NZ190841A - Rolling sheet material into closed louvre pattern:roller gear wheels adjustable to prevent backlash - Google Patents

Description

i <4 0$^] PATENTS ACT, 1953 NEW ZEALAND Date: 26 June 1979 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION "Improvements in or relating to panels and/or methods of forming panels and/or apparatus for forming panels" I/m GARY GRAHAM STEWART, a British Subj ect and New Zealand Citizen of 100 Aeroview Road, Beachhaven, Auckland, New Zealand hereby declare the invention for which I / we pray that a patent may be granted to me/us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: - 1 190841 This invention relates to apparatus for forming panels.

It is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus for forming a panel which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.

Accordingly the invention consists in apparatus for shaping a sheet of flexible material into a panel of zig^zag formation providing two sets of parallel faces, one set of parallel faces being shorter in width than the other set of parallel faces so as to provide a pattern which suggests closed louvres, said apparatus comprising a pair of meshed rollers each having substantially triangular flutes longitudinal of the axis of said roller, said flutes having substantially tangential faces and substantially radial faces, said substantially tangential faces being of a different width than said substantially radial faces, and each roller having a gear wheel said gear wheels meshing to maintain said rollers in a desired relationship one to the other and at least one gear wheel having a toothed plate mounted thereon, said plate being selectively rotationally movable or fixed relative to the sartl gear wheel on which said plate is 2- b 6 mounted.

To those skilled in the art to which this invention relates, ^ many changes in construction and widely different embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest^ & *r9 MAY 1984 k I themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

One preferred form of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a panel according to the invention, Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of a panel according to the invention, Figure 3 is a diagrammatic front elevation of apparatus for forming panels according to the invention, Figure 4 is a crosssectional representation of a roller for use in the apparatus of figure 3, Figure 5 is a scrap end elevation of a driving cog with backlash adjusting plate for use in the invention, Figure 6 is a diagrammatic side elevation of apparatus for the invention showing a feed back, Figure 7 is an underneath view of figure 6, and Figure 8 is a scrap view of part of the feed back.

In the preferred form of the invention a panel is provided which has a front face 2 and a rear face 3.

The panel is formed of a flexible material preferably a metal and in partiuclar galvanised sheet iron and is formed into a series of zig-zags so that a plurality of substantially parallel faces are formed in one direction and a further plurality of substantially parallel faces are formed in a further direction, one set of the parallel faces> for example and preferably, the set indicated by face 3 being narrower than the width of the faces represented by face 4. 190841 The length o„f the faces will depend upon the precise construction deisred but for example, the faces 3 may be about 6mm in length and the faces 4 may be about 2.8mm in length. Again, the angle between the., faces 3 and 4 may be varied as desired but may be for example about 120? It is desirable to provide a border, surround or edging, for example, surround 5 and this may comprise a box member one face 6 of which is extended in width and the face 7 of which is of a length such that a gap 8 is provided between the edge of face 7 and the back of face 6 into which the panel 2 may be positioned by passing the edges of the panel 2 into the gap 8.

The surround 5 may be formed in one piece and folded or may be formed in individual lengths and is engaged to the panel 1 for example by mitering the corners of the face 5 so that there is some overlap and fixing for example by a pop rivet or other fastener 9. On the rear face the panels may be overlapped in square formation again held for example by pop rivet 9 or a further pop rivet entered from the back of the panel. The face 7 may be formed integrally with the surround 5 or may be a separate member of substantially shaped cross section fixed to rear face 10 of the surround 5, for example, by pop rivets 11. Other fixings such as spot welds can be used rather than pop rivets if desired.

A double louvre can be simulated by providing a flat area, for example, centrally in a louvre. This can be formed by placing a strip of metal (shown pecked at 44) across the panel. The strip may be about 2" wide and be turned down at the edges to provide side flanges at an angle 190841 of about 45° to the plane of the strip, fixing can be by pop rivets, spot welds or otherwise as required.

The whole panel may be coloured for example by painting as requried for decorative effect.

The panels 2 are formed by folding the sheet metal and to this end a pair of rollers 20 and 21 are provided which are toothed or fluted, the teeth of roller 20 being of the same hand as rolller 21 to achieve satisfactory meshing as shown in figure 4.

The construction is such that a tooth or flute of roller 21 enter^s a tooth or flute of roller 20 and vice & versa.

The rollers 20 and 21 are held in the desired relationship one to the other by driving for example, roller 21 From roller 20 through meshing gear wheels 23 and 24.

The drive to roller 20 may be taken in any desirable manner for example by chain 25 driving a pulley mounted on shaft 26 mounting roller 20. Chain 25 may be driven by a suitable motor such as an electric motor 28. The rollers 20 and 21 may be mounted in a suitable frame indicated generally a t 2 9 . r/murat*/ f/vtZ to ro*»r>o>^ot- - Roller 20 may be adjustable in position^and this may be /' ^ achieved by mounting axle 26 in a pair of bearings 30. From each bearings 30 extend an adjustment means such as one or more and preferably a pair of threaded arms 31. Arms 31 pass through apertures into plate 32 of frame 29 and the height is adjusted by nuts 33 on arms 31.

The size of the teeth will depend on the precise nature of the panel to be formed but the tangential faces 37 are 190841 substantially of the same length as the faces 4 of the panel and the radial faces 38 are substantially as the same length as the faces 3.

The face 38 preferably does not lie on the diameter of the roller but forms a small angle for example about 2°40' with a radius of the roller 20 or 21.

To substantially prevent-any backlash of rollers 20 and 21 particuarly when teeth 39 of gear wheels 23 and^S" are r worn an adjusting plate 40 can be provided with teeth 4J-• . .

Plate 40 is moveable rotationally relative to cog^-i-Syor 24, for example, by providing slot 42 and screw 43 which is screwed into cog 23 or 24. When teeth 39 are worn the screw 43 is loosened and plate 40 rotated to tighten the meshing of cogs 23 and 24 before the screw 43 is again tightened.

A feed back 45 may be provided to substantially ensure accurate^£ecd of the metal 46 to the rollers 20 and 21. . g/h " Tmck 3*0 The feedybac-k 45 may comprise a pair of supports 47 7 mounted on frame holding the rollers 20 and 21, for example, by welding. On the supports 47 are provided cross members 48 having slots 49 therein. Onto the cross members 48 are mounted a pair of inward facing channel members 50 within which metal 46 moves.

The distance apart of the channel member 50 may be varied by providing a releasable lock, for example, bolts 52 and wing nuts 53 passing through apertures 51 in channel member 50. Thus various widths of metal sheet 46 may be caused to run in channel member 50 by varying the distance apart of those members. 190841 The use of the invention is as follows: In use, panels of the type before described are constructed by passing strips of metal between rollers 20 and 21, the coaction of the teeth or flutes on the rollers 20 and 21 bending the material to form the panel 2 to the shape described.

Substantially any length of metal may be passed through between the rollers and the width which can be bent will depend upon the length of the rollers 20 and 21.

When the panel 2 has been formed a surround such as surround 5 is then engaged with the panel 2 to form the complete panel which may be used for example to simulate or suggest a louvre construction for example on the exterior wall of a house to simulate or suggest louvre type window covers or shutters.

Thus it can be seen that at least in the preferred form of the invention a panel and/or a method of forming a panel and/or apparatus for forming a panel are provided which have the advantage in particular that substantially any length of panel may be formed on the same apparatus thus the panels may be made in a variation of sizes more cheaply than panels formed for example by pressing. Also, the panel when formed is substantially rigid when the border or surround has been applied thereto and the whole construction process is relatively simple.

Claims (3)

WHAT I CLAIM IS: i 90341

1. Apparatus for shaping a sheet of flexible material into a panel of zig-zag formation providing two sets of parallel faces, one set of parallel faces being shorter in width than the other set of parallel faces so as to provide a pattern which suggests closed louvres, said apparatus comprising a pair of meshed rollers each having substantially triangular flutes longitudinal of the axis of said roller, said flutes having substantially tangential faces and substantially radial faces, said substantially tangential faces being of a different width than said substantially radial faces, and each roller having a gear wheel said gear wheels meshing to maintain said rollers in a desired relationship one to the other and at least one gear wheel having a toothed plate mounted thereon, said plate being selectively rotationally movable or fixed relative to the eaid gear wheel on which said plate is mounted.

2. Apparatus for forming a panel as claimed in claim 1 wherein said substantially tangential faces are the longer faces.

3. Apparatus for forming a panel substantially a herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. A. J. PARK & SON PER AGENTS FOR THE APPLICANT