Process and apparatus for the manufacture of radiator cooling fins
AssigneePronto Auto Repair Dealerships Inc.
InventorJack Rouse
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus for corrugating a length of strip metal to form a series of zig-zag folds in the strip has counter rotating forming dies for forming a series of equally spaced apart impressions in the strip and counter rotating corrugating dies for forming the zig-zag folds in the strip intermediate adjacent impressions. The apparatus includes a clutch for selectively disengaging the drive for the corrugating dies to permit adjustment in the phase relationship of the rotation of the corrugating dies relative to the forming dies while the apparatus is in operation. This permits adjustment while the machine is operating to compensate for variations in physical characteristics of the material feed.
Claims6
In an apparatus for corrugating a length of malleable metallic strip into a corrugated strip of a series of zig-zag folds, said apparatus including opposing counter-rotating forming dies for forming a series of equally spaced-apart impressions in such strip, means for corrugating such strip with the impressions formed therein by folding such strip intermediate adjacent impressions in alternating opposing folds to form a series of zig-zag folds, said corrugating means comprising opposing counter rotating corrugating dies having opposing radially extending teeth, means for driving said counter-rotating forming dies in synchronism with each other and means for driving said counter-rotating corrugating dies in synchronism with each other, means for rotating said forming die drive means and means for transmitting rotary motion from said forming die drive means to said corrugating drive means, said transmission means having an effective gear ratio to synchronize rotation of said corrugating dies in phase with said forming dies to induce zig-zag folding in such strip of metal between the formed adjacent impressions, said transmission means including means for adjusting phase relationship of the rotation of said corrugating dies with rotation of said forming dies, the improvement wherein said means for adjusting phase relationship comprises:
- a slip clutch for selectively disengaging said transmission means while said rotating means continues to rotate said forming die drive means to adjust the phase relationship of said counter-rotating corrugating dies relative to said counter-rotating forming dies, said slip clutch being continuously engaged with sufficient drive force to drive said counter-rotating corrugating dies in a metal strip feed direction, manually operable means for overcoming the drive force to advance rotation of said corrugating die drive means in the feed direction, as the clutch slips by engaging the manually operable means, the phase relationship of the rotation of said counter-rotating corrugating dies relative to the rotation of said counter-rotating forming dies is adjusted thereby on an infinite basis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.