Abstract: A roll forming machine is provided having a series of mill stands, each having an upper roller and a lower roller that performs a roll forming step. The upper roller rotates on a central axis that is parallel to the lower roller. Each roller has a driven feature that connects to a driving feature. The driving feature for the upper roller can rotate independently from the driving feature of the lower roller. A control system is capable of monitoring, controlling, and displaying the individual torque and speed of separate motors that rotate the individual driving features.

Abstract: A method for slitting sheet material having a thickness, a width, a leading edge and a shear strength. The slitter has rotatable arbors and knives on each arbor that rotate about their axes and are held adjacent to each other. A computer is used to calculate a first and second spacing for the arbors based on the shear strength, outer diameter, and thickness of the material. The material is inserted between the knives and the leading edge passes through the slitter with the arbors the first position that pinches the material between outer diameters of opposing knives as it moves forward. While the material moves forward the arbors are moved into a second and closer position in which the knives are situated to slit the material as it passes between the knives. This slitting of material behind the leading edge creates a leading tab holding the slit strips together.

Abstract: A scrap winder is provided as part of a slitting line that creates a ribbon of scrap. The scrap winder has a moveable mandrel that exposes a grabbing portion that rotates. The grabbing portion extends outward to reveal a puller cable reel. The puller cable reel contains a retrieving cable that attaches to the start of the scrap ribbon. As the grabbing portion rotates, the scrap is brought to the grabbing portion, where the scrap is attached directly to it. The mandrel is then moved into position and the scrap can be wound around the mandrel.

Abstract: A roll forming machine is provided having a series of mill stands, each having an upper roller and a lower roller that performs a roll forming step. The upper roller rotates on a central axis that is parallel to the lower roller. Each roller has a driven feature that connects to a driving feature. The driving feature for the upper roller can rotate independently from the driving feature of the lower roller. A control system is capable of monitoring, controlling, and displaying the individual torque and speed of separate motors that rotate the individual driving features.

Abstract: A method for slitting sheet material having a thickness, a width, a leading edge and a shear strength. The slitter has rotatable arbors and knives on each arbor that rotate about their axes and are held adjacent to each other. A computer is used to calculate a first and second spacing for the arbors based on the shear strength, outer diameter, and thickness of the material. The material is inserted between the knives and the leading edge passes through the slitter with the arbors the first position that pinches the material between outer diameters of opposing knives as it moves forward. While the material moves forward the arbors are moved into a second and closer position in which the knives are situated to slit the material as it passes between the knives. This slitting of material behind the leading edge creates a leading tab holding the slit strips together.

Abstract: A scrap winder is provided as part of a slitting line that creates a ribbon of scrap. The scrap winder has a moveable mandrel that exposes a grabbing portion that rotates. The grabbing portion extends outward to reveal a puller cable reel. The puller cable reel contains a retrieving cable that attaches to the start of the scrap ribbon. As the grabbing portion rotates, the scrap is brought to the grabbing portion, where the scrap is attached directly to it. The mandrel is then moved into position and the scrap can be wound around the mandrel.

Abstract: A tensioner for use in a coil slitting line includes segmented resistance surfaces with a plurality of actuators for urging the resistance surfaces against the slit strips to cause a different tension to be imparted to different strips.

Abstract: A roll forming machine includes side roll stands which are changed by use of a cart and set up fixture which are movable parallel to the pass line through the stands. When a side roll stand is to be changed, a changing cart is moved into position such that rails on the cart are aligned with rails on the fixed support supporting the side roll stand. The side roll stand is moved off of the fixed support and onto the cart, and then moved from the cart into an empty station on a set up fixture. A retooled stand is moved from another station on the set up fixture onto the cart and then from the cart back onto the fixed support. Accordingly, time to effect changeover of a stand is reduced substantially from prior art methods, and no heavy equipment, such as a crane, is required.

Abstract: A roll forming machine or tube mill comprises multiple mill stands defining a material pass line through the mill stands. The mill stands include rotating arbors carrying tooling which are supported between a drive bearing housing and a rotatable bearing housing. Inactive rollers extend outwardly from the rotatable bearing housing, such that upon rotation of the rotatable bearing housing the inactive arbors can moved to the active position and the formerly active arbors can be moved to an inactive or retooling position on the outside of the mill stands. A change cart includes rails on the upper surface thereof that are brought into registry with corresponding rails on the housing support upon which the rotatable bearing housing is mounted. The rotatable bearing housing is then slid off onto the cart, rotated, and then moved back onto the bearing housing support.

Abstract: A roll forming machine which includes an outboard housing having dual turrets, each turret carries a pair of rotatable arbors which can carry forming rollers. The outboard housing is slidable along guide rails between on-line and off-line positions. In the off-line position the turrets may be indexed to bring the second pair of arbors into a working alignment and thus reduce changeover and down time of the roll forming line.

Abstract: A slitter which includes multiple spaced pairs of arbors pivotally mounted to the slitter frame. Each pair of arbors includes cutter assemblies and is alignable with a shiftable bearing housing shiftably mounted to the frame. A drive member is fixedly connected to the bearing housing for correlative shiftable movement and causes correlative rotative movement of one pair of arbors.

Abstract: A machine which applies tension to a strip of steel which has been passed through a slitter. The machine includes two sets of rollers which engage the slit material to maintain tension. The rollers are slidable in the machine frame to allow for rapid changing of the rollers to accommodate various types of slit material.

Abstract: A sled which is mounted between an uncoiler and a multiple-head or arbor type slitter and which carries a pair of pinch rolls and a peeler. The sled is adapted for longitudinal movement between the slitter and the uncoiler to allow indexing of the slitter arbors and feeding of the coil initially into the slitter.

Abstract: A slitter with a plurality of slitter heads mounted on a turntable to allow rotation of the heads. Each slitter head is adapted to be joined to a motor drive by means of an interconnecting arbor end portion which extends from the outboard bearing of the slitting head.

Abstract: A slitter having a pivotal head carrying multiple spaced pairs of arbors with said head being liftable to displace the arbors from the pass line of the material.

Abstract: A recoiler for use in a slitting line upon which multiple strands of slit material are wound. The recoiler includes a rotatable drum having expandable side walls which are shiftable between expanded and retracted positions during drum rotation.

Abstract: A slitter having multiple spaced pairs of arbors carried upon a rotatable housing which is shiftable as a unit toward and away from a second housing which is adapted to support a selected pair of such arbors during the slitting operation.

Abstract: A method by which multiple strands of slit metal material are wound upon the rotating drum of a recoiler. Frictional contact between the recoiler drum and strands cause the strands to be coiled about the drum with relative movement between the recoiler drum and the separate coils of strands occurring to accommodate the varying thicknesses of the individual strands so that the strands are wound upon the drum at substantially the same linear speed.