Column/beam maufacturing apparatus and methods

Column/beam forming apparatus forming two C-shaped channels into an overlying relationship in a single column/beam, the apparatus comprising:

• a continuous source of sheet metal strips, each strip being of a desired column/beam length;
• an initial channel-forming station positioned to receive the strips of sheet metal from the continuous source, the initial channel-forming station including a plurality of sets of double-surface forming-rollers, each of the double-surface forming-rollers having double forming-surfaces and all of the double-surface forming-rollers being movable simultaneously between a first position in which one of the double forming-surfaces starts or forms a strip of sheet metal in an upwardly opening direction and a second position in which another of the double forming-surfaces starts or forms a strip of sheet metal in a downwardly opening direction, and each set of double-surface forming-rollers of the plurality of sets of double-surface forming-rollers being positioned in a spaced relationship from a previous set of double-surface forming-rollers to gradually bend a strip of sheet metal into one of an intermediate upwardly opening channel and an intermediate downwardly opening channel;
• a final channel-forming station positioned to receive intermediate bent strips from the initial channel-forming station, the final channel-forming station including a plurality of forming-roller pairs positioned in a spaced relationship from a previous set to gradually bend a strip of sheet metal into one of an upwardly opening C-shaped channel and a downwardly opening C-shaped channel, the plurality of forming-roller pairs being positioned to receive intermediate upwardly opening channels and intermediate downwardly opening channels from the initial channel-forming station and complete the forming process to provide upwardly opening C-shaped channels and downwardly opening C-shaped channels, respectively, and the forming-roller pairs being designed and positioned so that either upwardly opening or downwardly opening channels are similarly processed;
• each downwardly opening C-shaped channel being positioned in an aligned overlying relationship to a mating upwardly opening C-shaped channel upon exiting the final channel-forming station;
• and
• a channel-welding station positioned to weld the upwardly opening C-shaped channel and downwardly opening C-shaped channel in the aligned overlying position along an interface between adjacent surfaces of the upwardly opening C-shaped channel and downwardly opening C-shaped channel.

A method of forming two C-shaped channels into a single column/beam, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a continuous source of sheet metal strips, each strip being of a desired column/beam length;
• receiving strips of sheet metal of the desired column/beam length from the continuous source and, using a single intermediate bending apparatus, continuously forming alternate received strips into intermediate upwardly opening channels and intermediate downwardly opening channels, respectively;
• receiving intermediate upwardly opening channels and intermediate downwardly opening channels and, using a single final bending apparatus, performing a complete or final bending operation, the complete bending operation continuously forming the intermediate upwardly opening channels into upwardly opening C-shaped channels and the intermediate downwardly opening channels into downwardly opening C-shaped channels;
• positioning each downwardly opening C-shaped channel in an aligned overlying relationship to a mating upwardly opening C-shaped channel upon exiting from the single final bending apparatus;
• and
• welding each upwardly opening C-shaped channel and downwardly opening C-shaped channel in the aligned overlying position along an interface between adjacent surfaces of the upwardly opening C-shaped channel and downwardly opening C-shaped channel.

A method of forming two C-shaped channels into a single column/beam, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a continuous source of sheet metal strips, each strip being of a desired column/beam length;
• receiving strips of sheet metal of the desired column/beam length from the continuous source and, using a single intermediate bending apparatus including a plurality of sets of double-surface forming-rollers, each of the double-surface forming-rollers having double forming-surfaces and all of the double-surface forming-rollers being movable simultaneously between a first position in which one of the double forming-surfaces starts or forms a strip of sheet metal in an upwardly opening direction and a second position in which another of the double forming-surfaces starts or forms a strip of sheet metal in a downwardly opening direction, continuously forming alternate received strips into intermediate upwardly opening channels and intermediate downwardly opening channels, respectively;
• receiving intermediate upwardly opening channels and intermediate downwardly opening channels and, using a single final bending apparatus including a plurality of forming-roller pairs positioned to receive intermediate upwardly opening channels and intermediate downwardly opening channels from the initial channel-forming station and complete the forming process to provide upwardly opening C-shaped channels and downwardly opening C-shaped channels, respectively, and the forming-roller pairs being designed and positioned so that either upwardly opening or downwardly opening channels are similarly processed, performing a complete or final bending operation continuously forming the intermediate upwardly opening channels into upwardly opening C-shaped channels and the intermediate downwardly opening channels into downwardly opening C-shaped channels;
• positioning each downwardly opening C-shaped channel in an aligned overlying relationship to a mating upwardly opening C-shaped channel upon exiting from the single final bending apparatus;
• and
• welding each upwardly opening C-shaped channel and downwardly opening C-shaped channel in the aligned overlying position along an interface between adjacent surfaces of the upwardly opening C-shaped channel and downwardly opening C-shaped channel.