Press for shaping pellets in a restricted and hostile environment and method for assembling the press

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10112358-B2
Application number	US-201515313428-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2015
Priority date	May 27, 2014
Publication date	Oct 30, 2018
Grant date	Oct 30, 2018

Abstract

A uniaxial press for shaping pellets by compressing powder in a die by punches. The uniaxial press can be used in a restricted and hostile environment and includes small modules that can pass separately through narrow openings, the modules being assembled by placing over columns and by screwing, therefore by remote handling in the confined space where the press is to operate without requiring any further intervention. The actuation is generally exclusively electromechanical.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A press comprising:
a die in which pellets are shaped by compression;
a first upper punch and a second lower punch, the upper punch and the lower punch being aligned with the die and penetrating the die by opposite ends of the die to compress the pellets and extract the pellets from the die;
a lower platen to which the lower punch is fastened;
parallel columns, also fastened to the lower platen;
a die platen and an upper punch platen to which the die and the upper punch are respectively fastened, and which are slidingly placed onto the columns;
an upper motor displacing the upper punch platen and a lower motor displacing the die platen by actuating parts;
wherein the actuating parts of the motors are joined to the die platen and to the upper punch platen by detachable connections comprising screws,
the upper punch is joined to the upper punch platen by detachable connections comprising screws,
the lower punch is joined to the lower platen by detachable connections comprising screws, and
the actuating part of the lower motor comprises a knuckle connector joined to the die platen and to an actuating rod of the lower motor, the actuating rod being at a non-zero angle with the columns.

2. The press according to claim 1 , further comprising an upper platen fastened to the columns, opposite to the lower platen along the columns and carrying the upper motor.

3. The press according to claim 2 , wherein the lower motor is carried by the lower platen.

4. The press according to claim 3 , wherein the lower motor is carried by the lower platen by a lateral support joined to a peripheral face of the lower platen by a detachable connection comprising screws.

5. The press according to claim 1 , wherein the die is part of a die block detachable from a complementary part of the die platen and fastened to the complementary part by a slider connection and a detachable connection comprising screws.

6. The press according to claim 5 , further comprising a movable support to which the die block, the lower punch, and the upper punch are detachably joined by screws, the screws and the movable support being withdrawn at an operational state of the press.

7. The press according to claim 1 , wherein the upper punch, the actuating part of the upper motor and the upper punch include shoulders for bearing on the die platen and the lower platen, and the press comprises flanges pressing on the shoulders and screwed to the die platen and to the lower platen.

8. The press according to claim 1 , wherein the columns are screwed to the lower platen.

9. The press according to claim 1 , wherein the lower platen is laid on a fixed bracket by a pivot connection and joined to the bracket by a locking connection.

10. The press according to claim 2 , wherein the upper platen is retained between shoulders of the columns and detachable nuts screwed to threaded ends of the columns.

11. The press according to claim 1 , wherein the lower motor and the upper motor are electric.

12. The press according to claim 11 , wherein the lower motor and the upper motor are connected to the actuating parts by mechanisms transforming a rotational movement strain into a translational movement strain.

13. The press according to claim 1 , further comprising a filling module of the die, the filling module comprising a support assembled to the die platen by screws, a piece movable with respect to the platen and sliding on the die platen and comprising a bore, and a feed duct, the bore being disposed to pass under the feed duct and on the die during displacements of the movable piece.

14. The press according to claim 13 , wherein the movable piece comprises a mouth at one end, passing on the die and in front of a spout for discharging the pellets shaped during the displacements of the movable piece.

15. The press according to claim 13 , wherein the movable piece comprises a lubricant injector passing on the die during the displacements of the movable piece.

16. The press according to claim 13 , further comprising a loading module, comprising a tip screwed to an upper part of the feed duct, a funnel hinged to the tip about an axis, the funnel comprises a recess intersecting the axis, and means for attaching filling bowls on an opening of a passageway of the funnel.

17. The press according to claim 1 , further comprising a needle sliding in the lower punch and penetrating the die.

18. The press according to claim 17 , wherein the needle is suspended to the die platen by tie beams and a cross bar joining the tie beams, and the lower punch comprises a recess through which the cross bar extends and in which it is movable.

19. The press according to claim 1 , wherein the die comprises distinct sectors and a sheath surrounding the sectors, the sheath being translationally movable, the sheath and the sectors being joined at a conical interface.

20. A method for assembling a press including: a die in which pellets are shaped by compression; a first upper punch and a second lower punch, the upper punch and the lower punch being aligned with the die and penetrating the die by opposite ends of the die to compress the pellets and extract them from the die; a lower platen to which the lower punch is fastened; parallel columns, also fastened to the lower platen; a die platen and an upper punch platen to which the die and the upper punch are respectively fastened, and which are slidingly placed onto the columns; an upper motor displacing the upper punch platen and a lower motor displacing the die platen by actuating parts; wherein the actuating parts of the motors are joined to the die platen and to the upper punch platen by detachable connections comprising screws, the upper punch is joined to the upper punch platen by detachable connections comprising screws, the lower punch is joined to the lower platen by detachable connections comprising screws and the actuating part of the lower motor includes a knuckle connector joined to the die platen and to an actuating rod of the lower motor, the actuating rod being at a non-zero angle with the columns, the method comprising:
separately introducing modules making of the press in a space where a hostile medium prevails through passageways connecting the space to an external medium; and
assembling the modules in the space by remote handlers exclusively.

21. The assembling method according to claim 20 , wherein the lower platen, the upper punch platen, and the die platen belong to some of the modules, all different from the press.

22. The assembling method according to claim 21 , wherein the upper motor, the lower motor, and the columns, the knuckle connector, the die block, the filling module and the loading module belong to some other modules, all different from the press.

23. The assembling method according to claim 20 , wherein the assembly is exclusively performed by sliding movements, screwing, and inserting and removing temporary spacers.

Assignees

• Commissariat Energie Atomique
• Champalle

Inventors

• Bayle Jean-Philippe
• Moyer Patrick
• Brenneis Christophe
• Gosset Patrik
• Baptiste Patrick
• Lager Didier

Classifications

• B22F3/03

  Press-moulding apparatus therefor · CPC title

• B30B11/02 Primary

  using a ram exerting pressure on the material in a moulding space · CPC title

• B30B15/304 Primary

  by using feed frames or shoes with relative movement with regard to the mould or moulds · CPC title

• B30B15/026

  Mounting of dies, platens or press rams · CPC title

• B30B15/045

  Mountings of press columns · CPC title