Patent ID: 6651304
Filing Date: 2003-11-25
Classification: B21C,B21D,E06B,Y10T

Abstract:
A method of making a contoured muntin bar comprising:a) providing a supply of sheet material having a finished surface on at least one side in the form of a coiled ribbon; b) uncoiling the ribbon; c) feeding the ribbon to a punch station comprising a ribbon punching mechanism; d) punching the ribbon at a precisely predetermined locations along the ribbon to form one of a plurality notch patterns that define a portion of a contoured muntin bar; e) moving the ribbon downstream from the punch station through a forming station comprising a succession of forming rolls having a succession of forming roll nips to bend the ribbon and form a generally closed cross-sectional tube having a contoured shape with raised outwardly facing surfaces; f) delivering said closed cross-section tube from the forming station to a cutting station comprising a muntin bar severing apparatus; and g) severing an endmost muntin bar at a precisely predetermined location by cutting the tube along a cut line defined by one of said notch patterns.