Armco Steel Company, L.p.

Other

Aquaform, Inc.

Price Enterprises

Wallace Expanding Machines, Inc.

The General Tire & Rubber Company

Ak Steel Corporation

Graph-tech, Inc.

L.p. & Price Enterprises, Ltd.

Redox Technology Group, LLC

Ralph E Roper

Gary A Webb

Douglas W Tyger

Anthony J Kriech

Gary Joel Meyer

Donald F Lowen

Thomas P Mccullough

A gas spring includes an outer tube; a base plate; a head plate; an inner tube mounted to extend between the head plate and the base plate; a piston/rod assembly mounted to reciprocate vertically in the inner tube between a retracted, compressed position and an extended, rest position; a valve ring coaxially mounted around the rod to reciprocate between the main piston and head plate; a primary gas chamber; a relief chamber; seals for preventing fluid flow from the primary and relief chambers; a passageway providing communication between the primary gas chamber and relief chamber; and, valve apparatus for controlling fluid flow between the primary and relief chambers. The valve apparatus operates to open and close the fluid flow as a function of the position and direction of travel of the piston/rod assembly.

Soft-start, soft-return gas spring

A draw die operable within a straightside press includes a lower die shoe with a lower die; pressurized lift cylinders each having an upwardly extending piston rod and an axial resistance to compression; a generally ring-shaped cushion defining a central hole and a plurality of lock beads extending upwardly in spaced-apart relation surrounding the central hole, wherein the cushion surrounds the punch, is sized and configured to support a blank atop the beads and over the punch for draw forming the blank over the punch, and is supported by the lift cylinders; a plurality of cushion units held by the shoe and each having an upwardly extending piston rod and an axial resistance to compression; an upper die defining a second stamping shape which mates with the first stamping shape; a plurality of hydraulic shock absorbers held by the upper die and having an axial resistance to compression and a piston rod that extends downwardly toward the cushion. A ram mechanism moves the upper die downwardly where the shock absorbers engage the cushion and accelerate it downwardly, depressing the lift cylinders somewhat. Upon further downward movement of the upper die and cushion, the cushion cylinders become engaged and offer sufficient resistance as they are depressed to bind a blank between upper die and cushion and to draw form the blank between the two dies. After reaching the bottom of the stroke, the upper die retracts upwardly, along with the cushion lifted by the lift cylinders, but the pistons rods of the self-contained cushion units are delayed in their upward return by an internal valving system.

Apparatus and method for cushioning the action of draw dies operating in

A method and apparatus for forming complex shaped frame members from a tubular blank where the blank is transferred from station to station and various tooling are performed on the blank at each station. For example, at a first station the blank is expanded into a tube having a varying cross-section throughout the length of the tube by applying pressure to the interior of the tube and compressive force to the opposed ends of the tube preferably simultaneously. At another station, the expanded tube is preformed by introducing a bend therein. The bend in the preformed tube is then increased at another station. While the expanded tube is being preformed and bent, the flow of material into the die cavity at those stations is controlled to reduce the amount of folding that may occur. The shape of the frame member is finished at another station by introducing a lateral bend and varying the cross-sectional configuration of the bent tube. Holes may then be pierced into the finished frame member at another station by pressurizing the interior of the frame member with hydraulic fluid and striking the frame member with a piercing punch. Final stations crop the ends and flush the interior of the frame member before it is unloaded for further transport.

Apparatus and method for forming and hydropiercing a tubular frame member

An apparatus for forming a frame member for an automobile from a tube blank applies internal hydraulic pressure to the blank, tangent bends and preforms the internally pressurized blank into a preformed tube having a desired horizontal profile configuration, then forms the preformed tube into a finally formed frame member having a desired vertical profile configuration and a desired, varying cross-sectional configuration by placing the preformed tube in a stuffing ledge apparatus having a lower die with an upwardly facing ledge and vertically extending, punch engaging surfaces and a punch having a downwardly facing ledge and vertically extending, die engaging surfaces, internally pressurizing the tube, and then ramming the punch downwardly to form the tube into the finally formed frame member, the ledges and vertically extending surfaces substantially completely enclosing a portion of the tube before and while the punch and die come together to form the tube into the finally formed frame member. The forming components in each apparatus are submerged in an aqueous bath, allowing the blank and tube to automatically fill themselves, thereby facilitating sealing and pressurizing of the tube.

Apparatus and method for forming a tubular frame member

An apparatus for bending a tube blank having an outer diameter, comprising: an inner bending die having an arcuate outer surface which has a first radius from an axis; a wiper shoe having an inner surface, said shoe disposed and adapted to trap a tube blank between said inner surface and said outer surface; holding means for holding a first portion of the blank against said inner die; limiting means for limiting movement of said shoe to rolling about an arc around said axis, said arc having a second radius from said axis which is approximately between said first radius and said first radius plus said diameter; and, moving means for moving said shoe around said axis, and around the blank thereby bending a second portion of the blank around said outer surface; and sealing and pressurizing means for sealing the blank and for hydraulically pressurizing the interior of the blank to a sufficient pressure to allow moving means to bend a second portion of the blank around said outer surface, said pressurized liquid acting like a flexible mandrel to ensure uniform, non-buckling deformation of the tube, substantially without distorting the cross section of the second portion.

Apparatus for forming a tubular frame member

A self-contained apparatus for forming metal sheet is adapted for operation within a standard double action press having a base and outer and inner vertically reciprocating slides. A basic die is mountable to the press and specific tooling is replaceably mountable to the basic die. The basic die includes a riser, a manifold and hydraulic cylinder assemblies. A sheet metal blank is positioned on the lower die and is clamped between the upper and lower dies whereby the periphery of the blank is gripped between a male and female bead mounted all around a part print cavity. The cylinder assemblies cause hydraulic fluid to be forced into a region between the clamped blank and the lower die and form the blank in the part print cavity. The male bead exerts varying control on the sheet to allow it to stretch across portions of the cavity while flowing into other portions of the cavity. A locking mechanism prevents the bending of the dies and holds the dies in a closed position thereby assisting the engagement of the male bead with the female bead. As a safety feature, the mechanism is configured to automatically open when the die cavity is moved up. The locking mechanism allows the use of high pressures to make large parts, such as car hoods, doors, deck lids, and quarter panels in conventional double action presses.

Controlled material flow hydroforming

An apparatus and method for forming a one-piece, complex-shaped tubular member from a tubular blank is provided. The tubular blank is placed in a die cavity defining a tube having at least two expanded portions and a bend therein. As the die cavity is closed around the tubular blank to form the bend, the interior of the tubular blank is pressurized to expand the tubular blank into the at least two expanded portions defined by the die cavity. When the bent and expanded tubular blank is removed from the die cavity, the ends of the tubular blank are cropped to form the finished tubular member.

Apparatus and method for forming a tubular member

A self-contained apparatus for forming metal sheet is adapted for operation within a standard double action press having a base and outer and inner vertically reciprocating slides and includes a basic die mountable to the press and specific tooling replaceably mountable to the basic die. The basic die includes an upper shoe mountable to the outer slide, a reservoir pan mounted atop the base, and hydraulic cylinder assemblies mounted with the pan and mechanically actuatable by the inner slide for providing pressurized fluid to the specific tooling. The specific tooling includes mating upper and lower dies connected to the upper shoe and base, respectively, and movable between open and closed positions. A sheet metal blank positioned upon the lower die is wrapped around the lower die as the upper die is moved down to a closed position by the outer slide, the blank being clamped between the upper and lower dies whereby the periphery of the blank is securely gripped by gripper steels mounted all around a part print cavity in the upper die. The outer slide then dwells while the inner slide moves down, engaging and actuating the cylinder assemblies, causing hydraulic fluid to be forced into a region between the clamped blank and the lower die, the blank being 100% stretch formed into the part print cavity defined in the upper die.

Apparatus and method for hydroforming sheet metal

A sheet metal blank positioned upon a lower die is wrapped around an upper die as the upper die is moved down to a closed position by an outer slide, the blank being clamped between the upper and lower dies whereby the periphery of the blank is gripped between a male and female bead mounted all around a part print cavity in the upper and lower dies, respectively. The outer slide then dwells while an inner slide moves down, engaging and actuating cylinder assemblies, causing hydraulic fluid to be forced into a region between the clamped blank and the lower die, the blank being formed into a part print cavity defined in the upper die. The male bead exerts varying control on the sheet to allow it to stretch across portions of the cavity while flowing into other portions of the cavity. A locking mechanism prevents the bending of the dies and holds the dies in a closed position thereby assisting the engagement of the male bead with the female bead. As a safety feature, the mechanism is configured to automatically open when the die cavity is moved up. The locking mechanism allows the use of high pressures to make large parts, such as car hoods, doors, deck lids, and quarter panels in conventional currently available double action presses.

A self-contained apparatus for forming metal sheet is adapted for operation within a standard double action press having a base and outer and inner vertically reciprocating slides and includes a basic die mountable to the press and specific tooling replaceably mountable to the basic die. The basic die includes an upper shoe mountable to the outer slide, a lower shoe mountable atop the base and hydraulic cylinder assemblies connected to the lower shoe and mechanically actuatable by the inner slide for providing pressurized fluid to the specific tooling. The specific tooling includes mating upper and lower dies connected to the corresponding upper and lower shoes and movable between open and closed positions. A sheet metal blank positioned upon the lower die is wrapped around the lower die as the upper die is moved down to a closed position by the outer slide, the blank being clamped between the upper and lower dies whereby the periphery of the blank is securely gripped by gripper steels mounted all around a part print cavity in the upper die. The outer slide then dwells while the inner slide moves down, engaging and actuating the cylinder assemblies, causing hydraulic fluid to be forced into a region between the clamped blank and the lower die, the blank being 100% stretch formed into the part print cavity defined in the upper die.

An apparatus and method relating to an improved die for homogeneously stretch forming sheet metal in standard sized presses without also drawing the sheet metal. The die is comprised of complementary male and female die halves moveable between open and closed positions, and a blank holder member moveable between open and closed positions relative to the female die half. A pair of grippers having mutually facing surfaces is carried by the female die half and the blank holder member. One of the gripper surfaces defines exactly two rectangular shaped beads which extend entirely around the circumference of the male and female die halves, while the other of the gripper surfaces is flat. The beads are equally spaced apart along their lengths and each includes a pair of relatively sharp edges for biting into the sheet metal.

Growing community of inventors

Indianapolis, IN, United States of America

Ralph E Roper