Compacting press with picker system

Details Compacting press with picker system Compacting press with picker system

1999-08-02

2001-07-31

Nguyen, Nam (Department: 1722)

Plastic article or earthenware shaping or treating: apparatus

Means for molding powdered metal

C425S444000, C425S4360RM

Reexamination Certificate

active

06267574

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to a compacting press that includes a picker system for removing a green compact from the press.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
It is known to produce metal parts by compacting metal powder and heating the compacted metal powder to sinter the metal particles to produce a finished metal product. In one type of commercially available compacting press, metal powder is typically delivered to a feed shoe, or shuttle assembly. The feed shoe is movable on the press table between a retracted position and an extended position. In the extended position, metal powder in the feed shoe drops into a die cavity. The feed shoe is then retracted and then upper and lower punches compact the metal powder in the die cavity to form a green compact. A core rod is also extended to form any inner diameter of the powder metal part. The green compact is then ejected from the die cavity.
The green compact must then be removed from the area of the die and punches. At this stage of manufacture, the green compacts are relatively fragile, and require careful or sensitive handling. One prior art system for picking up and removing fragile green compacts from a press is illustrated in FIG.
1
. As there shown, the prior art press
10
includes a platen
12
with a space or cavity in the platen holding a die
14
. The prior art press includes a feed shoe assembly, shown schematically at
16
, and a picker assembly
18
aligned opposite the feed shoe assembly
16
, with the die
14
between them. The upper and lower punches (not shown) are vertically aligned with the die
14
.
The prior art picker assembly
18
includes a support frame
20
. The support frame
20
has a front rail
22
, a back rail
24
and spaced side rails
26
,
28
. The frame includes two rods
27
,
29
fixed to the side rails
26
,
28
and supporting the frame on the platen surface. The two rods
27
,
29
are not fixed to the platen, and the frame is pivotable about a horizontal axis where the rods rest atop the platen
12
, such as shown at
30
in FIG.
1
. The ends of the front rail
22
are clamped to plates
32
above bellows
34
of bellow assemblies. The bellow assemblies are fixed to the platen through threaded connections to studs extending upward from the platen.
A commercially available guide rail component
36
is mounted on the support frame
20
. The guide rail component is a “ULTRAN SLIDE” rodless cylinder supplied by Bimba Manufacturing Company of Monee, Illinois. This guide component has two spaced parallel guide rods
38
,
39
with a tube
40
between the two guide rods
38
,
39
. The tube
40
is hollow and carries an interior piston. A slide
42
is mounted on the tube
40
and guide rods
38
,
39
, and is magnetically driven by movement of the piston in the tube
40
. The hollow tube
40
is connected to a source of pressurized air to drive the piston back and forth within the tube. The slide
42
has bearings that travel along the guide rods
38
,
39
. A gripper assembly
44
depends from an extension plate
46
that is fixed to the bottom of the slide
42
.
The gripper assembly
44
includes a spacer block
48
fixed to the extension plate
46
. On opposite sides of the spacer block
48
, the gripper assembly includes two commercially available pneumatic cylinders
50
. Each pneumatic cylinder
50
is connected to move one gripper arm
52
toward and away from each other. Opposite the pneumatic cylinders
50
, each gripper arm
52
has a gripper finger
54
. The two gripper fingers
54
extend toward each other and are shaped for picking up and carrying one or more green compacts (not shown).
A vertical central longitudinal plane
56
intersects the center of the die
14
, and is centered between the gripper fingers
54
. A vertical central transverse plane
58
intersects the vertical central longitudinal plane
56
. The vertical central longitudinal plane
56
intersects the feed shoe
16
, the tube
40
and slide
42
of the guide rail component
36
, the front and back rails
22
,
24
as well as the punches (not shown).
In operation, the gripper assembly
44
is spaced away from the die
14
when the feed shoe
16
delivers raw material to the die and when the punches move to compact the raw material in the die
14
. After a green compact has been ejected from the die
14
, the tube
40
is pressurized to thereby move the slide
42
toward the front rail
22
, thereby moving the gripper assembly
44
toward the ejected compact. At this point, the gripper arms and gripper fingers are spaced apart from each other. To pick up the green compact, the pneumatic cylinders
50
are actuated to move the gripper arms
52
toward each other and toward the vertical central longitudinal plane
56
. After the gripper fingers
54
contact the green compact, the bellows
34
are inflated to pivot the frame
20
about axis
30
, thereby lifting the gripper arms
52
, gripper fingers
54
and green compact. The pressure in tube
40
is then changed to move the piston and slide away from the front rail
22
and toward the back rail
24
. The bellows remain inflated while the gripper arms, gripper fingers and compact are retracted. Thus, the gripper assembly
44
and green compact are moved away from the die, and may be placed on a conveyor or other system or support at a location spaced from the press.
As can be appreciated from
FIG. 1
, the combination of the feed shoe
16
and picker assembly
18
substantially obstruct the view of and block access to the die
14
, particularly taking the position of the upper punch into consideration. To fully view the die cavity, to change the die over, to clean the die, or to work on the other tooling such as the punch requires removal of the entire picker assembly. Removal and reinstallation of the picker assembly requires removing and reinstalling the support frame from the press platen, typically by unclamping the frame from the bellows assemblies. Removal and reinstallation of the picker assembly adds to the set up time, thereby reducing manufacturing efficiency.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to increasing efficiency in the manufacture of compacts. In one aspect, the present invention increases efficiency by providing a press for making compacts from a raw material. The press comprises a platen with a die space and a die in which raw material may be formed into a compact and from which the compact may be ejected. The die is in the die space in the platen. The press has a vertical press longitudinal plane at the center of the die space in the platen and a vertical press transverse plane perpendicular to the press longitudinal plane. The press longitudinal and transverse planes are substantially perpendicular to the surface of the platen. A guide rail element is laterally spaced from the die. The guide rail element is offset from the press longitudinal plane, and is on one side of the press transverse plane. A slide is mounted on the guide rail element for movement of along the guide rail element in a direction parallel to and spaced from the press longitudinal plane. The guide rail element remains on one side of the press transverse plane throughout the range of motion of the slide. A pair of gripper arms is supported for movement with the slide. One gripper arm is on each side of the press longitudinal plane. At least a portion of each of the gripper arms is movable toward and away from the press longitudinal plane to engage and release a compact. The gripper arms are offset along the press transverse plane from the slide.
In another aspect, the present invention increases efficiency by providing a press for making compacts from a raw material. The press comprises a platen with a die space and a die in which raw material may be formed into a compact and from which the compact may be ejected. The die is in the die space in the platen. An upright mounting post is on the platen, spaced from the die and the die space. The press includes a picker system for moving compact

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