Title of Invention	A HAND OPERATED PUNCH
Abstract	A hand-operated punch with adjustable assembly punch units and a slipper to receive punched out discs in which the assembly units are adjustable from the bottom through an opening in the slipper. The punch includes a strengthening flap configuration and the assembly units slide but do not turn adjustment.

Full Text

Punches with slidable slipper are old. Slippered punches with adjustable punch stations are also old but removal of the slipper is required to accomplish adjustment. Broadly the present invention is a slippered adjustable hand-operated punch with adjustment accomplished from the bottom of the punch without slipper removal. The flap handle is configured for added strength. Accordingly, the present invention provides a hand operated punch comprising: a base having an elongated length with an upper surface and a bottom facing opposite said upper surface; a plurality of adjustable punch assembly heads adjustably mounted on the upper surface of said base selectively positionable at a plurality of locations along said elongated length of said base; a base opening passing through the base from the upper surface to the bottom of said base at each of said plurality of locations; a slipper adjustably positioned on said base in covering relation to said bottom of said base; and an elongated slipper opening extending through said slipper and aligned with and exposing each base opening, whereby the punch assembly heads are adjustable with the slipper on said base. Accordingly, the present invention also provides a hand-operated punch comprising: a base having an elongated length and an upper surface, a bottom, an outer periphery, (b) a plurality of punch assembly heads adjustably mounted on the upper surface of said base for positioning at a plurality of locations along a path extending parallel to said elongated length of said base; (c) a base opening passing through said base from said upper surface to said bottom at each of said plurality of locations; (d) adjustment means connected to each of said punch assembly heads for adjusting the positioning of the punch assembly heads at said plurality of locations, said adjustment means extending through each of said base openings and accessible from said bottom of said base; and (e) a slipper positioned on the base in covering relation to said bottom, said slipper having a slipper opening extending through said slipper and aligned with said base opening at each of said locations to permit access to said adjustment means. The invention will now be described more in detail with reference to embodiments given by way of example and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which; Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the punch of the present invention having a handle and a lever; Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing the flap handle"s reverse curl; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the punch with lever removed; Fig. 4 is a sectional view along line 4-4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a bottom perspective view of the punch with slipper removed; Fig. 6 is a partial perspective bottom view of the punch with the slipper installed; Fig. 7 is a top perspective view of the base with the slipper extended for emptying; Fig. 8 is a top perspective view of the slipper; Fig. 9 is a plan view of the flap handle; and Fig. 10 is an elevational view of the handle viewed from the reverse curl edge. 5 In Figs. 1-4, punch 10 includes base 11, end uprights 12a, 12b, handle 14 including upper planar surface 13, handle depressions 13a, 13b, 13c mounted for pivoting around pins 10 16a, 16b on uprights 12a, 12b. Lever 17 is pivotally mounted on brackets 18a, 18b. Also shown are punch assembly heads 21a, 21b, 21c and slipper 23 mounted on base rails 11a, lib. Heads 21a-c include groove curls 34a-c which reside in groove 40 to prevent turning of heads 21a-c as they are translated 15 (see also Fig. 7). Turning in particular to Fig. 2, handle 14 is formed of a sheet metal and comprises remote flange end I4a substantially perpendicular to planar surface 13, (relate " 20 from pivot pin 16b); remote planar portion 14b, depression portion 13a, near planar portion 14c; near vertical flange portion 14d perpendicular to planar surface 13 and reverse curl portion 15. Reverse curl portion 15 functions to stiffen and otherwise strengthen handle 14 and includes arc 25 portion 15a and upright lip portion 15b. Portions) Dimensior 1. Near flange a 2. Curl width b 3. Curl depth c 4. Near flange plus depth of curl d The sheet metal of handle 14 has thickness T. Table 1 below outlines ranges of handle 14 portions in relationship to thickness T. 30 Table 1 Range 6T - 8T 2.5T - 4T 2 . 5T - 4T 35 9T -- IIT Turning to Figs. 4-8, it is seen that punch assembly heads 21a, 21b and 21c are adjustable using retaining screws 26a, 26b and 26c which travel in adjustment slots 27, 28 (Fig. 5) while head groove projections 34a-c travel in S longitudinal frame groove 40. Groove 40 is a longitudinal area below frame upper surface llu and a lower frame surface 111. Groove projections 34a-c extend beyond and below frame surface llu which permits curl projections 34a-c to move back and forth in groove 40 during head adjustment and while 10 preventing rotation of head 21a-c during the loosening of heads, their movement to adjust punch hole spacing and their retightening. If a head 21a-c attempts to rotate its curl projection 34a-c will engage frame edge lie to prevent such rotation. Curl projections 34a-c may be of other shapes but 15 a curved curled shape is preferred. Adjustment screws are threadedly engaged in threaded housing openings 31a, 31b and 31c (Fig. 4). Punch pin P is shown in Fig. 4. Base bottom lib is shown in Fig. 5. Slipper 2 3 has center opening 29 to permit access to adjustment screws 26a-c without removing" 2 0 slipper 23. Fig. 7 shows slipper 23 slid open for emptying and further shows base rail 11a, lib, uprights 12a, 12b, slots 27, 28 and adjustment screws 26a-c and groove 40. 25 In Fig. 8, slipper center opening 29 is boarded by cowling 36 having ends 29a, 29b which cowling 36 has a height 36h sufficient to nearly abut base bottom lib to prevent chips from escaping and exiting through center opening 28. 30 Also shown are slipper flanges 23a, 23b and slipper slotted end 23c, and slipper closed end 23d. Slots 37a, 37b permit slipper 23 to be slid open without removal from base flanges 11a, lib. When slipper 23 is slid open cowling end 29a engages retains screw 26c to limit its travel. Center 35 opening 29 is longer than the distance (D) between outside — adjustment screws 26a and 2 6c to permit of slipper 23 relative to base 11. The length of opening 29 is less- than the" overall length of slipper 23 so that paper punch outs which are all deposited on one side of cowling 36 can migrate past cowling ends 29a, 29b to the other side as punch 10 is handled and manipulated. Finally in Figs. 9 and 10, the structural curl 15 of handle 14 has a length B which is less than the overall length A of handle 14. Preferably, length B is at least 60% of length A. WE CLAIM; 1. A hand operated punch comprising: (a) a base having an elongated length with an upper surface and a bottom facing opposite said upper surface (b) a plurality of adjustable punch assembly heads adjustably mounted on the upper surface of said base selectively positionable at a plurality of locations along said elongated length of said base; (c) a base opening passing through the base from the upper surface to the bottom of said base at each of said plurality of locations; (d) a slipper adjustably positioned on said base in covering relation to said bottom of said base; and (e) an elongated slipper opening extending through said slipper and aligned with and exposing each base opening, whereby the punch assembly heads are adjustable with the slipper on said base. 2. The hand operated punch as claimed in claim 1, wherein each base opening is part of an elongated slot passing through the base from the upper surface to the bottom of said base and extending along the length of said base. 3. The hand operated punch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the punch assembly heads are slidably mounted on the upper surface of said base. 4. The hand operated punch as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of said punch assembly heads has stop means for limiting movement of said slipper on said base. 5. A hand-operated punch comprising: (a) a base having an elongated length and an upper surface, a bottom, an outer periphery, (b) a plurality of punch assembly heads adjustably mounted on the upper surface of said base for positioning at a plurality of locations along a path extending parallel to said elongated length of said base; (c) a base opening passing through said base from said upper surface to said bottom at each of said plurality of locations; (d) adjustment means connected to each of said punch assembly heads for adjusting the positioning of the punch assembly heads at said plurality of locations, said adjustment means extending through each of said base openings and accessible from said bottom of said base; and (e) a slipper positioned on the base in covering relation to said bottom, said slipper having a slipper opening extending through said slipper and aligned with said base opening at each of said locations to permit access to said adjustment means. 6. The hand operated punch as claimed in claim 5 wherein the slipper has: (a) a slipper bottom with an outer periphery corresponding to the outer periphery of said base; (b) upstanding flanges extending along said outer periphery of said slipper bottom for positioning said slipper on said base with the slipper bottom spaced from said bottom of said base; (c) a cowling disposed around said slipper opening and extending upwardly from said slipper bottom to define a chamber between said cowling and said upstanding flanges, said cowling extending upwardly to a height sufficiently near said bottom of said base to isolate said slipper opening from said chamber. 7. The hand operated punch as claimed in claim 6 wherein: (a) the slipper is adjustably mounted on said base for sliding movement along said path; (b) said adjustment means extend into said slipper opening and into the path of movement of said cowling so as to be engaged thereby to limit the sliding movement of said slipper. 8. The hand operated punch as claimed in claim 5, wherein each of said adjustment means has a retaining screw threadably engaged in a threaded opening in one of said punch assembly heads. 9. The hand operated punch as claimed in claim 5, wherein each base opening is part of an elongated slot passing through the base from the upper surface to the bottom of said base and extending along the length of said base. 10. The hand operated punch as claimed in claim 5, wherein the punch assembly heads are slidably mounted on the upper surface of said base. 11. A hand operated punch, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Documents:

773-mas-1996 others.pdf

773-mas-1996 abstract.jpg

773-mas-1996 abstract.pdf

773-mas-1996 claims duplicate.pdf

773-mas-1996 claims.pdf

773-mas-1996 correspondence others.pdf

773-mas-1996 correspondence po.pdf

773-mas-1996 description (complete) duplicate.pdf

773-mas-1996 description (complete).pdf

773-mas-1996 drawings duplicate.pdf

773-mas-1996 drawings.pdf

773-mas-1996 form-13.pdf

773-mas-1996 form-2.pdf

773-mas-1996 form-26.pdf

773-mas-1996 form-4.pdf

773-mas-1996 form-6.pdf

773-mas-1996 petition.pdf