Patent GB-1150711-A (GB)
Title: Powder Compacting Press
IPC: B30B15/32
Filed: 1966-04-25
Abstract: 1,150,711. Powder compacting press. PENTRONIX Inc. 25 April, 1966 [23 April, 1965], No. 17989/66. Headings B5A. [Also in Divisions C1 and F2] General arrangement.-In. an automatic upstroke powder compacting press for metal or glass, e.g. for manufacturing toroidal ferrite memory cores for computers, balls for ballpoint pens, porous bearings or pharmaceutical pills, the press is driven from a variable speed electric motor 13 via a cam-shaft 15 extending through the machine housing 11, on the upper surface whereof are provided eight die cavities 314 circumferentially disposed around a tool steel or tungsten steel die block 58, and on which housing 11 is mounted, for angular displacement, a head 60 provided with horizontally pivotably mounted arms 62, 63 which are spring-loaded into contact with the housing 11 and which respectively contain a floating semi-spherical anvil member (335), Fig. 10, not shown, provided with a lapped surface, and a semispherical shaped P.T.F.E. hopper 386 supplied by a pipe 36 from a powder storage container. Between the arms 62, 63 there is also provided a head extension 65 containing a vacuum pickup for the moulded articles comprising a flexible pad (405) (Fig. 18, not shown) provided with openings (407), corresponding to the die cavities 314, which are surmounted by a mesh (409) and connected to a vacuum line; a rotating brush 53 is provided adjacent the head 60. Upstroke die punches 312 in each cavity 314 are each provided at their base with a head 309 which is mounted in an annular circumscribing groove 310 of a head 303 of a stem 85 for radial float along slots 307 in the head 303; core rods 326 extend through the punches 312 and are similarly mounted at the upper head of a sleeve 86 through which slides the stem 85. Press operation.-In operation, the head 60 rotates to place the hopper 386 over the die cavities 314 which are over-filled with the punches 312 and core rods 326 in a fully retracted position (Fig. 16, not shown), from which position the punches 312 are raised to expel excess powder back into the hopper 386; the core rods 326 are then moved so that their ends are flush with the top of the die and simultaneously the anvil member (335) is in a position for cleaning over the revolving brush 53 and the vacuum pick-up is over a distributer plate (412) (Fig. 12, not shown) provided with openings (413), corresponding to the number of cavities 314, into which the moulded articles are deposited by release of vacuum and from which tubes (80) deliver them to bottles. The head 60 is then rotated to place the anvil member (335) in register over the die against which it is locked by engagement of a projecting cam surface under a member 67 and during which head movement the lower edges of the hopper 386 wipe the top surface of the die; the punches 312 then rise to compact the powder against the anvil (335). The next movement of the head 60 places the pick-up head 65 over the die whereby the moulded articles are drawn into the pad (405) after ejection by upward displacement of the punches 312. Operating mechanisms.-The movements of the head 60 are controlled from a cam 101 on the cam-shaft 15, via a spring-loaded lever (260), Fig. 6, not shown, slide 276 and a lever 280. The stem 85 supporting the punches 312 is actuated by an assembly of cams 90 on the camshaft 15, via a spring-loaded lever assembly (93), Fig. 4, not shown, provided with a conical roller 92 at one end thereof which is mounted with its axis parallel to the cam-shaft 15 whereby the surface of the cone, e.g. tapered 1 degree, is engaged by bevelled peripheries of the cams 90 and a very precise positional adjustment of the punches 312 is possible by adjustment of the position of the cams 90 on a micrometer thread along the cam-shaft 15; the sleeve 86 is actuated from a cam 97 on the cam-shaft 15, via a spring- loaded lever arrangement (98), Fig. 7, not shown, connected at one bifurcated end (240) thereof to a collar 242 which is threaded on the exterior of a threaded sleeve 252 which is in turn threaded on to the end of the sleeve 86, whereby a precise adjustment of the position of the core rods 326 is facilitated by the threads on the exterior and interior of the threaded sleeve 252 being of different pitch.