Abstract: A transparent sleeve made of impact-resistant plastic is fitted removably around the angularly spaced stripper fingers of a punch press and encloses the spaces between the fingers to prevent parts of the punch from flying out through such spaces in the event the punch should break.

Abstract: Small and regularly shaped holes are formed in a workpiece by the punch of a punch press while large and irregularly shaped holes are formed by a plasma-arc torch attached to the punch press. Fumes and molten metal resulting from operation of the torch are directed into an upright duct which underlies the workpiece, the upper end of the duct engaging the workpiece to prevent deformation thereof. When the punch is operating, the upper end of the duct is retracted downwardly to provide clearance for movable clamps which grip and position the workpiece.Additional fumes are collected in and sucked from a shroud which encloses the tip of the torch and which carries a collar for establishing the stand-off height of the torch.

Abstract: Punch presses are positioned for punching holes at selected vertical locations in the flanges of I-beams, angle irons and channels by apparatus which utilizes a movable probe to determine the initial position of the presses and which further utilizes a reversible counter and a comparator to stop the presses after they have moved a selected distance from their initial position.

Abstract: A stylus is mounted on a carriage which also supports a work plate adapted to be positioned beneath a punch. When the punch first strikes the work plate, the stylus is automatically retracted out of a hole in a template so as to free the carriage to shift forwardly in unison with the work plate as the punch continues through the plate.

Abstract: A punch press in which pressure fluid which is introduced into a chamber is used to press a stripper against a workpiece and also to retract a piston which carries a punch. The pressure of the pressure fluid in the chamber is maintained at a substantially constant but selectively adjustable magnitude.

Abstract: A punch press for producing duplicate piece parts from workpiece blanks includes a C-shaped frame supporting an actuator operable to reciprocate a movable tool element toward and away from a fixed tool element to punch holes in an intervening workpiece blank. The latter is clamped to a carriage for movement between the tool elements within a punching area and the carriage is supported on a movable bed which, in turn, is supported on a worktable mounted separately of the press frame. The bed is slidably mounted for movement in an x direction while the carriage is slidably mounted on the bed for movement in a y direction thereby enabling x, y movement of the blank to position it in the punching area. Located on the table adjacent the punching area is a duplicating area within which a first piece part is clamped to the table in a predetermined position with respect to the fixed tool element.

Abstract: The punch is surrounded by a tubular housing carrying a stripper plate and having a hinged door which is latched closed unless the punch is retracted to a tool change position. In addition, means sense the position of the door and prevent automatic cycling of the punch if the door is not closed. To adjust the stripper plate vertically, provision is made of compactly nested threaded rings and, to orient the punch angularly, provision is made of an adjusting mechanism which acts on a rod projecting from the upper end of a hydraulic cylinder and connected to a downwardly projecting ram for reciprocating the punch.