US PATENT SUBCLASS 72 / 380
BY RELATIVELY MOVABLE OFFSET TOOL-FACES (E.G., FOR BENDING OR DRAWING)

Current as of: June, 1999
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72 /   HD   METAL DEFORMING

380BY RELATIVELY MOVABLE OFFSET TOOL-FACES (E.G., FOR BENDING OR DRAWING) {4}
381  DF  .~> Embodying three or more coacting relatively movable tools (i.e., tool complex) {2}
384  DF  .~> Plural
385  DF  .~> Multi-point tool-couple (e.g., corrugator)
386  DF  .~> With tool motion in fixed path {3}

DEFINITION

Classification: 72/380

BY RELATIVELY MOVABLE OFFSET TOOL FACES (E.G., FOR BENDING OR DRAWING):

(under the class definition) Device comprising means to drive or guide one or more tools* in such relationship to a coacting tool that the tool faces of all said tools are movable freely past each other without interfering contact, to effect a disclosed deforming operation.

(1) Note. Subclasses 380+ is intended to accommodate all disclosures of apparatus of the offset-tool-face type, not classifiable in preceding subclasses, and having two or more metal-deforming tools (e.g., hammer and anvil, die and work-pusher, coacting forming blocks or dies, etc.), which tools are disclosed as being relatively movable toward, or toward and past each other, with a noninterfering stroke (i.e., no interference between actual work-engaging tool portions, or tool-faces*), thereby accomplishing such operations as bending, flanging, drawing, and others which do not involve the direct compression of work between confronting tool-faces, and in whose operation there is always to be found an increase in some dimension of the work.

(2) Note. The definition of this subclass excludes a tool couple having any face portions (i.e., work-engaging portions) in directly opposed relationship. Such a device constitutes an opposed-face tool couple for placement in succeeding subclasses, e.g., subclasses 412+, for non-planar tool-face.

(3) Note. The combination of devices having offset-face and opposed-face tool couples, or plural offset-face couples, is classifiable in subclass 384. See (1) Note under subclass 384 for criteria applicable to plural or combined offset-face devices.

(4) Note. The shape of the tools is not always an adequate criterion for placement of a disclosure in subclasses 380+; for example, a press with flat-faced ram and anvil block may actually be disclosed only for use in partially straightening a bent or V- or W-shaped workpiece, in which case the tool-faces* (only those portions of the flat surfaces of the

ram and block which engage the work during the disclosed operation) may be "offset" for subclasses 380+; the same press, if claimed for flattening a crumpled plate, would be classified in a lower subclass, possibly in subclasses 429+, for the reason that flat and opposed-face tool couples are of too general application for placement, as such, in any specific subclass in this schedule.

SEE OR SEARCH THIS CLASS, SUBCLASS:

293+, and particularly subclasses 296+, 298+, 301, 305, and 319+ for relatively movable work-gripping clamps, or clamp and tool, many of which arrangements may constitute, in effect, offset face tool couples. 347+, for cup or shell-drawing apparatus comprising the combination of annular and circular offset tool faces.

457+, for a work-constrainer and/or manipulated work-forcer device, which may be usable for bending or other offset tool face operations.