Patent Application
20220314569
The present disclosure relates generally to retrofit systems. In particular, retrofit systems for converting manual presses to automated presses are described.
Presses are utilized extensively in machine and fabrication facilities. Presses allow an operator to stamp, die cut, or otherwise process workpieces. Commonly, presses include a ram, a force multiplier, such as a hydraulic cylinder, and an actuator. Presses can include manually actuated force multipliers or automatically actuated force multipliers. Presses with manually actuated force multipliers are known as manual presses and presses with automatically actuated force multipliers are known as automated presses.
Manual presses are common because they are less expensive and less complex than automated presses. However, manual presses tend to be slow and require more labor than automated presses.
Automated presses are advantageous because they are much faster to operate than manual presses and require less labor. However, automated presses tend to be significantly more expensive than manual presses.
Due to economic factors, many machine and fabrication facilities initially opt to purchase a manual press. Over time, however, facility owners may wish to have an automated press in their facilities. Conventionally, acquiring an automated press requires purchasing a complete automated press to either replace the manual press or to be onsite along with manual press. Purchasing an automated press is economically inefficient given that core aspects of the manual press could still be used effectively to support an automatically actuated press.
It would be desirable to provide a means for facility owners to upgrade their manual presses to automated presses without having to purchase an entirely new automated press. Retrofitting an existing manual press to accommodate an automatically actuated press would be more economically efficient than replacing the existing manual press.
Thus, there exists a need for retrofit systems that convert a manual press to an automated press. Examples of new and useful retrofit systems relevant to the needs existing in the field are discussed below.
United States patent filings with disclosure relevant to retrofit systems include the following U.S. patent filings identified by either patent number, publication number, or application number: U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,342,086; 9,873,187; 10,010,066; 4,559,807; 4,603,573; 4,608,852; 4,656,862; 4,890,475; 6,553,903; and 20160167329. The complete disclosures of these listed U.S. patent filings are herein incorporated by reference for all purposes.
The present disclosure is directed to retrofit systems for converting a manual press to an automated press. The retrofit systems include a first shaft, a second shaft, a first spacer, and a second spacer. The first shaft is mounted to a first vertical member and is coupled to a first cross member and to a second cross member. The second shaft is mounted to a second vertical member and is coupled to the first cross member and to the second cross member. The first spacer is supported by the first shaft and is disposed between the first vertical member and the first cross member. The second spacer is supported by the second shaft and is disposed between the second vertical member and the first cross member. The first spacer and the second spacer are selected to increase the space between the first cross member and the second cross member to accommodate an automatically actuated press.
The disclosed retrofit systems will become better understood through review of the following detailed description in conjunction with the figures. The detailed description and figures provide merely examples of the various inventions described herein. Those skilled in the art will understand that the disclosed examples may be varied, modified, and altered without departing from the scope of the inventions described herein. Many variations are contemplated for different applications and design considerations; however, for the sake of brevity, each and every contemplated variation is not individually described in the following detailed description.
Throughout the following detailed description, examples of various retrofit systems are provided. Related features in the examples may be identical, similar, or dissimilar in different examples. For the sake of brevity, related features will not be redundantly explained in each example. Instead, the use of related feature names will cue the reader that the feature with a related feature name may be similar to the related feature in an example explained previously. Features specific to a given example will be described in that particular example. The reader should understand that a given feature need not be the same or similar to the specific portrayal of a related feature in any given figure or example.
The following definitions apply herein, unless otherwise indicated.
“Substantially” means to be more-or-less conforming to the particular dimension, range, shape, concept, or other aspect modified by the term, such that a feature or component need not conform exactly. For example, a “substantially cylindrical” object means that the object resembles a cylinder, but may have one or more deviations from a true cylinder.
“Comprising,” “including,” and “having” (and conjugations thereof) are used interchangeably to mean including but not necessarily limited to, and are open-ended terms not intended to exclude additional elements or method steps not expressly recited.
Terms such as “first”, “second”, and “third” are used to distinguish or identity various members of a group, or the like, and are not intended to denote a serial, chronological, or numerical limitation.
“Coupled” means connected, either permanently or releasably, whether directly or indirectly through intervening components.
“Communicatively coupled” means that an electronic device exchanges information with another electronic device, either wirelessly or with a wire-based connector, whether directly or indirectly through a communication network.
“Controllably coupled” means that an electronic device controls operation of another electronic device.
Retrofit Systems for Converting Manual Presses to Automated Presses
With reference to the figures, retrofit systems will now be described. The retrofit systems discussed herein function to convert manual presses to automated presses.
The reader will appreciate from the figures and description below that the presently disclosed retrofit systems address the existing challenges facing machine and fabrication facility owners. For example, the retrofit systems provide a means for facility owners to upgrade their manual presses to automated presses without having to purchase an entirely new automated press. Retrofitting an existing manual press to accommodate an automatically actuated press with the retrofit systems below is more economically efficient than replacing the existing manual press because key components from the manual press can continue to be used.
By converting a manual press to an automated press, the press becomes faster to operate and requires less labor. These advantages are obtained at significantly lower cost with the retrofit systems below than would be required to purchase a new, conventional automated press.
Contextual Details
Ancillary features relevant to the retrofit systems described herein will first be described to provide context and to aid the discussion of the retrofit systems.
Manual Press
The retrofit systems described herein are designed to convert a manual press into an automated press.
As shown in
Manually Actuated Press Assembly
Manually actuated press assembly 104 serves to selectively exert compressive force on workpieces. Manually actuated press assembly 104 includes a ram 124, a force multiplier 125, and an actuator 126. Ram 124 moves in response to pressure exerted on it by force multiplier 125. In the present example, force multiplier 125 is a hydraulic cylinder.
Actuator 126 increases pressure in force multiplier 125 when actuator 126 is manually actuated. More specifically, actuator 126 increases pressure in force multiplier 125 when a user manually manipulates actuator 126 up and down to pump force multiplier 125.
The size of the manually actuated assembly press may be varied as needed for a given application. In some examples, the manually actuated press assembly is larger relative to the other components than depicted in the figures. In other examples, the manually actuated press assembly is smaller relative to the other components than depicted in the figures. Further, the reader should understand that the manually actuated press assembly and the other components may all be larger or smaller than described herein while maintaining their relative proportions.
The manually actuated press assembly may be any currently known or later developed type of manually actuated press assembly or device. The reader will appreciate that a variety of manually actuated press assembly types exist and could be in use in a manual press in place of the manually actuated press assembly shown in the figures. In addition to the types of manually actuated press assemblies existing currently, it is contemplated that the retrofit systems described herein could be used to replace manually actuated press assemblies developed in the future.
Frame
Frame 103 functions to support manually actuated press assembly 104 and workpieces being processed by the press assembly. As explained below, after retrofitting manual press 101 with retrofit system 100, frame 103 supports automatically actuated press assembly 113 instead of manually actuated press assembly 104.
The reader can see in
The reader can see in
In some examples of the retrofit systems below, the retrofit system utilizes the existing cross members of the frame when converting the manual press to an automated press. In other examples, the retrofit system includes cross members configured differently than the existing cross members, such as first cross member 137 and second cross member 138 shown in
Automated Press
Automated press 102 functions to selectively exert compressive force on workpieces without requiring a user to manually actuate an actuator. In the example shown in
The size of the automated press may be varied as needed for a given application. In some examples, the automated press is larger relative to the other components than depicted in the figures. In other examples, the automated press is smaller relative to the other components than depicted in the figures. Further, the reader should understand that the automated press and the other components may all be larger or smaller than described herein while maintaining their relative proportions.
The automated press may be any currently known or later developed type of automated press incorporating the retrofit systems described herein. The reader will appreciate that a variety of automated press types exist and could be used in place of the automated press shown in the figures. In addition to the types of automated presses existing currently, it is contemplated that the retrofit systems described herein could incorporate new types of automated presses developed in the future.
Automatically Actuated Press Assembly
Automatically actuated press assembly 113 functions to selectively compress a workpiece without require a user to manually actuate it. As shown in
As shown in
Ram
Ram 123 serves to selectively deliver compressive force supplied by force multiplier 127 to a workpiece supported on frame 103. The reader can see in
The ram may be any currently known or later developed type of ram. The reader will appreciate that a variety of ram types exist and could be used in place of the ram shown in the figures. In addition to the types of rams existing currently, it is contemplated that the automatically actuated press assemblies described herein could incorporate new types of rans developed in the future.
The size of the ram may be varied as needed for a given application. In some examples, the ram is larger relative to the other components than depicted in the figures. In other examples, the ram is smaller relative to the other components than depicted in the figures. Further, the reader should understand that the ram and the other components may all be larger or smaller than described herein while maintaining their relative proportions.
Force Multiplier
In the example depicted in the figures, force multiplier 127 is a two-way hydraulic cylinder. However, the force multiplier may be any currently known or later developed type of force multiplier, such as motorized screws or pneumatic systems. The reader will appreciate that a variety of force multiplier types exist and could be used in place of the force multiplier shown in the figures. In addition to the types of force multipliers existing currently, it is contemplated that the automatically actuated press assemblies described herein could incorporate new types of force multipliers developed in the future.
With reference to
Actuator
In the example depicted in
In the example shown in
The hydraulic power supply may include a motor, a fluid reservoir, and a pump. The hydraulic power supply may be designed specifically for a particular hydraulic cylinder force multiplier included in a given automated press or may be a general hydraulic power supply suitable for actuating a variety of hydraulic cylinder force multipliers. The size of the hydraulic power supply may be varied as needed for a given application.
The actuator may be any currently known or later developed type of actuator, such as hydraulic systems, pneumatic systems, solenoids, and motors. The reader will appreciate that a variety of actuator types exist and could be used in place of the actuator shown in the figures. In addition to the types of actuators existing currently, it is contemplated that the automatically actuated press assemblies described herein could incorporate new types of actuators developed in the future.
Pressure Gauge
In the example shown in the figures, gauge 129 functions to detect and display the compressive force being applied by ram 123. The gauge is an optional feature not present in all examples of the automatically actuated press assembly. In the present example, the gauge displays compressive force as pressure reading. However, in other examples, the gauge may additionally or alternatively display compressive force as simply a force.
The gauge may be any currently known or later developed type of gauge, such as analogue and digital gauges. The reader will appreciate that a variety of gauge types exist and could be used in place of the gauge shown in the figures. In addition to the types of gauges existing currently, it is contemplated that the automatically actuated press assemblies described herein could incorporate new types of gauges developed in the future.
Retrofit System
With reference to
The reader can see in
Shafts
The shafts functions to support the cross members on frame 103 and to couple them to the vertical members of frame 103. First shaft 109, second shaft 110, third shaft 116, and fourth shaft 117 are all coupled to first cross member 137 and to second cross member 138.
As depicted in
With reference to
The size of the shafts may be varied as needed for a given application. In some examples, the shafts are larger relative to the other components than depicted in the figures. In other examples, the shafts are smaller relative to the other components than depicted in the figures. Further, the reader should understand that the shafts and the other components may all be larger or smaller than described herein while maintaining their relative proportions.
In the present example, the shafts are composed of metal. However, the shafts may be composed of any currently known or later developed material suitable for the applications described herein for which they are used. Suitable materials include metals, polymers, ceramics, wood, and composite materials.
Spacers
The spacers serve to increase the space between first cross member 137 and second cross member 138 to accommodate automatically actuated press assembly 113. In some examples, the spacers are not included and instead the retrofit system includes cross members with spacing sufficient to accommodate the automatically actuated press assembly directly coupled to the vertical members.
As shown in
With reference to
The number of spacers in the retrofit system may be selected to meet the needs of a given application. The reader should understand that the number of spacers may be different in other examples than is shown in the figures. For instance, some retrofit system examples include additional or fewer first spacers than described in the present example, such as just two spacers or more than four spacers.
The shape of the spacers may be adapted to be different than the specific examples shown in the figures to suit a given application. For example, one or more of the spacers may include a face having the shape of a regular or irregular polygon, such as a circle, oval, triangle, square, rectangle pentagon, and the like. Additionally or alternatively, the spacers may include a face having an irregular shape. In three dimensions, the shape of the spacers may be a sphere, a pyramid, a cone, a cube, and variations thereof, such as a hemisphere or a frustoconical shape.
In the present example, the spacers are composed of metal. However, the spacers may be composed of any currently known or later developed material suitable for the applications described herein for which they are used. Suitable materials include metals, polymers, ceramics, wood, and composite materials.
The spacer may be any currently known or later developed type of spacer. The reader will appreciate that a variety of spacer types exist and could be used in place of the spacers shown in the figures. In addition to the types of spacers existing currently, it is contemplated that the retrofit systems described herein could incorporate new types of spacers developed in the future.
The size of the spacers may be varied as needed for a given application. In some examples, one or more of the spacers is larger relative to the other components than depicted in the figures. In other examples, the one or more of the spacers is smaller relative to the other components than depicted in the figures. Further, the reader should understand that the spacers and the other components may all be larger or smaller than described herein while maintaining their relative proportions.
Controller
Controller 120 functions to selectively allow the actuator to actuate force multiplier 127. More particularly, controller 120 is configured to selectively control the flow of hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic power supply to force multiplier 127 of automatically actuated press assembly 113. As depicted in
The controller may be any currently known or later developed type of controller. The reader will appreciate that a variety of controller types exist and could be used in place of the controller shown in the figures. In addition to the types of controllers existing currently, it is contemplated that the retrofit systems described herein could incorporate new types of controllers developed in the future.
Bracket
As depicted in
In the present example, bracket 118 is composed of metal. However, the bracket may be composed of any currently known or later developed material suitable for the applications described herein for which it is used. Suitable materials include metals, polymers, ceramics, wood, and composite materials.
The bracket may be any currently known or later developed type of bracket. The reader will appreciate that a variety of bracket types exist and could be used in place of the bracket shown in the figures. In addition to the types of brackets existing currently, it is contemplated that the retrofit systems described herein could incorporate new types of brackets developed in the future.
The shape of the bracket may be adapted to be different than the specific examples shown in the figures to suit a given application. For example, the bracket may include a face having the shape of a regular or irregular polygon, such as a circle, oval, triangle, square, rectangle pentagon, and the like. Additionally or alternatively, the bracket may include a face having an irregular shape. In three dimensions, the shape of the bracket may be a sphere, a pyramid, a cone, a cube, and variations thereof, such as a hemisphere or a frustoconical shape.
The size of the bracket may be varied as needed for a given application. In some examples, the bracket is larger relative to the other components than depicted in the figures. In other examples, the bracket is smaller relative to the other components than depicted in the figures. Further, the reader should understand that the bracket and the other components may all be larger or smaller than described herein while maintaining their relative proportions.
The disclosure above encompasses multiple distinct inventions with independent utility. While each of these inventions has been disclosed in a particular form, the specific embodiments disclosed and illustrated above are not to be considered in a limiting sense as numerous variations are possible. The subject matter of the inventions includes all novel and non-obvious combinations and subcombinations of the various elements, features, functions and/or properties disclosed above and inherent to those skilled in the art pertaining to such inventions. Where the disclosure or subsequently filed claims recite “a” element, “a first” element, or any such equivalent term, the disclosure or claims should be understood to incorporate one or more such elements, neither requiring nor excluding two or more such elements.
Applicant(s) reserves the right to submit claims directed to combinations and subcombinations of the disclosed inventions that are believed to be novel and non-obvious. Inventions embodied in other combinations and subcombinations of features, functions, elements and/or properties may be claimed through amendment of those claims or presentation of new claims in the present application or in a related application. Such amended or new claims, whether they are directed to the same invention or a different invention and whether they are different, broader, narrower or equal in scope to the original claims, are to be considered within the subject matter of the inventions described herein.
