Patent ID: 6772616
Filing Date: 2004-08-10
Classification: B21D

Abstract:
A forming machine adapted to receive an elongated sheet of formable material and operative to form a desired profile thereon, comprising:(a) a rigid framework including side frames rigidly interconnected to one another by transverse members to form a rigid cage having an interior and a width between said side frames, said cage extending about a forming region through which the elongated sheet may be advanced in a longitudinal direction from an upstream entrance to a downstream exit; (b) a sheet drive supported by said framework and operative to advance the elongated sheet therethrough, said sheet drive including a plurality of pairs of co-acting rollers, each of said pairs being longitudinally spaced from an adjacent one of said pairs in a downstream direction from the entrance to the exit; (c) a drive assembly interconnected to at least one roller in each of said pairs or co-acting rollers and operative to rotatably drive said one roller whereby each of said pairs of co-acting rollers is operative to engage a portion of the elongated sheet and advance the elongated sheet in a downstream direction through said framework to discharge the elongated sheet at the exit; (d) a plurality of pairs of carriage rails supported by said framework with said pairs each located in a plane that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction, each of said carriage rails extending transversely of said framework and having opposite ends secured to said framework at a location proximately to a respective side frame so as to extend a majority of the width of said framework; (e) first and second carriage mounts slideably disposed on each of said carriage rails; (f) a longitudinally extending first tooling rail secured in a mounted state to the first carriage mounts on each said pair of carriage rails and a longitudinally extending second tooling rail secured in a mounted state to the second carriage mounts on each said pair of carriage rails whereby said tooling rails may be moved laterally within said cage; and (g) a plurality of forming elements supported by each said tooling rail to define at least two forming stations located in a longitudinally spaced relation to one another along said tooling rail, said forming stations positioned to receive an edge portion of the elongated sheet when in the mounted state whereby said forming stations are operative to bend the elongated sheet into the desired profile as the elongated sheet is advanced through the forming region by said drive assembly.