Abstract:
An encaustic metal tile fabrication equipment includes a roller unit operated to roll an encaustic metal sheet into a corrugated encaustic metal sheet, a shape forming mechanism having a first shape forming mold unit and a second shape forming mold unit and operated to process the corrugated encaustic metal sheet into an encaustic metal tile having a bend with a recessed portion, and a cutting unit operated to cut the finished encaustic metal tile to the desired size.

Description:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to an encaustic metal tile fabrication equipment, and more particularly to such an encaustic metal tile fabrication equipment which automatically fabricates encaustic metal tiles without causing a damage to the coating of the finished metal tiles. 
   Conventionally, an encaustic metal tile  11  is made by: roller ramming an encaustic metal sheet into a corrugated encaustic metal sheet, then operating the upper die and bottom die of a press to stamp the corrugated encaustic metal sheet into an encaustic metal tile having bends, and then cutting the finished encaustic metal tiles to the desired size. When the corrugated encaustic metal sheet is stamped into an encaustic metal tile having bends, the coating of the corrugated encaustic metal sheet tends to be damaged. 
   The present invention provides an encaustic metal tile fabrication equipment which eliminates the aforesaid problems. According to the present invention, the encaustic metal tile fabrication equipment comprises a roller unit operated to roll an encaustic metal sheet into a corrugated encaustic metal sheet, a shaped forming mechanism having a first shape forming mold unit and a second shaped forming mold unit and operated to process the corrugated encaustic metal sheet into an encaustic metal tile having a bend with a recessed portion, and a cutting unit operated to cut the finished encaustic metal tile to the desired size. The first shaped forming mold unit is operated to process a part of the corrugated encaustic metal sheet into a curved face. The curved face is then processed by the second shape forming mold unit into a bend having a recessed portion. This processing procedure does not damage the coating of the corrugated encaustic metal sheet. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a corrugated encaustic metal sheet processed through a roller ramming machine according to the prior art. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a plurality of encaustic metal tiles arrangement together according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a sectional view of an encaustic metal tile according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a side view of an encaustic metal tile fabrication equipment according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view in an enlarged scale of a part of the encaustic metal tile fabrication equipment shown in  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 6  is another perspective view of the present invention when viewed from another angle. 
       FIG. 7  is a side view of the present invention before the insertion of the corrugated encaustic metal sheet into the first shape forming mold unit and the second shape forming mold unit. 
       FIG. 7A  is a sectional view taken along line  7 A— 7 A of  FIG. 7 . 
       FIG. 8  is similar to  FIG. 7  but showing the upper die of the first shape forming mold unit pressed on the corrugated encaustic metal sheet against the respective bottom die. 
       FIG. 8A  is a sectional view taken along line  8 A— 8 A of  FIG. 8 . 
       FIG. 9  is similar to  FIG. 8  but showing the upper die and bottom die of the second shape forming mold unit operated, a curved face formed at the corrugated encaustic metal sheet. 
       FIG. 9A  is a sectional view taken along line  9 A— 9 A of  FIG. 9 . 
       FIG. 10  is similar to  FIG. 9  but showing the upper die and bottom die of the second shape forming mold unit moved toward the upper die and bottom die of the first shape forming mold unit, a bend formed at the curved face of the corrugated encaustic metal sheet. 
       FIG. 10A  is a sectional view taken along line  10 A— 10 A of  FIG. 10 . 
       FIG. 11  is an exploded view of the upper die and bottom die of the first shape forming mold unit and the upper die and bottom die of the second shape forming mold unit according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the upper die and bottom die of the first shape forming mold unit and the upper die and bottom die of the second shape forming mold unit according to the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring to  FIGS. 2 through 12 , an encaustic metal sheet  1  is processed through a roller unit  2  into a corrugated encaustic metal sheet  11 , then processed through a first shape forming mold unit  31  and second shape forming mold unit  32  of a shape forming mechanism  3  into encaustic metal tiles  12 , and then cut to the desired length through a cutting unit  4 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  11  and  12 , the first shape forming mold unit  31  is disposed behind the roller unit  2 , comprised of an upper die holder  311  an upper die  312  fixedly fastened to the upper die holder  31 , a bottom die holder  313 , and a bottom die  314  fixedly fastened to the bottom die holder  313 . The upper die holder  311  is reciprocated vertically by hydraulic cylinders  6  relative to the bottom die holder  313 . When the corrugated encaustic metal sheet  1  is inserted into the space between the bottom die  314  and the upper die  312 , the upper die holder  311  is lowered to press the upper die  312  on the corrugated encaustic metal sheet  1  against the bottom die  314 , thereby causing the corrugated encaustic metal sheet  1  to be stamped into shape. 
   The second shape forming mold unit  32  is disposed adjacent to the first shape forming mold unit  31 . Hydraulic cylinders  7  are horizontally disposed below the bottom die holder  313 , each having a piston rod  71  respectively connected to a horizontal slide  33 . The second shape forming mold unit  32  is mounted on the horizontal slide  33 . When the hydraulic cylinders  7  are operated, the horizontal slide  33  is moved forwards/backwards with the piston rods  71 , and therefore the distance between the second shape forming mold unit  32  and the first shape forming mold unit  31  is relatively adjusted. The hydraulic cylinders  5  are fixedly vertically fastened to the bottom die holder  313  at the bottom side, each having a piston rod  51  fixedly connected to a transverse bar  318 . Links  315  and  316  are bilaterally coupled between the transverse bar  318  and the upper die holder  311 . When the hydraulic cylinders  5  are operated, the upper die holder  311  is moved vertically upwards or downwards. 
   The horizontal slide  33  which carries the second shape forming mold unit  32  comprises two sliding grooves  331  longitudinally arranged in parallel at its bottom side wall and coupled to parallel rails  91  at the top side of the machine base  9 . The horizontal slide  33  is connected to the front ends of the piston rods  71  of the hydraulic cylinders  7 . when the hydraulic cylinders  7  are operated, the horizontal slide  33  is moved along the rails  91 , causing the bottom die holder  323 , which holds a bottom die  324 , and upper die holder  321 , which holds an upper die  322 , of the second shape forming mold unit  32  to be moved with the horizontal slide  33  relative to the first shape forming mold unit  31 . The hydraulic cylinders  6  are respectively mounted on the horizontal slide  33 , each having a vertically extended piston rod  61  respectively connected to a horizontal bar  328 . Two links  325  and  326  are coupled between the transverse bar  328  and the bottom die holder  323  of the second shape forming mold unit  32 . Hydraulic cylinders  8  are fixedly mounted on the horizontal slide  33  at the bottom side, and operated to move the bottom die holder  323  of the second shape forming mold unit  32  vertically. 
   When the corrugated encaustic metal sheet  11  is inserted in between the upper die holder  311  and bottom die holder  313  of the first shape forming mold unit  31  and the upper die holder  321  and bottom die holder  323  of the second shape forming mold unit  32  (see  FIGS. 7 ,  7 A and  11 ), the hydraulic cylinders  5  are operated to lower the upper die holder  311  of the first shape forming mold unit  31 , causing the upper die  312  to be pressed on the corrugated encaustic metal sheet  11  against the bottom die  314  of the first shape forming mold unit  31  (see  FIGS. 8 ,  8 A and  11 ), then the hydraulic cylinders  6  and  8  are operated to move the upper die holder  321  and the bottom die holder  323 , causing a part of the corrugated encaustic metal sheet  11  to be stamped by the upper die  322  and bottom die  324  of the second shape forming mold unit  32  into curved face  121 , and then the hydraulic cylinders  7  are operated to move the horizontal slide  33  toward the first shape forming mold unit  31 , causing the curved face  121  to be carried with the upper die  322  and bottom die  324  of the second shape forming mold unit  32  toward the upper die  312  and bottom die  314  of the first shape fo 4 rming mold unit  31  (see  FIGS. 10 and 10A ), and therefore a bend  122  is formed at the curved face  121 . 
   The upper die  312  of the first shape forming mold unit  31  comprises a protruded rib  3121  raised along the bottom side of the vertical front side wall  3120  thereof. The bottom die  324  of the second shape forming mold unit  32  comprises a protruded rib  3241  raised along the top side of the vertical back side wall  3240  thereof. When the corrugated encaustic metal sheet  11  is carried with the upper die  322  and bottom die  324  of the second shape forming mold unit  32  towards the upper die  312  and bottom die  314  of the first shape forming mold unit  31 , the curved face  121  of the corrugated encaustic metal sheet  11  is processed into a bend  122  having a recessed portion  1221 . Because the bend  122  has a recessed portion  1221 , the bending line  1222  at the bottom side of the bend  122  is kept from sight when encaustic metal tiles are arranged together on the roof of a building (see  FIGS. 2 and 3 ).