Small Item Stripper Bridge

Abstract

A safety device with efficiency and utility value, for manipulating small pieces of metal plate to be punched or otherwise worked by an industrial power press equipped with fixtures for punching machines or other purposes. The stock is held magnetically to a non-magnetic plate in which magnets are embedded. The design and concept may be used for both repeated random punches as well as repeated punch patterns. The magnets surround a relatively small hole through which the punch is made. The plate bridges the distance between the contact points of the industrial punch's stripper so that the punch tool may be easily and safely extracted. The plate also extends outward, toward the operator, to provide a safe hand-hold distance from all points of operation and pinch points. Also provided are punch explosion shields for additional protection. The device also adds mass to an otherwise tenuous and fragile work piece for the purposes of accurate placement and positional anchoring.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the field of metal working, one of the most common, simplest, and useful machines is the industrial power press, often equipped with a punch/die fixture. The punch/die fixture consists basically of the punch tool itself, the die that accepts the punch tool, the force that pushes the punch tool down and the stripper. The stripper's function is to hold the stock being punched down evenly on both sides as the punch tool is being retracted from the stock being punched. If the stock is not held down evenly, one side of the stock will rise above the other, bind, and possibly break the punch tool. The stripper on industrial grade machines is often too wide to put force on both sides of the stock being punched, therefore small pieces of stock must often be discarded. However, in fact, often they are not discarded because the operator is tempted to use the small pieces. This gives rise to a dangerous situation when the operator's fingers are placed near the punch tool or other fixture being used. The use of the present invention insures that the operator's fingers are at a safe distance from the punch tool and resulting pinch points as the punch is being made and retracted. This is accomplished, through use of the Small Item Stripper Bridge, by extending the effective size of the material being worked well beyond the size of the die stripper itself in order to create safe distancing of the fingers from the dangers. An additional danger is created by the possibility of the shattering of the punch tool. This may send high-speed projectiles of material in all directions. The present invention features a shield especially designed to deflect shrapnel away from the operator. This shield can be installed on up to three sides of the Small Item Stripper Bridge plate.

In addition to the possibility of shattering the punch tool, there is the possibility of damaging or deforming the work piece. If the work piece is thin or brittle, even if the stripper catches both sides, the force of the retracting tool may break or bend the stock being worked. When the power press attempts to retract the punch in the stripping process, the said work piece may be bent, bowed, distorted or broken by the upward force. In this circumstance, the present invention lends thickness and stiffness to the work piece, thereby preventing damage to the work piece.

The onset of distortion as described above causes another safety problem, wherein the punch begins to be held ever more tightly by the distorted work piece and the punch becomes more likely to break dangerously as described elsewhere herein. This is especially true of mechanical power presses which act very fast. This problem is also eliminated by the present invention.

In addition to the operational dangers, punches are limited in their use because smaller, or irregularly shaped pieces of stock cannot effectively receive multiple punches of a specific pattern. All of the above shortcomings are eliminated by the present invention. By manipulating the stock with the present invention, all irregular pieces of stock are rendered effectively the same size and stabilizing weight is added. This allows repeated patterns to be punched.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Little has been done with regard to solving the inadequacies of the common punch machine. Improvements have been proposed in provisional application No. 62/921,983 filed by William D. Rogers and Richard D. Rogers on Jul. 16, 2019, entitled Small Item Stripper Bridge. Further solutions have been offered by provisional application number 63/101,559 filed by William D. Rogers and Richard D. Rogers on May 4, 2020, entitled Small Item Stripper Bridge.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1) is a top elevation view of the Small Item Stripper Bridge with small, irregular stock magnetically attached.

FIG. 2) is a side elevation view of the Small Item Stripper Bridge with handle and shrapnel shield.

FIG. 3) is a front elevation view of the Small Item Stripper Bridge, without handle or shrapnel shield, shown in relation to an industrial punch's stripper, punch tool, and die.

FIG. 4) is a top elevation view of the Small Item Stripper Bridge with a punch table set up for multiple punches in specific places for making identical punch configurations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the figures, it can be seen that the Small Item Stripper Bridge comprises stripper plate 1. Stripper plate 1 is constructed of a rigid, non-magnetic material. Punch operation hole 2 is formed into plate 1. An array of magnets 3 are embedded into plate 1 around punch operation hole 2. Stripper plate 1 is sufficient in width to extend beyond both stripper contact points 4 of industrial punch stripper 5. The sides 6 of stripper plate 1 extend beyond contact points 4 when punch tool 7 is aligned with punch operation hole 2 so that a punch may be made through punch operation hole 2 into small, irregularly shaped stock 8 which is being held in place by magnets 3. As punch tool 7 is retracted from stock 8, resistance to retraction is applied evenly to stripper plate 1 which is being held down by stripper contacts 4. Stock 8 is held down evenly by stripper plate 1 and therefore will not bind. Through this process, the minimum size of the stock being punched is only limited to the relative size of punch operation hole 2. Because punch operation hole 2 encircles punch tool 7 during operation, punches may be made near the edges of the stock being punched even though stock is not completely covered by stripper plate 1.

Shrapnel shield 9 is affixed to stripper plate 1 between punch operation hole 2 and the operator station. Shrapnel shield 9 helps deflect shrapnel that may be expelled if punch tool 7 is shattered. The shield upper portion 10 of shrapnel shield 9 is tilted forward so as to trap and further dispel flying shrapnel away from the operator.

Handle 11 is affixed to shrapnel shield 9. Handle 11 provides a safe place for the operator to grasp and thereby manipulate the position of stripper plate 1 and thus stock 8. Small pieces of stock can thereby be used without the danger of the operator's fingers being smashed by stripper plate 1, industrial punch stripper 5, or being injured by punch tool 7 or punch die 12.

Referring to FIG. 4), it can be seen that an industrial punch is equipped with a table surface 13. Jig restraints 14 are affixed to table 13 at certain locations. Stripper plate 1, in this usage, is equipped with jig points 15 that contact the stock at specific points so as to, along with the magnets, hold the stock in a specific place relative to stripper plate 1. By keeping the stock in a specific place and moving stripper plate 1, the jig restraints 14 become a jig so that identical punch patterns may be made. This is made possible by the fact that the stock, even if changed, is effectively the same shape, that being the shape of stripper plate 1. Standard Small Item Stripper Bridges have one hole only. Multiple hole, jig-type Small Item Stripper Bridges must be custom made in collaborations between the user and the manufacturer.

Claims

1. an apparatus for enhancing the safety of an operator as well as ease of operation of a power press, specifically a stripper-equipped industrial punch machine, while punching small pieces of stock, said stripper having two or more contacts, at least one said contact point being on either side of said industrial punch, said apparatus further comprising a means for holding said small pieces of stock in a fixed position, said means comprising a stripper plate, said stripper plate being greater in width than said contacts of said stripper of said punch machine, said stripper plate further comprising a plate of non magnetic material, a punch operation hole through which said small pieces of stock are punched, said stripper plate further comprising an array of magnets, said array of magnets being embedded into said non magnetic material of said stripper plate and encircling said punch operation hole, said small piece of stock being held in place by said magnets, said stripper plate being sufficient in width to be held down by said two contacts of said industrial punch machine's stripper.

2. an apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said stripper plate further comprises an elongated shrapnel shield, said stripper plate having a front operator's edge, a back edge and two side edges, said shrapnel shield being affixed to and running along said front operator's edge of said stripper plate.

3. an apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein a said shrapnel shield is suitably affixed to each of said side edges.

4. an apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said operator's shield further comprises a top portion and a bottom portion, said top portion being tilted forward toward said punch operation hole.

5. an apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said operators shield further comprises a handle, said handle being suitably affixed to said bottom portion of said operators shield.

6. an apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein said apparatus further comprises a table, said table having a plurality of raised jig restraints, said stripper plate having a top and bottom, said bottom having a plurality of jig point stops, said stops, along with said magnets, holding said small pieces of stock in a specific position, said raised jig restraints contacting said edges of said stripper plate so as to produce a repeatable punch pattern through a plurality of said punch operation holes.