Hydraulic press

Claim 2

A hydraulic press for making compacted articles from powdered material comprising die and punch members respectively defining the side and end portions of the article when said punch members are moved toward each other against powdered material in said die member; support means on which said punch members are movably supported; fluid motor means on said support means operatively connected to the respective punch members to move them as aforesaid; interengageable stop means between one of said punch members and said die member; a spacer member movable with respect to said die member and disposed between said punch members to arrest relative movement thereof thus to determine the size of the compacted article while said stop means are interengaged; and control valve means operative to control fluid pressures in said fluid motor means so that said punch members and said spacer member are moved in unison in a direction to disengage said stop means, thus to eject the compacted article from said die member.

Claim 3

The press of claim 1 wherein said control valve means, during ejection of the article from said die member, conducts fluid under pressure to said motor means tending to move said punch members and said spacer member in the same direction with the magnitude of pressure in said motor means being such that the forces are respectively not greater than and greater than the gravitational and frictional forces whereby said spacer member remains in interengagement between said punch members while the compacted article is ejected from said die member.

Claim 4

The press of claim 1 wherein said control valve means, during ejection of the compacted article from said die member, conducts fluid under pressure to said motor means with the magnitude of pressures in said motor means being such that a differential force overcomes gravitational and frictional forces so that said spacer member remains in interengagement between said punch members while the compacted article is ejected from said die member.

Claim 5

A press for making compacted articles from powdered material comprising a base having upper and lower heads with vertical guide means extending between said heads; an upper punch platen vertically movably supported by said guide means, and fluid motor means on said upper head operatively connected to said upper punch platen so to vertically move the latter; a plurality of lower punch platens vertically movably guided by said guide means, and plural fluid motor means operatively connected to said lower platens so to vertically move said lower platens; a die platen supported by said base between said upper punch platen and said lower punch platens; said upper and lower punch platens having punches which define with a die on said die platen the sidewall and end walls of the article when the upper and lower punch members are moved relatively toward each other against powdered material in said die and between said punch member; interengageable stop means between said upper punch platen and said die platen; a spacer member vertically movably extending through said die platen and disposed for engagement between said upper punch platen and the respective lower punch platens to arrest vertical relative movement of said upper and lower punch platens thus to determine the size of the compacted article while said stop means are interengaged; said spacer member comprising a vertical rod extending through aligned openings in said lower platens and said die platen to engage said upper platen and having collars spaced therealong engageable by the respective lower platens.

Claim 6

A press for making compacted articles from powdered material comprising a base having upper and lower heads with vertical guide means extending between said heads; an upper punch platen vertically movably supported by said guide means, and fluid motor means on said upper head operatively connected to said upper punch platen so to vertically move the latter; a plurality of lower punch platens vertically movably guided by said guide means, and plural fluid motor means operatively connected to said lower platens so to vertically move said lower platens; a die platen supported by said base between said upper punch platen and said lower punch platens; said upper and lower punch platens having punches which define with a die on said die platen the sidewall and end walls of the article when the upper and lower punch members are moved relatively toward each other against powdered material in said die and between said punch member; interengageable stop means between said upper punch platen and said die platen; a spacer member vertically movably extending through said die platen and disposed for engagement between said upper punch platen and the respective lower punch platens to arrest vertical relative movement of said upper and lower punch platens thus to determine the size of the compacted article while said stop means are interengaged; said spacer member comprising a vertical rod extending through aligned openings in said lower platens and said die platen to engage said upper platen and having collars spaced therealong engageable by the respective lower platens.

Claim 7

The press of claim 4 wherein other stop means are associated with said lower punch platens for movement of the punches thereOf to strip the compacted article not only from the die member but from the lower punch members which in the compacting position may be axially offset with respect to each other; said other stop means comprising a vertical stop rod secured to said lower head and extending through aligned openings in said lower platens and having pairs of collars thereon engaged by the respective lower platens to determine the uppermost and lowermost positions of said lower platens for stripping of the compacted article and for loading of powdered material into said die.

Claim 8

The press of claim 4 wherein the fluid motor means associated with said lower punch platens are of different sizes, and have actuating rods extending vertically through aligned openings through said lower platens; and wherein connection means selectively connect said actuating rods to said lower punch platens.

Claim 9

In a molding press, a support, means carried by the support defining a molding cavity for containing material to be molded into an article, first and second punch members on opposite sides of said cavity, means for moving said punch members toward each other into engagement with the material to form the article, a spacer member engaged by both punch members to limit their travel toward each other, and means to simultaneously move the punch and spacer members in one direction for ejecting the article from the cavity.

Claim 10

In a molding press, a support, means carried by the support defining a molding cavity for containing material to be molded into an article, first and second punch members on opposite sides of said cavity, means for moving said punch members toward each other into engagement with the material to form the article, a spacer member engaged by both punch members to limit their travel toward each other, and means to simultaneously move the punch and spacer members in one direction for ejecting the article from the cavity.

Claim 11

The press of claim 7 in which there is a means to maintain both punch members in tight engagement with the spacer member during such ejection movement.

Claim 12

The press of claim 7 in which there is a fixed stop on said support engageable by one of said punch members to limit travel thereof in a direction opposite to the ejection travel.

Claim 13

A press for making compacted articles from powdered material comprising a base having upper and lower heads with vertical guide means extending between said heads; an upper punch platen vertically movably supported by said guide means and fluid motor means on said upper head operatively connected to said upper punch platen so to vertically move the latter; a lower punch platen vertically movably guided by said guide means and fluid motor means on said lower head operatively connected to said lower platen so to vertically move said lower platen; a die platen supported by said base between said upper punch platen and said lower punch platen; said upper and lower punch platens having punches which define with a die on said die platen the sidewall and end walls of the article when the upper and lower punch members are moved relatively toward each other against powdered material in said die and between said punches; a vertically movable spacer member extending through said die platen and disposed between said punch platens to arrest vertical relative movement of said upper and lower punch platens thus to determine the size of the compacted article; and valve means controlling actuation of said fluid motor means associated with said upper and lower punch platens to vertically move said upper and lower platens in unison while engaged with said spacer member thus to eject the compacted article from said die; said spacer member comprising a vertical rod extending through aligned openings in said lower head, said lower punch platen and said die platen for engagement of its upper end portion with said upper punch platen; said rod having a collar thereon in engagement with said lower punch platen.

Claim 14

A press for making compacted articles from powdered material comprising a base having upper and lower heads with vertical guide means extending between said heads; an upper punch platen vertically movably supported by said guide means and fluid motor means on said upper head operatively connected to said upper punch platen so to vertically move the latter; a lower punch platen vertically movably guided by said guide means and fluid motor means on said lower head operatively connected to said lower platen so to vertically move said lower platen; a die platen supported by said base between said upper punch platen and said lower punch platen; said upper and lower punch platens having punches which define with a die on said die platen the sidewall and end walls of the article when the upper and lower punch members are moved relatively toward each other against powdered material in said die and between said punches; a vertically movable spacer member extending through said die platen and disposed between said punch platens to arrest vertical relative movement of said upper and lower punch platens thus to determine the size of the compacted article; and valve means controlling actuation of said fluid motor means associated with said upper and lower punch platens to vertically move said upper and lower platens in unison while engaged with said spacer member thus to eject the compacted article from said die; said spacer member comprising a vertical rod extending through aligned openings in said lower head, said lower punch platen and said die platen for engagement of its upper end portion with said upper punch platen; said rod having a collar thereon in engagement with said lower punch platen.

Claim 15

The press of claim 10 wherein stop means are associated with said lower punch platen for movement of the punch thereof to strip the sidewall of the compacted article from said die; said stop means comprising a stop rod extending upwardly from said lower head through an opening in said lower punch platen, and a pair of stop collars on said stop rod determining the uppermost and lowermost positions of said lower punch platen for ejection as aforesaid and for filling of said die with powdered material.