A PROFILING DEVICE IN PLANTS FOR PROFILING METAL-SHEETS OR THE LIKE

Abstract: The invention relates to a profiling device intended for profiling metal sheet or the like, and comprises two free-bearing wheels (1, 1') which, in coaction, determine the shape of the material being worked. With this type of profiling device, problems occur as a result of resiliency or spring in the holders (3), resulting in changes to the device settings. This problem is solved in accordance with the invention by stiffening the profiling wheels (1, 1') with the aid of an intermediate part (6).

Description: A PROFILING DEVICE IN PLANTS FOR PROFILING METAL-SHEETS OR THE LIKE Technical Field The present invention relates to a profiling device for use in plants intended for profiling metal sheet or the like, said profiling device comprising two free-bearing wheels which coact mutually to determine the shape of the material being worked. Background Art In earlier known sheetmetal profiling plants, the pro- filing wheels are adjustably movable in the direction of their rotational axles and can be locked at desired distances from one another, so as to enable adjustments to be made readily to the width and/or height of the profile. According to the earlier known technique, the profiling wheels can be rotated individually and are thin or disk-shaped and are intended to coact mutually in pairs so that the profiling device will determine the shape of the metal sheet concerned. The individual wheels are journaled on separate holders which can be adjusted and locked along a guide which is common to said wheels. A desired profile width is obtained by appropriate adjustment to the wheel spacing. Summary of the Invention The problem with manufacturing corrugated metal sheet with the aid of the aforesaid kind of profiling device is that changes occur in the adjusted wheel setting due to resilience or spring in the holders. The extent of this resiliency varies with varying sheet thicknesses and qualities, and also with varying elastic limits and spring-back or elastic restoring properties, therewith making it impossible to obtain a precise profile width or height. The object of the present invention is to solve the aforesaid problem without detracting from those advan¬ tages afforded by the earlier known profiling devices of this kind with respect to the possibility of profile width adjustment. The invention provides a solution to this problem and is characterized in that the wheels are mutually sepa¬ rated by a stiffening intermediate part. Brief Description of the Drawings So that the invention will become more apparent, two illustrative and exemplifying embodiments of the inven- tion will now be described with reference to the accom¬ panying drawings, the Figures of which, however, are simplified and schematic. Figure 1 is a sectional view of the profiling device seen in the profiling direction, Figure 2 is a sec¬ tional view taken on the line A-A in Figure 1 and Figure 3 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the invention. Detailed Description of the Invention In Figure l, the reference numerals 1 and 1 ' identify the two profiling wheels which, in mutual coaction, form a profiling device. The profiling wheel has a circular shape and a wheel-width which increases in a direction towards the centre axle 2 and is of the free- bearing kind. By free-bearing profiling wheel is meant a wheel having a centre axle 2 which is carried by a holder 3 solely on one side of the wheel. The indivi¬ dual profiling wheels 1 and 1' are journaled in sepa¬ rate holders 3 which can be moved to selected positions along a guide 5 which is common to all holders, and locked in said positions. The two profiling wheels 1 and 1' together define the shape of the material being worked, and thus the corrugated sheet which leaves the plant, and mounted between said two wheels is an inter¬ mediate part 6 which functions to stiffen the profiling wheels during operation. The intermediate part 6 com- prises a spacer sleeve 7 which is attached to the one profiling wheel 1 in some suitable manner, e.g. a screw joint, and a spacer ring 8 which is fitted in a recess in the spacer sleeve 7 and thus located between the sleeve 7 and the other profiling wheel 1'. The inter- mediate part 6 has an annular configuration and has a radius R which corresponds approximately to half the radius of the profiling wheel, and is located centrally between the profiling wheels 1 and 1'. Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line A-A in Figure 1 and shows the spacer sleeve 7 of the circular intermediate part and the securing screws 9 which pre¬ vent movement between these parts. In the case of the illustrated embodiment, the guide 5 has the form of a rail 10 or bar having bevelled, converging side sur¬ faces 11, 11'. The holder 3 of the profiling wheel is provided with a slide shoe 12 having two separated projections 13, IS which engage around the rail and which present bevelled abutment surfaces in contact with said side surfaces 11, 11', of which one has the form of a press plate and can be tightened against its associated side surface 11' with the aid of a screw or clamping mechanism. Figure 3 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the intermediate part 6 consists solely in a construction part having stiffen¬ ing properties, and is detachably mounted between said profiling wheels 1. In addition, the intermediate part 6 of the Figure 3 embodiment is not attached to one of the profiling wheels, but is freely suspended on pro¬ jections 15. Advantages Afforded by the Invention Each of the aforedescribed two embodiments of the in¬ vention functions to decrease considerably the degree of resiliency or spring in the profiling device, there¬ by ensuring that the set measurements will be retained in operation. Different sheet metal thicknesses can be worked with one and the same basic setting while main¬ taining the set measurements. Repeatability is also very high, from profiling operation to profiling opera¬ tion. Furthermore, adjustment to the settings of the profiling mill is facilitated, since only one wheel need be adjusted in accordance with a template or jig and the other wheel to the intermediate part. Those jigs or templates used to this end may be very simple. The plant is very reliable. The use of calibrating rolls can be omitted in some particular manufactures, without detracting from the quality of the product manufactured. The time taken to effect profile changes is reduced by about 20% in comparison with conventional techniques. The invention thus affords a number of advantages and represents a step forward in sheet metal forming tech¬ niques. Other geometrical configurations and positions of the intermediate part are conceivable within the scope of the inventive concept, and varying material parameters in the intermediate part are also conceivable.

Claims: Claims 1. A profiling device for use in a plant for profiling sheet metal or the like, in which the profiling device consists of two free-bearing wheels (1, 1') which, in coaction, determine the shape of the material (13) being worked, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the wheels (1, 1') are mutually spaced by a stiffening intermediate part (6). 2. A device according to Claim 1, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the intermediate part (6) con¬ sists of an annular spacer sleeve (7) and a plurality of spacer rings (8) . 3. A device according to Claim 2, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the spacer sleeve (7) is firmly connected at one end thereof to one of said wheels and at the other end has a recess for accommodating a spacer ring (8). 4. A device according to Claim 2, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the profile width is propor¬ tional to the length of the intermediate part (6) and the number of spacer rings (8) . 5. A device according to Claim 1, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the stiffening intermediate part (6) is positioned at a distance of one-half the wheel radius. 6. A device according to Claim 1, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the intermediate part (6) is an annular sleeve which is removably fixed between the wheels.

Inventors: NAESLUND GUSTAV, NAESLUND, GUSTAV
Applicants: NORDISK PLAATFORMNING, NPF NORDISK PLAATFORMNING AB
Application year: 1990
Main classification: B21D13
IPC codes: B21D5, B21D13