Patent ID: 6595124
Filing Date: 2003-07-22
Classification: B30B

Abstract:
A multichamber press for pressing flat workpieces, comprising:a press frame having a plurality of uprights; a press plate fixedly mounted in said frame and secured to said uprights; a plurality of vertically movable press platens received in said frame and including movable press platens above and below said press plate and defining pressing chambers with said press plate; respective first groups of mutually parallel jointly operable piston-and-cylinder units acting upon said press platens proximal to the press plate for displacing said press platens toward and away from said press plate and including piston-and-cylinder units braced between said frame and respective ones of said movable press platens proximal to said press plate, said movable press platens including at least one further movable press platen forming a group with a said movable press platen proximal to said press plate and defining at least one further pressing chamber therewith; at least one second group of mutually parallel jointly operable piston-and-cylinder units braced between the further movable press platen and the press platen defining said further chamber therewith for expanding and contracting said further chamber; a respective mechanical synchronizing device on each of said movable press platens most distal from the press plate for vertically guiding the movable press platens, said mechanical synchronizing devices including: a plurality of gears spaced from one another on outer sides of the respective movable press platen, shafts rigidly-interconnecting said gears, and racks on said uprights meshing with said gears; and control means coupled with said groups of piston-and-cylinder units for selectively and alternatingly opening and closing said chambers, the gears are provided at the ends of two mutually parallel gear shifts on outer sides of the press platens most distal from the press plate and are interconnected by bevel gearing and a coupling shaft, each said synchronizing device being provided with a shaft bearing rotatable in a bearing housing subdivided into a lower housing half and an upper housing half, the respective lower housing half being fixed to the respective press platen, the upper housing half being vertically movable against a prestressed spring arrangement on the lower housing half, each synchronizing device further comprising switch means responsive to the movement of an upper housing half away from the respective lower housing half for generating a stop signal for instantaneously halting the displacement of a movable press platen.