Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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FIFt~Tn OF T~F~ I~VF~TION
The invention relates to the roll forming of strip
sheet metal, and in particular to the controlling of side
flange angles on such strip sheet metal workpiece.
R~cK(~RouNn OF T~Ti~ TNVT~NTION
When roll forming metal sections, particularly those
whicn are required to have precise angles and dimensions,
th~re may be considerable difficulty in maintaining accurate
tolerances on the angles. This is due to such variable
factors as variations in the composition of the sheet metal
itself, variations in the metal thickness, die wear, line
speed, to mention only a few factors.
In one particular case, namely rolling a rectangular C-
sec~ion, the close tolerances of these angles is of
particular importance. Such C-sections are almost
invariably manufactured for use in the construction of
walls, floors, roofs and other parts of buildings. It is
essential, in this type of product being used for this type
of application, that the angles of the bends shall be
maintained to very close tolerances.
Another factor which arises, particularly when making
C-section formations, is the fact that the C-section
involves two right-angle bends on each side. The finished
C-section will typically have a flat web surface, and a
right-angular side flange along each side of the web, and
an inturned edge flange along each side of the side flange.
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The angles of both the side flanges and the edge flange are
typically 90 degrees.
It will thus be appreciated that while the forming of
the right-angle edge flange, relative to the plane of the
web is a simple operation, the subsequent forming of the
right-angle bend between the side flange and the web becomes
much more difficult. This is because the edge flange
interferes with the location of the upper roller die in the
die stands, where the side bends are being brought up to or
close to 90 degress .
It is clearly therefore desirable to provide a roll
for~ing apparatus overcoming both factors, namely, the
main~aining of close tolerances on the right-angled bend
between the side flange and the web, and the achievement of
forming the right-angled bend between the side flanges and
the web, after the edge flanges have already been bent in to
the desired angle.
RRIFF .~U~ARY OF T~F T~rVFNTTON
With a view to overcoming the foregoing problems, the
invention comprises a roll forming apparatus of the type
having a plurality of roller die stands, through which a web
workpiece is passed, for progressively forming the edge
flange bends and for subsequently forming portions of the
side flange bends between the side flanges and the web, and
further have upper side flange corner forming dies,
corlprising upper dies which are mounted on angled spindles,
1~ ,
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and are adapted to fit around the edge flanges and enter
into the side flange corners, and further having side flange
supports engaging the outer surfaces of the side flanges.
The invention further comprises the provision of side
flange control rolls engaging the outer surface of the side
flanges, the control rolls being movably mounted for tilting
in~;ardly or outwardly, so as to produce a greater or lesser
degree of bend between the side flanges and the web.
The invention also includes the provision of a
mo~orized control system for the side flange control rolls,
whereby they can be tilted in and out by power operated
means, and side flange angle sensors for sensing the angle
of the side flange, and operating the motor means.
The invention also provides an adjustable mounting for
~he upper angled dies by means of which they can be adjusted
to accommodate variations in metal thickness, by adjusting
their position relative to the lower rolls both in a
vertical plane and in a horizontal plane.
The various features of novelty which characterize the
invention are pointed out with more particularity in the
c~aims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
For a better understanding of the invention, its operating
advantages and specific objects attained by its use,
reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and
descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and
desrribed preferred embodiments of the invention.
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IN T~ nRA~INGs
Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a typical roll
forming line, incorporating the corner former rolls, and the
side flange control rolls illustrating the invention;
Figure 2 is a top plan view of the roller die apparatus
of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is an enlarged section along the line 3-3 of
Figure 2, showing one side of the upper angled corner
forming dies and side control rolls of the apparatus, and
the C-section web, and showing transverse adjustment
movement in phantom;
Figure 4 is a perspective illustration of the mounting
apparatus upon which the side control rolls are mounted;
Figure 5 is an exploded perspective corresponding to
Figure 4, and,
Figure 6 is a front elevational view of one of the
angled upper dies, showing the adjustable mounting and
showing vertical adjustment as an arrow.
n~ RIpTIoN OF A .~P~TFIC ~MRonTM~NT
Referring first of all to Figures 1 and 2, it will be
seen that the invention here is described in association
with a complete roll forming line of a design indicated
generally as 10. Such a roll forming line will be seen to
comprise a plurality of roller die stands 12A, 12B, etc.,
dr ven by suitable motor means, the details of which are
well known in the art. The workpiece will move from right
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to left, i.e. in the direction of the arrow W. The roll
forming line ~hown in this embodiment is of a unique design
:in that it permits transverse adjustment movement of the
dies and also vertical adjustment movement of the dies so as
to accommodate variations in the thickness of the web,
during actual use. The design also permits changing of the
width of the spacing between dies on opposite sides of the
line, and also permits easy interchange of one set of dies
for another. All of this is described in co-pending
Canadian application Sn. 2,154,816, filed 07/27/1995. The
details of the construction of such a line are therefore
omitted for the sake of clarity.
While the invention is thus illustrated in this form of
roll forming line, it will be understood that the invention
is not restricted to such a complex and unique form of roll
forming line. Roll forming line designs of simpler
standard designs are well known in the art and require no
special description.
The present invention is equally applicable to such
standard well known roll forming lines and will produce
great advantages in such lines.
As the workpiece moves along the roller die stands, the
workpiece which is initially flat will be progressively
formed into the desired shape, in a manner well known in the
art.
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In the present example, for the purposes of
illustrating this invention, the workpiece that is intended
to be produced is shown in the form of a C-section of
rectangular shape indicated generally as C (Figure 3). It
has a generally planar web W, side flanges S, and edge
flanges E. The edge flanges, in this embodiment, make a
right-angle with the side flanges and the side flanges, in
this embodiment, make right-angles with the web. Such
rectangular C-sections are commonly used in construction for
a ~7ide variety of structural and supporting purposes.
As the web workpiece passes down through the stations
12A, 12B, etc., the edge flanges E are formed first, in
ac~ordance with well known practice. At subsequent
stations, the side flanges are progressively bent up from
the web. This bending takes place progressively, at angles
typically of 10 to 20 degrees for each set of roller dies.
When the side flanges reach angles of about 70 to 80
degrees relative to the web W, the edge flanges E will begin
to interfere with the upper roller dies, so that the side
flanges cannot bend in any further.
In order to complete the last bends of the side flanges
from 80 to 90 degrees relative to the web, the invention
provides sets of upper angled corner forming rolls or dies
20 and 22, spaced apart from one another along the length of
the apparatus for reasons to be described below, and
staggered alternately from side to side of the apparatus.
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The purpose for this is to allow the roller die stands
to be moved close together, for forming a workpiece which is
relatively narrow. If the pairs of angled corner dies 20
and 22 were registering with one another, instead of being
staggered or offset, then it would not be possible to bring
them as close together as might be desired to make a narrow
web.
As shown in Figure 3, the upper angled dies 20 and 22
are mounted on downwardly angled axle shafts 24. There is
no drive mechanism shown, in this embodiment of the
invention, since the friction of the workpiece will be
sufficient to drive the angled dies 20 and 22. However if
required the upper dies could of course be driven by
suitable angled, or universal drives.
The angled rolls or dies 20 and 22 co-operate with
respective lower dies 26, which engage the under surface of
the web W. The lower dies 26 are driven by any suitable
mechanism such as shaft 28 and gear 30. The angled dies can
also be driven, though any suitable means such as angle
drives of a type well known in the art, and requiring no
description.
Because the upper angle rolls or dies 20 and 22 are
angled inwardly, and are of substantial diameter, they are
able to reach around the inturned edge flanges E, and reach
into the corners or bends defined between the web W and the
side flanges S. In this way a full 90 degree bend at this
, CA 02176281 1998-03-11
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point or even greater angle if required is made possible
using the invention. It would be possible to make the bend
of an angle greater than 90 degrees if desired.
- As already noted, the upper angle dies are staggered
offset in pairs of right and left hand dies, so that even
when the opposite roller die stands are brought close
together for a narrow workpiece, as in the case of the
universal and adjustable roller die line described above,
the upper angle dies can fit between each other and do not
interfere with one another, and consequently this enables
great flexibility in use since the apparatus can be used
with relatively narrow web workpieces.
At this stage, it will be apparent that the roller die
stands may be made of conventional design, all being made
separate from one another, or may be of a universally
adJustable design, of the type described generally above, in
which the roller die stands are mounted in continuous solid
mounting plates 32 and 34, with the plates being moveable
and adjustable towards and away from one another so as to
readily accommodate workpieces of different widths.
In order to hold the precise angle of bend between the
workpiece W and the side edges or flanges S on each side, a
plurality of side edge rolls 40, 42, etc. are provided. The
side edge rolls 40 and 42 are freely-rotatably mounted on
axie shafts 44. As best shown in Figures 4 and 5, the axle
shafts 44 of the rolls 40 and 42 are mounted in tilting
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mounting blocks 46. Mounting blocks 46 are formed with
arcuate segments 48 on either side thereof. Segments 48 are
received within arcuate grooves 50, formed in cheek blocks
52. Cheek blocks 52 are adapted to be secured by bolts 54
to the main mounting plates 32-34 of the apparatus.
The mounting blocks 46 are formed with an arch shaped
channel 56 therethrough, to receive the lower die shaft 28.
The mounting blocks 46 are provided with slotted
recesses 58. The recesses 58 are designed to receive the
lower ends 60 of jack screws 62. Jack screws 62 can be
operated by ~leans of electrical motors 64.
In this way, operation of the motors 64 in one
direction will cause tilting of the blocks upwardly, and
operation of the motors 64 in the other direction will cause
tilting of the blocks 46 downwardly. This will in turn
cause inward and outward tilting of the side edge rolls 40
and 4Z (see Figure 4).
By means of a suitable angle sensor 66 (Fig 2), the
- anale of the side flange S relative to the web W can be
detected, and any variation can be instantaneously fed back
to the motors 64 which will in turn correct the tilt of the
side rolls 40 and 42, thus correcting the angle of the side
.langes.
The lower ends 60 of jack screws 62 are pivotally
secured in slots 58 by means of axle pins 70.
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In certain cases it may be desirable to provide for
adjustment of the upper corner forming angled dies 20,22, ,
to allow for changes in the thickness of the web material
for example. Such adjustment will be particularly useful
when the invention is used in conjunction with the universal
type of roll forming line described above (Fig 1 and 2), in
which upper and lower dies at some roller stands can be
continuously adjusted to provide greater or lesser clearance
between the dies to accommodate changes in the thickness of
the workpiece.
Thus the upper corner forming dies may be mounted on
moveable mounting bodies 72 which are separate from the main
mounting plates 18 and 20. Mounting bodies 72 are mounted
on parallel posts 74 extending vertically upward from the
plates 32-34.
T~e lower dies 26 are preferably formed so as to extend the
full width of the web of the workpiece and are shaped at
each end shaped with a narrow angular rim 76 extending
outwardly form the main body of the die 26. The upper dies
are also formed with a complementary ridge 78. The ridge
and the rim cooperate together to lock the corner or bend of
the workpiece between the rim and the ridge and thus form a
precision shaped angular bend, usually of 90 degrees, at
this point.
A screw adjustment 80 (Fig6)is provided which can be
operated to cause mounting bodies 72 to slide upwardly or
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downwardly on posts 74. A dial 82 enables a visual check
of the setting of the bodies 72. A motor 84 can be
provided for operating screw 80. The motor can be connected
to the main control console controlling all of the roller
die stands (not shown), enabling the entire line to be
automatically adjusted on a continuous basis to accommodate
changes in web thickness.
In order to adjust the upper dies transversely, the
columns 74 are mounted in bases 86, held by rails 88. Bases
can thus be slid transversely in and out. An adjustment
screw 90 is provided, which can also be motor driven if
desired, by means not shown. Operation of screw 90 will
callse transverse inward or outward sliding movement of base
86 thus adjusting the upper die inwardly or outwardly, as
shown in phantom in Fig 3, relative to the lower die and
relative to the side rolls, to allow for variations in web
thickness.
The foregoing is a description of a preferred
embodiment of the invention which is given here by way of
exa~ple only. The invention is not to be taken as limited
to any of the specific features as described, but
compr~hPnAs all such variations thereof as come within the
- scope of the appended claims.
