Apparatus and method for roll forming shaped members

Apparatus for roll forming shaped members from an elongated strip of malleable sheet material comprising:

• a roll forming primary powered section having a powered primary shaft and a primary pass line, and
• a roll forming secondary powered section having a secondary pass line transverse to said primary pass line, said secondary powered section including a transmission, a secondary shaft and a subframe,
• said transmission including a body, and bevel first and second gears each rotably mounted in said body, said first and second gears being held in a constant meshed relationship by said body, said first gear being adjustably mounted on said primary shaft and said secondary shaft being adjustably mounted on said second gear,
• said subframe being adjustably mounted on said transmission and said secondary shaft being rotably mounted in said subframe, said subframe having at least one roll forming secondary station powered by said secondary shaft with said second pass line passing through said secondary station,
• said subframe being laterally adjustable by translation of said first gear along said primary shaft, said subframe being transversely adjustable by translation of said subframe towards and away from said transmission, said subframe being rotationally adjustable by rotation of said subframe and said transmission about said primary shaft and by rotation of said subframe about said secondary shaft,
• whereby said second pass line is adjustable in translation laterally and transversely relative to said first pass line, and said second pass line is adjustable in rotation about an axis transverse to said primary pass line and about an axis lateral to said primary pass line.

A method of roll forming shaped members from an elongated strip of malleable sheet material comprising the steps of:

• providing a roll forming primary powered section having a primary pass line,
• providing a roll forming secondary powered section having a secondary pass line separate from said primary pass line,
• roll forming said material along said primary pass line with said primary powered section, and
• then roll forming said material along said secondary pass line with said secondary powered section.

A method of roll forming shaped members from an elongated strip of malleable sheet material comprising the steps of:

• providing a roll forming primary powered section having a primary pass line,
• providing a roll forming secondary powered section having a secondary pass line separate from said primary pass line, said secondary powered section being coupled to and powered by said primary powered section, said secondary powered section, and thereby said secondary pass line being adjustable in translation laterally and transversely relative to said primary pass line, and said secondary powered section, and thereby said secondary pass line, being adjustable in rotation about a first axis lateral to said primary pass line and in rotation about a second axis that is transverse to said primary pass line,
• roll forming a first shape said material along said primary pass line with said primary powered section, and
• then roll forming a second shape said material along said secondary pass line with said secondary powered section.