Abstract:
The gutter guard forming machine accepts relatively narrow, elongate sheets of imperforate materials and foraminous screen materials from a series of supply rollers and passes those sheets of material through a series of forming rollers and dies to crimp the sheets mechanically together along their common elongate edges to form the desired cross-sectional shape for the finished gutter guard. The raw sheet materials are fed into the machine in two overlying and two underlying streams, which are joined together and shaped by the forming rollers and dies. The process is continuous, with an automated cutoff saw cutting the completed gutter guard to practical lengths after formation. The mechanism is primarily electrically-powered, with a pneumatic-hydraulic cylinder being used for one of the operations. Various components are adjustable to allow the configuration of the completed gutter guard to be adjusted as desired.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to conveyor systems for processing or forming a product. More specifically, the present invention relates to a gutter guard forming machine that receives relatively narrow sheet and screen material from a series of supply rolls, forms and crimps the sheets and screens together to form a finished gutter guard, and cuts the finished material to length as desired. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Rain gutters are found on nearly all building structures, for removing runoff from the immediate vicinity of the foundation and to channel the runoff to a disposal site rather than running directly off the eaves and onto people and objects below. As the rain gutters are essentially troughs, they are subject to collecting leaves and other debris, particularly in the case of residential neighborhoods with trees in the area. The rain gutters of buildings and residences in such treed areas will collect leaves and other debris, which wash along the lengths of the gutters and clog the downspouts of the gutter system. This requires the gutters and downspouts to be cleaned out periodically, with the cleaning process being a somewhat tedious and potentially hazardous procedure. 
         [0005]    As a result, numerous gutter guards have been developed for installation over the gutters. The general concept behind such guards is that they allow water to run through the guard and into the gutter, while preventing leaves and other debris from entering the gutter. Many different configurations of gutter guards have been developed, with some functioning better than others. The present inventor has found a particularly effective gutter guard configuration, but hand-forming such a gutter guard assembly from several different sheets of screen and other sheet material is very inefficient and would make the cost of the finished product prohibitive due to the labor involved. 
         [0006]    The present inventor is aware of various machines that have been developed in the past for automating the forming of various shapes and assemblies from sheet materials. An example of such is found in German Patent No. 3,208,851, published on Dec. 9, 1982, which describes (according to the drawings and English abstract) a press having three rollers, for forming curved shapes in a single metal sheet or panel. The single top roller is vertically and laterally adjustable by a series of hydraulic struts. 
         [0007]    Another example is found in Japanese Patent No. 4-179,530, published on Jun. 26, 1992, which describes (according to the drawings and English abstract) a method of forming a thermoplastic eaves gutter. Resins having different melting or setting temperatures are used for different sheets of material, with the sheets being laminated and treated at a temperature between the melt or set points of the two resins in order to provide the desired workability of the completed lamination. 
         [0008]    None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus, a gutter guard forming machine solving the aforementioned problems is desired. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The gutter guard forming machine accepts relatively narrow, elongate sheets of imperforate materials and foraminous screen materials from a series of supply rollers, and passes those sheets of material through a series of forming rollers and dies to crimp the sheets mechanically together along their common elongate edges to form the desired cross-sectional shape for the finished gutter guard. The raw sheet materials are fed into the machine in two overlying and two underlying streams, which are joined together and shaped by the forming rollers and dies. The process is continuous, with an automated cutoff saw cutting the completed gutter guard to practicable lengths after formation. The mechanism is primarily electrically-powered, with a pneumatic-hydraulic cylinder being used for one of the operations. Various components are adjustable to allow the configuration of the completed gutter guard to be adjusted as desired. 
         [0010]    These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a gutter guard forming machine according to the present invention, illustrating its general configuration. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2A  is a front elevation view of the material dispensing reels of a gutter guard forming machine according to the present invention, with portions of the infeed end of the frame removed to show the guides for the materials. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2B  is a front elevation view of the conveyor system of a gutter guard forming machine according to the present invention from the infeed end through the intermediate portion of the machine, with portions of the frame removed for clarity. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2C  is a front elevation view of a gutter guard forming machine according to the present invention with portions of the frame removed, showing the output end of the machine extending from the intermediate portion of the machine. 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a rear elevation view of the conveyor system of  FIG. 2B  with portions of the frame removed, showing the motor and roller chain drive system for the conveyors. 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view from the infeed end of the conveyors of a gutter guard forming machine according to the present invention, showing the internal area between the upper and lower conveyors and the general configuration of the material forming rollers. 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a schematic drawing of a series of rollers of the upper conveyor of a gutter guard forming machine according to the present invention, showing their progressive shapes for forming material rolled therethrough. 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is a schematic drawing of the forming rollers of the lower conveyor of a gutter guard forming machine according to the present invention, showing their progressive shapes for forming material rolled therethrough. 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is a schematic drawing of a series of rollers of the intermediate conveyor of a gutter guard forming machine according to the present invention, showing their progressive shapes for forming material rolled therethrough. 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a combination stationary and rotary guide of a gutter guard forming machine according to the present invention, situated within the upper conveyor. 
           [0021]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the underside of the intermediate conveyor of a gutter guard forming machine according to the present invention, particularly showing the toothed crimping rollers for securing the conveyed materials together. 
           [0022]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the cutoff saw mechanism of a gutter guard forming machine according to the present invention, for translating the saw longitudinally in coordination with material movement to the output end of the conveyor. 
           [0023]      FIG. 11  is an end elevation view of the cutoff saw of a gutter guard forming machine according to the present invention, showing the mechanism for raising and lowering the saw during material cutting operations. 
           [0024]      FIG. 12  is an inverted perspective view of the end of a length of finished gutter guard produced by a gutter guard forming machine according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
       [0025]    Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0026]    The present invention is a gutter guard forming machine that accepts multiple strips of imperforate material and foraminous screen and forms and crimps the materials together to form a finished product. The machine includes upper and lower conveyors extending from the infeed end and merging into a single intermediate conveyor, which, in turn, passes the finished gutter guard to a traveling cutoff saw that cuts the guard to practical lengths. The result is the automated production of a gutter guard configuration that has been shown to be quite efficient at preventing leaves, evergreen needles, and other debris from collecting in rain gutters when installed thereon. 
         [0027]      FIG. 1  of the drawings is a perspective view showing the overall structure of the entire forming machine  10 , including one of the series of rolls providing raw material for forming the completed gutter guard. The machine  10  generally includes a conveyor frame  12  formed of square or rectangular steel tube welded together, or formed from other suitable material. The conveyor frame includes an infeed end  14 , an intermediate portion  16 , and a delivery end  18  supporting the various forming conveyors that form the finished product. Upper and lower conveyor lines  20  and  22 , respectively, extend from the infeed end  14  to the intermediate portion  16  of the frame  12 . These two initial conveyor lines  20  and  22  are vertically separated by some distance at the infeed end  14  of the frame  12 , but the lower conveyor line  22  slopes upwardly to form an acute angle with, and to merge with, the substantially horizontal upper line  20  at the beginning of the single delivery conveyor  24  extending through the intermediate portion  16  of the frame  12 . A cutoff saw  26  is installed at the delivery end portion  18  of the frame  12 , for cutting the finished gutter guard product to length as it passes from the machine after forming. 
         [0028]      FIG. 2A  provides an elevation view of the infeed end  14  of the conveyor frame  12 , and also of the series of externally placed material rolls that provide the raw materials for forming the gutter guard product in the machine  10 . While the various rolls of material may be arranged in any practicable order or position, the example of  FIG. 2A  shows a first roll  28  dispensing an elongate, unbroken length or strip of expanded metal material  30 , a second roll  32  dispensing an elongate, unbroken length of relatively wide imperforate sheet material  34 , and a third roll  36  dispensing an elongate, unbroken length of relatively narrow imperforate sheet material  38 . A fourth roll  40  dispensing a fine mesh screen material  42  is located between the infeed end  14  of the frame and the infeed ends of the upper and lower conveyor lines  20  and  22 . 
         [0029]    It should be noted that the second and third rolls  32  and  36  are not in the same plane with one another, but are offset to each side of the first and fourth rolls  28  and  40 . The two imperforate strips  34  and  38  travel around an initial guide roller  44  that positions the two laterally spaced strips  34  and  38  in the same plane with one another before they pass through the forming rollers of the upper conveyor line  20 . The fine mesh screen material  42  initially feeds in the opposite direction, i.e., out of the infeed end  14  of the frame  12  and toward the three rolls  28 ,  32 , and  36 , and then doubles back around a guide bar or roller  46 . The expanded metal strip  30  from the first roll  28  also passes beneath this guide bar or roller  46 . The two foraminous strips  30  and  42  are merged at this point, with the fine mesh screen  42  overlying the expanded metal  30 , to pass through an additional guide and edge forming assembly  48  and into the lower conveyor line  22 . The guide and edge forming assembly  48  includes a series of specially configured rollers that fold the edges of the fine mesh screen  42  downwardly around the edges of the underlying expanded metal strip  30  to secure the two strips  30  and  42  together. These forming rollers in the guide and edge forming assembly  48  operate in much the same manner as the forming rollers installed in the various conveyor lines  20 ,  22 , and  24 , with specifics of the forming operations performed by those conveyor lines being discussed in detail further below. Various additional guides, tensioners, brakes, etc. may be provided to control the paths and flow of the various material strips  30 ,  34 ,  38 , and  42  as they enter the machine  10 . 
         [0030]    Each of the conveyors  20 ,  22 , and  24  comprises a series of upper and lower roller pairs for forming and assembling the strips of material as they pass therethrough. The roller pairs of each of the three conveyor lines  20 ,  22 , and  24  are powered by a motor driving a series of roller chains, as shown in the rear view of the conveyors in  FIG. 3 . While the associated roller chains and sprockets are shown in  FIG. 3 , it will be understood that the partial section view of  FIG. 3  also illustrates the corresponding forming and crimping rollers concentrically with their sprockets and shafts, with the reference numerals addressing the corresponding forming or crimping roller at each position. For example, the upper conveyor line  20  includes a series of roller pairs comprising a first roller pair  50   a ,  50   b , second roller pair  52   a ,  52   b , third roller pair  54   a ,  54   b , and so on through the tenth roller pair  68   a ,  68   b . All of these rollers are installed upon a corresponding series of mutually parallel shafts, with each of the shafts having two concentric sprockets extending therefrom. 
         [0031]    A series of alternating, offset roller chains  70  extend between the sprockets of each of the laterally adjacent rollers, e.g., rollers  50   a  and  52   a , rollers  58   a  and  60   a , etc. One roller chain and laterally adjacent sprocket pair transfers drive energy from the previous sprocket and roller to the adjacent sprocket and roller in the line, and the next roller chain passes around the second of the two concentric sprockets of the roller to transfer drive to the next sprocket and roller in the line. This mechanism is continued along the entire roller line from upper roller  68   a , which is closest to the drive motor, continuing down the line to the initial upper roller  50   a.    
         [0032]    Drive is transferred from one of the upper rollers, e.g., roller  68   a , to an adjacent lower roller, e.g., roller  68   b , by a pair of conventional spur gears (not shown) disposed upon adjacent upper and lower roller shafts. This results in the upper roller series rotating in the opposite direction from the lower roller series, with the roller faces of each roller pair moving in the same direction when they are adjacent to one another in order to draw the material therethrough. Drive is transferred along the sprockets and rollers of the lower roller series  68   b ,  66   b ,  64   b , etc., back to the initial lower roller  50   b  by another series of roller chains  70  and sprockets having the same configuration as that described further above for the upper roller and sprocket series. An upper conveyor drive motor  72  and speed reduction  74  are provided to drive the upper roller series  50   a  through  68   b  by an initial drive roller chain  76 . The motor  72  is electric in this example, but alternative drive motors and power may be provided, e.g., hydraulic, pneumatic, etc. 
         [0033]    The roller series of the lower conveyor  22  is configured and driven similarly to the upper conveyor roller series, as discussed above. The lower conveyor  22  includes a series of roller pairs comprising a first roller pair  78   a ,  78   b , second roller pair  80   a ,  80   b , third roller pair  82   a ,  82   b , and so on through the tenth roller pair  96   a ,  96   b . All of these rollers are installed upon a corresponding series of mutually parallel shafts, with the roller shafts of the lower conveyor  22  all being axially parallel to the roller shafts of the upper conveyor  20 . Roller chains  70  extend between the sprockets of each of the laterally adjacent rollers, e.g., rollers  78   a  and  80   a , rollers  86   a  and  88   a , etc. 
         [0034]    Drive is transferred from one of the upper rollers, e.g., roller  96   a , to an adjacent lower roller, e.g., roller  96   b , by a pair of conventional spur gears (not shown) disposed upon adjacent upper and lower roller shafts, as in the case of the upper conveyor  20 . Drive is transferred along the sprockets and rollers of the lower roller series  96   b ,  94   b , etc. back to the initial lower roller  78   b  by another set of roller chains  70  and sprockets having the same configuration as that described further above for the upper conveyor  20 . A lower conveyor drive motor and speed reduction assembly  98  is provided to drive the lower roller series  78   a  through  96   b  by an initial drive roller chain  100 . The lower conveyor drive motor is concentric with its speed reduction unit, with the two components being shown as a single assembly  98  in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0035]    The third or delivery conveyor line  24  of the roller conveyor series operates in essentially the same manner as the upper and lower conveyors  20  and  22 , as described above. The delivery conveyor  24  includes a roller pairs comprising first roller pair  102   a ,  102   b , second roller pair  104   a ,  104   b , third roller pair  106   a ,  106   b , and so on through the eighth roller pair  116   a ,  116   b . All of these rollers are installed upon a corresponding series of mutually parallel shafts, with the roller shafts of the delivery conveyor  24  all being axially parallel to the roller shafts of the upper and lower conveyors  20  and  22 . Roller chains  70  extend between the sprockets of each of the laterally adjacent rollers, e.g., rollers  108   a  and  110   a , etc. 
         [0036]    Drive is transferred from one of the upper rollers, e.g., roller  116   a , to an adjacent lower roller, e.g., roller  116   b , by a pair of conventional spur gears (not shown) disposed upon adjacent upper and lower roller shafts, as in the case of the upper and lower conveyors  20  and  22 . Drive is transferred along the sprockets and rollers of the lower roller series  116   b ,  114   b , etc., back to the initial lower roller  102   b  by another set of roller chains  70  and sprockets having the same configuration as that described further above for the upper and lower conveyors  20  and  22 . A lower conveyor drive motor  118  and speed reduction unit  120  are provided to drive the delivery conveyor roller series  102   a  through  116   b  by an initial drive roller chain  122 . The three conveyor drive motors  72 ,  98 , and  118  are synchronous motors and are controlled by known means in order to synchronize the speeds of the various conveyor rollers in order to provide a smooth and constant flow of the material through the machine. 
         [0037]      FIG. 4  provides a perspective view between the upper and lower conveyors  20  and  22 , showing portions of the bottom rollers  54   b  through  68   b  of the upper conveyor  20  and portions of the top rollers  82   a  through  96   a  of the lower conveyor  22  and their progressive shapes for forming the material as it passes therethrough. It will be noted that the various rollers have increasingly steep or deep circumferential ridges and grooves as the rollers progress from the beginning of the roller sequences, i.e., closer to the infeed end of the machine, toward the output ends of the upper and lower conveyors  20  and  22 , where they merge to join the delivery conveyor  24 . This provides the sequential forming operation for the edges of the imperforate strips  34  and  38  as they pass through the upper conveyor roller series  50   a ,  50   b  through  68   a ,  68   b  and the sequential forming operation of the sandwiched plies of foraminous material  30  and  42  as they pass through the lower conveyor rollers  78   a ,  78   b  through  96   a ,  96   b.    
         [0038]    The upper conveyor  20  is the primary mechanism of forming the two laterally opposed imperforate sheets  34  and  38  that form the edges of the completed gutter guard assembly. It will be noted in  FIG. 4  that each of the shafts of the upper rollers  58   b  through  64   b  of the upper conveyor  20  have a series of sleeves or collars  124  installed thereon. These sleeves or collars  124  may be removed from, or installed upon, their respective roller shafts by removing the roller and shaft assembly from its conventional bearing mounts at each side of the conveyor run and sliding the sleeve(s) or collar(s) onto or off the shaft, as desired. This arrangement adjusts the lateral positions of the rollers axially along the respective shaft, depending upon the spacing or positioning of the sleeves or rollers along the shaft relative to the rollers on the shaft. In this manner, the lateral spacing or positioning of the rollers of the upper conveyor line  20  may be adjusted as required for forming different widths of the imperforate material that forms the two opposed edges of the completed gutter guard assembly. 
         [0039]      FIG. 5  provides a detailed illustration of a series of three of the forming roller pairs  58   a ,  58   b  through  62   a ,  62   b  of the upper conveyor  20 . These rollers comprise a portion of the roller series  50   a  through  68   b  used to form the outboard edge of the narrower imperforate strip of material  34 . The first roller  58   a  has a relatively shallow circumferential ridge  58   c  formed therearound, with the corresponding roller  58   b  having a correspondingly shallow groove  58   d  therearound. The ridge and groove  58   c  and  58   d  fit closely together, with a gap therebetween only sufficiently wide to allow the passage of the thin strip of material  34  therethrough. The next roller pair  60   a ,  60   b  has a somewhat higher and deeper ridge and groove  60   c  and  60   d  formed therearound, while the final roller pair  62   a ,  62   b  has an even steeper and deeper ridge and groove  62   c ,  62   d  formed therearound to form the final edge shape of the material  34 . This gradual, successively higher and deeper series of ridges and grooves in each successive roller pair serves to bend the sheet material  34  gradually with each pass through the next roller pair in the series, thus avoiding any sudden large bending forces and resulting cracking, misalignment, or other undesirable damage to the material. The result is the forming of the longitudinal edge along the length of the narrower imperforate strip  34 , as may be seen in the inverted perspective view of the end of a finished length of the gutter guard material in  FIG. 12 . 
         [0040]      FIG. 6  illustrates the series of progressive rollers  78   a ,  78   b  through  96   a ,  96   b  of the lower conveyor  22 . The two rollers forming each roller pair are closely spaced, with a gap therebetween only sufficient to allow the combined thickness of the sandwiched foraminous strip material  30  and  42  to pass therebetween. Each roller pair includes a series of mating circumferential ridges and grooves, i.e., the upper roller  78   a  includes a series of three axially spaced circumferential ridges  78   c  while the lower roller  78   b  includes a series of mating circumferential grooves  78   d , etc. for the entire roller set comprising rollers  78   a  through  96   b . It will be noted that the ridges and grooves  78   c  and  78   d  are relatively shallow, and impart relatively little deformation to the initially flat sheets of foraminous material  30  and  42  passing therebetween. The next set of rollers in succession, i.e., rollers  80   a  and  80   b , respectively have slightly higher and deeper ridges and grooves  80   c  and  80   d , which impart slightly greater deformation to the material sheets passing therebetween. The process continues to the final roller pair  96   a  and  96   b , wherein the ridges  96   c  are extremely narrow and sharp and the corresponding grooves  96   d  are quite narrow. The result is the forming of a series of longitudinal ridges along the length of the expanded metal and screen material sandwich, as may be seen in the inverted perspective view of the end of a finished length of the gutter guard assembly  200  in  FIG. 12 . 
         [0041]      FIG. 7  is an illustration of a series of forming rollers  108   a  through  112   a  of the roller series  102   a  through  116   b  of the delivery conveyor line  24 . These rollers are used to form the doubled over inner edge of the relatively wider outboard strip of imperforate material  34 . This inner edge is subsequently mechanically crimped to the corresponding edge of the previously assembled expanded metal and screen material  30  and  42 , as shown in  FIG. 7  and explained further below. The corresponding forming rollers  108   b  through  112   b , shown generally in  FIG. 3 , are not shown in  FIG. 7  but will be seen to function in a manner similar to that explained above in the discussion of the roller series  58   a  through  62   b  of  FIG. 5  and the roller series  78   a  through  96   b  of  FIG. 6 . Each of the forming rollers  108   a  through  112   a  includes a narrow circumferential slot therein, respectively  108   c  through  112   c , with each of the rollers  108   a  through  112   a  further having a progressively shallow conical slope or face, respectively  108   d  through  112   d . The slots  108   c  through  112   c  serve to guide the edge of the sheet material  34  as it travels through the delivery conveyor line  24 , with the corresponding rollers  108   b  through  112   b  (not shown in  FIG. 7 ) gradually bending the material  34  in sequence as shown in  FIG. 7  to form the doubled over inner edge therealong for subsequent crimping to the foraminous sheet assembly composed of strips  30  ad  42 . The process for forming the inner or crimping edge of the narrower strip of imperforate material  38  is also accomplished along the delivery conveyor  24  by a series of rollers similar to the rollers  108   a  through  112   a  illustrated in  FIG. 7 . 
         [0042]    In certain instances, it may not be necessary to use forming rollers for shaping and guiding the strip material as it passes through the machine  10 . In some instances, it may be sufficient to provide a relatively simple guide or die having a slot therein through which one edge of the sheet material passes.  FIG. 8  illustrates such a die  126  installed in the upper conveyor line  20 . The die  126  includes a stationary portion  128  having a longitudinal slot  130  thereacross, i.e., the slot  130  is oriented along the longitudinal path of the strip material passing through the machine  10 . A rotating portion  132  of the die assembly  126  is positioned axially adjacent the stationary portion  128 , with the strip of material (e.g., the narrow imperforate strip  38 ) having one edge passing through the slot  130  and being held within the slot  130  by the adjacent rotating portion  132 . 
         [0043]    The forming of the various components comprising the completed gutter guard has been illustrated in  FIGS. 4 through 8  and discussed to this point.  FIG. 9  provides an illustration of the means used to secure the two imperforate edge components  34  and  38  to the central expanded metal and screen assembly  30 ,  42  in the delivery conveyor line  24 . The perspective view of  FIG. 9  is from beneath the various rollers of the delivery conveyor  24  and shows first and second crimping rollers, respectively  134  and  136 , which bear against the underside of the gutter guard assembly along the junctures of the two imperforate strips  34  and  38  with the opposite edges of the foraminous screen assembly  30 ,  42 . The attachment edges of the imperforate strips have previously been formed to grip the corresponding edges of the screen assembly, as shown in  FIG. 7  and described further above. The delivery conveyor line  24  assembles the various gutter guard components  30 ,  34 ,  38 , and  42  so the edges of the screen assembly  30 ,  42  are inserted within the double fold previously formed along the inboard edge of each of the imperforate sheets  34  and  38 . This assembly is then passed over the crimping rollers  134  and  136 , squeezed between the two rollers  134 ,  136  and corresponding overlying rollers (not shown for clarity in the drawing, but substantially conventional flat cylindrical rollers). The crimping rollers may include a single circumferential row of teeth, as shown with the second roller  136 , or multiple circumferential rows of teeth, as shown with the first roller  134 . The teeth of the crimping rollers  134  and  136  drive indentations into the lower portions of imperforate material underlying the respective edges of the foraminous strip assembly  30 ,  42  and into the foraminous assembly as well, crimping and mechanically attaching the doubled-over folds of the two imperforate strips  34  and  38  to the edges of the foraminous strip assembly  30  and  42  to complete the forming of the gutter guard  200 . 
         [0044]    Once the gutter guard assembly  200  has been completed as described above, the gutter guard is cut to the desired length by a traveling cutoff saw  26  disposed within the delivery end portion  18  of the frame  12 .  FIG. 2C  provides a general front elevation view of the saw travel, with the initial position of the saw  26  shown in broken lines and the finish cut position of the saw shown in solid lines in  FIG. 2C . Details of the circular saw  26  and its actuation mechanism are illustrated in  FIGS. 10 and 11  of the drawings. The delivery end portion  18  of the frame  12  includes a pair of mutually parallel cutoff saw tracks, respectively tracks  138  and  140 , extending along the delivery end portion of the frame  12  parallel to the delivery conveyor line  24 . A cutoff saw carriage  142  slides back and forth along the two saw tracks  138  and  140 , parallel to the path of the completed gutter guard assembly as it leaves the delivery conveyor  24 . The carriage  142  includes a series of slides  144  depending therebeneath, with first and second endless toothed carriage belts  146  and  148  affixed to the slides  144  at the forward and rearward sides of the carriage  142  adjacent to the saw tracks  138  and  140 . The carriage belts  146  and  148  pass around a pair of spaced apart drive pulleys or sprockets  150  and  152 , installed upon a common drive shaft  154 . A similar shaft and pulley assembly (not shown) is provided at the opposite end of the carriage belt run, to keep the two carriage belts  146  and  148  taut. The drive shaft  154  is driven by a cutoff saw travel drive motor  156  via a transfer drive belt  158  or other suitable power transfer means between the motor  156  and drive shaft  154 . 
         [0045]    The saw travel drive motor  156  is selectively actuated according to conventional programming to rotate the drive shaft  154  at a predetermined speed, which drives the two carriage belts  146  and  148  to move the cutoff saw carriage  142  and the cutoff saw  26  mounted thereon along the path of travel of the completed gutter guard  200  at the same rate of travel as the gutter guard as it passes through the delivery end portion  18  of the machine. In other words, the saw  26  and gutter guard assembly  200  are stationary relative to one another (but not relative to the rest of the machine  10 ) as the saw  26  is in longitudinal motion along the delivery end of the machine  10  during the cutting operation. This allows the saw  26  to make periodic cuts across the length of completed gutter guard  200  as it is leaving the machine, cutting the gutter guard  200  to predetermined lengths according to the conventional programming for the saw operation. Electrical power is conveyed to the circular saw motor  160  by an electrical cord protected by an articulating electrical cord or cable guard  162 , which articulates back and forth with longitudinal movement of the saw  26  and carriage  142  along the slides  138  and  140 .  FIG. 10  also illustrates the saw blade lubrication system  164  provided with the cutoff system. 
         [0046]      FIG. 11  provides a view of the mechanism for raising and lowering the cutoff saw  26  during cutting operations. The cutoff saw  26  pivots arcuately upward and downward upon a pivot  166  disposed upon the rear portion of the carriage  142 . A lift strut support bracket  168  is affixed to and depends below the saw carriage  142 . A cutoff saw lift strut  170  (e.g., a pneumatic-hydraulic strut, or other lift mechanism) is pivotally affixed to the lift strut support bracket  168  beneath the saw  26 , with the lift strut  170  having an extension rod  172  pivotally attached to the lower end of an arcuate cutoff saw lift arm  174 . The opposite end of the arcuate lift arm  174  is attached to the cutoff saw  26 . 
         [0047]    The lift strut  170  is actuated to extend and lift the cutoff saw  26  arcuately between cutoff operations, thus lifting the saw and its blade above the plane of the completed gutter guard  200  passing therebeneath as it departs the machine  10 . When the desired length of gutter guard  200  has passed the saw  26 , the system is actuated by conventional programming to operate the saw travel drive motor  156  to drive the saw  26  along the delivery end  18  of the frame  12  to match with the speed of the gutter guard  200 , and simultaneously retract the lift strut extension rod  172  to lower the saw  26  onto the gutter guard  200 . The saw blade is normally in continuous operation during operation of the gutter guard forming machine  10 , and cuts the completed gutter guard  200  to length as the gutter guard and saw  26  travel along the delivery end  18  of the machine. When the cut is complete, the saw  26  is raised by extending the lift strut extension rod  172 , and the saw travel drive motor  156  is reversed to draw the saw carriage  142 , cutoff saw  26 , and attached saw lift strut  170  back toward the delivery conveyor line  24  in readiness to repeat the cutting operation. 
         [0048]    The gutter guard  200  is supported during the cutting operation and guided from the saw after cutting by a pair of unpowered pinch rollers  176  immediately adjacent to the saw  26 . The cut lengths of gutter guard  200  are drawn from the delivery end  18  of the machine  10  by a pair of powered delivery end pinch rollers  178  ( FIGS. 1 and 2C ) installed at the extreme output end of the delivery end  18  of the machine. The two driven or powered pinch rollers  178  are powered by a delivery end pinch roller drive motor  180  and speed reduction, not shown in  FIG. 10  or  11  for clarity in the drawing Figs., but shown generally in  FIG. 1  of the drawings. The delivery end pinch roller drive motor  180  is synchronized with the upper conveyor drive motor  72 , lower conveyor drive motor  98 , and delivery conveyor drive motor  118  by conventional electronic means to draw the cut length of completed gutter guard  200  from the machine  10  at the same rate of feed as provided by the various conveyor drive motors  72 ,  98 , and  118 . 
         [0049]    The end result of the operation of the gutter guard forming machine is a series of lengths of completed gutter guard  200 , a detailed end view of which is shown in  FIG. 12  of the drawings. (The gutter guard  200  is shown inverted in  FIG. 12 , in order to more clearly show the series of longitudinal valleys or “dips” formed in the expanded metal and screen sandwich  30  and  42  by the rollers  78   a  through  96   b  of the lower conveyor  22 .) The gutter guard forming machine  10  is capable of completing hundreds of linear feet of gutter guard per hour of operation, thus reducing the cost of production to a very low level for competitive sales of a very efficient gutter guard product. 
         [0050]    It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.