Die holder with stamping die means
United States Patent Reed 1 1 Apr. 8, 1975 1 1 DIE HOLDER WITII STAMPING DIE 531.715 1/1930 Germany H 276/43 MEANS 537.471 5/1922 France 276/43 706.618 6/1931 France 276/43 {76] Inventor: Virgil C. Reed, PO. Box 12185.  
  Houston, Tex. 77017 Primary E.rummer-R0bert E. Bagwlll 1 Flledi 9, 1973 Ass/stun! E.\&#39;aminerE. H. Eickholt [52] [1.8. CI. 101/28; 276/43; 7/15; 269/244 [51) Int. Cl B44b 5/02 158] Field of Search 101/1 R, 3, 4, 27-31. 101/16, 405, 384; 276/40-44; 7/15; 269/244; 197/36 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 879.462 2/1908 Green 101/31 1.332.398 3/1920 Hoagland 269/244 l 471,443 10/1923 Bracht .1 101/28 1.789.832 1/193] Pannier. -Ir. et 211...... 101/31 R 1.827.550 10/1931 Williams 101/29 2.280.096 4/1942 Morrison 197/36 2.357.045 8/1944 Hauer I 101/28 2.376999 5/1945 Gattoni... 276/43 2.670.677 3/1954 Hauer 101/28 2.925.773 2/1960 Kingsley..... 101/27 X 3.061.302 10/1962 Dennis 269/244 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [57] ABSTRACT A stamping die holder comprises a tube of noncircular e.g.. square cross-section, having die receiving transverse openings atone end, a clamp of correlative noncircular cross-section slidable in the tube adjacent the die openings for holding a die means in the openings, a screw engaging a thread on the clamp to move the clamp to and from die engaging position, the head of the screw being captured between two apertured plates held in the tube. the screw extending through the aperture in one plate and the aperture in the other plate providing access for a socket wrench to engage a socket in the screw head to turn the screw and move the clamp. The clamp has a hard rubber face providing enough resiliency to maintain tightness while at the same time preventing wobble of the die means. Hammer actuated stamping dies carrying letter or other metal marking indicia may be held in the holder. c.g., dies for identification of inspected welded material.  
 7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures DIE HOLDER WITH STAMPING DIE MEANS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION l. Field of Invention This invention pertains to holders for dies used to stamp indicia on metal and the like. It is particularly useful for holding dies used to stamp identifying marks on welded metal material to indicate that other weld has been inspected and by whom.  
 2. Brief Description of Prior Art Heretofore dies have been used for stamping indicia on metal goods to show that a weld therein has been inspected and by whom. Such dies are easily lost. The present invention provides a holder for the dies that fa cilitates their use and lessens the likelihood of their being lost. Also, it enables a plurality of dies to be struck at one time to shorten the time required for marking the goods.  
  Prior art tool holders are known in another field, namely. viselike devices for holding tool bits used in a lathe. The present device differs from such tool holders is structural details which adapt same to being held in the hand and make for strength and ruggedness as well as adapting same to grip a plurality of dies simultaneously and with a capacity for gripping dies of different sizes. The holder is simple to make and use and is inexpensive to manufacture. The holder is of such a nature that another tool is required to free the dies once they have been secured thereon, thus reducing the likelihood of the dies being inadvertently changed. The weight of the tool is such as to serve as a reminder of its presence in ones pocket. Other objects and advantages will appear from the detailed description hereinafter.  
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention there is provided a die holder comprising a tube of rectangular or other noncircular cross section with which near one end of the tube is slidably disposed a correlative nut. A socket head screw is engaged at its threaded end with a nut. The body of the screw extends inside the tube concentric therewith. The head of the screw is captured between two apertured plates that are of the same shape as the holder&#39;s cross section. e.g.. square. and which are mounted in the tube. The body of the screw extends through one of the apertured plates. A socket wrench may be inserted through the other end of the tube and the other apertured plate to turn the screw and thereby move the nut lengthwise of the tube. A pair of registering rectangular openings through the sides of the one end of the tube are adapted to receive two stamping dies, side-by-side. The nut carries a hard rubber pad to bear against the dies and clamp them to the sides of the tube openings when the nut is moved in that direction by the screw.  
 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:  
  For a detailed description of the invention reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings sub stantially to scale. wherein FIG. I is a side view of a tool holder embodying the invention;  
  FIG. 2 is a top view of the tool holder shown in FIG. 1 together with a wrench (in dotted lines) for actuating the holder;  
  FIG. 3 is a view of the wrench end of the holder shown in FIG. 1;  
  FIG. 4 is a view of the die end of the holder shown in FIG. 1, with two dies assembled therewith shown in dotted lines;  
  FIG. 5 is a fragmentary top view of the die end of the holder with two dies assembled therein shown in dotted lines, and  
  FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side view of the die end of the holder with two dies assembled therein shown in dotted lines (only one die appearing in this side view).  
 DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT:  
  Referring now to the drawings there is shown a holder embodying the invention including a heavy gauge sheet metal (steel) tube 11 of non-circular, preferably square rectangular cross section. The tube is preferably formed by folding a flat sheet and welding the seam. The tube is about one inch on a side adapting it to be held in the hand of the user. At one end of the tube, hereinafter called the die end of the tube. there are two rectangular slots 13 through the sides of the tube adapted to receive a pair of stamping dies 15, eg. in the range of A; inch. 3/16 inch to A inch square. Such dies are made of hard. preferably tough, metal adapted to be struck with a hammer at end 17 while the other end 19 shaped to form a desired mark such as a letter or number is engaged with the work to be marked. e.g.. a metal body that has been welded and the weld inspected.  
  A nut 21 has an outer peripheral configuration conforming to the inner periphery of the tube. e.g., square as shown in the preferred embodiment. If the Weld seam of the tube 11 protrudes inwardly. an edge of the nut may be scalloped to accommodate same. The nut is disposed in the tube near the die end thereof being adapted to slide longitudinally of the tube between positions in which the hard rubber facing 23 bonded to the nut bears against dies 15 and (as in FIGS. 5 and 6) positions removed therefrom toward the opposite or wrench end of the tube. The hard rubber or other elastomeric material has enough resistence to maintain tightness of the dies while clamped there against and yet is rigid enough to prevent wobbling of the dies.  
  The nut 21 has a central opening therethrough which is internally threaded at 25 to receive the threaded end 27 ofa screw 29. The out is preferably formed by welding a threaded bushing 30 to an apertured plate. The other end of the screw is provided with a head 3] having a socket 33 of non-circular, e.g., hexagonal cross section. to receive a socket wrench. A suitable socket wrench 35 is shown in dotted lines at 37. Such a wrench is sometimes known as an allen wrench. and the screw 29 as an Allen head screw.  
  Head 31 of screw 29 is captured between two rectan gular periphery apertured metal plates 41, 43 but is free to turn, the screw 29 extending through the central aperture 45 in plate 41. The plates are held against longitudinal motion away from head 31 by abutments such as 47 made in the side ofthe tube by a staking tool. The plates are preferably quite close to the head 31 but with enough clearance to allow the head to turn. The aperture 49 in plate 43 is large enough to allow tool 37 to be passed therethrough when inserted into socket 33.  
  In use of the tool dies 15 are passed through slots 13 into the position desired such as shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, and then the wrench 37 is employed to turn screw 29 and move nut 21 toward the dies until face 23 bears tightly against them and holds them in position. The wrench will then be removed. The weld inspector will then grasp the tube in one hand and strike the heads of the dies with a hammer while the marking ends 19 of the tool are in contact with the welded object that has been inspected. If it is desired to change the dies, the ones in use are easily released by turning the wrench in the opposite direction to back offthe nut 21. One or more holes 50 may be provided in the wrench end ofthe tube to hang it up on a nail when not in use.  
  By way of example the dies may carry letter type indicia. With two dies, there are a large number of combinations of letters available to give differing marks according to who inspected the weld.  
  Although the holder is intended to hold two dies, it can hold a single die or more than two dies.  
  While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, modifications thereof can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.  
 I claim:  
  1. A die holder having a tube of noncircular crosssection having transverse opening means at one end thereof adapted to receive die means, clamp means of noncircular cross-section correlative to that of the tube slideably disposed in the tube adapted to bear against the side ofthe die means, a screw engaging a thread on the clamp. bearing means holding the screw against motion longitudinally of the tube while allowing rotation of the screw relative to the tube, said screw having a head and said hearing means comprising a pair of plates disposed in the tube on opposite sides of the head one plate having a hole therein through which the screw passes. and holding means to hold the plates against motion away from said head.  
 2. A die holder according to claim 1 in which said holding means comprises staked abutments on the sides of said plates opposite from the head.  
  3. A die holder according to claim 1 in which the head has a shape adapted to receive a wrench and the other of said plates has an aperture therethrough providing access to said head for a wrench.  
  4. A die holder according to claim 3 in which said head shape is a socket adapted to receive an Allen wrench.  
  5. A die holder according to claim 1 in combination with die means secured in said opening means by said clamping means, said die means including one to a plurality of elongated dies having flat sides said opening means having a straight side against which said die means is clamped by said clamping mean.  
  6. A die holder according to claim 5 in combination with a tool projectable into the end of the tube opposite to that in which the die means is held for engaging said actuating means to operate same.  
  7. A die holder according to claim 1 wherein said tube is of square cross-section being about 1 inch i A inch on a side adapting same to be gripped in the hand, and said clamp means is of square cross-section, the correlative non-circular (square) cross-sections of said tube and clamp means preventing relative rotation of said clamp means and tube. said clamp means having a disengageable face of hard elastomer of Shore rubber durometer hardness of 85 i 5, said actuating means including a screw having a non-circular socket head mounted in the tube for rotation but held against axial movement and engaging a threaded hole in said clamp means. and a socket wrench having a non-circular cross-section head snugly engageable with said socket to prevent relative rotation of wrench and screw so that the screw can be turned with the wrench to move said clamp means, said clamp means and actuating means being totally surrounded by said tube.