GB2023486A

GB2023486A - Apparatus, system and method for applying and shaping a prefabricated material to a form

Info

Publication number: GB2023486A
Application number: GB7917026A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: WARHOL J
Current assignee: WARHOL J
Priority date: 1978-05-25
Filing date: 1979-05-16
Publication date: 1980-01-03
Also published as: IT1162635B; FR2426558B3; FR2426558A1; CA1143611A; GB2023486B; IT7949153A0; JPS55299A; DE2921099A1

Abstract

Power-operated apparatus is provided for applying roof-top material such as vinyl, plastic, leather or the like, directly to an automobile roof or to a rooftop form. The apparatus includes a plurality of clamping brackets for respectively clamping a rooftop material blank at spaced-apart locations thereon while it is on the rooftop or form. Each clamping bracket is coupled to fluid-actuated cylinders, which are in turn coupled to fluid supply and control means for applying a pulling force on the clamping brackets and tensioning the rooftop material blank for seating it into the desired shape and position on the rooftop or form. All the clamping means are pulled simultaneously to maintain the forces on the rooftop material blank in equilibrium. If the rooftop material blank is applied directly to the vehicle roof, cement is first applied to the rear surface of the material blank and to the vehicle roof. If the rooftop material blank is being applied to a form, it is first coated with a thermosetting material and the form is preheated for activating the thermosetting material. The seated and shaped blank is held on the form until the thermosetting material has set so that the blank retains the desired shape. A system is also disclosed for mass production of preshaped rooftop material blanks, wherein several forms are mounted on a turntable-type conveyor for carrying them through several stations for heating the forms, applying and tensioning the material blanks, curing the thermosetting resin and removing and trimming the shaped material blank.

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus, system and method for applying and shaping a prefabricated material to a form This invention relates to an apparatus, system and method for applying and shaping a prefabricated material on a form.

Many vehicle bodies are provided with partial or complete flexible sheet plastic to function as decorative roofs. Generally, the flexible plastic rootop portion has as the underlying support medium rigid rooftop portions upon which the flexible plastic material rests and to which such flexible sheet material is permanently attached by adhesive. The plastic material making up the rooftop material usually comprises a prefabricated flexible material consisting of a relatively thin layer of rooftop material and a heavy tough textile material, synthetic or natural fibers, having the characteristic of absorbing a suitable adhesive on the textile side of the prefabricated material and adapted to be permanently cemented or attached to a smooth rigid roof surface of a vehicle, such roof surface generally consisting of metal or wood or rigid plastic material.

The rooftop material prior to application to the vehicle rooftop is usually in the form of a blank consisting of a roof body portion and at least two vehicle roof post portions. In many instances, a complete vehicle roof blank not only has the body portion for the vehicle roof but usually will have two front post portions and two rear post portions for covering the roof support portions extending from the vehicle roof to the vehicle body proper.

This type is considered a full roof. There are variations to the roof style, such as a half roof cover (landau), T-roof, etc.

As a rule, such prefabricated rooftop material for an automotive vehicle is quite expensive and because of this, blanks of such material for a particular vehicle body are stamped and sewn accurately to size with a slight margin for trimming after installation of such material upon a vehicle body.

Instead of applying the rooftop material directly to the roof of an automotive vehicle for on-line assembly to the vehicle, the blank may also be preshaped in an off-line operation and then stored for later assembly of the pre-shaped rooftop material blank to the vehicle. For purposes of this preshaping operation, the rooftop material blank is seated into place over a rooftop form and is treated so that, after removal from the form, the blank will retain the shape of the form. One type of preshaping operation was disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4, 029,532. In this preshaping arrangement, the material blank is stiffened by placing thereover a gauze impregnated with material such as plaster of paris, which is then removed when the blank is applied to the car body. But this is a messy, cumbersome and time-consuming operation.

The prefabricated rooftop material is quite tough and strong and when the pre-cemented surfaces of the rooftop material and vehicle roof proper come into contact, controlled tensioning is required to smooth out the material to free the same of wrinkles and also to position the material accurately for final trimming of the margins. It has been the practice for a crew of a least two and more generally four muscular individuals to apply a cement-bearing prefabricated rootop material to a pre-cemented rooftop and manipulate the same into final position preparatory to the setting of the material on the roof under heat.This difficulty of accurately positioning and shaping the rooftop material blank is experienced whether the blank is being applied directly to the car top or to a form for pre-shaping, since there is considerable difficulty in equalizing the forces applied to the rooftop material blank.

Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and an improved system and method for applying a prefabricated material on a form.

Accordingly, the present invention provides apparatus for applying and shaping a prefabricated material on a form, said apparatus comprising quickly detachable clamping means for engaging the associated material at spaced-apart clamping locations thereon while it is on the associated form, fluid-actuated power means coupled to said clamping means for effecting movement thereof to apply a tensioning force to the associated material, and control means coupled to said power means for equalizing the tensioning force applied to the associated material at said clamping locations thereon, said power means being so arranged and oriented as to be in equilibrium when the material has attained a desired orientation and shape on the form to which the material is applied.

The present invention also provides a system for applying and shaping on a form a flexible prefabricated material including a layer of thermosetting material, said system comprising a conveyor passing through a heating station and a material applying station and at least one curing station and a discharge station, a plurality of forms mounted at spaced-apart points along said conveyor for transportation thereby sequentially through said stations, heating means at said heating station for heating each form as it passes therethrough, clamping and tensioning means at said material applying station for engagement with the material when it is in position on the associated heated form for arranging the material in a desired orientation and shape, holding means associated with each of said forms for holding the associated material thereon in the predetermined orientation and shape while said form passes through said curing station, the thermosetting material being activated by the heat from said heated form as it passes through said curing station for permanently setting the material in a predetermined shape, and discharge means at said discharge station for removing the preshaped material from the associated form.

In addition, the present invention provides a method of shaping a flexible material on a form, comprising the steps of applying a coating of thermosetting material to the flexible material, applying the coated flexible material to the form and holding it thereon in a predetermined shape, applying heat to the flexible material while it is held in the predetermined shape on the form for activating the thermosetting material and permanently setting the flexible material in the predetermined shape.

The invention will now be described in connection with the drawings wherein FIG. 1 is a plan view of an exemplary blank of roofing material for application to the roof of a vehicular body.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an overhead type of apparatus embodying the invention for applying and positioning a rooftop material blank in final position on a form or vehicle top.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a modification wherein the vehicle to which plastic or other rooftop material is to be applied rests upon a platform or conveyor, the platform carrying the various means for manipulating the rooftop material in final position.

FIG. 4 is a detail partly in section, of a clamping means carried at the end of a tensioning piston rod for engaging the end portion of a rooftop material blank.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a fixture type car top form on which a rooftop material blank can be applied by the apparatus of FIGS. 2 or 3 for preshaping of the blank in off-line production.

FIG. 6 is a top plan, partially diagrammatic view, of a manufacturing system utilizing the clamping and tensioning apparatus and preshaping form of the present invention.

A popular example of a blank used on the roof of a vehicle 15 consists essentially of body portion 10 of generally rectangular shape with relatively narrow front post portions 1 1 and 12 extending from two corners of body portion 10 and rear post portions 13 and 14 from the remaining two corners of body portion 10. Front post portions 1 1 and 12 are adapted to cover the roof supports extending between the vehicle body proper 16 and the front of the vehicle roof. As a rule, the front portion of the roof curves donwardly toward the conventional windshield to permit wide angle vision through the windshield. Similarly, rear post portions 13 and 14 normally extend with the adjacent part of the body portion 1 0 from the vehicle roof downwardly toward the rear window 17 of the vehicle 1 5.In many instances, the portion of the vehicle body 16 containing the rear window 17 extends somewhat above the level of the bottom portion of the windshield, thus accounting for the different lengths of rear post portions 13 and 14 on the one hand, as compared to the front post portions 1 1 and 12 on the other hand. There are many variations of shapes of rooftop material blanks 5 and in fact, in some instances, body portion 10 of the rooftop material blank 5 may be in two separate parts, separated by metal trim across the top of the roof.

It is well known that the rooftop material blank 5 is a prefabricated assembly which may comprise a decorative outer skin of plastic or other material such as vinyl or any of numerous other man-made materials adhered to a relatively heavy layer of woven or nonwoven natural or synthetic material (see FIG. 6). The vinyl layer is usually embossed to provide a roughened outer surface which is visible after the rooftop material is installed. The inner layer of the prefabricated rooftop material usually has a roughened or hairlike surface which will receive adhesive for cementing the material to the conventional vehicle metal rooftop, or is coated with a thermo-setting material which would be applicable to off-line production, as will be explained more fully below.Usually adhesive is also applied to the vehicle rooftop metal surface after such metal surface has been suitably cleaned for receiving the same.

As is well known, it is practically impossible to apply a pre-cemented rooftop material blank 5 to the vehicle rooftop surface without requiring some adjustment, usually by tugging of pulling such rooftop material along the vehicle roof surface. As a rule, considerable force is necessary to move the rooftop material blank 5 with reference to the vehicle rooftop and care must be exercised in the application of such force to prevent damaging or tearing of the rooftop material. Inasmuch as. ttie rooftop material blanks 5 have relatively narrow marginal portions for trimming, damage thereto results in appreciable loss.In connection with the application of such a pre-cemented rooftop material blank (or the thermoset preshaped rooftop as described below in connection with FiG.5), it is essential to eliminate air bubbles between the opposing surfaces as well as obtain precise and accurate orientation of the blank 5 with reference to the vehicle rooftop.

In any event, irrespective of whether the setup in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3 is used for manipulating the precemented rooftop material on a vehicle roof, it is necessary that a pre-cemented rooftop material blank 5 must be initially applied to the vehicle rooftop surface. After the rooftop material blank 5 has been applied preliminarily to the vehicle rooftop surface in an approximately suitable position, this placement being accomplished manually by at least two persons for the average automotive vehicle, the power energized means for manipulating can be suitably connected to the initially positioned rooftop material blank 5.

Referring specifically to the setup illustrated in FIG. 2, a generally rectangular frame 20 is supported for longitudinal travel along an overhead conveyor track 22 for movement above and in the same direction as conveyor 23, upon which a generally assembled automotive vehicle 15 can travel. While not essential, it is preferred to have the automotive vehicle in a generally assembled condition. Normally after the rooftop material blank 5 has been finally positioned and cemented on the rooftop and sides of the vehicle 15, molding generally in the form of metal trim is applied over the appropriate marginal portions of the rooftop material. Inasmuch as this procedure is well-known and forms no part of the present invention, no attempt is made to show such metal trim.

In accordance with the invention, frame 20 normally supports a plurality of pairs of double acting cylinders 25 to 32 inclusive. It is understood that each cylinder has its own individual piston and piston rod, the piston rods being respectively designated 25a to 32a inclusive. For convenience, FIG. 2 does not show the pressure tubing for feeding air or fluid under pressure to a desired side of the piston for each cylinder. This is illustrated in FIG. 3 which shows a console for supplying such pressure lines to the respective ends of the cylinders, such pressure lines being under the control of manually operated valves for controlling the amount of pressurized air or liquid for each pressure supply line. It will be understood that for other styles of roof the cylinders would be arranged differently.

The free power applying ends of the two piston rods for each pair of power cylinders are respectively loosely attached to clamping brackets 35, shown in detail in FIG. 4. Any suitable means may be provided for temporarily clamping a piston rod end to the front or rear post portions 11 - 14 of the rooftop material blank 5. Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 4, each clamping bracket 35 includes a pair of clamping blocks 36 and 37 loosely carried by two spaced headed pins 39 passing through such blocks and adapted to retain the blocks by snap fastener 40 engaging the free end of pin 39. For certain applications it may be desirable to couple both cylinders of a pair to a single clamping bracket.

Thus, a small marginal portion 41 of one of the post portions 11 -14 of the rooftop material blank 5 may be wrapped around the edge of clamping block 36 to be locked between the two clamping blocks 36 and 37 to permit the associated piston rods to exert tension upon the post portions of the rooftop material blank 5. Due to the rigid nature of clamping blocks 36 and 37, each post portion 1114 of rooftop material blank 5 is tensioned in two directions, determined by the anchorage of the pair of cylinders constituting a tensioning pair for a corner of the rooftop material blank 5. By selecting the appropriate anchoring locations of the ends of an adjacent pair of cylinders, a desirable direction for tensioning each of the corner pieces of a rooftop material blank 5 may be provided.It is understood that for different body styles or shapes, different anchorage locations may be necessary. As a rule, the two tensioning units for the rear part of the roof on opposite sides of the rear window will be symmetrically disposed. The same will be true for the tensioning units on opposite sides of the front of the windshield. Due to the tendency of a fluid or hydraulic tensioning unit to equalize the force exerted on the four or more post portions of the rooftop material blank 5, a dislocation of the rooftop material blank 5 from desired proper position will be corrected by the tendency of the various power units to equalize the tensions of the various blank post portions 11- 14.

While double acting piston units are preferred, it is possible to use single acting power units for tensioning purposes only. The double acting power units are desirable for increasing the pressure differential across each side of a piston, making for a greater range of force to be applied for manipulating the rooftop material.

Referring now to FIG. 3, an arrangement is disclosed wherein platform 53 supports a vehicle 15 to be worked upon. Platform 53 has console 55 containing valves and gauges, the console having a plurality of pressure hoses 56 going to several tensioning units 50, preferably eight in number with two at each post portion of the blank 5, as explained above in FIG. 2. Each tensioning unit 50 includes a cylinder 58 carried by one end of a support rod 59, the other end of which support rod is pivotally secured to an anchor block 60. A piston rod 61 extends from a piston within each cylinder 58, the piston rod 61 extending through a suitable cylinder cap having suitable packing to prevent leakage of air or hydraulic fluid.

The free end of piston rod 61 is connected to a clamping bracket 35 as described in connection with FIG. 2. Tensioning units 50 are mounted in pairs as previously set forth. Providing double acting cylinder tensioning units makes it possible to use apparatus arranged as illustrated in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3, depending upon various considerations.

Referring now to FIG. 5 of the drawings, there is illustrated a fixture or form, generally designated by the numeral 70, for preshaping the rooftop material blank 5 in an off-line production process.

The form 70 is preferably constructed of metal, but may be constructed of any other suitable material, and is identical in shape to the rooftop of a corresponding automotive vehicle. The form 70 includes a top portion 71, a front portion 72, a rear portion 73 and opposed side portions 74. The form 70 may be supported by any suitable means, such as support legs 75 mounted on a platform 76. Preferably, clamping members 77 are respectively provided adjacent to each of the side portions 74, and a clamping member 78 is provided adjacent to the rear portion 73, each of the clamping members 77 and 78 being adapted for cooperation with the associated portions of the form 70 and with suitable fasteners 79 to clamp the associated rooftop material blank 5 in place.

In use, the rooftop material blank 5 first has applied to the underside thereof a thermosetting resin. Then, the form 70 is preheated and the resin-carrying bank 5 is applied thereto.

Preferably, the form 70 and its associated support mechanism is adapted for location adjacent to a tensioning assembly such as that disclosed in FIG.

2 or FIG. 3. The tensioning assembly is then utilized to position and shape the blank 5 on the form 70 in exactly the same manner as was described above for tensioning and positioning the blank 5 directly on the rooftop of vehicle 15.

When the rooftop material blank has been tensioned to the proper shape and position, it is then clamped in place by the clamping members 77 and 78, whereupon the tensioning apparatus may be released. The blank 5 is held in place by the clamping members 77 and 78 until the heat from the form 70 has set the thermosetting resin in the blank 5. Thus, upon removal of the blank 5 from the form 70, the blank 5 will retain the shape of the form 70 in a rigid construction which can be then stored for later assembly to an automotive vehicle on the production line.

Referring now to FIG. 6 of the drawings, there is illustrated a system, generally designated by the numeral 80, for increasing the capacity of the preshaping operation utilizing the form 70. The system 80 includes a circular conveyor assembly, generally designated by the numeral 81, which may be in the form of a turntable, and having positioned thereon at equiangularly spaced-apart locations therearound, a plurality of the forms 70.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6, six such forms 70 are located on the circular conveyor assembly 81, which moves these forms 70 consecutively through a plurality of stations, respectively designated I through Vl. The system 80 also includes a plurality of radial shifting assemblies, equal in number to the forms 70, and each designated by the numeral 82. Each of the radial shifting assemblies 82 is adapted for moving the associated forms 70 radially of the circular conveyor assembly 81 between inner and outer positions, the inner positions being represented by the positions of the forms 70 at stations I and Ill-VI, and the outer position being indicated by the position of the forms 70 at the station II. Station Vl indicates the forms 70 in solid line as disposed intermediate the inner and outer postions.

Station I is a preheating station for preheating the forms 70. Station II is the blank-applying station, at which a rooftop material blank 5 is applied to the forms 70, in the same manner as was described above in connection with FIG. 5.

Preferably, a supply 83 of the rooftop material blanks 5 is located adjacent to the station II for ready access by an operator. Also located at station II is a clamping and tensioning assembly, such as that illustrated in FIG. 3, for seating and shaping the rooftop material blank 5 into position on the form 70 in the same manner as was described above in connection with FIG. 5, the control console 55 of that assembly being diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 6.

Each of the forms 70 preferably also has associated therewith a clamping assembly, generally designated by the numeral 85, which is illustrated in the open position at station II, and includes side clamps 84 and a rear clamp 86 for respectively clamping the side and rear portions of the rooftop material blank 5 against the form 70 after the blank 5 has been tensioned, seated and shaped into position by the controlled tensioning apparatus of FIG. 3. This clamping assembly 85 corresponds to the clamping members 77 and 78 illustrated in FIG. 5, and serves the same function as those clamping members.

In operation, as each form 70 arrives at the station I, it is preheated by suitable external and internal means. Each of the forms 70 may also include internal heating means to maintain the temperature thereof during the curing operations to be described below. At station I, the form 70 is disposed in its inner radial position. After the circular conveyor assembly 81 has indexed the preheated form 70 to the station II, the form 70 is moved outwardly by the radial shifting assembly 82 the outer position therefor, in which it is disposed for cooperation with the clamping and tensioning assembly of FIG. 3. At this location, a rooftop material blank 5 is applied to the form 70.

Preferably, the blank 5 will have been first treated, as by airless spraying with a protective coating on the outer surface thereof and a thermosetting coating of resin or other sutable thermosetting material on the inner surface thereof. The rooftop material blank 5 may be carried by a suitable conveyor to the form 70 and, as it is applied thereto, the clamping brackets 35 (see FIG. 3) are applied thereto starting at the rear of the blank 5 and progressing to the front end thereof. The rooftop material blank 5 is then tensioned as was described above in connection with FIG. 3 and, when the desired tension and shape is reached, the clamping assembly 85 is closed securely to hold the tensioned blank 5 in position on the form 70.The form 70 is then returned to its inner radial position by the radial shifting assembly 82, and the circular conveyor assembly 81 then indexes it through stations IlI-VI. At stations Ill-V, the thermosetting material on the blank 5 takes a permanent set. While three curing stations have been illustrated in FIG. 6,~it will be appreciated that any other desired number of such statioris could be utilized, with the total number of stations along the circular conveyor assembly 81 being altered accordingly.

At station Vl the form 70 is moved to its radial outward position and the clamping assembly 85 is opened. A suitable carrier 88, such as a vacuum carrier, then removes the preshaped rooftop material blank 5 from the form 70 and flips it over to the postion designated 90, at which location the preshaped blank 5 is trimmed to the exact dimensions desired, utilizing a suitable trimming die. The preshaped blank 5 is then stored for later assembly to the top of an automobile.

The clamping brackets 35 grip the rooftop material blank 5 at portions thereof which are later trimmed off. Thus, this system, contrary to prior art systems, requires no contact with the outer surface of the rooftop material which might mar or damage the finished product.

While in the preferred embodiment of this invention the tensioning and positioning apparatus has been disclosed as used in the application of automobile rooftop material to a form or directly to the vehicle top, it will be appreciated that this same type of apparatus is suitable for other applications. Thus, for example, the apparatus may be used to tension material over vehicle seat forms for providing the seatcovers of automotive vehicles, or for forming the padded interior panel moldings of vehicle doors or the like. In general, any application which uses a preshaped flexible material could advantageously use the apparatus and method of the present invention for preshaping the material.

Claims

1. Apparatus for applying and shaping a prefabricated material on a form, said apparatus comprising quickly detachable clamping means for engaging the associated material at spaced-apart clamping locations thereon while it is on the associated form, fluid-actuated power means coupled to said clamping means for effecting movement thereof to apply a tensioning force to the associated material, and control means coupled to said power means for equalizing the tensioning force applied to the associated material at said clamping locations thereon, said power means being so arranged and oriented as to be in equilibrium when the material has attained a desired orientation and shape on the form to which the material is applied.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said clamping means includes a plurality of clamping members respectively engaging the associated material at spaced-apart locations theron, said power means including a plurality of power units respectively coupled to said clamping members.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each of said power units includes a fluid actuated cylinder.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1,2 or 3 wherein said form is in the shape of an automotive vehicle rooftop.

5. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 4, and further including means for supporting said power means above the associated form to which the associated material is to be applied.

6. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 4, and further including a base portion for supporting thereon the associated form, said power means being supported on said base portion and extending upwardly therefrom for coupling to said clamping means.

7. A system for applying and shaping on a form a flexible prefabricated material including a layer of thermosetting material, said system comprising a conveyor passing through a heating station and a material applying station and at least one curing station and a discharge station, a plurality of forms mounted at spaced-apart points along said conveyor for transportation thereby sequentially through said stations, heating means at said heating station for heating each form as it passes therethrough, clamping and tensioning means at said material applying station for engagement with the material when it is in position on the associated heated form for arranging the material in a desired orientation and shape, holding means associated with each of said forms for holding the associated material thereon in the predetermined orientation and shape while said form passes through said curing station, the thermosetting material being activated by the heat from said heated form as it passes through the said curing station for permanently setting the material in the predetermined shape, and discharge means at said discharge station for removing the preshaped material from the associated form.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said system includes six of said forms and three curing stations.

9. The system of claim 7 or 8, and further including shifting means assciated with each of said forms for affecting movement thereof between first and second positions with respect to said conveyor.

10. A method of shaping a flexible material on a form, comprising the steps of applying a coating of thermosetting material to the flexible material, applying the coated flexible material to the form and holding it thereon in a predetermined shape, applying heat to the flexible material while it is held in the predetermined shape on the form for activating the thermosetting material and permanently setting the flexible material in the predetermined shape.

11. Apparatus for applying and shaping a prefabricated material on a form substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12. A system for applying and shaping on a form a flexible prefabricated material including a layer of thermosetting material substantially as herein described with reference to FIG. 6.

13. A method of shaping a flexible material on a form according to claim 10 and substantailly as herein described.