Abstract: An I-beam section traveling from the apparatus in which it is fabricated is cut on the fly by a die set or shear which is moved with the I-beam. The cut is effected by a stepped blade having a leading cutting edge and a trailing cutting edge, the latter being in the same plane but laterally offset from the former. The cut proceeds at a 45.degree. angle to the plane of the web and flanges. The leading edge enters the I-beam at the middle of the web and cuts the remainder of the web and the lower flange. The trailing blade edge engages the margin of the upper flange and cuts through this flange and the remainder of the web. The cutting blade is mounted on a reciprocable upper shoe and the I-beam is fed through structure mounted on the lower shoe which has an opening for the I-beam to pass with considerable clearance. Inserts mounted on the lower shoe underlie the web and flanges of the I-beam to support the beam during the cut.

Abstract: A tube cutoff apparatus of the shear knife type is provided with an improved knife holder to reduce the likelihood of fracture. The knife holder and the tube clamping jaws are formed to provide a nesting relationship at the full cut position which increases the blade penetration depth without sacrificing blade support.

Abstract: A tubing cutoff die having a horizontally moving scarfing blade and a vertically moving cutoff blade. The tubing being cut off is held in clamping jaws movably mounted on the lower die shoe of the die and actuated by a cam extending from the upper die shoe. The scarfing blade is also mounted for horizontal reciprocation on the lower shoe and actuated by another cam fixed to the upper shoe. The cutoff blade is mounted on the upper die shoe. The two die shoes are reciprocably connected by post and bushing arrangements. There are three of these disposed so that the centerlines are at three of the corners of a rectangle. One of the clamping jaws is mounted on a holder reciprocably mounted on the lower die shoe and the other jaw is mounted on a second holder reciprocably mounted on the first holder. The mounting for the cutoff block provides for either of two rigidly located positions, for different tubing sizes, and the scarfing blade is also adjustable.

Abstract: A press adapted to operate dies such as tubing cutoff dies through a lightweight ram mounted on a parallelogram linkage for oscillating motion rather than for the usual reciprocating motion on a slide. The ram linkage is operated through a crankshaft and connecting rod by a motor, clutch, brake and flywheel. The machine is compact and uses radial bearings rather than slide bearings to guide the ram. The crankshaft and drive mechanism for the ram linkage is conveniently and accessibly located.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing die jaw inserts for tube cutoff apparatus. The method comprises the steps of fabricating a pair of die jaw blanks; finish processing the blanks; and subsequently forming the clamping aperture by means of electrical discharge machining of the die jaw insert. An apparatus for performing the method is disclosed.