Patent ID: 6418771
Filing Date: 2002-07-16
Classification: B21D,Y10T

Abstract:
An inside hemming machine comprising:a base adapted to be supported by a ground surface, a nest vertically movably mounted to said base, said nest having a central through opening and adapted to support a part to be hemmed, at least one actuator for vertically moving said nest relative to said base between predetermined vertical positions, a die assembly housing mounted to said base, said die assembly housing extending through said nest opening, at least two die sets, means for horizontally sidably mounting said die sets to said housing so that said die sets are movable between an extended aid a retracted position, one of said die sets being vertically spaced from the other die set, means for selectively moving said die sets between said extended and said retracted position wherein said moving means comprises a plurality of wedge drive members each vertically slidably mounted in said housing and each movable between a first position and a second position, said drive members each having a drive surface lying in a plane which is skewed with respect to the direction of movement of said nest, a plurality of driven members in which one driven member is associated with one drive member, each driven member having a skewed surface which flatly abuts against said skewed surface of its associated drive member, means for horizontally slidably mounting said driven members to said housing while preventing vertical movement of said driven members, said die sets being secured to said driven members and wherein said moving means further comprises a dovetail connection between each of said drive surface of each said drive member and each said skewed surface of its associated driven member whereby said dovetail connections operate to both extend and retract said die sets relative to said housing.