Conversion press end retaining bar assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10898940-B2
Application number	US-201916273507-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2019
Priority date	Feb 12, 2019
Publication date	Jan 26, 2021
Grant date	Jan 26, 2021

Abstract

A retainer assembly includes a retaining member assembly and a motion assembly. The retaining member assembly is structured to selectively retain at least one shell in a transfer belt assembly belt recess. The retaining member assembly includes a retaining member. The motion assembly is structured to move the retaining member between a first position, wherein the retaining member is spaced from the transfer belt assembly transfer belt, and, a second position, wherein the retaining member is disposed a retaining distance from the transfer belt assembly transfer belt.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A retainer assembly for a conversion press, said conversion press including an upper tooling assembly, a lower tooling assembly, and a transfer belt assembly, wherein said upper tooling assembly is structured to move between a first position, wherein said upper tooling assembly is spaced from said lower tooling assembly, and, a second position, wherein said upper tooling assembly is disposed a forming distance from said lower tooling assembly, said upper tooling assembly and said lower tooling assembly defining a plurality of end lanes and a tab lane, said end lanes extending generally parallel to each other, said tab lane extending generally perpendicular to said end lanes, said transfer belt assembly structured to move a number of shells through each said end lane, said transfer belt assembly including a number of transfer belts, each transfer belt assembly transfer belt defining a number of recesses, each recess corresponding to a shell, each transfer belt assembly transfer belt moving through an end lane, said tab lane having a width greater than the length of a 2×2 cluster of shell recesses, said retainer assembly comprising: a retaining member assembly structured to selectively retain at least one shell in the transfer belt assembly belt recess; said retaining member assembly including a retaining member, and a motion assembly structured to move said retaining member between a first position, wherein said retaining member is configured to be spaced from said transfer belt assembly transfer belt, and, a second position, wherein said retaining member is disposed a retaining distance from said transfer belt assembly transfer belt; wherein said retaining member includes an elongated idle bar; and said idle bar structured to extend generally perpendicularly across at least one transfer belt assembly transfer belt.

2. The retainer assembly of claim 1 wherein said transfer belt assembly transfer belt recesses are disposed in generally adjacent pairs and wherein: said idle bar is structured to extend across an adjacent pair of said transfer belt assembly transfer belt recesses.

3. The retainer assembly of claim 1 wherein:
said motion assembly includes an upper assembly and a lower assembly;
said motion assembly upper assembly structured to be coupled to said upper tooling assembly;
said motion assembly lower assembly structured to be movably coupled to said lower tooling assembly;
said motion assembly lower assembly structured to move between an upper first configuration and a lower second configuration;
said retaining member coupled to said motion assembly lower assembly;
wherein said motion assembly upper assembly is structured to move with said upper tooling assembly between an upper first position and a lower second position; and
wherein said motion assembly upper assembly is structured to engage said motion assembly lower assembly and move said motion assembly lower assembly between said motion assembly lower assembly first configuration and said motion assembly lower assembly second configuration.

4. The retainer assembly of claim 3 wherein:
said motion assembly upper assembly includes a number of elongated members structured to downwardly depend from said upper tooling assembly;
said motion assembly lower assembly includes a number of elongated members and a number of biasing devices;
said motion assembly lower assembly biasing devices coupled to said lower tooling assembly;
each said motion assembly lower assembly member structured to be engaged by an associated motion assembly lower assembly biasing device; and
wherein each motion assembly lower assembly biasing device is operatively coupled to an associated motion assembly lower assembly member and biases said associated motion assembly lower assembly member to the first position.

5. The retainer assembly of claim 4 wherein said retaining member assembly includes a leveling assembly structured to level said retaining member.

6. The retainer assembly of claim 5 wherein: said elongated idle bar having a first end and a second end; said leveling assembly includes a first elongated member and a second elongated member; said leveling assembly first elongated member structured to be disposed adjacent to, and generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of, a transfer belt assembly transfer belt; said leveling assembly second elongated member structured to be disposed adjacent to, and generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of, a transfer belt assembly transfer belt; said idle bar first end coupled to said leveling assembly first elongated member; said idle bar second end coupled to said leveling assembly second elongated member; said leveling assembly first elongated member coupled to at least one motion assembly lower assembly member; and said leveling assembly second elongated member coupled to at least one motion assembly lower assembly member.

7. The retainer assembly of claim 6 wherein each said motion assembly lower assembly biasing device is a spring.

8. The retainer assembly of claim 6 wherein each said motion assembly upper assembly member operatively engages an associated leveling assembly member.

9. A conversion press comprising: an upper tooling assembly, a lower tooling assembly, a transfer belt assembly, and a retainer assembly; said upper tooling assembly structured to move between a first position, wherein said upper tooling assembly is spaced from said lower tooling assembly, and, a second position, wherein said upper tooling assembly is disposed a forming distance from said lower tooling assembly; said upper tooling assembly and said lower tooling assembly defining a plurality of end lanes and a tab lane; said end lanes extending generally parallel to each other; said tab lane extending generally perpendicular to said end lanes; said transfer belt assembly structured to move a number of shells through each said end lane, said transfer belt assembly including a number of transfer belts, each transfer belt assembly transfer belt defining a number of recesses, each recess corresponding to a shell; each transfer belt assembly transfer belt moving through an end lane; said tab lane having a width greater than the length of a 2×2 cluster of shell recesses; said retainer assembly including a retaining member assembly and a motion assembly; said retaining member assembly structured to selectively retain at least one shell in the transfer belt assembly belt recess; said retaining member assembly including a retaining member; and said motion assembly structured to move said retaining member between a first position, wherein said retaining member is spaced from said transfer belt assembly transfer belt, and, a second position, wherein said retaining member is disposed a retaining distance from said transfer belt assembly transfer belt; wherein said retaining member includes an elongated idle bar; and said idle bar extending generally perpendicularly across at least one transfer belt assembly transfer belt.

10. The conversion press of claim 9 wherein:
said upper tooling assembly and said lower tooling assembly define a number of stake stations; and
said idle bar disposed immediately adjacent at least one stake station.

11. The conversion press of claim 9 wherein:
said upper tooling assembly and said lower tooling assembly define a number of idle stations; and
said idle bar disposed at least one idle station.

12. The conversion press of claim 9 wherein: said transfer belt assembly transfer belt recesses are disposed in generally adjacent pairs; and said idle bar extends across an adjacent pair of said transfer belt assembly transfer belt recesses.

13. The conver

Assignees

• Stolle Machinery Co Llc

Inventors

• Albright Steven Todd
• Will Robert Joseph
• Stammen Dennis Cornelius

Classifications

• B21D51/2692

  Manipulating, e.g. feeding and positioning devices; Control systems · CPC title

• B21D43/021

  Control or correction devices in association with moving strips · CPC title

• H04N5/85

  on discs or drums · CPC title

• H04N5/781

  on disks or drums · CPC title

• G07C5/085

  using electronic data carriers · CPC title