Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Assembling or joining
Patent
1991-05-22
1992-08-18
Gorski, Joseph M.
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Assembling or joining
29509, 292435, 292835, 29521, B23P 1100, B23D 3900
Patent
active
051387581
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to methods for joining two or more metallic or non-metallic overlaying sheet formed members together, and apparatus for carring out such methods.
BACKGROUND ART
It is well known that a pair of overlaying metal members could be joined together by lancing and forming a part of one member through an unblanked part of the other member, and thereafter staking the lanced and formed part of the one member to an adjacent surface of the other member to secure the members together in overlaying relation.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,924,378 shows such a joining operation carried out by means of an apparatus having two separately actuatable rams, one of the rams carrying a lancing and forming die and the other ram carrying a flattening punch or anvil, whereby the one ram performs the lancing and forming operation and the other ram performs the staking operation. The apparatus is provided with adjustment means so that the upper sheet (or sheets) of the displaced section is (are) not engaged by the downwardly moving flattening punch until the lowermost sheet of the displaced section is uncovered by the upwardly moving die, so as to allow the lower sheet of the displaced section to be spread while the upper sheet or sheets are still confined by the die. Thus, said adjustment means must be operated for different thickness of the sheets.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,035,901 shows an apparatus having a single reciprocating head provided with a first means, i.e., a die, to perform the lancing and forming step on a first stroke of the head, and provided with a second means, i.e., an anvil, that performs the staking operation on the second stroke of the same head. When the thickness of one or several of the sheets to be joined together or the material of the sheets is changed, the stroke length of the first and the second strokes must be adjusted.
GB-A-1 603 231 shows another machine for making a joint of the above-mentioned type. In this machine, the moving head comprises the punch which in a first stroke pierces the sheets against the die placed underneath said sheets. Before the second stroke, the die as well as the anvil are axially repositioned by holding means having inclined plane surfaces. If the thickness of the sheets is changed, the reposition movement must be adjusted.
The above examples of prior art all disclose systems having a relatively simple one-piece, non-expansible die. The corresponding machines are, in principle, of the two-stroke type. The second stroke is carried out with the deformed sections of the sheets at least partly outside the die.
However, other systems and apparatus, operating with only one stroke are known in which the die is laterally expansible. In this type of apparatuses the second part of the joint-forming-process takes place inside the die. U.S. Pat. No. 4,459,735 discloses an apparatus and a method of this type. By necessity, the design of the die is much more complicated in a system like this, and the choice of material for the die might be critical. Thus the life expectancy for such a die is comparatively low, which makes the maintenance costs high for the tool. In addition, one and the same die cannot be used if the thickness of the sheets is changed.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
One object of the present invention is to provide a method for joining together two or more overlaying sheet-formed members in a two-stroke process to produce a first type of joint with a single set of die, punch and anvil, and without adjustment of said units for different sheet thickness, number or material.
Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for carrying out said method, capable of producing at least two different types of joints, e.g. leak proof and non-leak proof joints, using different sets of die, punch and anvil.
Due to the fact that the mechanical forces needed to make the joint according to the inventive method are comparatively low, it is also possible to design the apparatus to be very light and compact for use as a versatile hand-held too
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Gubbiotti Luciano
Rapillard Philippe P.
Gorski Joseph M.
Hughes S. Thomas
Munson Eric Y.
Stone Mark P.
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