Claims
- 1. A die exchange apparatus for use with a press brake, said press brake having an upper body and a lower body, said upper body and lower body having an upper die holder and a lower die holder attachably and detachably held thereby, respectively, said die exchange apparatus operable to exchange said upper die holder between an upper die holder supply and said upper body, and operable to exchange said lower die holder between a lower die holder supply and said lower body, said die exchange apparatus comprising:
- an upper die exchange apparatus and a lower die exchange apparatus;
- said upper die exchange apparatus comprising:
- a pair of first support arms at a position corresponding to said upper body so as to be freely movable in a first direction;
- subarms on each of said first support arms, said subarms being rotatable by a first rotatable shaft; and
- means for supporting said upper die holder at an end of each of said subarms, said means for supporting being symmetrical about said first rotatable shaft and facing each other in a second direction transverse to said first direction;
- said lower die exchange apparatus comprising:
- a pair of second support arms at a position corresponding to said lower body so as to be freely movable in the first direction;
- subarms on each of said second support arms, said subarms being rotatable by a second rotatable shaft; and
- means for supporting said lower die holder at an end of each of said subarms, said means for supporting being symmetrical about said second rotatable shaft and facing each other in said second direction.
- 2. The die exchange apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
- said pair of first support arms are connected with each other by a driving shaft and are rotatable with said driving shaft.
- 3. The die exchange apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:
- said driving shaft is a double-shaft arrangement comprising a first shaft and a second shaft, said first shaft being rotatably supported in a frame and said second shaft being rotatably supported within said first shaft;
- said pair of first support arms are connected to said first shaft;
- said second shaft is connected to said first rotatable shaft by means for transferring rotation of said second shaft to said first rotatable shaft; and
- further comprising means for rotating said first shaft and said second shaft.
- 4. The die exchange apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
- said pair of second support arms are connected with each other by a driving shaft and are rotatable with said driving shaft.
- 5. The die exchange apparatus according to claim 4, wherein:
- said driving shaft is a double-shaft arrangement comprising a first shaft and a second shaft, said first shaft being rotatably supported in a frame and said second shaft being rotatably supported within said first shaft;
- said pair of second support arms are connected to said first shaft;
- said second shaft is connected to said second rotatable shaft by means for transferring rotation of said second shaft to said second rotatable shaft; and
- further comprising means for rotating said second shaft.
- 6. The die exchange apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
- said means for supporting said upper die holder includes a body rotatably supported in each of said subarms;
- each said body including means for engaging said upper die holder; and
- each said body including a mechanism for rotating said body on its axis during rotation of said subarms.
- 7. The die exchange apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
- said means for supporting said lower die holder includes a body rotatably supported in each of said subarms;
- each said body including means for engaging said lower die holder; and
- each said body including a mechanism for rotating said body on its axis during rotation of said subarms.
- 8. A press brake comprising:
- an upper die holding means and a lower due holding means installed in facing directions with respect to each other;
- said upper die holding means and lower die holding means releasably holding a die respectively;
- said upper die holding means being relatively free to reciprocate in opposite directions with respect to said lower die holding means so as to form a workpiece disposed at a workpiece forming position between said upper and lower die holding means;
- an edit arranging means for editing a die having a desired face width to be used in forming a workpiece by combining a plurality of partial dies each having a predetermined face width, the edit arranging means being disposed near said workpiece forming position; and
- a die exchange means for collectively exchanging dies, each of the dies having a face width to be used for forming a workpiece and edited with said edit arranging means, the die exchange means being disposed between said edit arranging means and one of said upper and lower die holding means.
- 9. The press brake according to claim 8, wherein the die exchange means is disposed between said edit arranging means and both of said upper and lower die holding means.
- 10. The press brake according to claim 8, further comprising:
- a die storing means for storing said partial dies; and
- a carrying means for carrying and supplying said partial dies from said die storing means to said edit arranging means.
- 11. The press brake according to claim 9, further comprising:
- a die storing means for storing said partial dies; and
- a carrying means for carrying and supplying said partial dies from said die storing means to said edit arranging means.
- 12. The press brake according to claim 10, wherein said die storing means is provided in said carrying means.
- 13. The press brake according to claim 11, wherein said die storing means is provided in said carrying means.
- 14. The press brake according to claim 8, further comprising:
- a die storing means for storing a plurality of divisional dies having a plurality of kinds of face width;
- a die select combining apparatus for combining and editing said partial dies each having a predetermined face width by picking up and combining a plurality of said divisional dies in said die storing means; and
- a carrying means for carrying and supplying said partial dies edited and combined with said die select combining apparatus from said die select combining apparatus to said edit arranging means.
- 15. The press brake according to claim 9, further comprising:
- a die storing means for storing a plurality of divisional dies having a plurality of kinds of face within;
- a die select combining apparatus for combining and editing said partial dies each having a predetermined face width by picking up and combining a plurality of said divisional dies in said die storing means; and
- a carrying means for carrying and supplying said partial dies edited and combined with said die select combining apparatus from said die select combining apparatus to said edit arranging means.
- 16. A press brake comprising:
- an upper die holding means and a lower die holding means installed in facing directions with respect to each other;
- said upper die holding means and lower die holding means each comprising a main holder for holding a die each of said main holders being releasably held in each of said upper and lower holder means;
- said upper die holding means being relatively free to reciprocate in opposite directions with respect to said lower die holding means so as to form a workpiece disposed at a workpiece forming machining position between said upper and lower die holding means;
- an edit arranging means for editing a die having a desired face width to be used in forming a workpiece by combining a plurality of partial dies each having a predetermined face width into each of said main holders, the edit arranging means being disposed near said workpiece forming position; and
- a die exchange means for collectively exchanging means through said main holders, each die having a face width to be used for forming a workpiece and edited with said edit arranging means, the die exchange means being disposed between said edit arranging means and one of said upper and lower die holding means.
- 17. The press brake according to claim 16, wherein the die exchange means is disposed between said edit arranging means and both of said upper and lower die holding means.
- 18. The press brake according to claim 16, wherein said upper die holding means is free to attach and detach its main holder in directions toward and away from said upper die holding means respectively.
- 19. The press brake according to claim 17, wherein said upper die holding means is free to attach and detach its main holder in directions toward and away from said upper die holding means respectively.
- 20. The press brake according to claim 16, wherein said lower die holding means is free to attach and detach its main holder in directions toward and away from said lower die holding means respectively.
- 21. The press brake according to claim 17, wherein said lower die holding means is free to attach and detach its main holder in directions toward and away from said lower die holding means respectively.
- 22. A method of exchanging a die in a press brake, said press brake comprising an upper die holding means and a lower die holding means installed in facing directions with respect to each other, said upper die holding means and lower die holding means releasably holding a die respectively, said upper die holding means being relatively free to reciprocate with respect to said lower die holding means so as to form a workpiece disposed at a workpiece forming position between said upper and lower die holding means, said method comprising the steps of:
- editing a die so as to have a face width useful for forming a workpiece, by combining a plurality of partial dies each having a predetermined face width, at an edit arranging position near said workpiece machining position; and,
- collectively exchanging edited dies each having a face width useful for forming a workpiece between said edit arranging position and one of said upper and lower die holding means.
- 23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the collectively exchanging occurs between said edit arranging position and both of said upper and lower die holding means.
Priority Claims (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
1-90083 |
Apr 1989 |
JPX |
|
1-90084 |
Apr 1989 |
JPX |
|
1-90085 |
Apr 1989 |
JPX |
|
Parent Case Info
This is a division of application Ser. No. 507,137, filed Apr. 10, 1990, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,134,873.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Foreign Referenced Citations (5)
Number |
Date |
Country |
1452469 |
Apr 1969 |
DEX |
2715966 |
Oct 1978 |
DEX |
3512218 |
Oct 1985 |
DEX |
2455931 |
Dec 1980 |
FRX |
0057717 |
Mar 1987 |
JPX |
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
507137 |
Apr 1990 |
|