Abstract: A roll bending apparatus includes: a roll pair formed by a pair of rolls disposed facing each other, the roll pair being configured to sandwich an elongated material between the rolls to perform forming on the elongated material; a slide mechanism configured to slide the roll pair in a first normal direction that is a direction normal to a conveying direction of the elongated material on a plane including the conveying direction; and a tilt mechanism configured to rotate the roll pair about a tilt axis that extends in a second normal direction that is a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction and the first normal direction. The slide mechanism further slides the roll pair to change a position of the roll pair relative to the tilt axis.

Abstract: An elongated metal simulated log siding panel has a curved portion that simulates the curvature of a natural construction log. A plurality of longitudinally extending and randomly transversely spaced permanent bends in the curved portion simulate hew lines of a natural construction log, thereby creating a more natural appearance. Rotating disks compress the metal into an elastomeric roller to create the hew line-simulating bends.

Abstract: Disclosed is a flexible roll forming device including bases respectively disposed on opposite sides with respect to a process direction center line in a left/right direction of which rails are configured thereon along a lateral direction of the process, forward/backward moving means having a slide plate provided to be movable along the rails on the base, turning means rotatably provided to the slide plate, and roll forming means provided on the turning means to include an upper forming roll and a lower forming roll inclined with respect to the upper forming roll for subjecting a material fed thereto to flexible roll forming by using the upper and lower forming rolls while varying positions in the lateral direction of processing with the forward/backward moving means, and angles from a process direction with the turning means.

Abstract: A guiding and shaping system for producing welded pipes made from metallic strip material. The guiding and shaping system comprises several pairs of rolls that are disposed one behind another in the direction of travel of the workpiece and are used for increasingly cold-working and bending the edges of the workpiece as the workpiece advances. First pairs of rolls grip the top side and bottom side of the workpiece while pairs of rolls that grip the external faces of the bent edges and form the shape of a pipe are provided in the region where the bent edges form undercuts. The guiding and shaping system further comprises a welding device. The workpiece is supported by floatingly mounted lateral rolls until cooling off following the welding process.

Abstract: A plate workpiece processing tool includes a first tool portion and a second tool portion. The first and second tool portions are arranged along an application axis in spaced relation to each other such that a plate workpiece can be disposed therebetween. The tool also includes two or more processing devices that are carried by the first tool portion, and one or more counter-devices that are carried by the second tool portion. The processing devices are rotatable, relative to the first tool portion, about a first rotational axis that extends perpendicular to the application axis and are arranged to follow each other along an axis extending perpendicularly to the application axis. The processing devices and the one or more counter-devices are selectively alignable to form a plurality of alternative device pairings for processing plate workpieces therebetween.

Abstract: A roll former has a plurality of paired die assemblies spaced apart across a midline of the roll former, and a web of material is fed through the roll former along the midline for operations by the die assemblies. The spacing between each pair of die assemblies is uniformly adjustable by way of mounting the die assemblies on collector plates movable toward and away from each other by linear actuators such as jack screws. Smoothness of movement is enhanced by supporting the collector plates only on the linear actuators. Precision of positioning is enhanced by using jack screws as the linear actuators.

Abstract: A pass through inline seam rollformer having a head assembly and a cradle moveably mounted with a frame. The head assembly laterally moves upon the cradle whereby a seam may be formed upon a sheet material via tooling mounted upon the head assembly. The cradle moves relative to said frame whereby the head assembly may be retracted from a pass line of the sheet material and the sheet material may move through the apparatus without interference from the head assembly. For the preferred embodiment, the tooling utilizes one or more rollers having circumferential grooves or profiles which allow a male or a female lock seam to be formed as the head assembly moves over a leading or trailing edge of the sheet material without the need to transfer the sheet material 90 degrees or remove the sheet material from a production line.

Abstract: A roller tool is used within a sheet deformation facility for the linear deformation of sheet metal. The roller tool comprises a press roller having a shaft and a roller body rolling around the same as well as a counterbody. The press roller and the counterbody can be jointly moved in a linear manner relative to a sheet positioned between them that is to be processed for performing the sheet metal deformation. The roller body has a plurality of roller discs which are adjacent to each other, which together form the section of the roller body that can be placed onto the sheet to be processed and which can rotate around the shaft independently of each other. The sheet deformation facility is furthermore provided with a roller tool support and a drive for pivoting the roller tool support around an axis perpendicular to the sheet that is to be processed.

Abstract: An auxiliary embosser for use with a mobile or stationary on or off-site roll forming apparatus which roll forms sheet material into objects such as a rain gutter or aluminum siding having complex cross section profiles. The auxiliary embosser includes a frame adapted to be aligned and attached adjacent to the apparatus in relation to a roll formed object discharge thereof. The frame includes closely spaced mating embossing rollers held for rotation in the frame about spaced rotational axes and aligned to receive one surface of a roll formed object discharging from the apparatus. The embossing rollers are formed having a profile of their mating surfaces configured to be substantially similar to a profile of the one surface of the object and further include a decorative design which is embossed into the one surface of the object while being moved through the embossing rollers as controlled by the apparatus.

Abstract: A die roll 3 comprises a core part 3a which is formed of an elastic material and faces a punch part 2a of a punch roll 2. The core part 3a presses a bottom portion 4b of a drawn portion 4a of a metal material 4 and is separate from a surrounding die part 3b and is provided with a space 3c at the whole outer periphery of the core part 3a. In accordance with the above configuration, swelling is suppressed at the bottom portion 4b of the drawn portion 4a and production of large wrinkles, which is a reason for folds, can be prevented by increase of pressing areas for preventing wrinkles at both sides of the drawn portion.

Abstract: A V-shaped metal strip has a U-shaped bottom having U-shaped inside and outside surfaces. Only the U-shaped inside surface is formed with a plurality of fold lines extending in a longitudinal direction of the strip and reducing the influence of springback. The fold lines may be arranged in a manner of bilateral symmetry with respect to an imaginary median plane bisecting the V-shaped cross section of the metal strip.

Abstract: A roll bending die for bending metal into an arc with reinforcing ribs and tapered ends. The roll bending machine includes a body member being designed for being rotatably coupled to the roll bending machine whereby the body member selectively engages a pliable roller of the roll bending machine. The body member is designed for being rotated by the pliable roller when the pliable roller is rotated by the roll bending machine whereby the body member rolls the material into an arc when the material is placed between the body member and the pliable roller. The body member comprises a plurality of ridge portions outwardly extending from a perimeter face of the body member. The ridge portions are designed for pressing ribs into the material when the material is rolled between the body member and the pliable roller of the roll bending machine.

Abstract: A V-shaped metal strip has a U-shaped bottom having U-shaped inside and outside surfaces. Only the U-shaped inside surface is formed with a plurality of fold lines extending in a longitudinal direction of the strip and reducing the influence of springback. The fold lines may be arranged in a manner of bilateral symmetry with respect to an imaginary median plane bisecting the V-shaped cross section of the metal strip.

Abstract: A tool for reshaping corner bead, which is perforated right angle metal strip used in fabrication of corners in drywall building construction, spreads the legs of 90 degree angle corner bead outwardly to increase the included angle thereof. The bead is rolled between a pressure roller and a multiplicity of idler rollers. The apex of the bead runs in a circumferential groove of the vertically adjustable pressure roller which presses downwardly as the legs ride upon idler rollers which resist the downward force while allowing sideward motion of the legs. Preferably, the rollers are comprised of mated pairs of hemispheres and the bead is made to pass through the tool by driving the pressure roller with a screw gun. The frame of the tool has a detachable tang which enables the tool to be mounted from the side wall pocket of a common pickup truck box.

Abstract: A node roller combination method and apparatus has a node roller and a backing roller between which sheet material is passed. The node roller has a series of ring shaped circumferential nodes at spaced intervals across the material. The nodes press the sheet material into the backing roller to form a series of small radius small angle bends between flat segments and repetitions of succeeding stages of node and backing rollers forming bends between previous bends that provide a curved shape that gives the appearance of a large radius bend without the tendency to spring back to an original shape.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for forming weakenings in a metal plate (8), comprising of: deforming the metal plate to a predetermined depth to form a weakening thinned portion along at least one line; and bending the metal plate along the line, characterized by displacing relative to each other the metal plate and at least one tool deforming the metal plate along the line and over at least one surface of the metal plate with a force directed substantially transversely of the metal plate and sufficient to deform the metal plate. The invention also relates to a device for performing thereof.

Abstract: An automatic learning apparatus for a folding machine which automatically measures a folding angle of a member to be folded in advance and stores driving data for the folding machine with respect to a desired folding angle. Thus, the same member to be folded is folded using the previously obtained driving data. Accordingly, the automatic learning apparatus can obtain such driving data with respect to the desired folding angle swiftly and accurately.

Abstract: Electro-unite tubes having different plate thicknesses or different diameters are breakdown-formed without changing the upper rolls and the lower rolls of the breakdown pass rolls each time. Each of breakdown pass rolls 12 includes an upper roll 12a having a convex curved surface and a lower roll 12b opposed to the upper roll 12a, the lower roll 12b being provided with a V-shaped concave portion 13. A gap is maintained between a metal band plate 11 and the deepest portion D in the concave portion 13, and the metal band plate 11 is in local contact with the lower roll 12b. The upper roll 12a can be moved up and down, and the distance between the end of the curved surface of the upper roll 12a and the deepest portion D in the concave portion 13 is adjusted depending upon the plate thickness and the diameter of the electro-unite tube to determine the curvature (R.sub.1 or R.sub.2) for forming the metal band plate 11.

Abstract: In the fin pass forming apparatus, the fin roller is split in two symmetrically with respect to the center line of the flow direction of a steel pipe to be formed, and a plurality of side rollers are arranged on a section perpendicular to the flow direction of the steel pipe. At least one fin roller stand is mixed in a group of roller stands including a cluster mill composed of a lower roller and a plurality of pairs of side rollers. The fin roller arranged in the cluster mill is split in two, one is a roller on the work side and the other is a roller on the drive side. The split fin rollers come into contact with a steel pipe to be formed at arbitrary positions in arbitrary directions in the circumferential direction of the steel pipe to be formed so as to conduct a fin pass formation. The plurality of fin pass forming rollers are arranged on a section different from the flow direction of the steel pipe to be formed.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for executing a bending process on a workpiece plate is provided wherein a rear edge of the workpiece plate is place in contact with stop members of a back gauge unit. Simultaneous with input of target value of bending dimensions, a controller provides drive units of the stop members with operative amounts for achieving front/rear directional positioning of the stop members and a gradient angle of a horizontal surface a stop surface corresponding to the target value. In response to the effective value of the operative amount, the drive units are activated to cause stop members to be moved to predetermined positions. After executing a trial bending of a workpiece plate, bending dimensions at two arbitrary bent portions of the processed workpiece plate are measured.

Abstract: A roll forming apparatus incorporates tension rolls which feed a material along a longitudinal direction thereof. The tension rolls are arranged at predetermined intervals and are driven. Also, forming rolls which form the fed material are arranged alternatingly on both sides in the width direction of the material between adjacent tension rolls. The roll forming apparatus described above prevents scratches on the material from forming as a result of the material sliding on the forming rolls.

Abstract: A punch press is provided with a tool bearing a workpiece-deforming roller, the tool being received in an aperture in the press for movement between a lower position in which the roller comes into deforming contact with a workpiece supported on a surface and a raised position out of deforming contact with the workpiece. Elongated deformations may be formed in a workpiece by translating the workpiece horizontally along the surface while the roller is in its lower position. A coacting roller may be provided beneath the workpiece so that the rollers come into deforming contact with opposite sides of the workpiece to deform it as the workpiece is translated between the rollers.

Abstract: A roll assembly suitable for use in the production of thin-wall heat exchanger tubes using a high-frequency induction welding tubemill. The roll assembly includes a roll portion that has an arcuate precision profile that defines one-half of the desired cross-sectional shape of the tube being produced by the tubemill. The assembly further includes a shaft portion that directly supports the roll portion so as to serve as a journal bearing for the assembly. At least the bearing surfaces, and preferably the entire roll assembly is formed from ceramic or ceramic composite materials, without any separate bearing components. Moreover, the roll portion of the assembly is formed from a different material than the shaft portion, in a combination that reduces wear between the bearing surfaces of the roll and shaft portions.

Abstract: A self-locking workpiece-deforming tool for use in mechanical punch presses in which the ram cannot maintain continuous pressure against the tool in a depressed position. The tool includes an elongated punch guide having an interior surface defining a chamber extending therethrough. A punch body having upper and lower segments is partially received within the chamber for reciprocable axial movement with respect to the guide between raised and depressed positions. A lower segment of the punch body carries a rotatable workpiece-deforming roller. The punch assembly includes a positioning device for sustaining the body and the roller in a depressed position without requiring the ram of the press to exert continuous downward pressure on the tool. The positioning means locks the body in the roller in the depressed position upon a momentary strike by the ram, and releases the body and roller upon subsequent momentary strike by the ram.

Abstract: A punch press is provided with a tool bearing a workpiece-deforming roller, the tool being received in an aperture in the press for movement between a lower position in which the roller comes into deforming contact with a workpiece supported on a surface and a raised position out of deforming contact with the workpiece. Elongated deformations may be formed in a workpiece by translating the workpiece horizontally along the surface while the roller is in its lower position. A coacting roller may be provided beneath the workpiece so that the rollers come into deforming contact with opposite sides of the workpiece to deform it as the workpiece is translated between the rollers.

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 metal forming tool attachment includes a body assembly having a front part and a rear part. A rotary forming element journalled on the rear part is driven by an input shaft which projects from the rear part for coupling engagement with the output shaft of an associated power tool. Another rotary forming element journalled for free rotation on the front part cooperates with the driven rotary forming element to form a nip region therebetween. An adjustment lever mounted on the rear part cooperates with a threaded member mounted in fixed position on the front part to move the front part generally toward and away from the rear part whereby the nip region between the forming rolls may be adjusted. A pair of spaced apart rotary forming elements carried by a mounting plate pivotally supported on the front part may be substituted for the single rotary forming element carried by the front part to adapt the tool attachment to perform a radial bending operating.

Abstract: A pair of slit type horizontal fin rolls (18) and a pair of vertical side rolls (19) having such a shape as having the conventional vertical side roll (19) formed by contracting its center portion are utilized, and due to the construction in which one set of each horizontal fin roll (18) and vertical side roll (19) adjustable horizontally, the depressing force is not applied to the material, and since the edge is restrained and shifted widthwise only with the horizontal force of the vertical side rolls (19) rotating freely, threading can be conducted very smoothly irrespective of the sectional shape of the material after break down, and even if the material size is changed, the threading can be conducted very smoothly without adjusting the roll position as strictly as in the past.

Abstract: A tube weld mill comprising a plurality of successively disposed roll stands to form a strip to a desired generally tubular configuration and a weld means to weld together the adjacent edges of the thus formed strip, each roll stand having a pair of co-operating rolls, a drive transmission to transmit a rotary drive from a driving means to each of said rolls, means removably to secure at least one of said roll stands to a base, means to disconnect said drive from the roll stand to permit of removal of a roll stand from the base and replacement by the same or another roll stand and the drive transmission permitting said disconnection to be performed at a fixed location independent of variation in the separation of the axes of rotation of the rolls of the roll stand.

Abstract: A roll former comprises a bed and at least one roll forming member mounted on the bed, each roll forming member comprising a stand, a support member pivotally mounted on the stand for rotation relative to the stand about a selected axis, a pair of shaping elements mounted on the support member shaped to modify the shape of a member such as a purlin passed in use therebetween, and locating means to locate the support member in a selected one of a plurality of available positions relative to the stand.

Abstract: A pipe mill and method comprises certain improvements in pipe mills of cage-type. Edge forming roll sets, usually mounted immediately downstream of the breakdown passes, are mounted for lateral movement to compensate for strip camber or lateral creep. In one form of the invention the edge forming rolls are adjustably fixed with respect to each other on a mounting plate which is suspended on a pivot. Movement of the edge forming rolls from side-to-side about the pivot is obtained by power steering each edge forming roll housing with the steering pivot located at the center of pressure of the edge forming roll set. The steering is controlled by a closed loop system utilizing sensors with a microprocessor. A taper pin lock holds the plate centered and against movement for threading purposes. Side push cylinder assemblies may be employed to center the plate for locking.

Abstract: Metal sheets of aluminum are provided with raised reinforcing portions of substantial height by rolling. The rolls have recesses or channels (6) whose side faces are in a counter-taper configuration with respect to a plane perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder, with an angle of inclination (.alpha.) of up to 5.degree.. The resulting product may advantageously be used for producing perforated metal sheets with high modulus of inertia.

Abstract: The roll-forming machine includes a series of roll-forming stands for shaping a flat workpiece into a desired configuration, a device for monitoring the positioning of the workpiece at the entry side of the roll-forming machine, and a control unit for sending signals to each roll-forming stand to effect transverse movement of the forming members according to a predetermined roll-forming pattern. The roll-forming stand may have either driven contoured rolls or nondriven forming rollers.

Abstract: A complementary pair of top and bottom rolls for the initial breakdown step of a skelp in the manufacture of welded tubular products by rolling. The bottom roll has a convex midportion, a pair of concave end portions, and a pair of straight border portions each lying between the midportion and one of the concave end portions. The top roll is shaped in complementary relation to the bottom roll to define therebetween a path for the skelp. The breakdown roll pair of the above configuration makes it possible to curl the opposite edge portions of the skelp into arcs of a desired radius without the usual defects of rolling, and in such a way that the skelp can be subsequently rounded and have its edges welded together into a tube of minimal out-of-roundness.

Abstract: A fin pass roll for use as a single roll or as pairs of mating forming rolls for bending a flat metal strip into a desired tubular shape or a tube form. The fin pass roll is split into three sections; that is, a fin roll having a fin and fin side rolls in such a way that the fin roll may have arcuate caliber profile which are extended to both sides from the fin and merge with the arcuate caliber profile of the adjacent fin side rolls. The fin side rolls are rotatable in unison with a drive shaft, but the fin roll is so constructed and arranged as to be rotatable independently of the drive shaft and hence the fin side rolls.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming a cable. The cable generally comprises a core sheathed with a metal tape. A plastic jacket, e.g., polyethylene, is extruded over the sheath. The apparatus includes a self-tracking edge forming apparatus which bends the longitudinal edges of the tape. When the tape is overlapped over the core, the bent edges provide intimate control in the overlap area to promote proper sealing to eliminate failure of the cable jacket through a "zippering" effect. The edge forming apparatus may comprise a movable and a fixed forming roller, one of the forming rollers having a surface with flanged ends and the other surface having a surface that facially conforms to the curvatures of the flanged roller, and adjusting means to move the first roller relative to the second roller. The edge forming apparatus is self-tracking because it is mounted on a base comprising apparatus to movably adjust the edge forming apparatus in relation to lateral movement of the metal tape as it is pulled along the tape path.