Tooling for Cold Forming Operations

Abstract

A tooling for cold forming operations can include a transition shoe and a die. The transition shoe can include a first dovetail formation and a second dovetail formation opposite the first dovetail formation relative to a pressing direction. The first dovetail formation can be configured to removably engage a dovetail formation on a shoe of a press. The die can include a third dovetail formation and a first cold forming profile. The third dovetail formation can be configured to removably engage the second dovetail formation on the transition shoe to removably secure the die to the press for cold forming operations.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A tooling set for cold forming operations, the tooling set comprising:
 a first removable dovetail formation that is removably securable to a first side of a press for cold forming and a second removable dovetail formation that is removably securable to a second side of the press;   a first removable die arrangement and a second removable die arrangement, each of the first and second removable die arrangements including, respectively:
 a transition shoe that includes a first dovetail formation, and a second dovetail formation opposite the first dovetail formation relative to a pressing direction, wherein the first dovetail formation is removably engageable with the first or the second removable dovetail formation, respectively, to secure the transition shoe to the press; and 
 a die that includes a third dovetail formation and a first cold forming profile, the third dovetail formation being removably engageable with the second dovetail formation on the transition shoe to removably secure the die to the press, via the transition shoe, for cold forming operations. 
   
     
     
         2 . The tooling set of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first or second removable die arrangements further includes:
 a second die that includes a fourth dovetail formation removably engageable with either of the first or second removable dovetail formations to secure the second die to the press in place of the corresponding transition shoe;   wherein the second die includes a second cold forming profile different from the first cold forming profile, opposite the fourth dovetail formation relative to the pressing direction.   
     
     
         3 . The tooling set of  claim 2 , wherein the first cold forming profile is sized for cold forming operations on components of a first size, and the second cold forming profile is sized for cold forming operations on components of a second size that is larger than the first size. 
     
     
         4 . The tooling set of  claim 3 , wherein the first cold forming profile is sized to clamp a first anchor of the first size onto rebar and includes a release angle of at least about 40 degrees, the first size corresponding to a first outer diameter of the first anchor. 
     
     
         5 . The tooling set of  claim 3 , wherein the second cold forming profile is sized to clamp a second anchor of the second size onto rebar and includes a release angle of at least about 45 degrees, the second size corresponding to a second outer diameter of the second anchor. 
     
     
         6 . The tooling set of  claim 3 , wherein each of the first and second cold forming profiles includes a release angle of at least about 40 degrees and less than 60 degrees to clamp anchors onto rebar. 
     
     
         7 . The tooling set of  claim 1 , wherein, perpendicular to the pressing direction, a largest dimension of the first removable dovetail formation is smaller than a largest dimension of the first dovetail formation of the first removable die arrangement. 
     
     
         8 . The tooling set of  claim 1 , wherein, for the first removable die arrangement, the third dovetail formation of the die includes a dovetail protrusion that is sized to be received in a dovetail recess of the second dovetail formation of the transition shoe; and
 wherein, perpendicular to the pressing direction, a largest dimension of the dovetail protrusion is greater than a largest dimension of the first removable dovetail formation of the first removable die arrangement.   
     
     
         9 . The tooling set of  claim 1 , wherein, for the first removable die arrangement, the die includes a trapezoidal outer profile including first, second, and third sides that form the third dovetail formation and a fourth side that extends between the first and second sides and includes the first cold forming profile. 
     
     
         10 . The tooling set of  claim 1 , wherein, for the first removable die arrangement, the die includes first, second, and third sides that form the third dovetail formation and a fourth side that extends between the first and second sides to form the first cold forming profile; and
 wherein the die of the first removable die arrangement is sized to be removably received within a dovetail recess of the second dovetail formation, with junctions between the fourth side of the die and each of the first and third sides of the die being recessed away from or flush with an end surface of the transition shoe, the end surface being opposite the first dovetail formation in the pressing direction and including the second dovetail formation.   
     
     
         11 . The tooling set of  claim 1 , wherein, for the first removable die arrangement, a body of the die is sized to be removably received substantially entirely within a dovetail recess of the second dovetail formation, relative to the pressing direction. 
     
     
         12 . A tooling set for cold forming operations, the tooling set comprising:
 a transition shoe that includes a first dovetail recess on a first side of the transition shoe configured to engage a dovetail protrusion on a press, and a second dovetail recess on a second side of the transition shoe that is opposite the first side in a pressing direction; and   a die that includes a cold forming profile and a dovetail protrusion that is removably received in the second dovetail recess, to secure the die to the transition shoe for attachment to the press.   
     
     
         13 . The tooling set of  claim 12 , wherein a largest dimension of the die in the pressing direction is substantially equal to a largest dimension of the second dovetail recess in the pressing direction. 
     
     
         14 . The tooling set of  claim 12 , wherein the die defines a trapezoidal outer profile, with the cold forming profile being recessed to deviate from the trapezoidal outer profile along a pressing side of the die. 
     
     
         15 . The tooling set of  claim 12 , wherein the cold forming profile has a release angle of at least about 40 degrees as measured between a first rib and a second rib of the cold forming profile. 
     
     
         16 . The tooling set of  claim 15 , wherein the release angle is less than 60 degrees. 
     
     
         17 . The tooling set of  claim 16 , wherein the cold forming profile is sized to shape a donut anchor to a post-pressing diameter of less than about 3 inches. 
     
     
         18 . The tooling set of  claim 16 , wherein the cold forming profile is sized to shape a donut anchor having a diameter of about 3 inches or more; and
 wherein the release angle is at least about 45 degrees.   
     
     
         19 . The tooling set of  claim 16 , wherein the cold forming profile includes a first groove that is centrally located along the cold forming profile, a second groove, and a third groove, wherein the second and third groove are equally spaced apart from the first groove on either side of the first groove. 
     
     
         20 . A method of conducting cold forming operations, the method comprising:
 securing a transition shoe of a tooling set to a press, using a first dovetail connection between the transition shoe and the press, including engaging a first dovetail recess on a first side of the transition shoe with a dovetail protrusion on the press;   securing a die of the tooling set to the press via the transition shoe, using a second dovetail connection between the die and the transition shoe, including removably inserting a dovetail protrusion of the die into a second dovetail recess on a second side of the transition shoe that is opposite the first side in a pressing direction; and   after securing the die to the press via the transition shoe, operating the press to conduct cold forming operations using a cold forming profile of the die.