US2593286A - Punching and applying apparatus - Google Patents

Description

April 15, 1952 A. FERMANIAN ETAL 2,593,286

PUNCHING AND APPLYING APPARATUS A. FERHANlA/V /NVENTORS GWSODERMAN WJWORKMAN A T TORNEV April 15, 1952 A. FERMANIAN ErAL PUNCHING AND APPLYING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 7, 1949 AFERMAN/AN GJMSODERMAN 66 /NvE/vroRs W. J. WOR/(MAN A 7' TORNEV April l5, 1952 A.-FERMAN1AN ET AL PUNCHING AND APPLYING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 7, 1949 A FERMA N/AN QMSODERMAN WJ. WOR/(MAN /N VENTO/QS April 15, 1952 A. FERMANIAN ETAL 2,593,286

PUNCHING AND APPLYING APPARATUS Filed April 7, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEY April 15, 1952 A. FERMANIAN ET AL 2,593,286

PUNCHING AND PPLYING APPARATUS Filed April '7, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 AFERMAN/N INVENTORS QWSODERMAN WJWORKMAN @VMM Tro/QNEV Patented Apr. 15, 1952 PUNCHING AND APPLYIN G APPARATUS Armen Fermanian, Rutherford, George W. Soderman, West Englewood, and William J. Workman, North Arlington, N. J., assignors to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York ,Appiicaaon April 7, 1949, serial No. 86,074

'7 claims. (c1. 154-1) 1 This invention relates to punching and applyingv apparatus and more particularly to apparatus for punching solder discs from strips of solder having an adhesive material on one surface thereof and applying the discs to articles such as crystals.

. In the manufacture of crystals for use in the communication arts. whether the crystals be produced from quartz or synthetic structures they are of an inherently brittlenature requiring considerable care to avoid damage thereto. The small crystal wafers before they are embodied in electrical units of which theyarelto become parts of the main structures are provided with one or more lead wires secured to opposing surfaces thereof. The lead Wires are secured to the surfaces of the crystal by the process of soldering l requiring initially, the securing-of -a solder disc to the crystal wherever it is desirable to secure a lead wire. l

An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which is simple in structure and highly eliicient in punching a part from a supply of material and applying the part to an article.

With this and other objects in view, the invention comprises a punching and applying apparatus embodying means to hold an article in a Vgiven position with respect to a die which cooperates with a punch capable of punching a part from a material-fed to the die and to move the part on to the article. I

More specifically the apparatus includes a hollow punch connectedwith a mechanism to create a vacuum in the punch during and subsequent to the punching operation whereby the part punched from the material may be held on the end of the punch for movement into and through a heating element which will heat an adhesive material disposed upon one surface of the part for adherence to the surface of the article wherever the part is applied through continued movement of the punch. In the present embodiment of the invention the article 4is a synthetic crystal disposed' in a holder and heated to a given temperature before it is placed in the apparatus whereby the application of the heated part will not damage 'the lcrystal.` Furthermore, the punches are disposed in aligned pairs carried by units which include cushioning springs to avoid damage to the crystal during the application of the .parts, cut from their respective solder strips, to the opposing' surfaces of the crystal.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description when condrawings, wherein 2 Fig. l is a top plan view of the apparatus, portions thereof being shown in section; l

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. l; l

. Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detailed view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5. is a front elevational view of the apparatus portions thereofb'eing removed;

, Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. l;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 'l-l of Fig. 6;

`Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 8--8 of Fig. l;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 9&-9 of Fig..1;

Fig. l0 is an isometric view of the article to which the parts or solder discs are to be aD- l plied;

. punched.

Referring now to the drawings, attention is first directed to Fig. l0 which illustrates an article 20 to which parts 2l, Fig. ll, are to be secured. The article 20 or synthetic crystal is much smaller and relatively thin as compared to the illustrations in the drawings.

Fig. l2 illustrates the material from which the parts 2| are to be produced. 'Ihis material includes a strip 23 of `solder having one surface provided with a heavy coating of adhesive material 24. As illustrated in Fig. l, two arcuate troughs 25 and 26, U-shaped in cross-section, are supported to receive the strips of material 23 and guidethem to `dies 2l. The strips of material when' after passing through the dies extend be tween feed rollers 28 which are rotated intermittently to advance the strips of material after each punching operation. Punching units 30 are supported by parallel rods 3 I, which are supported adjacent their centers by a vertical bracket 32. The bracket 32 extends upwardly from a base 33, upon which it is mounted, and has its upper surface 35 positioned to support a holder indicated generally at 36. The holder 35 is the subject matter of a copending application of G. W. Soderman, Serial No. 55,577, filed October 2'), 1948.

In general, the holder includes a main member 31 and a companion member 38 normally urged toward each other by split cylindrical springs 39 disposed at the outer ends thereof to iirmly hold the article or crystal 20 therebetween. The main member 31 is larger than the companion member 38 and when disposed vupon the surface 35 the ends 'of the main member may rest against shoulders 40 of the clamping mechanism shown in Fig. 1. Movable jaws 42 are slidable longitudinally in apertures 43 of the bracket 32 and are normally urged toward the shoulders 40 by their respective springs 44 to firmly clamp the ends of the main member 31 of the holder 30Min a xed position with respect to the units 30; The clamping jaws 42 have portions 40 which extend through apertured lugs 41 to be engaged by an eccentric member 48 of an actuating unit indicated generally at 50. An end portion 5| of the Y eccentric member 48 is journalled in a suitable bearing 52, while a similar portion 53 disposed in ax'lal alignment therewith, is journalled in a bearing portion 54 and has a sleeve 55 vmounted on the outer end thereof together with a control iing'er 56. A handle 58 mounted on the outer end of the sleeve 55 provides means formanual actuation of the eccentric member 48 between limits determined by the finger 56 striking spaced pins vand 6|, constituting the open and closed positions for the clamping jaws 42. This mechanism as shown in Fig. 1 is in its closed position with the finger 58 engaging the pin 60. Movement 'of the handle 58 to rock 'the eccentric member 48 clockwise until the finger 56 strikes the pin 0|, will cause the eccentric member to move the portions 46 of the clamping jaws `42 to move to the right simultaneously moving the clamping jaws 42 away from the shoulders 40 to free the holder 30.

The dies 21 shown in Fig. 3 are supported by vertical members Amounted onv the vertical bracket 32 by suitable means 66 and having aligned apertures 01 to receive the'linner portion 68` of the dies 21. The dies are held in place by the aid'of screws |59 disposed in threaded apertures of the vertical members 65 whereby the cavities will be disposed in alignment withV each other and with the portions on the article or crystal where the parts 2| are to be applied. Passageways 1| are provided in the dies 21 to guide the materials 23 in given' paths through the dies.

nected electrically to their respective terminals 11 'and l'18. with this arrangement, either one or both of the heating elements may beemployed depending upon whether or not one or two parts' 2| are to be applied to each side of the article.

The rpunch units 30, shown in detail in Fig.` 9, have carriages 80 apertured to receive bearings 8| (Fig. 5) disposed concentric with the parallel rods 3| for sliding movement of the carriages 80 with their punch `units on the rods relative to the dies 21. The upper end of each carriage has an aperture 82 therein to receive a housing 83 for removable mounting in the carriage where it is normally locked lin place by a pin 84 receivable in an aperture 85. The pin 84 carries a handle laterally projecting pin 88 to limit the distance the pin 84 moves outwardly,

c Hollow pistons 90 (Fig. 9) which in the present embodiment of the invention are modied hy- Vpodermic needles, are supported in parallel positions by members 9| mounted for sliding movement in parallel apertures in the housing. The

members'9| have' collars S2 to abut against a surface 493 of the housing 83 during the punching operation. YInner members 94 are connected at their inner ends to the members 9| and extend through parallel apertures in a cover 95 for the housing where their outer ends are connected to flexible tubes 06, the tubes in turn being connected to a suction supply (not shown) a valve 91 (Fig. 1). The pistons 90 are in 'alignment with their respective cavities 10 Vof the dies 21., the ends of the pistons remaining in the outer portions of the dies during advancement of the materials 23. Springs 90 are -disposed concentric with 'the Iinner members 94 (Fig. r9) between the cover S5 and enlarged ends 99 of V'theinner members 'to provide resilient cushions to .compensate for variations in thickness of the articles and lack of perfect setting of `the operating mechanism for the pistons 90.

The operating mechanism for the pistons 90 constitute means for simultaneouly moving the carriages toward and away from each other is shown mainly in Figs. 1, 2 and 8. This mechanism includes a wheel |00 supported at |0| for rotation in an aperture in the vertical bracket 32 and having eccentric members |02 and |03 iixedly mounted thereon. The members |02 and |03 are cylindrical in general contour with their centersV equally spaced upon substantially diametrically opposite sides of the axis of the wheel |00. The wheel is rotated by the aid of ah'andle |05 and has a recess |06 disposed in its inner surface to register with the spring pressed plunger |01 when the wheel is in its neutral position. A connecting element |08 apertured at |09V to receive the eccentric member |02 extends -beyond its respective carriage 80 Where it is provided with an aperture ||0 to receive an eccentric portion of a connecting member |12. The inner shank 4 of the member ||2 extends into an aperture ||5 in the adjacent carriage 80 and the position of the carriage may be `varied `to vary the position of the punch unit 30 carried thereby relative to its die 21 by rotating the member ||2 until the desired adjustment has been completed after which the member maybe locked in place by a set screw I6.

A connecting element ||8 similar in contour to the connecting' element |08 is provided for. the eccentric member |03 Yhaving an aperture ||9 to receive the eccentric member and an aperture |20 adjacent its outer end to receive a variable connecting mechanism including an eccentric member |22. The inner end of the member |22 extends into an aperture |23 of its respective carriage 80 while the outer end of the eccentric member supports a dial |24 movable relative to apointer on the connecting element ||8 and provided with indications whereby the carriage 80 with its punch unit 30 may be moved measured distances from its punch `ci: Vthearticle to the4 articles disposed in the apparatus.` There are -numerous'sizes of articles or crystals which may receive'theparts 2 in this apparatus.. The various knownjsizes of crystals vary also in thickness,1plus or minus given limitations. Adjustment ofthe eccentric member |24 is made to condition the apparatus for crystals of various sizes and thus various thicknesses, while, the springs 98 in the punch units 30 compensate for the ,plus or minusvariations in thethickness of each crystal. A pointer |25 has its upper end |26 positionedto register with a mark |21 on the wheel |00 whereby the ends of the pistons 90 supporting `the parts 2| may be located in the heating elements 13 prior to their movement on to the article 20.

I 'The mechanism for intermittently feeding the material`23` totliedies `2lf is shown in Figs. 1, 2, 6 and '7; This mechanism is directly responsive to the actuation ofthe punch units 30 or their carriages `80'by the aid of arms |30 extending rearwardly from the carriages' and having notches |3| therein to receive actuating rods |32. The rods |32 have their outer ends extending through apertures in vertical members |33 which cooperate with `the arms |30 in supporting the rods, the vertical members being mounted upon the base 33. Nuts |34 mountedon the outer threaded ends of the rods |32 and adjustable thereon to vary the strokes of the rods in'their reciprocable movements are positioned' to abut against the outerrsurfaces of their vertical members |33. Springs |35 disposed concentric with the rods between the vertical members |33 and nuts |36, threadedly disposed on the rods, normally urge the rods inwardly toward the vertical bracket 32. therein including a groove |39 in one wall of the aperture to slidably support pawl-like members |40-vmounted on the inner ends of the rods |32. Spring pressed plungers |4| are positioned to engage flat surfaces of the pawl members |40 `nor mally urging the pawl members into engagement with their respective ratchets |43. The ratchets |43 are mounted-"upon vertical shafts |44 which are journalled in bearing-like apertures |45 of their bearing brackets |46. Pinions |41 are mounted on the shafts |44 adjacent ytheir sprockets |43 while one of the feed rollers 23 of each'pair is "mounted on the outer end ofits respective shaft, the feed rollers having their peripheries serrated for positive engagement with the materials 23. The other serrated feed rollers 28 are mounted on the outer ends of shafts |5| `parallel with the shafts |44 and journalled in bearing-like apertures |52 of the bearing brackets |46. Pinions |53 mounted on the lower ends of the shafts |5| interengage the pinions |41 to be driven thereby in opposite directions whereby the driving rollers 29 in each p'air will cooperate to advance their materials 23a given distance during each operating cycle of the feedingmechanism. Retaining springs |55 mounted at `|56 (Fig. 2) on their respective bearing The bracket 32 has an aperture |38 6 the feed rollers 28. In the Apresent embodiment of theinvention, the synthetic crystal 20 and its holder 36 is heated to a predetermined temperature in an oven prior to being placed in the apparatus whereby the application of the heated parts 2| to the opposing surfaces thereof will not damage the crystal.' The holder with Athe crystal is placed in its'proper position onthe vertical bracket32, with the main member 31'of the holder ldisposed against the shoulders 40 (Fig. 1). The handle 58 is moved counterclock-l wise (Fig. 5) to move the control nger 56 from engagement with 'the pin 6| into engagement with the pin 60 causing .the eccentric member 49 to free the portions 46 and the movableja'ilvsl 42 to move tothe ieft (Fig. 1') under `the'forces fv their springs-44until the holder is clamped against Vthe shoulders 40. During the loading of the holder with the crystal in the apparatus. the wheel |00 is in its neutral position with' the plunger |01 (Fig. 2) entering the recess |06. The operator then rotates the'wheel causing the eccentric members |02 and |03 to move their connecting elements |08 and ||3 inwardly movev ing thefcairiagesk with their punch units 30 f inwardly simultaneously causing the punches 90 to punch the parts 2| from` thematerials. 23 and move the parts inwardly, supported by the inner ends of the punches due to theexistence of suction in the hollow pistons. The pistons are moved inwardly toward the article until they are positioned in the heatingelements 13 where they remain a given interval of time untilthe adhesive material 24 is heated sufiicientlyto become softened so that it will adhere to the article. The position of the parts 2| on-the ends of the pistons within the heating elementskis determined by the rotation of the wheel |00. (Fig. 8) until the mark |21 registers with the pointer |26. After the length of timehas elapsed `to heat the adhesive material on the parts, continued movement is applied to the Wheel |00 causing continued inward movement of the carriages with their piston units to move the parts into engagement with the opposing surfaces of the crystal or article. c The particular structure of each piston unit 30 is such that when'the ends of the pistons 90 engage the material 23 the springs 98 will be compressed until the shoulders 22 engage their surfaces 93 of the housings 83 providing positive supports for the pistons while punching the parts 2| from the material. This positive action is desirable and necessary vduring the punching of the parts whereas it ispreferr'ed that the pistons be cushioned during the application of the parts to the article. The cushioning means is embodied in the springs 98 which enable lsatisfactory application of the parts to the article without damaging the article. The pistons are` limited in their movement toward the article whereby'the carriages 80 will not move toward each other or toward the article sufficient distances to cause the. surfaces 93 of the housings 83 to engage the shoulders 92.

After the parts 2| have been applied to the article, a reverse movement is applied to the wheel |00 or if desired, the wheel is continued vin the same direction to complete one revolution returning the recess |06 to the plunger H01, thus returning the carriages 80 and the piston units 30 to their normal positions moving the pistons 90` free of their materials 23 for advancement of the material. During outward movement of the piston units 30 the arms |30 will engage 'the 4nuts |36 of the, rods |32 to move the rods desired dis- 7- tances to cause the pawls |40 vto rotate' the ratchets VH13 the distance of one tooth :off-each ratchet, causing rotation of the shafts lil-4 and.. |51 through their connecting pinions l'ixand vI-'53 simultaneously rotating the said feed rollers-28 given distances to advance the materials. 23. The apparatus may be made ready to receive another article with its holder after the present holder andV article are removed therefrom through the actuation of the handle 58 to move the `control finger 5S from engagement with the pin into engagement with the pin El.

' It is to be understood that theabove described arrangements are simply illustrative of the applicatio'n of the principles of the invention. Nu. xnerous other varrangements may be.' readily cle--r vised by those'skilled in the art which will .ein-Y body ythe .principles of the invention and Vfallv within the spirit and scope thereof.

What isclaimed is:

1'. .An-apparatus for punching a part from a material, having an adhesive coating on one sur'- face thereof, and applying the part to an article, the apparatus comprising a die formed to receive the material, Vmeans to support an article adjacent the' die, a punch movable through the' material and the die to the article to punch a part from the material and place it on the article with the adhesive surface adjacent the article, and -a heating uni-t interposed between the die and the'V article adjacent the path of the punch' to heat and thus soften the adhesive coating on the part prior to its application to the article.

2. An apparatus for punching parts from 4maa4 terials having adhesive surfaces and applying the parts to opposing surfaces of an article, the apparatus comprising means to singly hold articles of various thicknesses at a receiving position, dies, to receive materials having adhesive surfaces, disposed at opposite sides of the receiving position, punches for the dies movable through their materials and their dies to their respective sidesof 'the article to punch parts from their materials and place them on the adjacentsurfaces of the article., and a 'mechanism to cause movement of the punches' including relatively adjustable elements to vary'the positions of the punches relative to each other to compensate for the varying thicknesses of the articles whereby the parts punched from the materials will be disposed .on the opposing surfaces of the article substantially simultaneously. ,c l

3. An apparatus for punching parts from ma# terials having adhesive surfaces and .applying the parts to opposingsurfaces of an article, the apparatus comprising means to support an article at .a given position, dies, to receive the rmaterials, disposed at opposite sides of the article, punches for the dies movable through their materials and their dies to their respective sides of the article to punch parts vfrom their materials and place them' on the adjacent surfaces of the article, a mechanismV operable to simultaneously actuate the punches to cause them to punch the parts from the materials and apply the parts singly -to articles .of various thicknesses, and an eccentric element in .the operablemechanism movable to vary the relative movement of the punches 'to' compensate for variations in thev thicknesses' of thev successive articles.

Vand 'apply them to the article, and an eccentric element, included .in the mechanism movable-to' causeyariationin the' position of @ne of thev punches 'relative to the said, given position, to compensate 'for the. thickness of the article whereby" the punches will apply their parts to theirlresp'ective surfaces of the article simultaneously.

.5. An apparatus for punching parts from a strip -of :solder .having an adhesive material on one surface thereof and applying the solder parts to `articles whereby terminals may be'soldered to the articles, the apparatus comprising a die, means to guide the solder strip-adjacent the die, means to support thearticies singly at a given position relative to the die, a `hollow .punch movable-throughthe vsolder and adhesive material and .through the die to punch a part from the solder and material and force it into close engagementvrlth the article to cause the material of the. part to adhere thereto, means to create a suction in the punch to hold the part on the end thereof'until it is disposed in engagement with the article, and a heating element inter-A posed. between the die and the article adjacent thepathof thepunch to heat and thereby soften the adhesive material before it reaches the article.

#6:.' apparatus for punchingl parts from strips of.. solder having adhesive materials on given surfaces thereof and applying; the .parts to opposing surfaces of articles whereby terminals may-be soldered to the said. surfaces of the ,articles, the apparatus comprising spaced dies, means to feed the strips to the dies, means .interposed `between the dies to support the articles at .given'positions relative to the dies, hollow punches, means to vcreate a suction therein, and

4. 'An apparatus for punching parts from ma- Y parts l*to opposing surface of articles of varioustl'iickne'sses disposed in like `holders each having a mechanism operable to moveV the punches through the 4solder andadhesive materials of the strips and through the dies to punch parts from thestrips and force them into close engagement with the opposing surfaces of the supported article to cause the materials of the V,parts to adhere thereto.' Q Y f1. Ari apparatus for Lpunching parts from Strips of solderhaving adhesive materials on given surfaces thereof and applying the parts to opposing surfaces of articles of varying thicknesses where by terminals'may `be soldered to the Vsaid surfaces of jtheV articles, the apparatus comprising spaced dies;'means to `feed the strips to the dies, means4 interposed between the dies to support the articlesa't given positions relative to the dies, hollow punches, means to create a suction therein, a mechanism operable `to move the punches through the solder and adhesive materials of thestrips and Athrough the 'dies to punch parts from the strips and force theml into close engagementwith the lolfpsing surfaces of the supported article `to caus'efthematerial's of the parts to adhereithereto,

and resilient elements in the operable mechanism to cause movement of the punches varied dis tances toward the article to compensate for artcles of varied thicknesses.

ARMEN FERMANIAN. GEORGE W. SODERMAN. WILLIAM J. WORKMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

Number 10 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Kempshall Dec. 2:9, 1914 MacDonald Mar. 1, 1927 Cohn Aug. 8, 1933 Perryman Mar. 19, 1935 Krause Mar. 219, 1938 Johnston June 2:2, 1943

Images