DIE SPRING CONSTRUCTION

Abstract: A pneumatic shock absorber used primarily as a die spring (7) includes a piston (10) formed with a base (18) and an upstanding cylindrical body (19) provided with an internal fluid reservoir. An outer housing (12) is mounted on the base and extends about the cylindrical body. An inner housing (13) is axially telescopically mounted for sliding movements within the outer housing. A flexible sleeve (11) is enclosed at one end by a sealing cap (16) and is sealingly connected at its other end to the exterior of the piston body forming a fluid chamber therein which communicates with the fluid reservoir (39) of the piston. An opening (27) is formed in the piston body to fill the reservoir and chamber with a high pressure fluid which places the inner housing in an expanded position by the end cap pressing against an end wall of the inner housing upon axial expansion of the sleeve. Rolled end flanges (48, 49) formed on the housings engage each other to stop the movement of the inner housing at the expanded position. The inner housing moves axially within the outer housing compressing the fluid trapped in the fluid reservoir and chamber to absorb axial forces applied to the piston and inner housing.

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The invention relates to shock absorbing devices and in particular to a pneumatic spring primarily for use on a die press. More particularly, the invention relates to such a die spring able to withstand high internal fluid pressure by use of an internal flexible sleeve that eliminates the need for sliding seals. BACKGROUND ART Large metal working presses are used in many stamping operations and usually consist of a ram which is brought into contact with a metal part placed in a die mounted on an upper or lower platen for forming the metal into the desired shape. In certain presses the die is mounted on the moving ram. These presses impart thousands of pounds of pressure during the forming stroke to form the metal member into the desired configuration. Most of this pressure or force is absorbed by the metal. However there is always a certain amount of excess force or energy that is transferred and absorbed by the supporting die, the press platen and other components of the press. Unless the die platen, etc. are supported on resilient mounts of springs, this excess energy applied to the press quickly results in cracks and breakage of the press and various components thereof. Therefore to reduce this fatique problem the die and/or platen as well as the hydraulic or pneumatic ram is supported on some type of shock absorbing device such as springs. One common type of spring used in many processes is a nitrogen die spring in which a piston is slidably mounted in a cylinder containing high pressure nitrogen. The press forces or excess energy is applied to the piston rod which compresses the nitrogen within the cylinder to absorb the forces preventing their transfer directly to the press components. These nitrogen die springs possess the serious problem of requiring a sliding seal between the piston and cylinder walls. Such seals are difficult to maintain in a gas tight condition due to the high pressures of the nitrogen and constant sliding movement of the seals along the wall of the cylinder. Nitrogen is the desired gas for such springs since it provides a more linearly compression rate than most gasses, including air, and it enables the desired results applicable at various pressures, to be easily calculated and achieved, and is not subject to breakdown or wide changes in temperatures as are other gasses. However, this requires the additional expense of supplying and maintaining the nitrogen for the springs. This sliding seal problem has been attempted to be eliminated by the use of self-contained die cushions which use an elastomeric bladder filled with nitrogen or other compressible gas. Although these die cushions eliminate the sliding seal problem, they require a considerable large size bladder to achieve the desired pressure which requires larger components to be built into the press or other piece of equipment for receiving the die cushion. Thus even though the sliding seal problem has been eliminated by these die cushions, they possess other undesirable characteristics, namely size vs. pressure ratio. The other known prior art related to the present invention is disclosed in the following patents. U.S. Patent No. 894,117 is the closest known prior art and discloses a pneumatic suspension device using a flexible sleeve attached by a screw tightened clamping plate within the interior of an inner member with the other end of the sleeve clamped by a screw tightened plate to the inside of an outer member telescopically movably mounted with respect to the inner member. The spring of this patent requires a considerable number of components, such as stop washers, screw actuated sealing clamps, spring biased lubricating pads, expensive machined and/or cast metal parts, and requires the rolled portion of the sleeve to extend about a lower edge of a movable inner sleeve which would result in rapid wear and a short life span to the flexible sleeve. Swiss Patent No. 216,813 discloses a telescopic shock absorbing assembly in which a piston has a flexible bellows attached to it by an annular crimping member. The other end of the flexible member is attached at an annular ring at the bottom of the stationary lower housing. A movable upper housing telescopes outwardly about the outer housing and a flexible member rolls between the interior surface of the housing and the exterior surface of the piston. Russian Patent No. 423,927 discloses a flexible bellows which has an outer member which telescopes upwardly around an inner stationary member when the fluid pressure between the bellows and inner member is pressurized and expands the bellows upwardly. One end of the bellows member is attached to a portion of a telescoping member by an annular crimping ring. German Patent No. 2,751,430 discloses another type of device in which a flexible bellows is attached at one end between a relatively stationary upper and lower housing and at its upper end to an annular piston plate. None of these prior art devices are able to achieve the results of the present invention set forth below by a spring construction similar to that disclosed herein. Therefore the need exists for an improved die spring construction which is able to withstand high repeated loads exerted thereon without the use of internal sliding seals and which will enable air to be used as the compressable fluid if desired, and which can be accomplished with a considerable fewer components than required in known prior art devices. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Objectives of the invention include providing an improved pneumatic die spring construction primarily for use on a metal working press which duplicates the abilities of current nitrogen die springs with greater safety and at a reduced cost and with the same or similar overall dimensions. A further objective is to provide such an improved die spring which is self-contained so as to provide a direct replacement for nitrogen die springs used on metal forming presses without requiring internal sliding seals by use of a flexible sleeve sealingly connected at one end to a piston member and at an other end to a sealing cap which is contained within an outer housing telescopically axially movably mounted within a lower housing surrounding the piston member. A further objective of the invention is to provide such an improved die spring having a relatively high internal pressure of between 500 to 1400 psi and which can use air as the compressible gas without substantially effecting the operating characteristics thereof; in which the flexible sleeve forms an internal fluid chamber in combination with a hollow interior of the piston; and in which the piston may be connected to an external fluid source controlled by auxillary equipment such as a regulator and surge tank to maintain a constant pressure in the fluid chamber upon the external forces being exerted thereon which enables the spring to serve as a vibration insulator, or to enable the die to be used as a dynamic pressure die in which the air is maintained entirely within the fluid chamber and compressed by the movement of the die to absorb the excess energy without requiring external pressure regulating equipment. A still further objective of the invention is to provide such an improved die spring construction in which mechanical stops are provided on a pair of axial movable housing members surrounding the flexible sleeve to maintain the housing member in an extended or normal operating position; and in which the sealing bands which seal the ends of the flexible sleeve are arranged within the housings in such a fashion to resist the high internal pressure from disengaging the bands from the ends of the flexible sleeve. A still further objective of the invention is to provide such an improved die spring construction which has a longer life due to the elimination of sliding seals and which reduces air leakage therefrom, and which has increased flexibility with regards to off-center loading, which provides a safer device and enables air to be used as the fluid medium replacing the heretofore required nitrogen; and in which the die spring components are formed of relatively inexpensive sheet metal members easily assembled to form the final spring construction. These objectives and advantages are obtained by the improved die spring construction of the invention, the general nature of which may be stated at including a fixed piston member; an upper housing mounted for axial reciprocal telescopic movement about the piston member; guide means associated with the piston member for controlling the sliding movement of the upper housing about said piston member; and a flexible sleeve located within the upper housing and sealingly attached at one open end to the piston member forming a fluid chamber for containing a supply of pressurized fluid, said flexible sleeve being confined by the upper housing against excessive radial outward expansion by the pressurized fluid while permitting expansion of said sleeve in an axial direction by said fluid for moving said upper housing axially along the guide means to an extended position, and with said upper housing and sleeve being movable axially along the guide means toward a collapsed position when subjected to an axial force compressing the pressurized fluid within the sleeve. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrative of the best mode in which applicant has contemplated applying the principles, is set forth in the following description and is shown in the drawings and is particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims. FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic sectional view showing a die press having three of the improved die springs mounted therein; FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the various components of the improved die spring in disassembled condition; FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the die spring in assembled position shown in the extended or normal at-rest position; FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3 showing the die spring in a compressed position; FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the end cap and sealing band sealingly connected to the upper end of the flexible sleeve; and FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the rolled edges of the inner and outer housings engaged with each other when the die spring is in the extended position. Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The improved die spring construction is indicated generally at 1, and three of them are shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1 mounted in a die press indicated generally at 2. One of the die springs is shown mounted in the upper plate 3 of the press with two of the springs being located in cavities 4 in a lower plate 5 of the press. The upper die 6 is shown in mating engagement with a metal component 7 which is being conformed to a bottom die 8. FIG. 1 is illustrative of one type of installation in which the improved spring of the invention may be utilized but need not be limited to such an application. The main components of improved die spring 1 are shown disassembled in FIG. 2 and consist of a piston member indicated generally at 10; a cylindrical shaped flexible sleeve formed of a elastomeric fabric reinforced material, indicated generally at 11; an outer cylindrical-shaped metal housing indicated generally at 12; an inner cylindrical-shaped metal housing indicated generally at 13; a lower and upper crimping band 14 and 15; and a sleeve sealing disc indicated generally at 16. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, piston member 10 includes an annular base 18 preferably formed integrally with an upstanding piston 19 having an upper open end 20 which provides access into a hollow interior 21 which forms part of a fluid reservoir indicated generally at 38. Housing 12 has a cylindrical side wall 17 and when in assembled condition is telescopically mounted about piston 19 and is secured to annular base 18 by a plurality of attachment bolts 23 or other securing means which extend through holes 22 formed in housing wall 12 and into threaded holes 24 formed in the base. A plurality of additional threaded holes 25 may be formed in the bottom of base 18 for mounting the die spring on a piece of equipment with which it is to be used, such as within cavity 4 of the die press as shown in FIG. 1. An inlet port 27 is formed in a solid cylindrical base portion 28 of piston 19 and is adapted to be connected to a source of high pressure gas by means of a connector 29 for supplying the gas into hollow interior 21 and into the high pressure fluid chamber 30 formed by flexible sleeve 11 which collectively form fluid reservoir 38. Flexible sleeve 11 preferably is formed of a fiber or fabric reinforced elastomeric material and has a cylindrical-shape formed with an open upper end 32 and an open bottom end 33. The lower end of sleeve 11 is telescopically mounted on the exterior surface of piston 19 and sealingly clamped thereon by crimping band 14. An inturned end 34 of sleeve 11 is pressed by crimping band 14 into a plurality of annular grooves 35 formed in a reduced diameter upper portion 36 of piston 19 adjacent an annular shoulder 37. Grooves 35 and shoulder 37 assist in retaining inturned end portion 34 of sleeve 11 in a fluid tight sealing engagement with piston portion 36 when pressed thereagainst by band 14. Open end 32 of flexible sleeve 11 is sealed by sealing disc 16 as shown particularly in FIGS. 3 and 5. Sealing disc 16 has an annular shape with a cylindrical side wall 45 formed with a series of grooves 39 against which upper end portion 40 of sleeve 11 is clamped by annular crimping band 15 in a similar manner as is the lower end portion 34 of sleeve 11 by band 14. An annular shoulder 41 is formed above grooves 39 to assist in locking sleeve end 40 in its crimped position. End wall 42 of sealing disc 16 may be formed with a central boss 43 having a threaded hole 44 formed therein for attaching the end cap and correspondingly the upper end of die spring 1, in an installed position when mounted in a die or other piece of equipment. Inner housing 13 preferably is formed of stamped sheet metal and has a cylindrical side wall 46 terminating in an annular top wall 47. In accordance with one of the features of the invention the lower end of inner housing 13 is formed with an annular rolled U-shaped edge 48 which engages a similar shaped top rolled edge 49 formed on outer housing 12 (FIG. 6). The diameter of cylindrical side wall 45 of end cap 16 is generally complementary to the inside diameter of cylindrical wall 46 of inner housing 13 as shown in FIG. 5 being so configured that crimping band 15 is located therein together with the rolled end portion 40 of sleeve 11. This relationship assits in maintaining the sealing engagement of the sleeve end with grooves 39 since the extreme high pressure of the fluid within fluid reservoir 38 in attempting to escape will force sleeve end 40 and band 15 outwardly against wall 46 but is prevented by rigid wall 46 from movement. Thus, rolled end 40 of sleeve 11 in addition to being rigidly clamped against sealing disc 16 by band 15, is further retained by the relationship of the inner surface of inner housing wall 46 and band 15. Improved die spring 1 is constructed in a relatively simple manner preferably by first crimping sleeve 11 to piston 19 by sealing band 14 and then to sealing disc 16 by band 15. Next the sleeve will be collapsed around the piston in a manner shown in FIG. 4. Outer housing 12 then is slipped over inner housing 13 and then the combined housings are slipped down over the collapsed sleeve and then secured to piston base 18 by bolts 23. The operation of improved die spring 1 is best illustrated in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4. Fluid reservoir 38 will contain a supply of compressed air which is injected therein through inlet port 27. Although air is preferred as the compression fluid, other types of gasses such as nitrogen can be used without effecting the concept of the invention. Therefore the invention need not be limited to the use of air although the same is preferred due to its availability and reduced cost with respect to other types of fluids. When in the pressurized position of FIG. 3, referred to as the normal, at-rest or extended position, the pressure acting upon sealing disc 16 will move disc 16 axially within inner housing 13 into abutting engagement with top wall 47 thereof moving housing 13 to the extended position of FIG. 3. Housing 13 is maintained in this extended position by the internal fluid pressure and by the engagement of rolled edges 48 and 49 which serves as stops to limit the movement of inner housing 13 upon reaching its extended position. The operation, features and advantages of the improved die spring is best illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. Upon a generally axial force being applied either to end wall 47 of inner housing 13 or to the base of piston member 10, inner housing 13 will move into annular space 50 formed between cylindrical wall 17 of outer housing 12 and piston 19, with sleeve 11 moving downwardly along the outer surface of piston 19 as shown in FIG. 4. The fluid contained within the fluid reservoir 38 is compressed absorbing the energy applied to spring 1. The internal pressure of the compressed fluid then will automatically return inner housing 13 to the extended position of FIG. 3 upon removal of the axial force exerted thereon. In certain applications, auxillary equipment such as a surge tank regulator or the like will be attached to connector 29 through appropriate conduits which would insure that a constant pressure is maintained within fluid chamber 38 instead of permitting an unlimited compression of the fluid contained therein. For either application, die spring 1 performs its intended function. Also, rolled edge 48 of inner housing 13 will contact annular shoulder 51 of base 18 to provide a positive mechanical stop to prevent damage to sleeve 11 and the sealing connections thereof should the force applied to the die spring be large enough to cause the die to bottom out in an unusual situation since the die is designed that the fluid will absorb the applied force preventing such contact. The particular relationship between outer and inner housings 12 and 13, respectively, provides a stable die spring able to withstand some degree of nonaxially applied forces and provides an extremely safe and efficient device. The outer diameter of annular rolled edge 48 of inner housing 13 indicated by imaginary line 53 (FIG. 6), is almost equal to the inside diameter of cylindrical wall 17 of outer housing 12. This relationship prevents excess lateral movement of inner housing 13 with respect to outer housing 12 and transmits any off center forces applied thereto in a generally axial direction. Also the inside diameter of inner housing 13, that is of cylindrical side wall 46 is sufficiently large to provide a sufficient distance from the side wall of piston 19 to permit sleeve 11 to extend and fold thereabout as shown in FIG. 4. This distance represented by arrow 54 in FIG. 6 being greater than the spacing between the outer end of rolled end 48 and inside surface of outer housing wall 17, insures that any off centered forces applied to the housings will cause upwardly extending flange 52 of rolled edge 48 to engage the inner surface of side wall 17 before the opposite portion 55 of rolled end 48 crushs or pinches sleeve 11 against the outer surface of piston 19. Likewise, the complete circumferential engagement of rolled ends 48 and 49 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, will enable high pressures to be used and contained within fluid chamber 38 without any danger of separating the two telescopically joined housings. Furthermore, the sliding engagement between the two houses does not require any sealing means since the high pressure fluid is contained within fluid chamber 38 by sleeve 11 and is not exerted at the sliding area between the two movable members of the die as in prior die spring constructions using a piston and surrounding sealing ring engageable with the inner walls of a cylinder. Another feature of the invention is that the location of sealing bands 14 and 15 with respect to the ends of sleeve 11, is aided by the high internal pressure to assist the sealing action thereof instead of tending to break the seal between the sealed members. As discussed above, the high internal pressure attempts to force sealing band 15 outwardly but such movement is prevented by the inner surface of inner housing wall 46. Also the pressure pushes the lower sealing band 14 against annular grooves 35 and shoulder 37 of piston member 10. Accordingly the improved die spring provides a device with fewer and lower cost components than with most known die constructions thereby providing a less expensive, but highly efficient device which completely eliminates the need for a sliding seal, which heretofore has been the main problem area with existing high pressure nitrogen or other pneumatic seals; which provides a longer life to the die spring due to the elimination of such sliding seals; which enables air to be used as the fluid medium without the sacrifice of operating characteristics thereof; which reduces air leakage at the sealing locations of the flexible sleeve to the piston member and upper sealing disc; and which provides more flexibility with regards to off center loading than known prior die spring constructions. Outer housing 12 serves as a guide for inner housing 13 and could have other configurations than the cylindrical shaped shown in the drawings since it does not absorb or restrain any of the fluid pressure. Inner housing 13 likewise could have other shapes but cylindrical is preferred since this enables wall 46 to equally restrain the radial outward pressure exerted by the fluid thereon. Likewise, upper end 32 of sleeve 11 can be sealed by other means than disc 16 and band 15 provided that the external fluid is prevented from escaping therefrom. Accordingly, the improved die spring construction is simplified, provides an effective, safe, inexpensive, and efficient device which achieves all the enumerated objectives, provides for eliminating difficulties encountered with prior devices, and solves problems and obtains new results in the art. In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding; but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed. Moveover, the description and illustration of the invention is by way of example, and the scope of the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described. Having now described the features, discoveries and principles of the invention, the manner in which the improved die spring construction is constructed and use, the characteristics of the construction, and the advantageous, new and useful results obtained; the new and useful structures, devices, elements, arrangement, parts, and combinations, are set forth in the appended claims.

Claims: 1. A die spring construction including: a) a fixed piston member; b) an inner housing mounted for axial reciprocal telescopic movement about the piston member; c) guide means associated with the piston member for controlling the sliding movement of the inner housing about said piston member; and d) a flexible sleeve located within the inner housing and sealingly attached to a first open end to the piston member forming a fluid reservoir for containing a supply of pressurized fluid, said flexible sleeve being confined by the inner housing against excessive radial outward expansion by the pressurized fluid while permitting expansion of said sleeve in an axial direction by said fluid for moving said inner housing axially along the guide means to an extended position, and with said inner housing and sleeve being movable axially along the guide means toward a collapsed position when subjected to an axial force compressing the pressurized fluid with the sleeve. 2. The die spring construction defined in Claim 1 in which the guide means is a cylindrical-shaped outer housing mounted concentrically about the attached to the piston member; and in which the inner housing its telescopically slidably mounted for axial movement within said outer housing. 3. The die spring construction defined in Claim 2 in which an upper open end of the outer housing and a lower open end of the inner housing terminate in rolled edges; and in which the rolled edges of said housings engage each other when the inner housing is in the maximum extended position. 4. The die spring construction defined in claim 2 in which the piston member includes a base and an axially extending annular body formed with a hollow interior and an open end opposite of said base providing access into said interior. 5. The die spring construction defined in Claim 4 in which the first open end of the flexible sleeve is sealingly attached about the open end of the piston member body; and in which an end cap is sealingly clamped in a second open end of the flexible sleeve. 6. The die spring construction defined in Claim 5 in which the end cap engages an end wall of the inner housing upon axial expansion of the sleeve by the pressurized fluid to move said inner housing toward the expanded position. 7. The die spring construction defined in Claim 5 in which a fluid inlet port is formed in the piston body and communicates with the fluid reservoir and is adapted to be connected to a source of high pressure fluid for supplying said fluid to the reservoir. 8. The die spring construction defined in Claim 5 in which the body of the piston member has an annular base; and in which the outer housing is attached to the annular base by fasteners. 9. The die spring construction defined in Claim 5 in which the open ends of the sleeve are sealingly clamped by annular bands to the piston member and end cap. 10. A pneumatic shock absorbing device including: a) a piston member having a base and an upstanding cylindrical body formed with an interior gas reservoir; b) an outer housing mounted on the base of the piston member and extending about at least a part of the body of said piston member; c) an inner housing mounted for telescopic slidable movement within the outer housing and movable from a normal expanded position toward a retracted position upon an axial force being applied to the inner housing; d) a flexible sleeve having a pair of open ends sealingly connected at one open end to the exterior of an outer end of the piston member body and enclosed at the other end by an end cap; e) opening means formed in the piston member for admitting air into the reservoir; and f) flange means formed on the inner and outer housings mutually engageable for stopping the sliding movement of the inner housing upon reaching the extended position. 11. The shock absorbing device defined in Claim 10 in which the base and body of the piston member and the inner and outer housings are cylindrical; and in which the ends of the flexible sleeve are connected to the body of the piston member and end cap by annular sealing bands. 12. The shock absorbing device defined in Claim 11 in which the flange means are rolled peripheral edges. 13. The shock absorbing device defined in claim 10 in which the inner housing has an end wall and is abuttingly engaged by the end cap to place said inner housing in the normal expanded position. 14. The shock absorbing device defined in Claim 12 in which the inner diameter of the outer housing is slightly greater than the outer diameter of the rolled edge of the inner housing sufficient to permit only general axial movement therebetween. 15. A gas spring for the die of a stamping press including: a) an axially extending piston member having an upper end and formed with a hollow interior; b) a lower housing generally surrounding and extending axially along the piston member and fixed with respect thereto; c) an upper housing telescopically slidably mounted within the lower housing for movement in a generally axial direction between extended and retracted positions; and d) a flexible sleeve sealingly connected at a first end to the upper end of the piston member forming a gas chamber communicating with the hollow interior of the piston member for containing a supply of high pressure gas which moves the upper housing upwardly to the extended position for absorbing forces applied to the upper housing in the generally axial direction. 16. The spring defined in Claim 15 in which the upper and lower housings are cylindrically shaped; in which an upper end of the lower housing terminates in an inwardly rolled U-shaped edge which engages a similar outwardly rolled U-shaped edge formed on a lower end of the upper housing; and in which said rolled edges engage each other to stop the upward axial movement of the upper housing upon reaching the extended position. 17. The spring defined in Claim 15 in which a second end of the flexible sleeve is sealingly connected to a disc-shaped end cap. 18. The spring defined in Claim 17 in which the ends of the sleeve are sealingly connected to the piston member and end cap by external annular sealing bands. 19. The spring defined in Claim 17 in which the diameter of the end cap and sealing band therefor is complementary to the inside diameter of the upper housing whereby the upper housing restrains outward movement of said sealing band. 20. The spring defined inClaim 19 in which the end cap has a cylindrical side wall formed with a series of annular grooves for trapping the flexible sleeve therein.

Inventors: ECKTMAN, JACK D.
Applicants: THE FIRESTONE TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY
Application year: 1987
Main classification: F16F9
IPC codes: B30B15, F16F9, B21D24