Adjustable Gage Stop

This invention concerns adjustable gage stops for sheet forming and cutting machines, and more particularly a front-adjustable gage stop capable of presenting a gage face in any of several rotational orientations.

Gaging systems for press brakes and other sheet forming and cutting apparatus are well known and generally comprise a gage bar or other element adjustably positioned as a reference against which a sheet is butted for appropriate location prior to bending, cutting, or other formation. In a press brake for forming bends in sheet metal, the gaging system, known in the art as a back gage, is disposed behind the press to serve as an adjustable stop against which sheet stock introduced from the front of the press between the forming dies is butted to position the sheet for an intended bend. It is desireable to be able to adjust the gage position easily and accurately, and to reposition the gate accurately in the event it has changed or become misadjusted. A gate stop assembly in which the gage stop is adjustable from the rear is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,070. While the invention will be described in relation to a preferred embodiment for use with a press brake, it is contemplated that the invention is more broadly useful with a variety of sheet forming and cutting machines.

The present invention provides an adjustable gage stop especially designed for use as a press brake gage. It is of simple construction yet is reliable, accurate, and can be adjusted from the front either longitudinally or rotationally. The mechanism includes a mount which is adjustably attachable to a support member, a finger support pivotally attached to the forward end of the mount and pivotable about a horizontal pivot axis orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the finger support, and a gage finger mateable with the forward end of the finger support in any of several rotational positions and connected to it by a front-adjustable connecting means which connects the gage finger and finger support and permits longitudinal adjustment of the position of the gage finger relative to the finger support.

The invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an adjustable gage stop of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional side view of the gage finger support and the gage finger;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the combination of FIG. 2 along line 3--3, with the gage finger oriented so the gage face is vertical;

FIG. 3A is a second cross-sectional view of the combination of FIG. 1 along line 3--3, showing the gage face in a horizontal position;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the finger support and gage finger of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a partly cut away exploded perspective view of the finger support and gage finger of FIG. 4.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown an adjustable gage stop of the invention, mounted on a support member 10 of a metal forming machine such as a press brake for bending sheet metal stock. The gage stop consists of an adjustable mount 12 for attachment of the gage stop to the machine on which it is to be mounted, a finger support 14 pivotally attached to mount forward end 16, and a gage finger 18 adjustably attached at its rearward end 20 to finger support forward end 22. The foremost end of the gage finger 18 constitutes the gage face 24, which contacts the workpiece 26. Mount rearward end 28 is clamped to support member 10 by any appropriate mechanism which will permit it to be moved along support member 10 to desired positions. Mount forward end 16 possesses a vertical channel 30 having a width sufficient to accept finger support rearward end 32. Channel 30 is spanned by a horizontal axle 34 which serves to attach finger support 14 to mount 12, and to permit finger support 14 to pivot upwards into channel 30 in response to an upward force. An adjustment mechanism 36, such as a vertical screw threaded through finger support 14, is located forward of the horizontal axle 34 and contacts mount forward end 16 at a portion such as plate-like portion 38, permitting adjustment of finger support 14 in the vertical plane.

As shown in FIG. 2, finger support 14 possesses in its rearward end 32 a horizontal bore 40 which accepts horizontal axle 34 for pivotal attachment of finger support 14 to mount 12. Forward of horizontal bore 40 is shown adjustment mechanism 36, as for example a vertically-oriented screw threaded through finger support 14. Finger support forward end 22 possesses a longitudinally-oriented cavity 42 having a threaded hole 44 at its base and on its longitudinal axis. Gage finger rearward end 20 fits within the longitudinally-oriented cavity 42 and can slide longitudinally along the longitudinal axis of finger support 14. Gage finger 18 has a blade-like portion 46 projecting from its forward end 48. The forwardmost end of this blade-like portion 46 is gage face 24. Gage finger 18 possesses a longitudinal bore 50 along the axis of the gage finger rearward end 20, terminating at the forward end 48. Longitudinal bore 50 contains an adjustable connecting means 52 for joining finger support 14 and gage finger 18, and adjusting the position of gage finger 18 relative to finger support 14 longitudinally. In the embodiment shown, adjustable connecting means 52 is a screw, the head of which is held within gage finger 18 and freely rotatable therein, its shaft extending from gage finger rearward end 20 to mate with threaded hole 44 of finger support 14. An adjustment control 54, in the embodiment the head of the screw, is accessible via longitudinal bore 50 from the gage finger forward end 48, thereby permitting the position of gage finger 18 to be adjusted longitudinally with respect to finger support 14 by adjustments made from the front of the gage stop.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 3A, gage finger 18 may be set in any of several rotational orientations with respect to finger support 14. In the embodiment illustrated, this is accomplished by providing the gage finger rearward end 20 with several longitudinal channels 56 and providing the longitudinally-oriented cavity 42 of finger support 14 with an aligning key 58 which projects into cavity 42 and tracks any of the longitudinal channels 56, causing gage finger 18 to be held in one of several rotational orientations relative to finger support 14.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate the longitudinal axis 60 of the finger support/gage finger combination, and the horizontal pivot axis 62 which is the axis of horizontal bore 40. It is to be noted that the longitudinally-oriented cavity 42 in finger support 14 and the gage finger rearward end 20 are both symmetical about the longitudinal axis of finger support 14 and gage finger 18 respectively. In the embodiment illustrated, cavity 42 and gage finger rearward end 20 are cylindrical, but this geometry is by no means required. FIGS. 4 and 5 further illustrate the mechanism by which gage finger 18 is connected to finger support 14 in any of several possible rotational orientations, aligning key 58 tracking any of several longitudinal channels 56 in the gage finger rearward end 20. Gage finger 18 is connected to finger support 14 by adjustable connecting means 52. In the illustrated embodiment adjustable connecting means 52 is a screw the head of which is held within gage finger 18, both head and shaft being freely rotatable, the shaft 64 extending from the gage finger rearward end 20 and mating with threaded hole 44 in finger support 14. To adjust the position of gage finger 18 longitudinally relative to finger support 14, adjustment control 54, in the embodiment the head of the connecting screw, is turned to rotate screw shaft 64 in threaded hole 44 and thereby move gage face 24 forward or rearward as desired. It is clear from the figures that this operation is readily conducted from the front or forward end 48 of gage finger 18.

The invention is not to be limited by what has been particularly shown and described except as indicated by the appended claims.