Guided keeper assembly and method for metal forming dies
First Claim
1. In a metal forming die of the type having a die shoe, a die pad mounted a spaced apart distance from said die shoe for mutual reciprocation between converged and diverged positions, and a biasing member disposed between said die shoe and said die pad for biasing the same to said diverged position, the improvement of a guided keeper assembly, comprising:
- a base having;
a mounting face shaped to abut an adjacent face of said die shoe;
a connector portion for detachably mounting said base to said die shoe; and
a central aperture extending axially through said base;
a guide pin having;
a cylindrically-shaped central portion closely received in said central aperture in said base for precisely guiding reciprocal motion between said die pad and said die shoe;
a first end having an enlarged head shaped to abut said base to positively limit travel between said die shoe and said die pad;
a second end, positioned opposite said first end, and having an alignment member configured to precisely locate said second end of said guide pin on said die pad; and
an outwardly opening groove extending circumferentially about said second end of said guide pin;
a retainer ring removably mounted in said groove and protruding radially outwardly of said second end of said guide pin to securely, yet detachably, retain said base on said guide pin between said enlarged head and said retainer ring in an assembled condition to facilitate transport and mounting of said guided keeper assembly;
a first fastener operably engaging said connector portion of said base and securely, yet detachably, connecting said base with said die shoe; and
a second fastener securely, yet detachably, connecting said second end of said guide pin with said die pad.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A guided keeper assembly and method for metal forming dies includes a base having a mounting face, a connector portion and a central aperture. A guide pin has a cylindrical center portion closely received in the central aperture of the base for reciprocation, an enlarged first end with an alignment member, and an outwardly opening circumferential groove. A retainer ring is removably mounted in and protrudes radially outwardly of the groove to securely, yet detachably, retain the base on the guide pin between the enlarged head and the retainer ring in an assembled condition to facilitate transport and mounting of the guided keeper assembly.
41 Citations
49 Claims
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1. In a metal forming die of the type having a die shoe, a die pad mounted a spaced apart distance from said die shoe for mutual reciprocation between converged and diverged positions, and a biasing member disposed between said die shoe and said die pad for biasing the same to said diverged position, the improvement of a guided keeper assembly, comprising:
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a base having; a mounting face shaped to abut an adjacent face of said die shoe; a connector portion for detachably mounting said base to said die shoe; and a central aperture extending axially through said base; a guide pin having; a cylindrically-shaped central portion closely received in said central aperture in said base for precisely guiding reciprocal motion between said die pad and said die shoe; a first end having an enlarged head shaped to abut said base to positively limit travel between said die shoe and said die pad; a second end, positioned opposite said first end, and having an alignment member configured to precisely locate said second end of said guide pin on said die pad; and an outwardly opening groove extending circumferentially about said second end of said guide pin; a retainer ring removably mounted in said groove and protruding radially outwardly of said second end of said guide pin to securely, yet detachably, retain said base on said guide pin between said enlarged head and said retainer ring in an assembled condition to facilitate transport and mounting of said guided keeper assembly; a first fastener operably engaging said connector portion of said base and securely, yet detachably, connecting said base with said die shoe; and a second fastener securely, yet detachably, connecting said second end of said guide pin with said die pad. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A guided keeper assembly for metal forming dies of the type having a die shoe, a die pad mounted a spaced apart distance from the die shoe for mutual reciprocation between converged and diverged positions, and a biasing member disposed between the die shoe and the die pad for biasing the same to the diverged position, comprising:
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a base having; a mounting face shaped to abut an adjacent face of the die shoe; a connector portion for detachably mounting said base to the die shoe; and a central aperture extending axially through said base; a guide pin having; a cylindrically-shaped central portion closely received in said central aperture in said base for precisely guiding reciprocal motion between the die pad and the die shoe; a first end having an enlarged head shaped to abut said base to positively limit travel between the die shoe and the die pad; a second end, positioned opposite said first end, and having an alignment member configured to precisely locate said second end of said guide pin on the die pad; and an outwardly opening groove extending circumferentially about said second end of said guide pin; a retainer ring removably mounted in said groove and protruding radially outwardly of said second end of said guide pin to securely, yet detachably, retain said base on said guide pin between said enlarged head and said retainer ring in an assembled condition to facilitate transport and mounting of said guided keeper assembly; a first fastener operably engaging said connector portion of said base and securely, yet detachably, connecting said base with the die shoe; and a second fastener securely, yet detachably, connecting said second end of said guide pin with the die pad. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method for making a metal forming die of the type having a die shoe, a die pad mounted a spaced apart distance from the die shoe for mutual reciprocation between converged and diverged positions, and a biasing member disposed between the die shoe and the die pad for biasing the same to the diverged position, comprising:
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forming a base with a mounting face shaped to abut an adjacent face of the die shoe, at least one connector portion for detachably mounting the base to the die shoe, and a central aperture extending axially through a central portion of the base; forming a guide pin with a cylindrically-shaped central portion shaped for close reception in the central aperture of the base, a first end with an enlarged head shaped to abut the base block to positively limit travel between the die shoe and the die pad, and a second end with an alignment member to precisely locate the second end of the guide pin on the die pad; forming at least one fastener aperture in the die shoe at a preselected location; forming an outwardly opening groove circumferentially about the second end of the guide pin; inserting the central portion of the guide pin into the central opening in the base for precisely guiding reciprocal motion between the die pad and the die shoe; mounting a retainer ring in the groove on the guide pin, such that the retainer ring protrudes radially outwardly of the second end of the guide pin to securely, yet detachably, retain the base on the guide pin between the enlarged head and the retainer ring in an assembled condition to facilitate transport and mounting of the guided keeper assembly; engaging a fastener with the connector portion of the base and engaging the same in the fastener aperture in the die shoe to securely, yet detachably, mount the base on the die shoe; engaging the alignment member on the second end of the guide pin with the die pad to precisely locate the second end of the guide pin in the die pad; and securely, yet detachably, connecting the second end of the guide pin with the die pad. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A guided keeper assembly for metal forming dies of the type having a die shoe, a die pad mounted a spaced apart distance from the die shoe for reciprocation between converged and diverged positions, and a biasing member disposed between the die shoe and the die pad for biasing the same to the diverged position, comprising:
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a base bushing having; a generally annular configuration defined by a cylindrically-shaped outer wall, a cylindrically-shaped inner wall, an upper end, and a lower end; an outwardly opening groove extending circumferentially about said outer wall at a location thereon adjacent to said upper end of said base bushing; and an annularly-shaped mounting flange protruding radially outwardly of said outer wall at a location thereon between said groove and said lower end of said base bushing, and having a radially extending first face configured to abut the die shoe, and an oppositely oriented, radially extending second face; a guide pin having; a cylindrically-shaped central portion closely received in said inner wall of said base bushing for precisely guiding reciprocal motion between the die pad and the die shoe; a first end having an enlarged head shaped to abut one of said upper end and said lower end of said base bushing to positively limit travel between the die shoe and the die pad; at least one flange clamp having a fastener aperture extending through a marginal portion thereof and a radially inwardly projecting lip which abuttingly engages an adjacent portion of said second face of said mounting flange for detachably mounting said base bushing to the die shoe; and a fastener having a head portion, and a shank portion extending through said fastener aperture in said flange clamp for securely, yet detachably, connecting said base bushing with the die shoe; and a retainer ring detachably mounted in said groove and protruding radially outwardly of said outer wall to a position immediately above and adjacent to said head portion of said fastener to positively prevent said fastener from being inadvertently removed from engagement with the die shoe.
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46. A guided keeper assembly for metal forming dies of the type having a die shoe, a die pad mounted a spaced apart distance from the die shoe for reciprocation between converged and diverged positions, and a biasing member disposed between the die shoe and the die pad for biasing the same to the diverged position, comprising:
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a base having; a mounting face shaped to abut an adjacent face of the die shoe; a connector portion for detachably mounting said base to the die shoe; and a central aperture extending axially through a central portion of said base; a guide pin having; a cylindrically-shaped central portion closely received in said central aperture in said base for precisely guiding reciprocal motion between the die pad and the die shoe; a first end having an enlarged head shaped to abut said mounting face of said base to positively limit travel between the die shoe and the die pad; and a second end, positioned opposite said first end, and having a shoulder with a rigid center post protruding outwardly therefrom to precisely locate said second end of said guide pin in the die pad;
said guide pin having an axially extended threaded aperture through a lower end thereof, and a non-circular plan shape for reception in a similarly shaped socket in the die shoe;a first fastener engaging said connector portion of said base, and securely, yet detachably, connecting said base with the die shoe; a second fastener having a generally cylindrically-shaped head portion with at least one threaded aperture extending axially through a marginal portion thereof, and a threaded shank portion threadedly received in said threaded aperture of said guide pin; and a set screw threadedly mounted in said threaded aperture in the head portion of said second fastener, and including an interior end shaped to abuttingly engage the recess in the die shoe to prevent inadvertent loosening of said second fastener.
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47. A guided keeper assembly for metal forming dies of the type having a die shoe, a die pad mounted a spaced apart distance from the die shoe for reciprocation between converged and diverged positions, and a biasing member disposed between the die shoe and the die pad for biasing the same to the diverged position, comprising:
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a base having; a mounting face shaped to abut an adjacent face of the die shoe; a connector portion for detachably mounting said base to the die shoe; and a central aperture extending axially through said base; a guide pin having; a cylindrically-shaped central portion closely received in said central aperture in said base for precisely guiding reciprocal motion between the die pad and the die shoe, and having a centrally disposed longitudinal axis; a first end having an enlarged head shaped to abut said mounting face of said base to positively limit travel between the die shoe and the die pad; a second end, positioned opposite said first end, and having; a generally flat, circularly-shaped end face disposed perpendicular with said longitudinal axis of said central portion, and having a center disposed concentric with said longitudinal axis of said central portion; a first threaded fastener aperture extending through said end face and axially into said central portion in a perpendicular relationship with said end face at an eccentric location spaced from said center of said end face; a second threaded fastener aperture extending perpendicularly through said end face and axially into said central portion at an eccentric location spaced apart from said center of said end face, and generally opposite said first threaded fastener aperture; and at least one unthreaded locator aperture extending perpendicularly through said end face and axially into said second end; and at least one unthreaded locator pin having an interior end thereof closely received in said locator aperture and an exterior end thereof shaped for close reception in an alignment aperture in the die pad to precisely, yet detachably, mount said guided keeper assembly thereon. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49)
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Specification