Patent ID: 8146399

Claim:
In a metal forming die of the type having first and second die plates mounted in a spaced apart relationship for mutual reciprocation between converged and diverged positions, and a spring member disposed operatively between said first and second die plates for biasing the same to said diverged position, the improvement of a modular spring retainer detachably mounting said spring member on said first die plate, comprising: a base having a first face, a second face shaped to abut an adjacent face of said first die plate, a connector portion for detachably mounting said base to said first die plate, a central aperture extending axially through said base and including a threaded interior surface, and a lock dowel aperture extending axially through said first face of said base at a location laterally adjacent to said central aperture such that said lock dowel aperture forms a window through said threaded interior surface of said central aperture and communicates with said central aperture; an elongate, cylindrically-shaped spring retainer having a housing portion with a hollow interior closely receiving said spring member therein, an end cap portion abuttingly supporting thereon an associated end of said spring member, and a threaded exterior portion which threadedly engages said threaded interior surface of said central aperture in said base, whereby rotation of said spring retainer relative to said base adjusts the longitudinal position of said spring member with respect to said first die plate; and a locking dowel pin closely received in said lock dowel aperture in said base and having an unthreaded exterior surface portion thereof which protrudes through said window in said central aperture of said base and abuttingly engages an adjacent portion of said threaded exterior surface of said spring retainer to securely, yet detachably, retain said spring member in a selected longitudinal position relative to said first die plate.