Back to results
US 5,761,945 AGranted
Quick automated tool changer roll forming apparatus
OwnerJack-Eric Vandenbrouckeinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
OwnerJack-Eric Vandenbrouckeinventor
Estimating the term…
The apparatus comprises a pair of rotatable devices each holding a plurality of metal shaping and/or cutting rollers, the rollers of one device meshing with rollers of the other device to produce specific designs or widths of material. This is made possible by merely selecting suitable rollers of both sets and when production of a specific metallic section of desired widths are terminated, other rollers are selected by rotating the rotatable devices. When suitable rollers have been selected they are locked in operating position and when another design or widths are required, the devices are unlocked, a selection is made, and the devices are again locked to produce the new metallic section or widths of material. The present quick automated tool changer, i.e. QATC, roll forming apparatus is characterized by a novel indexing device for the two forming rolls to be used in a roll forming operation; by the use of Brushless-type motors for individually driving the shafts carrying the forming rolls in use, these motors being of the constant torque type; by quick-changing supports carrying the rolls for allowing the rolls which are not in use to be changed; by sensors on the cylinders providing the force on the forming rolls for giving feedback to the operator on changes in this force; and by a pair of gears selectively engageable with the gearing mechanism linking the Brushless motors to the forming rolls in use for providing a larger range of operating speeds of the forming rolls.
An apparatus for use in roll forming devices or in tube mills, comprising at least one pair of cooperating rollers adapted to receive therebetween elongated metallic members and to cause the metallic members to displace in translation therethrough when said rollers are rotated, said cooperating rollers being rotatably driven by constant torque motor means in such a way that said rollers cause an elongated metallic member to gradually displace therebetween in a longitudinal way and through said apparatus, said cooperating rollers forming the elongated metallic member passing therethrough without substantially affecting a thickness of the elongated metallic member.
An apparatus for manufacturing shaped metallic sections by feeding metal strips between mated pairs of cooperating shaping and/or cutting rollers, comprising a first turret head carrying at least two first shaping rollers, a second turret head opposite said first turret head and carrying at least two second shaping rollers, said turret heads being rotatable in order to mate different sets of corresponding first and second shaping rollers for selectively producing at least two different patterns to the metal strips, said sets in a roll forming position being driven by constant torque motor means for feeding the strips therebetween, said shaping rollers forming the metal strips passing therethrough without substantially affecting a thickness of the metal strips.
An apparatus for manufacturing shaped metallic sections by feeding metal strips between mated pairs of cooperating complementary shaping and/or cutting rollers, comprising a first turret head carrying at least two first shaping rollers, a second turret head opposite said first turret head and carrying at least two second shaping rollers, said turret heads being rotatable in order to mate different sets of corresponding first and second shaping rollers for selectively producing at least two different patterns to the metal strips, said sets in a roll forming position being driven by motor means for feeding the strips therebetween, an indexing device for indexing said turret heads comprising rack-and-pinion means for selectively rotating said turret heads along given angles corresponding to roll forming positions of said sets of complementary rollers, actuating means being provided for bringing rack means and pinion means of said rack-and-pinion means in and out of meshing engagement, wherein when said rack means and said pinion means are not meshing said mated rollers can be rotatably driven by said motor means, whereas when said rack means and said pinion means are engaged said mated rollers cannot be rotatably driven by said motor means and said turret heads can be rotated by said indexing device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.