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

Claim 0:
1. A workpiece-contacting apparatus comprising:
(a) a die including a workpiece-contacting surface;
(b) a longitudinally elongated punch coaxially aligned with the die;
(c) a longitudinally elongated ram;
(d) a primary actuator operably moving ram, which in turn, drives the punch from a retracted position to a fully advanced position;
(e) a movable adjuster configured to move between the ram and the punch, the adjuster having a smaller longitudinal thickness than a longitudinal length of the punch and a longitudinal length of the ram; and
(f) a secondary actuator moving the adjuster, between the primary actuator and the punch, to automatically change a shut height between the fully advanced position of the punch and the workpiece-contacting surface of the die;
(g) wherein the adjuster comprises:
(i) a linear slide;
(ii) a first spacer extending from the slide with a first height;
(iii) at least a second spacer extending from the slide with a second height, the first height being greater than the second height;
(iv) the spacers being laterally offset from each other;
(v) the secondary actuator positioning the adjuster so that only one of the spacers is aligned with the punch during advancing movement of the punch; and
(vi) one of the spacers is always aligned with the ram.