US2201316A - Manufacture of structural members - Google Patents

Description

May 21, 1940. R. T. McGEE MANUFACTURE OF STRUCTURAL MEMBERS Original Filed March 21, 1936 v-Mwa .%/m m .L L]... m% m s M n $5 {1w .g I. A llll y 7 Q Q \m a N 1 MN $1 K PL Fit: 55L- N T m F 51illlllil-I +I-1-1I-iliiili-lililiiit 8% 5 Patented May 21, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MANUFACTURE OF STRUCTURAL MEMBERS Richard T. McGee, Wheeling, W. Va., assignor to The Consolidated Expanded Metal Companies, Wheeling, W. Va., a corporation of West Virginia 4 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of structural members. More particularly, the invention is concerned with the manufacture of a structural member of the type adapted for use as studs or joists, which member is fabricated from sheet metal stock.

A primary object of the invention is to provide an effective, simple and rapid method for producing structural members such as studs or joists.

In addition, the invention has in view novel equipment for carrying out the method, the same being of simple construction and capable of relatively high speed and accurate operation.

The foregoing, as well as other objects and advantages will be pointed out more fully hereinafter in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a side view, partly in vertical section, of a machine constructed and operated in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is an end elevational View of the equipment of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a face View of a structural member produced in accordance with this invention, this view being arranged to illustrate successive steps in the process of manufacture; and

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional View of the member shown in Figure 3, taken on the line il.

In considering the drawing, reference is first made to Figures 3 and 4. The right-hand portion of Figure 3 discloses the improved stud in completed form, as does also the sectional view of Figure 4. From these views it will be seen that the improved structural member comprises a web I with marginal flanges 8 forming a channel shape.

The web is provided with apertures 9 having curved corners at one end thereof as at It and approximately squared corners l I at the other end thereof. These apertures, as clearly seen in the drawing, form cross-ties l2 lying in the plane of the web and extended substantially transverse the longitudinal axis of the channel. At one edge of each of the crossties I2 a flange i3 is provided, this being formed of a lip which is bent out of the plane of the web during the process of manufacture referred to herebelow.

I have found that this form of structural member not only provides considerable rigidity for a given weight, but further may be produced, in accordance with a simple and effective method, from sheet metal stock. In addition, the shape and size of the apertures 9 is such as to readily accommodate piping and wiring which may be disposed within the wall, ceiling or the like in which the improved members are located.

In Figures 1 and 2 I have illustrated a novel press mechanism adapted to the manufacture of the structural member shown in Figures 3 and 4. As here seen, the mechanism includes upper and lower press members 14 and [5 adapted to receive a channel blank X fed therethrough, as by means of feed rollers |6!6 and l'l-li'. The sheet metal stock may, of course, first be suitably rolled to provide the flanges 8-8 and thereafter the press mechanism operates on the web of the blank X, in accordance with the following.

The lower press member carries a device l8 having apertures l9 therein corresponding in shape to the apertures 9a shown toward the left of Figure 3. The upper press member carries piercing punches 20 of similar configuration adapted to cooperate with the apertures IS in the device l8 when the press is actuated so as to produce the piercing 9a shown in Figure 3. This piercing, it will be observed, provides a lip l3a. toward one end of each aperture 9a and upon a succeeding actuation of the press member M the die plates 2! and 23, and the cooperating forming punches 22 and 24, engage the lips Na and bend them downwardly out of the plane of the web 1 into the position shown in Figures 3 and 4.

It will be noted that two piercing punches are employed, these being spaced in the direction of feed of the blank through the press mechanism, and further that a corresponding number of pairs of forming elements are also employed, similarly spaced.

In order to provide for proper straightline feed of the blank after the bending of flanges l3, the last one of the forming elements (23) is pivotally mounted as at 25 so that as the blank advances, the succeeding bent flange engages and displaces the element 23 about the pivot 25. As soon as a flange l3 has passed and becomes disengaged from the element 23, the return spring 26 acts to bring the member 23 back into its normal operative position, so that it is ready for the next actuation of the press. In this way a plurality of apertures may be pierced simultaneously and, in addition, a plurality of the lips l3a may be simultaneously bent upon each actuation of the press.

This method of production lends itself readily to the utilization of sheet metal stock in the fabrication of stud or joist element of the character herein disclosed.

The flanging of the cross-ties l2 affords a high degree of rigidity in the structure, per unite-f weight, and I have found that these elements are unusually effective and economical in use.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 70,016, filed March 21,

1936 (Patent No. 2,167,666, granted August 1,

I claim: 1. Apparatus of the character described including a pair of press members adapted to reengage the edges of the cross-ties occurring be-,

tween the apertures provided by the piercing, whereby to bend said edges out of the plane of the blank, and thus produce flanges on the crossties, and one of said forming elements being mounted for movement out of the path of the bent flanges upon contact thereof with a bent flange during advancement of the blank.

2. Apparatus of the character described including a pair of press members adapted to receive and operate on a blank fed therebetween, the press members being provided with a plurality of pairs of complementary piercing elements spaced from each other in the direction of feed, and a plurality of pairs of complementary forming elements mounted in the press members and spaced from each other in the direction of feed, the forming elements being positioned to engage the edges of the cross-ties oc curring between the apertures provided by the piercing, whereby to bend said edges out of the plane of the blank, and thus produce flanges on the cross-ties, and one of said forming elements I cooperating piercing and cooperating forming elements mounted in the pressmembers, the first being adapted to produce apertures in the web of the channel and the second being adapted to bend a side edge portion of the cross-ties formed between the apertures, out of the plane of the channel web, at least one of the forming elements being displaceable, out of its operative position to pass a bent edge of a cross-tie during advancement of the blank in the path aforesaid.

l. A machine of the character described including cooperating press members adapted to receive a channel shaped blank, feeding means adapted to advance the blank through the press members substantially in astraight line path, a plurality of pairs of cooperating piercing elements associated with thepress members and spaced from each other lengthwise of the direction of feed, anda plurality of pairs of cooperating forming elements mounted in the press members and spaced from each other lengthwise of the direction of feed, the forming elements being adapted to engage side edge portions of the cross-ties formed by the piercing and bend said side edge portions out of the plane of the blank, at least one of said forming elements being clisplaceable out of its normal operative position to pass a bent edge during advancement of the blank in the path aforesaid.

, RICHARD T. McGEE.

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