Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
- The invention relates to a seaming machine for
securing a batten to an upstanding roof rib on a metal roof
construction.
Background Art
Metal roofs are often used on buildings of various
sizes and shapes. Typically, the roofs are formed from a
plurality of metal panels including upstanding flanges
arranged in a side-by-side relationship which are joined
together by a seam.
One type of roof construction is shown in U.S.
patent No. 4,089,145, issued May 16, 1978, wherein a cleat
is secured to an upstanding roof rib having a generally
T-shaped cross-section. The cleat or batten has flanges
which are turned under the horizontal flanges on the roof
rib.
In forming a seam for securing the above-described
cleat to a T-shaped roof rib, seaming machines generally
turned or bent the flange into the desired position. The
machines which had been used to form such a seam typically
included a series of horizontally-disposed rollers which
progressively bent the flanges. No crimping of the flange
against the roof rib was generally performed. One such roof
seaming machine, disclosed in U.S. patent Nos~ 3,120,828
issued February 11, 1964, and 3,487,799 issued January 6,
1970, includes a series of spaced rollers which bend a
flange on a roof panel over an adjacent flange. Pairs of
horizontally-disposed rollers engage opposite sides of an
upstanding roof rib to define a forming surface between the
adjacent rollers. The pairs of horizontal rollers are spring
biased to maintain them in engagement with a roof rib.
In U.S. patent No. 3,662,699 issued May 16, 1972,
vertical as well as horizontal rollers perform the seaming
operation. Flanges on adjacent panels are first crimped
together by the vertically disposed rollers while the final
turning and crimping operation is performed by spring biased
horizontal rollers.
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Another machine for forming a rolled seam between
adjacent flanges is disclosed in U.S. patent No. 3,773,005,
issued November 20, 1973, wherein the housing for the pairs
- of horizontally disposed rollers is split along a horizontal
axis. One section of tfie housing is pivoted upwardly about
the horizontal axis to allow the machine to be removed at
any point along a roof rib.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
- The roof construction such as that disclosed in
U.S. patent No. 4,089,145 includes an elongate batten which
is crimped over horizontally extending flanges on an upstand-
ing roof rib. The batten is secured to the roof rib by fold-
ing the flanges upwardly against the horizontal flanges on
the roof rib which eliminates the need for hammering the
cleat into place or forming a rolled seam.-
In accordance with the invention, a seamingmachine for securing such a batten in place includes a hous-
ing for a gear system which drives rollers for c_rrying out
the seaming operation. The housing is split longitudinally
so that the sections are pivotable about a vertical axis
disposed in the front portion of the housing. A locking
means is disposed at the rear portion of the housing for
securing the pivotable sections in a closed position so that
the machine rides over the roof rib. The locking means typi-
cally includes a pair of cam locks which are pivotablymounted on one section of the housing for engaging a pin dis-
posed in the opposite housing section.
Bending of the batten flanges over the upstanding
roof rib is performed by three pairs of horizontally-disposed
rollers. Each pair of rollers includes a driving portion
which engages opposite sides of the upstanding roof rib and
a forming surface which engages a leading edge of the flange
on the batten. The portion of each roller which engages the
roof rib is typically covered with a neoprene layer to
improve the gripping action. The rollers are driven by a
worm and bevel gear arrangement so that the machine is self-
propelled along the roof rib.
Cooperating pairs of vertically arranged rollers
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are disposed between the second and third horizontal rollers
to complete the crimping operation. Each pair of vertical
rollers engages the top surface of the batten and the bottom
of the flange to crimp the flange against the roof rib. The
use of both horizontal and vertical rollers to form the crimp
insures a secure fastening of the batten to the roof rib.
In providing a split housing, the machine can be
removed from a roof rib at any point during the seaming
operation. In this way, the machine can be removed at the
end of the seaming operation without the need for reversing
the operation of the machine and running it back over a pre-
viously formed seam. The cam locks provide a positive
engagement of the housing sections when the machine is
positioned on a roof rib.
The horizontal rollers also provide for a self-
propelled seaming machine which reduces the time necessary
for constructing the roof. A self-propelled machine also
allows the formation of seams in vertically extending panels.
The rollers which secure the batten to the roof rib
perform a bending operation similar to that which is used to
form the roof panel configurations. The seaming machine in
essence is a continuation of that shaping process, as it
performs the final bending of the batten flanges into the
desired position against the roof rib.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DR~WINGS
The invention will be described with reference to
the accompanying drawings wherein like members bear like
reference numerals and:
Figure l is a partial brokenaway, elevational
view of the seaming machine showing the rollers and gear-
driving arrangement;
Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the seaming
machine partially cut away to show the cam lock arrangement;
Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the seaming
machine showing the housing in an open position;
Figure 4 is a partial cross-sectional view taken
along line 4-4 of Figure l showing the vertical pinch
rollers;
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Figure 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of a
portion of the housing in which the cam lock mechanism is
carried;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of the cam locking
arrangement; ~=
Figure 7 is a view of the first pair of rollers
along line 7-7 of Figure 1 showing the bending of the
flanges;
Figure 8 is a view of the second pair of rollers
along lines 8-8 of Figure 1 showing the bending cf the
batten flanges;
Figure 9 is a view of the vertical pinch rollers
along line 9-9 of Figure 1 showing the crimping of the
batten flanges; and
Figure 10 is a view of the third pair of rollers
along lines 10-10 of Figure 1 showing the final bending
stage.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With reference to Figures 1 and 2, the seaming
machine includes a motor enclosed within a housing 10 mounted
on a gear box housing 24. The motor is typically a three-
quarter horsepower drill motor such as Rockwell Model No.
77751. A handle is mounted on the housing 10 for guiding
the seaming machine along a roof rib. The motor is operated
in a conventional manner, such as by providing a switch on
the housing 10.
The motor drives a shaft 14 having a sprocket 16
disposed at one end thereof. The sprocket 16 carries a chain
18 which drivingly engages a sprocket 20 disposed on an end
of a worm gear 22 mounted within the gear box housing 24.
The gear box housing 24 comprises two longitud-
inally extending sections 25 and 29. The first housing
section 25 includes a top plate 26 and a bottom plate 28
which are spaced apart to define a longitudinal housing.
Secured to the front and back portions of the first housing
section 25 are bearing mounts 38 and 46 in which the worm
gear 22 is journalled. The second housing section 29 like-
wise includes a top and bottom plate 30 and 32 which define
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a longitudinal housing.
The front bearing mount 38 attached to the first
housing section 25 carries a bearing 40 in which the front
portion of the worm gear 22 is journalled. The bearing
mount 38 has a general~y rectangular configuration with a
flange portion 42 extending from a side thereof. The flange
portion 42 extends into the second housing section 29 be-
tween the top and bottom plates 30 and 32. The flange 42
includes a bore 44 which is in alignment with respective
bores in each of the top and bottom plates of the housing
section 29. A pin 34 inserted through the bores pivotably
connects the two housing sections.
The rear bearing mount 46 carries a bearing 48 in
which the rear portion of the worm gear 22 is journalled.
The rear bearing mount 46 also has a generally rectangular
configuration including a flange 49 which extends between
the top and bottom plates of the second housing section 29.
A vertically arranged dowel 50 carried on this extending
flange 49 engages a cam locking arrangement to be described
below.
The worm gear 22 drives a series of horizontally-
disposed roller pairs 52, 54 and 56 which are rotatably sup-
ported at the bottom of the gear box 24 and a vertical pinch
roller assembly 76. As shown in Figure 2, the horizontally-
disposed roller pairs include two rollers, each of which ismounted in opposite sections 25, 29 of the housing 24. The
rollers are secured to shafts 58, 60, 62 which carry a bevel
gear 64, 66, 68 for meshing with the worm gear 22. Power
supplied by the motor is transmitted through the chain and
sprocket drive to the worm-and-bevel gear arrangement to drive
the rollers. The shafts 58, 60, 62 are journalled in bear-
ings carried in the top and bottom plates of each housing
section.
Each roller includes a drive portion 70 which
engages an upstanding roof rib on a roof construction. The
drive portion 70 is typically covered with a deformahle sur-
face 72 such as a neoprene rubber layer for grippingly engaging
the roof rib. A forming surface 74 carried on the roller 50 has
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a desired configuration for bending a flange on a batten
into the desired position. As shown in Figure 1, the form-
ing surfaces 74 on the pairs of rollers are progressively
more angled to provide the desired bending of a flange on
the batten.
Disposed between the second and third horizontal
roller pairs 54 and 56 iS a vertical pinch roller assembly
76 illustrated in Figures 4 and 5. The vertical assembly
76 includes two pair of vertical rollers with each pair dis-
posed in opposite housing sections. Upper rollers 78, 80are secured to shafts 88, 89, each of which is journalled
within an upper bearing carrier 94, 95. Bottom rollers 82,
84 are likewise carried on shafts 92, 93, each of which is
journalled within a lower bearing carrier 96, 97. The sets
of upper and lower bearing carriers 94, 95 and 96, 97 are
vertically arranged and joined together by threaded shafts
100 which carry coil springs 98 for permitting relative dis-
placement of the bearing carriers when the rollers, for
example, encounter an irregular surface on the batten. The
threaded shafts 100 tend to urge against the springs 98 to
maintain the bearing carriers in contact. The upper rollers
78 and 80 are typically of a larger diameter than the lower
rollers 82, 84. The portion of the upper roller adjacent
the bearing carrier 94, which rides over the outer portion
of a batten, includes a slightly frusto-conical surface.
The bottom rollers 82, 84 also include a frusto-conical sur-
face 90 typically formed at an angle of approximately 30.
The frusto-conical portions provide for less crimping of the
outer section of the batten relative to the portion of the
batten flange adjacent the upstanding roof rib.
The cam locking arrangement of the invention is
carried at the rear portion of the housing 24. As shown in
Figure 6, the locking arrangement includes two cams 102, 104
which are vertically spaced apart by a spacing member 106.
The cams are secured to the top and bottom surfaces of the
spacing member 106 by bolts 110.
The cams 102, 104 each include an aperture 108
through which a pin 36 journalled in housing section 29 is
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inserted. In this way, the cams are pivotally mounted so as
to provide for opening and closing of the two housing sec-
tions. The cams 102 and 104 each include a slot 114 for
engaging the dowel 50 carried in the rear bearing mount 46.
A handle 112 is provided on the spacing member 106 for pivot-
ing the cams 102, 104 about a vertical axis so as to disen-
gage them from the dowel 50, as shown in Figure 3. The
roof construction, which is shown in Figures 7-10, includes
an upstanding roof rib 120 having a T-shaped cross-section.
The rib 120 is formed by flanges 121 and 122 of adjacent
panels of the roof. A batten or cleat 124 which is se-
cured to the rib to form a seam includes a central web 125
from which a pair of side flanges 126 and 127 depend. The
side flanges 126 and 127 are typically bent at an angle
lS relative to the central web 125 during formation of the
batten, as illustrated. The seaming operation to be
described further bends the flanges onto the rib 120 to
complete the seam.
In operation, the seaming machine is placed on a
roof rib formed by the upstanding flanges of adjacent roof
panels. A batten including a pair of side flanges which
are crimped to the roof rib, as will be descr~bed, is posi-
tioned on top of the rib. The three pairs of rollers 52,
54, 56 engage the opposite side surfaces of the flanges on
the roof rib to drive the machine. The rollers are driven
by the worm gear and bevel gear arrangement, with the worm
gear, in turn, being driven by the chain and sprocket. As
the seaming machine rides over the roof rib, the leading
edges of the batten are engaged by the forming surfaces 74
on the rollers as shown in Figures 7 and 8. The forming
surfaces 74 are progressively more angled so as to further
bend the flanges on the batten upwardly into position. With
reference to Figure 9, the vertical roller assembly 76 crimps
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the flange on the batten against the roof rib. The top
roller of the vertical roller assembly engages the top sur-
face of the batten while the lower roller engages the flange
portion on the batten to provide a secure and watertight
connection. It should be=noted that the third pair of
rollers 56 serve mainly to compress the crimped seam, as shown in
Figure 10, and drive the machine along the rib.
Accordingly, the seaming machine provides for
securing of a batten to a roof rib in a relatively simple
manner. The machine is self-propelled along the roof rib
which decreases construction time and allows for the instal-
lation of vertically arranged walls. Additionally, the bend-
ing of the flange on the batten takes place in the same di-
rection as which the batten was originally formed. The
flanges are progressively bent in a fashion similar to the
cold-working forming process which is used to'shape the roof
panels. In this way, the stress induced during the seaming
operation as well as deformation in the flanges is reduced.
It should be noted that the biasing force on the vertical
pinch rollers is pre-set according to the thickness of the
sheet being crimped.
The cam locking arrangement allows the machine to
be removed from a roof rib at any point along its travel.
When the seaming machine is placed on a roof rib, the two
housing sections are swung towards each other so that the
bevel gears engage the worm gear. The cam locks are then
pivoted about the vertical axis to engage the slots 114 with
the dowel pin 50. The configuration of the slot 114 is such
that the housing sections are pulled towards each other by
the riding of the pin within the slot. If it is desired to
disengage the seaming machine from the roof rib, the cam
locks are pivoted counterclockwise about the pin. During
pivoting of the cams, the dowel pin 50 rides within the slot
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114 and tends to spread the two housing sections apart.
A housing which is pivotable about a vertical axis
permits the seaming machine to be placed on either a horizon-
tally or vertically arranged rib. The machine is also easily
S removed from the rib at the end of the crimping operation
without the need for driving the machine back over the
previously formed seam, as is necessary in a unitary-body
seaming machine.
The foregoing specifications and drawings are
merely illustrative of the present invention and are not
intended to limit the invention to the disclosed embodiment.
Variations and changes which are obvious to one skilled in
the art are intended to be within the scope and nature of
the invention which are defined by the appended claims.
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