Patent ID: 6810708
Filing Date: 2004-11-02
Classification: B21D

Abstract:
A sheet metal bending machine comprising:a housing having a table upon which a piece of sheet metal can be supported, a mouth through which said sheet metal can be extended, and a gap between an end of said table and said mouth; a clamping assembly for holding said sheet metal in place; said clamping assembly comprising a hold down bar, a table bar having a clamping surface, said table bar being movable between an open position in which said clamping surface of said table bar is spaced from said hold down bar and a closed position in which said table bar clamping surface is positioned beneath said hold down bar, and a table drive for moving said table bar between its said open and closed positions, said table drive including a link pivotally connected to an actuator and to said table bar, whereby, upon activation of said actuator, said link is pivoted thereby causing said table bar to move from its open position to its closed position; a bending assembly for forming a bend in said sheet metal: said bending assembly comprising a bending bar mounted on a rotatable member, said bending bar having a bending surface which engages said sheet metal to bend said sheet metal; and a bending bar drive for rotating said rotatable member from a start position to a finished position to form a cleat in said sheet metal; and a control system: said control system operable to activate said bending bar drive when said table bar is moved to its closed position, to activate said table drive to move said table bar from said closed position to its open position upon partial completion of said cleat; and to move said bending bar to said start position upon reaching said finished position; said actuator comprising a cable; said link being pivotally mounted at a first end to said housing and pivotally connected at a second end to said table bar; said cable being connected to said link between said link first and second ends, whereby, when said cable is pulled, said link is pivoted to move said table bar from its open position to its closed position.