Patent Publication Number: US-7712345-B1

Title: Main beam fabrication procedure and system for making a main beam for warehouse framework

Description:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a main beam fabrication procedure and relates also to a main beam fabrication system, in which the punching machine has multiple pitch-adjustable punching dies for punching punch holes on the processing plate material subject to different specifications. 
     Conventionally, the fabrication of a main beam for warehouse framework includes the steps plate material feeding, auto-forwarding and flattening, punching, roller shape-forming, cutting-off, and finished product collection. A main beam fabrication system for this main beam fabrication procedure comprises a feeder rack adapted to feed a plate material to an auto-forwarding and flattening mechanism, an auto-forwarding and flattening mechanism adapted to flatten the plate material fed by the feeder rack and then to forward the flattened plate material to a punching machine, a punching machine operable to punch the flattened plate material delivered from the auto-forwarding and flattening mechanism to form four rows of punch holes  211 , 221 , 222 , 223 , 224 , 231  on the flattened plate material  2 , a roller shape-forming machine adapted to ram the plate material punched by the punching machine into a shaped beam having a front wall  22 , two curved sidewalls  21 ,  23 , and a reinforcing groove  225  formed on the middle part of the front wall  22 , and a cut-off machine adapted to cut off the shaped beam thus obtained from the roller shape-forming machine into multiple pieces of finished products subject to the desired length. According to this design, the pitch of the punching dies of the punching machine is not adjustable. When changing the specifications of the main beam, different punching dies must be used. Replacing the punching dies requires much time and labor. In conclusion, the aforesaid conventional punching machine has drawbacks as follows: 
     1. For making different specifications (sizes) of main beams, different punching dies should be used. The replacement and calibration of punching dies require much labor and time. 
     2. For making a same specification main beam from a different thickness of plate material, different punching dies should be used. The replacement and calibration of punching dies require much labor and time. 
     The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is one object of the present invention to provide a main beam fabrication procedure and system, which is adjustable to make different specifications of main beams without changing the punching dies. It is another object of the present invention to provide a main beam fabrication procedure and system, which saves much labor and processing time, thereby greatly reducing the main beam manufacturing cost. 
     To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, the main beam fabrication procedure is adapted to make main beams for warehouse framework through feeding, auto-forwarding and flattening, punching, roller shape-forming, cutting-off and finished product collection steps, wherein the punching machine comprises an upper mold holder, four upper punching dies arranged in two longitudinal rows on the bottom side of the upper mold holder and adjustable to change the transverse pitch between the two longitudinal rows of upper punching dies, a bottom mold holder, and four bottom punching dies arranged in two longitudinal rows on the top side of the bottom mold holder and adjustable to change the transverse pitch between the two longitudinal rows of bottom punching dies. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic plain view of a part of a finished main beam made according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an elevational view of a finished main beam made according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is flow chart showing the fabrication of a main beam through a main beam fabrication system according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a part of the punching machine of a main beam fabrication system according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a part of the punching machine according to the present invention, showing the arrangement of the upper punching dies on the upper mold holder. 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged view of a part of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged view of a part of  FIG. 5  when viewed from another angle. 
         FIG. 8  is an enlarged view of a part of  FIG. 5  when viewed from further another angle. 
         FIG. 9  is a sectional view of a part of the punching machine according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a part of the punching machine according to the present invention, showing the arrangement of the bottom punching dies on the bottom mold holder. 
         FIG. 11  is a top view of  FIG. 10 . 
         FIG. 12  is an enlarged view of a part of  FIG. 10 . 
         FIG. 13  is a sectional view in an enlarged scale of a part of  FIG. 10 . 
         FIG. 14  is a schematic plain view of the main beam fabrication system according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3-14 , a main beam fabrication procedure for making a main beam for warehouse framework in accordance with the present invention comprises the steps of: 
     ( 101 ) Material feeding (see  FIGS. 13 and 14 ), where a feeder rack  1  feeds a plate material  2  to an auto-forwarding and flattening mechanism  3 ; 
     ( 102 ) Auto-forwarding and flattening where the auto-forwarding and flattening mechanism  3  flattens the plate material  2  and then forwards the flattened plate material  2  to a punching machine  4 ; 
     ( 103 ) Punching where the punching machine  4  is operated to punch the plate material  2 , forming four rows of punch holes  211 ,  221 ,  222 ,  223 ,  224 ,  231  on the plate material  2  (see  FIGS. 1 and 4 ); 
     ( 104 ) Roller shape-forming where a roller shape-forming machine  7  is operated to ram the punched plate material  2  into a shaped beam  20  having a front wall  22  (see  FIG. 2 ), two curved sidewalls  21 ,  23 , and a reinforcing groove  225  formed on the middle and extending along the length of the front wall  22  with two rows of punch holes  221 ,  222 ,  223 ,  224  disposed at two opposite lateral sides of the reinforcing groove  225  and the other two rows of punch holes  211 ,  231  respectively disposed at the two curved sidewalls  21 ,  23 ; 
     ( 105 ) Cutting-off where a cut-off machine  8  is operated to cut off the shaped beam  20  thus obtained from the roller shape-forming machine  7  into multiple pieces of finished products subject to the desired length; and 
     ( 106 ) Finished product collection where an outlet rack  80  is provided to collect the finished products for further packing and storage. 
     The aforesaid punching machine  4  comprises an upper mold holder  41 , four upper punching dies  5  arranged in two longitudinal rows on the bottom side of the upper mold holder  41  and adjustable to change the transverse pitch (see  FIG. 5 ), a bottom mold holder  42 , and four bottom punching dies  6  arranged in two longitudinal rows on the top side of the bottom mold holder  42  and adjustable to change the transverse pitch (see  FIGS. 10 and 11 ). By means of adjusting the pitch between the two rows of upper punching dies  5  and the pitch between the two rows of bottom punching dies  6 , the punching machine  4  is capable of punching punch holes  211 ,  221 ,  222 ,  223 ,  224 ,  231  on any supplied plate material subject to the designed specifications. When changing the specifications, the operator needs not to change the punching dies but simply adjusting the pitch of the punching dies, saving much labor and time. 
     Further, each upper punching die  5  comprises a fixed upper die member  51  and an adjustable upper die member  52  (see  FIG. 5 ). The fixed upper die member  51  comprises a row of punching rods  511 , and is fastened to the adjustable upper die member  52  with fastening members  512 . The adjustable upper die member  52  has a sliding groove  521  (see  FIGS. 6 and 8 ) coupled to a respective sliding rail  411  at the upper mold holder  41  (see  FIG. 8 ), two locating flanges  522  respectively protruded from the front and rear sides and respectively coupled to the locating grooves  4121  of the fixed locating blocks  412  at the upper mold holder  41 , an elongated slot  523 , a lock screw  524  mounted with a washer  525  on its threaded shank  5241  (see  FIG. 9 ) and inserted through the elongated slot  523  and threaded into a screw hole  414  on the upper mold holder  41  to lock the adjustable upper die member  52  to the upper mold holder  41 , and a plurality of vertically extending positioning columns  526 . each position column  526  defines a sliding hole  5261 . When loosening the lock screw  524 , the adjustable upper die member  52  can be moved with the fixed upper die member  51  relative to the upper mold holder  41 , adjusting the position of the respective upper punching die  5  on the upper mold holder  41 . 
     Further, each bottom punching die  6  comprises a fixed bottom die member  61  and an adjustable bottom die member  62  (see  FIGS. 10 and 11 ). The fixed bottom die member  61  comprises a row of die holes  611 , and is fastened to the adjustable bottom die member  62 . The adjustable bottom die member  62  has a connection member  63  fastened thereto with fastening members  621  (see  FIGS. 12 and 13 ), and two locating flanges  622  respectively protruded from the front and rear sides (see  FIG. 12 ) and respectively coupled to the locating grooves  4221  of the fixed locating blocks  422  at the bottom mold holder  42 . The connection member  63  has a coupling groove  631 . A control rod  64  is inserted through the connection member  63 , having a block  641  disposed at one end and coupled to the coupling groove  631  of the connection member  63 , a threaded shank  642  threaded through a screw hole  651  on a stop block  65  that is affixed to the bottom mold holder  42 , a first locknut  643  threaded onto the threaded shank  642  and stopped at one side of the stop block  65 , and two second locknuts  644  and  645  abutted against each other and threaded onto one end of the threaded shank  642  remote from the stop block  65  and the connection member  63 . When loosened the first locknut  643 , the control rod  64  is rotatable to move the associating adjustable bottom die member  62 , adjusting the position of the associating adjustable bottom die member  62  relative to the bottom mold holder  42 . The adjustable bottom die member  62  further comprises a plurality of vertically extending guide columns  623  respectively inserted into the sliding holes  5261  of the vertically extending positioning columns  526  of the adjustable bottom die member  52  of the associating upper punching die  5  (see  FIG. 4 ), and a plurality of spring members  624  that support the vertically extending guide columns  623  respectively. 
     When adjusting the pitch of the upper punching dies  5  and the bottom punching dies  6 , control the punching machine  4  to lower the upper mold holder  41  and the upper punching dies  5  and to force the sliding holes  5261  of the vertically extending positioning columns  526  of the adjustable bottom die members  52  of the upper punching dies  5  to the vertically extending guide columns  623  of the adjustable bottom die members  62  of the bottom punching dies  6 , and then loosen the lock screws  524  from the adjustable upper die members  52  and the upper mold holder  41 , and then loosen the first locknuts  643 , and then rotate the control rods  64  to force the respective connection blocks  63  to move the associating adjustable bottom die members  62 . During movement of the adjustable bottom die members  62 , the vertically extending guide columns  623  force the vertically extending positioning columns  526  of the adjustable bottom die members  52  of the upper punching dies  5  to move with the adjustable bottom die members  62  synchronously. After adjustment, the lock screws  524  and the first locknuts  643  are fastened tight again. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 10 and 12 , the bottom mold holder  42  further comprises a plurality of pitch-adjustable guide roller sets  45  for guiding the delivery of the plate material  2 . Each pitch-adjustable guide roller set  45  comprises a mounting base  451 , two sliding blocks  452 , two screw rod holders  453 , a double-thread screw  454 , two actuating blocks  47 , and two guide rollers  49 . The two screw rod holders  453  are affixed to the top side of the bottom mold holder  42 . The mounting base  451  is affixed to the top side of the bottom mold holder  42  between the two screw rod holders  453 , having a sliding rail  4511  at the top. The two sliding blocks  452  each have a coupling groove respectively coupled to the sliding rail  4511 . The guide rollers  49  are respectively pivoted to the sliding blocks  452 . The two actuating blocks  47  are respectively affixed to the sliding blocks  452  at one side, each having a threaded through hole  471 . The double-thread screw  454  is threaded through the threaded through holes  471  of the actuating blocks  47  and fastened with the two distal ends thereof to the screw rod holders  453  respectively. When rotating the double-thread screw  454 , the two sliding blocks  452  are moved along the sliding rail  4511  relative to each other, thereby adjusting the pitch between the two guide rollers  49 . 
     As stated above, the invention provides a main beam fabrication system, which has the following advantages: 
     1. When processing a different specification of main beam, the operator can adjust the pitch of the upper punching dies  5  and the bottom punching dies  6  without changing the dies. 
     2. The design of the present invention saves much labor and time in die mounting, dismounting, and calibration. In consequence, the main beam manufacturing cost is relatively lowered. 
     3. The invention eliminates the necessity of preparing extra spare punching dies, saving much inventory space.