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US 7,111,481 B2Granted
Methods and apparatus for controlling flare in roll-forming processes
AssigneeThe Bradbury Company, Inc.
InventorsJason E. Green, Gregory S. Smith
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for controlling flare in roll-forming processes are disclosed. An example method of controlling flare involes moving a material through a roll-forming process and measuring the material to obtain a flare characteristic associated with a zone of the material. A position of a roller is then automatically varied to change the flare characteristic associated with a zone of the material as the material moves through the roll-forming process.
Claims52
A method of controlling flare, comprising:
- moving a material through a roll-forming process;
- measuring the material to obtain a flare characteristic associated with a zone of the material;
- and
- automatically varying a position of a roller to change the flare characteristic associated with the zone of the material as the material moves through the roll-forming process.
1 more element
A method of controlling flare, comprising:
- moving a material through a roll-forming process;
- automatically varying a position of a roller to change a flare characteristic of the material as the material moves through the roll-forming process;
- obtaining a flare measurement value associated with the material and a flare tolerance value;
- comparing the flare measurement value to the flare tolerance value;
- and
- determining a roller position value based on the comparison of the flare measurement value and the flare tolerance value;
- and
- storing the roller position value in a database, wherein the roller position value may be retrieved from the database based on material identification information associated with the material.
5 more elements
A method of controlling flare, comprising:
- moving a material through a roll-forming process;
- determining a location of the material within the roll-forming process;
- and
- automatically varying a position of a roller based on the location of the material within the roll-forming process to change a flare characteristic associated with a zone of the material as the material moves through the roll-forming process.
1 more element
A method of controlling flare, comprising:
- moving a material through a roll-forming process;
- and
- automatically varying a position of a roller in accordance with at least one of a desired roller velocity, a desired roller ramp rate, or a desired roller acceleration to change a flare characteristic of the material as the material moves through the roll-forming process.
A method of controlling flare, comprising:
- moving a material through a roll-forming process;
- and
- automatically varying a position of a roller based on a material characteristic of the material to change a flare characteristic associated with a zone of the material as the material moves through the roll-forming process.
An apparatus for controlling flare, comprising:
- a processor system including a memory;
- and
- instructions stored in the memory that enable the processor system to:
- detect a material moving through a roll-forming process;
- measure the material to obtain a flare characteristic associated with a zone of the material;
- and
- automatically vary a position of a roller to change the flare characteristic associated with the zone of the material as the material moves through the roll-forming process.
4 more elements
An apparatus for controlling flare, comprising:
- a processor system including a memory;
- and
- instructions stored in the memory that enable the processor system to:
- obtain a flare measurement value associated with the material and a flare tolerance value;
- compare the flare measurement value to the flare tolerance value;
- determine a roller position value based on the comparison of the flare measurement value and the flare tolerance value;
- store the roller position value in a database;
- and
- retrieve the roller position value from the database based on material identification information associated with the material.
6 more elements
An apparatus for controlling flare, comprising:
- a processor system including a memory;
- and
- instructions stored in the memory that enable the processor system to:
- detect a material moving through a roll-forming process;
- automatically vary a position of a roller to change a flare characteristic associated with a zone of the material as the material moves through the roll-forming process;
- and
- determine a location of the material within the roll-forming process.
4 more elements
An apparatus for controlling flare, comprising:
- a processor system including a memory;
- and
- instructions stored in the memory that enable the processor system to:
- detect a material moving through a roll-forming process;
- and
- automatically vary a position of a roller in accordance with at least one of a desired roller velocity, a desired roller ramp rate, or a desired roller acceleration.
3 more elements
An apparatus for controlling flare, comprising:
- a processor system including a member;
- and
- instructions stored in the memory that enable the processor system to:
- detect a material moving through a roll-forming processor;
- automatically vary a position of a roller based on a material characteristic associated with a zone of the material as the material moves through the roll-forming process.
2 more elements
A machine accessible medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to:
- detect a material moving through a roll-forming process;
- measure the material to obtain a flare characteristic associated with a zone of the material;
- and
- automatically vary a position of a roller to change the flare characteristic associated with the zone of the material as the material moves through the roll-forming process.
1 more element
A system for controlling flare, comprising:
- a roller configured to vary a flare characteristic of a material;
- a first sensor configured to detect the flare characteristic associated with a zone of the material;
- and
- a position adjustment system coupled to the roller and the first sensor and configured to automatically adjust the roller to condition the flare characteristic associated with the zone of the material based on a measurement value obtained from the first sensor.
1 more element
A system for controlling flare, comprising:
- a roller configured to vary a flare characteristic of a material;
- and
- a position adjustment system coupled to the roller and configured to automatically adjust the roller based on a location of the material to condition the flare characteristic associated with a zone of the material.
A system for controlling flare, comprising:
- a roller configured to vary a flare characteristic of a material;
- a position adjustment system coupled to the roller and configured to automatically adjust the roller to condition the flare characteristic associated with a zone of the material;
- a processor system communicatively coupled to the position adjustment system and configured to cause the position adjustment system to adjust the roller;
- and
- a sensor communicatively coupled to the processor system and configured to generate location information associated with the location of the material and convey the location information to the processor system.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.