Patent Application
20080264284
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the support and release of a graphic arts die plate on an assembly for use in a press. More specifically, the present invention concerns a die assembly wherein a die plate is carried by a magnetic chase and held in position thereon through magnetic securement by a series of magnets embedded in the chase. The assembly has particular utility for use in flatbed graphic arts presses to be used for hot foil stamping, die cutting, or embossing. In a preferred embodiment, the magnetic chase is substituted for a conventional apertured chase of a press. A selectively actuatable releasing assembly is employed to elevate the die plate to a magnetically disengaged position above the magnetic chase to facilitate alignment of the die plate with images on a substrate to be processed in the press.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that it has long been the practice, where multiple hot foil stamping, die cutting, and/or embossing dies are to be mounted on an apertured flat chase, to secure each die to the chase using a plurality of toggle connectors. Traditionally, each toggle is inserted into an aperture of the chase adjacent the perimeter of a corresponding die. Sufficient toggles are provided for each die to assure a secure fixation of that die to the chase. It is not uncommon to have as many as ten to twenty or more dies arranged on a single chase, depending on the number of images to be hot foil stamped, die cut, or embossed. An apertured chase for multiple image applications can commonly have a size of forty by twenty-seven inches, or be even larger.
Conventionally, each die is positioned on the apertured chase in approximate registration with a respective substrate image to be hot foil stamped, die cut, or embossed. After all of the dies are secured to the chase with toggles, the chase (with the engraving dies mounted thereon) is “run in” against the image-bearing substrate to ascertain whether the dies are in fact properly aligned with respective images. Most usually, some further adjustment of the individual dies is required to obtain the necessary registration. This hit-or-miss procedure is repeated until all of the dies are each finally registered with their images. Even experienced graphic arts press operators will normally need at least three to eight hours of time to mount a number of dies on an apertured support chase using individual toggles and to align and realign all of the dies until they are in final register with the substrate images.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,096,709 (“the '709 patent”), hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, to the extent not inconsistent with the present disclosure, discloses a graphic arts die and die carrier plate assembly that is adapted to be mounted as a unit on an apertured chase of a flatbed graphic arts press. The assembly of the '709 patent has particular utility for hot foil stamping, die cutting, and substrate embossing applications, or combinations thereof. Each of the dies of the assembly is fixedly mounted in predetermined relative relationship on a flat, metal die carrier plate. Fasteners for each die are pre-attached to the die carrier plate in disposition such that when respective dies are secured to the plate, the die images all align with one another and, if applicable, with respect to artwork on a substrate.
Thus, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that using the graphic arts die and die carrier plate assembly of the '709 patent, commercialized by, or under the auspices of, Universal Engraving, Inc. of Overland Park, Kans. (the assignee of record of the '709 patent and the present application) as its UniLock-Up system, a large number of individual dies may all be mounted in predetermined, preregistered relationship on a die carrier plate that is then secured to a conventional apertured chase. Significant time is saved using the UniLock-Up system as compared with prior conventional methods because only about an hour is required to align and attach all of the dies to the die carrier plate. To this end, the fasteners for the dies are secured to the die carrier plate in predetermined disposition based on the locations of respective substrate artwork images.
As explained in greater detail in the disclosure of the '709 patent, each of the individual dies may be shifted to a minor extent to obtain necessary registration with respective substrate images. Such minor adjustment, though, requires only loosening of threaded members, such as screws or threaded nuts, followed by re-tightening of the screws or threaded nuts after the die has been shifted, rather than loosening and tightening of toggles, or even in some instances re-positioning of the toggles. One important advantage of preregistration of the dies on the die carrier plate is the fact that such plate, with the dies thereon, may be stored for use at later times without the necessity of once again registering the dies as has conventionally been necessary.
The present invention takes advantage of some of the features and mounting procedures of the UniLock-Up system disclosed in the '709 patent and is an improvement thereover in that the time required to mount a die carrier plate having preregistered dies is further significantly reduced. This is primarily attributable to the principles of the present invention and the elimination of the toggle connectors conventionally used to secure the dies or a die carrier plate to the chase. The new system broadly consists of a chase that is preferably a replacement for a conventional apertured chase. Alternatively, the chase may be constructed to be mounted on or within a conventional press chase.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a graphic arts die assembly is provided for mounting on a graphic arts impression apparatus. The assembly includes a die plate formed at least partially of ferromagnetic material and including a die. The assembly also includes a chase with a plurality of magnet assemblies disposed along an engagement surface thereof. The die plate and magnet assemblies are configured to provide a magnetic coupling force for selectively securing the die plate to the engagement surface of the chase such that relative movement between the chase and the die plate is restricted during such magnetic securement. The chase also includes an actuatable releasing assembly thereon that is operable to exert a disengagement force in opposition to the magnetic coupling force so as to selectively lift the die plate from the chase when the releasing assembly is actuated, thereby releasing the magnetic securement between the chase and the die plate and facilitating relative movement between the plates.
Another aspect of the present invention concerns a chase for use in a graphic arts press, wherein the member includes a body with an engagement surface thereon configured to engage a die plate formed at least partially of ferromagnetic material and including a die. A plurality of magnet assemblies are disposed along the engagement surface of the body, such that a magnetic coupling force is configured to selectively secure the die plate to the engagement surface of the body and relative movement between the body and the die plate is restricted during magnetic securement of the die plate on the body. The chase also includes an actuatable releasing assembly that is operable to exert a disengagement force in opposition to the magnetic coupling force so as to selectively lift the die plate from the body when the releasing assembly is actuated, thereby releasing the magnetic securement between the body and the die plate and facilitating relative movement between the body and the die plate.
The chase, whether it be a chase substitute or mounted on an apertured chase, is generally provided with a plurality of embedded and strategically located magnets or magnetic assemblies that serve to fixedly magnetically secure a die or a die carrier plate to the chase. In one embodiment, an actuatable releasing assembly is included in the chase to exert a disengagement force in opposition to the coupling force of the magnetic securement. Once a die carrier plate bearing an array of dies thereon is mounted on the chase and secured in position by the magnets in overlying relationship to at least a part of the releasing assembly, the releasing assembly may be actuated to exert the disengagement force in opposition to the magnetic coupling force to lift the die carrier plate from the engagement surface of the chase, permitting the die carrier plate to be shifted through a displacement to bring the die carrier plate into alignment with alignment pins disposed on the chase.
A die carrier plate, for example, with the engraving dies thereon, may be easily shifted into aligned relationship with the alignment pins because the die carrier plate rides on part of the releasing assembly in a hover position over the chase. The alignment pins may be positioned for edge engagement with the die carrier plate, or the pins may be located to be received in respective alignment holes located within the die carrier plate. Upon alignment of the die carrier plate using the alignment pins, the releasing assembly is deactivated, whereby the die carrier plate settles down against the chase and is securely held in position by the plurality of magnets.
Various other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawing figures.
This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description of the preferred embodiments. 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.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:
a is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical sectional view of the chase of the graphic arts die supporting assembly, the view taken along the line 3a-3a of
The drawing figures do not limit the present 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 preferred embodiments.
The present invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms. While the drawings illustrate, and the specification describes, certain preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that such disclosure is by way of example only. There is no intent to limit the principles of the present invention to the particular disclosed embodiments.
With initial reference to
Referring to
The body 38 of the chase 32 is appropriately configured and dimensioned for insertion into a desired press, with the illustrated embodiment depicting a body that is a typical forty inch by twenty-seven inch (40″×27″) size, although it is clearly within the ambit of the present invention to provide a body with an alternate shape or size. It is noted that the body 38 of the chase 32 can be configured either as a replacement for a conventional apertured chase as illustrated or, alternatively, for use with a conventional apertured chase without departing from the teachings of the present invention. In the alternative case of the chase 32 being configured for use with a conventional apertured chase, the body 38 would be mounted within or on top of the conventional chase (provided that the total height is not significantly varied, so that the press does not require modification), as will be readily appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of this disclosure.
The illustrated body 38, configured as a replacement for a conventional apertured chase, has a thickness defined between the top engagement surface 40 and the bottom surface 42 of approximately one half inch to one inch (½″ to 1″). Alternatively, in the case of a body configured for use with a conventional apertured chase (not shown), the thickness would typically be between one eighth inch to one quarter inch (⅛″ to ¼″) to facilitate proper spacing within the press, as will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, the body 38 is preferably made of a nonferrous metal material, such as aluminum, although a ferrous material, such as steel, can be used with the magnet assemblies 52 properly arranged, as will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.
With further detail now regarding the configuration of the engagement surface 40 of the body 38, as illustrated particularly well in
With attention briefly now to additional details of the magnet assemblies 52, it is noted that the assemblies are depicted as arranged on the engagement surface 40 of the body 38 in the enlarged illustration of
The illustrated magnet 162 is in the shape of a disk with one flat side 168 being North and another flat side 170 being South, although it is noted that the orientation of the sides 168, 170 of the magnet 162 is immaterial for purposes of the magnet assembly 52 (e.g., the North side 168 could be up or down in the cup 164), as will be readily appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art upon a review of this disclosure. It is specifically noted that within the magnet industry, the North and South sides 168, 170 may alternatively be referred to as positive (+) or negative (−) sides, as will be readily understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.
It is also noted that, because the illustrated assembly 30 has particularly advantageous utility for hot foil stamping operations, the magnets 162 of the magnet assemblies 52 are preferably, although not necessarily, fabricated of samarium-cobalt. This material effectively tolerates the high operating temperatures of these applications (in particular, normal hot foil stamping temperatures can often reach from about two hundred to three hundred degrees Fahrenheit (200-300° F.)) without demagnetizing.
The magnet 162 is disposed within the cup 164, such that the magnet assembly 52 can be used in the body 38 of the chase 32 or, alternatively, in another similar chase of different material or shape. The cup 164 is preferably, although not necessarily, made of mild steel. In the illustrated embodiment, the ferromagnetic nature of the mild steel of the cup 164 cooperates with the magnet 162 to direct a magnetic field 172 above the top of the magnet assembly 52. In the embodiment depicted in
The preferred magnetic field 172 for the application of the present invention, and that generated by the construction of the magnet assembly 52 described above, is typically referred to in the magnetic industry as “magnetized through the thickness” or “magnetized parallel to the thickness.” It is noted that this is the most common type of magnetic field for the disk shaped magnet 162, although it is also noted that there are several types of magnetic field orientations that could alternatively be used, as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The details of construction of the illustrated magnet assembly 52 described above result in a magnet assembly 52 that effectively directs the flux of the magnetic field 172 to the “target” of the ferromagnetic portion of the die plate 34. This direction of the magnetic flux results in an increase in the flux density and holding power of the magnet assembly 52 and concentrates the magnetic field 172 to the proper “work area” for the application of the present invention.
It is specifically noted that the work area does not extend much above the engagement surface 40 of the chase 32. Thus, the die plate 34 need not be lifted far above the chase 32 to facilitate easy movement and repositioning of the die plate 34. In the illustrated embodiment, the preferred extent of the work area is approximately one eighth inch (⅛″) above the engagement surface 40, as will be readily appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of this disclosure.
Thus, it is specifically noted that the magnetic field 172 generated by the magnet assemblies 52 of the chase 32 is such that a magnetic force is exerted upon a ferromagnetic object within the magnetic field 172. Of particular note with respect to the operation of the present invention, the die plate 34 is magnetically attracted to the chase 32 by this magnetic force any time the die plate 34 is within the area of the magnetic field 172 (schematically shown in broken lines in
Next, it is noted that the alignment pin assemblies 54 are arranged on the chase 32 in a pattern approximately corresponding with three of the four corners of each of four quadrants of the engagement surface 40. This arrangement includes a total of twelve alignment pin assemblies 54 and matched holes 56. It is also noted with respect to the alignment pin assemblies 54 and matched holes 56, that the enlarged views of
Turning briefly now to the alignment pin assemblies 54 as depicted in
The plug body 402 is externally threaded to be secured within the internally threaded hole 56 and includes a plug top surface 408 that is substantially flush with the engagement surface 40 of the chase 32 when the plug body 402 is received within the hole 56. The plug body 402 includes an upper internal groove 410 that contains an upper seal member 412 and a lower internal groove 414 that receives a spring restricting snap ring 416. The plug body 402 further includes a stop surface 418 to confine allowable upward movement of the pin 404 and to cooperate with the pin 404 to define a pressure chamber 420.
The pin 404 generally includes an upper portion 422 and a lower portion 424, wherein the upper portion 422 further includes a die plate aligning portion 426 for cooperating with the die plate 34 to align the die plate 34 with respect to the chase 32. The pin 404 also includes a bump surface 428 for engaging the stop surface 418 of the plug body 402. The pin lower portion 424 further includes a releasing surface 430, an opposed spring engaging surface 432, and an internal groove 434 that contains a lower seal member 436, wherein the groove 434 is disposed between the releasing surface 430 and the spring engaging surface 432.
The upper and lower bounds of the pressure chamber 420 are defined by the stop surface 418 of the plug body 402 and the releasing surface 430 of the pin 404, respectively. It is noted that the plug body 402 also includes at least one air passage 438 therein such that compressed air (shown by arrows 440) is in communication between the pressure chamber 420 and the manifold 106 through the air passage 438. Furthermore, it is noted that the spring 406 is confined within the plug body 402 between the spring engaging surface 432 of the pin 404 and the spring restricting snap ring 416 of the plug body 402. Finally, the air-released pin assembly 54 also includes an air vent bleed hole 442 extending from the bottom of the hole 56 through the chase 32, such that excess compressed air can vent from the assembly 54 (shown by arrow 444).
In accordance with the structure recited above, the pin 404 of the depicted air-released pin assembly 54 moves between a retracted position (shown in
Conversely, to move the pin 404 to the projecting position, wherein a part of the pin 404, namely the die plate aligning portion 426 of the upper portion 422, extends above the engagement surface 40 of the chase 32, the source of compressed air is deactivated. Upon deactivation of the source of compressed air, the remaining compressed air within the manifold 106 is bled out of the system. In this condition, the spring 406 extends, pushing against the spring engaging surface 432 of the pin 404 and the spring restricting snap ring 416 of the plug body 402 to move the pin 404 upward until the bump surface 428 of the pin 404 contacts the stop surface 418 of the plug body 402 to restrict further upward movement of the pin 404.
When the pin 404 of a pin assembly 54 is in the projecting position, with the die plate aligning portion 426 of the upper portion 422 extending above the engagement surface 40 of the chase 32, the pin 404 can be used for proper aligned registration of the die plate 34 on the chase 32, as will be readily appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art. If a particular alignment pin assembly 54 is not being used for alignment purposes, then the pin 404 of such an assembly can remain in the projecting position provided that it does not cause interference with the placement of the die plate 34. In the case of an alignment pin assembly 54 not being used for alignment purposes wherein the pin 404 in the projecting position is disposed at the same location that the die plate 34 is to be disposed, then the pin 404 can be shifted to the retracted position by the weight, and magnetic attraction, of the die plate 34 pushing down on the die plate aligning portion 426 of the upper portion 422 of the pin 404 and overcoming the force of the spring 406 when the die plate 34 is magnetically secured to the chase 32.
As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of this disclosure, the degree to which the die plate aligning portion 426 of the upper portion 422 of the pin 404 extends above the engagement surface 40 of the chase 32 is controlled by the selected dimension of the pin 404 and can be controlled by sizing the assembly 54 appropriately. Additionally, the degree of the force biasing the pin 404 toward the projecting position is determined by the parameters of the spring 406 used in the assembly 54, which can be appropriately selected for a given application.
Under normal operation, it is also noted that the projecting position of the assembly 54 shown in
It is noted that the provision of the specific projecting and retracted positions provide the alignment pin assemblies 54 with reliable performance, wherein the movement of the pin 404 is the same every time. Furthermore, additional advantages of the air-released pin assembly 54 include the replaceability of individual components or the assembly 54 as a whole. To this end, it is noted that the elements of the assembly 54 can be assembled as a self-contained unit, wherein the plug body 402 can thereafter be simply screwed into a threaded hole, such as hole 56, and tightened in place by the use of a spanner wrench and associated holes 446 extending downwardly from the top surface 408 of the plug body 402. Additionally, it is specifically noted that the air-released pin assembly 54 forms a substantially closed loop system. Such a substantially closed system may result in less noise and/or less mess than a substantially open system.
Returning now to
With respect to the handles 60, it is noted that each handle 60 is detachably secured to the body 38 in a manner known in the art, such as by threading bolts 66 into holes disposed in the side 46 of the body 38 (not shown). In the illustrated embodiment, the handle securing bolts 66 are tightened by turning knobs 68 connected to the bolts 66 and protruding outwardly from the base of the handle 60. It is noted that it is within the ambit of the present invention to attach alternate handles to other sides of the body 38, to secure such handles using other known methods, or to provide a body with no handles at all.
With continued reference to
As discussed briefly above, the die carrier plate 81 depicted herein is adapted to support a plurality of engraved dies 82 on the top surface 70 of the plate 81. Each of the dies 82 includes a die top surface 84 and an opposed die bottom surface 86, wherein the die top surface 84 includes an image to be used in the press operation and the die bottom surface 86 is configured for securement to the die carrier plate 81. Each die 82 also includes a recess 88 with a hole 90 therethrough disposed near each of the four corners of the die 82, although alternative hole dispositions are clearly within the ambit of the present invention.
A plurality of threaded studs 92 are located on the top surface 70 of the die carrier plate 81 and extend upwardly therefrom. As perhaps shown best in
Preferably, each of the threaded studs 92 is welded to the top surface 70 of the plate 81 by a CNC welding machine that has been programmed to register the locations of the studs 92 and the holes 90 in each die 82. The procedure for precise registration and positioning of the threaded studs 92 onto the plate 81 is described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 7,096,709 (“the '709 patent”), hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, to the extent not inconsistent with the present disclosure, and having the same assignee of record as the present application. The '709 patent also describes the manner in which the dies 82 can be located on the plate 81 in particular disposition such that respective dies precisely align with the artwork on a substrate to be die cut, hot foil stamped, or embossed, or with respect to specific areas of the substrate.
Additionally, it is noted that, alternatively, the dies 82 may be affixed to the plate 81 with screws (not shown) that extend through the plate 81 and project upwardly into the holes 90 of each die 82 for receipt of nuts, such the illustrated nuts 94. The procedure for precise registration and positioning of such alternative fastening screws is similarly detailed in the '709 patent, noted and incorporated by specific reference above.
Returning now to the structure of the die carrier plate 81 as shown in
As discussed in more detail above with respect to the details of each of the alignment pin assemblies 54, and illustrated particularly well in the enlarged detail views of
To facilitate movement of the die carrier plate 81 during the alignment process, the plate 81 includes a pair of handles 98, detachably secured to the top surface 70 of the plate 81 and similar in many respects to the handles 60 secured to the chase 32. It is noted that the two of the sides 74, 76 of the plate 81 each include a pair of protrusions 100 extending upwardly from the top surface 70 thereof. Each protrusion 100 includes a centrally located threaded hole 102 extending vertically from the top of the protrusion 100. Thus, each handle 98 is detachably secured to the plate 81 in a manner known in the art, such as by threading bolts (not shown) into the holes 102. In the illustrated embodiment, the handle securing bolts (not shown) are tightened by turning knobs 104 connected to the bolts (not shown) and protruding outwardly from the base of the handle 98. As with the handles 60 of the chase 32 described above, it is noted that it is within the ambit of the present invention to attach alternate handles to other locations of the plate 81, to secure such handles using other known methods, or to provide a die plate with no handles at all.
It is specifically noted that while the preferred embodiment illustrated herein depicts the die plate 34 being configured as a die carrier plate 81 with a plurality of individual dies 82 disposed thereon, it is clearly within the ambit of the present invention for an alternative die plate to simply comprise a die itself. One alternative includes a die wherein at least a portion of the die is formed from a ferromagnetic material, such as a bimetallic die. Examples of such a dies suitable for use as alternative die plates are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,341,557 (“the '557 patent”) (directed to a graphic arts impression die assembly), and U.S. Pat. No. 6,584,893 (“the '893 patent”) (directed to a graphic arts impression die). Both the '557 and the '893 patents are titled Non-Ferrous/Ferromagnetic Laminated Graphic Arts Impression Dies and Method of Producing the Same, and are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety, to the extent not inconsistent with the present disclosure, and which both have the same assignee of record as the present application.
Turning now to additional details of the releasing assembly 36, it is noted that movement of the die plate 34 relative to the chase 32 during the alignment process can be difficult when the die plate 34 and the chase 32 are magnetically secured to one another. The securement force provided by the plurality of magnet assemblies 52 attracting the bottom surface 72 of the die plate 34 is considerable and is present whenever the die plate 34 and the chase 32 are in close contact (i.e., within the “work area”). As will be readily understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, the strength of this magnetic attraction is beneficial for securing the die plate 34 and the chase 32 together during a press operation, but can also make alignment difficult in the situation wherein the die plate 34 is magnetically secured to the chase in a disposition other than precise aligned registration.
With particular respect to the embodiment depicted in
It is specifically noted that while the illustrated embodiment and associated description herein references compressed air for driving the releasing assembly 36, it is clearly within the ambit of the present invention to use an alternative pressurized fluid in place of the compressed air. As will be readily appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, any or all references to compressed air and the driving force exerted thereby could alternatively take the form of other pressurized fluids, such as hydraulic fluid, without departing from the teachings of the present invention.
While the illustrated embodiment depicts a pair of input ducts 118, it is clearly within the ambit of the present invention to include more or fewer of such input ducts without departing from the teachings of the present invention. Additionally, it is specifically noted that the shape of the manifold 106, including the configuration, direction, and/or number of the air passageways, could be alternatively provided to suit the configuration of a given chase, as will be readily understood by one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the present disclosure.
The coupler of compressed air 108 includes a body 120 with a hose 122 having one end in communication with the body 120 and another end in communication with a tank or other source (not shown). The body 120 includes an upper portion 124 and a lower portion 126, the portions connected with a plurality of screws 128. The body 120 further includes a pair of air outlets 130 extending outwardly from the body 120, configured for engagement with the air input ducts 118 of the manifold 106, and in communication with the air flowing from the hose 122. A control knob 132 is disposed at the connection between the body 120 and the hose 122 for selectively actuating and controlling the amount of flow of compressed air from the hose 122 through the air outlets 130, as will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.
As described briefly above, the coupler of compressed air 108 is configured for selective attachment to the chase 32 such that the air outlets 130 engage and communicate with the air input ducts 118 of the manifold 106. As shown in
With specific reference now to
The plug body 502 is externally threaded to be secured within the internally threaded hole 110 and includes a plug top surface 508 that is substantially flush with the engagement surface 40 of the chase 32 when the plug body 502 is received within the hole 110. The plug body 502 includes an internal groove 510 that receives a piston restricting snap ring 512. The plug body 502 further includes a spring engaging surface 514 that also includes a stop surface notch 516 to confine allowable upward movement of the piston 504.
The piston 504 generally includes an upper portion 518 and a lower portion 520, wherein the upper portion 518 further includes a top engagement surface 522 for engaging the bottom surface 72 of the die plate 34 and a bump surface 524 for engaging the stop surface notch 516 of the plug body 502. The piston lower portion 520 further includes a spring engagement surface 526, an opposed activating surface 528, and an internal groove 530 that contains a seal member 532, wherein the groove 530 is disposed between the spring engagement surface 526 and the activating surface 528. The activating surface 528 of the piston 504 cooperates with a bottom surface 534 of the hole 110 to define a pressure chamber 536.
The upper and lower bounds of the pressure chamber 536 are defined by the activating surface 528 of the piston 504 and the bottom surface 534 of the hole 110, respectively. It is noted that the plug body 502 also includes space between an outer periphery thereof 538 and a side 540 of the hole 110 to create at least one air passage 542 such that compressed air (shown by arrows 544) is in communication between the pressure chamber 536 and the manifold 106 through the air passage 542. Furthermore, it is noted that the spring 506 is confined within the plug body 502 between the spring engaging surface 514 of the plug body 502 and the spring engagement surface 526 of the piston 504.
In accordance with the structure recited above, the piston 504 of the depicted air-activated piston assembly 500 moves between a recessed position (shown in
Conversely, to move the piston 504 to the extended position, wherein the top engagement surface 522 of the piston 504 extends above the engagement surface 40 of the chase 32 so that a disengagement force is exerted against the bottom surface 72 of the die plate 34, the source of compressed air is activated. The activation of the source of compressed air forces compressed air to flow through the manifold 106, through the air passage 542, and into the pressure chamber 536 of the assembly 500. Within the pressure chamber 536, the compressed air pushed against the bottom surface 534 of the hole 110 and against the activating surface 528 of the piston 504 to move the piston 504 upward, compressing the spring 506 between the spring engaging surface 514 of the plug body 502 and the spring engagement surface 526 of the piston 504.
The disengagement force applied to the die plate 34 by the top engagement surface 522 of the piston 504 is sufficient to disengage the magnetic securement between the die plate 34 and the chase 32. As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of this disclosure, the degree to which the die plate 34 is lifted above the chase 32 is controlled by the selected dimension of the piston 504 and can be controlled by sizing the assembly 500 appropriately. Additionally, the degree of the applied disengagement force is determined by the parameters of the spring 506 used in the assembly 500 relative to the amount of pressure exerted by the compressed air, both of which can be appropriately selected and/or adjusted for a particular application, depending on what is needed to overcome the strength of the magnetic field along the work area, as described in more detail above.
It is also noted that the extended position of the assembly 500 shown in
It is noted that the air-activated piston assembly 500 and the air-released alignment pin assembly 54 are depicted in the illustrated embodiment working together. As will be readily understood by one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of this disclosure, in this way, during the absence of association with the source of compressed air, the alignment pins 404 are up in the projecting position and the pistons 504 are down in the recessed position. In this arrangement, the die plate 34 can be magnetically secured to the chase 32 in aligned registration and can be used in press operations without need for association with a source of compressed air. On the other hand, if the die plate 34 is to be easily moved with respect to the chase 32, then upon association and activation of the source of compressed air, the alignment pins 404 move down to the retracted position and the pistons 504 move up to the extended position. In this arrangement, the die plate aligning portion 426 of the upper portion 422 of the pin 404 does not interfere with movement of the die plate 34, as the die plate 34 floats on top of the top engagement surface 522 of the piston 504.
It is further noted that the provision of the specific disengagement and engagement positions provide the releasing assembly 500 with reliable performance, wherein the movement translated to the die plate 34 is the same every time. It is also specifically noted that it is within the ambit of the present invention to incorporate the construction of the assembly 500 described above into an existing alternative releasing assembly, such as a releasing assembly that uses only the force of flowing compressed air to float a die plate above a chase, such that retrofitting of a chase is possible.
Furthermore, additional advantages of the mechanical air-activated piston assembly 500 include the replaceability of individual components or the assembly 500 as a whole. To this end, it is noted that the elements of the assembly 500 can be assembled as a self-contained unit, wherein the plug body 502 can thereafter be simply screwed into a threaded hole, such as hole 110, and tightened in place by the use of a spanner wrench and associated holes 546 extending downwardly from the top surface 508 of the plug body 502. Additionally, it is specifically noted that the air-activated piston assembly 500 forms a substantially closed loop system within the chase 32. Such a substantially closed system may result in less noise and/or less mess than a substantially open system. Moreover, because the same degree of the applied disengagement force can be consistently applied by each assembly 500, such a releasing assembly may be particularly effective for a system where the die plate may not be substantially the same size as the engagement surface of the chase. Finally, it is contemplated to fabricate at least the top engagement surface 522 of the piston 504 from a low friction material such that frictional drag is reduced when shifting the die plate 34 relative to the chase 32 along the top of the piston 504.
The manifold 106 is in communication with the plurality of upwardly extending holes 56 (with matched air-released alignment pin assemblies 54) and also with the plurality of upwardly extending holes 110 (with matched air-activated piston assemblies 500), as described above. Each of the holes 56, 110 extends upwardly from the air passageways 112, 114 of the manifold 106 to the engagement surface 40 of the body 38 of the chase 32, with the air-released alignment pin assemblies 54 and the air-activated piston assemblies 500 respectively received therein. In the embodiment depicted in
When the coupler of compressed air 108 is secured to the side 44 of the chase 32 and the control knob 132 is turned to actuate the flow of compressed air from the tank (not shown), compressed air flows through the hose 122, out of the air outlets 130 of the body 120, into the air input ducts 118 of the manifold 106. The compressed air is then forced through the holes 56, 110 to shift the alignment pins 404 to a retracted position and to shift the pistons 504 to an extended position, as described in more detail above.
As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of this disclosure, the amount of compressed air is controlled by the knob 132 so that the disengagement force exerted by the flow of air pushing against the activating surface 528 of the piston 504 is sufficient to cause the piston 504 to move to an extended position to release the magnetic securement between the chase 32 and the die plate 34. So long as the compressed air is flowing through the holes 110 and exerting the force against the activating surface 528 of the piston 504, the bottom surface 72 of the die plate 34, the die plate 34 floats above the chase 34, as illustrated in
It is further noted that additional advantages are presented by having compressed air flowing through the manifold 106 in the chase 32. The flow of compressed air through the manifold 106 cools the chase 32 and the die plate 34, which makes the die plate 34 easier to handle by an operator in the typical high temperature environment of many press operations. Accordingly, it is clearly within the ambit of the present invention to provide a manifold with a dense array of approximately evenly spaced passageways to increase the surface area or volume of cooling air that flows through the chase 32, even if some of such passageways are not directly associated with a hole 56, 110.
The method of moving the die plate 34 relative to the magnetic chase 32 should be apparent from the foregoing description and, therefore, will be described here only briefly. In keeping with the embodiment and component parts described above, it is assumed that the die plate 34 is magnetically secured to the engagement surface 40 of the magnetic chase 32. The coupler of compressed air 108 is associated with the body 38 of the chase 32 so that compressed air flows through the manifold 106 to shift the alignment pins 404 down to the retracted position and actuate the pistons 504 up to the extended position. In this arrangement, the die plate aligning portion 426 of the upper portion 422 of the pin 404 does not interfere with movement of the die plate 34, as the die plate 34 floats on top of the top engagement surface 522 of the piston 504. The disengagement force provided by the actuated pistons 504 causes the die plate 34 to float above the chase 32 such that the die plate 34 and the chase 32 are maintained in a sufficiently magnetically disengaged condition to facilitate virtually effortless movement (including repositioning) of the die plate 34 relative to the magnetic chase 32.
In a preferred embodiment, the handles 98 are secured to the die plate 34, as described above, to facilitate movement of the die plate 34. Additionally, movement of the die plate 34 relative to the chase 32 on the top engagement surfaces 522 of the pistons 504, is used to shift the sides 74, 76, 78, 80 of the die plate 34 into proper alignment with respect to the sides 44, 46, 48, 50 of the chase 32 such that alignment pin assemblies 54 in the chase 32 are in proper registration with alignment slots 96 in the die plate 34. After such shifting, the coupler of compressed air 108 is deactivated so that the air bleeds out, the pistons 504 return to a recessed position, and the alignment pins 404 return to projecting position, so that the die plate 34 and the chase are magnetically secured in proper registration, with the die plate aligning portion 426 of the upper portion 422 of the pin 404 of the alignment pin assemblies 54 received in the alignment slots 96.
With attention now to
Turning specifically now to
The plug body 602 is externally threaded to be secured within the internally threaded hole 110 and includes a plug top surface 608 that is substantially flush with the engagement surface 40 of the chase 32 when the plug body 602 is received within the hole 110. The plug body 602 includes a spring engaging surface 610 that also includes a stop surface notch 612 to confine allowable upward movement of the piston 604.
The piston 604 generally includes an aligning portion 614 and a lifting portion 616, wherein the aligning portion 614 includes a die plate aligning surface 618 for cooperating with the die plate 34 to align the die plate 34 with respect to the chase 32. The aligning portion 614, including the die plate aligning surface 618, extends above the engagement surface 40 of the chase 32, such that the aligning portion 614 of the piston 604 can be used for proper registration of the die plate 34 on the chase 32. Such alignment is accomplished by the interaction of the die plate aligning surface 618 and the alignment slot 96 in the die plate 34, as will be readily appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art.
The lifting portion 616 includes a die plate engagement shoulder 620 for engaging the bottom surface 72 of the die plate 34 and a bump surface 622 for engaging the stop surface notch 612 of the plug body 602. The piston 604 further includes a spring engagement surface 624 and an opposed activating surface 626. The activating surface 626 of the piston 604 cooperates with a bottom surface 628 of the hole 110 to define a pressure chamber 630.
The upper and lower bounds of the pressure chamber 630 are defined by the activating surface 626 of the piston 604 and the bottom surface 628 of the hole 110, respectively. It is noted that the plug body 602 also includes space between an outer periphery thereof 632 and a side 634 of the hole 110 to create at least one air passage 636 such that compressed air (shown by arrows 638) is in communication between the pressure chamber 630 and the manifold 106 through the air passage 636. Furthermore, it is noted that the spring 606 is confined within the plug body 602 between the spring engaging surface 610 of the plug body 602 and the spring engagement surface 624 of the piston 604.
In accordance with the structure recited above, the piston 604 of the depicted air-activated aligning and lifting piston assembly 600 moves between a recessed position (shown in
When the piston 604 is in the recessed position, the die plate engagement shoulder 620 of the piston 604 is below the engagement surface 40 of the chase 32 and the die plate 34 can be disposed flushly against and magnetically secured to the chase 32. To move the piston 604 to the recessed position, the source of compressed air (not shown) remains deactivated, such that the spring 606 extends and pushes against the spring engaging surface 610 of the plug body 602 and the spring engagement surface 624 of the piston 604. This spring force moves the piston 604 downward until a bottom surface 640 of the piston 604 contacts the bottom surface 628 of the hole 110 to restrict further downward movement of the piston 604.
Conversely, to move the piston 604 to the extended position, wherein the die plate engagement shoulder 620 of the piston 604 extends above the engagement surface 40 of the chase 32 so that a disengagement force is exerted against the bottom surface 72 of the die plate 34, the source of compressed air is activated. The activation of the source of compressed air forces compressed air to flow through the manifold 106, through the air passage 636, and into the pressure chamber 630 of the assembly 600. Within the pressure chamber 630, the compressed air pushed against the bottom surface 628 of the hole 110 and against the activating surface 626 of the piston 604 to move the piston 604 upward, compressing the spring 606 between the spring engaging surface 610 of the plug body 602 and the spring engagement surface 624 of the piston 604.
The disengagement force applied to the die plate 34 by the die plate engagement shoulder 620 of the piston 604 is sufficient to disengage the magnetic securement between the die plate 34 and the chase 32. As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of this disclosure, the degree to which the die plate 34 is lifted above the chase 32 is controlled by the selected dimension of the piston 604 and can be controlled by sizing the assembly 600 appropriately. Additionally, the degree of the applied disengagement force is determined by the parameters of the spring 606 used in the assembly 600 relative to the amount of pressure exerted by the compressed air, both of which can be appropriately selected and/or adjusted for a particular application.
It is noted that in the embodiment as depicted in
Other advantages to this embodiment, similar to those described above, remain present, particularly the replaceability of individual components or the assembly 600 as a whole. To this end, it is noted that the elements of the assembly 600 can be assembled as a self-contained unit, wherein the plug body 602 can thereafter be simply screwed into a threaded hole, such as hole 110, and tightened in place by the use of a spanner wrench and associated holes 642 extending downwardly from the top surface 608 of the plug body 602.
Additionally, it is specifically noted that the air-activated aligning and lifting piston assembly 600 forms a substantially closed loop system within the chase 32. Such a substantially closed system may result in less noise and/or less mess than a substantially open system. Moreover, because the same degree of the applied disengagement force can be consistently applied by each assembly 600, such a aligning and lifting assembly may be particularly effective for a system where the die plate may not be substantially the same size as the engagement surface of the chase.
Next, with attention to
The plug body 702 is externally threaded to be secured within the internally threaded hole 110 and includes a plug top surface 712 that is substantially flush with the engagement surface 40 of the chase 32 when the plug body 702 is received within the hole 110. The plug body 702 includes a piston spring engaging surface 714 that also includes a stop surface notch 716 to confine allowable upward movement of the piston 704.
The piston 704 generally comprises a hollow body 718 that defines a cavity 720 therein. The piston body 718 includes an upper portion 722 and a lower portion 724, wherein the upper portion 722 further includes a top engagement surface 726 for engaging the bottom surface 72 of the die plate 34 and a bump surface 728 for engaging the stop surface notch 716 of the plug body 702. The piston lower portion 724 further includes a piston spring engagement surface 730 and an opposed activating surface 732. The piston lower portion also presents a central hole 734 defined in the activating surface 732. The central hole 734, in communication with the cavity 720, is internally threaded and receives an externally threaded set screw 736 therein to close the cavity 720. The set screw 736 includes a non-circular recess 738 therein to facilitate the insertion and removal of the set screw 736 from the central hole 734, as will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art. The activating surface 732 of the piston body 718 cooperates with a bottom surface 740 of the hole 110 to define a pressure chamber 742.
The upper and lower bounds of the pressure chamber 742 are defined by the activating surface 732 of the piston 704 and the bottom surface 740 of the hole 110, respectively. It is noted that the plug body 702 also includes space between an outer periphery thereof 744 and a side 746 of the hole 110 to create at least one air passage 748 such that compressed air (shown by arrows 750) is in communication between the pressure chamber 742 and the manifold 106 through the air passage 748. Furthermore, it is noted that the piston spring 706 is confined within the plug body 702 between the piston spring engaging surface 714 of the plug body 702 and the piston spring engagement surface 730 of the piston 704.
The aligning pin 708 and the pin spring 710 are disposed within the cavity 720 of the hollow piston body 718. The aligning pin 708 generally comprises a pin upper portion 752 and a pin lower portion 754, wherein the pin upper portion 752 further includes a die plate aligning surface 756 for cooperating with the die plate 34 to align the die plate 34 with respect to the chase 32. The aligning pin 708 also includes a bump surface 758 for engaging a pin stop surface 760 on the hollow piston body 718 disposed within the cavity 720. The pin lower portion 754 further includes a pin spring engaging surface 762 along a bottom side thereof.
The pin spring 710 is disposed between the pin spring engaging surface 762 of the pin 708 and an opposed pin spring engaging surface 764 of the set screw 736. The pin spring 710 biases the aligning pin 708 toward a projecting position (shown in
It will also be readily appreciated that in the case of the pin 708 not being used for alignment purposes, such as when the pin 708 is disposed at the same location that the die plate 34 is to be disposed without the presence of an alignment slot 96, then the pin 708 can be shifted to the retracted position (shown in
In accordance with the structure recited above, the piston 704 of the depicted air-activated aligning and lifting assembly 700 moves between a recessed position (shown in
Conversely, to move the piston 704 to the extended position, wherein the top engagement surface 726 of the piston 704 extends above the engagement surface 40 of the chase 32 so that a disengagement force is exerted against the bottom surface 72 of the die plate 34, the source of compressed air is activated. The activation of the source of compressed air forces compressed air to flow through the manifold 106, through the air passage 748, and into the pressure chamber 742 of the assembly 700. Within the pressure chamber 742, the compressed air pushed against the bottom surface 740 of the hole 110 and against the activating surface 732 of the piston 704 to move the piston 704 upward, compressing the piston spring 706 between the piston spring engaging surface 714 of the plug body 702 and the piston spring engagement surface 730 of the piston 704.
The disengagement force applied to the die plate 34 by the top engagement surface 726 of the piston 704 is sufficient to disengage the magnetic securement between the die plate 34 and the chase 32. As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of this disclosure, the degree to which the die plate 34 is lifted above the chase 32 is controlled by the selected dimension of the piston 704 and can be controlled by sizing the assembly 700 appropriately. Additionally, the degree of the applied disengagement force is determined by the parameters of the piston spring 706 used in the assembly 700 relative to the amount of pressure exerted by the compressed air, both of which can be appropriately selected and/or adjusted for a particular application.
It is noted that in the embodiment depicted in
Other advantages to this embodiment, similar to those described above, remain present, particularly the replaceability of individual components or the assembly 700 as a whole. To this end, it is noted that the elements of the assembly 700 can be assembled as a self-contained unit, wherein the plug body 702 can thereafter be simply screwed into a threaded hole, such as hole 56 or hole 110, and tightened in place by the use of a spanner wrench and associated holes 768 extending downwardly from the top surface 712 of the plug body 702.
Additionally, it is specifically noted that the air-activated aligning and lifting piston assembly 700 forms a substantially closed loop system within the chase 32. Such a substantially closed system may result in less noise and/or less mess than a substantially open system. Moreover, because the same degree of the applied disengagement force can be consistently applied by each assembly 700, such a aligning and lifting assembly may be particularly effective for a system where the die plate may not be substantially the same size as the engagement surface of the chase.
Turning now to
With reference now to
The die supporting assembly 230 also includes a releasing assembly 236 for selectively disengaging the securement between the chase 232 and the die plate 234. Additional components of the alternative die supporting assembly 230 are also similar in many respects to those of the assembly 30, with similar elements being similarly numbered to the extent possible for convenience and generally maintaining the orientation described above. For the sake of brevity, the description of the second embodiment will focus on the distinctions between elements of the releasing assembly 236, with an understanding of the common components being apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from the description above.
The releasing assembly 236 broadly includes a plurality of cams 800, each cam 800 comprising a lobe 802 including a die engaging portion 808 and being connected to an adequately supported and journaled rotational member 804 and disposed within a recess 806 of the chase 232. The rotational members 804 are each connected to a source of rotational movement (not shown) and configured to move between a recessed position (shown in
The disengagement force applied to the die plate 234 by the die engaging portion 808 of the lobe 802 of the cam 800 is sufficient to disengage the magnetic securement between the die plate 234 and the chase 232. As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of this disclosure, the degree to which the die plate 234 is lifted above the chase 232 is controlled by the selected dimensions of the cam 800 and can be controlled by sizing the cam 800 and the die engaging portion 808, particularly the lobe 802, appropriately. It is also noted that the extended position of the cam 800 shown in
It is noted that the provision of the specific recessed and extended positions provide the releasing assembly 236 with reliable performance, wherein the movement translated to the die plate 234 is the same every time. It is also specifically noted that it is within the ambit of the present invention to provide the embodiment of
With reference now to
The die supporting assembly 330 also includes a releasing assembly 336 for selectively disengaging the securement between the chase 332 and the die plate 334. Additional components of the alternative die supporting assembly 330 are also similar in many respects to those of the assembly 30, with similar elements being similarly numbered to the extent possible for convenience and generally maintaining the orientation described above. For the sake of brevity, the description of the second embodiment will focus on the distinctions between elements of the releasing assembly 336, with an understanding of the common components being apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from the description above.
The releasing assembly 336 broadly comprises at least one bar or cam element 900, each bar 900 including an upper contacting surface 902 including a die engaging portion 916 and an opposed lower surface 904, wherein the lower surface 904 includes at least one angular extending protrusion 906. Each bar 900 is disposed within a recess 908 of the chase 332, wherein the recess 908 includes at least one angular extending surface 910 corresponding to the angular extending protrusion 906 of the bar 900. The bar 900 is connected to a source of lateral movement (not shown) and configured to move between a recessed position (shown in
It is briefly noted that the lateral movement of the bar 900 upon actuation may also cause the die plate 334 to be shifted laterally (in addition to moving upward) relative to the chase 332, but such lateral movement can be accommodated by predetermining the extent of the lateral movement prior to realignment of the die plate 334.
The disengagement force applied to the die plate 334 by the upper contacting surface 902 of the bar 900 is sufficient to disengage the magnetic securement between the die plate 334 and the chase 332. As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of this disclosure, the degree to which the die plate 334 is lifted above the chase 332 is controlled by the selected dimensions of the bar 900 and can be controlled by configuring the movement of the bar 900 relative to the chase 332 appropriately. It is noted that the engagement position of the bar 900 shown in
It is noted that the provision of the specific recessed and extended positions provide the releasing assembly 336 with reliable performance, wherein the movement translated to the die plate 334 is the same every time. It is also specifically noted that it is within the ambit of the present invention to provide the embodiment of
Additionally, with reference now to
The alternative die plate 144 includes a top surface 146 and an opposed bottom surface 148. The plate 144 also presents a first pair of opposed side portions 150, 152 and a second pair of opposed side portions 154, 156, cooperating to define the outer margins of the plate 144. In the illustrated embodiment of
As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, the alternative die carrier plate 157 must also be registered in proper position on the chase 32 when the two plates are securely attached to one another by the magnetic force therebetween. Such disposition in proper registration is at least partially accomplished by the receipt of one or more of the alignment pin assemblies 54 protruding from the chase 32 in respective alignment slots 158 within the alternative die carrier plate 157, similar to the embodiment described in more detail above.
In addition, as will be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art, the smaller size of the alternative die carrier plate 157 relative to the chase 32 may make it difficult to sufficiently register the alternative die carrier plate 157 in proper alignment. Such difficultly in registration would be even more pronounced with a die plate of even smaller size than that of alternative die carrier plate 157, for example an individual bimetallic die, wherein such plate may not register with sufficient, or even any, of the alignment pin assemblies 54. To facilitate proper registration of such alternative plates, such as the alternative die carrier plate 157, a plurality of edge alignment pins 160 are provided, wherein the edge alignment pins 160 are received within the edge additional alignment pin receiving holes 58 of the chase 32. As depicted in
The handles 98 of the embodiment described in more detail above are also detachably secured to the top surface 146 of the alternative die carrier plate 157 to facilitate movement of the alternative die carrier plate 157 during the alignment process, and the handles 98 are secured in like manner as described above. Finally, it is specifically noted that while
Finally, it is noted that
With particular reference now to
It is noted that the threaded alignment pins 176 are disposed in approximate double rows extending substantially along the midpoints of opposing sides 44, 46 and 48, 50 of the chase 32. This arrangement includes a total of sixty-four threaded alignment pins 176 and matched holes 178. It is also noted with respect to the threaded alignment pins 176 that the enlarged view of
The preferred forms of the invention described above are to be used as illustration only, and should not be utilized in a limiting sense in interpreting the scope of the present invention. Obvious modifications to the exemplary embodiments, as hereinabove set forth, could be readily made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
The inventors hereby state their intent to rely on the Doctrine of Equivalents to determine and access the reasonably fair scope of the present invention as pertains to any apparatus not materially departing from but outside the literal scope of the invention set forth in the following claims.
The present application claims the benefit of and priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/914,621, filed Apr. 27, 2007, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60914621 | Apr 2007 | US |
