Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
SOCKET PUNCHES
Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to punches and manufacturing methods
for
punches. More particularly, the present invention relates to socket punches
with a specific
configuration and methods of manufacturing such socket punches using
electrical discharge
machining.
Background of the Invention
Punches are tools used to force a hole into a material, such as a work piece.
Typically,
the punch is operated in a "cold work" manner to punch a hole without the use
of additional heat,
as with hot extrusion or other "hot work" operations. Punches are forced or
"punched" into the
work piece, reforming the material to the shape of the punch.
Punches are manufactured in a variety of ways, but are normally formed by
grinding a
punch blank to a desired geometric configuration. However, grinding requires
specialized
grinding equipment, extended time to manufacture the punch, and additional
quality control
procedures to ensure that the finish punch product meets required
specifications. In addition, it
is not possible to grind the punch blank to certain, desired geometric
configurations.
Summary of the Invention
The present invention broadly comprises a method of manufacturing a punch,
such as a
socket punch, using wire electrical discharge machining ("wire EDM"). In an
embodiment, the
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process includes the steps of: (1) forming a blank; (2) holding the blank with
an adapter; (3)
manufacturing grooves into the working portion of the blank using wire EDM
techniques; (4)
manufacturing a side relief of the working portion using wire EDM techniques;
(5) milling the
working portion to a final shape and size; and (6) machining a cone point onto
an end of the
working portion. The present invention allows the punch to be manufactured by
"burning" the
punch geometry with the wire based on a computer-aided design ("CAD") model,
thereby
removing the need for specialized equipment, such as grinding equipment, and
improving
manufacturing times and quality, consistency and efficiency.
The present invention also broadly comprises a method of manufacturing a punch
including forming a blank, machining a geometry of the blank with an EDM
machine, milling a
desired geometry of the blank to obtain a final geometric size and
configuration on a portion, and
machining a cone point on an end of the portion to form the punch.
An embodiment of the present invention broadly includes a punch with a desired
geometry of the blank to obtain a final geometric size and configuration
including an angle on a
portion of the punch. The final geometric size and configuration may be formed
on a land area
of the punch.
Further, another embodiment the present invention broadly comprises a method
of
manufacturing a punch including forming a blank, machining a geometry of the
blank with an
EDM machine, milling a desired geometry of the blank to obtain a final
geometric size and
configuration including an angle on a portion of the punch, and machining a
cone point on an
end of the portion to form the punch. The final geometric configuration may be
formed on a land
area of the punch.
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Brief Description of the Drawings
For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the subject matter sought
to be
protected, there are illustrated in the accompanying drawings embodiments
thereof, from an
inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following
description, the subject
matter sought to be protected, its construction and operation, and many of its
advantages should
be readily understood and appreciated.
FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of a punch blank according to an embodiment
of the
present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of an EDM machine manufacturing a punch
blank held
by an adapter according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of an EDM machine manufacturing grooves into
a
punch blank according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a side perspective view of an EDM machine manufacturing a relief of
the
working portion according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a side perspective view of a milling machine milling the working
portion to a
final hex size according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a side perspective view of a completed punch with a cone point
machined on the
end of the working portion according to an embodiment of the present
invention.
FIG. 7 is a flow chart outlining a method of manufacturing a punch according
to an
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a side perspective view of a completed punch with an angle on a land
area
according to an embodiment of the present invention.
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FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view of a completed punch with an angle on a land
area
according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a flow chart outlining a method of manufacturing a punch according
to an
embodiment of the present invention.
Detailed Description of the Embodiments
While the present invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different
forms, there
is shown in the drawings, and will herein be described in detail, a preferred
embodiment of the
invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be
considered as an
exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to
limit the broad aspect of
the invention to embodiments illustrated. As used herein, the term "present
invention" is not
intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention and is instead a term
used to discuss
exemplary embodiments of the invention for explanatory purposes only.
The present invention broadly comprises a punch with an angle on a portion of
the punch
and a method of manufacturing a punch, such as a socket punch, with an angle
on a portion of
the punch using wire EDM. In an embodiment, a blank is formed; the blank is
held with an
adapter; grooves are machined in the working portion using wire EDM; the side
relief of the
working portion is manufactured using wire EDM; the working portion is milled
to a final size; a
cone point is formed on the end of the working portion; and an angle is formed
on a land area
around the cone point substantially adjacent to the end of the working
portion. The above process
allows the punch to be manufactured more quickly and from a CAD model,
therefore removing
the need for specialized equipment and improving manufacturing times,
efficiency, quality and
consistency.
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Referring to FIG. 1, in an embodiment, a blank 100 includes a first end 100a
and an
opposing second end 100b. The blank 100 can include a base portion 105 that
acts as a structural
backbone of the blank 100, and a working portion 110 intended to perform the
punching
operation when complete and in use. The blank 100 can be any material, but in
an embodiment,
is made of Crucible Particle Metallurgy ("CPM") T-15 steel. As discussed below
with respect to
FIG. 7, the manufacturing process includes forming a blank, such as the blank
100 shown in FIG.
1.
Referring to FIG. 2, a side perspective view of an adapter 115 holding a blank
100, and
an EDM machine 120 manufacturing a blank 100 held by the adapter 115,
according to an
embodiment of the present invention, is shown. As shown, the EDM machine 120
can include a
wire 125 that performs the machining/manufacturing operation of the EDM
machine 120. The
wire 125 can have an approximately 0.010" diameter, although the present
invention is not so
limited.
Referring to FIG. 3, a side perspective view of an EDM machine 120
manufacturing
grooves 130 into a blank 100 according to an embodiment is shown. As shown,
the wire 125 can
be located at an angle with respect to the axis of the blank 100. For example,
and without
limitation, the wire 125 can be angled between 1.25 degrees to 2.00 degrees to
avoid cutting the
base portion 105 during the machining operation. By angling the wire 125, the
punch, when
completed, can be easily pulled out of a socket in a cold forming process.
Referring to FIG. 4, a side perspective view of an EDM machine 120
manufacturing a
relief of the working portion 110 according to an embodiment is shown. For
example, the EDM
machine 120 can manufacture a transition portion 135 leading to a hex portion
140 using wire
EDM techniques. The hex portion 140 can extend from an end of the transition
portion 135 to a
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hex end portion 145. As shown in FIG. 5, the working portion 110, and
specifically the hex
portion 140 in some embodiments, can be milled by a milling machine 150 to a
final hex size of
the working portion 110/hex portion 140. As shown in FIG. 6, a cone point 155
can then be
machined into the hex end portion 145 of the blank 100 to complete the
machining portion of the
process.
FIG. 7 illustrates a method of manufacturing a punch 700 according to an
embodiment of
the present invention. As shown, the method 700 begins and proceeds to step
705 where a blank
is formed, as shown in FIG. 1. The method 700 then proceeds to step 710 where
the blank 100 is
held by an adapter 115, as shown in FIG. 2. Step 715 then follows, where
grooves 130 can be
formed in the blank 100 on the working end 110, as shown in FIG. 3. The method
700 then
proceeds to step 720, where the side relief of the working end 110 is
machined. It is in this step
where the where the transition portion 135 and the hex portion 140 can be
machined into the
blank using EDM techniques, as shown in FIG. 4. The method 700 can then
proceed to step 725,
where the hex portion 140 is milled to its final size as shown in FIG. 5, and
then to step 730,
where the cone point 155 is machined into the hex end portion 145.
The method 700 can then proceed to step 735, where the punch is stress
relieved. For
example, the punch can be stress relieved at 1025 F for two hours. The method
700 can then
proceed to step 740, where the punch is surface coated. For example, the punch
can be coated
with aluminum chromium nitride or titanium nitride.
The above steps in FIG. 7 and elsewhere in the specification are recited in a
certain
chronological order, but such an order is not necessarily required to affect
the present invention
unless expressly stated in the claims below. Further, certain steps may be
omitted from the
method 700 and unless expressly recited in the claims below, are optional.
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Referring to FIG. 8, a side perspective view of a completed punch with an
angle on a land
area according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. As
described above, a blank
100 includes a first end 100a, an opposing second end 100b, a base portion 105
that acts as a
structural backbone of the blank 100, and a working portion 110 intended to
perform the
punching operation when complete and in use. An EDM machine can be used to
manufacture
grooves 130, a relief of the working portion 110, such as transition portion
135 leading to hex
portion 140, into a blank 100 using wire EDM techniques. The hex portion 140
can extend from
an end of the transition portion 135 to a hex end portion 145 and a cone point
155 can then be
machined into the hex end portion 145 of the blank 100.
In addition, the hex end portion 145 may have a land/forming area 160 machined
around
the working end 110 between the hex portion 140 and the cone point 155. The
land area 160
may have an inwardly tapered angle relative to the hex portion 140 of the
punch. As shown in
FIG. 9, the tapered angle of the land area 160 may be from about 0.5 to about
3 around the hex
end portion 145. More specifically, the tapered angle of the land area 160 may
be from about
1.2 to about 2.2 . An EDM machine can be used to manufacture the land area
160 with the
tapered angle. By angling the land area 160, the punch, when completed, can be
more easily
pulled out of a workpiece in a cold forming process.
FIG. 10 illustrates a method of manufacturing a punch 1000 according to an
embodiment.
As shown, the method 1000 begins and proceeds to step 1000 where a blank is
formed, as shown
in FIG. 1. The method 1000 then proceeds to step 1010 where the blank 100 is
held by an
adapter 115, as shown in FIG. 2. Step 1015 then follows, where grooves 130 can
be formed in
the blank 100 on the working end 110, as shown in FIG. 3. The method 1000 then
proceeds to
step 1020, where the side relief of the working end 110 is machined. It is in
this step where the
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where the transition portion 135 and the hex portion 140 can be machined into
the blank using
EDM techniques, as shown in FIG. 4. The method 1000 can then proceed to step
1025, where the
hex portion 140 is milled to its final size as shown in FIG. 5, and then to
step 1030, where the
cone point 155 is machined into the hex end portion 145. Step 1035 then
follows, where a land
area with an inwardly tapered angle is machined around punch 100 between the
hex portion 140
and the cone point 155. The tapered angle of the land area 160 may be from
about 0.5 to about
3 around the hex end portion 145. More specifically, the tapered angle of the
land area 160 may
be from about 1.2 to about 2.2 .
The method 1000 can then proceed to step 1040, where the punch is stress
relieved. For
example, the punch can be stress relieved at 1025 F for two hours. The method
1000 can then
proceed to step 1045, where the punch is surface coated. For example, the
punch can be coated
with aluminum chromium nitride or titanium nitride.
Again, the above steps in FIG. 10 and elsewhere in the specification are
recited in a
certain chronological order, but such an order is not necessarily required to
affect the present
invention unless expressly stated in the claims below. Further, certain steps
may be omitted from
the method 1000 and unless expressly recited in the claims below, are
optional.
As used herein, the term "coupled" and its functional equivalents are not
intended to
necessarily be limited to direct, mechanical coupling of two or more
components. Instead, the
term "coupled" and its functional equivalents are intended to mean any direct
or indirect
mechanical, electrical, or chemical connection between two or more objects,
features, work
pieces, and/or environmental matter. "Coupled" is also intended to mean, in
some examples, one
object being integral with another object.
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The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is
offered
by way of illustration only and not as a limitation. While particular
embodiments have been
shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that
changes and modifications
may be made without departing from the broader aspects of the inventors'
contribution. The
actual scope of the protection sought is intended to be defined in the
following claims when
viewed in their proper perspective based on the prior art.
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