Steel rule die retaining board and die lock

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for improved retention of steel rule dies inserted into die slots of a retaining board. A plurality of lock slots are oriented substantially perpendicularly to the direction of insertion and have open faces to permit communication with the die slots. A kerf lock is located within each lock slot and extends into the die slot until a die is inserted into the die slot. Upon initial insertion of a die into the die slot, the kerf lock compresses. Once the die is competely inserted, the kerf lock exerts a normal force against the die in the direction of the die slot wall opposite the open face. An inserted steel rule die is securely held within the die slot.

I claim: 
     
       1. In combination, a retaining board having formed therein an elongated die slot including opposite sides, a lock slot intersecting one side of said die slot, a die disposed within said die slot, and a die lock disposed within said lock slot and engaging said die to resiliently urge said die into engagement with the other side or the die slot to maintain the die in operative position, wherein said die lock comprises a generally n-shaped member having a support arm and a resilient arm each of which has a top portion and a bottom portion, said support arm and said resilient arm being connected at the top portions by a bridge to resiliently support said resilient arm from said support arm for movement of said resilient arm toward and away from said support arm, said resilient arm having a dimension perpendicular to said die slot which dimension narrows from the bottom portion of said resilient arm towards the bridge of said die lock, said resilient arm contacting said die when said die is in said die slot so that said resilient arm is displaced toward said support arm, said resilient arm extending into said die slot upon removal of said die from said die slot. 
     
     
       2. In combination, a retaining board having formed therein an elongated die slot including opposite sides, a lock slot intersecting one side of said die slot, a die disposed within said die slot, and a die lock disposed within said lock slot and engaging said die to resiliently urge said die into engagement with the other side of the die slot to maintain the die in operative position, wherein said die lock comprises a generally n-shaped member having a support arm and a resilient arm each of which has a top portion and n bottom portion, said support arm and said resilient arm being connected at the top portions by a bridge to resiliently support said resilient arm from said support arm for movement of said resilient arm toward and away from said support arm, and wherein there is a separation gap between said resilient arm and said support arm, said gap narrowing from the top portions of said arms adjacent the bridge toward the bottom portions of said arms when the resilient arm contacts the die in the die slot, said resilient arm contacting said die when said die is in said die slot so that said resilient arm is displaced toward said support arm, said resilient arm extending into said die slot upon removal of said die from said die slot. 
     
     
       3. In combination, a retaining board having formed therein an elongated die slot, an elongated lock slot intersecting said die slot and extending perpendicular to said die slot, a die disposed within said die slot, and a die lock disposed within said lock slot and engaging said die to maintain the die in operative position wherein said die lock comprises a generally n-shaped member having a support arm and a resilient arm each of which has a top portion and a bottom portion, said support arm and said resilient arm being connected at the top portions by a bridge to resiliently support said resilient arm from said support arm for movement of said resilient arm toward and away from said support arm, said resilient arm having a dimension perpendicular to said die slot which dimension narrows from the bottom portion of said resilient arm towards the bridge of said die lock, said resilient arm contacting said die when said die is in said die slot so that said resilient arm is displaced toward said support arm, and said resilient arm extending into said die slot upon removal of said die from said die slot. 
     
     
       4. In combination, a retaining board having formed therein an elongated die slot, an elongated lock slot intersecting said die slot and extending perpendicular to said die slot, a die disposed within said die slot, and a die lock disposed within said lock slot and engaging said die to maintain the die in operative position wherein said die lock comprises a generally n-shaped member having a support arm and a resilient arm each of which has a top portion and a bottom portion, said support arm and said resilient arm being connected at the top portions by a bridge to resiliently support said resilient arm from said support arm for movement of said resilient arm toward and away from said support arm, and wherein there is a separation gap between said resilient arm and said support arm, said gap narrowing from the top portions of said arms adjacent the bridge toward the bottom portions of said arms when the resilient arm contacts the die in the die slot, said resilient arm contacting said die when said die is in said die slot so that said resilient arm is displaced toward said support arm, and said resilient arm extending into said die slot upon removal of said die from said die slot. 
     
     
       5. In combination, a retaining board having formed therein an elongated die slot, a lock slot intersecting said die slot, a die disposed within said die slot, and a die lock disposed within said lock slot and engaging said die to maintain the die inoperative position, said die lock having a width, a thickness and a depth, said width having a dimension extending perpendicular to said die slot, said thickness having a dimension extending parallel to said die slot, and said dimension of width being greater than said dimension of thickness, said resilient arm having a dimension perpendicular to said die slot which dimension narrows from the bottom portion of said resilient arm towards the bridge of said die lock, wherein said die lock comprises a generally n-shaped member having a support arm and a resilient arm each of which has a top portion and a bottom portion, said support arm and said resilient arm being connected at the top portions by a bridge to resiliently support said resilient arm from said support arm for movement of said resilient arm towards and away from said support arm, said resilient arm contacting said die when said die is in said die slot so that said resilient arm is displaced toward said support arm, said resilient arm extending into said die slot upon removal of said die from said die slot. 
     
     
       6. In combination, a retaining board having formed therein an elongated die slot, a lock slot intersecting said die slot, a die disposed within said die slot, and a die lock disposed within said lock slot and engaging said die to maintain the die in operative position, said die lock having a width, a thickness and a depth, said width having a dimension extending perpendicular to said die slot, said thickness having a dimension extending parallel to said die slot, and said dimension of width being greater than said dimension of thickness, wherein there is a separation gap between said resilient arm and said support arm, said gap narrowing from the top portions of said arms adjacent the bridge toward the bottom portions of said arms when the resilient arm contacts the die in the die slot, and wherein said die lock comprises a generally n-shaped member having a support arm and a resilient arm each of which has a top portion and a bottom portion, said support arm and said resilient arm being connected at the top portions by a bridge to resiliently support said resilient arm from said support arm for movement of said resilient arm toward and away from said support arm, said resilient arm contacting said die when said die is in said die slot so that said resilient arm is displaced toward said support arm, said resilient arm extending into said die slot upon removal of said die from said die slot. .Iadd. 
     
     
       7.  In combination, a retaining board having formed therein an elongated die slot having a length and height and including opposite sides, said retaining board having formed therein a lock slot intersecting one side of said die slot to provide an opening having a first dimension extending parallel with the length of said die slot and having a second dimension extending parallel with the height of said die slot, said first dimension being a fraction of the length of said die slot, said second dimension being substantially identical with the height of said die slot, a die disposed within said die slot, and a die lock disposed within said lock slot, said lock slot having a length, said die lock being formed of resilient material and having a dimension extending parallel with the length of said lock slot such that the die lock extends through said opening into the die slot in the absence of the die and being deformed by the die in the slot so that the die lock resiliently engages and urges said die into engagement with the other side of the die slot to maintain the die in operative position, said die slot and said lock slot being in a permanently fixed relationship to one another during insertion and during removal of said die from said die slot so that said die lock remains in said lock slot during insertion and during removal of said die from said die slot. .Iaddend..Iadd. 
     
     
       8.  A combination as defined in claim 7, wherein said die lock resiliently engages and urges said die into engagement with the other side of the die slot directly opposite to said lock slot to maintain the die in operative position. .Iaddend..Iadd. 
     
     
       9.  A combination as defined in claim 7, wherein said die lock comprises a generally n-shaped member having a support arm and a resilient arm each of which has a top portion and a bottom portion, said support arm and said resilient arm being connected at said top portion of each arm by a bridge to resiliently bias said resilient arm toward and away from said support arm, said resilient arm contacting said die when said die is in said die slot so that said resilient arm is displaced towards said support arm, the displacement of said resilient arm providing a force which said resilient arm exerts on said die to force said die against a wall of the die slot opposite the lock slot, whereby the die is securely held within the die slot upon die insertion, said resilient arm extending into said die slot upon removal of said die from said die slot. .Iaddend..Iadd.10. A combination as defined in claim 7, wherein said retaining board has opposite faces, said die lock having an upper surface and a lower surface, said upper surface being spaced from one of said opposite faces and said lower surface being spaced from the other of said opposite faces. .Iaddend..Iadd.11. A combination as defined in claim 7, wherein said die lock comprises a plastic material. .Iaddend..Iadd.12. A combination as defined in claim 9, wherein said die lock comprises a plastic material. .Iaddend..Iadd.13. A combination as defined in claim 7, wherein said retaining board has a plurality of lock slots intersecting said die slot and a die lock disposed within each of said lock slots. 
     
     
        .Iaddend..Iadd.     In combination, a retaining board having formed therein an elongated die slot having a length and height and including opposite sides, said retaining board having formed therein a lock slot intersecting one side of said die slot to provide an opening having a first dimension extending parallel with the length of said die slot and having a second dimension extending parallel with the height of said die slot, said first dimension being a fraction of the length of said die slot, said second dimension being substantially identical with the height of said die slot, a die disposed within said die slot, and a die lock disposed within said lock slot, said lock slot having a length, said die lock being formed of resilient material and having a dimension extending parallel with the length of said lock slot such that the die lock extends through said opening into the die slot in the absence of the die and being deformed by the die in the slot so that the die lock resiliently engages and urges said die into engagement with the other side of the die slot to maintain the die in operative position, said die slot and said lock slot being in a permanently fixed relationship to one another during insertion and during removal of said die from said die slot so that said die lock remains in said lock slot during insertion and during removal of said die from said die slot, said lock slot including opposite side surfaces and an end surface, said side surfaces being generally parallel with one another and perpendicular to said die slot and said end surface, said side surfaces having substantially greater dimension in a direction perpendicular to said die slot than the dimension of said end surface in a 
     
     
        direction parallel to said die slot. .Iaddend..Iadd.15.  A combination as defined in claim 14, wherein said die lock resiliently engages and urges said die into engagement with the other side of the die slot directly opposite to said lock slot to maintain the die in operative position. .Iaddend..Iadd.16. A combination as defined in claim 14, wherein said die lock comprises a generally n-shaped member having a support arm and a resilient arm each of which has a top portion and a bottom portion, said support arm and said resilient arm being connected at said top portion of each arm by a bridge to resiliently bias said resilient arm toward and away from said support arm, said resilient arm contacting said die when said die is in said die slot so that said resilient arm is displaced towards said support arm, the displacement of said resilient arm providing a force which said resilient arm exerts on said die to force said die against a wall of the die slot opposite the lock slot, whereby the die is securely held within the die slot upon die insertion, said resilient arm extending into said die slot upon removal of said die from said die slot. .Iaddend..Iadd.17. A combination as defined in claim 14, wherein said retaining board has opposite faces, said die lock having an upper surface and a lower surface, said upper surface being spaced from one of said opposite faces and said lower surface being spaced from the other of said opposite faces. .Iaddend..Iadd.18. A combination as defined in claim 14, 
     
     
        wherein said die lock comprises a plastic material. .Iaddend..Iadd.19.  A combination as defined in claim 16, wherein said die lock comprises a plastic material. .Iaddend..Iadd.20. A combination as defined in claim 14, wherein said retaining board has a plurality of lock slots intersecting said die slot and a die lock disposed within each of said lock slots. 
     
     
        .Iaddend..Iadd.21.  In combination, a retaining board having formed therein an elongated die slot having a length and height and including opposite sides, said retaining board having formed therein a lock slot intersecting one side of said die slot to provide an opening having a first dimension extending parallel with the length of said die slot and having a second dimension extending parallel with the height of said die slot, said first dimension being a fraction of the length of said die slot, said second dimension being substantially identical with the height of said die slot, a die disposed within said die slot, and a die lock disposed within said lock slot and having a top end and a bottom end, said lock slot having a length, said die lock being formed of resilient material and having a dimension extending parallel with the length of said lock slot such that the die lock extends through said opening into the die slot in the absence of the die and being deformed by the die in the slot so that the die lock resiliently engages and urges said die into engagement with the other side of the die slot to maintain the die in operative position, said die slot and said lock slot being in a permanently fixed relationship to one another during insertion and during removal of said die from said die slot so that said die lock remains in said lock slot during insertion and during removal of said die from said die slot, said lock slot including opposite side surfaces and an end surface, said side surfaces being generally parallel with one another and perpendicular to said die slot and said end surface, said side surfaces of said lock slot having a fixed dimension extending laterally of said die slot, said side surfaces having substantially greater dimension in a direction perpendicular to said die slot than the dimension of said end surface in a direction parallel to said die slot, said die lock having a first end surface engaging the end surface of said lock slot and a second end surface which would extend through said opening into the die slot in 
     
     
        the absence of the die. .Iaddend..Iadd.22.  A combination as defined in claim 21, wherein said die lock resiliently engages and urges said die into engagement with the other side of the die slot directly opposite to said lock slot to maintain the die in operative position. .Iaddend..Iadd.23. A combination as defined in claim 21, wherein said die lock comprises a generally n-shaped member having a support arm and a resilient arm each of which has a top portion and a bottom portion, said support arm and said resilient arm being connected at said top portion of each arm by a bridge to resiliently bias said resilient arm toward and away from said support arm, said resilient arm contacting said die when said die is in said die slot so that said resilient arm is displaced towards said support arm, the displacement of said resilient arm providing a force which said resilient arm exerts on said die to force said die against a wall of the die slot opposite the lock slot, whereby the die is securely held within the die slot upon die insertion, said resilient arm extending into said die slot upon removal of said die from said die slot. .Iaddend..Iadd.24. A combination as defined in claim 21, wherein said retaining board has opposite faces, said die lock having an upper surface and a lower surface, said upper surface being spaced from one of said opposite faces and said lower surface being spaced from the other of said opposite faces. .Iaddend..Iadd.25. A combination as defined in claim 21, wherein said die lock comprises a plastic material. .Iaddend..Iadd.26. A combination as defined in claim 23, wherein said die lock comprises a plastic material. .Iaddend..Iadd.27. A combination as defined in claim 21, wherein said retaining board has a plurality of lock slots intersecting said die slot and a die lock disposed within each of said lock slots. .Iaddend.