Metal deforming – Process – Involving use of claimed apparatus
Patent
1995-04-07
1996-04-23
Crane, Daniel C.
Metal deforming
Process
Involving use of claimed apparatus
29 211, 29798, 72465, B21D 4100
Patent
active
055092900
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This application is a 35 U.S.C. 371 of PCT/EP94/01445 dated Apr. 29, 1994.
The present invention refers to a tool for making joints between sheet-formed members, metal or non-metal.
The invention concerns more precisely a tool which can be used in a joining operation carried out on at least two sheet-formed members, for instance metal sheets. By means of a co-operating punch and matrix the members are joined together by drawing the material forming a cavity in the sheets and laterally extending the bottom part of said cavity to lock the members to each other. The tool according to the invention could also be used in a joining operation in which the members are 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.
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.
Such an arrangement has a certain numbers of disadvantages. Due to the considerable forces between the two tool-parts, i.e. punch and matrix, and the metal sheets during the forming of the joint small pieces of metal might be separated from the sheet material which pieces are difficult to evacuate from the tool in which they might block the movement of the matrix-parts or otherwise disturb the proper function of the tool.
Additionally the stop means is in general comprising a solid ring formed member fixed to the second part of the tool, i.e. the matrix. This arrangement has several disadvantages. If for example the lateral displacement of the matrix-parts exceeds what has been initially envisaged these tool-parts risk to be damaged in the contact with the stop means.
Finally the assembly and disassembling of the matrix is complicated and time consuming.
One of the objects of the present invention is to avoid these inconveniences.
The invention concerns a tool for carrying out joints between sheet material, comprising 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 heel 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 are provided as well as a stop means limiting the lateral displacement of the matrix-parts. The tool is characterised in that the stop means comprises at least two shell-formed parts fixed elastically on said second tool-part.
According to another characteristic the lateral wall of each matrix-part is provided with a waist and the shell-formed parts are terminated on the inside by a flange cooperating with the edge of the waist close to the heel, the flange and the edge constituting guiding means for the matrix-parts.
According to a further characteristic the elastic means which applies the matrix-parts against the lateral surface of the anvil is constituted by an elastic ring arranged at the bottom of the waist of the matrix-parts.
Means for preventing the rotation of the matrix-parts are preferably also arranged.
The heel of at least one of the matrix-parts is provided on a surface turned in the direction of an adjacent matrix-part with a notch and the support surface is provided with a pin co-operating with said notch.
Each shell-formed part is preferably provided with openings at a level corresponding to the support surface.
According to a special embodiment each shell-formed part comprises mea
REFERENCES:
patent: 2924312 (1960-02-01), Williams
patent: 4208776 (1980-06-01), Schleicher
patent: 4660403 (1987-04-01), Slasinski
patent: 4757609 (1988-06-01), Sawdon
patent: 4825525 (1989-05-01), Obrecht et al.
patent: 5131258 (1992-07-01), Kynl
patent: 5207086 (1993-05-01), Kynl
patent: 5208974 (1993-05-01), Sawdon et al.
patent: 5230136 (1993-07-01), Cronn et al.
Crane Daniel C.
Stone Mark P.
Tolan Ed
LandOfFree
Tools for cold flow forming of assembly points in sheet metal does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Tools for cold flow forming of assembly points in sheet metal, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Tools for cold flow forming of assembly points in sheet metal will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2301702