US3440857A - Metal forming tool - Google Patents

Description

April 29, 1969 Filed Nov. 9, 1955 J. J. MATHY METAL FORMING TOOL Sheet i B 281 B 56 42 4o) A A 32 34 34 32.23; l T @mwww- 2e 30 (22 3o L A mmv April 29, 1969 J. J, MATHY METAL FORMING TOOL Sheet Filed Nov. 9, 1965 22 INVENTOR JOSEPH J MA THY BY@p A ORNEYS 3 l of Sheet Filed Nov. 9, 1965 uu m /7 1| 2 /\II 8 I O m m j, 6 l 4 6 2 M m 2 l. O 62 2 3 4 l/ 4 7 O O 8 6 l Md 2 7 O .wmmw 1| m 6 4. 6 n 6- i. .uw M 4 2 e l l 4 4 Q m Mw 5- 2 i1|11|l|||||1l 4 l 1111 l |l I. O N 1 w i 2. O nl 6 a 2- 9 6 o 2 //l il 4 l w 6 5 4 ow 2 2 L, ATT RNEYS United States Patent O 3,440,857 METAL FORMING TOOL Joseph J. Mathy, Box 47, Fairfax, Va. 22030 Filed Nov. 9, 1965, Ser. No. 507,016 Int. Cl. B21d 11/04, 11/00 U.S. Cl. 72--306 16 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to metal forming tools and, more specifically, to portable, power-operated tools which are particularly useful for forming the seams of metal roofs although they may be adapted to other uses as well.

At the present time the roofs of many buildings are made of metal because of its durability and other advantages. Such roofs are constructed of sheets of the selected metal (generally tin or copper) joined with either a standing or batten seam to prevent moisture from seeping between adjacent sheets.

In the past the seams have most commonly been formed with hand tools such as pliers, hammers, mallets, and the like. Forming seams in this manner is a slow and, therefore, a costly process. Moreover, seams formed by hand tend to be rough and uneven, detracting from the appearance of the finished seam and its ability to prevent the penetration of moisture through the roof.

The disadvantages of forming roof seams by hand has led to the development of power-operated seaming tools. Typically, these consist of a series of seaming rollers driven by an electric motor. An exemplary tool of this kind, which is designed for forming standing seams, is disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,171,297 to A. Zohner et al. Similar tools have been developed for batten seams.

These power-operated tools have proven to be impracticable because of their complexity and initial cost and the expense of maintaining them. Moreover, they have other disadvantages including a slow operating speed and a weight which is sufficiently high that they cannot be used for extended periods by an operator.

It is one important object of the present invention to provide novel, improved, power-operated, roof seaming tools which do not have the disadvantages of previously known tools of this type.

In their preferred embodiments, the novel power-operated tools of the present invention, by which these objects are obtained, are designed to form batten seams although the principles of the invention may be applied to the design of standing seam and other sheet metal forming tools as well. These tools consist, generally, of a platform to which elongated, depending, seam forming arms are hinged. Fluid motors are provided to pivot the arms about the tool body to bend the edges of the sheet metal roof members and form the seam; and a handle is provided so that the tool can be readily moved along the seam. In a batten seam, two bends are required to form each seam; and, therefore, two tools similar to those described above but differing in detail are employed in association to form the seam.

The power-operated seam forming tools of the present invention are much less complex than those heretofore known. Consequently, they are substantially less expensive to manufacture and maintain and less likely to cause expensive delays by failure on the job. In addition, they are much lighter than the power-operated seaming tools here- "ice tofore known; and operators can use them all day without tiring. Further advantages of the seaming tools of the present invention are that they form exceptionally smooth and tight seams and that they form them at a faster rate than has heretofore been possible.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that other important objects of this invention include the provision of novel, improved, power-operated, roof seaming tools, which:

(1) Are less complex than those heretofore known and, therefore, less expensive to manufacture and maintain;

(2) Have a sufficiently low weight that they are readily portable and can be handled and operated all day without tiring the operator;

(3) Are capable of forming seams at a faster rate than has heretofore been possible;

(4) Are less subject to mechanical failure than the power-operated seaming tools heretofore known;

(5) Are capable of forming exceptionally smooth and tight seams;

(6) Can be quickly and easily adjusted to form seams of varying dimensions; and

(7) Form both seams between adjacent roof sheets and the batten joining them at the same time.

Other objects, additional advantages, and further novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the appended claims and as the ensuing detailed description and discussion proceeds in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary section through a metal roof of batten type construction, showing two adjacent roofing sheets, the roof beam between these sheets, and the batten employed to cover the beam and provide a seal between the roof sheets;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 with the flanges of the batten folded against horizontal flanges at the edges of the roof sheets after the first step in forming the 'batten seams;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 showing the batten and horizontal roof sheet anges folded against the vertical edge portions of the roof sheets to form the completed batten seams;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a portable, poweroperated, roof seaming tool constructed in accord with the principles of the present invention and designed to accomplish the first forming step in producing a batten seam;

FIGURE 5 is a view showing the tool of FIGURE 4 in elevation and the roof in fragmentary section with the tool and batten as they appear at the end of the rst forming step;

FIGURE 6l is a perspective view of a second'v form of tool constructed in accord with the principles of the present invention and designed to accomplish the second and final forming step in producing the batten seam;

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 showing the tool of FIGURE '6r and the batten and roof sheets as they appear at the end of the batten seaming operation;

FIGURE 8 is a side view of a control for the uid motors employed in the tools of FIGURES 4 and 6, the plumbing connected to the control, and a fragment of the tool handle to which the control is attached; and

FIGURE 9 is a generally diagrammatic section through a fluid-operated motor of the type employed in the tools of FIGURES 4 and 6i.

As mentioned above, the present invention relates to tools for forming the seams between adjacent sheets of a metal roof of the batten type. Referring now to FIGURE 1 of the drawing, a batten type roof (identied generally by reference character 20) includes a deck 22 along which a plurality of parallel, spaced |apart beams 24 extend. Deck 22 and beams 24 are covered with sheets of metal 26 with adjacent sheets bridged by sheet metal covers of battens 28.

Roofing sheets 26 -are of a generally U-shaped configuration and have a main body portion 30, which extends between adjacent beams 24, and vertical side portions 32, which cover the facing sides 34 of the beams between which a particular roof sheet 26 is located. And, as shown in FIGURE 1, horizontal flanges 36 are formed at the tops of roofing sheet side portions 32.

As is also shown in FIGURE 1, the sheet bridging covers or battens 28 are elongated strips of metal which are somewhat wider than and cover the upper surfaces 38 of beams 24. Flanges 40V and 42, formed on the opposite sides of each cover 28, are disposed at an acute angle and a right angle, respectively, to the main body portion 44 of each cover. This `arrangement facilitates the proper positioning of the covers, as shown in FIGURE 1.

To prevent moisture from penetrating through roof 20, seams 46 (see FIGURE 3) are formed at each joint between a roof sheet 26 and a batten 28. As shown in FIGURE 2, the first step in forming seams 46 is to fold the cover flanges 40 and 42 upwardly against the anges 36 at the edges of roofing sheets 26. This produces horizontal projections 48 in which a roofing sheet ange 36 is sandwiched between one of the cover flanges 40 or 42 and the main body 44 of the cover. Projections 48 are then folded down against the vertical side portions 32 of roofing sheets 26 to complete the seams (see FIGURE 3).

The present invention provides novel roof seam forming tools 50 and 52 (illustrated in FIGURES 4 and 6) for performing the seam forming steps just described. Seam forming tool 50 is employed in the first step (the bending of cover flanges 40 and 42 against roofing sheet flanges 36). Seam forming tool 52 performs the second step-the folding of the liaps 48 formed in the first step downwardly against the sides 32 of roofing sheets 26.

Referring now to FIGURES 4 and 5, roof seam forming tool 50 includes, generally, a platform 54 to which two seam forming arms 56 and 58 are pivotally attached, a handle 60 for transporting the tool, fluid actuated motors 62 and 64 (operatively connected to seam forming arms 56 and 58, respectively) for pivoting the arms relative to platform 54, and a handle-mounted control 66 for regulating the operation of motors 62 and 64 (two seam forming arms are provided so that the two seams between a batten and the adjacent roof sheets it spans can be formed simultaneously).

The platform S4 of roof seam forming tool 50 consists of two elongated, rectangular plates 68 and 70 in which recesses 72 and 74 are formed. These recesses provide edge portions 76 and 78 in the two platform plates with edge portion 78 of plate 70 resting in notch or recess 72 of plate 68 and edge portion 76 of plate 68 resting in recess or notch 74 of plate 70. The superposed platform plates 68 and 70 are secured together, at each end of the platform (only one of the two fastening arrangements is shown in the drawings), by pins 80 which extend through aligned apertures 82 in the edge portion 78 of platform member 70 and 84 in the edge portion 76 of platform member 68.

As shown in both FIGURES 4 and 5, a laterally extending row of the apertures 82 is provided in the edge portion 78 of upper platform member 70. By aligning different ones of the apertures 82 in upper platform member 70 with the apertures in lower platform member 68 before pins 80 are inserted, the width of platform 54 may be selectively varied to accommodate beams 24 and battens 28 of different widths. This will be apparent from FIGURE 5, which shows platform 54 adjusted to its minimum width, and FIGURE 4, which shows upper and lower platform members 70 and 68 adjusted to provide a somewhat greater distance between the lateral edges of the platform. This is an important practical feature Qf the present inventief; as it permits. the Width f i62 and platform 54 to be easily and quickly varied to accommodate roof seam forming tool 50 to roofs of varying dimensions.

The seam forming arms S6 and 58 fixed to platform 54 are rectangularly sectioned bars substantially equal in length to the platform. Arms 56 and 58 are attached to platform 54 by spaced apart, block-like brackets 86 fitted, at their upper ends, into recesses 88 in the edges of platform members 76 and 78 and similarly fitted, at their lower ends, into recesses 90 in the seam forming arms. Arms 56 and 58 are pivotally fixed to brackets 86 by pivot pins 92 extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the platform through the brackets 86 and the associated arm.

Referring now specifically to FIGURE 5, arm supporting brackets 86 are fixed to platform members 76 and 78 by fasteners 94 which extend through vertically elongated slots 96 in the brackets into drilled and tapped apertures 98 in and opening onto the sides 100 of the platform members. This arrangement is of considerable practical importance because it permits brackets 86 to be adjusted relative to the upper surface 102 of the platform. This, in turn, permits the axes about which the seam forming arms pivot to be adjusted relative to this same reference plane. As a consequence and as is apparent from FIGURE 5, this makes it possible for seam forming tool 50 to be adjusted to accommodate aps 48 of varying thickness. Again, this makes seam forming tool 50 readily adaptable to use on roofs of varying specifications.

Turning now to FIGURE 4, the two seam forming arms 56 and 58 are pivoted in opposite directions relative to platform 54 by the fluid operated motors 62 and 64 mentioned previously. Preferably, the operation of the two motors 62 and 64 is co-ordinated to pivot seam forming arms at the same speed. This keeps the tool balanced by the application of equal forces to opposite sides of the batten.

As shown in FIGURE 4, the fluid actuated motors are of conventional construction, including a cylinder 104 in which a piston 106 is slidably mounted and a piston rod 108 which is fixed to the cylinder by a connecting pin 110 and extends through a packing gland 112 in an end wall 114 of the cylinder. Ports 116 and 118 adjacent the opposite ends 114 and 120 of each cylinder permit an operating gas or liquid to be admitted to or exhausted from opposite ends of cylinder 104 to move pistons 106 in opposite directions therein (the illustrated tools employ pneumatic motors, but hydraulic motors could equally well be employed).

As shown in FIGURE 4, the cylinders 104 of motors 64 are supported from the handle 60 of roof seam forming tool 50, and their piston rods 108 are pivotally fixed to roof seam forming arms 56 and 58. Specilically, the handle 60 of roof seam forming tool 50 includes a tubular member i122 fixed to upper platform member 70 and extending normally from the upper surface 102 of the platform (direction indicating terms used herein such as upper, lower, Vertical, etc., refer only to the orientation of roof seam tools 50 and S2 shown in the drawing. It will be apparent that, in actual operation as on a pitched roof, for example, these tools will not necessarily be in the orientations shown in the drawings). Fixed to handle member 122 as by welding are a pair of horizontally extending, parallel motor supports 124 and 126. The cylinders 104 of motors 62 and 64 are pivotally fixed to motor supporting brackets 124 and 126 by pivot pins 128, which extend through the brackets and support lugs fixed to the upper ends of motor cylinders 104.

The piston rods 108 of the motor are pivotally connected to the seam forming arms 56 and 58 by bifurcated brackets 132 and rigid links 134. Brackets 132 are fixed to piston rods 108 as by welding a nut 136 to their upper surface and threading the nut onto a threaded portion (ngt ShQwn) at the free end o f the associated Pisten. rnd.

As is best shown in FIGURE 5, connecting links 134 are fixed, at one end, to the associated seam forming arm. The other end of each link 134 is pivotally xed in the associated bifurcated bracket .132 by a pivot pin 138 which 'extends through the link and the legs 140 of the bracket.

As shown in FIGURE 4, the end of the connecting link 134 which is fixed to the associated seam forming arm is an integral bar 142 extending at right angles to the remainder of the link. This provides a strong rigid connection between the link and the seam forming arm.

Referring now to FIGURE 4, the handle 60 of seam forming tool 50 includes, in addition to the tubular member from which motors 62 and 64 are supported, a tubular member 144 which extends at right angles to component 122 and terminates in parallel, spaced apart handgrips `146 and 148. The motor control 66 for fluid motors 62 and 64, mentioned briefly above, is mounted on a bracket 150 xed to handgrip 148.

Referring now to FIGURES 4 and 8, motor control 66 is of conventional construction, including a casing 152 with an inlet port 154 and outlet ports 156, 158, .1-60, and 162, a valve member 164 in the casing, and an operating or control member 166. Manipulation of the control rnember moves valve member 164 from a lirst position in which there is no communication among inlet 154 or outlets 156-162 to a second position in which the valve member provides communication between inlet 154 and outlet 156 and between outlet 158 and outlet .162 and to a third position in which the valve member provides communication between inlet 154 and outlet 158 and between outlet 156 and outlet 160. Any suitable controller of this type may be employed, a typical example being the Nopaxam Model No. 45-11-10 manufactured by Galland- Henning, Milwaukee, Wis.

Outlet 156 of controller 66 is .connected through a rigid conduit |168, a T fitting 170, and flexible conduits 172 and 174 to the ports y118 at the lower ends of cylinders 104 of liuid actuated motors 62 and 64. Outlet 158 is similarly connected through rigid conduit 176, T fitting 178, and exible conduits 180 and 182 to the ports 116 at the upper ends of cylinders 104. Valve inlet .154 is connected via a rigid conduit 184 to a suitable source of operating lluid (not shown) which is normally compressed air. Valve outlets 160 and 162 are connected by rigid exhaust conduits 186 and 188 to the ambient atmosphere.

The operation of the roof seaming tool 50` just described can best be understood by reference to FIGURES 1, 4, and 5 of the drawing. Turning now to these figures, after the roof sheets 26 have been installed on both sides of a given roof beam 24 and the batten 28 put in place, roof seam forming tool 50 is set on the batten as shown in.

FIGURE 4; and operator 166 is depressed to its third position, connecting valve inlet 154 to valve outlet 156 and valve outlet 158 to valve outlet 162. The first of these connections permits the operating fluid to flow from its source through rigid conduit 184, inlet |154, outlet 156, rigid conduit 176, T tting 178, and exible conduits 180 and 182 into the ports 116 in the upper ends of the cylinders 104 of the two hydraulic motors 62 and 64', and the second of the above-mentioned connections permits operating fluid in the lower end of cylinder 104 to be exhausted through ports 118, flexible conduits 172 and 174, T fitting 170, rigid conduit 168, valve outlet .156, valve outlet 160, and rigid conduit 186 to the atmosphere.

The compressed air flowing into the motor cylinders 104 drives pistons 106 downwardly, pivoting seam forming arms 56 and 58 in counterclockwise and clockwise directions, respectively, from the positions shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 5 to the positions shown in full lines. This folds the flanges 40 and 42 of batten 28 up against the flanges 36 of cover sheets 26 to form the horizontally extending projections 48 described above. Platform 54 of tool 50 acts as an anvil during this operation.

The operating member 166 of controller 66 is then moved from its third to its second position, connecting inlet 154 to outlet 158 and outlet 156 to outlet 160; This permits the compressed air to flow from its source through rigid conduit 184, inlet 154, outlet .158, rigid conduit 168, T fitting |170, flexible conduits 172 and 174, and ports 118 into the lower ends of cylinders 104. At the same time, movement of valve member 164 to its second position permits the compressed air theretofore admitted to the upper end of cylinders 104 to be exhausted through ilexible conduits and 182, T fitting 178, conduit 176, valve outlet 158, valve outlet 162 and conduit 188. This drives the motor pistons |106 upwardly in cylinders 104, pivoting seam forming arms 56 and 58 from the positions shown in full lines in FIGURE 5 back to the positions shown in dotted lines. When the arms reach these positions, valve member 164 is returned to its first position to cut olf the flow of compressed air to motors 62 and 64. Roof seam forming tool S0 is then moved along beam 24 and the operation repeated.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that roof seam forming tool 50 permits the first step in forming seams in the manner described above to be formed with great rapidity. Also, seams can be formed much more smoothly than by hand as was heretofore most generally done. Moreover, the weight of tool 50 is sufficiently low that it can be easily moved and, therefore, operated for day-long periods without tiring the operator. In addition, because of its relative simplicity, the cost of manufacturing and maintaining such tools is relatively low. A further advantage of tool 50, as discussed above, it that the width of platform 54 and the vertical relationship of seam forming arms S6 and 58 to the platform can be readily adjusted to accommodate tool 50 to roofs where the beams, battens, roof sheets, and the like are of varying dimensions. A further important advantage of roof seaming tool 50 is that the two seams 46 at each batten 24 are formed simultaneously, which even further increases the speed with which the seams may be formed and, in addition, keeps the tool balanced, making it easier to handle.

As mentioned above, the projections 48 formed by roof seam forming tool 50 are folded downwardly against the vertical sides 32 of cover sheets 26 (see FIGURE 3) to complete seams 46. The roof seam forming tool 52 illustrated in FIGURES 6 and 7 is employed to effect this step. Roof seam forming tool 52 is, in most respects, similar to roof seam forming tool 50; and like reference characters have, therefore, been employed to identify components which are common to the two tools.

One respect in which tool 52 differs from tool 50 is in the manner in which seam forming arms 56 and 58 are attached to the tools platform 54. Because of the nature of the bend made by tool 52, there is no need to make seam forming arms 56 and 58 vertically adjustable. Consequently, tool 52 is simplified by pivotally fixing the seam forming arms directly to platform members 68 and 70. In tool 52, projections 190 on the seam forming arms lit into co-operating recesses 192 in the platform members; and projections 194 on the platform members fit into cooperating recesses 196 in the seam forming arms. Pivot pins 198, extending through the projections of the seam forming arms and 194 of the platform members in directions parallel to the longitudinal centerline of the tool, pivotally fix the seam forming arms directly to the platform members.

As seam forming tool 52 is placed on the battens with the seam forming arms 56 and 58 in the position shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 7, the seam forming arms cannot be relied upon to laterally position the seam forming tool on the batten as they do in tool 50. Accordingly, tool 52 is provided with forward guides 200 and rearward guides 202 to laterally position the tool. Each of these four guides includes an elongated bar 204 lixed to one of the two platform members 68 and 70 at one end by fasteners 206 which extend through the bars into selected ones of a series of -drilled and tapped apertures 208 in platform 54. At the other end of each guide 200 and 202,

a depending guide member 210 is fixed to the bar 204. The distance between guide members 210 of guides 200 is adjusted so that it is equal to the distance between the lateral edges of projections 48 (see FIGURE 2), and the distance between depending guide members 210 of guides 202 is similarly adjusted so that it is equal to the lateral distance between the completed seams as shown in FIG- URE 3. This is readily accomplished by inserting fasteners 206 in the proper holes 208.

Outside of the foregoing, roof seam forming tool 52 is virtually identical to seam forming tool 50 with the exception of minor details such as the angle of inclination and the configuration of links 134 and the increased depth of seam forming arms 56 and 58.

The operation of seam forming tool is also similar to that of seam forming tool 50. Tool 52 is positioned on a batten 28 after the bend shown in FIGURE 2 is made as shown in FIGURE 6 with the seam forming arms 56 and 58 in the position shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 7. The operator 166 of motor control 66 is then moved from its first to its second position to admit compressed air to the upper ends of cylinders 104 and exhaust the air from their lower ends, driving pistons 106 downwardly in the cylinders. This pivots seam forming arms 56 and 58 counterclockwise and clockwise, respectively, from the positions shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 7 to the positions shown in full lines, folding horizontally extending projections 48 downwardly against the sides 32 of roof sheets 26 to complete the formation of locked seams 46. Operator 166 is then moved to its second position to return the seam forming arms to their positions shown in dotted lines; roof seam forming tool 52 is moved along the batten; and the operation is repeated. Roof seam forming tool 52 has all the advantages of tool 50 including light weight, speed of operation, ease of portability, and low manufacturing and maintenance costs.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is t 1. A portable, power-operated, sheet metal forming tool, comprising:

(a) a platform;

(b) metal forming arms pivotally fixed to said platform at both sides thereof; and

(c) motor means fixed relative to said platform and operably connected to said forming arms for pivoting said arms relative to said platform.

2. The tool of claim 1, wherein said platform comprises elongated first and second platform members and means for fastening said first member to said second member, said platform members and said fastening means being so constructed as to permit the relative disposition of said members to be selectively varied to thereby alter the width of said platform.

3. The tool of claim 2, wherein:

(a) said first and second platform members have superposed body portions;

(b) there are laterally extending rows of holes adjacent the ends of said members, the spacing between the holes in the associated rows in the two members being substantially the same and the distance between the rows of holes being substantially the same in both members, whereby selected holes in the first and second members may be aligned; and

(c) the platform comprises removable pin means adapted to be inserted through selected aligned holes in said first and second members to thereby fix said first member to said second member with a selectively variable distance between the lateral edges of the platform.

4. The tool of claim 2, wherein the means for fixing said metal forming arms to said platform includes means fixing said arms to said platform with the pivot axes of said arms at selectively variable distances from the upper surface of said platform.

5. The tool of claim 4, wherein the means pivotally fixing each of said forming arms to said platform comprises:

(a) a plurality of arm supporting brackets fixed to a side of said platform at intervals therealong, each of said brackets having a vertically elongated slot therein;

(b) hinge members fixed to the forming arm at intervals therealong;

(c) means pivotally fixing the forming arm to the brackets; and

(d) fasteners extending through the slots in each of said brackets and thereby fixing the brackets to the platform in a selectively adjustable position relative to the upper surface of the platform.

6. The tool of claim 2:

(a) together with handle means fixed to and extending from said platform for transporting the tool; and

(b) wherein said motor means is fixed to said handle means.

7. The tool of claim 6, wherein said handle means extends substantially normal to a plane including the pivot axes of the forming arms.

8. The tool of claim 6, wherein said handle means includes:

(a) a first member fixed at one end to the platform of the tool;

(b) a second member fixed to the other end of the first member; and

(c) hand grips at the ends of said second member.

9. The tool of claim 6, together with:

(a) motor support means fixed to said handle means, said support means extending laterally across said platform in spaced relationship thereto;

(b) first and second bracket means fixed to the opposed sides of said first and second forming arms; and

(c) first and second Huid-actuated motors for pivoting said forming arms relative to said tool platform, each of said motors comprising a cylinder, a piston slidable in the cylinder, a piston rod fixed to the piston and extending through one end of the cylinder, and first and second inlet ports for a motor actuating fiuid through the cylinder wall on opposite sides of the cylinder, the cylinders of said motors being pivotally fixed to the opposite ends of the motor support means and the free ends of the piston rods of said motors being pivotally connected to said bracket means.

10. The tool of claim 2, wherein said motor means comprises:

(a) first and second, independent motors for pivoting said first and second forming arms relative to said platform, said motors each being fixed relative to said platform and being operably connected to said first and second forming arms, respectively; and

(b) a single motor control means for concomitantly activating said first and second motors so as to effect simultaneous pivotal movement of said first and second forming arms at like speeds relative to said platform.

11. The tool of claim 10, wherein:

(a) each of said motor means comprises a housing and a component in said housing which is actuated by the admittance of an operating fiuid to -first and second portions of said housing to respectively pivot the associated forming arm in opposite directions; land (b) said control means includes value means connected to the first and second portions of said motor housings and adapted to be connected to a source of operating fiuid and means for actuating said valve means from a first condition in which it prevents the flow of operating fluid from the source thereof to said motors to a second condition connecting said source to the first portions of said housings and to a third condition in which it connects said source to the second housing portions.

12. The t-ool of claim 2, wherein said motor means comprises a fiuid-actuated motor for pivoting each of said forming arms relative to said platform comprising a cylinder, a piston slidable in said cylinder, a piston rod fixed to said piston and extending through one end of the cylinder, and means for selectively admitting an actuating liuid to the interior of the cyl-inder on the opposite sides of the piston, the cylinders of sai-d motors being pivotally xed to said motor support means and the free ends of the piston rods of said motors being pivotally fixed t-o the associated forming arms.

13. The tool of claim 12, wherein the means fixing the piston rods of the arm actuating motors to the forming arms each include:

(a) a bifurcated bracket fixed to the free end of the piston rod;

(b) a rigid link fixed to the arm at one end extending between the bifurcations of the bracket at the other; andi (c) a pivot pin extending through the bifurcations of said bracket and said other link end to pivotally fix said link to said bracket.

14. The tool of claim 1, together with means pivotally fixing each said forming arm to said platform which comprises:

|(a) a plurality of arm supporting brackets fixed to said platform at intervals therealong;

(b) hinge members fixed to said arm at intervals co-rresponding to the intervals between the arm supporting brackets; and

(c) pins extending through each of said brackets and the associated hinge member to pivotally fix the hinge member to the bracket.

15. A portable, power-operated metal form-ing tool, comprising:

(a) a platform;

(b) metal forming arms pivotally fixed relative to said platform at opposite sides thereof;

(c) first and second fluid motors for pivoting said forming arms relative to said tool platform, each of `said motors comprising a cylinder, a piston slidable in the cylinder, a piston rod fixed to the piston and extending through one end of the cylinder, and inlet ports for a motor actuating fluid through the cylinder wall on opposite sides -of the piston; and

(d) a single control means for effecting concomitant movement of the pistons of the two motors including valve means having an inlet and a plurality of outlets, said inlet being adapted to be connected to a source of operating fiuid and a first and a second of `said outlet ports communicating with the ambient atmosphere, conduit means communicating a third of the outlets with said first motor inlets and a fourth Vof said 4outlets with said second motor inlets, and means for moving said valve means from a first position in which there is no communication between said third or fourth valve outlets and said valve inlet -or said first and second valve outlets and lsaid pistons thereby remain stationary in said cylinders to a sec- -ond position in which said valve inlet communicates with said first outlet and said second valve outlet communicates with said fourth outlet, whereby fiuid is respectively admitted to and exhausted from said cylinders on opposite sides of said pistons to move said pistons in a first direction and from .s-aid first position to a third position in which said valve inlet communicates with said second valve outlet and said first valve outlet communicates with said third valve outlet, whereby the operating fluid is so admitted to and exhausted from said cylinders as to move said pist-ons in the opposite direction.

16. A portable, power-operated, sheet metal forming tool, comprising:

(a) a platform;

\('b) at least one metal forming arm;

(c) lmeans pivotally lfixing said arm to said platform at the side thereof, said last-mentioned means comprising cto-operating recesses formed in said arm and said platform, said recesses being so arranged that the unrecessed portions of the arm fit in the platform recesses and vice versa and at least one pivot pin extending longitudinally of the platform through said platform and the unrecessed portions of the forming arm fitted therein; and

(d) mot-or means fixed relative to said platform and operably connected to said forming arm for pivoting 'said arm relative to said platform.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,834,208 12/1931 Hall 72-306 2,487,810 l11/1949` Hunt 72-1214 RONALD D. GREFE, Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. XJR.

Images