employed and substitutions made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as recited in the claims.
Having thus described various embodiments of the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includes the following:
This invention was made with Government support under Contract No.: DE-NA-0002839 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention.
