IES70065B2 - Apparatus for forming a cylindrical vessel - Google Patents

Description

According to the present invention there is provided an apparatus for forming a cylindrical vessel comprising sheet bending means including two mutually spaced apart support rollers and a forming roller reciprocably movable along a plane passing between said support rollers, each support roller having an associated guide member pivotally mounted relative to said sheet bending means about a respective axis spaced apart from and parallel to an associated support roller, so that in use each guide member guides a sheet into or out of said bending means between an associated support roller and said forming roller.

Preferably, said sheet bending means comprises a frame having a pair of spaced apart end walls joined by a pair of spaced apart side walls, said support rollers and said forming roller being mounted on said end walls and each of said guide members being mounted on a respective side wall.

Preferably, each guide member comprises a substantially rectangular frame bent to form a concave upper surface, said frame being pivotally mounted to a respective side wall of said frame and connected adjacent its distal side to said side wall by an extendible member actuable to raise said guide member away an initial state wherein the member is substantially horizontal.

Preferably, transmission means are mounted within said frame and are connected to said support rollers to rotate the rollers so that in use the support rollers feed the sheet through said sheet bending means.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 70065 -2Figure 1 is a schematic end-view of an apparatus for forming a cylindrical vessel according to the invention; Figure 2 is a schematic elevation of the apparatus of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a perspective view of the apparatus of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings wherein similar numerals have been used to indicate like parts, there is shown an apparatus for forming a cylindrical vessel generally indicated at 10 according to the invention. The apparatus 10 comprises a frame 11 comprising two spaced apart end walls 12 joined by side walls 9. Two parallel spaced apart support rollers 13 are rotatably mounted within the frame 11. The support rollers 13 are driven by a transmission mechanism (not shown) mounted within a frame member 11. A forming roller 14 is reciprocably movable along a vertical plane A which passes between the support rollers 13. The roller 14 is movable under hydraulic control from an initial state in which the forming roller is vertically spaced apart from the support rollers to a final state in which the forming roller lies adjacent the support rollers.

A guide member 15 is pivotally mounted on each of the side walls 9 of the frame 11. Each guide member comprises an open rectangular frame having side rails 16 joined by a plurality of transverse rails 17. Each guide member is bent along a transverse axis 25 to form a concave upper surface on the guide member. This concave upper surface provides for smoother movement of a curved sheet 19 across the guide member. A plurality of roller bearings 18 are mounted on the transverse rails 17 to allow for frictionless movement of the sheet 19 over each guide member 15.

The distal end of each guide member is connected to an associated * side wall 9 via an extendible hydraulic ram 21. The ram 21 retracts to allow the guide member to pivot into an initial substantially horizontal state and can be extended to raise the associated guide member upwardly away from the initial state.

In use, the sheet 19 which is initially flat is presented to die apparatus -310 by lifting the sheet into position over a guide member 15 with a crane 20. Both guide members 15 are in the initial state and the sheet 19 can thus be laid almost flat on a guide member. The sheet is then fed towards the frame 11 and the guide member 15 guides the sheet into the frame between a support roller 13 and the forming roller 14.

Rotation of the support rollers 13 guides the sheet out of the frame between the opposite support roller and the forming roller where it is guided out of the frame by the opposite guide roller 15.

The direction of rotation of the support rollers 13 is then reversed to cause the sheet 19 to move back into the frame 11. Each time the sheet 19 passes through the frame the forming roller moves downwards iteratively from its initial state towards its final state. Each downward iteration of the forming roller 14 causes the sheet 14 to bend more with the result that in the final state a substantially cylindrical vessel is formed.

It will be seen that the apparatus according to the invention can be operated by a single operator thus reducing manpower costs in the fabrication of cylindrical vessels.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein which may be modified or varied without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (5)

1. An apparatus for forming a cylindrical vessel comprising sheet bending means including two mutually spaced apart support rollers and a forming roller reciprocably movable along a plane passing between said support rollers, each support roller having an associated guide member pivotally mounted relative to said sheet bending means about a respective axis spaced apart from and parallel to an associated support roller, so that in use each guide member guides a sheet into or out of said bending means between an associated support roller and said forming roller.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sheet bending means comprises a frame having a pair of spaced apart end walls joined by a pair of spaced apart side walls, said support rollers and said forming roller being mounted on said end walls and each of said guide members being mounted on a respective side wall.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein each guide member comprises a substantially rectangular frame bent to form a concave upper surface, said frame being pivotally mounted to a respective side wall of said frame and connected adjacent its distal side to said side wall by an extendible member actuable to raise said guide member away an initial state wherein the member is substantially horizontal.

4. An apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein transmission means are mounted within said frame and are connected to said support rollers to rotate the rollers so that in use the support rollers feed the sheet through said sheet bending means.

5. An apparatus for forming a cylindrical vessel substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.