U.S. patent application number 11/253270 was filed with the patent office on 2007-04-19 for shear assembly for a roll forming machine.
This patent application is currently assigned to Englert, Inc.. Invention is credited to Bruce E. Meyer.
Application Number | 20070084325 11/253270 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37914030 |
Filed Date | 2007-04-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070084325 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Meyer; Bruce E. |
April 19, 2007 |
SHEAR ASSEMBLY FOR A ROLL FORMING MACHINE
Abstract
A shear assembly for a roll forming machine which forms a rain
gutter. A pair of coplanar blade members separated along a vertical
line are caused to first move vertically downwardly, then have
their lower ends pivot outwardly and, finally, have their upper
ends pivot outwardly. The last motion is accomplished with enhanced
mechanical advantage to cut through multiple layers of metal at the
upper end of the gutter.
Inventors: |
Meyer; Bruce E.; (Port
Charlotte, FL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DAVID L. DAVIS, ESQ.
90 WASHINGTON VALLEY ROAD
BEDMINSTER
NJ
07921
US
|
Assignee: |
Englert, Inc.
|
Family ID: |
37914030 |
Appl. No.: |
11/253270 |
Filed: |
October 18, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
83/555 ; 83/454;
83/628; 83/638; 83/646; 83/694 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 83/75 20150401;
Y10T 83/8843 20150401; Y10T 83/8736 20150401; Y10T 83/8874
20150401; Y10T 83/9447 20150401; Y10T 83/8857 20150401; B23D 21/003
20130101; B23D 23/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
083/555 ;
083/628; 083/638; 083/694; 083/454; 083/646 |
International
Class: |
B26D 5/16 20060101
B26D005/16 |
Claims
1. A shear assembly for a roll forming machine which forms an
indeterminate length panel having a desired lateral profile, the
shear assembly comprising: a pair of spaced apart die plates
secured to said machine and having aligned openings through which
said panel is passed; a blade assembly including a pair of
side-by-side co-planar blade members movable between said pair of
die plates, each of said blade members having a respective
elongated dogleg shaped cam opening, each of said cam openings
having a first straight portion parallel to the first straight
portion of the other cam opening and a second straight portion at
the upper end of the first straight portion which is angled toward
the other of said blade members, each of said blade members having
a respective guide surface including respective first and second
straight side edge portions, wherein each said first straight side
edge portion is remote from the other of said blade members and
parallel to the first straight side edge portion of the other of
said blade members, and each of said first straight side edge
portions is terminated at an upper end by a respective said second
straight side edge portion which is angled toward the other of said
blade members; a pair of cam followers secured to said machine and
each extending into a respective one of said cam openings; a pair
of guide rollers secured to said machine and each in contact with
the guide surface of a respective one of said blade members; a
blade mount assembly including a block and a pair of link members
each pivotally connected at a first end to said block and at a
second end to a respective one of said blade members above the
respective cam opening; and an actuator mounted to said machine and
operatively coupled to selectively move said block; wherein said
cam openings and said guide surfaces are so dimensioned and said
cam followers and said guide rollers are so positioned that when
said cam followers reach the upper end of the respective cam
opening second straight portion said guide rollers are at the
juncture of the respective first and second straight side edge
portions; and wherein activation of said actuator causes said block
to move, which in turn causes said pair of blade members to move
parallel to each other until said pair of cam followers each
reaches the second straight portion in the respective cam opening,
after which continued movement of said block causes said pair of
blade members to pivot away from each other about said pair of
guide rollers while said pair of guide rollers each contacts the
respective first straight side edge portion, and when continued
movement of said block causes said pair of guide rollers to each
contact the respective second straight side edge portion said pair
of blade members pivot away from each other about said pair of cam
followers.
2. The shear assembly according to claim 1 wherein: said block has
rack gear teeth on one side; and said actuator includes a rotary
gear engaged with said rack gear teeth.
3. The shear assembly according to claim 2 wherein said actuator
further includes: a shaft journaled for rotation on said machine;
and a lever arm secured to said shaft and extending transversely to
said shaft; wherein said rotary gear is mounted to said shaft for
rotation therewith.
4. (canceled)
5. A shear assembly for a roll forming machine which forms an
indeterminate length panel having a desired lateral profile,
comprising: a blade assembly including a pair of side-by-side
co-planar blade members separated along a generally straight line;
and an actuator mechanism for said blade assembly operative to move
said pair of blade members (a) in a first phase of parallel
movement along said straight line, (b) followed by a second phase
of outward pivoting movement wherein the leading ends of said pair
of blade members move away from each other, and (c) followed by a
third phase of outward pivoting movement wherein the tail ends of
said pair of blade members move away from each other; wherein said
actuator mechanism includes: a block movable along said straight
line; a pair of link members each pivotally connected at a first
end to said block and at a second end to the tail end of a
respective one of said blade members; a first guide mechanism
operative to (a) constrain movement of the leading ends of said
blade members during said first phase to movement along said
straight line, (b) force the leading ends of said pair of blade
members to separate during said second phase, and (c) prevent
further movement of the leading ends of said pair of blades along
said straight line during said third phase; and a second guide
mechanism operative to (a) constrain movement of the tail ends of
said blade members during said first phase to movement along said
straight line, (b) constrain movement of the tail ends of said
blade members during said second phase to movement along said
straight line, and (c) allow the tail ends of said pair of blade
members to separate during said third phase.
6. The shear assembly according to claim 5 wherein said first guide
mechanism includes: a respective elongated dogleg shaped cam
opening in each of said blade members, each of said cam openings
having a first straight portion parallel to the first straight
portion of the other cam opening and a second straight portion at
the upper end of the first straight portion which is angled toward
the other of said blade members; and a pair of cam followers
secured to said machine and each extending into a respective one of
said cam openings.
7. The shear assembly according to claim 6 wherein said second
guide mechanism includes: a respective guide surface on each of
said blade members, each guide surface including respective first
and second straight side edge portions, wherein each said first
straight side edge portion is remote from the other of said blade
members and parallel to the first straight side edge portion of the
other of said blade members, and each of said first straight side
edge portions is terminated at an upper end by a respective said
second straight side edge portion which is angled toward the other
of said blade members; and a pair of guide rollers secured to said
machine and each in contact with the guide surface of a respective
one of said blade members.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to a roll forming machine for
producing a rain gutter and, more particularly, to a shear assembly
disposed in a cutting station at the exit end of the roll forming
machine.
[0002] Roll forming machines for producing rain gutters are
generally well known. In such a machine, the gutters are formed
from a supply coil of sheet metal which is finished on a first side
so that the exterior of the finished gutter has an aesthetically
pleasing appearance. As the sheet metal is driven through the
machine along a predetermined path of travel, its lateral profile
is gradually transformed from a flat sheet into a downwardly
concave trough having a desired lateral profile and with the
finished side of the sheet metal forming the exterior surface of
the trough. As the finished gutter exits the machine, it passes
through a cutting station including a shear assembly which may be
selectively activated to sever the gutter so that a desired length
of finished gutter is separated from the partially finished gutter
which remains in the machine. Activation of the shear assembly is
typically by means of a manually operated lever which drives a
cutting blade between a pair of spaced die plates and through the
finished gutter. Due to the shape of the gutter being a downwardly
concave trough, to achieve a neatly finished cut, it would be
desirable to have the blade driven both downwardly and laterally.
This requires a split blade, wherein during a phase of the blade
movement, the two blade parts are separated to achieve the
outwardly lateral cutting action. However, during this phase of the
cutting operation, a bent portion of the gutter profile is
typically deformed so that the blade is forced to cut through
multiple thicknesses of the gutter material. It would therefore be
desirable to provide a mechanism whereby the lateral movement of
the two blade parts is achieved with maximum mechanical advantage
so that a neat cut is achieved without jamming.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The present invention finds utility in a roll forming
machine of the type which forms an indeterminate length panel
having a desired lateral profile from a uniform width supply strip
of sheet metal having a pair of parallel straight edges. The roll
forming machine drives the supply strip along a predetermined path
of travel through a series of spaced roll forming stations, which
gradually deform the initially flat strip into the desired lateral
profile, illustratively a downwardly concave trough, to form a rain
gutter. As the gutter leaves the machine, it passes through a
cutting station, which includes the inventive shear assembly.
According to this invention, the shear assembly includes a pair of
coplanar blade members separated along a generally vertical line.
The blade members are pivotally connected at their upper ends to a
vertically movable actuator block by respective link members which
are pivotally connected to the block and to the two blade members.
Near the lower ends of the blade members are dogleg shaped cam
openings which cooperate with respective cam followers secured to
the machine. Guide rollers secured to the machine are disposed on
opposite sides of the blade members, which have guide surfaces
parallel to the vertical movement of the actuator block. The guide
surfaces are terminated at their upper ends with beveled surfaces
which are angled toward each other. Thus, the movement of the blade
members starts off vertically downward until the dogleg bends of
the cam openings reach the cam followers. At this point, the lower
ends of the blade members pivot outwardly about the guide rollers
as they continue to move downwardly. When the ends of the cam
openings reach the cam followers, the guide surface bevels reach
the guide rollers. The cam followers prevent further downward
movement of the blade members, so continued downward movement of
the actuator block causes the upper ends of the blade members to
pivot outwardly about the cam followers, in the opposite angular
direction from the previous outward pivoting. The link members
provide enhanced mechanical advantage to movement of the blade
members during this final pivoting phase.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] The foregoing will be more readily apparent upon reading the
following description in conjunction with the drawings in which
like elements in different figures are identified by the same
reference numeral and wherein:
[0005] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary rain gutter lateral profile which
can be produced by a roll forming machine incorporating the present
invention;
[0006] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an exemplary roll forming
machine in which structure constructed according to the present
invention is incorporated;
[0007] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the inventive shear
assembly, with covers removed, at the exit of the roll forming
machine;
[0008] FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the inventive shear
assembly;
[0009] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the rear of the
inventive shear assembly and illustrating the activation mechanism;
and
[0010] FIGS. 6-8 are front elevation views of the inventive shear
assembly, with covers removed, showing different stages of the
cutting operation.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0011] Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows the profile of an
exemplary rain gutter, designated generally by the reference
numeral 10, which can be produced by a roll forming machine
incorporating structure embodying the present invention. The gutter
10 is generally in the form of a downwardly concave trough having a
back wall 12, a lower wall 14 and a face wall 16. As is the general
practice in the art, the back wall 12 is designed to abut
supporting structure on a building to which the gutter 10 is
attached, and therefore cannot be seen by an observer. However, the
face wall 16 is designed to be visible from outside the building
and therefore it is desired that the exterior surface of the face
wall 16 be finished to provide an aesthetically pleasing
appearance. To provide strength to the gutter 10, the upper end 18
of the face wall 16 is bent and folded, as shown in the
drawing.
[0012] FIG. 2 shows a roll forming machine, designated generally by
the reference numeral 20, which may be used for forming the gutter
10. As is conventional, the machine 20 has a spindle (not shown)
near its entry end 22 for supporting a supply coil of sheet metal
(not shown). The sheet metal supply coil is of uniform width and
has a pair of parallel straight edges. The sheet metal is finished,
as by painting for example, on one side so that the exterior
surface of the formed gutter 10 is finished. As is known in the
roll forming art, the supply coil is pulled by driven rollers so as
to travel through the machine 20 along a predetermined path past a
plurality of spaced roll forming stations. As the supply coil is
pulled through the machine 20, each successive roll forming station
operates to gradually transform the lateral profile of the sheet
metal from a flat sheet to the profile shown in FIG. 1. Thus, the
sheet metal starts as a flat sheet with its finished side on the
bottom and gradually assumes a downwardly concave trough-like shape
with its finished side on the outside of the gutter. At the exit
end 24 of the machine 20 is a cutting station 26 for cutting the
formed gutter to a desired length. The cutting station 26 includes
a pair of spaced parallel die plates 28. Each of the die plates 28
has a respective opening 30 aligned with the opening of the other
die plate through which the finished gutter passes as it exits the
machine 20. The openings 30 have generally the same shape as the
profile of the finished gutter, but are larger so that the finished
gutter passes freely therethrough. The foregoing is well known in
the art of roll forming machines and does not form a part of the
present invention.
[0013] As is clearly shown in FIGS. 3-8, the inventive shear
assembly which forms a part of the cutting station 26 includes a
blade assembly having a pair of coplanar blade members 32 and 34
separated along a vertical line. The blade members 32,34 are
movable within their plane between the die plates 28. Each of the
blade members 32,34 has a respective dogleg shaped cam opening
36,38 near its lower end. The cam openings 36,38 are mirror images
of each other, each having a respective first straight portion
40,42 parallel to the first straight portion of the other cam
opening and a respective second straight portion 44,46 at the upper
end of the first straight portion which is angled toward the other
blade member. A pair of cam followers 48,50 are secured to the
machine 20 and extend each into a respective one of the cam
openings 36,38.
[0014] Each of the blade members 32,34 also has a guide surface
including a respective first straight side edge portion 52,54 near
its upper end, remote from the other blade member and parallel to
the first straight side edge portion of the other blade member. As
part of each guide surface, each of the first straight side edge
portions 52,54 is terminated at its upper end by a respective
second straight side edge portion 56,58 which is angled toward the
other blade member. The guide surfaces of the two blade members
32,34 are mirror images of each other so that the angles of the
second straight side edge portions relative to their respective
first straight side edge portions are equal. A pair of guide
rollers 60,62 are secured to the machine 20, with each being in
contact with the guide surface of a respective one of the blade
members 32,34.
[0015] The blade members 32,34 are connected to the block 64 near
their upper ends, above the respective cam openings 36,38. These
connections are by means of the rigid links 66,68, respectively.
The links 66,68 are each pivotally connected at both of their ends
to the block 64 and to a respective one of the blade members 32,34.
The block 64 is generally rectilinear in shape and has rack gear
teeth 70 (FIG. 5) on its side surface facing into the machine 20.
To selectively move the blade members 32,34 in order to sever a
desired length of rain gutter after formation by the machine 20,
there is provided an actuator coupled to the block 64. The actuator
includes a rotary gear 72 engaged with the rack gear teeth 70 of
the block 64. The shaft 74 is journaled for rotation on the machine
20 and the rotary gear 72 is mounted to the shaft 74 for rotation
therewith. To rotate the shaft 74, there is provided a lever arm 76
which is secured to the shaft 74 and extends transversely thereto,
preferably orthogonally.
[0016] In operation, when it is desired to sever a length of rain
gutter, the machine 20 is stopped and the operator takes hold of
the lever arm 76. As the lever arm 76 is pulled upwardly, the
resulting rotation of the rotary gear 72 causes the block 64 to
move downwardly. As the block 64 moves downwardly, the links 66,68
cause the blade members 32,34 to move downwardly. Since the cam
followers 48,50 are within the parallel first straight portions
40,42 of the cam openings 36,38 and the guide rollers 60,62 are in
contact with the parallel first straight side edge portions 52,54,
this downward movement of the blade members 32,34 is constrained to
be in a straight downward line, causing the bottoms of the blade
members 32,34 to cut through the lower wall 14 of the gutter 10.
Continued upward movement of the lever arm 76 results in the cam
followers 48,50 moving into the angled second straight portions
44,46 of the cam openings 36,38. Since the guide rollers 60,62 are
still in contact with the parallel first straight side edge
portions 52,54, the lower ends of the blade members 32,34 are
caused to pivot outwardly away from each other about the guide
rollers 60,62, as shown in FIG. 7, causing the blade members 32,34
to begin cutting through the back wall 12 and the face wall 16 of
the gutter 10.
[0017] When the cam followers 48,50 reach the upper ends of the
respective cam opening second straight portions 44,46, further
downward movement of the blade members 32,34 is prevented. The cam
openings 36,38 and the first straight side edge portions 52,54 are
so dimensioned, and the cam followers 48,50 and the guide rollers
60,62 are so positioned, that when the cam followers reach the
upper ends of the respective cam opening second straight portions
the guide rollers are at the juncture of the respective first and
second straight side edge portions. (See FIG. 7.) Accordingly,
further upward movement of the lever arm 76 causes downward
movement of the block 64 and outward pivoting of the links 66,68,
resulting in the upper ends of the blade members 32,34 pivoting
outwardly about the cam followers 48,50 in the opposite angular
direction from the previous outward pivoting, as shown in FIG. 8.
The links 66,68 give the blade members 32,34 an additional
mechanical advantage for this pivoting of the blade members 32,34,
during which the blade members 32,34 cut through the upper ends of
the back wall 12 and the face wall 16 of the gutter 10. This
enhanced mechanical advantage is advantageous because while cutting
through the upper end 18 of the face wall 16, the blade member 32
folds the upper end 18 and therefore has to cut through a triple
thickness of gutter material before the cut is completed. By
providing the enhanced mechanical advantage at this point, the
inventive shear assembly allows the operator to cut through the
entire gutter with one smooth stroke.
[0018] In addition to the disclosed shear assembly construction
possessing the benefit of enhanced mechanical advantage, it is also
more vertically compact, with a much shorter vertical stroke, as
compared to a conventional single blade guillotine shear assembly.
This results in a lighter weight shear assembly which is easily
handled by a single mechanic when it is required to remove the
shear assembly from the roll forming machine for general
maintenance or trouble shooting.
[0019] Accordingly, there has been disclosed an improved shear
assembly for a rain gutter roll forming machine. While an
illustrative embodiment of the inventive shear assembly has been
disclosed herein, it will be appreciated by those of skill in the
art that various modifications and adaptations to the disclosed
embodiment are possible. It is therefore intended that this
invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *