Patents by Inventor Bryan E. Gould
Bryan E. Gould has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 8763437Abstract: An apparatus includes a roll former with rolls configured to form a structural beam from sheet material, and a sweep unit for longitudinally sweeping a beam in any of vertical, horizontal, or combination directions. The sweep unit has a first pair of forming rolls positioned to engage first opposing sides of the structural beam and has a second pair of forming rolls positioned to engage second opposing sides of the structural beam. The sweep unit movably supports the first and second pairs of forming rolls so that any selected one of the forming rolls continuously engages an associated side of the structural beam while an associated one of the forming rolls opposing the selected one forming roll moves downstream and around the selected one forming roll. This provides a very stable beam-bending condition promoting dimensional stability during the sweeping process, and hence dimensional accuracy and repeatability.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2012Date of Patent: July 1, 2014Assignee: Shape Corp.Inventors: Richard D. Heinz, Bryan E. Gould
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Patent number: 8333095Abstract: An apparatus includes, in combination, a roll former with rolls configured to form a structural beam from sheet material, and a sweep unit for longitudinally sweeping a beam in any of vertical, horizontal, or combination directions. The sweep unit has a first pair of forming rolls positioned to engage first opposing sides of the structural beam and has a second pair of forming rolls positioned to engage second opposing sides of the structural beam. The sweep unit movably supports the first and second pairs of forming rolls so that any selected one of the forming rolls continuously engages an associated side of the structural beam while an associated one of the forming rolls opposing the selected one forming roll moves downstream and around the selected one forming roll. This provides a very stable beam-bending condition promoting dimensional stability during the sweeping process, and hence dimensional accuracy and repeatability.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2010Date of Patent: December 18, 2012Assignee: Shape Corp.Inventors: Richard D. Heinz, Bryan E. Gould
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Patent number: 8333096Abstract: A method includes, in combination, a roll former with rolls configured to form a structural beam from sheet material, and a sweep unit for longitudinally sweeping a beam in any of vertical, horizontal, or combination directions. The sweep unit has a first pair of forming rolls positioned to engage first opposing sides of the structural beam and has a second pair of forming rolls positioned to engage second opposing sides of the structural beam. The sweep unit movably supports the first and second pairs of forming rolls so that any selected one of the forming rolls continuously engages an associated side of the structural beam while an associated one of the forming rolls opposing the selected one forming roll moves downstream and around the selected one forming roll. This provides a very stable beam-bending condition promoting dimensional stability during the sweeping process, and hence dimensional accuracy and repeatability.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2010Date of Patent: December 18, 2012Assignee: Shape Corp.Inventors: Richard D. Heinz, Bryan E. Gould
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Patent number: 8307685Abstract: A high-strength beam includes first and second sections bent in opposite directions as part of a roll-forming process. A frame includes side frame members incorporating the double-bent beam and at least one energy management tube attached to the beam. In one form, the beam is tubular and has a cross-sectional dimension of greater than 25 mm and a material strength of at least about 60 KSI tensile strength. A roll form apparatus includes a roll former device and a sweep station in-line with the roll former device for sweeping the continuous beam in first and second opposing directions. Also, a method of roll-forming comprises steps of: roll-forming a sheet of material into a continuous beam and sweeping first and second sections of the beam in opposite directions.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 2009Date of Patent: November 13, 2012Assignee: Shape Corp.Inventors: Richard D. Heinz, Bruce W. Lyons, Bryan E. Gould
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Publication number: 20110067473Abstract: A method includes, in combination, a roll former with rolls configured to form a structural beam from sheet material, and a sweep unit for longitudinally sweeping a beam in any of vertical, horizontal, or combination directions. The sweep unit has a first pair of forming rolls positioned to engage first opposing sides of the structural beam and has a second pair of forming rolls positioned to engage second opposing sides of the structural beam. The sweep unit movably supports the first and second pairs of forming rolls so that any selected one of the forming rolls continuously engages an associated side of the structural beam while an associated one of the forming rolls opposing the selected one forming roll moves downstream and around the selected one forming roll. This provides a very stable beam-bending condition promoting dimensional stability during the sweeping process, and hence dimensional accuracy and repeatability.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2010Publication date: March 24, 2011Inventors: Richard D. Heinz, Bryan E. Gould
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Publication number: 20110067472Abstract: An apparatus includes, in combination, a roll former with rolls configured to form a structural beam from sheet material, and a sweep unit for longitudinally sweeping a beam in any of vertical, horizontal, or combination directions. The sweep unit has a first pair of forming rolls positioned to engage first opposing sides of the structural beam and has a second pair of forming rolls positioned to engage second opposing sides of the structural beam. The sweep unit movably supports the first and second pairs of forming rolls so that any selected one of the forming rolls continuously engages an associated side of the structural beam while an associated one of the forming rolls opposing the selected one forming roll moves downstream and around the selected one forming roll. This provides a very stable beam-bending condition promoting dimensional stability during the sweeping process, and hence dimensional accuracy and repeatability.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2010Publication date: March 24, 2011Inventors: Richard D. Heinz, Bryan E. Gould
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Patent number: 7882718Abstract: A computer controlled roll-forming apparatus is adapted to provide a repeating pattern of different longitudinal shapes to a continuous beam “on the fly” during the roll-forming process. A sweep station of the apparatus includes a primary bending roller tangentially engaging the continuous beam along the line level and an armature for biasing the continuous beam against the primary bending roller for a distance partially around a downstream side of the primary bending roller to form a sweep. Actuators adjustably move the armature partially around the downstream side of the primary bending roller between multiple positions for imparting a series of different longitudinal shapes. Internal and external mandrels control wall stability to allow even sharper sweeps. In one form, the apparatus also includes a coordinated cut-off, so that when separated into bumper beam segments, the ends of the individual beam segments have a greater sweep than their center sections.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2007Date of Patent: February 8, 2011Assignee: Shape Corp.Inventors: Bruce W. Lyons, Bryan E. Gould, James H. Dodd, Richard D. Heinz
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Publication number: 20090255310Abstract: A high-strength beam includes first and second sections bent in opposite directions as part of a roll-forming process. A frame includes side frame members incorporating the double-bent beam and at least one energy management tube attached to the beam. In one form, the beam is tubular and has a cross-sectional dimension of greater than 25 mm and a material strength of at least about 60 KSI tensile strength. A roll form apparatus includes a roll former device and a sweep station in-line with the roll former device for sweeping the continuous beam in first and second opposing directions. Also, a method of roll-forming comprises steps of: roll-forming a sheet of material into a continuous beam and sweeping first and second sections of the beam in opposite directions.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 7, 2009Publication date: October 15, 2009Inventors: Richard D. Heinz, Bruce W. Lyons, Bryan E. Gould
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Patent number: 7530249Abstract: A computer controlled roll-forming apparatus is adapted to provide a repeating pattern of different longitudinal shapes to a continuous beam “on the fly” during the roll-forming process. A sweep station on the apparatus includes a primary bending roller tangentially engaging the continuous beam along the line level and an armature for biasing the continuous beam against the primary bending roller for a distance partially around a downstream side of the primary bending roller to form a sweep. Further, actuators adjustably move the armature at least partially around the downstream side of the primary bending roller between at least first and second positions for imparting multiple different longitudinal shapes into the continuous beam. In one form, the apparatus also includes a coordinated cut-off, so that when separated into bumper beam segments, the ends of the individual beam segments have a greater sweep than their center sections.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2007Date of Patent: May 12, 2009Assignee: Shape Corp.Inventors: Bruce W. Lyons, Bryan E. Gould, James H. Dodd, Richard D. Heinz
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Patent number: 7337642Abstract: A computer controlled roll-forming apparatus is adapted to provide a repeating pattern of different longitudinal shapes to a continuous beam “on the fly” during the roll-forming process. A sweep station on the apparatus includes a primary bending roller tangentially engaging the continuous beam along the line level and an armature for biasing the continuous beam against the primary bending roller for a distance partially around a downstream side of the primary bending roller to form a sweep. Further, actuators adjustably move the armature at least partially around the downstream side of the primary bending roller between at least first and second positions for imparting multiple different longitudinal shapes into the continuous beam. In one form, the apparatus also includes a coordinated cut-off, so that when separated into bumper beam segments, the ends of the individual beam segments have a greater sweep than their center sections.Type: GrantFiled: June 13, 2005Date of Patent: March 4, 2008Assignee: Shape CorporationInventors: Bruce W. Lyons, Bryan E. Gould, James H. Dodd, Richard D. Heinz