US3462989A - Sheet-flanging machine - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 26, 1969 H. F. FISCHER, JR

SHEET-FLANGING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 MN m I N VENTOR. HARRV F/$CHER,JI?.

Filed March 22, 1967 ATTORA/EVS.

H. F. FISCHER, JR

snnm'wmmcmo MACHINE Aug. 26, 1969 I 5 SheetsSheet' 2 Filed March 22, 1967 R Z W Z w we R N5 m p F T 6 635 w W mm R 5 w m x ml m w a: m.

g- 6, 969 I H. F. FISCHER, JR 3,462,989

SHEET-FLANGING MACHINE Filed March 22," 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

ATTUR/VEKS.

HARRY/z FISCHL-RJA.

g- 1969 H. F. FISCHER, JR 3,462,989

SHEET-FLANGING MACHINE Filed March 22. 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. HARRY F. FISCHER, JR.

A TTOR/VE VS Aug. 26, 1969 H. F. FISCHER, JR 3,462,989

7 SHEET-FLANGING MACHINE I I Filed March 22, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

HARRVE FASCHBQJR.

A TTORA/EVS Int. Cl. 321d /08 U5. Ci. 72-478 11 Ciarms ABSTRACT OF THE DESCLOSURE A sheet of metal is moved along a horizontal support, during which the side portions of the sheet are bent upwardly by at least one set of plain cylindrical bending rolls forming passes inclined upwardly and outwardly from the sheet and having open lower ends for receiving the edges of the sheet. If only one set of rolls is used, consisting of two pairs of cooperating rolls, the pairs can be adjusted to different angles to progressively bend up the marginal portions of the sheet during successive passes of the sheet. If more than One set of rolls is used, each successive set is disposed at a steeper angle to complete the flanges during a single pass through the machine. In the same manner the flanges can be provided with lips extending at an angle thereto.

There are two common ways of forming flanges on a metal sheet. The sheet may be placed in a metal brake and then, while the sheet is stationary, its marginal portions are bent up or down. Or, a continuous system may be used in which a sheet is passed through a machine provided with rolls shaped to bend up its marginal portions. All of the rolls turn on horizontal axes and they are arranged in pairs along the opposite sides of the sheet.

Each successive pair has a different contour than the pair I behind it. All of the rolls along each side of the sheet have parallel axes extending transversely of the machine. In addition to requiring many sets of rolls with many different contours, the height of the flanges than can be formed by the rolls is limited by the roll diameters. That is, if the annular grooves in the final pairs of rolls can not be over an inch deep, that is as high as the flanges can be. To form deeper flanges would require larger rolls.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a sheet-flanging machine which is simple and inexpensive in construction, which can form flanges of any desired height without changing rolls, which uses a minimum number of rolls, which can use plain cylindrical rolls throughout, and which can form lips along the free edges of the flanges.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of my machine;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross section taken on the line II-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section taken on the line III-III of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are enlarged fragmentary cross sections taken on the lines IVIV, VV, VI-VI, VII- VII and VIII-VIII, respectively, of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic view representing the form of the sheet as it passes from left to right between each successive set for rolls in a modified embodiment; and

FIG. is a view, similar to FIG. 4, of another modification.

Referring to the drawings, a table 1 of any suitable construction is provided with horizontal parallel rollers 2 extending across it at suitable intervals along its length for supporting a metal sheet 3 that is to travel from one end of the table to the other. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 8, these rollers may be large cylindrical rods provided near nited States Patent D M 3,462,939 Patented Aug. 26, 1969 their ends with circumferential recesses 4 to provide journals that turn in pillow blocks 5 mounted on the table. The rollers do not need to be driven. At the entry end of the table there are parallel angle bars 6 extending lengthwise away from the table and adjustable thereon toward and away from each other in any suitable manner. These brs support and guide metal sheets of various widths as they are delivered to the table.

At each end of the first roller that will be reached by the sheet there is a bracket 8 rigidly mounted on the table but adjustable transversely thereof. This bracket may be a heavy metal plate that extends upwardly above the table. Both rackets will extend above the table when a sheet is to be provided with two flanges extending upwardly, but when one flange is to be bent downwardly, one bracket will be mounted below the table. As best shown in FIG. 4, a housing 9 for two parallel sets of bearings 10 is fastened to one side of each bracket by bolts or welding. Rotatably mounted in the bearings are the necks 11 of a pair of plain cylindrical rolls 12. The axes of the rolls lie in the vertical axial plane of the adjoining roller 2 and are inclined outwardly from the roller at an angle less than 45, preferably about 30. The two rolls are spaced apart a distance at least as great as the thickness of the sheet that is to be flanged, as the thickness of the sheet is not to be reduced by the rolls. The roll pass thus formed between the rolls is open at its lower or inner end, which is located approximately at the top of the end of the roller. The necks of the rolls project from the upper end of the housing and carry meshing gears 13 so that when one roll is driven by an electric motor 14 at its upper or outer end, the other one will be rotated in the opposite direction by the gears. The motor is supported by an arm 15 fastened to its side and to the bracket.

At the opposite ends of the next table roller, which may be about a foot or so away from the first one, there are brackets 17 which support two more pairs of rolls 18 just like those first described. These rolls are driven by their own motors 1?. However, whereas the first set of rolls are inclined upwardly and outwardly from the table at an angle of less than 45 degrees, the rolls in the second set are inclined at a greater angle, preferably about 60 degrees, as shown in FIG. 5. The inner ends of their inclined passes are located at the top of the ends of the roller between the two pairs of rolls.

Farther down the table the next roller has brackets 21 mounted at its opposite ends on the table for supporting a third set of rolls 22, one roll in each pair being driven by an electric motor 23. These rolls are just like those previously described but, as shown in FIG. 6, they are disposed vertically or with the two pairs leaning toward each other slightly to allow for spring back in the flanges that will be formed by them. The lower ends of the upright roll passes are close to the top of the roller between them.

With all six motors running, the leading end of a metal sheet of the proper width is pushed forward onto the first roller 2. By proper width is meant that the sheet must be wide enough for the desired width of its marginal portions to enter the inclined roll passes at the opposite ends of the table roller. For sheets of different widths, guides 6 and the roller brackets 8 can be adjusted toward or away from each other across the table. As the leading end of the sheet is pushed against the first set of driven rolls 12, they will frictionally grip its marginal portions and feed them through the inclined roll passes while simultaneously bending those' marginal portions upwardly to the same inclination as the rolls. As the lower ends of the passes are located close to the top of the ends of roller 2, sharp bends will be formed in the sheet. The roller prevents the body of the sheet from flexing downward as its edges are bent up. The length of the rolls does not have to be, and preferably is not, as great as the width of the turned up edges of the sheet, because those edges can extend up past the rolls into the space between their necks as shown in FIG. 4. By making this space long, flanges of any desired width can be formed without changing rolls. This is an important feature.

Rolls 12 will pull the sheet ahead and push the leading ends of the inclined marginal portions against the second set of rolls 18, which will then pull those portions into the steeper roll passes and simultaneously bend the marginal portions upward to a further extent. With both sets of rolls now driving the sheet ahead, the leading ends of its inclined marginal portions are pushed against the third set of rolls 22, which direct those portions into the vertical roll passes and thus complete the bending of the marginal portions upward to form flanges 25 perpendicular to the flat body of the underlying sheet.

In some cases it may be desirable to mount a pair of vertical guide rollers 26 on the table in front of rolls 22 for engaging the edges of the sheet in order to make sure that the front corners of the sheet will strike outer rolls 22 close enough to the vertical roll passes to be guided into those passes. To make sure that the leading edge of the sheet between its flanges will not jam against the sides of the inner vertical rolls 22, hold-down means, such as horizontal rollers 27, are rotatably supported in brackets 28 above the sheet directly in front of the inner rolls 22. Rollers 27 engage the upper surface of the sheet to hold its leading edge down so that it will be sure to pass under the inner vertical rolls. If all that is desired is substantially parallel flat flanges, nothing more needs to be done to the sheet after it leaves these vertical rolls. It can be run out onto a runout table or conveyor and carried away.

However, it often is desirable to provide the tops of the flanges with inwardly or outwardly projecting inclined or horizontal lips. One way of doing this is to mount a fourth set of rolls 31 on brackets 32 at the opposite ends of a roller 2 beyond vertical rolls 22. The rolls of this fourth set are driven by electric motors 33 fastened to the brackets. Also, all of the rolls in the fourth set are vertical like the preceding set, but one roll in each pair has an upper portion 34 that flares upwardly and overlies a portion of the adjacent roll, as shown in FIG. 7. These flared portions of the outer rolls will bend the upper portions of the flanges laterally to the same inclination to form inclined lips 35. Hold-down rolls 36 are mounted in front of these rolls for the same reason that they are placed in front of the first set of vertical rolls.

If horizontal, rather than inclined, lips are desired, a third set of vertical rolls 40 is mounted at the ends of the next supporting roller 2. These rolls and their driving motors 41 are supported by brackets 42 in the same manner as those previously described. Also, as shown in FIG. 8, the inner rolls are plain cylindrical rolls like those that precede them, but each outer roll has a flange 43 at its upper end that partly covers the top of the adjacent inner roll in order to bend the inclined lip down onto the inner roll. Consequently, when the sheet leaves this set of rolls, it will be provided with upright side flanges having substantially horizontal lips 44 along their upper edges.

Instead of forming the lips by rolls with conical or flanged upper ends, the lip-forming rolls can be plain cylindrical ones like those used in forming flanges 25. Thus, as indicated in FIG. 9, after the flanged sheet leaves vertical rolls 22, the upper marginal portions of the flanges almost immediately enter inwardly or outwardly inclined roll passes formed by two pairs of inclined plain rolls 46 mounted on brackets (not shown) the same as those previously described. These rolls may be inclined at a 30 angle, for example, to form inclined lips. The leading end of the sheet continues on to a second set of two pairs of inclined rolls 47, which may be set at about a 60 angle. These bend the lips farther down so that they will enter the horizontal passes formed by the final pairs of rolls 48. To ensure a sharp angle between each lip and adjoining flange, a vertical roll 49 may be located at the inner end of each lower roll 48 to prevent the flange from bowing inwardly as the lip passes through the adjacent horizontal pass. In some cases similar vertical rolls may be desirable just before the lips enter the 60 passes. Also, by using guide rollers to help direct the flanges and lips into the successive passes, it may be possible at times to use one set of 45 flanging rolls instead of a 30 set and a 60 set, and likewise to use a set of 45 lip-bending rolls in place of the 30 and 60 sets.

Instead of flanging the sheet in one continuous pass through the machine, a simple and cheaper machine can be used that is provided with only one set (two pairs) of bending rolls. Production, however, is much slower on such a machine, because each sheet must travel through it more than once. In this machine, at each end of one of the sheet-supporting rollers 51 a pair of inclined rolls 52 is journaled in a bearing housing 53 supported by a bracket 54 rigidly mounted on the table 55. The rolls can be set at the same angle as the first set of rolls in the other machine, but in this modification the rolls are adjusted to a steeper angle after the sheet 56 has passed between them and been provided With inclined marginal areas. Bolts 57 extending through the bearing housings and arcuate slots 58 in the brackets permit the desired adjustment of angle. After the second trip of the sheet through the machine, during which the inclined edges may be bent up to about 60, for example, the rolls may be further adjusted to make them substantially vertical. In such a case, on the next pass of the sheet through the machine, it will be provided with vertical flanges. This machine has the advantage that if a starting angle of 30 for the rolls is too steep for a given sheet, a smaller angle can be used. In succeeding passes the inclination of the rolls can be increased by any number of small increments if desired.

I claim:

1. A sheet-flanging machine comprising a horizontal support for a longitudinally moving metal sheet, a set of plain cylindrical bending ro-lls consisting of a pair of spaced parallel rolls disposed near each side of the support with the axes of the rolls in each pair parallel and disposed in a transverse vertical plane, the rolls being inclined outwardly from the support, means supporting the rolls from their outer ends, each pair of rolls forming an inclined roll pass with an open inner end substantially in the plane of the top of the sheet support, and means driving a roll in each pair from its outer end, whereby marginal portions of a metal sheet of proper width passing through said roll passes will be bent at an angle to the connecting portion of the sheet.

2. A sheet-flanging machine according to claim 1, in which said roll-supporting means include bearings for the rolls and brackets mounted on the sheet support rigidly supporting said bearings, and said driving means include electric motors also supported by said brackets.

3. A sheet-flanging machine according to claim 1, in which said roll-supporting means include brackets mounted on the sheet support, and means for adjustably mounting the rolls on the brackets for tilting from an inclined position to a vertical position, whereby by successive passes tillrough the machine vertical flanges can be formed on the s eet.

4. A sheet-flanging machine according to claim 1, in cluding a set of two pairs of substantially vertical plain cylindrical rolls spaced from said inclined rolls for receiving said marginal portions in vertical passes and bending them into substantially vertical position.

5. A sheet-flanging machine according to claim 4, in cluding hold-down means in front of the inner rolls of said vertical set for directing the leading end of a sheet beneath said inner rolls.

6. A sheet-flanging machine according to clam 4, including a second set of vertical pairs of rolls in which one roll in each pair has an upper portion flaring upwardly and overlying a portion of the adjacent roll to bend the upper portion of one of said flanges laterally at an inclination to the rest of the flange to form a lip.

7. A sheet-flanging machine according to claim 6, including a third set of vertical pairs of rolls in which one roll in each pair has a horizontal flange at its upper end overlying a portion of the adjacent roll to bend said lip down into horizontal position.

8. A sheet-flanging machine according to claim 4, including a third set of vertical pairs of rolls in which one roll in each pair has a horizontal flange at its upper end overlying a portion of the adjacent roll to bend said lip down into horizontal position, hold-down means in front of the inner rolls of each set of vertical rolls for directing the leading end of a sheet beneath said inner rolls, and a horizontal roller between the pairs of rolls in each of said sets with the axis of the roller lying in the common transverse vertical plane of those rolls.

9. A sheet-flanging machine according to claim 4, including a fourth set of two pairs of inclined plain cylindrical bending rolls positioned to receive the marginal portions of said flanges and bend them laterally at an inclination to the adjoining portions of the flanges to form lips.

10. A sheet-flanging machine according to claim 9 including a final set of two pairs of substantially horizontal plain cylindrical bending rolls for bending the inclined lips down to horizontal position.

11. A sheet-flanging machine according to claim 1, in which there are at least three of said sets of bending rolls spaced longitudinally along the support, the rolls in the set nearest the entry end of the machine being inclined outwardly from the support at an angle of less than degrees, the rolls in the next set being inclined outwardly from the support at an angle between 45 degrees and degrees, and the rolls in the third set being disposed substantially vertically, whereby during a single pass through the machine a sheet can be provided with vertical side flanges.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,266,545 5/1918 Anderson 72178 X 1,317,581 9/1919 Kipniss et a1. 72--178 1,397,271 11/1921 Eckenroth 72182 1,673,787 6/1928 Frahm et al 72-181 X 2,251,967 8/1941 Yoder 72-181 X 2,294,324 8/ 1942 Wilkens et a1 72-181 X 2,348,185 5/1944 Bartee 72-178 X 2,471,490 5 1949 Mercer 72181 2,505,241 4/1950 Gray et a1 72181 MILTON S. MEHR, Primary Examiner US. 01. X.R. 72--181

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