METHOD AND MEANS OF CONTINUOUSLY PUNCHING, SHEARING, AND FORMING SHEET MATERIAL

Abstract: Apparatus for continuously punching, shearing and forming sheet metal (10) comprising a frame, and punching (16), shearing (18) and forming (20) stations thereon. Rollers (38, 52-61) are provided for continuously feeding sheet metal through said stations. The forming station (20) comprises adjustable rollers (53, 55, 57, 59, 61) so that a varying width channel may be formed. A method of continuously punching, shearing and continuously feeding sheet metal through punching (16), shearing (18) and forming (20) stations.

Description: METHOD AND MEANS OF CONTINUOUSLY PUNCHING, SHEARING, AND FORMING SHEET MATERIAL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventional machines used in the forming of sheet metal, such as channel-shaped studs for building walls, typically require that the stock material be stopped while the punching, shearing and forming operations are performed. The quantity of output was therefore less than if the material moved continuously through the machine as the operations were performed. Also, differ¬ ent dies are usually necessary to produce output with differing dimensions. The changing of dies is a time consuming and costly procedure. Also, existing machines for forming sheet metal are very large and are suitable only for factory usage. It is therefore a primary objective of the present invention to provide a method and means of continuously punching, shearing and forming sheet material so that the progression of the material through the device is continuous. _ OMPI A further object of the present invention is to provide a method and means of continuously punching, shearing and forming sheet metal whereby the lateral width of the end product can be easily varied. A further object of the present invention is the provision of a method and means of continuously punching shearing and forming sheet material in which all three operations are performed within one portable device which can function at the construction site. A further object of the present invention is the provision of a method and means of continuously punch¬ ing, shearing and forming sheet metal which is easy to use and safe in operation. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a method and means of continuously punching, shearing and forming sheet material. The punching and shearing stations of the machine each move on rollers between a first non- operational position and a second operational position such that as the portion is performing its operation it moves with the sheet raateria-1 until the operation is completed. When operation is completed, a spring forces the portion back to its first non-operational position. The forming station of the machine comprises a plurality of rollers having variable sizes and deflection angles such that a channel is gradually formed in the material. The distance between the roller sets can be adjusted so that the width of the channel can be varied. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine for continuously punching, shearing and forming sheet material; Figure 2 is a partial sectional view of the machine taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a partial top plan view of the machine without the cover on the forming station taken along line 3-3 of Figure 1; Figure 4 is an enlarged scale view of the continuous advancement means of the shearing station of the machine; Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view of the channel forming portion of the machine; and Figure 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of Figure 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The numeral 10 designates the sheet material; the nuneral 12 designates a support stand for the roll of sheet material, and the numeral 14 generally represents the machine of this invention which continuously punches, shears and forms the sheet material 10. In Figure 2, the numeral 16 generally designates the punching station of th machine 14, the numeral 18 generally designates the shearing station of the machine 14, and the numeral 20 generally designates the forming station of the machine 14 Punch station 16 and shear station 18 are mounted on machine 14 with the punch station 16 at the end receiving the sheet metal 10 and the shear station 18 adjacent to the punch station. The stations are aligned so that the sheet metal linearly progresses from the punch station to the shear station. Punch station 16 and shear station 18 operate similarly. Each has a clutch mechanism 28 operatively connected thereto with a cam 29 that periodically engages the punching or shearing die so that its respective operation is performed. The punching station 16 and shearing station 18 each have an identical advancement means that will be further described with reference to Figure 4. In Figure 4, a first non-operational position of the shearing station 18 is shown by dotted lines. As the triangular tip 30 of cam 29 comes into operational contact with the upper plate 32 of shear portion 18, springs 34 are compressed as upper plate 32 is forced downward. As tip 30 continues its counterclockwise movement and contacts lip 33 of upper plate 32, the opposing cutting edges 36 and 37 come into contact with material 10, which is being advanced by rollers 38 mounted on shafts 39. While tip 30 engages lip 33 of upper plate 32, the counterclockwise movement of tip 30 forces upper plate 32 and lower plate 44 of shearing station 18 forward into its operational second position upon rollers 40 mounted on shafts 41 which are journaled within grooves 42 in lower plate 44. When tip 30 disengages lip 33, the shearing operation is complete, springs 34 force upper plate 32 upwardly, and spring 50, having an end attached to lower plate 44 and the other end attached to flange 35, urges shearing portion 18 back to its nonoperational first position. The sheared portion 46 of sheet material 10 is further advanced by rollers 52-53 and 54-55. This process is repeated each time a tip of cam 29 comes into operational engagement with upper plate 32. r- ' '- -TOTE SHEET The channel forming station 20 is mounted on machine 14 adjacent the shearing station 18 and is aligned with shearing station 18 and punching station 16 so that the sheet metal will continue its linear progression through the machine 14. The channel forming station 20 has five sets of rollers 52-53, 54-55, 56-57, 58-59 and 60-61 which are used to form the channel in the sheet material 10. Each set of rollers has a corresponding shaft 62, 64, 66, 68 and 70 spanning the width of machine 14 and about which the rollers rotate. These rollers, with the exception of rollers 52-53, are located below the sheet material and form the upward channel as the material progresses through the rollers. In corresponding vertical align- ment with rollers 56-57, 58-59, and 60-61 are three sets of guide rollers 72-73, 74-75, and 76-77 mounted on shafts 78, 80 and 82, respectively. The diameter of the rollers progressively increases as the sheet metal moves through station 20, with 52-53 having the smallest diameter and 60-61 having the largest diameter. The angle of deflection, that is the angle between the roller shaft and the forming edge of the roller, progressively increases as the sheet metal moves through station 20, with 52-53 having the smallest angle of deflection and 60-61 having a 90° angle of deflection. Looking at Figures 5 and 6, channel forming portion 20 has an adjustment means 84 that permits moveable adjustment of forming rollers 53, 55, 57, 59, 61 and guide rollers 73, 75 and 77. Adjustment means 84 includes an upper outer slide plate 86, a lower outer slide plate 88, an upper center slide plate 90, a lower center slide plate 92, upper end plates 94 and OMPI lower end plates 96. A first adjusting shaft 98 is threadably received in upper outer slide plate 86 and passes through upper center slide plate 90. Two additional adjustment shafts 100 and 102 are threadably received in the lower corners of lower outer slide plate 88 and pass through lower center slide plate 92. Shafts 98, 100 and 102 are drivingly interconnected by sprockets 104 and chains 106. A hand crank 108 provides easy adjustment of the adjustment means 84. A power source (not shown) has a main drive shaft 110 which has a gear-pulley 112 mounted thereon. Extending through side plate 116 of machine 14 are shafts 118, 120 and 122 having corresponding sprocketed transfer gears 124, 126 and 128, respectively. Roller shafts 64, 66, 68, and 70 each have sprocketed gears 130, 132, 134 and 136, respectively. Gear-pulley 112 meshes with gears 124 and 126. Gear 124 meshes with roller shaft gears 130 and 132 while gear 126 meshes with roller shaft gears 132 and 134. Gear 128 meshes with roller shaft gears 134 and 136. Thus, the rollers of the forming station 20 are driven in unison by the combination of meshing gears. Gear-pulley 112 also has a belt 138 that drivingly connects it to gear-pulley 140 mounted on shaft 142 extending between back plate 144 and center plate 146 of the machine 14. Shaft 148 extends between back plate 144 and center plate 146 and has a gear 150 in meshing combination with gear-pulley 140. Shafts 39a and 39b of advancing rollers 38 span between front plate 143 and back plate 144 of machine 14 and have sprocketed gears 151a and 151b, respectively, on the exterior of back plate 144. Gear 150 meshes with the gear of shaft 39a which in turn meshes with the gear of shaft 39b. C- 23T5TUTE SHEET Extending through back plate 144 and center plate 146 are shafts 152 and 154, each of which has a sprocketed gear 156 and 158 respectively. Gears 156 and 158 are each meshed with gears 160 and 162 mounted on shafts 164 and 166, respectively, of clutches 28. Thus, the clutches and cams are driven in unison by the combination of meshing gears. It can thus be seen that the new invention accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives.

Claims: -8- CLAIMS 1. A means for continuously punching, shearing, and forming sheet material comprising: a frame, a punching station on said frame, a shearing station on said frame, a channel forming station on said frame, a plurality of forming rollers on said channel forming station varying in size and deflection angle and having width adjustment means for variable adjustment of said channel forming portion, and continuous advancement means on each of said punching and shearing stations for the continuous advancement of the sheet metal. 2. A means according to claim 1 wherein said channel formiong station further includes a set of guide rollers. 3. A channel forming station according to claim 2 wherein said adjustment means includes an upper slide adjustment and a lower slide adjustment, said upper slide adjustment threadably receiving a first shaft and said lower slide adjustment threadably receiving at least one additional shaft, said shafts being drivingly interconnected. 4. An adjustment means according to claim 3 wherein said upper slide adjustment adjusts said guide rollers and said lower slide adjustment adjusts said forming rollers. 5. A means according to claim 1 wherein continuous advancement means of said punching station comprises at least one roller in rolling engagement with said punching station and at least one spring having opposite ends, one of said ends being attached to said punching station and said other end being fixed away from said punching station. -9- 6. A continuous adjustment means according to claim 5 wherein said punching station has a first non- punching position and a second punching position, said second position being forward of said first position, and said roller and spring cooperating to move said punching station between said first and second positions, 7. A means according to claim 1 wherein continuous advancement means of said shearing station comprises at least one roller in rolling engagement with said shearing station and at least one spring having opposite ends, one of said ends being attached to said shearing station and said other end being fixed away from said shearing station. 8. A continuous adjustment means according to claim 7 wherein said shearing station has a first nonshearing position and a second shearing position, -said second position being forward of said first position, and said roller and spring cooperating to move said shearing station between said first and second positions. 9. A means according to claim 1 wherein said sheet metal continuously moves nonstop through said punching, shearing and channel forming stations. 10. A method of continuously punching, shearing and forming sheet material using a device having a punching station, a shearing station, and a channel forming station, said punching station and said shearing station each having a continuous advancement means comprising at least one roller and at least one spring, said punching station and said shearing station each being movable between a first nonoperating position and a second operating position, said channel forming IPO -10- station including a plurality of forming rollers and guiding rollers and a channel width adjustment means, said channel forming station including a plurality of forming rollers and guiding rollers and a channel width adjustment means, said method comprising: introducing said sheet material into said machine, punching said material with said punching station of said device, shearing said material with said shearing station of said device, forming said material with said channel forming station of said device, continuously advancing said material non-stop through said punching, shearing, and forming stations of said device. 11. A method according to claim 10 whereby said material urges said punching station to said second position upon commencement of said punching operation and said punching station returns to said first position upon completion of said shearing operation. 12. A method according to claim 10 whereby said material urges said shearing station to said second position upon commencement of said shearing operation and said shearing station returns to said first position upon completion of said shearing operation. O PI

Inventors: MITCHELL JAMES LAVERNE, MITCHELL, JAMES, LAVERNE
Applicants: MITCHELL JAMES L, MITCHELL, JAMES, LAVERNE
Application year: 1983
Main classification: B21D11
IPC codes: B21D5, B21D35, B21D43, B26D9