Roof panel seaming apparatus
AssigneeEnglert, Inc.
InventorBruce E. Meyer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A roof panel seamer which is self-propelled and bidirectional for forming a standing seam joining two adjacent metal roof panels. Two seamers are disclosed, one for forming a 90° seam and the other for forming a 180° seam. Friction wheels, rather than gears, are used to transfer power from the main support body to the auxiliary support body of the seamer. The seamer includes five roll forming stations, the leading three of which are effective for each direction of travel. One of the roll forming stations for each direction of travel in the 90° seamer imparts a curve to the leg being bent.
Claims14
A seaming apparatus for connecting a pair of adjacent panels having abutting vertical portions, one of the vertical portions being terminated by an outturned female flange portion with a downturned terminal portion forming a U-shaped channel, and the other of the vertical portions being terminated by an inturned male flange portion positioned in the U-shaped channel of the one vertical portion, said seaming apparatus including a first machine comprising:
- a main support body;
- a drive motor mounted to said main support body;
- an auxiliary support body;
- clamp means operable to selectively move said auxiliary support body linearly toward and away from said main support body between a first position where said auxiliary support body is spaced from said main support body and a second position where said auxiliary support body is closely adjacent said main support body so that said first machine can straddle said vertical portions;
- at least one primary transfer drive roller mounted for rotation to said main support body, said at least one primary transfer drive roller having a high coefficient of friction material covering its periphery;
- a transmission connecting said drive motor to said at least one primary transfer drive roller;
- at least one secondary transfer drive roller mounted for rotation to said auxiliary support body, said at least one secondary transfer drive roller having a high coefficient of friction material covering its periphery, wherein the periphery of each of said at least one secondary transfer drive roller contacts the periphery of a respective one of said at least one primary transfer drive roller when said auxiliary support body is in said second position;
- and
- a plurality of roll forming stations supported on said main and auxiliary support bodies with said roll forming stations being operative to bend said downturned terminal portion of said female flange portion against the underside of said inturned male flange portion as said first machine moves along said pair of adjacent panels so that the inturned male flange portion is captured by the female flange portion.
A seaming apparatus for connecting a pair of adjacent panels having abutting vertical portions, one of the vertical portions being terminated by an outturned female flange portion with a downturned terminal portion forming a U-shaped channel, and the other of the vertical portions being terminated by an inturned male flange portion positioned in the U-shaped channel of the one vertical portion, said seaming apparatus including a first machine comprising:
- a main support body;
- a bidirectional drive motor mounted to said main support body;
- an auxiliary support body;
- clamp means operable to selectively move said auxiliary support body linearly toward and away from said main support body between a first position where said auxiliary support body is spaced from said main support body and a second position where said auxiliary support body is closely adjacent said main support body so that said first machine can straddle said vertical portions;
- at least one primary transfer drive roller mounted for rotation to said main support body;
- a transmission connecting said drive motor to said at least one primary transfer drive roller;
- at least one secondary transfer drive roller mounted for rotation to said auxiliary support body, wherein the periphery of each of said at least one secondary transfer drive roller contacts the periphery of a respective one of said at least one primary transfer drive roller when said auxiliary support body is in said second position;
- and
- a plurality of roll forming stations supported on said main and auxiliary support bodies with said roll forming stations being operative to bend said downturned terminal portion of said female flange portion against the underside of said inturned male flange portion as said first machine moves along said pair of adjacent panels so that the inturned male flange portion is captured by the female flange portion;
- wherein there are five roll forming stations arranged along a line, with the two outer roll forming stations being identical to each other, and with the two next innermost roll forming stations being identical to each other;
- whereby three roll forming stations are operative for each direction of travel of the seaming apparatus.
A seaming apparatus for connecting a pair of adjacent panels having abutting vertical portions, one of the vertical portions being terminated by an outturned female flange portion with a downturned terminal portion forming a U-shaped channel, and the other of the vertical portions being terminated by an inturned male flange portion positioned in the U-shaped channel of the one vertical portion, said seaming apparatus including:
- a first machine operative as a first stage seamer for forming a 90° seam and comprising:
- a main support body;
- a bidirectional drive motor mounted to said main support body;
- an auxiliary support body;
- clamp means operable to selectively move said auxiliary support body linearly toward and away from said main support body between a first position where said auxiliary support body is spaced from said main support body and a second position where said auxiliary support body is closely adjacent said main support body so that said first machine can straddle said vertical portions;
- at least one primary transfer drive roller mounted for rotation to said main support body;
- a transmission connecting said drive motor to said at least one primary transfer drive roller;
- at least one secondary transfer drive roller mounted for rotation to said auxiliary support body, wherein the periphery of each of said at least one secondary transfer drive roller contacts the periphery of a respective one of said at least one primary transfer drive roller when said auxiliary support body is in said second position;
- and
- a plurality of roll forming stations supported on said main and auxiliary support bodies with said roll forming stations being operative to bend said downturned terminal portion of said female flange portion against the underside of said inturned male flange portion as said first machine moves along said pair of adjacent panels so that the inturned male flange portion is captured by the female flange portion;
- and
- a second machine operative as a second stage seamer for forming a 180° seam subsequent to operation of the first machine, wherein the second machine has the same components as the first machine except that the plurality of roll forming stations are instead operative to bend the previously bent female flange portion along with the captured inturned male flange portion toward said vertical portions.
A seaming apparatus for connecting a pair of adjacent panels having abutting vertical portions, one of the vertical portions being terminated by an outturned female flange portion with a downturned terminal portion forming a U-shaped channel, and the other of the vertical portions being terminated by an inturned male flange portion positioned in the U-shaped channel of the one vertical portion, said seaming apparatus including a first machine comprising:
- a main support body;
- a bidirectional drive motor mounted to said main support body;
- an auxiliary support body;
- clamp means operable to selectively move said auxiliary support body linearly toward and away from said main support body between a first position where said auxiliary support body is spaced from said main support body and a second position where said auxiliary support body is closely adjacent said main support body so that said first machine can straddle said vertical portions;
- at least one primary transfer drive roller mounted for rotation to said main support body;
- a transmission connecting said drive motor to said at least one primary transfer drive roller;
- at least one secondary transfer drive roller mounted for rotation to said auxiliary support body, wherein the periphery of each of said at least one secondary transfer drive roller contacts the periphery of a respective one of said at least one primary transfer drive roller when said auxiliary support body is in said second position;
- and
- a plurality of roll forming stations supported on said main and auxiliary support bodies with said roll forming stations being operative to bend said downturned terminal portion of said female flange portion against the underside of said inturned male flange portion as said first machine moves along said pair of adjacent panels so that the inturned male flange portion is captured by the female flange portion, the plurality of roll forming stations being effective to form said downturned terminal portion with a curve toward said inturned male flange portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.