Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for pressing and binding voluminous material into bales, in which material in the form of several layers is supplied through a closable opening into a pressing chamber where compression takes place of each supplied layer. Final pressing is carried out at high pressure after a desired number of layers have been supplied into the pressing chamber, whereafter the pressing effect is lowered to a substantially lower pressure, so that the material compressed into a bale is permitted to expand, and the bale thereafter is discharged from said pressing chamber through a closable opening and bound while said substantially lower pressure is being maintained.

Abstract: A workpiece turning device is provided for an automated press train of the type where workpieces are turned after being withdrawn from a working chamber of a press and are then subsequently fed to a further press. The turning device includes separately movable gripper arms for clamping a workpiece therebetween, as well as a rotary unit for rotating the gripper arms as a unit about an axis parallel to the plane of clamping movement. In preferred embodiments the gripper arms are actuated by piston-cylinder units connected to a pressure source by a rotatable connection.

Abstract: This invention relates to punch presses having a transfer die and a work transfer mechanism for advancing individual workpieces progressively through successive tooling stations of such die at high speed comprising dual intermittent-feed transfer bars slidingly mounted for rotary movement and lifting of said workpieces off the tooling stations of said die, and associated clampbars which retain each workpiece on the transfer bars by free retention of the edges of the workpiece during transfer movement, and which transfer bars deposit said workpieces at the next successive tooling station by rotary movement to release the lifting support of each workpiece from below the same and from the free-retention clamping thereof from above in readiness for the next tooling operation.

Abstract: A press line system in which there is provided a series of individually driven presses arranged in a line and each having a work loading means and an unloader and in which each of said presses is fed with a workpiece by activation of its associated loading means. As the loading means returns to its initial position, a signal is generated for operating the press for a stroke of operation. After the stroke of operation has been completed, a further signal is generated for actuating the unloader associated with the press for discharging the work from the press.