Unit for handling of two-part tools

Abstract

 The present invention relates to a unit for handling, separating, assembling and turning of two-part press and punch tools and the like comprising a lower part (A) and an upper part (B) which are fitted together by means of guides.
The novelty of the invention is that the unit includes two columns (1,2) between which there is a space for receiving a roller table or similar carrying means (4), a pair of lifting yokes (6) being vertically and synchronously movable along the columns on either side of said space, and a crosspiece (5) arranged between the columns above the space and provided with a fixture designed for connection with the upper tool part, said crosspiece being connected with the columns by means of members (11, 12) which are movable into and out or engagement with the crosspiece and permit turning of the crosspiece around a horizontal axis, and that the lifting yokes (6) and the crosspiece are provided with stop and positioning means (6', 20, 21, 24) adapted to permit connection of the lifting yokes with the crosspiece in two turning positions and vertical displacement of the lifting yokes between the columns when the members (11, 12) for turning around the crosspiece are made inactive.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a unit for handling, separating, assembling and turning of two-part press and punch tools and the like comprising a lower part and an upper part which are fitted together by means of guides.

[0002] For maintenance, repair work and exchange of tools for presses and the like the tool consisting of an upper part and a lower part is detached in assembled condition from the press or the like. The tool, which may have considerable dimensions and heavy weight, must thereupon be spaced apart to give access to its interior. Hitherto the upper part of the tool has usually been lifted up by means of more or less provisional units from the lower part placed on a suitable bed, which would not per se cause any particular trouble in the normal case provided that it has been possible to carry out the lifting operation in parallel with the guide studs of the tool so that no locking would take place between guide columns and guide bushings. A more difficult problem has been encountered when it comes to turning the upper part of the tool, which in most cases has been done by depositing the upper part on a bed and overturning it with the aid of lifting and braking straps. It is quite obvious that the method hitherto used has left much to wish for in respect of the risk of personal injuries and material damages.

[0003] In case of small-size tools use has hitherto been made of studs which have been temporarily fitted to the . ends of the upper part of the tool and which have permitted lifting and turning of the upper part. Such contrivances cannot advantageously be used for large tools since it is not possible to achieve the required precision by means of temporary studs. When the studs are directly attached to the upper part of the tool there is a risk that this will be subjected to bending stresses that may jeopardize its plainness and prevent the intended cooperation between guide studs and guide bushings during lifting and lowering. Even a slight hang- down or sagging at the beginning of the lifting operation may result in locking between the guide studs and the guide bushings. It is necessary therefore to carry out the lifting-apart operation so that the paralleli- son between the tool parts will be maintained and the lifted part will be supported in such a way that its linearity will not change due to forces acting upon it during lifting.

[0004] The object of the invention is to provide a unit permitting unproblematic disassembling and assembling of tools and also permitting safe and unproblematic turning of the upper part of the tool.

[0005] The essential characteristic of the unit of the invention is that the unit includes two columns between which there is a space for receiving a roller table or a similar carrying means, a pair of lifting yokes being vertically and synchronously movable along the columns on either side of said space, and a crosspiece arranged between the columns above the space and provided with a fixture designed for connection with the upper tool part, said crosspiece being connected with the columns by means of members which are movable into and out of engagement with the cross piece and permit turning of the crosspiece around a horizontal axus, and that the lifting yokes and the crosspiece are provided with stop and positioning means adapted to permit connection of the lifting yokes with the crosspiece in two turning positions and vertical displacement of the lifting yokes between the columns when the members for turning around the crosspiece are made inactive.

[0006] A preferred embodiment of the unit according to the invention will be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the unit;

Fig. 2 shows a horizontal section on line B-B in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows a vertical section on line D-D in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an end view of the unit; and

Fig. 5 is a top view of a broken-out section of the crosspiece, the lifting yoke and one column.

[0007] The unit includes a pair of spaced-apart columns 1 and 2, a roller table 4 displaceable along a roller way 3 into and out of the space between the columns, and a crosspiece 5 which is detachably supported between the columns and which can be raised and lowered and turned around.

[0008] On either column there is a lifting yoke 6 having a plane top side provided with a pair of conical guide studs 61.

[0009] Either lifting yoke is movable along guides 7 by means of a jack 8. In the shown case the jack is a screw 8' which is borne in the column and coacts with a nut means 8" in the lifting yoke 6. The screws in either column are mechanically connected by means of a transmission shaft 9 and are driven by a common motor 10 via a gearing unit.

[0010] The screws 8' permitting raising and lowering of the lifting yokes 6 can be rotated not only by means of the motor 10 but also by means of a hand crank 10' via a gear belt drive acting upon the transmission shaft. The hand crank is used when a slow accurate displacement is called for.

[0011] At the top end of either column there are mounting and rotating means 11 and 12 which will be described below.

[0012] Each column is provided at its bottom with brackets 13 which constitute supports for one end of two spaced-apart long plane rails 14 which constitute the roller way 3 and are supported against the base at the other end. The roller table 4 is displaceable on the roller way rails 14 which are provided with end stops 15. The roller table has a large number of spherical roller elements 16 which are borne in the roller table and roll on the plane top side of the roller way rails 14. Provided on the roller table are guide rollers 17 which are adapted to engage with the insides of the rails 14. The distance between the outwardly facing portions of the guide rollers 17 is less than the distance between the rails, thus permitting a certain lateral displacement as well as a certain inclination of the roller table 4. Wedge-shaped centering means 14' which engage with the support rollers, are provided at the outer ends of the rails 14. The top side of the roller table is adapted for application of suitable supports, attachments and like means 18.

[0013] The crosspiece 5 consists of a rigid frame having a downwardly facing side which in lifting position constitutes a fixture 19 with grooves and recesses for screwing on the upper part of the tool to be handled. At the ends the crosspiece has projecting abutments 20 and 21 provided with bearing surfaces 23 on both sides. The abutments also have guide openings 24 adapted for the guide studs 6' provided on the lifting yoke 6 of the respective column. Thus the lifting yokes can be brought to engage with the crosspieces both in the position shown in the drawing and the inverted position indicated by dashed and dotted lines in Fig. 3 since the guide studs 6' can run into the guide openings 24 from both directions.

[0014] The abutments 20 and 21, which in the shown position are on a level with the underside of the crosspiece forming the fixture, also form part of the means 11, 12 permitting rotation of the crosspiece. In one 20 of the abutments there is a bore 25 serving as a hub, and a pivot 26, which is axially displaceable at the upper end of the column 2, is insertable into said hub. Said pivot is operated by means of a lockable mechanism 26' adapted to prevent unintentional displacement of the pivot.

[0015] In the opposite abutment 21 there are two bores 27 eccentrically located relative to the centre line through the bore 25, and arranged at the upper end of the opposed column 1 is a turning mechanism comprising a self-locking gearing unit 29 driven by means of a handle 28 and coupled to an axially displaceable driving disc 30. In the driving disc there are two eccentrically located driving pins 31 adapted to run into the bores 27 at the abutment 21 of the crosspiece. Also the axial displacement of the driving disc is effected by means of a lockable operating unit.

[0016] The unit according to the invention is used in the following way.

[0017] After a tool consisting of a lower part A and an upper part B has been withdrawn from a press or the like in a suitable manner it is placed on the roller table 4 and is fixed to it. The roller table with the tool is then pushed into the space between the columns 1 and 2. In this connection the lifting yokes 6 have been displaced upwards so that their guide studs 6' run into the guide openings 4 in the abutments 20 and 21 of the crosspiece, and the crosspiece 5 will be supported by the lifting yokes 6. The pivot 26 and the pins 31 of the driving disc can thus be brought out of engagement with the bore 25 and the bores 27 whereby the crosspiece can be freely displaced in downward direction. The crosspiece is lowered so that its fixture will abut against the upper part B of the tool and be connected therewith by means of screw connections. The upper part B anchored to the crosspiece 5 can then be lifted up by means of the lifting yokes from the lower part of the tool A which resting on the roller table can be pulled out and lifted away for the required steps.

[0018] The crosspiece with the upper part of the tool hanging under it is lifted so far that the bores 25 and 27 of the abutments 20 and 21 respectively will be alinged with the shaft 26 and the driving pins 31 and these can be inserted into the bores and be locked. As soon as this has been done the lifting yokes 6 can be lowered while the crosspiece is hanging in the pivot pins 26 and 31. Now the crosspiece 5 with the upper tool part can be turned about a horizontal axis by means of the crank 28, the gearing unit 29 and the driving disc 30 so that the underside of the upper tool part will face upwardly. The turning operation is highly facilitated by the fact that the turning axis is situated ajacent the fixture of the crosspiece bearing against the upper tool part because the crosspiece and the upper tool part will thereby balance each other.

[0019] When the crosspiece and the upper part of the tool have been turned half a revolution the lifting yokes ₆ are displaced upwards so as to bear against the opposite side of the abutments of the crosspiece 5 in the manner already described, whereupon the pivots 26 and 31 are pulled out of the bores. The crosspiece and the upper tool part B are finally lowered towards the roller table and placed on it. Further operations with the upper tool part may take place while it remains standing on the roller table but it is also possible with the aid of conventional lifting means to lift away the crosspiece and the upper tool part in one piece and allow them to remain in assembled condition or lift away the upper tool part separately.

[0020] Assembling of the tool is effected in the reverse order. The upper tool part is placed on the crosspiece or is placed together with the crosspiece on the roller table which is pushed in between the columns and oriented so that the lifting yokes 6 can engage with the abutments 20 and 21. The crosspiece is lifted by means of the lifting yokes 6 until the pins 26 and 31 can be introduced, whereupon the lifting yokes are lowered so as to allow turning around. After turning around the lifting yokes are again raised into engagement with the abutments and the pivot pins 26 and 31 are moved out of engagement. In the meantime the lower tool part A has been placed on the roller table and been moved in between the columns so as to be aligned with the upper tool part B.

[0021] During the first part of the following lowering the motor 10 is used but when the tool parts approach each other the motor is disconnected and instead the hand crank 10' is used so that an exact adjustment of the position of the lower part A can take place during slow downward motion.

[0022] When the tool parts A and B have been fitted together the upper part is detached from the crosspiece 5 and the tool can be carried out by means of the roller table and again be mounted in the press in a suitable manner.

[0023] If desired, however, one may carry out test pressing operations with reduced effect while the upper tool part still is attached to the crosspiece, and this is done by allowing the jacks to displace the upper tool part away from and towards the lower part of the tool which must of course be firmly supported at this stage. If test pressing is to take place the guide studs of the lifting yokes are completed with locking screws which extend through the abutments and bear against the upwardly facing sides thereof.

[0024] The invention must not be considered restricted to the embodiment described above and shown in the drawings but may be modified in various ways within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. Unit for handling, separating, assembling and turning of two-part press and punch tools and the like comprising a lower part A and an upper part B which are fitted together by means of guides,characterized in that the unit includes two columns (1, 2) between which there is a space for receiving a roller table or a similar carrying means (4), a pair of lifting yokes (6) being vertically and synchronously movable along the columns on either side of said space, and a crosspiece (5) arranged between the columns above the space and provided with a fixture designed for connection with the upper tool part, said crosspiece being connected with the columns by means of members (11, 12) which are movable into and out of engagement with the crosspiece and permit turning of the crosspiece around a horizontal axis, and that the lifting yokes (6) and the crosspiece are provided with stop and positioning means (6', 20, 21, 24) adapted to permit connection of the lifting yokes with the crosspiece in two turning positions and vertical displacement of the lifting yokes between the columns when the members (11, 12) for turning around the crosspiece are made inactive.

2. Unit as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the crosspiece (5) is arranged so that the axis around which the crosspiece is turnable is situated adjacent and in parallel with the fixture of the crosspiece which is connectible with the tool part.

3. Unit as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the roller table or the like which is receiveable in the. space between the columns (1, 2) is adapted to be supported by carrying means in the form of spherical elements, balls or the like (1₆) permitting displacement of the roller table into and out of the space between the columns as well as lateral displacement and turning of said table in said space.

4. Unit as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the lifting yokes (6) are displaceable by means of synchronously driven screws or the like (8') and are provided at their abutment surfaces with guide studs (6') designed to engage with accurate fit guide openings (24) arranged on the abutments (20, 21) of the crosspiece.

5. Unit as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the means permitting turning of the crosspiece include a pivot (26) situated at one (2) of the columns, said pivot being axially displaceable and lockable in a position engaging the crosspiece, while a driving means (30) transmitting turning power is situated at the other column, said driving means including at least two axially displaceable pivots (31) which are eccentrically arranged and likewise lockable in a position engaging a complementary part of the crosspiece.

6. Unit as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the driving means is connected with a crank or the like via a self-locking gearing unit.

7. Unit as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the guide studs (6') of the lifting yokes (6) engaging the crosspiece, in order to enable a test pressing operation, are provided with locking screws or the like to secure the fixation of the crosspiece to the lifting yokes.

Drawing