US3587273A - Conveyorized edge processing apparatus for duct-making and the like - Google Patents

Abstract

FOR FORMING SHEET METAL DUCTS, CONVEYED RECTANGULAR BLANKS ARE BENT ALONG THEIR FORWARD AND REAR EDGES TO PERMIT LOCKING THESE EDGES TOGETHER. EACH BLANK IS FED, WITH PRECISION, ALONG A GUIDE ABUTMENT, LATERALLY OFF OF A FIRST CONVEYOR INTO AN ADJACENT ROLL FORMER, WHERE ITS FORWARD EDGE IS FORMED. THE BLANK IS DISCHARGED ONTO A SECOND, OPPOSITELY MOVING CONVEYOR, FROM WHICH IT IS AGAIN FED WITH PRECISION, ALONG A GUIDE ABUTMENT, LATERALLY INTO A SECOND ROLL FORMER WHICH FORMS ITS OPPOSITE EDGE. AS EACH BLANK IS PUSHED LATERALLY IT IS GUIDED, AS BY PARTIALLY CASTERING ROLLERS, ALONG THE GUIDE ABUTMENT.

Description

United States Patent George B. Smith Nashville, Team;

John C. llineh, Jr., Imperial, Mo. 806,245

Mar. 11, 1969 June 28, 1971 Engel Equipment, Inc., Baldwin, Mo.

Inventors Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee CONVEYORIZIZD EDGE PROCESSING APPARATUS FOR DUCT-MAKING AND THE LIKE smear-mm 3,475,937 11/1969 Lawler ABSTRACT: For forming sheet metal ducts, conveyed rectangular blanks are bent along their forward and rear edges to permit locking these edges together. Each blank is fed, with precision, along a guide abutment, laterally off of a first conveyor into an adjacent roll former, where its forward edge is formed. The blank is discharged onto a second, oppositely moving conveyor, from which it is again fed with precision, along a guide abutment, laterally into a second roll fonner which forms its opposite edge. As each blank is pushed laterally it is guided, as by partially castering rollers, along the guide abutment.

Background of the Invention This invention relates to conveyorized apparatus for fomting or otherwise processing two opposite edges of rectangular sheet metal blanks of varying dimensions. It has particular application to forming interlocking edges on blankswhich are to be bent into sheet metal ducts, as used for heating and air conditioning.

Such interlocking opposite edges are usually made by hand feeding the blank into suitable sets of rolls. In a construction project, several sizes may be required; and besides rolling two edges, the other two edges of the blank must be notched to define lines for bending and similar purposes. Heretofore no equipment has existed which would accept blanks of varying dimensions and feed them, automatically and with perfect precision, into the forming rolls;

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Summarizing generally, without thereby limiting the scope of this invention, the present apparatus includes two powered conveyors having planar Iin'ear paths of movement which are parallel and opposite to each other. At the end of the path of the first conveyor, a lateral abutment defines a line of feed into an adjacent first edge processing machine, such as a rollformer machine. When the blank is moved laterally into the machine, it grasps the forward edge of the blank, feeds it through as it processes its edge, and discharges it onto the second conveyor. The'lateral movement off the conveyor is initiated by a mechanical pusher, triggered by controls at the lateral abutment when it is squarely contacted by the forward edge of the blank. Such lateral pushing tends to throw the blank out of alignment with the abutment. T o overcome this tendency, a force is exerted against a surface of the conveyed blank during its lateral movement, which includes a force component directed'toward the lateral abutment. A preferred means of exerting such component utilizes rollers which bear down from-above and' are swivel-mounted for limited castering. When a blank arrives beneath the rollers and is pushed laterally, the-rollers caster through an angle less than that by which the movement of the blank has been changed. In such position, the rollers guide the blanks during lateralmovement, to maintain them squarely with the line of feedof the adjacent roll former machine.

Blank lifters, controlled to coincide with lateralmovernent of each blank, lift the blank from the conveyor path to make lateral transfer easy. However, castering rollers locally deflect each blank downward against the conveyor surface, arid its continued movement toward the abutment exerts another force componentwhichhas some tendency to hold the blank in alignmentwith the abutment.

When such blank emerges from the first edge processing machine'onto the second conveyor the lifters'lower', depositing the blank onto the conveyor surface. When'its unfoimed end reaches the end'ofthe'second'conveyor, it' contacts a similar lateral abutment, and similar mechanism causes it to be fed laterally into asecond edge processing machine, which forms that edge and discharges the blank.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a plan-view of conveyorized edge processing ap paratus embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2' is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken FIG. 5 is a further enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4, illustrating the positions of parts immediately before such lateral transfer is begun.

FIG. 6 is a similar sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 4, showing the positions of parts during such lateral transfer.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred embodiment of the present conveyorized edge processing apparatus is shown generally in the FIG. I plan view and in the FIGS. 2 and 3 elevational cross sections. A heavy metal frame structure generally designated ltl having legs 11 supports a first powered conveyor means generally designated 12, shown in FIG. 2' and in the upper portion of FIG. I, and a second poweredconveyor means generally designated 13, shown in FIG. 3 and in the center portion of FIG. 1. The first powered conveyor means 12 provides a first linear path of movement, shown by the upper horizontal arrows in FIG. I, which extends from its beginning end generally designated 15 to its terminal end generally designated 16. The second powered conveyor means 13 has a similar second planar linear path of movement shown by the horizontal arrows near the center portion of FIG. 1, which is parallel to and opposite to' the first path, and extends from a beginning end generally designated 17 to a terminal end generally designated 18. The second linear path is positioned laterally beyond the first as will appear from the description which follows, of the flow of a sheet metal blank during processing.

Conventional elements by which a first and second conveyor means 12, I3 are powered include a plurality of broad flat-edged conveyor wheels 20 mounted in alignment on conveyor shafts 21 over which pass flat parallel conveyor belts 22. The shafts 21 are supported in bushing mounts 23 afi'ixed to upper lateral horizontal frame members 24. Power is supplied to rotate one of the shafts 21 and thus drive the conveyor wheels 20 and belts 22 in a conventional manner. By the frame 10 and its lateral members 24 which support the shafts 21, the linear paths of movement of the first and second conveyor means l2, 13 are supported in substantially the same plane.

Adjacent to the terminal'end 16 of the first powered conveyor means 12, and spaced from said end a distance substantially less than the length of the blanks for which the apparatus is intended to be used, is'a first lateral abutment 25 which may be a steel angle welded horizontally onto the frame 24, and having a vertical surface portion which slightly projects above and below the plane of the linear path of the first conveyor means 12. Such surface portion of the abutment 25 is interrupted by vertical surfaceportions of the contact plates 26 of two spaced-apart microswitches 27, designated hereafter as lateral transfer microswitches. Normally these surfaces of the contact plates 26 project slightly from the vertical surface of the abutment 25, toward the'terminal end 16 of the conveyor l2; but whena traveling metal blank contacts them it drives them flush with the surface of the abutment 25, thereby operating the lateral transfer microswitches 27. Similarly, spacedly adjacent to the terminal end 18 of the second conveyor means'l3is a secondlateralabutment 28 interrupted by the spaced-apart vertical contact-plates 29 of a second set of lateral transfer microswitches 30.

Extending upwardly between and adjacent to the several conveyor belts 22' of each of the conveyor means l2, 13 are the lengthwise striplike upper portions 31 of blank lifter means generally designated 32, best illustrated in FIG. 2. Although-inthe embodiment shown, the lifter means 32 extends nearly the entire length between the conveyor wheels 20 of the first conveyor means 12, the beginning portion may be unnecessary if the conveyor path is long compared to the length of the blanks to be conveyed.

The lengthwise upper portions 31 of the lifter means 32 each'includes uppermost means, such'as rotatable ball domes 33, to-contact the undersurface of a'sheet metal blank and facilitate its lateral movement. The ball domes 33may be of the simple conventional type used, inverted, in lieu of casters. Presented at the side of each ball dome 33 from which a sheet metal blank is to move, is an upward tapering guide angle 34. The ball domes 33 and guide angles 34 are supported on lengthwise inverted channels 35 which serve as part of a lifter framework generally designated 36. Normally the uppermost edges of the ball domes are supported slightly below the planar linear path established by the belts 22. Mechanism is provided by which they are raised slightly above such plane. Illustrated portions of such mechanism include bell cranks 37 keyed onto short lengthwise stub shafts 38 in pillow blocks 39 supported by the frame 10. Those bell cranks 37 which are intended to operate simultaneously are linked together by connecting links 40. Angular movement of the bell cranks 37, on supplying fluid under pressure to actuator cylinders 43, lifts the lifter frameworks 36 as shown in FIG. 2. Each cylinder 43 is pivot-mounted onto the frame when it lengthens, it pivots to turn a driving link 44 which rotates the bell crank 37. Similar lifter mechanism, independently timed and powered, is provided for the second conveyor means 13, shown in FIG. 3.

Between the terminal end 16 of the first conveyor means 12 and the beginning end 17 of the second conveyor means 13 is an additional blank lifter means generally designated 45. It includes lateral movement-facilitating means, such as the ball domes 31 aligned on short laterally-extending channels 46 supported by the appropriate frame means, and raised and lowered by lifter-mechanism generally similar to that which operates the previously described blank lifter means 32. Its raised position is shown in FIG. 3.

The edge processing operation to be carried on in the present embodiment is the roll-forming of the forward edge of the blank and the edge opposite to it, for making a sheet metal duct. Roll former machines for this purpose are familiar. A first such roll former machine generally designated 47 is supported by the frame means 10 laterally adjacent to the terminal end of the first linear path. It has a line of feed 48, shown in FIG. 1, aligned with the first lateral abutment 25. Opposed powered progressive rolls 49 of the roll forming machine 47 are contoured to form the forward edge of a blank when it is moved laterally. The rolls 49 also grasp such blank, feed it through the edge former machine 47 and discharge it laterally beyond said machine. A second edge processing machine generally designated SI, supported by the frame 10 in a position beyond and laterally adjacent to the terminal end 18 of the second path of the second conveyor means 13, has a line of feed52 aligned with the second lateral abutment 28. Its powered forming rolls 53 are of the configuration necessary to form the edge of a blank opposite the edge formed in the first machine 47, to interlock therewith; and like the rolls of the first machine 47, they serve to grasp such a blank, feed it through the machine 51 and discharge it therebeyond. Blanks which emerge from the second edge processing machine 51 are discharged onto a discharge table generally designated 54 having edge rollers 55 to facilitate their removal from the table 54.

First and second means, generally designated 61, 62, are provided to move a sheet metal blank laterally off and away from the linear paths of the first and second conveyor means l2, 13. Referring to FIG. 4, when the forward edge of a metal blank comes into squarely abutting alignment with the first lateral abutment 25, so as to press both of its vertical contact plates 26 simultaneously into alignment, the first means to move laterally is actuated by a conventional electrical series circuit, not shown. Similarly, the second means to move laterally, shown at the left center of FIG. 1, is actuated when the opposite edge of such blank similarly comes into squarely abutting alignment with the second lateral abutment 28 and simultaneously presses both of the vertical contact plates 29 into alignment. Each of the means to move laterally 61, 62 includes, in the embodiment illustrated, the laterally aligned fluid-powered linear actuator cylinder 63 which reciprocates a shaft 64. Actuators 63 are positioned in the spaces between the terminal ends 16, 18 of the first and second conveyor means l2, l3 and their respective lateral abutments 25, 28. The height at which the actuators 63 are positioned is shown in phantom lines in FIGS. 2 and 5. Each of the shafts 64 terminates in a pusher lug or tab 65 which extends upwardly above the plane of conveyance of each of the conveyor means l2, 13, to engage the side edge of a sheet metal blank b as shown in FIG. 5, at the side which is remote from the direction of lateral movement, and to push the blank b laterally across the line of the linear path of the conveyor means l2, 13.

Considering FIG. 4, when a metal blank resting on the path of the conveyor means 12 near its terminal end 16 is engaged by the pusher lug 65 and pushed laterally, lateral movement will tend to disturb the alignment of the forward edge of such a blank, tending to rotate out of alignment with the abutment 25. Unless such blank can be kept in precise alignment, to proceed along the line of feed 48 into the grasp of the first edge forming machine 47, many of such blanks will reach the edge former machine slightly turned, and will be ruined when they are engaged by the forming rolls 49.

In the present invention means are provided, at the terminal end 16, 18 of each of the linear paths of the conveyor means l2, 13, to exert a force against a surface of the conveyed blank while the blank is being moved laterally by the pusher tabs 65. Such exerted force includes a component directed toward the associated lateral abutment 25, 28, to maintain the edge of such blank abuttingly aligned, in precise alignment with the lines of feed 48, 52 while being moved laterally into the grasp of the edge former machine 47, 51. In the present embodiment, a combination of elements are provided to serve this function. 1

Referring to the enlarged views, FIGS. 2, 4, 5 and 6: near the terminal end 16, I8 of each conveyor means 12, 13, mounted on a standard 66 at the edge of the frame 10 and extending to a height well above the plane of conveyance, is a horizontal, laterally-extending, cantilevered bridge bar 67. On it is mounted, at spacings corresponding to the spacings of the belts 22, springy casterbrackets 68 which extend over the shafts 21 at the conveyor terminal ends l6, 18. A caster bracket 68 supportingly positions, over each conveyor wheel 20 at these terminal ends, a downwardly presented castering roller 70, for pivoting about a substantially vertical axis so that each roller 70 will rotate in a substantially vertical plane. As a blank b moves linearly beneath the bridge bars 67 to reach the abutment 25, 28, as shown in'FIG. 5, the planes of rotation of the castering rollers 70 will be linearly in alignment with the linear conveyor means I2, I3, However, when the actuator cylinder 63 moves its pusher lug 65 laterally, lateral movement of the blank will cause the castering rollers 70 to caster, through an angle restricted to less than The angle of castering is limited by stop brackets 71 mounted rigidly on the brackets 68, to extend downward alongside the rollers 70. The effect of limiting the angle of castering is, that while such blank b is moving laterally, the vertical plane of rotation of these castering rollers 70 in contact with its upper surface will be angled partly toward the lateral abutment 25, 28. So angled, these castering rollers 70 guide the blank b during its lateral movement to maintain its forward edge in precise alignment with the line of feed 48, 52 into the edge former machine 47, 51.

Against the lower surface of the blank b, another component of force is also directed toward the abutment 25, 28. The rollers 70 serve not only as guides, but also as frictionminimizing means which bear downward from above the planes of the conveyor means l2, 13 against such a blank b. Thus, as shown in FIG. 6, when the lifter means 32 is in raised position, the ball domes 33 adjacent to the rollers 70 establish the general level of the blank b; but the rollers 70 deflect the blank b locally downward between them; and by such deflection maintain parts of the undersurface of the laterally moving blank b in contact with the upper surface of the belt 22. This contact is firm, because each belt 22 is fin'nly supported at the terminal ends 16, I8 by a conveyor wheel 20. Thus, the linear moving belts 221 in contact with the undersurface of the blank b exert a linear force on the blank, perpendicular to the abutment 25, 28, as the blank b moves laterally across the conveyor path.

Electrical control meansv employing conventional circuitry operates the fluid-powered mechanism heretofore described, namely, the twoalong-stroke actuators 63 at the terminal ends 16, 18' of the paths of the conveyor means l2, 13, the shortstroke actuator cylinders 43 which operate two lifter means 32 near these terminal ends l6, l8, and the corresponding actuator cylinder 43 which operates the intermediate lifter frame 45. Such electrical circuitry includes the transfer microswitches 27,30. at the first and second lateral abutment means 25,- 28, and-three other blank- sensingswitches 74, 75, 76, shown in. FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. These may be-of the type which either feels the-blank from its undersurface or senses its proximity. Operating circuitry is conventional. Their function is to raise and lower the several lifter means, in. cooperation with the transfer microswitches 27, 30. The functioning of the sensing switches 74, 75, 76 will be included inthe description of how the circuitry functions.

If a blank b traveling along the first conveyor means 12, reaches the abutment 25 with its forward edge-out of alignment, the abutmentz25 will stopthe blankb-asthe belts 22 continue to drive itsundersurface until itsforwardedge comes into such squarely abutting alignment. At this time, both of the spaced-apart switches 27 will be actuated, tomake a circuit which will supply fluid pressure,-from an accumulator or other source not shown, to both the short stroke lift cylinder 43 as shown in FIG. 2, which acts quickly, andto the long, stroke pusher cylinder 63 which is adjustedto act'slowly. The-circuit will cause a continued supply of fluid pressure to both until the lateral stroke 'of the shaft 64- is. completed. At this time the fluid pressure to. thecylinder 63 is reversed, returning its pusher tab 65 to the edge of the first conveyor means 12, into the position shown in FIG. 1; however, pressure is continuedto the lifter cylinder 43. Meantime,.the blank b, shown traveling laterally in FIG. 2, reaches thefirst blank sensing switch 74, at the entrance tothe first. roll former machine 47. Proximity of the blankb actuates this sensing switch 74-, which operates a short stroke power cylinder, like the cylinder 43, to raise theintermediate blank lifter means 45. This facilitates further lateral transfer of the blank b asit is fed along theline of feed 48 through, the rollsv 49 of the first roll former machine 47. Pressure to the cylinder 43 of the first lifter means'32 may be terminated either by a time cycle circuit or by means responsive to theextent of lateral travel of the blank b, to lower these lifter means32.

Adjacent to the outlet of the first roll former-machine 47 is a second-blank sensing switch 75, shownin H08. 1 and 3. It senses the blank b as the blank begins to travel-over it, to power the lifter cylinder associated with the end of the lifter means at the: beginning end 17 of the second conveyor means 13. If time-delay circuits are not employed to hold the other lifters, it may also be. so connected as to continue to hold upthe intermediate lifter means and to lower thelifter means 32 at the terminal: end 16 of the first conveyor means 12. When the blank has passed completely over the second sensing switch 75, the intermediate lifter means 45 is loweredand also the: lifter means 32 at. the beginning end 17 of the second conveyor'means l3.v By lowering them from the position shown -in FIG. 3, the blank b will 'rest onthe conveyor belts, and thus will travel along the path of the second conveyor means 13 to its tenninalend l8.

When that edge of the blank opposite to the edge which has been formed in the first edge processing machine 47 passes under the second bridge bar 67 and. the second set of castering rollers 70, and reaches the second conveyor terminal end 18 and is squarely against the second abutmentZS, a similar electrical circuit is made to supply fluid power, both to the cylinder which raises the lifter means near that terminal end,

and to the lateral pusher'cylinder 63 there. its pusher lug 65 engages the side edge of the blank, in the same manner as has been described for lateral pushing off the first conveyor means l2, and pushes the blank b laterally. When it moves laterally, the rollers 70 caster and turn through the angle, less than as limited by their stop brackets 71, thus exerting a guiding force on the upper surface of the laterally moving blank b, which feeds it, precisely aligned with the second abutment 28 and line of feed 52, into the second edge forming machine 51.

Circuitry such as has been described holds such lifter means elevated as the blank passes over a third sensing switch 76 at the entrance to the second edge forming machine 51, until the blank b is grasped by its rolls 53 and is fed into and through the machine; and the pusher cylinder 63 and the lifter means retum to their aligned positions. At its exit, the formed blank is deposited at the edge of the discharge table 54, for easy removal over the edge rollers 55. I

Modifications may be made in the apparatus by which the present functions are achieved. For example, the guiding force of the castering; rollers 70 may be exerted by using torsion springs to resist castering, instead of the stop brackets 71 which provide fixed' angular limits but offer no resistance within such limits.

We claim:-

1. Conveyorized edge processing apparatus for processing opposite edges of generally rectangular sheet metal blanks, comprising;

first powered conveyor means having a first planar linear path of movement extending from a beginning end to a terminal end,

a first lateral abutment adjacent to the tenninal end of said first linearpath,

a first edge processing machine laterally adjacent to the terminalend of said first linear path and having a line of feed aligned with said first lateral abutment, and including means to grasp such blank, feed it through and discharge it laterally beyond said machine.

first means tomove such blank laterally off and away from said first linear path when anedge of such blank comes into squarely abutting alignment with said first lateral abutment,

whereby to feed such blank along said line of feed into the grasp of the first edge processing machine and thereby process such edge. of the blank, together with second powered conveyor means having a second planar linear path of movement parallel and opposite to the first path, extending from a beginning end, positioned laterally beyond and adjacent to said first edge processing machine, to a terminal end,

whereby to receive and convey such blank on its discharge from said first edge processingmachine,

said second powered conveyor means having a second lateral abutment adjacent to the terminal end of said second linear path,

a second edge processing machine laterally adjacent to the terminal'end of said second linear path and having a line of feed aligned with said second lateral abutment, and including means to grasp such a blank, feed it through and discharge it beyond said second machine, together with second meansto move such a blank laterally off and away from said second linear path when the edge of such blank opposite to that processed in the first machine'comes into squarely abutting'alignment with said second lateral abutment,

whereby to feed such blank. along said line of feed of the second machine into the grasp of said second machine and thereby process such opposite edge of the blank.

2. Apparatusas defined in claim 1, wherein:

the saidlateral abutments are spaced from the terminal ends of said paths, and

the said first and second means to move such blank laterally eachinclude V means, operable within the space so provided to engage that side edge. of such blank which is remote from the direction of lateral movement, and to push such blank laterally across the line of said linear path.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim I, together with: means near the terminal end of each linearpath, to exert a force against asurface of such conveyed blank while such blank is being so moved laterally, which exerted force includes a component directed toward the lateral abutment spaced from said terminal end, whereby to maintain the abuttingly aligned edge of such blank in precise alignment while being so moved laterally. 4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein: I the means near the terminal end of each linear path, to exert a force against a surface of such blank comprises roller meanspo'sitioned above the plane of each said linear path, g

each of said roller means having a substantially vertical plane of rotation which, while such blank is so moving laterally, is angled partially toward the adjacent lateral abutment.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein:

the means near the terminal end of each linear path, to exert a force against a surface of such blank comprises castering roller means supported above each planar path for pivoting abouta substantially vertical axis, and

stop means limiting the angle by which the roller means may pivot, when such blank is moving laterally, to less than 90" from the linear path. a

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 3, together with:

blank lifter means closely adjacent to the terminal ends of each of said paths, each said blank lifter means having uppermost means to contact the under surface of such a 30 blank and to facilitate its lateral movement, and having a normally recessed position below the plane of the adjacent linear path and a raised position slightly above said plane. 7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein: 1 each conveyor means includes a powered conveyor element having a moving, firmly supported upper surface at the terminal end of its linear path, and

the means near the terminal end of'each linear path, to exert force against a surface of such. conveyed blank includes friction minimizing means, bearing" downward from above said powered conveyor element, against such blank when the adjacent lifter means is -in raised position, to deflect such blank locally downward and maintain a part of the blankunder surface in contact with the moving upper surface of said powered conveyorele ment.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 6', together with: I

control means, operable when'an edge of such blank comes into squarely abutting alignment with the lateral abutment spaced from the terminal end of either of said linear paths, to raise the adjacent lifter means and to hold same raised until such blank has traveled laterally across and beyond said linear path and into the grasp of the edge processing machine adjacent to said terminal end.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein:

the said linear paths of movement are in substantially the same plane, together with I I additional blank lifter means adjacent to the first edge processing machine and between the terminal end of the first conveyor means andlthe beginning end of the second conveyor means,

said additional blank lifter means having uppermost means to contact the under surface of such ,a blank and to facilitate its lateral movement, and having a normally recessed position below the plane of said second linear path anda raised position slightly above its said plane, together with control means'to raise said additional lifter means to its raised position as such blank moves laterally to leave the terminal end of said first conveyor means, and to lower said additional lifter means tov its recessed position after such blank has passed laterally onto the beginning end of said second conveyor means.

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