Apparatus and method for stamping and deburring clutch discs

1. Apparatus for progressively stamping a metallic clutch disc from a sheet metal strip, comprising:

progressive stamping stations for stamping a blank of the metallic clutch disc from the sheet metal strip so as to have a generally annular shape extending around a central axis and including oppositely oriented axial faces and inner and outer extremities, with one of the extremities having splines forming a generally round shape about the central axis and including a first burr extending therefrom and from one of the axial faces in one axial direction along the central axis, and with the other extremity having a generally continuous round shape about the central axis and including a second burr extending therefrom and from the other axial face in the opposite axial direction as the first burr along the central axis; and

a deburring station including a deburring die set having an annular spline shaped deburring punch and a flat deburring die between which the clutch disc blank is positioned for relative movement of the deburring punch and the deburring die toward each other, the spline shaped deburring punch having a peripheral spline shaped deburring projection that flattens the first burr extending from the one spline shaped extremity and the one axial face, and the flat deburring die flattening the second burr extending from the other extremity and the other axial face.

2. Apparatus for progressively stamping a metallic clutch disc as in claim 1 wherein the progressive stamping stations includes:

a first forming die set including a generally round forming die and a forming punch for removing a round blank from the clutch disc being stamped to provide the inner extremity of the clutch disc blank;

a second forming die set including a forming die and a forming punch for separating the clutch disc blank from the sheet metal strip to provide a round outer extremity of the clutch disc blank; and

the forming die and forming punch of one of the forming die sets having annular spline formations for providing the extremity formed thereby with the splines.

3. Apparatus for progressively stamping a metallic clutch disc as in claim 2 wherein the wherein:

the forming punch and forming die of the first forming die set are round and form the inner extremity of the clutch disc blank with the generally continuous round shape; and

the forming punch and forming die of the second die set have the annular spline formations for providing the outer extremity of the clutch blank with the splines.

4. Apparatus for progressively stamping a metallic clutch disc as in claim 2 wherein the wherein:

the forming punch and forming die of the first forming die set have the annular spline formations for providing the inner extremity of the clutch disc blank with the splines; and

the forming punch and forming die of the second die set are round and provide the outer extremity of the clutch blank with the generally continuous round shape.

5. Apparatus for progressively stamping a metallic clutch disc as in claim 1 wherein the peripheral spline shaped deburring projection of the deburring punch projects a sufficient extent to both flatten the first burr and decrease the thickness between the axial faces with a peripheral spline formation.

6. Apparatus for progressively stamping a metallic clutch disc as in claim 5 wherein the peripheral spline formation has a thickness between about 5 and 20% thinner than the thickness between the oppositely facing axial faces of the clutch disc blank before the deburring.

7. Apparatus for progressively stamping a metallic clutch disc as in claim 5 wherein the peripheral spline formation extends inwardly from the extremity thereof an amount in the range of 0.010 to 0.060 of an inch.

8. Apparatus for progressively stamping a metallic clutch disc as in claim 5 wherein the peripheral spline formation has a thickness between about 5 and 20% thinner than the thickness between the oppositely facing axial faces of the clutch disc blank before the deburring;

and wherein the peripheral spline formation extends inwardly from the extremity thereof an amount in the range of 0.010 to 0.060 of an inch.

9. Apparatus for progressively stamping a metallic clutch disc from a sheet metal strip, comprising:

a first forming station including a first forming die set having a forming punch and a forming die for removing a round blank from the sheet metal strip to provide an inner extremity of the clutch disc to being stamped, with the inner extremity having a generally round shape extending around a central axis and with the sheet metal strip having oppositely oriented axial faces and with the inner extremity including a first burr extending therefrom and from one of the axial faces in one axial direction along the central axis;

a second forming station including a second forming die set having a forming punch and a forming die for separating the clutch disc from the sheet metal strip to provide a round outer extremity of the clutch disc with the other extremity having a generally continuous round shape about the central axis and including a second burr extending therefrom and from the other axial face in the opposite axial direction as the first burr along the central axis;

the forming die and forming punch of the forming die set of one of the forming stations having annular spline formations for providing the extremity formed thereby with splines;

a deburring station including a deburring die set having an annular spline shaped deburring punch and a flat deburring die between which the clutch disc blank is positioned for relative movement of the deburring punch and the deburring die toward each other, the spline shaped deburring punch having a peripheral spline shaped deburring projection that flattens the burr extending from the one spline shaped extremity and the one axial face, and the flat deburring die flattening the other burr extending from the other extremity and the other axial face; and

the annular spline shaped deburring punch having its spline shaped deburring projection for forming a peripheral spline formation with a thickness that is in the range of 5 to 20% less than the thickness between the rest of the axial faces, and with the peripheral spline formation extending inwardly from the extremity thereof an amount in the range of 0.010 to 0.060 of an inch.

10. A method for progressively stamping a metallic clutch disc from a sheet metal strip, comprising:

progressively stamping a blank of the metallic clutch disc from the sheet metal strip so as to have a generally annular shape extending around a central axis and including oppositely oriented axial faces and inner and outer extremities, with one of the extremities having splines forming a generally round shape about the central axis and including a first burr extending therefrom and from one of the axial faces in one axial direction along the central axis, and with the other extremity having a generally continuous round shape about the central axis and including a second burr extending therefrom and from the other axial face in the opposite axial direction as the first burr along the central axis; and

positioning the clutch disc blank at a deburring station within a deburring die set between an annular spline shaped deburring punch and a flat deburring die for relative movement of the deburring punch and the deburring die toward each other so a peripheral spline shaped deburring projection of the spline shaped deburring punch flattens the first burr extending from the one spline shaped extremity and the one axial face and forms a peripheral spline formation and so the flat deburring die flattens the second burr extending from the other extremity and the other axial face.

11. A method for progressively stamping a metallic clutch disc as in claim 10 wherein;

a forming punch of a first forming die set is initially moved toward a forming die thereof to remove a round blank from the clutch disc being stamped to provide the inner extremity of the clutch disc blank;

a forming punch of a second forming die set is moved toward a forming die thereof to separate the clutch disc blank from the sheet metal strip; and

the forming punch and forming die of one of the die sets used having annular spline formations for providing the extremity formed thereby with the splines.

12. A method for progressively stamping a metallic clutch disc as in claim 11 wherein:

the forming punch and forming die of the first forming die set form the inner extremity of the clutch disc blank with the generally continuous round shape; and

the forming punch and forming die of the second die set form the outer extremity of the clutch blank with the splines.

13. A method for progressively stamping a metallic clutch disc as in claim 11 wherein:

the forming punch and forming die of the first forming die set form the inner extremity of the clutch disc blank with the splines; and

the forming punch and forming die of the second die set form the outer extremity of the clutch blank with the generally continuous round shape.

14. A method for progressively stamping a metallic clutch disc as in claim 10 wherein the spline shaped deburring punch and the flat deburring die of the deburring die set flatten the first burr and decrease the thickness between the axial faces at the peripheral spline formation.

15. A method for progressively stamping a metallic clutch disc as in claim 14 wherein the spline shaped deburring punch and the flat deburring die of the deburring die set flatten the first burr and decrease the thickness between the axial faces at the peripheral spline formation with a thickness that is between about 5 and 20% thinner than the thickness between the rest of the oppositely facing axial faces of the clutch disc blank.

16. A method for progressively stamping a metallic clutch disc as in claim 10 wherein the spline shaped deburring punch and the flat deburring die of the deburring die set flatten the first burr and decrease the thickness between the axial faces with the peripheral spline formation extending inwardly from the extremity thereof an amount in the range of 0.010 to 0.060 of an inch.

17. A method for progressively stamping a metallic clutch disc as in claim 10 wherein the spline shaped deburring punch and the flat deburring die of the deburring die set:

flatten the first burr and decrease the thickness between the axial faces at the peripheral spline formation whose thickness is between about 5 and 20% thinner than the thickness between the rest of the oppositely facing axial faces of the clutch disc blank; and

form the peripheral spline formation extending inwardly from the extremity thereof an amount in the range of 0.010 to 0.060 of an inch.

18. A method for progressively stamping a metallic clutch disc from a sheet metal strip, comprising:

a first forming punch of a first forming die set and a forming die thereof are moved toward each other with the sheet metal strip therebetween to removing a round blank from the sheet metal strip and provide an inner extremity of the clutch disc to being stamped, with the inner extremity having a generally round shape extending around a central axis and with the sheet metal strip having oppositely oriented axial faces and with the inner extremity including a first burr extending therefrom and from one of the axial faces in one axial direction along the central axis;

a second forming punch of a second forming die set and a forming die thereof are moved toward each other to separating a clutch disc blank from the sheet metal strip and provide an outer extremity of the clutch disc blank with a second burr extending therefrom and from the other axial face in the opposite axial direction as the first burr along the central axis;

the forming punch and forming die of one of the forming die sets forming the extremity provided thereby with splines;

positioning the clutch disc blank at a deburring station within a deburring die set between an annular spline shaped deburring punch and a flat deburring die for relative movement of the deburring punch and the deburring die toward each other, with the spline shaped deburring punch flattening the burr extending from the one spine shaped extremity and the associated axial face, and with the flat deburring die flattening the other burr extending from the other extremity and the associated axial face; and

the spline shaped deburring punch and the flat deburring die of the deburring die set: flattening the one burr and decreasing the thickness between the axial faces with an annular spline formation whose thickness is between about 5 and 20% thinner than the thickness between the rest of the oppositely facing axial faces of the clutch disc blank; and forming the peripheral spline formation extending inwardly from the extremity thereof an amount in the range of 0.010 to 0.060 of an inch.