Anti-Vibration Die Holder Technology for Fabricating Press

Abstract

The invention involves an anti-vibration die holder for a press, such as a metal-fabricating press. The anti-vibration die holder preferably includes at least one resilient surface adapted to contact a die when the die is mounted operatively on the die holder.

1 . A die holder for a fabricating press, the die holder having an interior recess that is bounded by at least one interior wall and that is configured to receive a die, the die holder having an anti-vibration system comprising a resilient surface adapted to engage the die when the die is mounted operatively in the die holder's interior recess, the construction of the die holder and its anti-vibration system allowing no more than 0.032 inch of upward die displacement relative to the die holder after 10,000 test strokes of the fabricating press. 
   
   
       2 . The die holder of  claim 1  wherein the construction of the die holder and its anti-vibration system allow no more than 0.01 inch of upward die displacement relative to the die holder after 10,000 test strokes of the fabricating press. 
   
   
       3 . The die holder of  claim 1  wherein the construction of the die holder and its anti-vibration system allow no more than about 0.005 inch of upward die displacement relative to the die holder after 10,000 test strokes of the fabricating press. 
   
   
       4 . The die holder of  claim 1  wherein the resilient surface is defined by material having a Shore A durometer of between about 20 and about 95. 
   
   
       5 . The die holder of  claim 1  wherein the die holder is devoid of set screws adapted to rigidly engage the die during a clamping operation. 
   
   
       6 . The die holder of  claim 1  wherein the die holder includes at least one spring component, wherein during a clamping operation the die holder applies a clamping force on the die, and wherein the spring component generates at least part of the clamping force. 
   
   
       7 . The die holder of  claim 1  wherein the die holder includes a clamp portion and a wall portion, wherein the clamp and wall portions are adapted to be positioned in an open configuration or a closed configuration, the clamp and wall portions together surrounding said interior recess when in the closed configuration, wherein the die holder can be adjusted from a clamped configuration to an unclamped configuration by performing an unclamping operation, wherein when the die is received in said interior recess and the die holder is in the clamped configuration the die is clamped securely by the die holder, the die holder being provided with a single-motion actuator that allows the unclamping operation to be performed in response to a single motion of the actuator. 
   
   
       8 . The die holder of  claim 7  wherein the actuator is a tool-free actuator that allows the unclamping operation to be a tool-free operation. 
   
   
       9 . The die holder of  claim 7  wherein said interior recess has a generally circular configuration, the clamp portion has a concave interior surface and the wall portion has a concave interior surface, said interior surfaces being adapted to engage the die when the die holder is clamped securely on the die. 
   
   
       10 . The die holder of  claim 7  wherein the clamp portion is a concave clamp portion and the wall portion is a concave wall portion, and when the clamp and wall portions are positioned in the closed configuration the die holder has a generally annular configuration. 
   
   
       11 . The die holder of  claim 1  wherein the die holder is mounted on a horizontal table of the fabricating press, the fabricating press being a turret press having a turret with a plurality of stations adapted to receive respective tool holders, the die holder being mounted removably to the turret. 
   
   
       12 . A method of using a fabricating press equipped with at least one active die holder and at least one inactive die holder, the inactive die holder having an interior recess bounded by at least one interior wall, wherein a die is mounted operatively in said interior recess, the inactive die holder having an anti-vibration system comprising a resilient surface engaged with said die, the method comprising operating the fabricating press to perform a plurality of strokes adjacent to the active die holder, the construction of the inactive die holder and its anti-vibration system being such that during the plurality of strokes said die experiences no more than 0.032 inch of upward die displacement relative to the inactive die holder. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein during the plurality of strokes said die experiences no more than 0.02 inch of upward die displacement relative to the inactive die holder. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein during the plurality of strokes said die experiences no more than 0.01 inch of upward die displacement relative to the inactive die holder. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the plurality of strokes is at least 10,000 strokes. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the construction of the inactive die holder and its anti-vibration system allow no more than 0.032 inch of upward die displacement relative to the inactive die holder after 10,000 punch strokes of the fabricating press adjacent to the active die holder. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the resilient surface is defined by material that has a Shore A durometer of between about 20 and about 95 and that bears against said die during the plurality of strokes so as to dampen vibrations. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the die holder is devoid of set screws adapted to rigidly engage the die during a clamping operation, such that during the plurality of strokes said die is not engaged by any set screw. 
   
   
       19 . A die holder for a fabricating press, the die holder having an interior recess that is bounded by at least one interior wall and that is configured to receive a die, the die holder having an anti-vibration system comprising a plurality of resilient surfaces adapted to contact the die when the die is mounted operatively in said interior recess, the resilient surfaces being spaced-apart about said interior wall(s). 
   
   
       20 . The die holder of  claim 19  wherein the resilient surfaces have an anti-stiction arrangement characterized by the resilient surfaces covering between about 180 degrees and about 300 degrees of a perimetrical extent of said interior wall(s). 
   
   
       21 . The die holder of  claim 19  wherein the resilient surfaces are constructed to provide slide-resistant engagement between the die holder and the die. 
   
   
       22 . The die holder of  claim 19  wherein the resilient surfaces are defined by resilient non-lubricating material. 
   
   
       23 . The die holder of  claim 19  wherein the die, when mounted operatively in said interior recess, contacts both the resilient surfaces and said interior wall(s) of the die holder. 
   
   
       24 . The die holder of  claim 23  wherein the resilient surfaces are defined by resilient bodies each having a height that is less than a height of said interior wall(s). 
   
   
       25 . The die holder of  claim 23  wherein said interior wall(s) comprise metal, and said resilient surfaces are defined by material having a Shore A durometer of between about 20 and about 95. 
   
   
       26 . The die holder of  claim 19  wherein, when the interior recess of the die holder is unloaded, the resilient surfaces project from the die holder's interior wall(s) by at least about 0.001 inch, and wherein when the die holder is clamped on the die the resilient surfaces are compressed such that an exterior sidewall of the die simultaneously contacts both the resilient surfaces and the die holder's interior wall(s). 
   
   
       27 . The die holder of  claim 26  wherein, when the interior recess of the die holder is unloaded, the resilient surfaces project from the die holder's interior wall(s) by between about 0.001 inch and about 0.005 inch. 
   
   
       28 . The die holder of  claim 19  wherein a body defining at least one of the resilient surfaces has a grooved front section adapted to engage the die when the die is mounted operatively in said interior recess. 
   
   
       29 . The die holder of  claim 19  wherein a plurality of bodies define the resilient surfaces, and wherein each such body has a grooved front section adapted to engage the die when the die is mounted operatively in said interior recess. 
   
   
       30 . The die holder of  claim 19  wherein at least one of the resilient surfaces is defined by an elongated band mounted in a recess extending circumferentially about said interior wall(s). 
   
   
       31 . The die holder of  claim 30  wherein a plurality of grooves are formed in the elongated band, the grooves extending along a length of the band. 
   
   
       32 . The die holder of  claim 30  wherein the die holder carries a plurality of spaced-apart grooved elongated bands defining the resilient surfaces. 
   
   
       33 . The die holder of  claim 19  wherein the die holder includes at least one spring component, wherein during a clamping operation the die holder applies a clamping force on the die, and wherein the spring component generates at least part of the clamping force. 
   
   
       34 . The die holder of  claim 19  wherein the die holder includes a clamp portion and a wall portion, wherein the clamp and wall portions are adapted to be positioned in an open configuration or a closed configuration, the clamp and wall portions together surrounding said interior recess when in the closed configuration, wherein the die holder can be adjusted from a clamped configuration to an unclamped configuration by performing an unclamping operation, wherein when the die is received in said interior recess and the die holder is in the clamped configuration the die is clamped securely by the die holder, the die holder being provided with a single-motion actuator that allows the unclamping operation to be performed in response to a single motion of the actuator, at least one of the resilient surfaces being mounted on the die holder's wall portion, and at least one of the resilient surfaces being mounted on the die holder's clamp portion. 
   
   
       35 . The die holder of  claim 34  wherein the actuator is a tool-free actuator that allows the unclamping operation to be a tool-free operation. 
   
   
       36 . The die holder of  claim 34  wherein said interior recess has a generally circular configuration, the clamp portion has a concave interior surface and the wall portion has a concave interior surface, said interior surfaces being adapted to engage the die when the die holder is clamped securely on the die. 
   
   
       37 . The die holder of  claim 34  wherein the clamp portion is a concave clamp portion and the wall portion is a concave wall portion, and when the clamp and wall portions are positioned in the closed configuration the die holder has a generally annular configuration. 
   
   
       38 . The die holder of  claim 19  wherein the die holder is mounted on a horizontal table of the fabricating press. 
   
   
       39 . The die holder of  claim 19  wherein the die holder is mounted removably within an opening defined by a table of the fabricating press. 
   
   
       40 . The die holder of  claim 19  wherein the fabricating press is a turret press having a turret with a plurality of stations adapted to receive respective tool holders, the die holder being mounted removably to the turret. 
   
   
       41 . A combination of a die and a die holder for a fabricating press, the die holder having an interior recess bounded by at least one interior wall, the die being mounted operatively in the die holder's interior recess, the die holder having an anti-vibration system comprising a resilient surface defined by a resilient face in which at least one groove or other recess is formed, wherein the grooved or otherwise recessed resilient face is engaged with an exterior sidewall of the die. 
   
   
       42 . The combination of  claim 41  wherein a plurality of generally parallel grooves are formed in the resilient face. 
   
   
       43 . The combination of  claim 41  wherein the die holder is provided with a plurality of resilient surfaces that are spaced-apart about the die holder's interior wall(s) and that are in contact with the die, the resilient surfaces being defined by grooved bands or other grooved elongated bodies, the grooves on each band or elongated body being arranged so as to be generally parallel to one another and to extend along a circumferential extent of an exterior sidewall of the die. 
   
   
       44 . The combination of  claim 43  wherein the grooved bands or other elongated bodies contact between about 180 degrees and about 300 degrees of a circumferential extent of an exterior sidewall of the die. 
   
   
       45 . The combination of  claim 41  wherein the resilient surface is defined by material having a Shore A durometer of between about 20 and about 95. 
   
   
       46 . The combination of  claim 41  wherein, when the interior recess of the die holder is unloaded, the resilient surface projects from the die holder's interior wall by at least about 0.001 inch 
   
   
       47 . The combination of  claim 41  wherein the die holder's interior wall is formed of metal, and the die is in contact with both the resilient surface and the metal interior wall of the die holder.