US2227947A

US2227947A - Clip crimping machine

Info

Publication number: US2227947A
Application number: US226776A
Authority: US
Inventors: Paul F Schoen
Original assignee: Bohn Aluminum and Brass Corp
Current assignee: Bohn Aluminum and Brass Corp
Priority date: 1938-08-25
Filing date: 1938-08-25
Publication date: 1941-01-07
Anticipated expiration: 1958-01-07

Description

Jan. 7, 1941. P. F. SCHOEN CLIP CRIMPING MACHINE Filed Aug. 25, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1N VENTOR.

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1941' P. F. SCHOEN CLIP CRIMPINQ MACHINE Filed Aug. 25, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I m 8 2 M/ v. w 8 2 .5 8 1 2 X g m INVENTOR. PawZ f. Jakaen. I

ATTORN I 35 machine.

Patented Jan. 7, 1941 UNITED STATES CLIP CRHHPING MACHINE Paul I Schoen, Dcarborn, Mich asoignor to Doha Aluminum & Brass Corporation, Detroit, Mich a corporation of Michigan Application August 25. 1938, Serial No. 226,776

' s cu (ciao-1i This invention relates to a clip-crimping machine which is designed to crimp a substantially U-shaped clip strip upon adjacent flanges of separate flanged strips in order to flrmly unite the flanged stripsinto a substantially unitary structure.

The flanged strips are extruded from aluminum, or similar material, and it is desired to unite two or more of them into a unitary structure suitable 10 for use in refrigerators, or similar installations.

The machine of the present invention provides a simple and eflicient means for uniting such strips with a clip-strip at a single pass through the machine.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds. While a preferred form of the machine is referred to herein for purposes of illustration, it should be understood that various changes may be made 20 without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the main operating part of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section of the part 25 shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-section of part of the machine. Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-section 30 illustrating the position of the clip-strip and the adjacent flanges prior to passing the parts through the machine.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the position of the parts after passage through the Gal tFig. 7 is an isometric view of the end of a clips rip.

Referring to the drawings more particularly, the main part of the machine comprises a frame 40 ill in which a base roller I I is mounted on a horizontal axis. A head I2 is movable vertically in the frame I0, and'carries the operating rollers as will be described more particularly hereafter.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the base 45 roller ll revolves on pintles is, suitable bearing bushings It being interposed between the rollers II and pintles IS. The movable head I! carries in its lower part a shaft I 5 which is horizontal and parallel to the axis of base roller I I. Mounted 50 on shaft it are two hold-down rollers I I. A

presser roller I1 is mounted between the holddown rollers l6 and is of smaller diameter than hold-down rollers It. A pair of crimping rollers i8 are mounted on vertical axes, one on each side 55 of the presser roller ll. As illustrated more particularly in Fig. 4, each of the crimping rollers I8 is rotatably mounted on the stud l9 and is held against vertical displacement-by a peened-over head 20, the stud'engaging a recess in the lower face of roller l8. 5

The lateral sides of head ii are confined in guide-ways 2| formed in frame ill, and guideblocks 22 are secured to the lower part of head I! to assist in aligning it. -The head I2 is normally biased downwardly toward the base roller in any suitable manner, such as the springs 23, and suitable means such as cam 24 is provided for elevating the head I! when desired.

The strips 25 which are to be united in this machine, as illustrated in cross-section in Fig. 4, have a flat lower face 26 and an upwardly extending tubular body 21. Lateral flanges 28 extend upwardly along each edge of the strip, and each of theseflanges is undercut along its inner face as indicated at 29. Strips of this shape are extruded from aluminum, or similar material, particularlyfor use in refrigeration units, and it is necessary to unite them in side by side relation-in order to build up a cooler unit or other suitable heat exchange unit. The present machine pro-- vides a simple and expeditious method of mechanically uniting the adjacent flanges of two strips by crimping aclip-strip upon them.

The clip-strip 30, also extruded from aluminum, is illustrated in Fig. 7 in its original condition, and it will be seen that it has a substantially U-shaped interior contour, and that its exterior contour is: also substantially U-shaped except for the laterally projecting ribs 3l on the outside of the downwardly extending walls of the clip-strip. These ribs 3| provide excess material which is deformed into the undercut grooves 29 of flanges 28, as will hereafter appear.

Prior to operation of the machine, two of the flanged strips are assembled in the side by side relation illustrated in Fig. 4, and a clip-strip 30 is then laid over the adjacent flanges 28 to the position illustrated in Fig. 5. By a suitable manual instrument the sides of clip-strip 30 are com- 1 pressed for a short distance at the lead end of the strip, deformingthe ribs 3| into the undercut grooves 29, thus straightening the'sides of clipstrip 30 and causing the excess material of-ribs 3| to substantially flll the undercut grooves 29. as.

illustrated in Fig. 6. g After thelead end of the stripshas thus-suitably been prepared, the head I: is moved-to itsraised positionby operation of cam 24. The pro-f pared end of the strips is theninserted betweenbase roller II and the rollers carried b z rnovablefgts presser roller ll presses upon the top of clip-strip 30; and the two crimping rollers i8 closely engage the lateral straight sides of clip-strip 30 but have their lower ends sufficiently elevated so as to avoid frictional contact with the upper faces of strips 25. With the parts in this position, the strips are now drawn through the machine by any suitable mechanism, and in this drawing operation rollers i8 continue the previously startedopera-- tion of deforming flanges 3i inwardly, thus crimping the clip-strip upon flanges 28 in the manner illustrated in'Fig. 6 for the full length of the strips to be. united.

It will be clear that the upper surface of base roller i l provides means for maintaining the lower faces 26 of strips in the same plane, and that such'alignment is assured by the downward pressure of hold-down rollers l6 and presser rollers ll; It 'willbe clear, since thelstrips being operated upon are engaged solely by rollers during their I: passage through the machine, the frictional re- ,lsistance is, reduced to a minimum. It will, of

course, beunderstood that some or all of these rollers could be replaced by stationary parts pressing against the strips, but such substitution would, of course, increase the frictional resistance and hence the power needed to operate the machine.

It should also be understood that while the machine illustrated is designed to unite only two strips 25, the machine could by addition of suitable rollers be adapted to united any desired number of strips simultaneously.

Any suitable means can be used for drawing the strips through the machine, one form being illustrated in Fig. 3 in which a drawing head 32 is movable along a table 33. The lead end of strips 25 after having been prepared as above described and threaded through the rollers is secured to the drawing head 32 by clamp 34. After the rollers have been moved to the operative position previously described, the drawing head is moved to- .ward the right of Figure 3 by means of chain 35 operated by crank 36. Any other preferred manual or power means could, of course, be used to move drawing head 32.

I claim:

1. A clip-crimping machine adapted to crimp a clip-strip having a generally U-shaped crosssection upon adjacent undercut flanges of separate flanged strips, said machine comprising a base roller 1 upon which the lower sideof the flanged strips is supported, a presser roller pressing the clip-strip down upon the flanges of the flanged strips, a crimping roller mounted on each side of the presser roller, the crimping rollers engaging the sides of, the clip-strip and pressing them into strips and holding the grooves of the undercut flanges, hold-down means engaging the upper surface of the flanged them against the base roller, and "means for drawing the work pieces through the machine.

I 2. A clip-crimping machine adapted to crimp a clip-strip having a generally U-shaped crossction upon adjacent undercut flanges of separate flanged strips, said machine comprising a base Jroller upon which the lower side of the flanged strips is supported, a presser roller pressing the section with ribs projecting from its sides and to crimp the sides of the clip-strip into holding engagement with adjacent undercut flanges of separate flanged strips, said machine comprising a base roller mounted on a horizontal axis and supporting the flat lower side of the flanged strips, a presser roller mounted on a horizontal axis and pressing the clip-strip down upon the flanges of the flanged strip, a crimping roller mounted on a vertical axis on each side of the presser roller,

the crimping rollers engaging the sides of the clip-strip and distorting the ribs of the clip-strip into the grooves formed by the undercut flanges, a hold-down roller mounted on a horizontal axis on each side of the crimping rollers, the hold-down rollers engaging the upper'surface of the flanged strips and pressing them against the base roller, and means for drawing the work pieces through the machine.

4. A clip-crimping machine comprising a frame, a base roller mounted on a. horizontal axis in the frame, a head movable in the frame and biased downwardly toward the base roller during normal operation of the machine, means for holding the head in a position elevated from the base roller while work pieces are being assembled in the machine, a plurality of hold-down rollers mounted in the head on a horizontal axis and adapted to assume a work position close to the surface of the base roller, a presser roller mounted in the head on a horizontal axis and located between the holddown rollers, the presser roller being spaced from the base roller a greater distance than are the hold-down rollers, and a pair of crimping rollers,

one of the crimping rollers being mounted on each side of the presser roller, the crimping rollers being mounted on vertical axes and projecting toward the base roller substantially as far as do the hold-down rollers.

5. A clip-crimping machine comprising a frame, a base roller mounted on a horizontal axis in the frame, a head movable in the frame and spring biased downwardly toward the base roller during normal operation of the machine, cam means for holding the head in a position elevated from the base roller while work pieces are being assembled in the machine, a plurality of hold-down rollers mounted in the head on a horizontal axis and adapted to assume a work position close to the surface of the base roller, a presser roller mounted in the head on a horizontal axis and located between the hold-down rollers, the periphery of the presser roller being spaced from the base roller a greater distance than are the hold-down rollers, a pair of crimping rollers, one of the crimping rollers being mounted on each side of the presser roller, the crimping rollers being mounted on vertical axes and projecting toward the base roller substantially as far as do the hold-down rollers, and means for drawing the work pieces through the machine.

PAUL F. SCHOEN.-