Pre-creased sheet metal coil stock
A stock sheet metal coil is pre-creased such that upon removal of sheet metal from the coil, the resulting sheet metal strip may be easily and accurately bent or formed along the crease, forming flashing, ducting, or like structures of consistent straightness in any desired length up to the length of the coil. For flashing, the crease is typically formed centrally, between the two ends of the coiled sheet metal to form a flashing of the appropriate angle. Multiple creases may be provided to allow the accurate forming of other structures, such as sluices, gutters, or ducts or conduits in any desired length, reducing connections. Accurate forming may be done at the job site by hand bending at a bead or hand pressing over a wooden block or metal base.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to sheet metal coil stock. More particularly, the present invention relates to pre-creased sheet metal coil stock useful for the forming of flashing for roofs, conduits, and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Sheet metal stock for forming structures, particularly structures related to roofing such as flashing, is normally supplied in coils. The roofer must bend the sheet metal stock, normally along the centerline, to form a flashing of the desired angle. Presses are common for bending the sheet metal stock in a particular length within the capacity of the press. It is common to have a requirement for flashing of a greater length than that reasonably supplied by a press. The use of such a press or, in its place, a makeshift form, results in flashing of insufficient length or ill-fitting asymmetric flashing where the bend is not centered and the apex of the bend is not straight.
It would be desirable to provide a coiled sheet metal stock which may be easily and accurately bent or formed in any desired length, minimizing joints. It would also be desirable to provide such sheet metal stock which may be easily bent to accurately to a desired angle to produce flashing or ducts.
Thus a stock sheet metal coil solving the aforementioned problems is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe stock sheet metal coil of the present invention is pre-creased such that upon removal of sheet metal from the coil, the resulting sheet metal strip may be easily and accurately bent or formed along the crease, forming flashing, ducting, or like structures of consistent straightness in any desired length up to the length of the coil. For flashing, the crease is typically formed centrally, between the upper and lower ends of the coiled sheet metal to form a flashing of the appropriate angle. Multiple creases may be provided to allow the accurate forming of other structures, such as sluices, gutters, or ducts or conduits in any desired length. Accurate forming may be done at the job site by hand bending at a crease or hand pressing over a wooden block or metal base.
It is an aspect of the invention to provide improved elements for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other aspects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTSThe present invention is a pre-creased, stock sheet metal coil useful for accurately making flashing for roofing, channels, ducts or conduits, and the like on the job site having any desired length within the length of the coil stock, minimizing joints.
Referring to
Stock sheet metal coil 10 has a crease 22 located halfway between upper end 14 and lower end 16 extending from coil inner edge 18 to coil outer edge 20. As seen in
Any number of creases may be made in the sheet metal stock as desired, depending on the shape of the desired resulting product. Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
The creases in the sheet metal stock coils of the present invention may be made by running sheet metal stock through a roll bending machine having a die for imparting creases or ridges to a length of sheet metal as it passes through the machine, such as that of U.S. Pat. No. 6,751,995 B1, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. The sheet metal strip bearing the creases may then be rolled into coil stock according to the present invention.
Any type of sheet metal suitable for forming flashing, conduits, or ducts is useful in the present invention including aluminum, copper, or steel.
It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.
Claims
1. Pre-creased sheet metal coil stock having an upper end, a lower end, an inner end and an outer end, and defining a central axis, said coil stock defining at least one crease therein, each said crease being spaced from said upper end, and extending the length of said sheet metal coil between said inner end and said outer end and perpendicular to said central axis.
2. The pre-creased sheet metal coil stock of claim 1, wherein said coil stock defines a single crease centrally located and equally spaced between said upper end and said lower end of said coil stock.
3. The pre-creased sheet metal coil stock of claim 2, wherein said crease is one of a “U”-shaped crease and a “V”-shaped crease.
4. The pre-creased sheet metal coil stock of claim 1, wherein said coil stock defines a plurality of creases spaced between said upper end and said lower end of said coil stock.
5. The pre-creased sheet metal coil stock of claim 4, wherein said plurality of creases includes at least one of a “U”-shaped crease and at least one of a “V”-shaped crease.
6. The pre-creased sheet metal coil stock of claim 5, wherein said plurality of creases includes at least one of an outward crease and an inward crease.
7. A pre-creased sheet metal flashing coil stock having an upper end, a lower end, an inner end and an outer end, and defining a central axis, said coil stock defining a single crease centrally located and equally spaced between said upper end and said lower end of said coil stock, said crease being spaced from said upper end, and extending the length of said sheet metal coil between said inner end and said outer end and perpendicular to said central axis.
8. The pre-creased sheet metal flashing coil stock of claim 7, wherein said crease is one of a “U”-shaped crease and a “V”-shaped crease.
9. A pre-creased sheet metal conduit or duct coil stock having an upper end, a lower end, an inner end and an outer end, and defining a central axis, said coil stock defining at least three spaced creases, each said crease being spaced from said upper end, and extending the length of said sheet metal coil between said inner end and said outer end and perpendicular to said central axis.
10. A pre-creased sheet metal conduit or duct coil stock wherein said spaced creases are spaced so as to form a rectangular conduit or duct upon bending of said coil stock along said spaced creases.
11. The pre-creased sheet metal conduit or duct coil stock of claim 10, said coil stock defining an overlap crease spaced from one of said upper end and said lower end and parallel with said at least three spaced crease for forming an overlap upon bending of said coil stock along said spaced creases and along said overlap crease.
12. The pre-creased sheet metal conduit or duct coil stock of claim 11, wherein said three spaced creases are equally spaced from one of said upper end and said lower end of said coil stock and said overlap crease being spaced from the other of said upper end and said lower end so as to form a square conduit or duct upon bending along said spaced creases and said overlap crease.
13. The pre-creased sheet metal conduit or duct coil stock of claim 12, wherein each of said equally spaced creases and said overlap crease are each defined as an outward crease.
14. The pre-creased sheet metal conduit or duct coil stock of claim 12, wherein each of said equally spaced creases and said overlap crease are each defined as an inward crease.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 12, 2004
Publication Date: May 18, 2006
Inventor: William Fernandez (Fort Myers, FL)
Application Number: 10/986,210
International Classification: F01D 5/18 (20060101); D07B 1/06 (20060101); E04C 2/32 (20060101);