Abstract: A roof panel seamer which is self-propelled and bidirectional for forming a standing seam joining two adjacent metal roof panels. Two seamers are disclosed, one for forming a 90° seam and the other for forming a 180° seam. Friction wheels, rather than gears, are used to transfer power from the main support body to the auxiliary support body of the seamer. The seamer includes five roll forming stations, the leading three of which are effective for each direction of travel. One of the roll forming stations for each direction of travel in the 90° seamer imparts a curve to the leg being bent.

Abstract: A roof panel seamer which is self-propelled and bidirectional for forming a standing seam joining two adjacent metal roof panels. Two seamers are disclosed, one for forming a 90° seam and the other for forming a 180° seam. Friction wheels, rather than gears, are used to transfer power from the main support body to the auxiliary support body of the seamer. The seamer includes five roll forming stations, the leading three of which are effective for each direction of travel. One of the roll forming stations for each direction of travel in the 90° seamer imparts a curve to the leg being bent. In the 90° seamer, a guide finger is mounted to both ends of one of the main and auxiliary support bodys, with the guide finger being effective to contact the underside of the male portion of the seam and maintain a minimum clearance between the male and female portions as the male and female portions enter the seamer.

Abstract: A roof panel seamer which is self-propelled and bidirectional for forming a standing seam joining two adjacent metal roof panels. Two seamers are disclosed, one for forming a 90° seam and the other for forming a 180° seam. Friction wheels, rather than gears, are used to transfer power from the main support body to the auxiliary support body of the seamer. The seamer includes five roll forming stations, the leading three of which are effective for each direction of travel. One of the roll forming stations for each direction of travel in the 90° seamer imparts a curve to the leg being bent.

Abstract: A roof panel seamer which is self-propelled and bidirectional for forming a standing seam joining two adjacent metal roof panels. Two seamers are disclosed, one for forming a 90° seam and the other for forming a 180° seam. Friction wheels, rather than gears, are used to transfer power from the main support body to the auxiliary support body of the seamer. The seamer includes five roll forming stations, the leading three of which are effective for each direction of travel. One of the roll forming stations for each direction of travel in the 90° seamer imparts a curve to the leg being bent. In the 90° seamer, a guide finger is mounted to both ends of one of the main and auxiliary support bodys, with the guide finger being effective to contact the underside of the male portion of the seam and maintain a minimum clearance between the male and female portions as the male and female portions enter the seamer.

Abstract: A roll forming machine for forming a rain gutter wherein an internal guide assembly uses rollers to contact the finished surface of the partially formed gutter.

Abstract: A rain gutter roll forming machine wherein the final forming station has the exit drive rollers removed therefrom. The forming rollers for the lower front and back corners of the gutter are mounted for rotation about a single substantially horizontal axis and are supported by a camber adjustment plate. The camber adjustment plate is pivotable about a pivot point which is substantially within the plane of the bottom wall of the gutter. Accordingly, the relative pressures applied to the gutter by the corner forming rollers can be varied to compensate for longitudinal curvature of the gutter due to differential drag on the front and back gutter walls.

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.

Abstract: A roll forming machine wherein a single operator can quickly replace roll forming stations to change the desired lateral profile and wherein adjustments to the lateral positions of the roll forming stations can be quickly effected. This is accomplished by mounting the roll forming elements on short tooling rail sections which in turn are mounted on longer mounting rails which are used as platforms whereby all the adjustments are preset so that all setup work is performed prior to installing the tooling rails. Because the tooling rail sections are shorter, they may be inserted in, and removed from, the machine by a single operator without requiring the partial disassembly, and subsequent reassembly, of the entry and shear assemblies.

Abstract: A roll forming machine for a debris shedding rain gutter having a lower trough and an upper hood, wherein independent adjustments are made to the front wall of the trough to insure that its upper edge is behind the forward end of the trough. An independently adjustable kick forming station is provided to create an inward bend near the upper end of the front wall. A block is adjustably mounted to a cross-member of the machine to press the front wall inwardly to insure that the angle where the front wall joins the bottom wall of the trough is approximately ninety degrees.

Abstract: A forming machine receives an elongated sheet of formable material to form a desired profile has a rigid framework supporting a sheet drive that includes a plurality of pairs of co-acting rollers to advance the sheet through the framework from an upstream entrance to a downstream exit. A drive assembly interconnects at least one roller in each of the pairs to rotatably drive the roller and advance the sheet in the downstream direction. Each of a plurality of carriage rails extends transversely along the framework and has first and second carriage mounts slideably disposed thereon. First and second tool rails are secured, respectively, to each of the first and second carriage mounts permitting the tooling rails to move laterally within the framework. Each tooling rail supports a plurality of forming elements defining at least two forming stations to bend the sheet as desired while it advances through the framework.

Abstract: A forming apparatus for forming a selected profile in a sheet of material includes a frame, a sheet drive to advance the sheet of material through the frame, a drive assembly for powering the sheet drive, forming rollers to configure the sheet into the desired profile and a shear assembly to cut the formed sheet into desired lengths. The sheet drive includes pairs of coacting rollers with each pair comprising a driven roller connected to the drive assembly and a free-wheeling roller that is adjustably mounted relative to its associated driven roller. The shear assembly has a housing that movably mounts a pair of opposed blade mounts that have facing channels which receive lateral edges of a blade. These channels are wider than the blade thickness so that the blade freely floats and is thus self-aligning between dies.

Abstract: A metal forming machine is adapted to bend flat strips of metal into a desired profile. The machine has a rigid framework that forms a cage in which a drive mechanism is disposed to advance a strip therethrough. An elongated rail structure is secured within the cage's interior and is removable out of one of the entrance or exit of the framework. Preferably, the rail structure is mounted at selected discrete mounting locations spaced laterally of the drive mechanism. A plurality of forming elements are disposed on the rail structure to define at least two longitudinally spaced forming stations, and the forming stations act to bend the strip into the desired profile. The rail structure may be removed from the framework without detaching the mounting stations. A plurality of rail structures may be employed with some of the rail structures formed by a plurality of longitudinally aligned rail sections at least one of which carries a plurality of forming stations.

Abstract: A roll forming device receives a continuous elongated flat sheet of metal to form selected profiles along at least one longitudinal margin thereof. The roll forming device comprises a drive assembly, located within the apparatus frame which engages the elongated sheet proximate to the entryway and advances the sheet in a downstream direction discharge it at an exit. Preferably, at least one guide bar is supported by the frame which also engages the longitudinal margin of the sheet as it is advanced downstream and bends it into a trough-shaped cross-section. The frame houses at least one forming station having a coacting pair of first and second forming rollers journaled for rotation about respective axes. Some of the forming stations may include a plurality of pairs of coacting first and second forming rollers, at least some of which are mounted to be adjustably positioned toward and apart from one another to accommodate varying widths of sheet metal.

Abstract: A lubrication management system controls the lubricant quantity in multiple refrigeration compressor lubricant sumps. A buoyant member is placed in the lubricant, where a float portion and a magnetically conductive portion rise or fall together. The sensor further includes a displacement transducer producing a variable electrical signal through a resonant frequency shift. The displacement transducer, in proximity with the magnetically conductive portion of the buoyant member, transforms motion of the magnetically conductive portion to changes in resonant frequency shift in proportion to the position of the magnetically conductive element relative the displacement transducer. The system also includes circuitry for receiving the signal and comparing the signal to an adjustable set point, from which the circuitry determines whether an output for signalling a need for additional lubricant is necessary.

Abstract: A standing seam panel for assembly into surface covering is constructed to have a central panel section with a female profile along one lateral edge and a male profile along the other lateral edge so that adjacent panels may snap-fit together by engaging the matable profiles. The female profile is formed as an inverted U-shaped channel by an inner side web and an outer side web interconnected by a top wall. The male profile is formed by a first end wall, an inwardly projecting intermediate wall opposed to an edge portion of the central panel section adn an inset wall extending upwardly from the intermediate wall. The edge portion of the central panel section thus form an inwardly-facing channel, and the female profile includes a detent structure that engages the inwardly facing channel when a male profile is mated with a female profile. A fan-fold fabrication method for forming the profiles as a continuous process of flat sheet stock is described.

Abstract: Exterior louver apparatus includes a frame (11) with an oblique frame member (15) with a plurality of exterior louvers (19) having pivot pins in the ends with a universal-type joint (46, 47) in the oblique frame member supporting one end of the louver so that it remains free to pivot. Each louver has a flexible flap-like edge extension (36) that is preloaded against a landing surface (22c) to prevent slapping of adjacent louvers under wind conditions. Each louver has both high strength and high heat insulating properties. A louver control includes a gear box (55) inside one corner of the frame which prevents turning of the louvers from the outside. A linkage for an end louver turns it back to prevent water from entering the louver apparatus.