Abstract: A transfer device permits different moving sequences of holding devices for sheet metal parts which are to be moved through a metal-forming machine. The holding devices are fastened to carriages. The carriages are cam-guided, in which case carriage carries out a transfer movement from a working stage to an idle stage while taking along a sheet metal part. The return movement is interrupted in an intermediate position during the deforming operation of the sheet metal parts. The carriage carries out a transfer movement from the idle stage to a working stage and a return movement which is temporarily interrupted in an intermediate stage. As a result of the low-mass construction of carriages, high accelerations are possible in the movements. The transfer movements are shortened significantly by the use of intermediate depositing devices in the idle stages.

Abstract: A sewing machine which is used with manual feed movement of a sewing material has a holding device for the material that is effective during the first phases of stitching of a seam section, by which the first thread knot is held from becoming undone when short thread ends and a large feed movement are used. In a first embodiment, the holding device includes a holding foot, by a drive mechanism in addition to a presser foot which is periodically moved up and down by a drive mechanism, and a controllable drive for the holding foot. In a second embodiment, the holding device includes a presser foot, a compression spring and a decoupling mechanism by which the presser foot can be disconnected from its drive mechanism.

Abstract: An arrangement that is independent of a press for physically simulating the actual movements of transfer rails of a multi-stage press and for reducing periods of stoppage of multi-stage presses during the tool change and the connected setting up of tools, of gripping devices and of the movements of the transfer rails. The arrangement includes a program control for the sequences of movements employing values optimally adjusted at the arrangement, for the adjusting measurements, the acceleration and speed values of the transfer rails, for the tool automation and the active gripper operation which are scanned using program-technology and are processed into a cycle of movements that can be transmitted to the multi-stage press.

Abstract: With workpieces to be drawn, especially large-area body parts or sinks, the possibilities of tearing the walls, respectively, undulated surface structure exists within the area of the corner formation. The present invention is therefore predicated on the concept to match the support pressure to the shaping of the workpiece in the different abutment areas thereof. A number of pressure cylinders fixedly installed in the press table serve for that purpose, whose piston rods are adapted to be to displaced in the vertical direction by way of a pressure plate acting in unison on all piston rods. The piston rods acting on the other end of the support are lowerable under the ram movement against the controllable pressure differing in the pressure chambers by way of valves.

Abstract: A method for approaching a predeterminable end point of a seam spaced from the edge of a workpiece, with a sewing machine which comprises an adjustable needle and lower transport, a sensor arranged before the needle and triggering the process for the positioning of the needle in the end point during passage through the edge, a pulse generator coupled with the main shaft of the sewing machine for the delivery of counting pulses for a pulse counter, and a micro-computer which controls the action of the feed means as a function of the pulses originating from the sensor and from the pulse generator. To execute a desired shortening of the length of one or more of the last stitches before the end point of a seam, the workpiece is moved back by the difference between the desired stitch length and the stitch length set by the setting device, before execution of the adjusted feed.

Abstract: A numerically controlled groove-stamping machine which includes an indexing unit rotatable stepwise by means of a positioning drive about a rotational axis as a function of a stroke of a punch of the groove-stamping machine. The indexing unit is adapted to be driven, in a stepwise fashion, in two intersecting directions running at right angles to the rotational axis. A numerically controlled automatic multiple tool set is provided with the set being equipped with, for example, a stator groove and cut-off tool, a rotor groove tool, and vent hole tools. The tools of the multiple tool set, in accordance with the work steps to be executed, are adapted to be brought into engagement in an individually controllable manner.

Abstract: A circuit or control arrangement for an adjusting drive of a press ram of a high-speed cutting press which includes top and bottom dies respectively attached to the press ram and a platen of the press with the top die being adapted to dip or penetrate during a cutting process into the bottom die. An arrangement is provided for maintaining the depth of penetration of the upper die means into the lower die means to a constant value in dependence upon an operating condition of the high-speed cutting press. The maintaining arrangement may include at least one limit switch operatively connected with an oscillator stage which provides adjusting signals to the drive motor. In lieu of a limit switch, a cutting force measuring sensor member may be interconnected with an evaluator circuit and the oscillator means so as to control the drive motor.

Abstract: Automatic sliding apparatus is provided for automatically stamping stator and rotor laminations for electric motors from workpiece blanks. To accommodate utilization of a plurality of sets of tool dies on a single driveable press ram, a tool changing device is provided which includes a tool holder guide track for movably guiding the tool holder along a straight guide path in a plane at a tangent to the workpieces to be machined. With the plurality of tool die sets mounted at the linearly guided tool holder, tool exchanges can be effected simply and automatically, utilizing a linear drive mechanism for moving the respective tool die sets along the frame of the tool holder.

Abstract: In conventional methods for welding can bodies along their longitudinal seams, high frequency substantially rectangular a.c. currents are used for the welding current to avoid the problem of arcing found in d.c. welders. However, the high frequency a.c. current causes an undesirable degree of heating which produces eddy currents and necessitates cooling equipment. To overcome this problem, a method of producing can bodies welded along their longitudinal seam is provided in which the length of a half wave of the substantially rectangular welding current is matched in length and concurrent with the amount of time required for a can body to pass between the welding electrodes.

Abstract: In control drives for high speed blanking presses, a serious problem of excessive tool wear arises from increases in the immersion depth of a top tool into its associated bottom tool when the stroke frequency increases. To overcome this, a control drive is provided wherein the top tool is held at a substantially constant immersion depth in the opening in the bottom tool over the entire stroke frequency range of the press. A measuring instrument detects the stroke frequency. This detected frequency is fed into a control circuit programmed with a characteristic corresponding to either immersion depth or ram adjustment as a function of stroke frequency. The output of the control circuit is a control signal coupled to a drive motor to maintain the constant immersion depth.

Abstract: A circuit or control arrangement for an adjusting drive of a press ram of a high-speed cutting press which includes top and bottom dies respectively attached to the press ram and a platen of the press with the top die being adapted to dip or penetrate during a cutting process into the bottom die. An arrangement is provided for maintaining the depth of penetration of the upper die means into the lower die means at a constant value in dependence upon an operating condition of the high-speed cutting press. The maintaining arrangement may include at least one limit switch operatively connected with an oscillator stage which provides adjusting signals to the drive motor. In lieu of a limit switch, a cutting force measuring sensor member may be interconnected with an evaluator circuit and the oscillator means so as to control the drive motor.

Abstract: In loading a press, it is desirable to provide a loading device which can be driven independently of the main driving means of the press and which causes a minimum of surface damage to the blanks being loaded into the press. To achieve this, gripper elements are provided which are coupled to adjustable drive systems controlled by a numerical control unit. The gripper elements are capable of motion in at least two planes perpendicular to each other to remove devices from the stack and carry them along a preselected path into a tool chamber of the press.

Abstract: In unloading a press, it is desirable to provide automatic unloading without the need for operators, even in situations requiring a definite stacking order in containers located next to the press. To achieve this automatic unloading, extraction grippers and a carrier frame are provided which can be moved in three directions which are at right angles to each other by servo drives controlled by a continuous-path numerical control unit.

Abstract: In a battery-operated electric release device for fire-arms having an electronic switch 11 arranged in line between a first capacitor 8 and an electromagnet 9. The battery 3 is connected to the capacitor with no additional mechanically operated switch arranged therebetween. The electronic switch 11 is fired by discharge of a second capacitor 14 through a trigger controlled mechanical switch 15. The second capacitor 14 is provided with a voltage divider 12, 13 so that its charging time is greater than that of the first capacitor 8, whereby the fire arm cannot be prematurely discharged.

Abstract: In automated systems such as press lines or related systems, a control circuit is typically designed to be intrinsically safe in acting on actuators which trigger movements of the presses. The actuators and/or the power amplifiers preceding them are connected to a load voltage supply circuit. In order to prevent unplanned movements during setting-up operations, when the safety circuits are partially disabled, which movements could be caused by a failure (e.g. fusing of a semiconductor component), the actuators and/or the power amplifiers preceding them are driven by the control circuit and are connected to the load voltage supply circuit by means of control keys, which trigger planned movements, via at least one zero-voltage-protected switching element.

Abstract: In automated press systems it is desirable to be able to control the actuators of an automation system associated with the press based on the speed of the press. To accomplish this, a circuit arrangement is provided which includes a pulse generator for producing a coded signal indicating the position of the press based on a press speed signal. An evaluation circuit having a parallel arrangement of a converter and a process control circuit receives these coded position signals. The outputs of the converter and process control circuit control the actuators of the automation system through pulse converters and positioning control circuits (e.g. speed and position control loops). Information as to the number of press strokes is also provided to the pulse converters through a generator. The converter can be an electronic curve shaper which controls the actuators when the press ram is moving, while the process control circuit can be a CNC control circuit which controls the actuators when the press ram is stopped.

Abstract: In press line operations, a workpiece conveyor device is necessary to carry workpieces from one press to another. Preferably, this conveyor should be readily removable for repairs, adaptable to a large number of presses, and readily reprogrammable to adapt to a variety of workpieces. To achieve this, a conveyor is provided having a cross member mounted on a movable carriage which moves along a track on a frame bridging the intermediate space between two presses. Horizontal movement of the carriage along the track, vertical movement of the cross member on the carriage, and movement of a positioning device for the workpieces is provided by setting drives controlled by a continuous-path numerical control unit. For repairs, the entire frame can be moved out of the intermediate space in a direction at a right angle to the direction of workpiece travel.

Abstract: An arrangement for notching or slotting circular blanks so as to produce stacks of rotor and/or stator laminations for electric machines. At least one slotting machine is provided which in a first direction is adjustable radially with respect to a spatially fixed axis of rotation of a blank support table by way of a separate adjusting drive. The support table for the blanks, constructed as an indexing apparatus, may be driven by a numerically controlled adjusting drive. The at least one slotting machine is movable in a second direction at right angles to the first direction by way of a further adjusting drive. The stacks of lamination produced by the punching arrangement may include spiral slots or notches as well as oblique slots or notches enabling the production of special motors having a cone or tapered armature.

Abstract: A speed controlling arrangement and method for a mechanical press. The press has a crankshaft revolution which can be subdivided in principle into a discharging and charging region and a working region with the speed of the mechanical press being controlled between a maximum admissible speed and a minimum possible speed. The speed of travel of the press ram is controlled so that the speed of the press ram during the press discharging and charging region permits a safe discharging and charging of the press. During the working region, the press ram travels at a maximum permissible speed such that a stoppage of the press between the discharging and charging region and the working region is unnecessary.

Abstract: A drive arrangement for a mechanically driven press with the press including at least one drive shaft mounted in a press frame and at least one eccentric or crank arranged on the drive shaft with a clutch being operatively connected to the drive shaft for permitting a press stroke operation upon engagement of the clutch. At least two hydraulic brakes are provided for braking the press between press strokes and a two system hydraulic circuit is provided for controlling the operation of the clutch and the at least two brakes.