Spacer formation cell

A station used in shaping a spacer work piece intended for a window assembly, the station comprising:

• a bending table;
• a plurality of bending heads aligned and in spaced-apart orientations with an edge of the table and selectively movable along the bending table edge, each bending head being equipped with a clamp assembly, the clamp assemblies being vertically displaceable relative to the bending table, the clamp assemblies seating corresponding bending tools therein, the clamp assemblies configured for securing retaining extents of the spacer work piece and being entirely rotatable about the tools;
• and
• a carriage carrying a plurality of replacement bending tools from an underside of the carriage, the carriage situated above and vertically displaceable relative to the bending table, wherein the clamp assemblies are alignable with the replaceable bending tools of the carriage.

A method of bending a spacer work piece intended for a window assembly, the method conducted with at least two pairs of bending heads and a bending table, each bending head comprising a clamp assembly, the clamp assemblies being aligned in spaced-apart configuration with a front edge of the bending table, the method comprising:

• receiving the spacer work piece with the clamp assemblies in open configuration, the spacer work piece spanning across the spaced-apart clamp assemblies;
• closing the clamp assemblies, thereby clamping extents of the spacer work piece extending therein;
• moving one or more of an outer pair of the bending heads outward along the bending table front edge, thereby providing warranted tension of portions of the spacer work piece extending inward from the clamp assemblies of the outer pair of bending heads;
• rotating the clamp assemblies of the outer pair of bending heads around bending tools of the same clamp assemblies, thereby providing a corresponding a first pair of bends to the spacer work piece;
• opening the clamp assemblies of the outer pair of bending heads;
• lowering the clamp assemblies of the outer pair of bending heads below the bending table;
• and
• repeating the moving, rotating, opening, and lowering steps in succession for next outer pairs of bending heads along the bending table front edge.

A method of changing bending tools from bending heads at a station for bending a spacer work piece intended for a window assembly, the method conducted with a plurality of bending heads, a carriage carrying a plurality of replacement bending tools from an underside of the carriage, and a bending table, each bending head comprising a clamp assembly, the clamp assemblies being aligned in spaced-apart configuration with a front edge of the bending table, the carriage situated above and vertically displaceable relative to the bending table, the method comprising:

• lowering the carriage proximate to the bending table;
• raising the clamp assemblies of one or more of the bending heads;
• transferring bending tools of the raised clamp assemblies to corresponding open tool receptacles provided on underside of the carriage;
• lowering the clamp assemblies of the one or more bending heads;
• shifting positions of the one or more bending heads to align their corresponding clamping assemblies with corresponding ones of the replacement bending tools carried by the carriage;
• raising the aligned clamping assemblies;
• and
• transferring the corresponding ones of the replacement bending tools to the raised and aligned clamping assemblies.

A method of orienting and connecting open ends of a spacer work piece intended for a window assembly comprising:

• receiving the spacer work piece along a lower table, the lower table operably coupled to an angled wall, wherein an open side of the work piece makes contact with the angled wall;
• lowering an upper wall downward toward the lower table to define an elongated gap between elongated sides of the work piece;
• lifting the upper and lower tables in unison toward the angled wall, thereby lifting the spacer work piece and rotating the open side of the work piece toward a transport mechanism flanking a lower edge of the angled wall such that the work piece is provided in a semi-prone orientation;
• transporting the spacer work piece out of the gap between the upper and lower tables via the transport mechanism to a connecting station, where open ends of the open side of the spacer work piece are positioned outside a connecting window and supported via a pair of spaced-apart platforms;
• positioning the open ends of the spacer work piece between the spaced-apart platforms in a spaced-apart orientation;
• moving a pair of connector heads from the connecting window so to correspondingly mate with the platforms, thereby clamping extents of the open side of the spacer work piece there between, such extents offset from the open ends;
• and
• moving one of the connector heads toward the other of the connector heads, thereby connecting the open ends via use of a key connector inserted in one of the open ends of the spacer work piece;
• other head/platform pairing to connect the open ends of the spacer work piece.