Patent ID: 6640427
Filing Date: 2003-11-04
Classification: B01J,B21D,B29C,B29K,B29L,F28F,Y10T

Abstract:
An apparatus for crimping together interlocked portions of at least two sheets of deformable corrugated sheet material, the corrugations having crests and valleys, the crests having peaks and the valleys having troughs, the sheet material being defined by opposed side edges and having opposing surfaces, the sheet material having a plurality of projections extending outward from one surface of each sheet and located on the peak surfaces of the crests and the trough surfaces of the valleys, wherein each projection defines a depression on the opposite surface of the sheet, the projections of one sheet being disposed within mating depressions of an adjacent sheet to form projection-depression couplings, and the projection-depression couplings being deformable to form positive locks by being crimped into a form of flattened interlocking rivets, the apparatus comprising a support surface for the sheets, a first crimping surface disposed adjacent one surface of the sheets and a second crimping surface disposed adjacent the opposite surface of the sheets and alignable with the first crimping surface, the first and second crimping surfaces having an open position for insertion of at least some of the projection-depression couplings formed by aligning the sheets such that the projection of one sheet is coupled with the depression of another sheet, the first and second crimping surfaces having a crimping position that deforms the projection-depression couplings to form a positive lock, each of the first crimping surfaces being formed on a portion of a tool having at least one of rotatable gear teeth and a jaw member relatively movable with respect to the second crimping surfaces, the second crimping surfaces being formed respectively on at least one of rotatable gear teeth and an anvil member, the apparatus further comprising at least two tools for crimping at least two projection-depression couplings as the sheets travel past the tools, at least some of the tools are at least two laterally disposed gears having a plurality of teeth bearing the first crimping surfaces and disposed adjacent one surface of the sheets for crimping projection-depression couplings located on the interior of the sheets away from the side edges of the sheets and at least two laterally disposed gears having a plurality of teeth bearing the second crimping surfaces and disposed adjacent the opposite surface of the sheets aligned with the gear teeth bearing the first crimping surfaces for crimping projection-depression couplings located adjacent the side edges of the sheets, the apparatus further comprising another set of tools for crimping only the edge projection-depression couplings, wherein the another set of tools comprises one of (a) opposed pairs of gears aligned on opposite side edges of the sheets having teeth with beveled first and second crimping surfaces that are disposed to crimp projection-depression couplings adjacent each of the side edges of the sheets and (b) opposed pairs of jaw members and anvil members on which are formed first and second crimping surfaces, the opposed pairs being aligned adjacent the side edges of the sheets.