Microprocessor controlled apparatus and method for forming metal building panels

An apparatus for automatically forming a building panel from sheet material, the panel having at least one portion curved according to a preselected radius of curvature and at least one straight portion;

• the apparatus comprising:
• means for forming the sheet material into a panel having sides and a flat bottom;
• means for measuring the length of sheet material that has been formed into said panel and transmitting a first signal corresponding to the measured length;
• means responsive to said first signal for controlling the panel forming means to produce a panel of selected length;
• means for curving a portion of the formed panel output from the panel-forming means by crimping the bottom portion thereof so that a portion of the panel is curved according to said selected radius of curvature;
• means for measuring both the length of the curved portion and the radius of curvature of the curved portion and transmitting second and third signals corresponding to the measured length and curvature;
• and
• means responsive to said second and third signals for controlling the amount of crimping placed in the bottom portion of the panel by the curving means so that the curved portion of the panel corresponds to preselected values of said length and curvature, and so that another portion of the panel passes through the curving means without the bottom portion thereof being crimped to produce a building panel having at least one curved portion and at least one straight portion.

A method for automatically producing building panels from sheet material, the panels having at least a portion which is selectively curved;

• the method comprising the steps of:
• selecting a desired radius of curvature and length for the portion of the panel which will be curved;
• verifying the position of a crimping means for crimping the bottom portion of the panel to ensure that the crimping means will produce the desired radius of curvature in the panel and, if the position of the crimping means will not produce the correct radius, moving the crimping means to the proper position;
• feeding sheet material through a panel-forming device to form a panel having a bottom portion and sides;
• measuring the length of the panel as it exits the panel-forming device and sending a first signal corresponding to the measured length to a central control unit for controlling feeding of the sheet material to the panel-forming device in response to said first signal;
• feeding the formed panel to the crimping means to selectively curve the bottom portion of the panel according to the preselected radius of curvature, wherein the curvature of the panel portion as it exits the curve-forming device corresponds to the selected radius of curvature;
• and
• removing the panel at least a portion of which is selectively curved from the curve-forming device.

An apparatus for forming panels which are curved over at least a portion of their length, the apparatus comprising:

• means for forming sheet material into a panel having a bottom portion;
• means for crimping the bottom portion of the formed panel to curve the panel to a desired radius of curvature;
• memory means containing data relating to various radii of curvature and corresponding crimping means positions;
• means for selecting a radius of curvature which the formed panel will be curved to by the crimping means;
• and
• means for automatically positioning the crimping means in proper position so as to curve the formed panel to the selected radius of curvature by:
• (i.) determining the actual position of the crimping means;
• (ii.) comparing the actual position of the crimping means to the data in the memory means relating to various radii of curvature and corresponding crimping means positions to determine if the actual position of the crimping means will produce the selected radius of curvature;
• and
• (iii.) moving the crimping means to its proper position if the actual position thereof does not correspond to the position contained in the memory means;
• whereby a user can select a radius of curvature and the apparatus will automatically position the crimping means in its proper position such that a formed panel can be fed into the crimping means and the bottom portion of at least a portion of the length of the panel will be crimped to produce a panel which is curved to the desired configuration.

An apparatus for automatically producing building panels having a predetermined configuration and including at least one curved panel portion and at least one straight panel portion, the apparatus comprising:

• memory means for storing data relating to predetermined panel configurations which include at least one straight panel portion and one curved panel portion, the memory means containing data relating to a length of the straight portion, and a length and radius of curvature of the curved portion;
• a microprocessor in communication with the memory means;
• input means for selecting one of the predetermined panel configurations to be automatically produced by the apparatus;
• panel-forming means for forming sheet material into building panels having a bottom portion and side walls, the panel-forming means being controlled by the microprocessor to form the sheet material into a panel having a desired length;
• and
• crimping means for crimping a portion of the bottom of the formed panel in order to curve a portion of the length of the panel to a desired radius of curvature, the crimping means being controlled by the microprocessor and positioned to crimp the portion of the bottom of the formed panel so as to correspond to the at least one curved portion of the selected predetermined panel configuration, and said crimping means being controlled by the microprocessor and positioned to leave uncurved a portion of the formed panel so as to correspond to the at least one straight portion of the selected predetermined panel configuration;
• whereby a user can use the input means to select a predetermined panel configuration having at least one straight portion and at least one curved portion and the apparatus will automatically produce a building panel having said configuration.