Abstract:
Universal aerial and die-mount cams, each having an adapter assembly, a driver, and a slide sandwiched between the adapter assembly and the driver. The adapter assembly has a universal adapter having an arcuate portion that is angularly adjustable within arcuate recesses in opposing side plates of the universal adapter so that bearing surfaces of the universal adapter slidably oppose a first group of bearing surfaces of the slide and a second group of bearing surfaces of the slide slidably oppose bearing surfaces of the driver, the latter bearing surfaces being parallel to or inclined to the horizontal. Three ranges of longitudinal driver inclination angles can be accommodated by using the same slide and universal adapter and one of two pairs of side plates.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates generally to aerial and die-mount cams and more particularly to improvements in universal cams configured to facilitate their assembly using identical slides and other components that do not require custom fitting to provide slide movements within a wide range of angles. 
     2. Background Art 
     Aerial and die-mount cams are often used to operate tools for such manufacturing processes as punching, trimming, stamping and bending workpieces. These devices include elements that convert downward and upward forces provided by a press into laterally directed component forces that advance and retract a tool in lateral directions to effect the mentioned processes. 
     The wide variety of applications of the cams results in a proportional number of different component configurations to accommodate the demands made to move tools in required directions. Typically, the major components of a cam include an adapter assembly connected to one of a pair of platens of a press, a driver connected to the other of the pair of platens, and a slide positioned between the adapter assembly and the driver so that the slide is forced to advance and retract when the platens are forced together and apart, respectively. 
     The angle relative to the horizontal along which the slide is forced to move is that of the inclination of the driver. The slide and/or the adapter assembly must therefore be configured to accommodate the inclination of the driver. In view of this, the typical cam requires adapter assemblies and/or slides that have as many configurations as associated drivers have inclinations. It would therefore be advantageous from the standpoint of cost and time saved during the design, manufacture and assembly of cams to fabricate cams requiring slides and adapter assemblies, each of which having only one respective configuration, to provide slide motions in directions over a large range of angles. Similar advantages would result from fabricating cams requiring slides having only one configuration and adapter assemblies having only two configurations to provide slide motions over an additional range of angles. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In carrying out the foregoing object, the aerial and die-mount cams, which are basically inverted versions of each other, each include a slide and an adapter assembly arranged in vertically stacked relation. Between the slide and the adapter assembly are slidably arranged bearing surfaces for coupling the slide and the adapter assembly and for relative sliding movement upon closing and opening of platens of a press between which a cam can be arranged. 
     Additional bearing surfaces are arranged on the slide for relative sliding movement between the slide and a driver. The adapter assembly is angularly adjustable, continuously rather than incrementally, to accommodate a driver having a bearing surface ranging from being uninclined to the horizontal to being inclined at an acute angle. 
     The adapter assembly has a universal adapter for engaging and shifting the slide and also has a pair of opposing side plates. The universal adapter has an arcuate portion, and each side plate has an arcuate recess complementing the arcuate portion of the universal adapter. The arcuate recesses of the side plates receive the arcuate portion of the universal adapter and allow a desired angular adjustment of the universal adapter. 
     The slide has surfaces arranged in a five-sided configuration that includes a central surface with a pair of laterally canted guiding surfaces along opposite edges of the central surface and a pair of oppositely laterally canted coupling surfaces along the outer edges of the guiding surfaces. The guiding surfaces are disposed at a right angle to the coupling surfaces and at an obtuse angle to the central surface. The slide also includes a resilient member that is compressed when the slide is advanced and that expands to retract the slide. 
     The universal adapter has surfaces arranged in a five-sided configuration complementing the five-sided configuration of the slide. The configuration includes a central surface opposed to the central surface of the slide, a pair of guiding surfaces along opposite edges of the central surface of the cam adapter opposed to the guiding surfaces of the slide, and a pair of coupling surfaces along the outer edges of the last mentioned guiding surfaces. The central surfaces are disposed substantially perpendicularly to the direction of major loading forces on the slide and cam assembly. The universal adapter also has a pair of keeper plates, each being secured to a different one of the pair of coupling surfaces of the slide. Each of the keeper plates slidably overlaps an opposing coupling surface of the universal adapter to connect the slide and universal adapter for conjoint movement. 
     The configurations of the aerial and die-mount cams described result in production and on-site assembly efficiencies that save costs and time while providing precision, stable and long-lasting cams capable of bearing heavy loads. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded, perspective view showing the front and a side of an aerial cam according to the present invention and illustrating a combination of a slide, an adapter assembly and a driver as well as a universal adapter and side plates of the adapter assembly; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view similar to that of  FIG. 3 , but showing the rear and the side of the aerial cam; 
         FIG. 3  is perspective view of an aerial cam similar to that of  FIG. 1  and having an uninclined driver; 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the aerial cam of  FIG. 3 , the cam being capable of adjustment to accept a driver having an incline within a range from zero to 30 degrees; 
         FIG. 5  is a front view of the aerial cam of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the assembled cam of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
         FIG. 7  is a side view of the aerial cam of  FIG. 6 , the cam being capable of adjustment to accept a driver having an incline within a range from 30 to 50 degrees; and 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view, taken along line  8 - 8 , of the aerial cam of  FIG. 6  and additionally shows a slide return spring bracket and a slide return bumper; 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view, taken along the line  9 - 9 , of a portion of the aerial cam of  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional-view, taken along the line  10 - 10 , of a portion of the aerial cam of  FIG. 8 ; and 
         FIG. 11  is a side view of an aerial cam similar to that of  FIG. 7  and additionally includes a ghost view of a segment of a universal adapter of the adapter assembly, the cam being capable of adjustment to accept a driver having an incline within a range from 50 to 60 degrees. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Although the drawing figures all represent aerial cams, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the aerial cams shown can be converted to die-mount cams with little more effort than would be required to invert them. The following descriptions and definitions of aerial cams therefore apply as well to die-mount cams. It will also be understood that component surfaces referred to as central, guiding, and coupling surfaces and their associated wear plates serve, during at least a portion of each cam operation, as load bearing surfaces. 
     It should be noted that  FIGS. 3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7  and  11  do not reveal all inner details of the cams.  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  8 ,  9  and  10 , however, are exploded and sectional views that do reveal details of inner structures. The figures show side and perspective views of one side and the ends of the cams. Although not shown, respective opposite sides and components and features located there are mirror images of the components and features on the sides that are shown. 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  are perspective views of an aerial cam, generally indicated by the reference numeral  10 , that is representative of the present invention. The cam  10  includes a cam driving member, or adapter assembly, generally indicated by the reference numeral  12 , a tool holding member, or slide,  14 , and a driver, generally indicated by the reference numeral  16 . The adapter assembly  12  includes a universal adapter  18  for engaging and shifting the slide  14  and also includes opposing side plates  20  and  22 . The universal adapter  18  has an arcuate portion, generally indicated by the reference numeral  35 , and each side plate  20  and  22  has an arcuate recess  29  complementing the arcuate portion  35  of the universal adapter  18 . The arcuate recesses  29  of the side plates  20  and  22  receive the arcuate portion  35  of the universal adapter  18  and allow a continuous rather than an incremental angular adjustment of the universal adapter  18 . The universal adapter  18  is then maintained at the desired angle relative to the side plates  20  and  22  with fastening members such as bolts  28  and a key  37  ( FIG. 7 ) that fits in a keyway  39 . The side plates  20  and  22  are also secured to each other by fasteners such as bolts  30  and by fasteners such as bolts  32  ( FIG. 7 ) to an upper platen  34  ( FIG. 7 ) of a press (not shown). The driver  16  includes a driver base  24  and a V-block  26 . The driver V-block  26 , which has a slot  27  extending longitudinally along its apex, is held in position by a key  33  fitting within a keyway  31  ( FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  8 ) and secured to the driver base  24  by fasteners such as bolts  36  through in the V-block  26 . The driver base  24  is secured with fasteners such as bolts  32  ( FIG. 7 ) to the lower platen  38  ( FIG. 7 ) of a press (not shown). 
     A roller  40  is rotatably supported on a roller shaft  42 , which is secured to the slide  14  by fasteners, such as bolts  44  (only one of which shown), passing through the roller shaft  42  and into the slide  14 . A ramp  46  having an arcuate ramp surface  48  ( FIGS. 1 and 8 ) is secured to the V-block  26  within the slot  27  by fasteners such as bolts  49  and  50  ( FIGS. 2 and 8 ). The roller  40  cooperatively engages the arcuate ramp surface  48  ( FIG. 1 ) to advance the slide  14  when the press (not shown) forces the slide  14  and the driver  16  together, and the arcuate ramp surface communicates force to the slide. It should be noted that the ramp  46  and the roller  40  are not necessary to the operation of the cam  10  but can be used to gradually redirect a downwardly directed force from the slide toward the stationary V-block  26  to a longitudinally directed force to advance the slide  14 . 
     A pair of positive return members  56  ( FIGS. 4 and 5 ) and  54  ( FIG. 5 ) are secured to the sides of the slide  14  by fasteners such as bolts  58 . At ends distal from the bolts  58  securing the positive return members  54  and  56  to the slide  14 , the positive return members  54  and  56  each has a generally rectangular projection  59  ( FIG. 10) and 60  ( FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  5  and  6 ). The driver base  24  has an elongate slot  52  ( FIGS. 3 ,  4 ,  6 ,  7  and  11 ), which extends along a portion of each side, into which the projections  59  and  60  slidably extend. The elongate slot  52  extends at the same longitudinal inclination as that of the V-block  26 . 
     As shown by  FIG. 9 , which is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  9 - 9  of  FIG. 8 , the slide  14  has a first group of surfaces arranged in a five-sided configuration that includes a central surface  70 , a pair of laterally canted guiding surfaces  72  and  74  along opposite edges of the of the central surface  70 , and a pair of oppositely laterally canted coupling surfaces  76  and  78  along the outer edges of the guiding surfaces  72  and  74 . The guiding surfaces  72  and  74  are disposed at a right angle relative to the coupling surfaces  76  and  78 , and at an obtuse angle to the central surface  70 . The central surface  70  is disposed substantially perpendicularly to the direction of major loading forces on the slide  14  and cam assembly  12  ( FIG. 1 ). 
     The universal adapter  18  of the adapter assembly  12  ( FIG. 1 ) has a group of surfaces arranged in a five-sided configuration complementing the five-sided configuration of the first group of surfaces of the slide. The configuration of the universal adapter surfaces includes a central surface  80  opposed to the central surface  70  of the slide  14 , a pair of guiding surfaces  82  and  84  along opposite edges of the of the central surface  80  and opposed to the guiding surfaces  72  and  74  of the slide  14 , and a pair of coupling surfaces  86  and  88  along the outer edges of the guiding surfaces  82  and  84 . 
     The central surface  70  of the slide  14  has a wear plate  90 , preferably formed of a self-lubricating material, secured to it by fasteners such as bolts  91  ( FIG. 8 ). The guiding surfaces  72  and  74  of the slide  14  have wear plates  92  and  94 , respectively, preferably formed of self-lubricating material, secured to them by fasteners such as bolts (not shown). The central surface  80  of the universal adapter  18  has a wear plate  101  secured to it by fasteners such as bolts  93  ( FIG. 8 ) to slidably contact the opposing wear plate  90 . The guiding surfaces  82  and  84  of the universal adapter  18  have wear plates,  102  and  104 , respectively, secured to them by fasteners such as bolts (not shown) to slidably contact the opposing wear plates  92  and  94  of the slide  14 . The coupling surfaces  86  and  88  of the universal adapter  18  have wear plates  96  and  98 , preferably formed of self-lubricating material, secured to them by fasteners such as bolts  99  ( FIG. 2 ). A pair of keeper plates  106  and  108  are secured to the coupling surfaces  76  and  78  of the slide  14  with fasteners such as bolts  107 ,  109 ,  111  and  113 . The keeper plates each have a surface  110  and  112  that overlaps and slidably contacts an opposing one of the wear plates  96  and  98  to couple the slide  14  and universal adapter  18  for conjoint movement. 
     With reference to  FIG. 10 , which is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  10 - 10  of  FIG. 8 , the slide  14  has a slot  114  opposite the slot  27  within the V-block  26 . The roller  44  and the ramp  46  ( FIG. 8 ) reside partially within the slot  114 . A pair of guiding surfaces  116  and  118  extend along the edge of the slot  114  in the slide  14 , and a pair of guiding surfaces  120  and  122  extend along the slot  27  in the V-block, opposing the guiding surfaces  116  and  118  of the slide  14 . A pair of wear plates  124  and  126 , preferably formed of self-lubricating material, are secured to the pair of guiding surfaces  116  and  118  of the driver  14  with fasteners such as bolts  125  ( FIG. 2 ) for slidably contacting the opposing guiding surfaces  120  and  122  of the V-block. 
     As shown by the sectional view of  FIG. 8 , the universal adapter  18  of the cams of the present invention has a channel such as a slotted bore  134  and includes a resilient member, such as a coil spring  128  or a gas spring (not shown), mounted on a spring bracket  130  secured to the slide  14 . The coil spring  128  extends through the bore  134  and compresses against a closed end  136  of the bore  134  when the slide  14  advances. The slide  14  is urged by the spring  128  to retract as the latter decompresses. Also shown is a shock absorbing member, such as a resilient bumper or a hydraulic shock absorber,  132  secured to the universal adapter  18  to cushion the retracting spring bracket  130  and slide  14  as the latter reaches its retracted position. 
     With reference again to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , during cam assembly, the angular relationship of the universal adapter  18  to the side plates  20  and  22  is adjusted to accommodate the longitudinal inclination angle of a specified driver  16 . In the portion  35  of the universal adapter  18  having an arcuate configuration, a keyway is formed to coincide with the keyway  39  in the side plates  20  and  22  and to receive a key  37  ( FIG. 7 ). Holes are drilled through the side plates  20  and  22  into the universal adapter  18 , and bolts  28  ( FIG. 7 ) are inserted to maintain, with the key  37 , the position of the universal adapter  18  relative to the side plates  20  and  22 . 
     A representative tool  64  is shown mounted on the slide  14  with a representative tool holder  66 . The driver  24 , as shown by  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  6  through  10 , has a longitudinal inclination of 30 degrees. The slide  14 , and the tool  64  attached to it will be advanced at that angle. The configurations of the universal adapter  18  and the side plates  20  and  22  of the adapter assembly  12  are such that a driver  16  having a longitudinal inclination from 30 to 50 degrees can be accommodated using the same slide  14  and adapter assembly  12 . 
       FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  5  show a driver  15  having an uninclined driver base  23 . The side plates  19  and  21  are shaped somewhat differently from those ( 20  and  22 ) used with drivers of different longitudinal inclinations, but the slide  14  and the universal adapter  18  of the adapter assembly  13  are the same. The configurations of the universal adapter  18  and the side plates  19  and  21  are such that a driver  15  having a longitudinal inclination from zero to 30 degrees can be accommodated using the same slide  14  and universal adapter  18 . 
       FIG. 11  shows a driver  17  having a longitudinal inclination of 50 degrees. The side plates (represented by the one plate  22  shown) are the same as those used with drivers  16  having a longitudinal inclination from 30 to 50 degrees, but they are reversed from right to left as viewed. The configurations of the universal adapter  18  and the side plates  20  and  22  are such that a driver  17  having a longitudinal inclination from 50 to 60 degrees can be accommodated using the same slide  14  and adapter assembly  12 . 
     The aerial cam  10  shown by  FIGS. 1 and 2  will now be used in describing the operation of the cam. When the side plates  20  and  22  of the adapter assembly  12  are pressed downwardly by the upper platen  34  ( FIG. 7 ) of the press (not shown), the universal cam  18  secured to the side plates  20  and  22  exerts attending forces upon the central surface  70  and the guiding surfaces  72  and  74  of the slide  14 . The slide  14 , in turn, exerts forces upon the guiding surfaces  120  and  122  ( FIG. 10 ) of the driver V-block  26 . Since, in all the aerial cam configurations described and claimed, at least one interface between the universal adapter  18  and the slide  14  and between the slide  14  and the driver V-block  26  is longitudinally inclined relative to the horizontal, a laterally directed component force advances the slide  14 . The tool  64  secured to the slide  14  by the tool holder  66  is advanced toward a workpiece (not shown). 
     When the side plates  20  and  22  are pulled upwardly by the upper platen  34  ( FIG. 7 ) of the press (not shown), the universal cam  18  secured to the side plates  20  and  22  exerts upward forces upon the surfaces  110  and  112  of the keeper plates  76  and  78 , which are secured to the slide  14 . The resulting upward movement of the universal cam  18  removes the load force from the slide  14 ; and the compressed spring  128 , while expanding, urges the slide  14  to retract. Also secured to the slide  14  are the positive return members  54  and  56  ( FIG. 5 ) the projections  59  ( FIG. 10) and 60  ( FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  5 ,  6  and  10 ) of which slidably reside within the elongate slots (only the slot  52  being shown by  FIGS. 3 ,  4 ,  6 ,  7  and  11 ) that extend along a portion of each side of the driver V-block  26 . When the slide  14  is pulled upwardly, an upward force is exerted on the driver  16  by the projections  59  ( FIG. 10) and 60  ( FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  5 ,  6  and  10 ). Since the driver  16  is anchored by the lower platen  38  of the press (not shown), the slide  14  is forced to retract in a direction parallel to the longitudinal inclinations of the V-block  26  and the elongate slot  52 . The positive return members  54  and  56  ( FIG. 5 ) thus provide a positive, additional means for retracting the slide  14 . 
     Since die-mount cams are effectively an inverted embodiment of the aerial cam  10 , their operation is basically the same as that of the aerial cam  10  previously described. 
     As a result of the described configurations of the aerial and die-mount cams having components that do not require custom fitting, there is an increase in production and on-site assembly efficiencies that saves costs and time while providing precision, stable and long-lasting cams capable of bearing heavy loads. 
     While embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is not intended that these embodiments illustrate and describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.