Hemming fixture

A device for hemming at least a portion of a flange having a fold line adjacent the periphery of a panel, comprising, a base, a slide carried by said base for reciprocation generally longitudinally of the fold line of a portion of the flange to be prehemmed of the panel, a drive operably connected with said slide for moving said slide generally longitudinally relative to the flange portion to be prehemmed, an arm carried by the slide, a prehem roller carried by the arm, the slide being constructed and arranged for moving the prehem roller carried by the arm generally transversely to the longitudinal path of travel of the slide, the prehem roller having an axis of rotation and a peripheral surface tapered relative to its axis of rotation, said roller being carried by said arm with its axis of rotation extending generally transversely to both the path of longitudinal movement of the slide and the path of generally transverse movement of the roller by the carrier arm, and a cam and an associated follower one of which is operably connected with said carrier arm, said cam having a profile and being constructed and arranged so that by lineal movement of the slide the roller is moved into engagement with the flange of the panel and the axis of rotation of the roller is moved along a path substantially parallel to the fold line of the flange portion as the roller is advanced along the flange portion by lineal movement of the slide to prehem the portion of the flange engaged by the roller to an acute included angle relative to the portion of the panel immediately adjacent the flange portion being prehemmed by the roller.