Patent ID: 6938518

Claim:
A machine for manufacturing buttons with coplanar shell flanges from a shell, a flexible laminate, and a flat back comprising: a. a framework; b. a handle pivotally connected to the framework; c. a ram that advances and retracts along a ram axis in response to pivoting the handle; d. a die table indexible on the framework; e. a pickup die on the die table that initially holds a shell and a flexible laminate, the pickup die being selectively positionable under the ram in response to a first indexing of the die table, the pickup die cooperating with the ram to transfer the shell and flexible laminate from the pickup die to the ram during ram advancement in a first ram stroke; f. a crimp die on the die table that initially holds a flat back, the crimp die being selectively positionable under the ram in response to a second indexing of the die table, the crimp die comprising: i. a crimp die pedestal attached to the die table; ii. a crimp die outer frame slideable on the crimp die pedestal and contacted by the ram during ram advancement in a second ram stroke; iii. at least one first resilient member interposed between the die table and the crimp die outer frame that produces a first resistance to advancement of the ram during a first movement of the second ram stroke; and iv. at least one second resilient member interposed between the crimp die outer frame and the die table that cooperates with the at least one first resilient member to produce a second resistance to advancement of the ram during a second movement of the second ram stroke; and g. an actuator that shifts the ram between a pickup mode and a crimp mode of operation in response to indexing the die table to position the pickup die and crimp die, respectively, under the ram.