Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2033~
The invention relates to an apparatus for forming,
from a metallic workpiece, a metallic unit having a concave
portion bounded by a peripheral edge having a predetermined
shape. More specifically, the invention relates to such an
apparatus which is adapted to mount a tool comprising a
wall-like structure having a bottom edge which defines a
shape, the shape corresponding with the predetermined shape.
Apparatus for forming metallic units are known in
the art as lllustrated in, for example, U.S. Patent
3,934,441, ~amilton et al, January 27, 1976, ~.S. Patent
4,516,419, Agrawal, May 14, 1985 and U.S. Patent 4,409,809,
Buchanan, October 18, 1983.
The Hamilton et al patent teaches an apparatus
which uses a fluid, e.g. air, under prçssure to form a
metallic part. However, in the Hamilton et al patent, the
part is formed in a dye 18 which is in the desired shape of
the part. The Agrawal patent teaches a similar arrangement
wherein the workpiece 18 is formed into the shape of the
, cavity 24 of the dye 22.
' 20 In the Buchanan patent, an upper platen 1 has a
downwardly extending peripheral wall 2 to define a first
chamber 3. A lower platen 6 includes upwardly extending
, . .
annular wall 10 which, together with platen 6, defines a
chamber 13. The lower platen 6 is carried on rams 7 which
move the lower platen 6 towards the upper platen 1.
A male mold 20 is secured on a table 18 which is
, ,,
carried on rams 16 of hydraulic motor 17. In operation,
hydraulic motors 8 are started to move the ram 7 upwardly so
~ that platen 6 is moved towards platen 1. A workpiece 21 is
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clamped between plates 4 and 11, and air under pressure is
allowed into chamber 13 to force the workpiece 21 into the
shape shown in Figure 2.
, Buchanan then goes on to form the workpiece 21
into the shape of the mold or dye 20, as shown in Figures 3
and 4. However, it is noted that Buchanan uses a dye but
does not use a tool for the forming of the metallic units.
Further, the two above-discussed references also use dyes
but not tools for forming metallic units.
It is therefore an object of the invention to
provide an apparatus for forming a metallic unit which has a
concave portion wherein the apparatus is adapted to mount a
tool for the forming process.
It is a more specific object of the invention to
provide such an apparatus wherein the tool comprises a
wall-like structure.
. In accordance with the general principles of the
"j invention, there is provided an apparatus for forming, from
a metallic workpiece, a metallic unit having a concave
portion bounded by a peripheral edge having a predetermined
shape, wherein the apparatus is adapted to mount a tool
comprising a wall-like structure having a bottom edge which
~¢3 defines a shape, the shape corresponding with the pre-
determined shape.
In accordance with the invention there is provided
an apparatus for forming, from a metallic workpiece, a
metallic unit having a concave portion bounded by a peri-
;~ pheral edge, said peripheral edge having a predetermined
;~ shape;
said apparatus comprising:
an upper member and a lower member;
, .
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means for moving one of said upper or lower
members relative to the other one of said upper or lower
members to thereby move said upper and lower members toward
or away from each other;
means for removably mounting a tool on one of said
upper or lower members, the other one of said upper or lower
members having an opening therein;
means for providing fluid under pressure, said
means for providing having output means; and
communication means connecting said output means
to said opening;
wherein, said tool comprises a wall-like arrange-
ment having a bottom edge defining a shape, said shape of
said bottom edge corresponding with said predetermined
shape;
whereby, in operation, said workpiece, having an
~,~ outer peripheral edge, is disposed betwee~ said upper and
~ lower member such that said outer peripheral edge surrounds
,~ said bottom edge, said upper and lower members are moved
towards each other until said bottom edge abuts a surface of
said workpiece so that the tool and workpiece are clamped
~;: together in airtight engagement, and said fluid under
pressure is applied to said opening under the other surface
of said workpiece to thereby form said concave portion.
~ The invention will be better understood by an
.~ examination of the following description, together with the
accompanying drawings, in which:
FIGURE 1 is a top view of a metallic unit formed
~; with an apparatus in accordance with the
: 30 invention;
FIGURE 2 is a section through II-II of Figure l;
-- 3 --
2 ~ ~,t 3 r v ~ 6
FIGURE 3 is a section through III-III of Figure l;
FIGURE 4 is a side view of an apparatus in
accordance with the invention;
FIGURE 5 is an end view of an apparatus in
accordance with the invention;
FIGURE 6 is a top view of a tool mountable on the
apparatus; and
FIGURE 7 is a section through VII-VII of Figure
6.
10Referring now to Figures 1, 2 and 3, a workpiece
1, having an outer peripheral edge 3, has a metallic unit
including a concave portion 5 bounded by an edge 7 of pre-
determined shape formed therein. The metallic unit can
comprise, for example, a metal tank head.
As can be seen, after the concave portion is
formed in the workpiece, portions 9 remain outside of the
' boundary of the concave portion. These portions 9 would be
cut away so that the metallic unit would consist only of the
concave portion bounded by the edge 7 of predetermined
shape.
Referring now to Figures 4 and 5, the apparatus
for forming the metallic unit comprises an upper member 11
and a lower member 13. The upper member 11 includes a flat
plate member 15, and the lower member includes a flat plate
member 17. Means 19 are provided for moving one of the
upp0r or lower members relative to the other one of the
upper or lower members to thereby move the upper and lower
members towards or away from each other. In the illustrated
embodiment, the means 19 comprise four piston and cylinder
30arrangements, 21/31, 23/33, 25/35 and 27/37 (not shown). As
can be seen, in the illustrated arrangement, the means for
,
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~033~36
moving moves the upper member 11 towards and away from the
lower member 13 which is in fixed position. Thus, the
pistons 21, 23, 25 and 27 are affixed to the flat plate
member 17 of the lower member 13. The cylinders 31, 33, 35
and 37 are affixed to the flat plate member lS so that the
upper member 11 will move upwardly and downwardly with the
cylinders. Removably mounted on the lower surface of flat
plate member 15 of the upper member 11 is a tool 41. The
characteristics of the tool will be described when discuss-
ing Figures 6 and 7 below.
Included in the flat plate member 17 is an opening43. Disposed adjacent to the lower member 13 is a means 45
for providing fluid, for example, air, under pressure. The
means 45 includes an output 47, and a communicating means,
for example, a hose 49 is connected between the output 47
and the opening 43.
Turning now to Figures 6 and 7, the tool 41 com-
prises a wall-like arrangement Sl having a bottom edge 53
and a top edge 54. A platform 55 is mounted on the top edge
and the platform includes a plurality of screw holes 57
whereby to mount the tool on the flat plate member 15 of the
- upper member. A sensor 59 is mounted on the lower surface
of flat plate member 15 of the upper member 11 for reasons
to b0 discussed below.
An electronic control unit 61 is provided to
control the motion of the upper member 11 relative to the
lower m0mber 13, and also to control the means 45 for pro-
viding fluid under pressure.
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In operation, a workpiece 1 is laid on the flat
plate member 17 of the lower member 13 as shown in Figures 4
and 5. As can be seen, the outer peripheral edge of the
workpiece completely surrounds the bottom edge of the tool
41.
The electronic unit 61 is then activated to move
the upper member 11 towards the lower member 13 until the
bottom edge 53 of the tool 41 abuts the upper surface of the
workpiece 1 so that the tool and workpiece are clamped
together in airtight engagement. Air under pressure is then
fed to the opening 43 from means 45 through hose 49 under
the lower surface of the workpiece 1. The workpiece is then
forced upwardly by the pressure of the fluid to form the
shape as illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3. When the top
surface engages the sensor 59, the means 45 for providing
fj fluid under pressure is turned off.
It can be seen that, with the inventive apparatus,
no dye is required for the forming of the metallic unit.
The concave metallic unit formed by the apparatus
has a peripheral shape defined by the edge 7 in Figure 1.
The bottom edge 53 of the wall-like arrangement 51 defines a
' shape which is identical to the shape defined by the edge 7
of the formed concave metallic unit.
Although a particular embodiment has been des-
cribed, this was for the purpose of illustrating, but not
limiting, the invention. Various modifications, which will
come readily to the mind of one skilled in the art, are
within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended
claims.
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