Single station hemming tooling

Apparatus for hemming an upstanding flange at the periphery of an outer part to overlie the periphery of an inner part which overlies said outer part to thereby join the outer part to the inner part, said apparatus comprising:

• means for supporting and holding said outer part and said inner part in spaced relationship to each other;
• a tool element having a flange contact surface, said tool element being spaced a first predetermined distance from said supporting and holding means and said upstanding flange;
• oscillatable cam means having a first portion pivotally mounted to said supporting and holding means, said oscillatable cam means further having an end portion extending in a direction away from said first portion;
• pivoted arm means mounted to said tool element and located adjacent said oscillatable cam means for cooperation therewith, said pivoted arm means supporting said tool element for pivoting movement about a first pivot axis, said pivoting movement being concurrent with a first predetermined rotary movement of said oscillatable cam means, said pivoting movement about said first pivot axis further moving said tool element along a first substantially arcuate path in a direction towards said upstanding flange and along a plane that extends generally transversely of said upstanding flange to perform form a first stage hemming of said upstanding flange, whereby said pivoted arm means supporting said tool element is moved by said rotary movement of said oscillatable cam means towards said upstanding flange in a substantially arcuate path to fold over said upstanding flange of said outer part from an upright position to a position approximately midway between said upright position and a final stage hemming position;
• oscillatable eccentric means interposed said oscillatable cam means and said pivoted arm means, said oscillatable eccentric means cooperating with said oscillatable cam means concurrent with a second predetermined rotary movement of said oscillatable cam means to move said pivoted arm means supporting said tool element above said upstanding flange along a second substantially contoured path to lift said tool element above said upstanding flange after said first stage hemming of said flange;
• said oscillatable eccentric means concurrent with a third predetermined rotary movement of said oscillatable cam means cooperating to move said pivoted arm means supporting said tool element for pivoting movement along a third substantially contoured path to collapse said upstanding flange to a final stage hemming of said upstanding flange after said tool element has been lifted above said upstanding flange;
• reciprocable actuator means attached to said first portion of said oscillatable cam means, said reciprocable actuator means imparting oscillation to said oscillatable cam means and to said oscillatable eccentric means;
• and
• means for reciprocating said reciprocable actuator means.