Abstract:
The invention concerns a rolling and flanging tool to bend back and/or widen fender-wheelwell edges of motor vehicles. To carry out the bending back and/or widening of fender-wheelwell edges in simpler and more uniform manner and without risk of damage to the enamel and sheetmetal, a flanging roll 46 to be pressed against the fenders is provided, which is connected to an affixing flange 4 to be affixed to the motor-vehicle axle, said roll being pivotable about said axle.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention concerns a rolling and flanging tool. 
     To install wide tires and the corresponding wheel rims, the fender-wheelwell edges must be bent back and/or widened. The tool used heretofore (FACHKENTNISSE KAROSSERIE- UND FAHRZEUGBAU, Handwerk und Technik publishers, Hamburg, 1985, pp 35-6) using a flanging hammer or flanging tongs entailed tearing and damaging the enamel even when heating the fender and repainting was therefore required. The sheetmetal itself is dented in the process and loses rigidity. Furthermore the fender-work is fairly time-consuming and requires skilled labor. 
     The object of the present invention is to create a rolling and flanging tool of the initial cited kind allowing to bend back and/or widen fender-wheelwell edges in simpler and more uniform manner without the risk of damaging the enamel and sheetmetal of the fender-wheelwell edge. 
     This problem is solved by the design of the present invention. 
     The rolling and flanging tool of the invention allows simpler and more uniform rolling and/or flanging of fender-wheelwell edges. The tool is applicable to all kinds of motor vehicles. The pressure applied by the flanging roller used is adjustable and the roller merely needs being pivoted to bend back and/or widen fender wheelwell-edges which in known manner are previously heated. It was discovered in surprising manner that cracks in and damage to the enamel no longer arise when using the tool of the invention and consequently the repainting previously required is eliminated. The tool of the invention is handled in the simplest possible manner and also can be used by semi-skilled labor. The danger of denting the sheetmetal and of loss of rigidity is eliminated. 
     Advantageous and appropriate further developments of the solutions of the invention are stated in the detailed description of the preferred embodiment. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention is elucidated below in relation to the attached drawing. 
     FIG. 1 is a sideview of a first embodiment mode of a rolling and flanging tool, 
     FIG. 2 is a topview of the tool of FIG. 1, 
     FIG. 3 is a sideview of a second embodiment mode of a rolling and flanging tool, 
     FIG. 4 is a topview of the tool of FIG. 3, and 
     FIG. 5 is an elevation A of the tool of FIG. 3. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In the Figures of the drawing, the same components are denoted by the same references. 
     The drawing shows a tool 2 to roll and flange the wheelwell-edges of motor-vehicle fenders. 
     The tool 2 comprises an annular affixing flange 4 with a UNIVERSAL array 6 of elongated slots for fastening to the axle of a motor vehicle after its wheel has been removed. Two rectangular, parallel planar legs 8, 8&#39; welded to the affixing flange 4 project from it and receive between them a pivotable, telescoping system of rectangular tubes 10. 
     The telescoping rectangular-tube system 10 comprises an outer rectangular-tube 12 receiving a displaceable inner rectangular tube 13. 
     In its end facing the affixing flange 4, the outer tube 12 receives a rotatably supported shaft 26 which is centrally traversed by a radial threaded borehole 28 receiving a threaded segment 31 of a threaded spindle 30 of a pulling device 32 with grip 34. 
     One end zone 36 of the threaded spindle 30 is mounted in freely rotatable manner in a shaft 38 rotatably mounted between the two legs 8, 8&#39; of the affixing flange 4. The outer tube 12 of the telescoping rectangular-tube system 10 comprises at its underside an arcuate clearance 29 into which can be pivoted the shaft 38 of the legs 8, 8&#39;. At its top side, the outer tube comprises a clearance 33 at its side near the flange (FIG. 5) into which can be pivoted the threaded spindle 30. 
     The angle α between the telescoping rectangular-tube system 10 and the legs 8, 8&#39;, ie the affixing flange 4, can be adjusted by rotating the threaded spindle 30. 
     At its end projecting out of the outer tube 12, the inner tube 13 of the telescoping rectangular-tube system 10 comprises two planar supports in the form of clamping jaws 40, 40&#39; supporting between them the stem 42 of a forked bearing 44 for a plastic flanging roll 46 of which the shaft 48 rests in rotatable manner in the U-legs 50, 50&#39; of the bearing 44. Using a tightening lever 52, the angle β between the flanging roll 46 and the telescoping rectangular-tube system 10 can be matched to the angle of the fender-wheelwell edge. 
     In the embodiment mode of FIGS. 1 and 2, the outer tube comprises a borehole 14, 14&#39; located approximately centrally in each of the shorter sides of the rectangle and receiving a shaft 16. The free ends of the legs 8, 8&#39; each comprise a borehole 18, 18&#39; aligned with the boreholes 14, 14&#39; and passing screws 20, 20&#39; entering axially threaded boreholes 22, 22&#39; of the shaft 16. 
     At its end located in the outer tube 12, the inner tube 13 comprises two laterally open slots 24 traversed by the shaft 16. The inner tube 13 is affixable by a tightening screw 17 fitted with a grip 25 into the outer tube 12. 
     In the embodiment mode of FIGS. 3 through 5, the outer rectangular tube 12 comprises a borehole 54 in the two small rectangle sides and a bearing 56 welded onto its underside, said bearing 56 comprising a borehole 58 which is parallel to the borehole 54. The assembly of the rectangular outer tube 12 takes place depending on the required range of adjustment in the borehole 54 or in the borehole 58 by means of a bolt 60 secured by a W-clip 62 (FIG. 4). The assembly into the borehole 54 corresponds to the design of FIGS. 1 and 2. 
     The inner tube 13 comprises a lateral elongated slot 64 through which the threaded shank 66 of a tightening screw 68 fitted with a grip 70 and mounted on an inside-threaded part 72 welded onto the outer tube 12 can be turned to come to rest against the opposite rectangular side of the inner tube 13 in order to clamp the inner tube into the outer tube. 
     The tool is operated as follows: Once the affixing flange 4 has been mounted to the axle, the inner tube 13 is moved in or out to such an extent that the flanging roller 46 is moved into the vicinity of the fender-wheelwell edge. Thereupon the slope of the flanging roller (angle β) is matched to the angle of the fender-wheelwell edge. By rotating the threaded spindle 30 and tightening the telescoping rectangular-tube system 10, the angle α between the telescoping rectangular-tube system 10 and the legs 8, 8&#39; is reduced to generate compression by the flanging roll on the fender-wheelwell edge. By pivoting the tool together with the motor-vehicle axle, the previously heated fender-wheelwell edge then is bent back and/or widened, said heating for instance being by a hot-air gun. 
     The embodiment mode of FIGS. 3-5 offers the following advantages relative to that of FIGS. 1 and 2: The range of adjustment of the tool is enlarged by the two boreholes 54, 58 and the elongated slot 64. When the set-up of the borehole 58 is used, the limitations set by the bolt 60 on the adjusting range of the telescoping tube system is eliminated. The tool is sturdier because the closed rectangular or box cross-sections are being used and the slots 24 of the embodiment mode of FIGS. 1 and 2 can be eliminated.