US 12,172,204 B2
Heated guide track for a press machine for manufacturing a strip
Xinping Deng, Lancaster, PA (US); David D. Wiltraut, Palmyra, PA (US); and Jason L. Hamburger, Elizabethtown, PA (US)
Assigned to TE Connectivity Solutions GmbH, (CH)
Filed by TE Connectivity Services GmbH, Schaffhausen (CH)
Filed on Jan. 10, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/740,000.
Prior Publication US 2021/0213510 A1, Jul. 15, 2021
Int. Cl. B21D 28/26 (2006.01); B21D 37/16 (2006.01)
CPC B21D 28/26 (2013.01) [B21D 37/16 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A press machine comprising:
a frame;
a punch die supported by the frame, the punch die being driven through a punch stroke to punch a strip advanced through the press machine at a punch zone;
a guide track supported by the frame, the guide track having a guide rail fixed relative to the frame, the guide rail forming a guide channel configured to receive the strip, the guide rail extending between a first end and a second end to support the strip, the guide rail configured to support the strip between the first end and the second end while allowing the strip to be pulled through the guide track from the first end to the second end, the guide rail engaging a bottom of the strip to support the strip at a bottom of the guide track along an entire length of the guide rail between the first end and the second end to vertically constrain the strip within the guide channel, the guide rail engaging sides of the strip to support the strip at sides of the guide track along the entire length of the guide rail between the first end and the second end to horizontally constrain the strip within the guide channel, the guide rail configured to receive the strip at the first end, the second end facing the punch die, the guide channel being aligned with the punch zone to guide the strip to the punch zone; and
a heater coupled to the guide track, the heater heating the guide rail to an elevated operating temperature, the guide rail engaging the strip at the bottom and the sides of the strip for conduction heating the strip along the length of the guide rail between the first and second ends as the strip passes through the guide track to increase a temperature of the strip as the strip passes through the guide track.