Micro-joint part separator

摘要

An improved method and device for separating parts from the sheet metal carrier. In particular, a single sheet from a stack of sheets having parts micro-joined to the carrier sheet is transported to the nip of a pair of pinch rollers. The pinch rollers move down to engage the front edge of the sheet, the pinch rollers moving the sheet to the nip formed between a pair of main rollers. The main rollers then move together to the drive position and transport the sheet to a separation device on the opposite side of the main rollers. The main rollers drive the sheet material in a manner such that the top surface of the leading edge of the sheet metal is engaged below the forward tip of the separation device. The separation device is then moves downwardly so that the upper surface of the separation device assembly is level to the part pass line. The main rollers continue to feed the sheet metal such that the remainder scrap, or skeleton, portion is driven in a downward direction and the parts separated by the process are transported in the forward direction where they are collected. The rollers are moved vertically in an oscillatory manner to relieve the stress in the sheet material. In a preferred embodiment, the separating device is wedge-shaped.