Machine for manufacturing herringbone-pleated structures
AssigneeMarc Wood S.A.
InventorLucien Victor Gewiss
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A machine for manufacturing herringbone-pleated structures of a type particularly suitable for use in cylindrical or flat filter elements. The machine includes consecutive feeding forming and bunching components by which a continuous band of flat sheet material, which may be pre-pleated longitudinally, is fed between a pair of endless forming assemblies which cooperate to form continuously a roughed-out shape of the final herringbone-pleated structure and which also advance to a bunching means positioned downstream from the forming assemblies. The bunching means operates to tighten up the folds of the roughed-out shape both longitudinally and transversely to provide the final structure.
Claims17
A machine for manufacturing herringbone-pleated structures from flat sheet material and comprising alternating transverse folds located along ridge lines which are parallel to each other and which are connected together by alternating longitudinal folds, said machine comprising:
- a pair of endless forming assemblies each supporting folding elements engagable with opposite sides of at least one strip of sheet material, said folding elements being positioned and shaped to establish a roughed-out shape of the transversely and longitudinally folded structure to be formed and movable continuously to advance the roughed-out shape in a downstream direction;
- means for continuously feeding at least one strip of sheet material to said forming assemblies, said feeding means being positioned upstream from said forming assemblies;
- and
- bunching means positioned downstream from said forming assemblies for transversely and longitudinally tightening up the folds of the roughed-out shape to form the final herringbone-pleated structure.
The apparatus recited in claim comprising endless chains for supporting said blades, said chains adapted to be driven in continuous motion.
Bunching means for transversely and longitudinally tightening up the folds of a roughed-out shape corresponding in general outline to a herringbone-pleated structure having alternating transverse folds located along ridge lines which are parallel to each other and connected together by alternating longitudinal folds, said bunching means comprising:
- means for advancing the roughed-out shape in a linear path at a preestablished linear speed;
- means including a pair of endless belts having mutually facing runs spaced from each by a distance approximating the thickness of the final herringbone structure and movable continuously in said direction of feed but at a speed lower than said preestablished speed;
- and
- means supporting said endless belts for oscillating movement in synchronism with the longitudinal advance of alternating ridge lines in the roughed-out shape so that said mutually opposed runs alternately engage successive ridges in the roughed-out shape.
The method for manufacturing herringbone-pleated structures from flat malleable sheet material, the final herringbone-pleated structure having alternating transverse folds located along ridge lines which are parallel to each other and connected together by alternating longitudinal folds, said method comprising the steps of:
- continuously feeding a band of flat sheet material longitudinally;
- mechanically impressing alternating longitudinal folds in said sheet material during continuous longitudinal movement thereof, said impressing of longitudinal folds serving simultaneously to bend said sheet material transversely to initiate transverse folds along the parallel ridge lines, thereby to continuously form a roughed-out shape corresponding in outline to the final herringbone-pleated structure to be formed;
- and
- longitudinally and transversely tightening up said roughed-out shape to complete said herringbone-pleated structure during continuous movement of said roughed-out shape but at a linear speed slower than the speed at which said sheet material is fed during said longitudinal and transverse folding.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.