US1562916A

US1562916A - Structural-element manufacture

Info

Publication number: US1562916A
Application number: US542054A
Authority: US
Inventors: Norman C Rendleman
Original assignee: Jones and Laughlin Steel Corp
Current assignee: Jones and Laughlin Steel Corp
Priority date: 1922-03-08
Filing date: 1922-03-08
Publication date: 1925-11-24
Anticipated expiration: 1942-11-24

Description

Nov. 24, 1925- N. c. RENDLEMAN STRUCTURAL ELEMENT MANUFACTURE Filed March 8. 1922 Patented Nov. 24,1925,

NORMAN O. BENDLEMAN,

LAUGHLIN STEEL CORPORATION, TION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

STRUCTURAL-ELEMENT MANUFACTURE.

OF DORMONT, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO JONES AND OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORA- Application filed-march 8, 1922. Serial No. 542,054.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that NORMAN C. RENDLEMAN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Dormont, in the county of Allegheny, State of Pennsylvania, has invented an Improvement in Structural-Element Manufacture, of whichthe following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention aims to improve the manufacture of latticed structural elements and to perfect the products, such as beams, columns, girders, roof and bridge trusses, and other load carrying members having latticed, trussed or open work webs between their marginal flanges.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein l. have shown one embodiment or ractice of my invention for purposes of i1 ustration,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of apreferred form of expanding and straightening machine, showing one type of product in process of manufacture; v

Fig. 2 is a-longitudinal mid-section of the same on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary transverse section of the same on the line 3-3 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a similar view on the line 4--4 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the finished product.

In the particular embodiment of my invention selected for illustration herein and shown in the drawings, referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the material to be- 0 erated on is a latticed I-beam consisting of side flanges 11 connected by an open work web of zigzag or inclined strips or ties 12 joined to the flan es by bonds 13 and to each other by bon s ,14 on the mid-line of the beam. The material is advantageously taken direct from the flattening operation of the expanding machine in its partly cooled condition and finished while still warm.

The beam is fed by means of suitable rolls 15 over; and under a seriesof staggered rolls wlnch may have slightly convex mlddle portions bearing upon t e web members to flex them alternately up and down. The bottom rolls 16 are all drlven at uniform speed -from the rolls 15 or other source of power by suitable grearin 17'. The top rolls 18 are preferably iven y frictional contact with the beam, by grooves and collars 19 preferably on the bottom rolls. The successive rolls areeach which is guided between the rolls slightly wider than the preceding one to gradually separate the flanges 11 and widen the beam as it passes through.

The

rolls

16, 18, are adjustable longitudinally of the direction of travel of the beam to space them at intervals corresponding to the distances between the bonds 13, 14, and the gearing 17 may likewise be adjusted to suit the spacingof the rolls, so that different sectional shapes of beams and various forms and sizes of lattice work may be made by suitably shaping and adjusting the'rolls. The operation'is as follows: Referring particularly to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the beam or other element is guided by its marginal flanges between the feeding rolls 15 and over the bottom rolls 16,the grooves of which support the \fianges 11 in a horizontal plane. The top rolls are adjusted in their housings to bear down on and maintain the horizontal alinement of the flanges-11. The enlarged middle portions of the rolls cause the strips or ties 12 and the successive bonds 14 to bend upand down alternately as the beam passes through, thereby pulling on them slightly to straighten out any irregularities, twists, bends or buckles left by the earlier fabricating operations,

in the element is shown in full lines in its condition when the bonds 14 are under the top the bonds 14 are over the bottom rolls. The slight increase in the effective length of the members 12 is compensated for by the slight increase in the distance between the flanges 11 caused by the additional length of each successive roll, as shown in Fig. 1.

It is evident that the pulling operation may be continued to the point of actually stretching the metal of the web members 12 if it is desired to obtain a greater lateral ex ansion of the web? v y invention obviously is not restricted to the particular embodiment and ra ctice thereof herein illustrated and descrlbed.

Having disclosed one illustrative embodiment of my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows: Y

1. In the manufacture of structural elerolls and in dot and dash lines when ments having continuous sides and angularly disposed Web members connecting the sides, means for maintaining said sides in alinement and deflecting longitudinally separate portions of said web members out of the plane of alinement of said sides to pull them straight.

2. In the manufacture of structural elements having continuous sides and angularly disposed web members connecting the sides, means for maintaining said sides in diverging horizontal alinement and deflecting longitudinally separated portions of said web membersout of the plane of alinement of said sides to pull them straight, whereby the further separation of said sides may be 3. The process of'manufacturing latticed structural elements comprising side members and angularly disposed web members connected to said side members at regularly spaced intervals which includes successively gripping said' web members simul- 'nately to opposite sides from the plane of the web to straighten their intervening'portions. 1 5. The process of manufacturing lat'ticcd structural elements comprising side members and angularly disposed web members connected to said side members at regularly spaced intervals which includes successively gripping said web members simultaneously at their points of connection and.

midway therebetween and deflecting them from the plane of the web to straighten their intervening portions while gradually separatin said'side members.

6. In the manufacture of/latticed structural elements, straightening means for the web members comprising top and bottom rolls in alternation at spaced intervals corresponding to the distance between the ends andcrossing points of the web members, said rolls being slightly convex to bend the middle points of the respectivetweb members out of line straight, and means for guiding the side members past said rolls in slightly divergent paths to maintain said web members taut as they are straightened.

7. In the manufacture of latticed structural elements, straightening means for the web members comprising top and bottom rolls in alternation at spaced intervals corresponding to the distance between the ends and crossing points of the web members, said rolls being slightly convex to bend the middle points of the respective web members out of line with their ends to pull them straight, and means to maintain said web members taut as they are straightened.

8. A finishing step in the manufacture of structural elements, having side members and a connecting web comprising inclined crosswise members which includes passing the element through a series of straightening rolls operating in alternation upon opposite sides of the respective web members while guiding the side members in divergent pat s.

9. The process of finishing latticed structural elements having continuous marginal flanges and slitted and expanded web members integral therewith by subjecting the expanded web members to successive bending alternately in opposite directions with respect to the margins while maintaining the latter in their spaced relation in the principal plane of the element for pulling said web members free from irregularities.

10. The process of finishing latticed structural elements having slitted and expanded web members by subjecting the expanded web members tosuccessive bending alternately in opposite directions with respect to the principal plane of the element for pulling them free from irregularities, and separating the side members to accommodate the increased length of the web members.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to, this specification.

NORMAN C. RENDLEMAN.

with their ends to pull them