Patent ID: 9452464
Filing Date: 2016-09-27
CPC Classification: B21D,B23K,G01B

Claim Text:
1. A method for roll-forming a tubular member, comprising: providing a roll-forming machine having a pair of rollers and a forming roller adjacent the pair of rollers; cutting a strip of sheet metal having a thickness (t) to form a segment having free leading and trailing ends extending between a predetermined length; feeding the segment between the pair of rollers; advancing the segment between the pair of rollers and against the forming roller to form an annulus; forming a butt weld joint between the free ends; and performing the cutting by blanking the sheet metal with a cutting blade and forming the leading end of the segment having a predetermined radius of curvature (r), with the cutting blade having a leading cutting edge and a trailing edge, the cutting blade having a radiused surface extending between the leading cutting edge and the trailing edge, wherein the radiused surface of the cutting blade has a radius (r′) equaling (r+t).