Abstract:
This invention relates to an apparatus that is a portable sheet metal apparatus generally for bending sheet metal and more particularly to an apparatus for forming a gutter guard assembly ready to be installed between the outer lip of a rain gutter and a first row of shingles on a shingled roof. Said apparatus comprising a first bending member having a cylindrical bar, a second bending member hinged to the first bending member to provide a means for bending the sheet metal, said second bending member having an angled portion, leg portions, and at least one handle member, wherein pulling the handle member forward and downward provides the application of both pressing and releasing forces against a work piece sheet metal as it is bent between said cylindrical bar of the first bending member and the angled portion of the second bending member.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS:  
       [0001]    U.S. Provisional Application for Patent No. 60/354,404, filed Feb. 7, 2002, with title “Portable Sheet Metal Bending Apparatus” which is hereby incorporated by reference. Applicant claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. Par. 119(e)(i). 
     
    
     
         [0002]    Statement as to rights to inventions made under Federally sponsored research and development: Not Applicable  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    1. Field of the Invention.  
           [0004]    This invention relates to an apparatus that is a portable sheet metal apparatus generally for bending sheet metal and more particularly to an apparatus for forming a gutter guard assembly ready to be installed between the outer lip of a rain gutter and a first row of shingles on a shingled roof.  
           [0005]    2. Brief Description of Prior Arts  
           [0006]    In the construction industry and particularly the siding and gutter installation industry, it has become customary to install gutter guards with rain gutters installed on homes and businesses. These gutter guards have become very popular insofar as their usefulness in allowing rain water entry into the gutter system while blocking other materials such as fallen leaves from entering the gutter system and clogging the system.  
           [0007]    Prior art methods exist for bending sheet metal for various uses; however, the inventor is unaware of a portable apparatus for forming ready to be installed gutter guard assemblies. Further, the sheet metal bending tools of prior art are overly complex to manufacture, and not efficient, both mechanically and economically, for this particular industry.  
           [0008]    Therefore, a need exists for a less complicated sheet metal bending apparatus for forming a ready to be installed gutter guard assembly. As will be seen from the subsequent description, the preferred embodiments of the present invention overcome these and other shortcomings of prior art.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    The present invention is a portable sheet metal bending apparatus generally for bending sheet metal, preferably fabricated from aluminum stock sheet, and more particularly to an apparatus for forming a ready to be installed gutter guard assembly between the outer lip of a rain gutter and a first row of shingles on a shingled roof. The preferred embodiment includes a first bending member, a second bending member hinged to the first bending member to provide a means for bending the sheet metal, at least two leg portions attached to opposing ends of the first bending member, and at least one handle member attached to the second bending member. The first bending member being stationary during the bending application, and the second member pivotally positioned in relation to the stationary first bending member during the bending application by manipulating the handle member. The first bending member includes opposing end members disposed on substantially opposite ends of the first bending member, said opposing end members receive a generally cylindrical bar. Said cylindrical bar is positioned slightly higher than the first bending member defining an opening between the bar and the first bending member. Said opening adapted to receive an end portion of a work piece of sheet metal for bending. A shoulder portion is further disposed on the upper surface of the first bending member, said shoulder portion is provided at the approximate juncture of where the bar extends over the first bending member. The second bending member includes an angle member disposed in the midway of the second bending member and projects horizontally the length of the second bending member.  
           [0010]    In general, a work piece of sheet metal is inserted in the opening between the first bending member and the cylindrical bar until the sheet metal abuts the shoulder portion. The user lifts the handle member thereby pivotally lifting the second bending member causing the angle member to engage the work piece of sheet metal forming a curved bend in the work piece of sheet metal. Said curved bend in the sheet metal begins by pressing the sheet metal against the cylindrical bar and by continually lifting the handle member until the surface of the sheet metal is in flush contact with a first side of the angle member. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a portable sheet metal bending apparatus.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is an exploded side view of the apparatus and FIG. 1 in an open position.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is an exploded side view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 in an intermediate position.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 in an advanced position.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a work piece of sheet metal formed utilizing the present invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0016]    In accordance with the present invention, a portable sheet metal bending apparatus is disclosed. The bending apparatus of the present invention for use in forming a gutter guard assembly ready to be installed between the outer lip of a rain gutter and a first row of shingles on a shingled roof. Specifically, it will be noted in the drawings that the bending apparatus relates to bending sheet metal to install as gutter guards with rain gutters. In the broadest context, the bending apparatus consists of components configured and correlated with respect to each other so as to attain the desired objective.  
         [0017]    FIGS.  1 - 5  illustrate a preferred embodiment of a portable sheet metal bending apparatus  10  made in accordance with the present invention. Said portable sheet metal bending apparatus  10  for forming a gutter guard assembly  200  (shown in FIG. 5) ready to be installed between an outer lip of a rain gutter (not shown) and a first row of shingles on a shingled roof (not shown).  
         [0018]    As shown in FIG. 1, the bending apparatus  10  includes a first bending member  20  having a lower surface  22  and an upper surface  25 . A second bending member  40  is hinged to the first bending member  20  to provide a means for bending the sheet metal. The first bending member  20  being the approximate length and width as the second bending member  40 .  
         [0019]    The bending apparatus  10  further includes at least two leg portions  60  attached to opposing ends of the lower surface  22  of the first bending member  20 , said leg portions  60  to support the bending apparatus  10  above the floor or work area, and at least one handle member  80  releasably attached to the second bending member  40 . Said at least one handle member  80  having a substantially cylindrical configuration. Further, while the drawings illustrate the bending apparatus  10  having a single handle member  80  attached to an end of the second bending member  40 , it should be understood that more than one handle members  80  may be selectively disposed along the length of the second bending member  40 .  
         [0020]    As will be further described, the first bending member  20  is stationary during the bending application. The second bending member  40  is pivotally positioned in relation to the stationary first bending member  20  during the bending application by manipulating the handle member  80 .  
         [0021]    The first bending member  20  includes opposing end members  30  disposed on substantially opposite ends of the upper surface  25  of the first bending member  20 . The opposing end members  30  receive a generally cylindrical bar  32  disposed along the longitudinal axis of the upper surface  25 . Said bar  32  is positioned slightly higher than the upper surface  25  of the first bending member  20  defining an opening  35  between the bar  32  and the upper surface  25  of the first bending member  20 , said opening  35  adapted to receive an end portion of a workpiece of sheet metal  100  for bending. A shoulder portion  37  is further disposed on the upper surface  25  of the first bending member  20 , said shoulder portion  37  is provided at the approximate juncture of where the bar  32 , extends over the first bending member  20 . Said shoulder portion  37  extends horizontally the approximate length of the bar  32 .  
         [0022]    The opening  35 , the cylindrical bar  32  and the shoulder portion  37  of the first bending member  20  defining a receiving area  39  for receiving the workpiece of sheet metal  100  for bending. As will be discussed, the workpiece of sheet metal  100  is placed in the receiving area  39  by inserting the sheet metal  100  within the opening  35  between the upper surface  25  and the bar  32  until the sheet metal  100  is in contact with the shoulder portion  37 .  
         [0023]    The second bending member  40  includes a lower surface  42  and an upper surface  45 . An angle member  50  is disposed in the midway of the upper surface  45  of the second bending member  40 . As best shown in FIG. 1, said angle member  50  extends horizontally the approximate length of the second bending member  40 .  
         [0024]    As shown in FIGS.  1 - 4 , the angle member  50  projects upwardly from the upper surface  45  of the second bending member  40  and has a substantially v-angle configuration. Said angle member  50  formed by a first side  50 A and a second side  50 B, where each of said sides  50 A and  50 B having flat surfaces. As shown in the drawings, one end of each of said sides  50 A and  50 B are attached to the upper surface  45 , and the opposite ends of each of said sides  50 A,  50 B attach to each other forming an angle apex  55  the approximate length of the second bending member  40 .  
         [0025]    The application of the bending apparatus  10  has generally a first position for loading the workpiece of sheet metal  100  and, intermediate and advanced positions for bending the sheet metal  100  into the gutter guard assembly  200 . As will be described, the operation of the handle member  80  pivotally positions the second bending member  40  in relation to the stationary first bending member  20  thereby placing the bending apparatus  10  in one of said first, intermediate or advanced positions.  
         [0026]    Referring to FIG. 2, is shown the apparatus  10  in an open position, wherein the axis of the handle member  80  is parallel with the axis of the leg portions  60 . As further shown in FIG. 2, the workpiece of sheet metal  100  is resting in the receiving area  39  so that the sheet metal  100  is within the opening  35  between the upper surface  25  and the bar  32 , and the end of the sheet metal  100  abuts the shoulder portion  37 . When the workpiece of sheet metal  100  is positioned in the receiving area  39 , the sheet metal  100  extends above the second bending member  40 , and generally not in contact with the angle member  50  that projects upwardly from the upper surface  45 .  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 3 illustrates the bending apparatus  10  in the intermediate position during the bending process. Once the bending apparatus  10  is in the said first position, and the workpiece of sheet metal  100  inserted in the receiving area  39 , the user simply lifts the handle member  80  in the direction of Arrow L in FIG. 2, thereby pivotally lifting the second bending member  40  until the axis of the handle member  80  is approximately perpendicular with the axis of the leg portions  60 , as shown in FIG. 3. When the application of the bending apparatus  10  in the intermediate position begins, the angle apex  55  of the angle member  50  engages the workpiece of sheet metal  100  forming a curved bend C (shown in FIG. 3) in the workpiece of sheet metal  100 . Formation of the curved bend C in the sheet metal  100  begins by pressing the sheet metal  100  against the cylindrical bar  32  and by continually lifting the handle member  80  to said approximate vertical position. At this point the sheet metal  100  is slightly less than 90 degrees around the cylindrical bar  32 . In the application of the bending apparatus  10  in the intermediate position, that portion of the sheet metal  100  initially resting in the receiving area  39  remains stationary in the receiving area  39  while the balance of the sheet metal  100  is urged upward and approximately parallel with the vertical standing handle member  80  as shown in FIG. 3.  
         [0028]    Referring to FIG. 4, advanced positions of the present invention forming a curved bend is shown. At the intermediate position shown in FIG. 3, the handle member  80  is lifted to an approximate vertical position, pressing the angle member  50  directly against the workpiece of sheet metal  100 . In the advanced position, the user continues to pivot the handle member  80  in the direction of Arrow L in FIG. 3 pressing the sheet metal  100  against angle portion  55  at a point where the sheet metal  100  is bent at least 180 degrees of arc. At this point the sheet metal  100  has moved in relation to the angle member  50  so that the surface of the sheet metal  100  is in flush contact with the first side  50 A of the angle member  50 .  
         [0029]    Referring now to FIG. 5, said gutter guard assembly  200  which has been formed by use of the present invention is shown. Said gutter guard assembly  200  including a flat end  210  and a curved end  220 , said curved end formed by use of the present invention as described. In use, the flat end  210  of the gutter guard assembly  200  is inserted under the first row of shingles on said shingled roof, and the curved end  220  positioned near the outer lip of said rain gutter leaving a gap between the outer lip of the gutter and the curved end  220  for entry of rain water into the gutter.  
         [0030]    The workpiece sheet metal  100  described herein is preferably fabricated from aluminum stock sheet. The inventors have found using extra or scrap aluminum left over from siding a house to be suitable for forming into the gutter guard assembly  200  as disclosed. To be useful, such extra or scrap aluminum need only have a width of approximately 5⅜ inches or more.  
         [0031]    The above described components of the bending apparatus  10 , namely the first bending member  20 , the second bending member  40 , the opposing end members  30  and cylindrical bar  32 , the shoulder portion  37 , the angle member  50 , the leg portions  60 , and the handle member  80  are preferably made of stainless steel.  
         [0032]    Although the description above contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of a presently preferred embodiment of this invention. Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims in the formal application and their legal equivalents rather than by the examples given.