Method of production of joining profiles for structural members

A method of forming a joining profile in a structural member such that the structural member may detachably engage another member having a corresponding mating profile, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a forming assembly having a base member and including a forming body and at least one side anvil having at least one anvil profile formed therein and a protrusion disposed adjacent to the anvil profile;
• b) mounting the structural member on the base member, the structural member having a web and at least one flange extending outwardly from the web;
• c) advancing the forming body toward the structural member until the web is clamped between the forming body and the base member;
• d) urging the side anvil toward an external face of the flange along a direction perpendicular to a plane of the flange such that the anvil profile engages the flange;
• e) forming the joining profile in the flange, the joining profile having a gender opposite that of the anvil profile, the joining profile defining an inwardly directed recess configured to engage a corresponding profile of opposite gender in another one of the members;
• and
• f) engaging the protrusion with the web during urging of the side anvil toward the flange such that a portion of the web is forced upwardly by the protrusion to accommodate formation of the joining profile.

A method of forming a joining profile in a structural member such that the structural member may detachably engage another member having a corresponding mating profile, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a forming assembly having a base member and including a forming body and at least one side anvil having at least one anvil profile formed therein and a protrusion disposed adjacent to the anvil profile;
• b) mounting the structural member on the base member, the structural member having a web and at least one flange extending outwardly from the web, the flange having an external face and an internal face;
• c) advancing the forming body toward the structural member until the web is clamped between the forming body and the base member;
• d) urging the side anvil toward an external face of the flange along a direction perpendicular to a plane of the flange such that the anvil profile engages the flange;
• e) forming the joining profile in the flange, the joining profile having a gender opposite that of the anvil profile, the joining profile defining a recess formed in the external face and a projection formed opposite the recess in the internal face;
• and
• f) engaging the protrusion with the web during urging of the side anvil toward the flange such that a portion of the web is forced upwardly by the protrusion to accommodate formation of the joining profile.

A method of forming joining profiles in a channel shaped structural member such that the structural member may detachably engage another member having corresponding mating profiles, the structural member defining a longitudinal axis and having a web and a pair of opposing flanges extending outwardly from the web, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a forming assembly having a base member and including a forming body having a mid anvil with V-shaped anvil profiles formed on opposing faces of the mid anvil, the forming assembly further including a pair of side anvils each having V-shaped anvil profiles formed complementary to the anvil profiles of the mid anvil, each one of the side anvils further including at least one protrusion disposed adjacent to the anvil profile;
• b) mounting the structural member on the forming assembly by placing the web on the base member;
• c) advancing the forming body toward the structural member until the web is clamped between the forming body and the base member;
• d) urging the side anvils toward a corresponding one of the external faces along a direction perpendicular to a plane of the flanges such that the anvil profiles engage respective ones of the flanges;
• e) forming a V-shaped joining profile in each one of the flanges by clamping the flanges between the mid anvil and the side anvils, the joining profiles having a gender opposite that of the anvil profiles;
• and
• f) engaging the protrusions with the web during urging of the side anvils toward respective ones of the flanges such that opposing portions of the web are forced upwardly by the protrusions at locations adjacent to each one of the joining profiles to accommodate formation of the joining profiles.