With Feeding Of Discrete Articles Or Orienting Of Work Relative To Deflector (other Than By Deflector) Patents (Class 72/133)
  • Patent number: 11407017
    Abstract: A machine for bending oblong elements, preferably metal, includes a feed unit configured to feed at least one of the oblong elements along a longitudinal axis. A bending device is located downstream of the feed unit and a curving unit is disposed downstream of the bending device and is configured to curve the oblong element along part of its oblong development.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: M.E.P. MACCHINE ELETTRONICHE PIEGATRICI S.P.A.
    Inventor: Giorgio Del Fabro
  • Patent number: 11338399
    Abstract: A method that includes heating a bar having an outer diameter and a length to a first temperature for a first time; extruding the heated bar to form a hollow blank having a wall thickness; forming a semi-finished blank by closing one end; bending the semi-finished blank to have an angle between first and second parts of the semi-finished blank; placing the bent semi-finished blank in a die, which is heated to a second temperature; forming a shell by injecting a gas onto or into the bent semi-finished blank after closing the die through a gas inlet in the die at a pressure for a second time, which causes the bent semi-finished blank to fit a cavity of the bathroom hardware shell shaping die; removing the shell from the die and forming a water faucet hole therein; and plating an outer surface of the shell with a coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: BEIJING KOHLER LTD.
    Inventors: Xiaojun Wang, Zhaoyang Cheng, Junhui Zhang
  • Patent number: 11167615
    Abstract: A hollow stabilizer includes a curved part having eight regions defined in a cross section. A first region includes a 90° first part when the center of the inside of the curve is taken to be at 0° and the center of the outside of the curve is taken to be at 180°. A third region includes a 0° third part. A fifth region includes a 270° fifth part. A seventh region includes a 180° seventh part. The radii of curvature of the respective outer surfaces of the third part and the seventh part are larger and the radii of curvature of the respective outer surfaces of the second part and the sixth part are smaller than the radii of curvature of the respective outer surfaces of the fourth part and the fifth part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Norihiro Kawakami, Yurika Okudaira, Yuushi Nogami
  • Patent number: 10625322
    Abstract: An apparatus for improving the quality of tube bending; adapted to be used in bending machines and comprises a substantially longitudinally extended mandrel, adapted to be inserted into a tube to be bent and having a rigid portion and a flexible portion arranged in series, the latter comprising a series of mandrel segments connected by articulated joints; the apparatus also comprises at least one motion-sensitive sensor, which is integral with at least one of the mandrel segments, and elements for processing the motion information acquired by the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: BLM S.P.A.
    Inventor: Andrea Ghiotti
  • Patent number: 10525512
    Abstract: A device for conveying and holding a sheet of glass, includes a conveyor and a holder configured to hold a sheet of glass in position, in particular in a horizontal position, wherein the conveyor comprises at least two spaced-apart and parallel lateral conveying systems extending longitudinally in the conveying direction and intended to be positioned in such a way as to support the lateral sides of the sheet of glass, and the holder comprises at least one holding system placed above the lateral conveying systems and above the sheet of glass and intended to limit the amplitude of the movements of the sheet of glass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: SAINT-GOBAIN GLASS FRANCE
    Inventors: Vincent Sauvinet, Thierry Olivier
  • Publication number: 20150142157
    Abstract: An automated bender and its method of operation according to some embodiments of the disclosure is provided. The automated bender includes a carousel which has all of the necessary components for bending a variety of conduit sizes provided thereon. The carousel can be rotated to a desired bending position to bend a particular type of conduit. A straight workpiece is fed into the automated bender and a bent workpiece, which may have multiple bends therein, is output from the automated bender. This bending process is performed without manual intervention. Software for achieving same is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Sean Daugherty, Jeffrey Plummer, Ryan Mantell, Gerald Tully
  • Patent number: 8850862
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for rolling a substantially planar electric wire by more than one turn into a spiral shape. The apparatus includes an inner pressing member having an outer surface, an intermediate pressing member having radially inner and outer surfaces, and an outer pressing member having an inner surface. The inner and intermediate pressing members together press a first part of the electric wire between the outer surface of the inner pressing member and the inner surface of the intermediate pressing member, thereby plastically deforming the first part to extend along the outer surface of the inner pressing member. The intermediate and outer pressing members together press a second part of the electric wire between the outer surface of the intermediate pressing member and the inner surface of the outer pressing member, thereby plastically deforming the second part to extend along the outer surface of the intermediate pressing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Akito Akimoto, Noboru Taniguchi, Atsuo Ishizuka, Seiji Tachibana, Masaomi Dobashi, Mitsuyuki Hayashi, Takeshi Kurosawa
  • Publication number: 20140290323
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing springs by a numerically controlled spring machine includes feeding a wire in a feed direction to a forming device of the spring winding machine by a feed device under control of a control program forming the wire into a spring with the aid of tools of the forming device in a forming operation, the forming device having a mandrel with a mandrel axis oriented at right angles to the feed direction, and windings of the spring surrounding the mandrel during the forming operation, and adjusting a position and/or orientation of the feed device with the aid of a controllable machine axis during the forming.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2012
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: WAFIOS AG
    Inventors: Uwe-Peter Weigmann, Alexander Jannotti, Andreas Sigg, Dietmar Sautter
  • Patent number: 8826713
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a stator coil for an electric rotating machine includes the steps of: (1) forming substantially planar electric wires each of which includes in-slot portions to be received in slots of a stator core and turn portions to be located outside the slots to connect adjacent pairs of the in-slot portions; (2) rolling each of the planar electric wires through plastic deformation into a spiral or circular-arc shape; and (3) assembling the rolled electric wires together to form the stator coil. Further, in the rolling step, each of the planar electric wires is rolled by deforming each of the turn portions of the electric wire while restricting movement of at least one of the in-slot portions of the electric wire which is located closer to a rolling start end of the electric wire than the turn portion is.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Akito Akimoto, Takuji Harada, Seiji Yamaguchi, Atsuo Ishizuka
  • Patent number: 8573013
    Abstract: During the bending of sheet metal sections (1, 2) in particular for forming can edges using a bending machine, the sheet metal is pre-treated at a flexing station (50) before reaching the bending station. The contact position (x, y, y?) of a sheet on a measuring plate (38) is measured and the signal representing the contact position is reproduced on a display (25), enabling the operator to adjust at least one element (7, 8, 9, 20) of the flexing station in accordance with the deviation of the actual contact position from the target contact position, either manually or by means of a drive. The signal can also be used to automatically adjust at least one element of the flexing station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Soudronic AG
    Inventors: Peter Hug, Daniel Dieterich
  • Patent number: 8561445
    Abstract: A can rounding system and method that uses arms that are able to maintain cans in a concentric arrangement during the welding process. The arms enable the can rounding system to maintain the concentric positions in order to achieve improved circular dimensions and increase the overall efficiency in the construction of cylindrical and conical structures, such as wind towers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: SMI & Hydraulics, Inc.
    Inventors: David Schrunk, Mitch Groen
  • Patent number: 8522589
    Abstract: The machine for the formation of tubes includes at least, in series with each other, forming stations including pairs of idle rollers which make rototranslational movements of the same amplitude but in opposite directions, and at least one finishing station including four idle rollers having a concave profile with a constant curvature and able to perform rototranslational movements of the same amplitude and direction according to 90° axes. The lower rollers of each forming station have an elliptical profile with a curvature decreasing form the outer edge to the inner edge of the roller. The upper rollers of the first forming station have an elliptical profile with a curvature increasing from the outer edge to the inner edge of the roller; the upper rollers of the forming stations subsequent to the first have a circular profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Olimpia 80 S.r.l.
    Inventors: Vittorio Travini, Riccardo Bosoni
  • Publication number: 20130074564
    Abstract: Feeding stock used to form a tapered structure into a curving device such that each point on the stock undergoes rotational motion about a peak location of the tapered structure; and the stock meets a predecessor portion of stock along one or more adjacent edges.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2012
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Inventors: Eric Smith, Rosalind Takata, Alexander Slocum, Samir Nayfeh
  • Patent number: 8371495
    Abstract: When rounding metal sheet sections for forming can bodies by means of a rounding machine, a pre-rounding element is used, whose lower part is deflectable with respect to the upper part by means of an actuating element. Thereby, the joint between the upper and the lower part is executed as a solid body joint whose section modulus in bending during the deflection is different along the joint. Thereby, a uniform impact on the metal sheet may be reached. Furthermore, the separating gap between the upper and the lower part is arranged obliquely, thus reducing the bending of the lower part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Soudronic AG
    Inventors: Peter Hug, Guy Boissin, Oliver Schulthess
  • Publication number: 20120280192
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a furcated composite post (1) comprising at least two strips (7, 8) that are joined together along their length in a furcated manner. The method comprises the steps of feeding one or more of the strips (7, 8) at a set rate to working rolls of a roll mill for profile rolling to a desired cross section/profile, feeding the strips (7, 8) at the same set rate to positioning rolls for holding the strips (7, 8) in a correct orientation for joining, and joining the strips together, preferably by welding the strips (7, 8) along their length.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2010
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Inventors: Ashley Dean Olsson, Ashley Norman Olsson, Nathanael Dean Olsson, Stafford James Olsson
  • Publication number: 20120160006
    Abstract: The machine for the formation of tubes includes at least, in series with each other, forming stations including pairs of idle rollers which make rototranslational movements of the same amplitude but in opposite directions, and at least one finishing station including four idle rollers having a concave profile with a constant curvature and able to perform rototranslational movements of the same amplitude and direction according to 90° axes. The lower rollers of each forming station have an elliptical profile with a curvature decreasing form the outer edge to the inner edge of the roller. The upper rollers of the first forming station have an elliptical profile with a curvature increasing from the outer edge to the inner edge of the roller; the upper rollers of the forming stations subsequent to the first have a circular profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2010
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicant: OLIMPIA 80 S.R.L.
    Inventors: Vittorio TRAVINI, Riccardo BOSONI
  • Patent number: 7954349
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for simultaneously creating a pair of stacks of nested sinuous spring strips. This apparatus includes first and second generally circular forming drums onto which a feeder mechanism is operable to sequentially and alternately pass each of the spring strips from over a forming mandrel onto the top surface of the first and second generally circular forming drums. A first stripper mechanism is then operable to strip a first one of the strips onto a first stacking drum and for stripping a second following one of the strips onto a second stacking drum. A second stripper mechanism is then operable to strip those stacks from the stacking drums onto a pair of discharge chutes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: L&P Property Management Company
    Inventor: Kelly M. Knewtson
  • Patent number: 7895869
    Abstract: In a water diversion system, in a preferred embodiment, a first fold of a deflector is disposed into a first hanger cavity and a second deflector fold is disposed into a second hanger cavity. The first fold of the deflector cooperates with the first cavity of the hanger to allow a resistance hinge-like action of the deflector. The deflector may be lifted open by compression of a curve of the deflector to remove the second fold of the deflector from the second hanger cavity. Methods are provided in which, in a preferred embodiment, a deflector-forming machine is disposed above a trough-forming machine and the deflector-forming machine is moveable forward and backward relative to the trough-forming machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Senox Corporation
    Inventor: Arnold Bruce Walters
  • Publication number: 20100140322
    Abstract: When rounding metal sheet sections for forming can bodies by means of a rounding machine, a pre-rounding element is used, whose lower part is deflectable with respect to the upper part by means of an actuating element. Thereby, the joint between the upper and the lower part is executed as a solid body joint whose section modulus in bending during the deflection is different along the joint. Thereby, a uniform impact on the metal sheet may be reached. Furthermore, the separating gap between the upper and the lower part is arranged obliquely, thus reducing the bending of the lower part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2009
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Applicant: Soudronic AG
    Inventors: Peter Hug, Guy Boissin, Oliver Schulthess
  • Publication number: 20090173125
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for simultaneously creating a pair of stacks of nested sinuous springs wherein each spring comprises a discrete length of sinuous spring wire having parallel bar wire segments interconnected at their opposite ends by oppositely directed connecting segments. This apparatus includes first and second generally circular forming drums onto which a feeder mechanism is operable to sequentially and alternately pass each of the strips from over a forming mandrel onto the top surface of the first and second generally circular forming drums. A first stripper mechanism is then operable to strip a first one of the arcuate configured strips from over a first one of the forming drums and onto a top surface of a first stacking drum and for stripping a second following one of the arcuate configured strips from over the second forming drum onto a top surface of a second stacking drum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2008
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Applicant: L&P Property Management Company
    Inventor: Kelly M. Knewtson
  • Patent number: 6923033
    Abstract: A roller system for flattening irregularly shaped pieces of scrap sheet metal comprises a pair of parallel, horizontally arranged large rollers forming a downwardly converging nip between them. Each roller is formed of curved steel sheets bent to form a cylindrical shape for the rollers. A series of curved, steel liner plates overlay and cover the surfaces of the cylinders. The plates are made of a harder material than the steel sheets. The liner plates on each cylinder are arranged end-to-end and are mechanically fastened to their respective rollers so that the opposite ends of the plates provide a leading edge and a trailing edge. The trailing edge of each plate is chamfered and is arranged against a generally radially directed, blunt edge surface of the leading end of the next plate to form a roughly triangularly shaped in cross-section groove extending longitudinally of the exterior surface of the rollers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: Soave Enterprises, LLC
    Inventor: Alfred George Hering
  • Patent number: 6725699
    Abstract: According to the present invention, a method and an apparatus for rounding a sheet or plate blank in a rounding apparatus having rounding rolls is provided. A predetermined second part region of the blank is rounded after a predetermined first part region has been rounded. A feed direction of the blank for the rounding of the second part region is selected such that rounding in the second part region proceeds towards the previously rounded first part region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventor: Eugen Müller
  • Patent number: 6167737
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a forming device adapted to impart a precise arcuate curvature to a sheet metal blank. The device includes a forming drum and a compression roller in proximate space relation to the surface of the drum. A characterizing feature of the device resides in a resilient deformable metal sheet having a lead surface fixed to the drum, the metal blank to be formed being captured between the drum surface and the flexible metallic sheet. Both the blank and the sheet are caused by the compression roller to conform to the curvature of the surface of the drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2001
    Assignee: Duro Dyne Corporation
    Inventors: John Lyons, David Moses
  • Patent number: 6082161
    Abstract: In a stabilization control of rolling, proportional differential control of snake motion of a to-be-rolled material caused during a rolling process, is achieved on the basis of a lateral deviation of loads which are detected by load sensors disposed on a rolling mill, an instruction value for lateral deviation leveling is calculated from the lateral deviation and given to a draft device, and a roll gap is adjusted on the basis of the instruction value to stabilize the snake motion of the to-be-rolled material. A stabilization low-pass filter having a pole time constant substantially equal to a zero-point time constant of operation frequency characteristics of the rolling mill is employed in the proportional control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2000
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Marushita, Hidetoshi Ikeda, Kentaro Yano, Makoto Tsukiyama
  • Patent number: 6000259
    Abstract: A finishing train for continuously cast strip material and a method of operating the finiching train, wherein an edging stand is arranged in front of the finishing train for preventing strip material cracks occurring during the reduction of the strip thickness at the strip edges, wherein position control circuits are arranged in front of the adjusting device of the edging stand. The arrangement includes a superimposed pressure control circuit (edging degree monitoring circuit) which responds to the adjusting force of the edging stand and the position thereof, and a load limiting control unit which responds to adjusting forces of the grooved rolls of the edging stand exceeding permissible values and/or to loads of the drive motors of the grooved rolls exceeding permissible values, for increasing the predetermined gap width and/or reducing the desired pressure of the adjusting device of the edging stand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignee: SMS Schloemann-Siemag Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Hermann Wolters, Wolfgang Spies
  • Patent number: 5860307
    Abstract: A pipe is bent by advancing the pipe through a guide and into a ring disposed just upstream of said guide in the direction of pipe movement. The ring with the leading end of the pipe therein is moved by a controller along a predetermined curve along which the pipe is to be bent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1999
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tamio Nakano, Shin Takeda, Kiyoshi Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 5842363
    Abstract: The present invention provides a production method and an apparatus for double curve formed products for producing double curve formed products easily at low cost, stabilizing an accuracy in configurational dimension of the double curve formed product and improving an accuracy in assembly thereof, the production apparatus being of a simple construction apparatus. Around an inner die in which an end portion of a treatment product is engaged, an outer die in which the other end portion of the treatment product is engaged is rotated relative to each other at predetermined angles. At this time, a side face of the treatment product is curved so that it is successively folded back. By a deformation reaction caused at this time, the side face of this curved portion is pressed against a processing curved surface of the inner die such that the side face is deformed along the processing curved surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1998
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventors: Ichiro Hattori, Michio Aoki, Yoshihide Sakaguchi, Yoshihiro Hayashi, Masayasu Koshigoe
  • Patent number: 5761944
    Abstract: In a punching processing method, a punch chip having a roller shape is arranged in a punch chip holder rotatable around the vertical axis and can be rotated around the horizontal axis. A die chip having a roller shape is arranged in a die chip holder rotatable around the vertical axis and can be rotated around the horizontal axis. Punching processing of a work is performed, in cooperation with the punch chip and the die chip, by moving the work in the horizontal direction in a state in which the work is held between the punch chip and the die chip. Further, a roll forming die used in this punching processing method is also proposed. Accordingly, it is possible to perform various kinds of punching processings for a short time without causing any seam and easily perform processings of a circle and a curve in addition to processing of only a straight line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignee: Amada Metrecs Company, Limited
    Inventors: Shigeru Endo, Hideyuki Miyake
  • Patent number: 5626043
    Abstract: An apparatus for forming at least one curved, rectangular bodied surgical needle which comprises frame means, flat press means associated with said frame means for imparting first flat surfaces to opposite sides of at least a portion of at least one needle blank, curving means associated with said frame means for imparting an arcuate profile to at least a portion of the at least one needle blank and side press means mounted on said frame portion for imparting second flat surfaces to opposite sides of the needle blank, wherein said second flat surfaces are imparted substantially perpendicular to said first flat surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 6, 1997
    Assignee: United States Surgical Corporation
    Inventors: Michael W. Bogart, Richard J. Smith
  • Patent number: 5592844
    Abstract: Sheet-metal blanks are fed in succession one immediately after another to a rounding apparatus in which they are plastically deformed into a curve in a rounding mechanism and are given a desired constant bending radius. The portion of the blank initially running out of the rounding mechanism in the natural rounding position is deflected by guide means under elastic deformation out of the rounding position into a transfer position which is different from the rounding position and is thereby elastically deformed so that the portion of the blank running out of the rounding mechanism is kept under stress. When the end portion of the sheet-metal blank leaves the rounding mechanism, it springs into the transfer position due to said stress, leaving the way clear for another sheet-metal blank, which can already be in the process of being rounded before the fully rounded sheet-metal blank is ejected from the rounding apparatus and conveyed away.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 14, 1997
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventor: Michael Baumgartner
  • Patent number: 5586463
    Abstract: A pipe bending device which is composed of a drive wheel, a plurality of guide wheels, a pair of guide molds and a mandrel, wherein the guide wheels having a main guide wheel which is installed under the drive wheel, the pair of guide mold being composed of a first guide mold and a second guide mold which are engaged respectively with the drive wheel and the guide wheels and can be drived to move, the first guide mold being formed into a curve shape, the pipe being installed between the first guide mold, the end of the pipe being fixed at the end of the first guide mold, thus the pipe can be stretched and bended by the first guide mold to form a curve when the pair of guide molds being drived to move, the mandrel being inserted into the inner hole of the pipe so as to prevent the pipe from deforming in bending process As a result the inner surface of the bending part can be kept smooth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1996
    Inventor: Reen-Yuan Sheen
  • Patent number: 5526666
    Abstract: An apparatus for forming at least one curved, rectangular bodied surgical needle which comprises frame means, flat press means associated with said frame means for imparting first flat surfaces to opposite sides of at least a portion of at least one needle blank, curving means associated with said frame means for imparting an arcuate profile to at least a portion of the at least one needle blank and side press means mounted on said frame portion for imparting second flat surfaces to opposite sides of the needle blank, wherein said second flat surfaces are imparted substantially perpendicular to said first flat surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 18, 1996
    Assignee: United States Surgical Corporation
    Inventors: Michael W. Bogart, Richard J. Smith
  • Patent number: 5522245
    Abstract: A metal ring producing device comprises a rigid roller and a resilient roller. The resilient roller has an outer cylindrical portion covered with an elastic annular member. The resilient roller is positioned near the rigid roller so that a metal plate member can be inserted between the resilient and rigid rollers. The resilient roller is rotated in a given direction. The elastic annular member is formed with equally spaced recesses. Each recess has a concave bottom surface which is shaped in conformity with an outer surface of the metal ring produced around the rigid roller. A ring removing mechanism is further employed which pushes one end of the metal ring and thus thrusts the metal ring off the rigid roller when the resilient roller stops at a position wherein one of the recesses is registered with the rigid roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1996
    Assignee: Calsonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kimio Nozaki, Mutuo Yomoda
  • Patent number: 5457978
    Abstract: An apparatus having a frame; a shuttle member, adapted to receive and hold a needle blank, and movably mounted to the frame; a clamp member detachably mounted on the frame for supplying needle blanks to the shuttle member; a transfer mechanism mounted on the frame for facilitating the transfer of the needle blanks from the clamp member to the shuttle member; a press mechanism for imparting first flat surfaces to first opposing sides of the needle blanks held by the shuttle member; a mandrel mounted on the frame for imparting an arcuate profile to the needle blanks; a transport mechanism for transporting the needle blanks from the shuttle member to the mandrel; and a needle side press for imparting second flat surfaces to second opposing sides of the needle blanks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 17, 1995
    Assignee: United States Surgical Corporation
    Inventors: Michael W. Bogart, Richard J. Smith
  • Patent number: 5450739
    Abstract: An apparatus for forming curved surgical needles is provided which includes a needle curving system for imparting an arcuate profile to sequentially presented needle blanks and a rotating system for pressing the needle blank against the curving system. The apparatus also includes needle supply and advancing systems for sequentially feeding and advancing the needle blanks to the needle curving system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 19, 1995
    Assignee: United States Surgical Corporation
    Inventors: Michael W. Bogart, Richard Parente
  • Patent number: 5431035
    Abstract: This invention provides a hydraulic pipe bender of large dimension, comprising a frame, roller group, gear group, hydraulic mechanism, clutch, lifting mechanism, guiding mechanism, feeding mechanism, and bending mechanism. A guiding mould of the guiding mechanism is attached on the mould of the left roller, and the pipe to be processed is sheathed on the guiding rod, and is fed rightward through the feeding mechanism to prevent the slipping phenomena during the bending process; besides, by means of the hydraulic mechanism and the gear group, the rollers group can adjust the speeds of the top, left or right roller automatically to manufacture a circular ring pipe of large dimension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 11, 1995
    Inventor: Reen Y. Sheen
  • Patent number: 5390538
    Abstract: A roller-mandrel thrust bending process (RDSB process) is described, serving to bend metal hollow sections. Starting from the known rolling-bending process, where the hollow section to be bent is filled in its interior and is run into a bending station consisting of several bending rollers, the bending of the hollow section is produced by the movement of the bending rollers in the bending plane. To preserve the advantages of core stretching and bending while avoiding the high costs of this process, it is provided according to the invention that the hollow section of the workpiece is filled by a base mandrel and that the workpiece is pushed into the bending station under thrust. Thus the workpiece to be bent is displaced under thrust and under the friction force of the profile rollers over the mandrel stationary in the bending zone and bent in XYZ direction by the bending station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1995
    Inventor: Walter E. Spath
  • Patent number: 5388441
    Abstract: An apparatus for forming curved surgical needles is provided which includes a needle curving system for imparting an arcuate profile to sequentially presented needle blanks and a rotating system for pressing the needle blank against the curving system. The apparatus also includes needle supply and advancing systems for sequentially feeding and advancing the needle blanks to the needle curving system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 14, 1995
    Assignee: United States Surgical Corporation
    Inventors: Michael W. Bogart, Richard Parente
  • Patent number: 5341665
    Abstract: The process and apparatus of the invention permits the production of annular parts, such as ferrules, on which machining operations are to be carried out. The process includes the steps of bending a predimensioned metal sheet by a series of internal supports mounted on a rotary plate and by a pressure roller bearing on the outer surface of the sheet. One complete rotation of the rotary plate makes it possible to completely bend the sheet into the form of a ferrule. The second main operation includes carrying out of a welding operation on the two ends of the metal sheet. This process makes it possible to carry out any random prior machining operation on the predimensioned flat metal sheet, without the machining operations being impaired by the bending or welding operation. The process is applicable to the production of front ferrules for casings surrounding the coldest pipe of a double flow turbojet engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 30, 1994
    Assignee: Societe Nationale d'Etude et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation "S.N.E.C.M.A."
    Inventors: Bernard G. Christophel, Jean M. Dautremont, Pierre H. Fert, Guy R. Harmegnies
  • Patent number: 5195343
    Abstract: A pusher bar assembly for a multi-axis tube bender acts to insert and withdraw the bending support mandrel, as well as to push the tube through the bender. A hollow sleeve with a diameter equal to the tube has sufficient length to contain both the mandrel and a piloting plug, which can be inserted between the free ends of both the tube and sleeve. A mandrel bar is slidably received through the sleeve, and so can extend the mandrel out of a stored position of the sleeve into the tube and back. A stop means stops the mandrel bar to locate the mandrel at the proper place in the tube. A push pull means on the mandrel bar also pushes the plug to a point where it bridges the free ends of the tube and sleeve with the mandrel stops. Therefore, a high pushing force can be directed from the sleeve to the tube without the free ends collapsing inside one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1993
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Antoni J. Malarz
  • Patent number: 5156635
    Abstract: A bicycle wheel straightener including a support surface, an axle retention bar attached to the support surface and including an axle, adjustable along the length of a slot in the retention bar, for rotatably supporting a bent bicycle wheel in a horizontal relationship relative to the support surface. A pair of spaced rollers are rotatably fixed to the support surface in position to engage and rotatably support a side of the rim of the bicycle wheel. A third roller is positioned between and vertically spaced from the first and second rollers and adjustably supported by a vertical frame member. A jackscrew provides vertical movement of the third roller relative to the first and second spaced rollers to selectively apply pressure to the opposite edge of the bicycle wheel rim supported by the pair of spaced rollers. The jackscrew exerts a straightening force on the wheel rim as the wheel is manually rotated. Two embodiments of the axle retention/adjustment structure are disclosed (FIGS. 3-4 and FIGS. 6-8). FIG.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1992
    Inventor: William E. Snow, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5156034
    Abstract: An apparatus for contouring plastically deformable sheet material comprises a pair of opposed indexable turret assemblies (2, 3) each including a plurality of shaping rollers (4) comprising either solid rollers (30, 31) or split rollers (32, 33). Opposed shaping rollers (30, 31 or 32, 33) respectively have generally complementary convexly and concavely shaped circumferential profiles (30a, 31a). Upper turret assembly (3) is displaceable relative to lower turret assembly (2) by means of a fluid powered ram (10) under the control of displacement measuring means (18) and/or pressure sensing means 911). The apparatus is controlled by a microprocessor (20) which determines from stored data the optimum combination of rollers (30, 31 or 32, 33) and rolling pressure in ram (10) to achieve the required sheet material deformation and to ensure that the transverse area of contact between the rollers (30, 31 or 32, 33) and the sheet material to be deformed does not fall below a length to width ratio of 3:1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1992
    Assignee: K.P.G. Integrated Engineering Pty. Ltd.
    Inventor: Karl E. Lorbach
  • Patent number: 5129247
    Abstract: Method for forming a tubular metal member of a shape and length having an opened end and a closed end into an element which is formed of a different shape and length by forcing and thereby flowing the metal of the tubular member from one mold cavity to another. The method utilizes a form mold having an entrance cavity of a shape and length generally corresponding to the tubular member and in which the entire tubular member is initially located and an exit cavity of a different shape and length in which the flowing metal of the tubular metal member is forced to form the element having the shape and length of the exit cavity. The form mold has an entrance opening in a side wall thereof which is connected to the entrance cavity. The tubular metal is initially located entirely within the entrance cavity of the form mold, with the closed end thereof located adjacent the exit cavity and the opened end of the tubular metal member being located at the entrance opening to the entrance cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1992
    Assignee: Muskegon Automation Equipment, Inc.
    Inventor: Bruce R. Johnson
  • Patent number: 5001918
    Abstract: A method for making blanks of a profile varying lengthwise, such as few-leaf springs involves placing a heated billet (1) on a sizing former (2) and feeding it to a deformation zone for forming a product of a preset profile which is carried out from the middle part (3) of the billet simultaneously towards its ends (4,5) thereof to form its runs by drawing or rolling. In an apparatus for carrying out this method, a forming means is provided with a constant-size groove (6) so that the billet runs are formed simultaneously during passage therethrough, or has a pair of carriages supporting non-driven rolls and moving in the opposite directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1991
    Inventors: Alexandr V. Stepanenko, Vladimir A. Korol, Georgy A. Isaevich, Alexandr P. Grechenko, Sergei S. Benedis, Stanislav S. Poplavsky, Igor M. Shimanovich, Vitaly L. Markhasin
  • Patent number: 4989435
    Abstract: A curved pipe manufacturing method comprises the steps of providing a fixed die having a curved cavity, an entrance opening and an exit opening contained therein, the curved cavity being formed in a circular arc and extending from the entrance opening to the exit opening, providing a movable block having a curved mandrel attached to one side thereof and an ejecting rod on the side thereof opposite to the curved mandrel, inserting the curved mandrel into the curved cavity of the fixed die through the exit opening therein and forming a curved annular chamber inside the cavity, pressing a work with a presser rod through the entrance opening into the curved annular chamber to form a curved pipe, providing a stopper through hole adjacent to the exit opening of the fixed die so that the through hole of the stopper is positioned in a turning track of the mandrel and restrains the tip end of the curved pipe, moving the movable block so as to remove only the mandrel from the exit opening while the curved pipe is restr
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 5, 1991
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Asahi Kinzoku Hogyosho
    Inventor: Toshio Kaneko
  • Patent number: 4876872
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a curved pipe manufacturing method comprising the steps of: inserting a curved mandrel into a curved cavity of a fixed die having an entrance opening and an exit opening, the curved mandrel being attached to the distal end of an ejecting rod; forming a curved pipe by pressing a work, with a present rod through the entrance opening of the curved cavity into a curved annular chamber defined by the surfaces of the curved cavity and the mandrel; turning the movable block in one direction so that an ejecting rod attached at its base end with the movable block and concentrically integrated with the mandrel, ejects the mandrel together with the curved pipe from the entrance opening of the fixed die; advancing a movable chuck provided outside the entrance opening for chucking only the curved pipe; turning the movable block to another direction opposite to the one direction so as to return only the mandrel into the curved cavity of the fixed die; and retracting the movable chuck fo
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 31, 1989
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Asahi Kinzoku Kogyosho
    Inventor: Toshio Kaneko
  • Patent number: 4875353
    Abstract: A curved pipe manufacturing method comprises the steps of: inserting a curved mandrel into a curved cavity of a fixed die having an entrance opening and an exit opening through the exit opening thereof, said cavity being formed in a circular arc and extending from the entrance opening to the exit opening thereof, said curved mandrel being attached to one side of a movable block; forming a curved pipe by pressing a work, with a presser rod through the entrance opening of the curved cavity into a curved space defined by the surface of the curved cavity and the mandrel; turning the movable block for extracting completely the curved pipe together with the mandrel from the exit opening of the curved cavity; inserting a retaining pin into a groove provided in the movable block for retaining a tip end of the curved pipe; and further turning the movable block so as to turn the mandrel while the curved pipe is restrained by the retaining pin so that the curved pipe is separated from the mandrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1989
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Asahi Kinzoku Kogyosho
    Inventor: Toshio Kaneko
  • Patent number: 4856312
    Abstract: During the rounding of sheet-metal blanks, problems have hitherto arisen in the rounding apparatus (2) because the leading edge of the rounded sheet-metal blanks struck against a stationary stop at the end (48) of a slit (24) between an inner shell (20) and an outer shell (22), so that the sheet-metal blank rebounded and did not have a defined starting position for further conveying. In order to overcome this problem, the stop is constructed in the form of a pivotally movable damping flap (50) on which there is formed a catch hook (54) which closes the slit (24) at its end (48). Compression springs (70) are disposed between the damping flap (50) and the inner shell (20). Under the impact of the sheet-metal blank, the catch hook (54) yields and urges the damping flat (50) about the pivot axis (52) pressing its front portion (50') into the slit (24) as a result of which the sheet-metal blank is temporarily clamped against the outer shell (22).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 15, 1989
    Assignee: Elpatronic AG
    Inventor: Kurt Alznauer
  • Patent number: 4841760
    Abstract: A process for making a tube bend of a predetermined wall thickness from a length of straight tube comprises forming the straight tube to have a quasi-elliptical cross section and irregular wall thickness which has a maximum value on one side of the major axis of the quasi ellipse, expanding the quasi-elliptical tube to cause the wall thickness on the other side of the major axis to be reduced and bending the tube about an axis located on said other side of said major axis. Apparatus suitable for performing the process comprises a die (2) formed with an oblique inclined converging passage (3) of circular cross section at one end changing progressively to quasi-elliptical cross section at the other end and a curved mandrel (6) having a portion (8) which changes from quasi-elliptical cross section at the shank (7) to circular cross section at the curved portion (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1989
    Inventor: James M. Ferguson
  • Patent number: 4735072
    Abstract: A roll machine for straightening a brake shoe comprising a main roller and a dependent roll. The main roll has a groove into which the web of the brake shoe is fit and flanges slightly shorter than the thickness of the brake shoe film. The freely rotating dependent roll is hydraulically pressed against the turning main roll and brake shoe. A replaceable block is disposed between the hydraulic piston rod and the support of the dependent roll and a roller pin perpendicular to axis of the two rolls is placed in corresponding grooves of the block and dependent roll support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 5, 1988
    Assignee: Akebono Brake Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigeyoshi Kobayashi