Metal working – Means for forming clench-tongue
Patent
1997-03-10
1999-09-07
Crane, Daniel C.
Metal working
Means for forming clench-tongue
292435, B21D 3903
Patent
active
059467827
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention refers to a tool for making joints between sheet-formed members, metal or non-metal.
The invention concerns more specifically a tool which can be used in a joining operation carried out on at least two sheet-formed members, e.g metal sheets. By means of a co-operating punch and matrix the members are joined together by drawing the material in the sheets forming a cavity in the sheets and laterally extending the bottom part of said cavity to lock the members to each other.
It is known from the prior art tools in which the matrix comprises at least two matrix-parts which at one end-portion co-operates with an anvil and at the other end-portion are arranged sliding on a support surface against the forces from an elastic member. A stop means is arranged to limit the lateral moment of the matrix-parts. The elastic members are generally constituted by a ring made of an elastomer surrounding the matrix-parts.
When the joint has been made and the punch is retracted the matrix elements are exposed to longitudinal forces which tend to pull the matrix parts out of position. The matrix elements therefore have to be secured to the anvil body. In a tool according to prior art stop means for the lateral movement of the matrix-parts comprises a solid ring surrounding these parts. This ring is also used for keeping the matrix-parts in place when the punch is retracted. This arrangement has the disadvantage that the lateral dimensions of the matrix will be large and the assembly and disassembling of the matrix will be complicated and time consuming.
In another tool according to prior art the matrix parts are inclined against the anvil and the lower surfaces of the matrix elements are sliding against a horizontal support surface on the anvil body. Due to the large distance between the top surface of the matrix elements, exposed to the forces from the sheet-formed material, and the opposite surface where the sliding takes place the sidewalls of the matrix parts in between these opposite surfaces of the matrix parts have to be of considerable thickness. This means that the matrix will have large dimensions in the lateral direction.
One of the objects of the present invention is to avoid the inconveniences with a large matrix. It is obviously of great value especially when making joints where the space is limited to have a compact tool with small dimensions.
The tool according to the invention makes joints between sheet material, and comprises a first tool-part with a punch and a side pressing element and a second tool-part provided with a support surface from which an anvil erects. A matrix comprising at least two matrix-parts is arranged around said anvil, each matrix-part comprising a portion arranged sliding against said support surface and being applied against the lateral surface of said anvil by means of elastic means. Means for guiding the matrix-parts during the sliding movement could be provided.
In order to keep the lateral dimensions of the matrix small the distance between the top surface and the sliding surface of the matrix elements is made small according to the invention. This means less stress on the material and a possibility to use less material in the matrix parts. The corresponding support surface where the sliding movement between the matrix parts and the anvil body takes place is consequently arranged higher up on the anvil body. This will result in less tendency of tilting for the respective matrix element when the forces from the sheet-formed material is increasing. Additionally the retention of the respective matrix-parts can be arranged in a very favourable way on the lower side of a ring-formed element the top surface of which constitutes the support surface for the matrix elements. The lower part of the matrix elements are in a preferred embodiment not in contact with any surface in the longitudinal direction of the tool to take up any forces during the formation of the joint. During the returning movement of the punch, however, a flange on each matrix element close to the low
REFERENCES:
patent: 4028370 (1977-06-01), Eckold
patent: 4064617 (1977-12-01), Oaks
patent: 5509290 (1996-04-01), Faivre
patent: 5528815 (1996-06-01), Webb
Dubugnon Olivier
Faivre Jean-Claude
Crane Daniel C.
Stone Mark P.
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