Patent Publication Number: US-6212773-B1

Title: Method of shaping profiled frame members, and method of manufacturing frames

Description:
The present invention relates in particular to a method of shaping profiled frame members, to a method of manufacturing frames, to frames made from profiled members and to profiled members of specific structure. 
     The techniques currently employed for manufacturing frames which are to form casings, opening leaves or fixed frames for producing closures or walls are very cumbersome owing to the fact that the profiled members exhibit sections which are completely different from one frame to the next so that the positions of the tools of the machines which are used to manufacture the frames have to be set each time. 
     This is why all that can be done is to prefabricate all the pieces of profiled members which are to form the opening leaves and store them, to manufacture the frames forming these opening leaves and to store them, then to prefabricate all the pieces of profiled members which are to form the casings and store them, to manufacture the frames constituting these casings and to store them. It is then necessary to take them back up one after another, fitting them out or sorting them in terms of size in order actually to make closures. 
     The object of the present invention is to overcome these drawbacks in particular, at least in part. 
     The foremost subject of the present invention is a method of shaping profiled members in which method the profiled members undergo shaping operations, particularly drilling, milling or punching, on a machine using at least one tool. 
     According to the invention, this method consists in presetting the position of the tools of a set of interconnected tools with respect to at least one reference surface of the machine. Furthermore, it consists, in succession for each of the profiled members to be shaped, in placing a predetermined reference face of the profiled member to be shaped on the reference surface of the machine, in moving the tools in unison with respect to said profiled member to be shaped mounted on the machine so as to carry out the shaping operation executed by at least one tool of said set of tools in at least one lateral wall of this profiled member, and in removing said profiled member from the machine after shaping; the presetting of the tools and the shape of the profiled members being such that profiled members of different sections may undergo the desired operations with the use respectively of the tools corresponding to these operations selected from said set of tools. 
     According to the invention, the aforementioned tools may in particular be rotary machining tools, punching tools, clamping tools, tools for welding, for example spot welding, pinning or other operations. 
     In an alternative, the method according to the invention, in which the operation to be carried out is a punching operation, consists, after having placed in the profiled member to be shaped an inner piece engaged longitudinally inside this profiled member, in placing this profiled member to be shaped on the reference surface of the machine, and in carrying out the punching operation using at least one of the punching tools of said set of tools so as to deform the profiled member inward, into a hollow part of said piece. 
     Another subject of the present invention is a method of manufacturing frames each comprising profiled members connected by joining pieces respectively engaged longitudinally in the adjacent profiled members of the frame, on a punching machine using punching tools. 
     According to the invention, this method consists in presetting the position of the tools of a set of interconnected punching tools with respect to at least one reference surface of the machine. Furthermore, it consists, in succession for each of the frames to be manufactured, and after they have been preassembled using said joining pieces, in placing a predetermined reference face of the frame to be manufactured, of one side of the frame, on the reference surface of the machine, in moving the punching tools in unison with respect to said profiled member to be shaped mounted on the machine so as to carry out the punching operation using at least one of the punching tools of said set of punching tools in order to deform the profiled members inward, into hollow parts of said joining pieces, and in removing said frame from the machine after punching; the presetting of the punching tools and the shape of the profiled members being such that frames respectively exhibiting profiled members of different sections can undergo the desired punching operations with the use respectively of the punching tools corresponding to these operations selected from said set of punching tools. 
     The method of manufacturing frames according to the invention may advantageously consist in preassembling the frame in such a way that its opposed parts are separated, in placing the predetermined reference face of this frame on the reference surface of the machine, in placing a panel in the space of the frame, in bringing the opposed parts of the frame closer together so as to engage the edges of the panel in slots of the frame and in carrying out the punching operation. 
     The method of manufacturing frames according to the invention may advantageously consist in placing said frame sideways on to said sets of punching tools. 
     According to the method of manufacturing frames of the invention, each frame may advantageously be formed by profiled members of identical section. 
     The method of manufacturing frames according to the invention may advantageously consist, in succession for each of the frames to be manufactured, in preparing four pieces of a profiled member and in executing the aforementioned preassembly operation. 
     Another subject of the present invention is frames formed respectively by profiled members of different sections. 
     According to the invention, these frames preferably exhibit a reference face on one side, and they exhibit shaped regions executed laterally and of which at least some of the regions of each of the frames are situated equal distances away from their reference face and of which the other regions of each of the frames do not correspond to one another, these other regions of one of the frames corresponding to hollow or lateral parts of the other frame. 
     According to the invention, each frame is preferably formed by profiled members of identical section. 
     According to the invention, the shaped regions may be punched regions. 
     Another subject of the present invention is profiled members of specific structure. 
     Another subject of the present invention is a profiled member of L-shaped section, which preferably comprises, in its first flange, two superposed longitudinal channels, and in its second flange, one longitudinal channel offset toward the outside, in the direction of its first flange with respect to the channel in the latter which is adjacent to it. 
     According to the invention, its first flange may advantageously exhibit, between its channels, longitudinal joining strips, preferably made of a thermally insulating material. 
     According to the invention, the edge of its second flange exhibits a free-standing wall turned back toward its first flange. 
     According to the invention, it exhibits a longitudinal rib in the inner region where its aforementioned flanges meet. 
     Another subject of the present invention is a profiled member which comprises at least one first longitudinal channel adjacent to a second longitudinal channel and to a longitudinal slot extending opposite this second channel. 
     According to the invention, it comprises, opposite its aforementioned slot, a free-standing wall which extends its wall opposite its second channel and this slot. 
    
    
     The present invention will be better understood upon a study of profiled members and of frames manufactured from these profiled members and of a machine for this manufacture, which are described by way of non-limiting examples and are illustrated by the drawing in which: 
     FIG. 1 represents a transverse section through an upright or crosspiece of a closure with an opening leaf; 
     FIG. 2 represents a transverse section through an upright or crosspiece of a fixed closure; 
     FIG. 3 represents a plan view of a frame punching machine; 
     FIG. 4 represents a lateral view of an operating head of the machine of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 represents a plan view of an operating head of the machine of FIG. 3 in its initial position before operations; 
     FIG. 6 represents a plan view of an operating head of the machine of FIG. 3 in its final position after operations; 
     FIG. 7 represents a section of an operating head of the machine of FIG. 3 in its position of executing operations on a profiled member; 
     FIG. 8 represents a section of an operating head of the machine of FIG. 3 in its initial position of executing operations on another profiled member; 
     FIG. 9 represents a section of an operating head of the machine of FIG. 3 in its final position of executing operations on this other profiled member. 
    
    
     Referring now to FIG. 1, closure  1  includes a frame forming a casing  2  and an opening leaf  3 . This opening leaf may be a window or a door. 
     The uprights and cross pieces of the casing frame  2 , which have identical sections, are manufactured from a profiled member  4 . 
     The profiled member  4  comprises an outer profiled member  5  and an inner profiled member  6 . These profiled members  5  and  6  exhibit opposed walls  8  and  9  which are parallel to the plane of the frame, and which exhibit opposed ribs between which are engaged the longitudinal joining strips  7  made of an insulating material which avoids thermal bridging between the outer profiled member  5  and the inner profiled member  6 . 
     The profiled member  5  comprises, starting from its wall  8 , walls  10 ,  11  and  12  which extend outward, the wall  11  being placed between and some distance from the walls  10  and  12  and being wider than them. 
     The outer edge of the wall  12  is connected to the wall  11 , substantially at its middle, by a wall  13  substantially parallel to the wall  8 , so that a longitudinal channel  14  is delimited between the opposed walls  8  and  13  and the opposed walls  11  and  12 . 
     Starting from the outer edges of the walls  10  and  11 , the profiled member  5  comprises longitudinal walls  15  and  16  which extend, opposite the longitudinal channel  14 , parallel to the plane of the frame  2 , their edges being connected by a longitudinal wall  17  perpendicular to this plane so that the profiled member  5  exhibits a longitudinal channel  18  of L-shaped section and bounded by the walls  10 ,  11 ,  15 ,  16  and  17 . The wall  16  constitutes the outer face of the frame  2 . 
     In the longitudinal channel  18 , the wall  16  exhibits a projecting longitudinal rib  19  situated facing the wall  10 . 
     In the corner between the walls  8  and  10 , the profiled member  5  exhibits a longitudinal wall  20 , which extends the wall  8  and is inclined slightly toward the wall  15 . This wall  20  exhibits a longitudinal slot  21  in which there is engaged a longitudinal rib for fastening a longitudinal gasket  22 . 
     In the corner between the walls  15  and  17 , the profiled member  5  exhibits a longitudinal wall  23  which extends the wall  17  inward. At the end of this wall  23  there is provided a longitudinal slot  24  in which there is engaged a longitudinal part for fastening a longitudinal gasket  25 . 
     The inner profiled member  6  exhibits two longitudinal walls  26  and  27  which extend inward from its wall  9 . The edges of these walls  26  and  27  are connected by a longitudinal wall  28  parallel to the plane of the frame  2 , so that the walls  9 ,  26 ,  27  and  28  bound a longitudinal channel  29 . The wall  28  constitutes the inner wall of the frame  2 . 
     The wall  26  of the profiled member  6  exhibits, some distance from the wall  28 , a projecting longitudinal rib  30 . 
     In the corner between its walls  9  and  26 , and in the corner between its walls  26  and  28 , the profiled member  6  exhibits longitudinal catching ribs  31  and  32  and the wall  26  exhibits, substantially at its middle, a longitudinal catching rib  33 . 
     At each of the corners of the frame  2  there are provided two joining brackets  34  and  35 , the longitudinal branches of which are engaged in the channel  29  and the channel  18  respectively of the profiled member  37 . The branches of the joining bracket  34  are placed between the rib  30  and the wall  9  and between the walls  26  and  27 . The branches of the joining bracket  35  are placed between the opposed walls  8  and  16  and between the opposed walls  10  and  11 . These joining brackets  34  and  35  are crimped as will be described later. 
     In this way, the profiled member  4  is of L-shaped section and comprises, in its first flange  4   a , two superposed longitudinal channels  14  and  29  and, in its second flange  4   b , one longitudinal channel  18  offset outward in the direction of its first flange  4   a  with respect to the channel  14  of the latter which is adjacent to it. Its first flange  4   a  exhibits, between its channels  14  and  29 , longitudinal joining strips  7  made of a thermally insulating material. The edge of its second flange  4   b  exhibits a free-standing wall  23  turned back toward its first flange  4   a . The profiled member  4  exhibits a longitudinal rib  20  in the inner region where its aforementioned flanges  4   a  and  4   b  meet, and its first flange  4   a  exhibits, on the same side as its second flange  4   b , catching ribs  31 ,  32  and  33 . 
     As FIG. 1 shows, the opening leaf  3  comprises a peripheral frame  36  made from a profiled member  37  which has an identical section for its uprights and for its crosspieces, this profiled member  37  exhibiting the following structure. 
     The profiled member  37  exhibits a wall  38  which constitutes the inner face of the frame  36 , a middle wall  39  and a wall  40  which constitutes the outer face of the frame  36 , these walls  38 ,  39  and  40  extending parallel to the plane of the frame  36 . 
     The edges which are inside the frame  36  of the walls  38  and  39  are connected by a longitudinal wall  41  of S-shaped section, and the edge outside the frame  36  of the wall  39  is connected to the wall  38  by a longitudinal wall  42  which extends perpendicularly to the plane of the frame  36  and which meets the wall  38  substantially at its middle, so that the profiled member  37  exhibits a longitudinal channel  43  bounded by the walls  38 ,  39 ,  41  and  42 . In this channel  43 , the walls  38  and  39  exhibit opposed longitudinal ribs  44  and  45 . 
     The edge outside the frame  36  of the wall  40  is connected to the wall  39  by a longitudinal wall  46  which extends perpendicularly to the plane of the frame  36 , thus bounding, on the side inside the frame  36 , a longitudinal slot  47  between the walls  39  and  40 . 
     The wall  42  is extended by a longitudinal wall  48  which extends perpendicularly to the plane of the frame  36  and facing the wall  46 . The outer edge of this wall  48  is connected to the wall  46 , close to the wall  40 , by a wall  49  which extends parallel to the plane of the frame  36  so that the profiled member  37  exhibits a longitudinal channel  50  bounded by the walls  39 ,  46 ,  48  and  49 . 
     On the side outside the frame  36 , the walls  42  and  48  bear longitudinal catching ribs  51  and  52 . 
     At each of the corners of the frame  36  there are provided two joining brackets  53  and  54 , the longitudinal branches of which are engaged in the channel  43  and the channel  50  respectively of the profiled member  37 . The branches of the bracket  53  being placed between the longitudinal ribs  44  and  45  and the wall  42  and between the walls  38  and  39 . The branches of the bracket  54  being placed between the walls  46  and  48  and between the walls  39  and  49 . These joining brackets  53  and  54  are crimped as will be described later. 
     The edge of the wall  38 , situated some distance from the wall  42 , on the side outside the frame  36 , is provided with a longitudinal slot  55  in which the longitudinal fastening part of a longitudinal gasket  56  is engaged. 
     The opening leaf  3  furthermore comprises a panel  57  which, in the example, is a double glazing unit. The peripheral edge of this panel  57  is enveloped by a mounting and sealing gasket  58 . The peripheral edge of the panel  57  is engaged in the slot  47  of the profiled member  37  of the frame  36 , the mounting and sealing gasket  58  being compressed and coming to bear against the edges inside the frame  36  of the walls  39  and  40 . 
     In this way, the profiled member  37  comprises a first longitudinal channel  43  adjacent to a second longitudinal channel  50  and to a longitudinal slot  47 , the latter extending opposite this second channel  54 . It comprises, opposite this slot  47 , a free-standing wall  38   a  which extends its wall opposite its second channel  50  and this slot  47 . 
     As FIG. 1 shows, when the opening leaf  3  is in the closed position, the sealing gasket  56  bears against the wall  28  of the profiled member  4  and/or its rib  32 , the sealing gasket  22  of the profiled member  4  bears against the angle between the walls  48  and  49  of the profiled member  37  and the sealing gasket  25  of the profiled member  4  bears against the wall  40  of the profiled member  37 , the gasket  25  and the gasket  58  also bearing against one another, passing in front of the edge of the wall  40 . 
     The ribs  32  and  51  and the ribs  33  and  52  are respectively situated facing one another, with respect to the mid-plane of the closure  1 . The walls  17  and  23  of the profiled member  4  and the wall  41  of the profiled member  37  exhibit shapes which are symmetric with respect to the mid-plane of the closure  1  and the outer and inner faces of the panel  57  are equidistant from the faces of the walls  16  and  38  so that the shapes of the outer wall and of the inner wall of this closure  1  are substantially identical. 
     Furthermore, the catching ribs  32 ,  33  and  51 ,  52  are advantageously used to mount hinges and locking members. 
     Referring now to FIG. 2, a fixed closure identified in a general manner by the reference  59  will now be described. 
     This closure includes a frame  60  which has a structure identical to that of the frame  2  of closure  1 , that is to say that it is constructed using a profiled member comprising an outer profiled member  5  and an inner profiled member  6  which are joined together by longitudinal joining strips  7 . 
     The frame  60  bears on its inner side, an intermediate frame identified in a general manner by the reference  61  which is constructed from a profiled member  62 . 
     This profiled member  62  exhibits a longitudinal wall  63  which extends perpendicularly to the plane of the frame  60 . This wall  63  bears two longitudinal walls  64  and  65  which extend parallel to the plane of the frame  60 , and the end edges of which are in engagement with the catching ribs  31  and  33  of the frame  4 , as well as a longitudinal wall  66  which extends from its inner edge and the end edge of which bears against the catching rib  32  of the profiled member  4 , parallel to the plane of the frame  60 . Furthermore, the other edge of the wall  63  exhibits a longitudinal rib  67  in which there is engaged the longitudinal fastening part of a gasket  68  which bears against the rib  20  of the profiled member  4 . 
     The closure  59  exhibits a panel  69 , for example a double glazing unit, which extends inside the intermediate frame  61  and which bears against the wall  63  of the profiled member  62  via a gasket  70 . The longitudinal part of a longitudinal gasket  71  is engaged in the rib  24  of the profiled member  4 , the outer face of the panel  69  coming to bear against this gasket. 
     The closure furthermore comprises a holding frame identified in a general manner by the reference  72  and constructed from a profiled member  73 . 
     This profiled member  73  comprises a wall  74  which extends parallel to the plane of the frame  60  and which constitutes the inner face of the closure  59 . Starting from this wall  74 , the profiled member  73  exhibits a longitudinal wall  75 , the edge of which bears against the inner face of the wall  28  of the profiled member  4  or its rib  32 , a longitudinal wall  76  which extends in front of the wall  63  of the intermediate frame  61  and the edge of which is in engagement with a longitudinal holding rib  77  provided on the inner side of this wall  63 , as well as a longitudinal wall  78 , in the shape of an S, the longitudinal edge of which bears a longitudinal gasket  79  which comes to bear against the inner face of the panel  69 . 
     It follows that the peripheral part of the faces of the panel  69  is sandwiched between the gaskets  71  and  79  and this panel  69  is thus held firmly by the frame  72 . 
     It can be observed that the outer and inner faces of the panel  69  are placed symmetrically with respect to the wall  16  of the profiled member  4 , which constitutes the outer face of the frame  60 , and the wall  74  of the frame  72 , which constitutes the inner face of the closure  59 , and that the shape of the wall  78  of the holding frame  72  is substantially symmetric and the same shape as the walls  17  and  23  of the profiled member  4 , with the gasket  71  as an extension of it. 
     Furthermore, the joining brackets  34  and  53  exhibit the same section and the joining brackets  35  and  54  also exhibit the same section, the longitudinal channels of the profiled members  4  and  37  being sized accordingly. 
     Referring to the subsequent figures, the way in which the frames  2  and  36  may be joined together using a machine bearing clamping and punching tools, identified in a general manner by the reference  80 , will now be described. 
     This punching machine  80  comprises two fixed guide beams  81  and  82  which are horizontal and parallel, as well as two guide beams  83  and  84  which are perpendicular to beams  81  and  82 . The beam  83  is, for example, mounted at fixed station on the beams  81  and  82  whereas the beam  84  can move along the beams  81  and  82  by virtue of known drive means identified by the reference  85 . 
     The beams  83  and  84  respectively bear two clamping and punching heads  86  which can move along the latter by virtue of known drive means identified by the reference  87 . 
     Each head  86  bears a clamping bracket  88 , the branches of which are parallel to the aforementioned beams, these clamping brackets being able to move at 45° with respect to the aforementioned beams by virtue, for example, of rams  89 . 
     Furthermore, each head  86 , in the example, bears three double punches  90 ,  91  and  92  which are provided with punch pins and the branches of which are respectively associated with the branches of the clamping brackets  88 , these punches being articulated about vertical axes  93   a  and being able to be driven in rotation at the same time by virtue, for example, of a ram  93 . 
     Furthermore, the machine  80  exhibits a bearing surface  94  which extends horizontally at a level lower than that of the lower punch  90  as well as bearing pads  95  situated at its middle. This bearing surface  94  in the example is formed by removable shims  94   a  placed on the upper surface of a bed  94   b  of the machine. 
     The machine  80  furthermore exhibits electronic or electric control means able to place the heads  80  in given positions with respect to one another so as to form, between the four clamping brackets  88 , a rectangle of given size and also means for steering the means for moving the clamping brackets  88  and pairs of punches  90 ,  91  and  92 . 
     With a view to manufacturing the frame  2  consisting of the profiled member  4  described earlier, the machine  80  may be used as follows. 
     First of all, after having mitered the pieces of profiled member  4  which are to form the uprights and crosspieces of the frame  2 , these pieces are joined together, for example on an auxiliary bench, by engaging the branches of the joining brackets  34  and  35  in the longitudinal channels  18  and  29  of the profiled member  4  so as to prefabricate the frame  2 . 
     Next, the dimensions of the frame to be obtained are entered into the control means of the machine  80 . These means automatically position the heads  86  of the machine  80  in positions such that the size of the rectangle determined by the clamping brackets  88  is slightly greater than the size of the frame  2  thus prefabricated. 
     The prefabricated frame  2  is placed between the clamping brackets  88  in a position such that the wall  28  of the profiled member  4 , which constitutes a reference face of the frame  2 , bears against the reference surface  94  of the machine  80 , as FIG. 5 shows. 
     The control means of the machine are then actuated in such a way that they initiate the process for manufacturing the frame  2  which takes place as follows, as shown by FIGS. 5,  6  and  7 . 
     The clamping brackets  88  of the heads  86  are actuated to move simultaneously, at 45°, and grasp and compress the corners of the frame  2 , from the outside of this frame  2 . 
     The double punches  90 ,  91  and  92  of the punching heads  86  are then actuated simultaneously and pivot toward the peripheral wall of the frame  2 . While this is happening, the pins of the lower punches  90  engage in the wall  27  of the profiled member  4  and the pins of the upper punches  92  engage in the wall  11  of the profiled member  4 , passing over its wall  13 , whereas the central punches  91  engage between the walls  8  and  9  of the profiled member  4 , toward the joining strips  7 , without however touching these walls  8  and  9  and these strips  7 . 
     The lower punches  90  locally deform the wall  27  of the profiled member  4  inward and the upper punches  92  locally deform the wall  11  of the profiled member  4 , the deformations  96  thus obtained becoming engaged in recesses  97  in the joining brackets  34  and  35  so as to fix the corners of the frame  2  firmly. 
     Next, the punches  90 ,  91  and  92  and the clamping brackets  88  of the heads  86  are returned to their initial position, releasing the frame  2  thus manufactured. 
     Finally, the frame  2  is removed. 
     The way in which the punching machine  80  may be used to manufacture the frame  36  of the opening leaf  3  as shown by FIGS. 6,  8  and  9 , without altering the settings of the punching tools  90 ,  91  and  92  and of the clamping brackets  88  will now be described. 
     First of all, pieces of profiled member  37  which are to constitute the uprights and crosspieces of the frame  36  to be manufactured are mitered. 
     On an auxiliary bench, the branches of the brackets  54  are partially engaged in the channels  50  of these pieces so as to construct a preformed frame  36  whose internal space bounded by the inner edges of the walls  49  and  40  of the profiled member  37  is greater than the surface area of the panel  57 . 
     As before, the dimensions of the frame  36  to be manufactured are programmed so that the heads  86  of the machine  80  automatically come into given positions such that the surface area bounded by the brackets  88  is greater than the surface area of the preassembled frame  36  as was just described. 
     Next, the preformed frame  36  is placed on the reference surface  94  of the machine, in the space between the brackets  88  of the heads  86 , in a position such that its wall  38 , which constitutes a reference face, bears against the reference surface  94 . 
     The panel  57  is placed resting on the pads  95 , in a position such that its peripheral edge faces the slot  47  in the profiled member  37 . 
     Next, the following automatic operations of the machine  80  are set into action, these taking place, as before, as follows. 
     The clamping brackets  88  move toward the corners of the frame  3  and cause the uprights and crosspieces of this frame to move closer together, causing the brackets  54  to slide into the channels  50  of the profiled member  37  until the corners come into contact. At the same time, the peripheral edge of the panel  57  engages in the slot  47  of the profiled member  37  around the entire periphery of the frame  3 . 
     Next, the three punches  90 ,  91  and  92  are actuated and move simultaneously toward the peripheral wall of the frame  3 . While this is happening, the central punches  91  locally deform the wall  48  of the profiled member  37  inward and the lower punches  90  cause a local inward deformation of the wall  42 , whereas the upper punches  92  pass over and some distance from the wall  47  of the profiled member  37 . 
     As before when manufacturing the frame  2 , deformations  96  engage in recesses  97  of the branches of the joining brackets  53  and in recesses of the branches of the joining brackets  54 . 
     Finally, the punches  90 ,  91  and  92  and the clamping brackets  88  of the heads  86  are returned to their initial position. 
     The opening leaf  3  thus manufactured can then be removed. 
     Next, the operations of manufacturing the closure  1  may be completed by fitting the gaskets described earlier and mounting the hinges, locking members and any other worthwhile accessory. 
     The operations which have just been described for manufacturing the frame  2  and the opening leaf  3  are rendered possible through the fact that the shapes of the profiled members  4  and  37 , the position of the punches  90 ,  91  and  92  in terms of height with respect to the reference surface  94  of the machine  80  and their position parallel to this reference surface  94 , the position of the clamping brackets and also the positions of the channels which respectively take the joining brackets  34 ,  35 ,  53  and  54  are such that it is possible to lock the joining brackets  34  and  35  of the frame  4  by deforming the walls of the latter using the punches  90  and  92  and that it is possible to lock the joining brackets  53  and  54  of the profiled member  37  of the frame  36  by deforming the wall of the latter using the punches  90  and  91 , without, in the first instance, the punches  91  encountering the profiled member  4 , and without in the second instance, the punches  92  encountering the profiled member  37 . 
     As a result, all that is required is to set the positions of the punches  90 ,  91  and  92  of the machine  80  once and for all. By virtue of having done so, it is equally possible to manufacture either frames  2  or frames  36 , with or without a panel  57 , on the machine  80  without altering these settings. All that is required is to enter the dimensions of the frame to be obtained into the programming facilities of the machine  80 , and after having placed the frame on the machine, in actuating its automatic clamping and punching means. 
     It is thus possible to manufacture a frame  2  and an opening leaf  3  in succession in order to obtain a closure  1 , to repeat these operations to obtain another closure  1 , for example of a different size, and/or to manufacture frames  60  with a view subsequently to forming the fixed closure  59 . Of course it is possible to execute shaping operations on the profiled members  4  and  37 , possibly cut into pieces, before proceeding with the operations of preassembling the frames  2  and  36  and/or before executing shaping operations on these frames after they have been manufactured using preset tools on suitable machines which have a reference surface, for example drilling or milling operations, in particular for carrying out these operations at equal distances from their aforementioned reference faces or their opposite faces. 
     The present invention is not limited to the examples described hereinabove. In particular, the number of punching tools and the tools used could be different. The invention could apply also to all sorts of shapes of suitable profiled member as described, and on all sorts of suitable machine as described.