Patent ID: 11951524
Assignee: BTM COMPANY LLC
Field: Machine tools (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 13:
14. A workpiece-contacting apparatus comprising:
a workpiece-joining die including an anvil and upstanding die blades adjacent lateral sides of the anvil, the anvil having a workpiece-contacting surface;
an elongated workpiece-joining punch coaxially aligned with the die;
a fluid-powered actuator operably moving the punch from a retracted position to a workpiece-joining position; and
a movable adjuster; and
a secondary actuator moving the adjuster to vary a fully advanced distance between the workpiece-joining position of the punch and the workpiece-contacting surface of the die between joining cycles of the apparatus;
a sensor;
a programmable controller electrically connected to the sensor; and
the controller being electrically connected to the secondary actuator to automatically control a position of the adjuster based at least in part on a sensed workpiece characteristic;
at least second and third punches, three of the punches being elongated parallel to each other, spaced apart from each other and co-planar;
at least second and third dies, three of the dies each including an anvil and die blades, three of the dies being spaced apart from each other and co-planar;
the adjuster operably changing a fully advanced distance between all of the punches and the dies; and
the punches and the dies being configured to clinch together workpieces.