Apparatus and method for producing foldable metal drape panels

In a machine for producing metal drape panels having integral male and female hinge means formed thereon at regular incremental intervals and a preselected cross-sectional profile consisting of a corrugation pattern, in combination:

• a plurality of rotary die means;
• and
• driving means for pulling a continuous strip of thin metal through successive ones of said rotary die means and maintaining substantial tension in said strip as it passes through said die means;
• said plurality of rotary die means including first rotary die means for producing a continuous pattern of scribe lines at positions prearranged in accordance with said cross-sectional profile;
• second rotary die means for producing a pattern of embossments on said strip between said scribe lines;
• third rotary die means for cutting, at precisely spaced intervals, initial hinge patterns for successive pairs of male and female hinge elements on said strip;
• fourth rotary die means for producing a preselected weave pattern between said scribe lines;
• and
• equalizes die means positioned at a die station following said third rotary die means and including an adjustable die element having two degrees of adjustment for controllably stretching said strip to adjust the overall increment distance between pairs of hinge patterns thereon and, when required to remove a detected side curve in said strip, for controllably stretching one side of said strip a greater amount than the other.

In a machine for producing metal drape panels having integral male and female hinge means formed thereon at regular incremental intervals and a preselected cross-sectional profile, in combination:

• rotary scribing die means for forming a pattern of scribe lines on a continuous strip of thin metal;
• rotary embossing die means for forming a pattern of embossments between said scribe lines on said strip;
• rotary cutting die means for cutting, at precisely spaced intervals on said strip, initial hinge patterns for successive pairs of male and female hinge elements, said precisely spaced intervals being less than said regular incremental intervals by a preselected amount;
• rotary weave die means for producing a preselected weave pattern between said scribe lines on said strip;
• equalizer die means positioned at a die station following said rotary cutting die means for simultaneously producing a controllable overall stretching of said strip to increase said intervals between said initial hinge patterns to be equal to said regular incremental intervals and a controllable differential stretching of one edge of said strip with respect to the other substantially to eliminate any detected side curve in said strip;
• and
• driving means for pulling said continuous strip through all of said die means while maintaining substantial tension in said strip.

Apparatus for producing metal drape panels having integral male and female hinge means formed thereon at preselected intervals, a preselected profile in the form of a generally M-shaped corrugation with a downwardly bent and transversely corrugated female hinge edge, and a weave pattern on each of the four segments of said M-shaped corrugation, said apparatus comprising, in combination:

• a first machine stage for producing on a continuous strip of thin metal a pattern of scribe lines corresponding to bending lines for said M-shaped corrugation and said bent female hinge edge, initial hinge patterns for said male and female hinge means, and said weave pattern between said scribe lines;
• and
• a second machine stage for forming said bent and corrugated female hinge edge, for forming said initial hinge patterns into said male and female hinge means, and for forming said M-shaped corrugated profile;
• said first machine stage comprising a plurality of rotary die means and resilient rotary driving means for pulling a continuous strip of thin metal through successive ones of said plurality of rotary die means, a first one of said rotary die means for producing said pattern of scribe lines, a second one of said rotary die means producing a pattern of embossments between said scribe lines to assist in forming said weave pattern;
• a third one of said rotary die means for cutting said initial hinge patterns at spaced initial intervals less than said preselected intervals by a set amount, a fourth one of said rotary die means for forming said weave pattern, and a fifth one of said rotary die means comprising an equalizing die means positioned at a die station following said third rotary die means for simultaneously producing a controllable overall stretching of said strip to increase said initial intervals to be substantially equal to said preselected intervals and a controllable differential stretching of one edge of said strip with respect to the other substantially to eliminate any detected side curve in said strip;
• said second machine stage comprising rotary die means for forming said bent and corrugated female hinge edge on said strip;
• punch die means for forming sid integral male and female hinge means as successive ones of said initial hinge patterns are positioned thereunder;
• shaping-compensating die means for simultaneously forming said preselected M-shaped cross-sectional profile and compensating for any inherent twist or curl in said continuous strip passing therethrough;
• reciprocating drive means, including means engaging at least a pair of male and female hinge means, for stepping said continuous strip a precise incremental distance equal to said preselected intervals between hinge means during successive actuations thereof, both to position successive initial hinge patterns in said strip accurately under said punch die means and to drive said strip through said rotary die means and said shaping-compensating die means;
• and timing-driving means for producing proper sequential operation of said punch die means and said reciprocating drive means.

In a method for forming metal drape panels having integral male and female hinge means formed thereon at preselected intervals and a preselected cross-sectional profile, the steps of:

• (1) pulling successive portions of a continuous strip of metal from a supply roll through a plurality of rotary die stations while maintaining substantial tension on said strip;
• (2) forming at one of said rotary die stations initial hinge patterns for successive pairs of said male and female hinge means at initial intervals slightly less than said preselected intervals;
• and
• (3) stretching said strip at a subsequent one of said rotary die stations by a controlled amount to increase said initial intervals between said successive pairs of initial hinge patterns to be equal to said preselected intervals.

In a method for forming metal drape panels having integral male and female hinge means formed thereon at preselected intervals and a preselected cross-sectional profile consisting of a corrugation pattern, the steps of:

• (1) pulling successive portions of a continuous strip of metal from a supply roll through a plurality of rotary die stations while maintaining tension on said strip;
• (2) forming at one of said rotary die stations a pattern of scribe lines for assisting in producing said corrugated cross-sectional profile;
• (3) forming at a second one of said rotary die stations, a pattern of embossments on said strip between said scribe lines;
• (4) forming at a third one of said rotary die stations an initial hinge pattern for successive pairs of said male and female hinge elements at initial intervals slightly less than said preselected intervals;
• (5) forming at a fourth one of said rotary die stations a preselected weave pattern between said scribe lines;
• and
• (6) stretching said strip at a last one of said rotary die stations by a controlled amount to increase said initial intervals between said successive pairs of initial hinge patterns to be equal to said preselected intervals.

In a method for producing metal drape panels having integral male and female hinge means formed thereon at preselected intervals, a preselected profile in the form of a generally M-shaped corrugation with a downwardly bent and transversely corrugated female hinge edge, and a weave pattern on each of the four segments of said M-shaped corrugation, the steps of:

• (1) pulling successive portions of a continuous strip of metal from a supply roll through a plurality of rotary die stations while maintaining tension on said strip;
• (2) forming at one of said rotary die stations a pattern of scribe lines for assisting and producing said M-shaped corrugation profile;
• (3) forming at a second one of said rotary die stations a pattern of embossments on said strip between said scribe lines to assist in later forming said weave pattern;
• (4) forming at a third one of said rotary die stations an initial hinge pattern for successive pairs of male and female hinge elements at initial intervals slightly less than said preselected intervals;
• (5) forming at a fourth one of said rotary die stations a preselected weave pattern between said scribe lines;
• (6) stretching said strip at a last one of said rotary die stations by a controlled amount to increase said initial intervals between said successive pairs of initial hinge patterns to be equal to said preselected intervals and simultaneously stretching one side of said strip a greater amount than the other when necessary to eliminate a detected side curve in said strip;
• (7) stepping the continuous strip through a plurality of punch die hinge forming stations, a rotary edge bending die station, a profile shaping die station;
• and a shearing die station;
• (8) forming at said rotary edge bending die station said downwardly bent and transversely corrugated female hinge edge;
• (9) forming at said punch die stations said integral male and female hinge means as successive ones of the initial hinge patterns in the continuous strip are positioned thereat;
• (10) forming the strip at said profile shaping die station into said M-shaped corrugation and simultaneously compensating out of the strip any inherent twist or curl detected therein;
• and
• (11) shearing said strip at said shearing die station to complete said metal drape panels.

In a method for forming a decorative weave pattern on a thin, narrow strip of relatively hard metal, the steps of:

• (1) pulling successive portions of a continuous roll of said metal strip through a plurality of rotary die stations;
• (2) forming on said strip at an initial die station a regular pattern of transverse, parallel corrugations in the form of a plurality of separated rows of said corrugations extending longitudinally on said strip to prestretch the metal material of said strip along said rows;
• and
• (3) forming on said strip at a subsequent die station a weave pattern in the form of rows of adjacent raised and lowered regions in substantial registration with said rows of transverse corrugations previously formed thereon.