Tube forming machine using three point bending

Abstract: A tube forming machine for making a tube from a sheet is disclosed. The forming rolls of this invention include various V-shaped rolls at least some of which are used as part of a three-point bending technique. The three-point bending technique entails the use of a V-shaped bottom roll and a narrow top roll. The sheet is shaped running the sheet through a gap between the narrow top roll and the V-shaped bottom roll. The technique allows a wide variety of tubing to be made from the same set of forming rolls, because the curvature obtained in a sheet can be varied by opening or closing the gap. A V-shaped forming roll disclosed herein is also used at a pinch roll stand with a second complementary V-shaped roll. The pinch roll stand of this invention creates an initial V-shaped sheet which facilitates the threading of the sheet at the start of a forming operation. Brimmed rolls are also disclosed. Brimmed rolls have a relatively sharp included angle, and are used to engage the edges of a sheet and to press the sheet against a single bottom roll in brimmed roll stand.

Description: BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a station of an apparatus for manufacturing tubing from sheet stock using a series of rolls. In particular, the invention relates to a station tube forming machine which provides a number of advantages over prior art machines. A station of the type defined in the pre-characterising part of claim 1 is known from GB-A- 444 469. Steel tubes have for many years been produced by forming an initially flat sheet or strip into a round shape using cage rolls, cluster rolls and fin-pass rolls, and eventually welding the edges of the sheet together to form a seam. Conventional equipment utilizing such rolls for the formation of steel tubing from strips can be seen in U.S.-A-5,673,579 and 5,784,911. Because a large component in the cost of producing steel tubing from sheet material is the cost of the sheet material itself, producers of steel tubing are often forced by competition to use the least expensive sheet steel available. However, inexpensive sheet stock often has more variability in the hardness, thickness and other important properties of the sheet as compared to more expensive sheet stock. When inexpensive steel sheet is used with traditional tube forming machines and techniques, a number of problems arise. Those problems include twisting of the sheet as it passes through the various rolling stands, difficulty in controlling the position of the sheet, and difficulty in feeding the sheet at the start of a continuous tube forming operation. Conventional tube forming machines require rolls to be changed frequently in order to form tubing having different sizes and wall thicknesses. It is therefore desirable to provide a tube forming machine which has improved ability to handle inexpensive sheet steel and which has increased capacity to make tubing from different forming rolls. Important objectives in the design of tube forming equipment include ease of initial threading of the strip into and through the machine, consistent positioning of the sheet both at the forming stands and at the point in the process where the edges of the sheet are welded to form a seam, efficient handling of the strip without damaging either the edges or the surfaces of the sheet, and ability for the machine to handle a wide range of tubing sizes and wall thicknesses without changing the forming rolls. The present invention utilizes three point bending techniques at various stages in the tube forming operation. One of the three point bending techniques of the present invention involves the use of a V-shaped roll and an opposing narrow roll, with the extent of curvature obtained depending on the relative position, i.e., the proximity, of the two roll. If the narrow roll is brought closer to the V-shaped roll with which it cooperates, a smaller diameter is obtained. Conversely, if the gap between the narrow roll and the V-shaped roll is increased, a larger diameter results. The present invention also utilizes a V-shaped bottom and top roll at an initial or pinch roll stand. The flat surfaces of opposing V-shaped rolls at the first stand in the machine results in improved gripping of the sheet for purposes of driving the sheet through subsequent stands. The resulting V-shaped profile of the sheet after it leaves the initial pinch roll stand is a strong shape for purposes of driving the sheet as it is threaded through the remaining non-driven stands. The initial forming stand is equipped with a duplex regulating system in which hydraulic pressure is used to pinch the sheet between the two V-shaped rolls. Each side of the top roll of the initial station may be independently controlled for purposes of adjusting pressures applied to each side of a sheet being processed to compensate for variability of thickness of the sheet material. The tube forming machine described below also includes the use of a brimmed roll in which a circumferential slot is formed between two angled surfaces. A pair of brimmed rolls are used to engage the edges of a sheet, and the two brimmed rolls cooperate with a concave bottom roll to form the sheet into a smoothly rounded cross-section. More detailed descriptions of the invention disclosed herein are set forth below and will be better understood upon a reading of the following specification read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is an overall side elevational view of a machine embodying the present invention; Figure 2 is a top plan view of the machine shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a diagram showing the various stages of the tube forming process for large diameter tubing (right side) and small diameter tubing (left side); Figure 4 is an elevational view in partial section of driving stands of the machine, the right cross-sectional portion corresponding to the first driving stand and the left cross-sectional portion corresponding to the second driving stand; Figure 5 is a top plan view of the stands shown in Figure 4 with the rolls not shown; Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the station shown in Figures 4 and 5; Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the hydraulic circuit used to apply clamping pressure at an initial driving stand of the machine; Figure 8 is a partial side elevational view of a driving stand embodying the present invention showing the vertical adjustability of the rolls; Figure 9 is an elevational view in partial section of the adjustment mechanism for a bottom roll; Figure 10 is an elevational view in partial section of a forming roll stand of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 11 is a top plan view of the stand shown in Figure 10; Figure 12 is a side elevational view of the stand shown in Figures 10 and 11; Figure 13 is an enlarged elevational view in partial section of the mechanism used to vertically adjust the rolls shown in Figure 10; Figure 14 is an enlarged elevational view in partial section of a three point bending stand according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 15 is an enlarged elevational view in partial section of a second three point bending stand embodying the present invention; Figure 16 is an enlarged elevational view in partial section of a third three point bending stand embodying the present invention; Figure 17 is an enlarged elevational view in partial section of a fourth three-point bending stand embodying the present invention; Figure 18 is an enlarged elevational view in partial section of a top and bottom roll at a three point bending stand according to a preferred form of the present invention; Figures 19 and 20 are elevational views of a top and bottom roll showing alternative ways in which the rolls may be adjusted to obtain different curvature in a workpiece; Figure 21 is an elevational view in partial section of a forming stand, which does not fall under the scope of the present invention, in which brimmed rolls are utilized; Figure 22 is a side elevational view of one side of the stand shown in Figure 21; Figure 23 is a top plan view of the stand shown in Figure 21; Figure 24 is a elevational view in partial section of a brimmed roll and its mounting; Figure 25 is a top plan view of the roll and mounting shown in Figure 24; Figure 26 is a side elevational view of the roll and mounting shown in Figure 24; Figure 27 is an elevational view showing two brimmed rolls and a bottom roll at a forming stand which does not comprise the present invention; Figure 28 is a top plan view in partial section of a brimmed roll and its mounting mechanism; Figure 29 is an end elevational view of a cage roll stand; Figure 30 is a side elevational view of the cage roll stand shown in Figure 29; Figure 31 is a diagram of the rolls in a cage roll stand; and Figures 32 and 33 are examples in plan view of conventional tube forming machines. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing the various forming stations used in accordance with the present invention. The tube forming machine of the present invention includes pinch roll stands 11 at the first and fourth stations shown in Figure 1. The second, third, fifth and sixth stations are three point bending stands 21. The seventh through twelfth stations are alternating brim roll stands 31 and cage roll stands 41. After the alternating brimmed and cage roll stands, a series of three fin-pass stations 51 operate on the sheet which is to be formed into tubing. The final rolling station is a squeeze roll station 61, after which the sheet is welded along a longitudinal seam. As can be seen in the top plan view of Figure 2, the pinch roll stands and the fin-pass stands 51 are used to drive and pull, respectively, the sheet through the tube forming machine. Figure 2 shows the profile of the sheet as it progresses from the initial pinch roll stand through the fin-pass stands. The profile designated 211a corresponds to the initial pinch roll stand at the left end of Figures 1 and 2. The profiles marked 221a through 221d correspond to the profile at the four three point bending stands 21. The profiles designated 231a through 241c correspond to the shape of the sheet at the series of six alternating brimmed rolls and cage roll stands shown in the center portion of Figures 1 and 2. Finally, the profile designated 251a corresponds to the shape of the sheet at the fin-pass stands 51. The angle "α" (alpha) shown in the lower portion of Figure 3 is the angle with respect to the horizontal of each side of the initial V-shape of the sheet as it is formed by the top and bottom roll of the pinch roll stands shown in Figures 1 and 2. The V-shaped transverse cross-section of a sheet formed by the combination of the first and second pinch roll stands 11 will have good resistance to buckling as it is passed through non-driven roll stands. This resistance to buckling is particularly important with respect to initial threading of a strip at the time when the machine is first started into operation. Figures 4, 5 and 6 are elevational views of a pinch roll stand 11 with its top and bottom rolls driven by drive equipment 12. The drive equipment 12 includes a gear box 12b driven by an electric motor 12a. The upper drive spindle 14a and lower drive spindle 14b are connected to the gear box 12b and are also connected to the top roll shaft 16a and bottom roll shaft 17a, respectively. It should be noted that the right hand portion of the top roll corresponds to the first pinch roll stand in Figures 1 and 2, while the left portion of the top roll shown in Figure 4 corresponds to the second pinch roll stand in Figures 1 and 2, which is the fourth in the series of stations shown therein. Because the top and bottom rolls shown in Figure 4 provide the driving force for the sheet as it is threaded through the tube forming machine of the present invention, it is important that good gripping contact exists between the sheet and the top and bottom rolls. To achieve this, hydraulic cylinder/piston assemblies 15 apply downward force to the shaft 16a which supports the top rolls 16. A keyway 16b formed in the shaft 16a receives a corresponding projection which allows the transfer of driving force to the shaft 16a and to the top roll 16. A roll stand frame 13b supports the roll shafts 16a and 17a. An electric motor 13e operates the height adjustment 13d for the lower roll 17. As in the case of the upper roll 16, the lower roll 17 has a key which fits into a keyway 17b to allow driving forces to be transferred from the lower drive spindle 14b to the lower roll 17. The ends of the shafts 16a and 17a are each supported in a bearing box such as 13f. The bearing boxes 13f are supported by a frame 13b. Figure 7 is a diagram of the hydraulic circuit used to operate the assemblies 15 which apply clamping pressure to the sheet as it passes through the pinch roll stands 11. A hydraulic pump 110 supplies hydraulic fluid from oil reservoirs 120. A solenoid operated directional valve 111 is used to control the flow of hydraulic fluid from the pump to the driving side of the piston within the assemblies 15. The pilot operated check valve 112 prevents backflow of hydraulic fluid in the direction of the solenoid operated directional valve 111. A speed control valve 113 is used as a main control of large flows of hydraulic fluid to the pressing cylinder/piston assemblies 15, whereby hydraulic fluid is used to apply and release clamping pressure to the top roll of a pinch roll stand 11. More precise (i.e., fine) control of clamping pressure is achieved by an operator who may send a signal to the electrical signal converter 115 to apply more or less clamping pressure to one or both cylinders 15. The circuit uses the pressure regulators 114 and 116 to increase or decrease the pressure applied by the pistons within the cylinder/piston assemblies 115. Indeed, the operator in some instances may want to apply more pressure upon one side of a roll than upon another the opposite side of the same roll to compensate for uneveness in the thickness, hardness, friction or other property of a strip being processed. Pressure relief valves 119 are in the circuit to protect against machine breakage in the event that the rolls encounter an obstacle. The main hydraulic pressure sensors 117 provide a reading of the pressure within the pressing assemblies 15 at the main control panel of the machine. Auxiliary pressure gauges 118 allow visual inspection of the pressure being applied to the clamping rolls at the pinch roll stands 11. As can be seen in Figure 8, the pressing assemblies 15 are used to raise and lower the top roll of the pinch roll stands 11. The driving equipment 12 is linked by the drive shafts 14a and 14b through universal joints at each end to the shafts upon which are carried the top and bottom rolls of the pinch roll stands 11. Figure 9 shows the basic elements of the mechanism used to raise and lower the bottom roll of a pinch roll stand 11. The bottom roll shaft 17a, upon which is mounted the bottom roll 17, extends into a bearing box 124. The bearing box 124 is mounted to a lifting screw 123 which is raised and lowered by rotation of the worm wheel 121. Rotation of the worm wheel 121 is achieved by rotation of the worm 120. Figures 10, 11, 12 and 13 are end elevational, top plan and side elevational views, respectively, of a three point bending roll stand 21. A three point bending roll stand 21 embodying the present invention includes a pair of opposing rolls, a top roll 91 and a bottom roll 94. Each pair is mounted to a main vertical frame 21b which carries a forming roll mechanism 21a, described in more detail below. The forming roll mechanism 21a is carried by a vertical slide frame 77 which slides along a vertical slide rail 78. Rotation of the screw rod 75a causes the raising and lowering of the slide frame 77 and the forming roll mechanism 21a. The screw rod 75a is rotated by operation of the forming roll height adjust drive motor 72 through drive worm shaft 72a and worm wheel 75. Horizontal adjustment of the main vertical frames 21b is achieved by operation of the forming roll with adjust drive motor 71. Operation of the motor 71 causes rotation of the driving worm shaft 71a which causes horizontal movement of the main vertical frames 21b, toward and away from each other depending on the direction of the rotation of the shaft 71a. Figures 14 through 18 are more detailed depictions of the forming roll mechanisms of a three point bending stand 21. Each forming roll mechanism includes a roll gap adjusting motor 82 which drives a pinion 82a. The pinion 82a engages a gear fixed to the end of a screw rod 83. The screw rod 83 is axially fixed but rotatable within an internally threaded member 84 such that rotation of the screw rod 83 results in movement of the threaded member 84 along the screw rod 83. The top roll holder 85 is connected to the threaded member 84 and slides along a top roll slide roll 86 when the screw rod 83 is rotated within the threaded member 84. Motion of the top roll holder 85 along the slide rail 86 causes movement of the top roll 91 towards or away from the bottom roll 94. As can be seen in Figures 14 through 18, the main adjustment of the position of the top roll 91 is at an angle of about 45° relative to horizontal. A fine adjustment mechanism 89 may be used to further adjust the position of the top roll 91 with respect to its associated bottom roll 94. The bottom roll 94 is mounted to a bottom roll support shaft 93 which is in turn carried by a bottom roll holder 95. The bottom roll holder 95 is attached to and carried by a vertical base plate 81. Depending upon the gap between the top roll 91 and the bottom roll 94, the curvature of the sheet passing through the rolls 91 and 94 can be increased or decreased by the use of the three point bending technique which will be described in more detail below. Each of the bottom rolls 94 shown in Figures 14 through 18 has a V-shaped configuration which supplies two of the three points in a three point bending technique. The top roll 91 is a generally narrow roll which provides the third and middle point of a three point bending operation. As can be seen in Figures 19 and 20, bringing the top roll 91 close to the bottom roll 94 results in a relatively sharp, or small radius, curvature in the sheet between the rolls for use in making smaller diameter tubing. In contrast, the provision of a larger gap between the top roll 91 and the bottom roll 94 results in a less curved sheet as shown in Figure 19, which results in larger diameter tubing. The same top and bottom rolls are used in each case, thus reducing costs associated with the manufacture (or acquisition) or rolls and the labor and down-time associated with changing rolls. The shape and orientation of the top rolls 91 and bottom rolls 94 in a three-point bending stand 21 are important. The bottom rolls 94 have an overall V-shaped configuration, with each bottom roll 94 having two frustoconical (i.e. partially conical) sections which meet at a circumferential crease. The crease defines a plate in which the bottom rolls 94 are disposed. The planes defined by the two bottom rolls of a three-point bending stand are generally parallel to the longitudinal axis (or Z-axis ) of the machine, i.e. they are generally parallel to the direction of the flow of workpiece material through the machine. The three points (or workpiece engagement locations) referred to as part of a three-point bending technique are the two points of contact on the V-shaped bottom rolls 94, and the single point of contact provided by the narrow top roll 91. The degree of curvature obtained by this combination of rolls can be varied greatly simply by adjusting the gap between the rolls. Depending upon the thickness of the sheet material and the distance between the top and bottom rolls, a small or large diameter bend will be imparted to the sheet. One distinct advantage of using a three-point bending technique of the present invention is the reduced amount of friction as compared with tube forming methods in which there is broad lengths of contact between a forming roll and a workpiece. The broad lengths of contact not only create added friction which is not the case with the present invention, but more contact can, in some instances, result in a greater chance for marring of the surface of tube, which can result in tubing products which are not acceptable to customers. It should be noted that planes as they are referred to herein, and in the tube forming field generally, are defined with reference to axes, i.e. the X-axis being the transverse horizontal axis (with respect to work flow), the Y-axis being a vertical transverse axis, and the Z-axis being the longitudinal axis or the direction of work flow. A plane is sometimes identified by reference to the axes which lie in or are parallel to the plane. Figures 21, 22 and 23 are end elevational, side elevational and top plan views, respectively, of a brimmed roll stand 31 which are described to aid understanding, but do not fall within the scope of the present invention. The brimmed rolls 133a are carried by brimmed roll holders 133, each of which includes an adjusting mechanism. The brimmed roll holders 133 are mounted to main vertical frames 132. The lateral positions of which are controlled in a manner similar to the lateral position adjustment mechanism of previously described three-point roll stands 21 shown in Figure 10, i.e., the lateral position is adjusted by operation of the width adjust drive motor 137, and the vertical position of the brimmed roll holders 133 is adjusted by operation of the height adjust drive motor 136. The brimmed roll stand 31 includes a pair of brimmed rolls 133a, each of which engages an edge of a sheet. The shape of a brimmed roll, as shown in Figures 24 and 25, includes a cicumferential slot with frustoconical sections forming an angle of somewhat less than about 90 degrees. A third or bottom roll 139 in a brimmed roll stand 31 engages the underside of the sheet to support and provide upward bending force to the sheet which is resisted by the two brimmed rolls 133a. The vertical position of the bottom roll 139 is adjusted by operation of the bottom roll height adjust drive motor 136. The motor 135 drives the drive shaft 135b which is connected to a worm and worm wheel gearbox 135a. Adjustment of the brimmed roll body 144, as shown in Figures 24, 25, 26 and 28, is in the X-Y plane. Vertical adjustment in the X-Y plane of the position of the brimmed roll body 144 is achieved by use of adjustment mechanism 142. Rotation of the shaft 142a results in rotation of the worm 142c carried thereby. The worm 142c engages the teeth 145a in the top roll holder 145, and rotational movement of the worm 142c results in rotation upward and downward of the brimmed roll holder 145 and brimmed roll body 144. Dotted lines in Figure 28 show various positions of the brimmed roll assembly 133a which are achievable by rotation of the worm 142c. It should be noted that the worm and associated teeth are shown schematically without reference numerals in Figures 21 and 24. Figure 29 shows a cage roll stand 41 of the kind used in combination with other roll stands, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Opposing forming roll assemblies 153 include cage rolls 161 act upon a sheet in combination with a single bottom roll 159. Each cage roll 161 is held by a cage roll holder 163, and each cage roll 161 pivots on a cage roll shaft 162. The cage roll holders are mounted to main vertical frames 152, which include vertical slide rails 153b. The cage roll holders 163 are raised and lowered by rotation of the screw rod 153c within a threaded bore in the cage roll holders 163. The lateral position of the cage rolls 161 is adjusted by operation of the cage roll width adjusting motor 157 which moves the vertical frames 152 on slide rails 152b. The cage roll height adjusting motor 156 is used to raise and lower the cage roll holders 163 (and the cage rolls 161). The drive motor 155 drives the shaft 155b, which connects to the gear box 155a, to raise and lower the bottom roll 159. Figure 31 shows the rolls 161 and 159 which are typical of the cage roll stands 41.

Claims: A station (21) of a tube forming machine comprising at least one set of forming rolls, the said at least one set including a first V-shaped bottom roll (94) and a first top toll (91) opposing the first V-shaped bottom roll (94), the first V-shaped bottom roll (94) and the first top roll (91) defining a first group of three workpiece engagement locations, the said first group of three locations defining a first three-point bending arrangement between the said at least one set of forming rolls, characterised in that the top roll (91) is adjustable toward and away from the bottom roll (94) with the top roll (91) being movable to a plurality of positions defining a line of adjustability, and the bottom roll (94) being mounted rotatably to a bottom roll holder (95) by a bottom roll support shaft (93), the bottom roll support shaft (93) being generally perpendicular to the said line of adjustability, whereby the top roll (91) and the bottom roll (94) are usable together to form tubes with different diameters. A station (21) of a tube forming machine according to claim 1, characterised in that it further comprises a second set of forming rolls, the second set having a second V-shaped bottom roll (94) and a second top roll (91) opposing the said second V-shaped bottom roll (94), the said second set of forming rolls defining a second set of three workpiece engagement locations, the said second set of three workpiece engagement locations defining a second three-point bending arrangement between the said second pair of rolls, the said second top roll (91) being adjustable toward and away from the said second bottom roll (94), with the said second top roll (91) being movable to a plurality of positions defining a second line of adjustability, and the said second bottom roll (94) being mounted rotatably to a bottom roll holder (95) by a second bottom roll support shaft (93), the said second bottom roll support shaft (93) being generally perpendicular to the said second line of adjustability. A station (21) of a tube forming machine according to claim 2, characterised in that the first and second sets of forming rolls are laterally adjacent to one another and, in use opposite sides of a strip of workpiece material are partially formed into a tubular shape by the first and second set of rolls at a single three point bending stand. A station (21) of a tube forming machine according to any preceding claim, characterised in that said first V-shaped bottom roll (94) has a central circumferential crease with frustoconical portions adjacent to each side of the said crease, the said crease defining a plane, the said plane being generally parallel to a direction of flow of the workpiece material through the said station, the said top roll (91) being movable generally along the said plane to form a gap between the said top roll (91) and the said bottom roll (94), the said gap being usable to determine the curvature imparted to the workpiece material as it passes between the said set of rolls. A tube forming machine comprising a station (21) as claimed in any preceding claim.

Inventors: KUSAKABE YUKIO, MORI HIROKAZU, OMURA KAZUO, KUSAKABE, YUKIO, MORI, HIROKAZU, OMURA, KAZUO
Applicants: KUSAKABE ELECTRIC & MACHINERY, KUSAKABE ELECTRIC & MACHINERY CO., LIMITED
Application year: 1999
Main classification: B21D5
IPC codes: B21C37, B23K13, B21D5