Tool centering mechanism in punch press

Abstract: The present invention provides a tool centering mechanism for a punch press having a plurality of tools installed in juxtaposition and which can simultaneously be replaced with new ones, wherein the tool pitch of the tools can be adjusted to agree with the pitch of corresponding tools. A tool holder 32 is provided on a first support 7, the tool holder 32 has a plurality of tool support sections 13, 14 spaced at a predetermined pitch and which can each support a tool 9. The tool support sections 13, 14 each allow a tool 10 corresponding to the tool 9 and cooperating with the tool 9 in punching to be installed on its axis. In a punch press of the above construction, the tool holder 32 and one 10B of the corresponding tools can be moved relative to the first support 7 and a second support 8, respectively. Simulated punching is carried out to move the tool holder 32 and the adjustable corresponding tool 10B so that the corresponding tool 10B can be installed on the axis of a corresponding one of the tools 9 on the first support 7.

Description: Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tool centering mechanism for use in various types of punch presses including turret types to center punch tools and die tools, according to the preamble of claims 1 and 4 (see for example EP-A-0 802 000). Background of the Invention In some conventional tool centering mechanisms for punch presses, a die holder base 74 on which a die holder 73 is installed is mounted with bolts 75 for alignment relative to a lower turret 71, as shown in Figure 6. In a double track such as one shown in Figure 6, the common die holder 73 has die tools (not shown in the drawing) for an in-track Ti and an out-track To installed therein. Centering operation is performed by inserting a centering punch 77 into a punch installation hole 76 in an upper turret 72 and fitting the centering punch 77 in a die installation hole 78 in the die holder 73. That is, the die holder 73 is aligned using processing in the upper turret 72 as a reference. In a double-track turret punch press, the in-track Ti and the out-track To are simultaneously centered using the processing in the upper turret 72 as a reference. Perfect centering, however, is impossible because a pitch P2 between the in-track and the out-track in the upper turret 71 is actually slightly different from a pitch P1 between the in-track and the out-track in the lower turret 72. In addition, the die holder 73 cannot be parallelized and punch tools (not shown in the drawing) cannot be parallelized relative to the upper turret 72. That is, parallelizing refers to action for adjusting the direction of the cross section of non-circular punches and dies so as to be parallel in a longitudinal or lateral direction of the machine, and this action is impossible. Summary of the Invention It is an object of the present invention to provide a tool centering mechanism for a punch press having a plurality of tools provided in juxtaposition at a predetermined pitch and which can be simultaneously replaced with new ones, wherein the pitch of the tools can be adjusted to agree with the pitch of corresponding tools. It is another object of the present invention to enable the corresponding tools to be locked after alignment using a simple construction and to enable various tools to be accommodated. It is yet another object to facilitate tool replacement and a subsequent centering operation. These objects are achieved according to the invention by a tool centering mechanism according to claim 1 or 4. A tool centering mechanism for a punch press according to the present invention comprises a first support including a tool holder having a plurality of tool support sections spaced at a determined pitch and which can each support a tool, and a second support for allowing corresponding tools cooperating with the above tools in punching to be each installed on the axis of a corresponding one of the plurality of tool support sections, and has the following features. In a first embodiment of the tool centering mechanism of the invention, the tool holder and one of the corresponding tools are provided for movement in a direction orthogonal with the axes of the first and second supports, respectively, and the tools and the corresponding tools can be subjected to simulated punching to move the tool holder and the movable corresponding tool in the orthogonal direction in order to install the corresponding tool on the axis of a corresponding one of the tools on the first support. The first and second supports may be different sites of an integral part. According to this tool centering mechanism, the simulated punching causes the tool holder on the first support side to move slightly relative to the fixed corresponding tool in the second support for centering. The movable corresponding tool in the second support is moved slightly relative to the centered tool holder for centering. Thus, the pitch of the corresponding tools can be adjusted to agree with the pitch of the tools on the first support side. The simulated punching may be carried out twice. That is, during first simulated punching, the tool holder on the first support side is moved slightly relative to the fixed corresponding tool in the second support for centering to fix the tool holder to the first support. Subsequently, second simulated punching is carried out to move the movable corresponding tool in the second support slightly relative to the centered fixed tool holder for centering. The tools and corresponding tools used for the simulated punching may be those exclusively used for centering, that is, jigs exclusively used for centering in place of tools and corresponding tools used for actual processing. According to the present invention, the movable corresponding tool may be installed for movement via a bush relative to the second support, and the bush may be fixed to the second support for alignment. The corresponding tool can be replaced using the bushes. With this construction, the bush for supporting the corresponding tools is adjustably fixed to the second support, so that after adjustments to the second support, the corresponding tools can be locked using a simple construction. In addition, since the corresponding tool can be replaced using the bush, the tool centering mechanism of the same construction can accommodate various tools. If the bush is provided as described above, a clearance may be provided between the bush and the second support. With this clearance, in replacing the tools, the bush may be located in the second support at an approximate position before alignment, thereby facilitating tool replacement and a subsequent centering operation. In addition, according to a second embodiment of the invention, the corresponding tools are provided for independent movement in a direction orthogonal with the axis of the second support, and the tools and the corresponding tools can be subjected to simulated punching to move the corresponding tools in the orthogonal direction in order to install each of the corresponding tools on the axis of a corresponding one of the tools on the first support. The first and second supports may be different sites of an integral part. According to this tool centering mechanism, since the corresponding tools can be independently moved relative to the second support, each corresponding tool can be centered relative to a corresponding one of the tools on the first support during the simulated punching. Consequently, the pitch of the corresponding tools can be adjusted to agree with the pitch of the tools on the first support side. The tools and corresponding tools used for the simulated punching may be those exclusively used for centering, that is, jigs exclusively used for centering in place of tools and corresponding tools used for actual processing. In the present invention, the corresponding tools may be installed for movement via bushes relative to the second support, and the bushes may be fixed to the second support for alignment. The corresponding tools can be replaced using the bushes. With this construction, the bush for supporting the corresponding tools is adjustably fixed to the second support, so that after adjustments to the second support, the corresponding tools can be locked using a simple construction. In addition, since the corresponding tool can be replaced using the bush, the tool centering mechanism of the same construction can accommodate various tools. If the bushes are provided as described above, a clearance may be provided between the bush and the second support. With this clearance, in replacing the tools, the bushes may be located in the second support at approximate positions before alignment, thereby facilitating tool replacement and a subsequent centering operation. Brief Description of the Drawing Figure 1 is a partly-omitted schematic top view of a punch press including a tool centering mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a lower turret acting as a first support. Figure 3 is an exploded side view of the tool centering mechanism. Figure 4 is an explanatory drawing of a parallelizing operation performed by the tool centering mechanism. Figure 5 is an exploded side view of another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 is a sectional view of a conventional example, according to the state of the art. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. This punch press is comprised of a machine body 1 having a tool support 2 installed thereon and a punch drive mechanism 3 also installed thereon for punching a punch tool installed on the tool support 2, and a work feeding mechanism 6 for using a work holder 5 to grip and feed a work W of a plate on a table 4 to a predetermined punch position P. The tool support 2 is comprised of a first support 7 placed closer to the bottom of the punch press and a second support 8 placed closer to the top of the punch press, as shown in Figure 3 in an enlarged view. The supports 7, 8 each comprise a turret and have tools 9 and tools 10 corresponding to the tools 9, respectively, installed in a circumferential direction at a plurality of positions. The tool 9 comprises a die tool, while the corresponding tool 10 comprises a punch tool. The first and second supports 7, 8 each have a plurality of tracks, for example, an out-track To and an in-track Ti (Figure 1) around a rotational center in a manner such that the tool 9 and the corresponding tool 10 are installed on each of the tracks To, Ti. Thus, predetermined pitches Q1, Q2 are set between the tools 9, 9 installed on the tracks To, Ti of the support 7 and between the corresponding tools 10, 10 installed on the tracks To, Ti of the support 8, respectively, so as to correspond to track intervals. The tools 9 are installed on the first support 7 via a die holder base 11 and a die holder 12. The die holder base 11 and the die holder 12 are provided for each tool installation position in the circumferential direction of the support 7, and the tools 9 on the tracks To, Ti are installed on the common die holder 12. The die holder base 11 and the die holder 12 constitute a tool holder 32. The die holder 12 has tool support sections 13, 14 for installing the tools 9, that is, the die tools thereon, and the tool support sections 13, 14 are shaped like counterbores. The die holder 12 is removably mounted on the die holder base 11 via fixtures 15, 16 located at opposite ends. The fixtures 15, 16 each comprise a pin or a bolt. For example, the fixture 16 at the inner end extends through the die holder base 11 in a vertical direction to engage with a mounting groove in the die holder 12. In addition, the fixture 15 is inserted through positioning holes in the die holder base 11 and die holder 12. The die holder base 11 is placed on the support 7 and locked from its bottom surface using a bolt 17. A bolt insertion hole in the first support 7 through which the bolt 17 is inserted has an inner diameter smaller than the bolt diameter to provide a very small clearance between the internal hole surface and the bolt so that the die holder base 11 can have its position fine-tuned relative to the support 7. The die holder 12, the die holder base 11, and the support 7 each have scrap drop holes in communication with the tool support sections 13, 14. In installing the corresponding tools 10 in the second support 8, one 10A of the plurality of corresponding tools 10 provided at a common support indexing position is installed as a reference so that it cannot be aligned relative to the second support 8, whereas the other corresponding tool 10B is installed for movement in a direction orthogonal with the axis of the second support 8. In this example, the corresponding tool on the out-track To side is the referential corresponding tool 10A, while the corresponding tool on the in-track Ti side is the movable, that is, adjustable corresponding tool 10B. In addition, if the referential corresponding tool 10A and the adjustable corresponding tool 10B have different sizes, the referential corresponding tool 10A has a larger size. Specifically, the corresponding tools 10 are installed via bushes 20, 21 in corresponding tool support sections 18, 19 provided in the tracks To, Ti of the second support 8, respectively. The corresponding tool support sections 18, 19 are each a hole formed in the support 8 in a fashion penetrating it in a vertical direction. The bushes 20, 21 are installed in the corresponding tool support sections 18, 19, respectively, comprising through-holes. The bush 21 for the adjustable corresponding tool 10B is installed in the corresponding tool support section 19 via a very small clearance. In addition, the adjustable corresponding tool support section 19 has a counterbore section opened in the bottom surface of the second support 8, and the bush 21 has a flange section 21a fitted in the counterbore section. The flange section 21a has a tapped hole and is tightened and fixed to the second support 8 using a fixation bolt 23. The fixation bolt 23 is inserted into a fixation hole 24 penetrating the counterbore in the corresponding tool support section 19 from the top surface of the second support 8. The fixation hole 24 is formed to have an inner diameter enough to form a very small clearance around the fixation bolt 23. The bush 20 for the referential corresponding tool 10A is installed in the corresponding tool support section 18 in such a manner as to form almost no clearance. In addition, the bush 20 on the referential side is fixed to the top surface of the second support 8 using a flange section 20a provided at its upper end and a bolt 33. The referential corresponding tool 10A may directly be installed in the corresponding tool support section 18 in the second support 8 without the use of the bush 20. Each corresponding tool 10 is comprised of a tool body 10a installed in a sleeve 25 for elevation, which is internally fitted in the bush 20, 21 for elevation. The sleeve 25 acts as a stripper for removing the tool body 10a from the work W. The tool body 10a is urged against the sleeve 25 for elevation by means of a return spring 26 interposed between a head section of the tool body and the upper end of the sleeve 25. In addition, the corresponding tool 10 is entirely urged against the second support 8 for elevation by means of a retention spring 27. The retention spring 27 is provided in the outer periphery of a pin extending through the second support 8 in a vertical direction and engages with a flange member 28 engaged with the sleeve 25. Thus, after punching by a ram 3a of a punch drive mechanism 3, when the ram 3a elevates, the corresponding tools 10 are elevated to return to their original positions due to the urging force of the springs 26, 27. Those of the tools 9 and the corresponding tools 10 which have a non-circular processing shape have rotational-position regulating means 29, 30, respectively, provided around the axis of the tool. In this example, only the tools 9 and corresponding tools 10 on the out-track To side have the rotational-position regulating means 29, 30. The rotational-position regulating means 29 for the tool 9 comprises a projection or key provided on an outer-diameter surface of the tool 9 and a key groove formed in the die holder 12 for allowing the projection or key to be fitted therein. The rotational-position regulating means 30 for the corresponding tools 10 comprises the projection or key provided for the corresponding tools 10 and the key groove formed in the bush 20 for allowing the projection or key to be fitted therein. Specifically, the projection or key is provided on the sleeve 25. A tool centering function and a centering operation based on the above construction will be explained. In brief, after replacement of the tools 9 and the corresponding tools 10, the tool holder 32 is centered relative to the referential corresponding tool 10A (on the out-track To side) in the second support 8, while the referential corresponding tool 10A and the tool holder 32 are parallelized using the machine body 1 as a reference. Next, the fixed tool holder 32 is used as a reference to center and parallelize the movable corresponding tool 10B (on the in-track Ti side). This operation will sequentially be explained. After replacement of the tools 9 and the corresponding tools 10, first simulated punching is carried out to center the tool holder 32, that is, the die holder 12 relative to the referential corresponding tool 10A in the second support 8. After the centering operation, the die holder base 11 is fixed to the support 7 using the bolts 17. The simulated punching is executed by meshing the referential corresponding tool 10A supported in the second support 8 with the tool 9 on the first support 7. This meshing is carried out after the bolt 17, which is fixing the tool holder 32 to the first support 7, has been loosened. During this centering, the tool holder 32 and the referential corresponding tool 10A are parallelized. This parallelizing refers to action for adjusting the direction of the cross section of the tool 9 with a non-circular processing section 9a so as to be parallel with a longitudinal (Y direction) or lateral (X direction) direction of the machine, as shown in Figure 3. This operation can be achieved by fine-tuning the direction of the die holder 12 relative to the support 7. The corresponding tool 10A is parallelized by adjusting the rotating direction of the bush 20 relative to the second support 8 and then locking the bush 20 with the bolt 33. Next, using the adjusted die holder 12 as a reference, second simulated punching is executed to center the adjustable corresponding tool 10B. This simulated punching is carried out by fitting the adjustable corresponding tool 10B in the corresponding tool 9 on the die holder 12 without operating the referential corresponding tool 10A. After centering, the bush 21 of the corresponding tool 10B is fixed to the second support 8 using the bolt 23. According to the tool centering mechanism of the above construction, the die holder 12 or the tool holder 32 is centered and then the adjustable corresponding tool 10B in the second support 8 is centered relative to the centered and fixed tool holder 32 as described above, thereby enabling theoretically perfect centering such that the pitch Q2 of the corresponding tools 10 agrees with the tool pitch Q1 on the first support 7 side. Besides, a low rigidity of the bush 20 poses no problem because the referential corresponding tool 10A can be installed in the corresponding tool support section 18 in the second support 8 without a clearance. Accordingly, this construction is advantageous for the layout design of various tools. In addition, since larger corresponding tools require a higher rigidity than smaller corresponding tools, a substantial decrease in rigidity can be prevented if the referential corresponding tool 10A is larger than the adjustable corresponding tool 10A. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the adjustable corresponding tool 10B is adjustably fixed to the second support 8 via the bush 21 and can thus be locked for alignment, using a simple construction, compared to the direct installation of the corresponding tool 10B in the second support 8 for alignment. In addition, since the corresponding tools 10A, 10B can be replaced using the bushes 20, 21, respectively, the tool centering mechanism of the same construction can accommodate various corresponding tools 10. Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be shown in Figure 5. The tool support 2 is comprised of a first support 7 placed closer to the bottom of the punch press and a second support 8 placed closer to the top of the punch press, as shown in Figure 5 in an enlarged view. The supports 7, 8 each comprise a turret and has tools 9 and tools 10 corresponding to the tools 9, respectively, installed in a circumferential direction at a plurality of positions. The tool 9 comprises a die tool, while the corresponding tool 10 comprises a punch tool. The first and second supports 7, 8 each have a plurality of tracks, for example, an out-track To and an in-track Ti (Figure 1) around a rotational center in a manner such that the tool 9 and the corresponding tool 10 are installed on each of the tracks To, Ti. Thus, predetermined pitches Q1, Q2 are set between the tools 9, 9 installed on the tracks To, Ti of the support 7 and between the tools 10, 10 installed on the tracks To, Ti of the support 8, respectively, so as to correspond to track intervals. The tools 9 are installed on the first support 7 via the die holder base 11 and the die holder 12. The die holder base 11 and the die holder 12 are provided for each tool installation position in the circumferential direction of the support 7, and the tools 9 on the tracks To, Ti are installed on the common die holder 12. The die holder 12 has tool support sections 13, 14 for installing the tools 9, that is, the die tools thereon, and the tool support sections 13, 14 are shaped like counterbores. The die holder 12 is removably mounted on the die holder base 11 via fixtures 15, 16 located at opposite ends. The fixtures 15, 16 each comprise a pin or a bolt. For example, the fixture 16 at the inner end extends through the die holder base 11 in a vertical direction to engage with a mounting groove in the die holder 12. In addition, the fixture 15 is inserted through positioning holes in the die holder base 11 and die holder 12. The die holder base 11 is placed on the support 7 and locked from its bottom surface using a bolt 17. A bolt insertion hole in the first support 7 through which the bolt 17 is inserted has an inner diameter smaller than the bolt diameter to provide a very small clearance between the internal hole surface and the bolt so that the die holder base 11 can have its position fine-tuned relative to the support 7. The die holder 12, the die holder base 11, and the support 7 each have scrap drop holes in communication with the tool support sections 13, 14. The corresponding tools 10 are installed in the second support 8 so that the individual corresponding tools 10 can independently be moved in a direction orthogonal with the axis of the second support 8. Specifically, the corresponding tools 10 are installed via the bushes 20, 21 in the corresponding tool support sections 18, 19 provided in the tracks To, Ti of the second support 8, respectively. The corresponding tool support sections 18, 19 are holes formed in the support 8 in a fashion penetrating it in a vertical direction. The bushes 20, 21 are installed in the corresponding tool support sections 18, 19, respectively, comprising through-holes, in a manner such as to form a very small clearance between the bush and the corresponding tool section. The corresponding tool support sections 18, 19 each have a counterbore section opened in the bottom surface of the second support 8, and the bushes 20, 21 have flange sections 20a, 21a, respectively, fitted in the counterbore section. The flange sections 20a, 21a each have a tapped hole and is tightened and fixed to the second support 8 using fixation bolts 22, 23, respectively. The fixation bolts 22, 23 is inserted into fixation holes 24, 24 penetrating the counterbores in the corresponding tool support section 18, 19, respectively, from the top surface of the second support 8. The fixation holes 24 are formed to have an inner diameter enough to form a very small clearance around the fixation bolts 22, 23. Each corresponding tool 10 is comprised of a tool body 10a installed in a sleeve 25 for elevation, which is internally fitted in the bush 20, 21 for elevation. The sleeve 25 acts as a stripper for removing the tool body 10a from the work W. The tool body 10a is urged against the sleeve 25 for elevation by means of a return spring 26 interposed between a head section of the tool body and the upper end of the sleeve 25. In addition, the corresponding tool 10 is entirely urged against the second support 8 for elevation by means of a retention spring 27. The retention spring 27 is provided in the outer periphery of a pin extending through the second support 8 in a vertical direction and engages with a flange member 28 engaged with the sleeve 25. Thus, after punching by a ram 3a of a punch drive mechanism 3, when the ram 3a elevates, the corresponding tools 10 are elevated to return to their original positions due to the urging force of the springs 26, 27. Those of the tools 9 and the corresponding tools 10 which have a non-circular processing shape have rotational-position regulating means 29, 30, respectively, provided around the axis of the tool. In this example, only the tools 9 and corresponding tools 10 on the out-track To side have the rotational-position regulating means 29, 30. The rotational-position regulating means 29 for the tool 9 comprises a projection or key provided on an outer-diameter surface of the tool 9 and a key groove formed in the die holder 12 for allowing the projection or key to be fitted therein. The rotational-position regulating means 30 for the corresponding tools 10 comprises the projection or key provided for the corresponding tools 10 and the key groove formed in the bush 20 for allowing the projection or key to be fitted therein. Specifically, the projection or key is provided on the sleeve 25. In addition, rotational-position adjustment means 31 is provided which aligns the rotational positions of the tool 9 and the corresponding tool 10 around the corresponding tool axis. The rotational-position adjustment means 31 is comprised of a projection 31a and a recess 31b formed in the tool 9 and the corresponding tool 10, respectively, and meshing with each other. A tool centering function and a centering operation based on the above construction will be explained. After replacement of the tools 9 and the corresponding tools 10, the tools 9 are centered relative to the first support 7. The tools 9 are centered by centering the die holder 12. Simultaneously with this centering, the die holder 12 is parallelized using the machine body 1 as a reference. Centering of the die holder 12 is an operation for adjusting the planar positions of the tool support sections 13, 14 of the die holder 12, and is achieved by adjusting the position of the die holder base 11 using appropriate measuring instruments or jigs. After the centering operation, the die holder base 11 is fixed to the support 7 using the bolts 17. Parallelizing refers to action for adjusting the direction of the cross section of the tool 9 with a non-circular processing section 9a so as to be parallel with a longitudinal (Y direction) or lateral (X direction) direction of the machine, as shown in Figure 5. This operation can be achieved by fine-tuning the direction of the die holder 12 relative to the support 7. Next, using the adjusted die holder 12 as a reference, each corresponding tool 10 is centered and parallelized relative to the second support 8. This centering and parallelizing is carried out by subjecting the corresponding tool 10 to a simulated punching operation. That is, the corresponding tool 10 supported in the second support 8 is meshed with the tool 9 on the first support 7. This meshing is executed while the bolts 22, 23 for locking the bushes 20, 21 are loosened. Then, together with the corresponding tools 10, the bushes 20, 21 freely move to positions at which they are concentric with the tools 9 relative to the second support 8. In addition, the projection 31a of the rotational-position adjustment means 31 meshes with the recess 31b thereof, and the corresponding tools 10 are parallelized relative to the machine body 1 so as to have the same rotational angle as the tools 9. Subsequently, the bolts 22, 23 are tightened at the adjusted positions and angles to fix the bushes 20, 21 to the second support 8. According to the tool centering mechanism of this construction, each corresponding tool 10 can be moved in the direction orthogonal with the axis of the second support 8, and simulated punching is executed using the tools 9 on the first support 7 as a reference to individually center the corresponding tools 10 relative to the tools 9, as described above. Consequently, theoretically perfect centering is enabled to allow the pitch Q2 of the corresponding tools 10 to agree with the tool pitch Q1 on the first support 7 side. At the same time, the corresponding tools 10 can perfectly be parallelized. In this example, only the corresponding tools 10 on the out-track side are parallelized. In addition, if re-centering is required due to thermal conversion or the like, the above centering operation can be performed by loosening the bolts 22, 23 from a position above the second support 8 located closer to the top of the punch press, performing a simulated punching operation, and then tightening the bolts 22, 23. In this case, for turret punch presses, the operation is easier due to an excess processing space above the upper turret. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the bushes 20, 21 for supporting the corresponding tools 10 are adjustably fixed to the second support 8, whereby the corresponding tools 10 can be locked for alignment, using a simple construction, compared to the direct installation of the corresponding tools 10 in the second support 8 for alignment. In addition, since the corresponding tools 10 can be replaced using the bushes 20, 21, the tool centering mechanism of the same construction can accommodate various corresponding tools 10. Although in the above embodiment, the lower support has been referred to as the first support, but the upper support may be defined as the first support. In addition, the present invention is not limited to turret punch presses, that is, those punch presses which include the supports 7, 8 comprised of turrets, but is applicable to those punch presses which include the first and second supports 7, 8 comprising, for example, of cartridges. In the case of the cartridge type, the first and second supports 7, 8 may be different sites of an integral tool support such as an upper and a lower parts of an integral tool support. In a punch press comprising a first support including a tool holder having a plurality of tool support sections spaced at a determined pitch and which can each support a tool, the plurality of tool support sections each enabling a corresponding tool to be installed on its axis, the tool centering mechanism for a punch press according to the present invention is adapted so that the tool holder and one of the corresponding tools are movably provided and so that simulated punching is carried out to move the tool holder and the movable corresponding tool in order to install each corresponding tool on the axis of the tool on the first tool. Thus, the plurality of tools can be installed in juxtaposition at the predetermined pitch and can simultaneously be replaced with new ones, the pitch of these tools can be adjusted to agree with the pitch of the corresponding tools. In addition, since only one of the plurality of corresponding tools can be moved, this construction can minimize a decrease in rigidity associated with movability of the corresponding tools relative to the second support. If the movable corresponding tool is installed for movement via a bush relative to the second support, the bush is fixed to the second support for alignment, and the corresponding tools can be replaced using the bushes, then the corresponding tools can be locked after alignment using a simple construction, and this mechanism can minimize a decrease in rigidity and accommodate various tools. If a clearance is formed between the bush and the second support, then the bushes can be placed at approximate positions to facilitate tool replacement and a subsequent centering operation. In addition, the present invention provides a tool centering mechanism for a punch press comprising a first support having a plurality of tool support sections spaced at a determined pitch and which can each support a tool, the plurality of tool support sections enabling tools corresponding to the tools and cooperating with the tools in punching to be each installed on its axis, wherein the corresponding tools are provided for independent movement in a direction orthogonal with the axis of the second support, and wherein the tools and the corresponding tools are subjected to simulated punching to move each corresponding tool in the orthogonal direction in order to install each corresponding tool on the axis of a corresponding one of the tools on the first support. Thus, the plurality of tools can be installed in juxtaposition at the predetermined pitch and can simultaneously be replaced with new ones, the pitch of these tools can be adjusted to agree with the pitch of the corresponding tools. If the corresponding tools are installed for movement via bushes relative to the second support, the bushes are fixed to the second support for alignment, and the corresponding tools can be replaced using the bushes, then the corresponding tools can be locked after alignment using a simple construction, and this mechanism can accommodate various tools. If a clearance is formed between the bush and the second support, then the bushes can be placed at approximate positions to facilitate tool replacement and a subsequent centering operation.

Claims: A tool centering mechanism for a punch press comprising a first support (7) including a tool holder (32) having a plurality of tool support sections (13, 14) spaced at a determined pitch and which can each support a tool (9), and a second support (8) for allowing corresponding tools (10) cooperating with said tools (9) in punching to be each installed on the axis of a corresponding one of said plurality of tool support sections (13, 14), characterized in that said tool holder (32) and one of said corresponding tools (10) are provided for movement in a direction orthogonal with the axes of the first and second supports (7, 8), respectively, and in that said tools (9) and said corresponding tools (10) can be subjected to simulated punching to move said tool holder (32) and said movable corresponding tool (10) in said orthogonal direction in order to install the corresponding tool (10) on the axis of a corresponding one of the tools (9) on the first support (7). A tool centering mechanism for a punch press as in Claim 1, characterized in that said movable corresponding tool is installed for movement via a bush relative to the second support, in that the bush is fixed to the second support for alignment, and in that the corresponding tool can be replaced using the bush. A tool centering mechanism for a punch press as in Claim 2, characterized in that a clearance is provided between said bush and said second support. A tool centering mechanism for a punch press comprising a first support (7) having a plurality of tool support sections (13, 14) spaced at a determined pitch and which can each support a tool (9), and a second support (8) for allowing corresponding tools (10) cooperating with said tools (9) in punching to be each installed on the axis of a corresponding one of said plurality of tool support sections (13, 14), characterized in that said corresponding tools (10) are provided for independent movement in a direction orthogonal with the axis of the second support (8), and in that said tools (9) and said corresponding tools (10) can be subjected to simulated punching to move said corresponding tools (10) in said orthogonal direction in order to install each of the corresponding tools (10) on the axis of corresponding ones of the tools (9) on the first support (7). A tool centering mechanism for a punch press as in Claim 4, characterized in that said corresponding tools are installed for movement via bushes relative to the second support, in that the bushes are fixed to the second support for alignment, and in that the corresponding tools can be replaced using the bushes. A tool centering mechanism for a punch press as in Claim 5, characterized in that a clearance is provided between said bush and said second support.

Inventors: OZEKI KOJI, SAKAMOTO HIROICHI, OZEKI, KOJI, SAKAMOTO, HIROICHI
Applicants: MURATA MACHINERY LTD, MURATA KIKAI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 2000
Main classification: B21D28
IPC codes: B21D28, B21D37