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US 4,434,637 AGranted
Method and apparatus for flattening corrugated heat exchanger plate
AssigneeCaterpillar Tractor Co.
InventorJohn M. Bailey
Life of this patent
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AssigneeCaterpillar Tractor Co.
InventorJohn M. Bailey
Estimating the term…
A method and apparatus (32) is provided for crushing a portion of a corrugated sheet (10) in an area (20, 22) extending transversely to the corrugations in the sheet without blocking the passages (14) between the crowns (12) of the uncrushed portions of the corrugated sheet (10). In accordance with the method, spacing members (58-66 and 78-88) are inserted into each of the passages (14) on either side of a ridge (12) to be crushed, and the ridge (12) between the spacing members (58-66 and 78-88) is crushed before the spacing members (58-66 and 78-88) are withdrawn. The apparatus for crushing the sheet (10) includes opposed die members (34, 36), each having a plurality of blades (58-66 and 78-88) spaced by slots (68-76 and 90-98). The slots (68-76 and 90-98) in each die member (34, 36) progressively decrease in depth and are positioned to receive the blades (58-66 and 78-88) of the opposed die member. A control circuit (46) causes the die members (34, 36) to engage each time a passage (14) in the corrugated sheet (10) is aligned with a blade (58-66 and 78-88) in a die member (34, 36).
An apparatus (32) for crushing the ridges (12) in a corrugated electrically conductive sheet (10) comprising die set means (34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44) for receiving said sheet (10) and moving into and away from engagement therewith, control means (46) for initiating the movement of said die set means (34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44), and sensing means (52,54) for sensing the position of said sheet (10) relative to said die set means (34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44) and operating to cause said control means (46) to initiate movement of said die set means (34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44) into engagement with said sheet (10) when the sheet (10) reaches predetermined positions, said sensing means (52, 54) including switch means (52, 54) in contact with said sheet (10), said switch means (52,54) including a bridging member (104) of sufficient size to span the distance between two adjacent ridges (12) in said corrugated electrically conductive sheet (10), said bridging member (104) including two sections of electrically conductive material (108, 110) and insulating means (112) electrically separating said sections (108,110), and electrical connector means (114,116) extending from each of said electrically conductive sections (108,110) to said control means.
An apparatus (32) for crushing a portion (24,26) of a corrugated sheet (10) in an area (20, 22) extending transversely to the corrugations without blocking the passages (14) between the ridges (12) of the uncrushed portion of said corrugated sheet (10) comprising die set means (34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44) having an entrant end and an exit end for progressively crushing the ridges (12) of said corrugated sheet (10) in the area (24,26) to be crushed as said sheet moves between said entrant and exit ends, said die set means (34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44) including an upper die (34) and a lower die (36) each having an entrant end and an exit end, said upper and lower dies (34,36) having opposed die faces, each such die face including a plurality of projecting spacing means (60-66 and 80-88) arranged between said entrant and exit ends and a plurality of elongate slots (70-76 and 94-98) with one slot separating adjacent spacing means for a distance sufficient to permit a spacing means to be freely inserted into each of the passages (14) on both sides of a ridge (12) to be crushed, each of said slots being of substantially uniform depth along the length thereof, the slots (70-76 and 94-98) decreasing progressively in depth from the entrant end to the exit end of each said upper and lower die, the depth of at least two of said slots being less than the depth of said passages (14) and driving means (38, 40, 42, 44) to move the opposed faces of said upper and lower dies (34,36) into and away from engagement with an intervening corrugated sheet (10), and control means (46, 52, 54, 56A, 56B) connected to said driving means (38, 40, 42, 44) to cause said driving means to move the opposed faces of said upper and lower dies (34,36) into and away from engagement with an intervening corrugated sheet.
An apparatus (32) for crushing the ridges (12) in a corrugated electrically conductive sheet (10) comprising die set means (34,36) having an entrant end for receiving said sheet (10) and operative to move into and away from engagement therewith, control means (46) for initiating the movement of said die set means (34,36), and sensing means (52,54) actuated by the ridges (12) of said corrugated sheet for sensing the position of said sheet (10) relative to said die set means (34, 36, 38, 40, 42,44) and operating to cause said control means (46) to initiate movement of said die set means (34,36, 38, 40, 42, 44) into engagement with said sheet (10) when the sheet (10) reaches predetermined positions relative to said die set means, said sensing means including a first switch means (52) and a second switch means (54) in contact with said conductive sheet, said first and second switch means being normally open but adapted to be closed by engagement with the ridges (12) of said conductive sheet (10), said switch means (52,54) being relatively positioned and positioned relative to the entrant end of said die set means to cause said second switch means (54) to be closed prior to said first switch means (52) as said conductive sheet passes into the entrant end of said die set means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.