US2561634A - Machine for folding strip into tubes or sections - Google Patents

Description

y 24, 1951 J. B. PICTON 2,561,634

MACHINE FOR FOLDING STRIPS INTO TUBES OR SECTIONS Filed Feb. 25, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOQ.

J. B. PICTON July 24, 1951 MACHINE FOR FOLDING STRIPS INTO TUBES 0R SECTIONS Filed Feb. 25'. 1948- r 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I L 450 ATTI- July 24, 1951 MACHINE FOR FOLDING STRIPS INTO TUBES OR SECTIONS Filed Feb. 25, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IO 19' I63 INVENTOR J. PICTON 2,561,634

Patented July 24, 1 951 a j [I intensetoetommesmmmo TUBES R C'lE QN John Burley Pic'tnn, Wolverhampton, England,

- assignor'to Joshua *Big v Wolverhampton, England wood & Son, Limited,

" applicants netruarizs, 194s,seria1 No. 10,638

"This invention relates to machines-of the-kind wherein a length of strip, usually metal, is moved endwise and acted uponat spaced positions along in pairs, which rolls"fold"the-strip as itpasses through the machine in a series of successive steps into the required tubularformj or into the required sectional shape; Ill "SllCh machines the cross-sectional shape ofthe strip at various positions along itslengthvaries from the original section, which is usually fiat, through a series of partly folded sections, to the final section,"-which maybe that of a circular-tube.

"Theobject of the present invention is to provide an improved construction;

*Aecording to the present invention the machine comprises a bed upon which are mounted a pluslengtn by a numberof'rolis; usually arranged ra-l'ity of units each" incorporating one or more driven folding rolls for acting uponthe strip 'to effect the necessary guiding means on the bed; and being movable along such guiding means sothat their "spacing can be adjusted, means being provided for retaining them in any desired adjusted-position.

The machine may incorporate a arranged parallelto thero'w of folding unitsand folding thereof, theunits be ing "disposed in alignment and engaging unit driving shaft each such unit may incorporate-a fixed housing containing transmission gear for transmitting the drive from a gear element driven by and adjustabl'e along the the folding rolls.

The driving shaft may be -'supp'orted"by bearings, one adjacent toieach gear element," and these hearings may slide spacing of the folding units can "be effected.

"Each unit may comprise a base havinga tl'ixed housing containing means for the shafts for -the pair oTTollsj 'and supporting one end ofapair of roll shaitsi 'this base being slidable on the the guide being parallel to the pass, each unit base having a guide which is at right anglesto the pass, and mounted on this guide is a loose bearing *for the othen-ends 'of the roll; shafts, the arrangement being such'tliatthe loose bearings are adjustable parallel to the roll shafts softhat the span between the roll shaftbearings can be adjusted tosuit the loadon theshaft andthe l'en'gth o'f'therolls.

"The roll shafts 'of the oneabove another, vnd

away from the other.

driving shaft to "the shafts of on a bearing "guide on the bed-of the-machine so'that adjustment in the "units may be arranged one of these 'rollsh-afts is preferably capable offbeing adjusted towards and the driving transmission uide "on 'theTbed and In: Great Britain February 26, 1947 -3I3laims. (Cl. 153-54) Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a view inside elevation; Figure 2 is a plan view;

Figure 3 is 2:and

"Figure '4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure'2.

In the construction shown inthe drawings the Ina-chine comprises a bed 10, which is of hollow box-like form, and on the top of this bed the surface is provided with two guide ribs II and I2 which are parallel to each other. These guides are formed by upwardly-projecting rectangularseetionribs on the surface of the bed top.

Mounted on the guide I! are a number of, say six, units 1-3, three of which can be seen in Fig-- ures 1 and 2, each unit being adjustable along the guide and being secured to a base plate 15 having longitudinal slots 14 through which ex tend "upwardly-projecting studs 15 on the bed t8,

so that theplates 16 can be individually adjusted along the bed to allow the spacing of the units to be adjusted, and the plates l6 can be locked to database by the studs 15 in the required positions and at the desired spacing.

Each of the units 13 includes a fixed housing H providing bearings for upper and lower roll shafts, and a loose housing 18 also providing bearings 'for upper and lower roll shafts.

Each of the plates 16 is provided with an up weirdly-projecting rib is on its upper surface, and the members I! and I8 are located on the rib 19.

The member 1 'l may be suitably secured by bolts or other fastenings to the plate I 6, and the plates F6 "are provided with slots '20 which are parallel to the rib 19 for receiving fastenings 2| by which each loose housing i8 is secured to the plate 1'6,

the arrangement being such that the loose hous ing can be adjusted towards and away from the fixedhousing I 1 and then secured in any desired adjusted position.

Each er the fixed housings I 1 .is of hollow box like form and comprises a front wall 22 and a rear wall 23. Bearing .housings 24 and "25 are formed in the walls 22 and 23, these housings containing bearings 26 and 21 in which thelower roll shaft 28 can rotate.

At a higher level the .front wall 22 has formed on its rear surface vertical "guides 29 within whic'hcan slide an upper bearing housing 30 ontaining bearings 3| 32 in which the upper roll shaft '33 is mounted for rotation. The guides 29 are vertical, and they are connected to the side paftsoi the side walls "are shown at 36, "31.

a section on the line 3-3 of Figure by webs 34, '35. The lower it Each bearing housing 38 i provided with two portions 38 which engage the edges of the guides 29. Each of the bearing housings 3|] can be raised and lowered by a screwed stem 48 engaging a sleeve nut 4!, which is mounted in the top plate 42 of the housing, the sleeve nut 4| being provided with a head .43 which can be turned by hand" and locked by a nut 44. The stem i provided with a circumferential groove 45 engaged by a plate 46 on the upper side of the bearing housing 30, and below the plate 45 in a recess in the top of the bearing housing is a head 41 on the stem 40. With this arrangement when the sleeve ings 14, mounted in the bearing housings 15 in s the housing.

nut M is turned by turning the head 43 the bearing housing 30 is raised or lowered.

The loose housing 18 is also provided with a lower bearing 48 which does not move and an upper bearing 49 which can be raised and lowered by means (shown in Figure 3) which are exactly.

similar to the means shown for raisin and lowering the bearing housing 30. I v With the arrangement described the upper roll shaft 33 can be raised when required, and the distance between therolls can be alteredto suit the work, which is indicated at 58. Further, the loose housing 18 can be adjusted towards. or away from the fixed housing i1 so that different lengths of roll may be accommodated. I I I Returning to the fixed housing 11, the upper rear part of the housing is formed by a cover 5| secured to the rear wall 23 and to the top plate 42. The front part of the fixed housing I1 is provided with a removable cover 52 Both the roll shafts are positively driven and they are geared together by mean which remain in effective driving engagement whatever may be the position of the upper roll shaft. I

. The housing ll provides a bearing in its wall 22. for a shaft, the end of whichcan be seen. at 53, and mounted on this shaft 53 is a pair of links 54 which are pivoted at 55 to another pair of links 56 pivotally mounted on the end of the upper roll shaft 33. 1. A- gearwheel 51 i providedon the lower roll shaft 28, and this gearwheelil gears with a-gearwheel 58 on the shaft 53. The-gearwheel 58 engages with a gearwheel 59 on the pivot pin .55,- andthe gearwheel 58 engages with a gearwheel 68 on the upper roll shaft ,33. i If the upper roll shaft 33 is raised or lowered by raising or lowering the gearing housings 38, 49, then the links 56, and 54 can oscillate to permit of. the required movement of the bearing housings without interrupting the drive. It will be seen that the roll shafts 28 and Stare driven in opposite directions and at the same speed.

An upper roll is indicated at BI and alower roll at 62., These rolls have portions which are shaped to bend the work .58 into channel sec.- tion. Rolls of different peripheral forms will be provided on the roll shafts of successive units, and the rolls may be shaped so a to convert a flat strip gradually in .aseries' of steps into any required section. In one arrangement the rolls may convert a flat strip by a series of steps into acircular-section tube, v 7

Motion is imparted to 'the lower roll shaft28.

from a driving shaft 83 driven through a clutch 64 from a pulley 65'coup1ed by beltsflorfthe like to a pulley 66 on .the driving shaft 61 of a power unit 68, such as an electric motor. i

The driving shaft 63 is arrangedparaHel to the row of units, and atintervals it is provided with bearings 69 and with driving gearwheels 18.

Each of the bearings GQ is formed on a bracket The wall 31 of the housin is formed to provide a pocket 16 for the gearwheel 12 so that the gearwheel is disposed within the boundary of the sides of the housing. With this arrangement the ousings can be adjusted parallel to the work part to provide the minimum spacing between successive pairs of rolls.

Means are preferably provided for releasably securing the brackets 1! in any adjusted position.

The which engages with a worm wheel 18 on the lower. roll shaft 28 so thatthe latter is driven through the worm gearing and through the gears 12 from the driving shaft 63. y

Each of the units may be provided with a work.- supporting bracket i 9 for supporting the work between the pairs of rollers. Each of these bracketsmay be supported upon legs 88 secured.

to the plate l6. I I The end of the driving shaft 63 is supported in a bearing 8|, which may either be fixed or slidably mounted on the rib II. II Y The unit 82 at the end of the row may be of specialconstruction in which the screws 48 for raising and lowering the bearing housings 30'and 49 are simultaneously operable by turning a hand wheel 83 on a shaft 84 at the top of the loose housing, this shaft 84 being coupled by worm gearings to the sleeve 4|, and further the shaft 84 may be connected by a detachable coupling 85 to a shaft 86 which drives the worm gearingsat.

the top of the stationary housin for driving the sleeve-4| therein. a

Further, the lower bearings 26 and 48 in this construction may be mounted .in bearing housings 81, which are similar to the bearing housings 38 and can be raised and lowered in the.

guides 29, these bearing housingsbeing operated by turning a hand wheel 88 on a shaft 89 mounted in brackets 98 and operating, through worm gearing, threaded sleeves 9i upon fixed screws 92 so that the lower roll shaft 28 may be raised and lowered. The shaft 89 may incorporate a detachable coupling permitting the loose housing l8 to be moved towards or away from the fixed housing [1. I

The invention thusprovides a means whereby the spacing between individual forming units,

each incorporating a pair of driven rolls, canbe adjusted to suit differentthicknesses, dimensions and qualities vof metal so as to ensure that the metal is not overstressed between any two.

folding operations, and to ensure that the stretching of. the edge of the metal is kept down to .the.

minimum. Further, the ability to adjust the folding units towards and away from one another permits of the insertion of power-driven guide rolls, which may be on axes which are transverse to the axes of the forming rolls. Such guide rolls can.

be. inserted between the folding units when desired' Further, the improved construction perworm shaft 13 is provided with a worm ll mits any individual folding units to be removed without interrupting the drive to the others, and such units can be replaced on the guide provided on the bed in the minimum of settingup time.

Further, the loose bearing housings, one on each folding unit, permits of the span between the bearings of the roll shafts to be adjusted to suit the load and the particular roll used. Such loose bearing housings can be adjusted and fixed with the minimum of difficulty.

Further, the driving shaft of the machine is adequately supported in bearings, one adjacent each folding unit, and these bearings can be adjusted along the guide on the bed and in no way interfere with the correct and variable spacing of the gear elements which drive the unit.

What I claim then is:

1. A machine for folding strip into tubes or sections comprising a machine bed, a primary guide on said bed, a plurality of strip folding units mounted in alignment on said bed, each of said units engaging said primary guide, said units being movable on said primary guide, means for locking said units to the bed in any selected adjusted position, each unit comprising a housing containing transmission gear for driving the shafts of a pair of folding rolls, said transmission gear including a shaft projecting through a side wall of the housing, a gearwheel on said projecting part of said shaft, a bearing guide on said bed, said primary and bearing guides being parallel, a driving shaft arranged parallel to the row of units bearings for said driving shaft fixed on the machine bed, and brackets slidably mounted on said bearing guide, said brackets each having a bearing for the driving shaft and carrying a gear element driven by said driving shaft, each of said gearwheels being engaged and driven by one of the gear elements on said driving shaft.

2. A machine for folding strip into tubes or sections comprising a machine bed, a primary guide on said bed, a plurality of base plates movably mounted in alignment on said bed, each of said base plates engaging said primary guide, locking means engaging each of said base plates and the bed for locking said base plates to the bed in various positions whereby the spacing of said base plates can be adjusted, a strip folding unit on each of said base plates, each unit comprising a housing containing transmission gear for driving the shafts of a pair of folding rolls, said transmission gear including a shaft projecting through a side wall of the housing, a

gearwheel on said projecting part of said shaft, a bearing guide on said bed, said primary and bearing guides being parallel, a driving shaft arranged parallel to the row of units bearings for said driving shaft fixed on the machine bed, andbrackets slidably mounted on said bearing guide, said brackets each having a bearing for the driving shaft and carrying a gear element driven by said driving shaft, each of said gearwheels being engaged and driven by one of the ear elements on said driving shaft.

3. A machine for folding strip into tubes or sections comprising a machine bed, a primary guide on said bed, a plurality of base plates movably mounted in alignment on said bed, each of said base plates engaging said primary guide, locking means engaging each of said base plates and the bed for locking said base plates to the bed in various positions whereby the spacing of said base plates can be adjusted, a strip folding unit on each of said base plates, each unit comprising a fixed housing containing transmission gear for driving the shafts of a pair of rolls, and a loose housing, a secondary guide on said base plate disposed at right angles to said primary guide, guide means on said loose housing engaging said secondary guide and means for locking said loose housing to said plate in various positions thereon, whereby the spacing of said housings can be adjusted to accommodate roll shafts of varying lengths, a shaft protruding through the side Wall of said fixed housing and drivingly connected with said transmission gear, a gear wheel on said projecting part of said shaft, a bearing guide on the machine bed, the primary and bearing guides being parallel, a driving shaft arranged parallel to the row of units, bearings for said driving shaft fixed on the machine bed and brackets slidably mounted on said bearing guide, said brackets each having a bearing for the driving shaft and carrying a gear element driven by said driving shaft, each of said gear wheels being engaged and driven by one of the gear elements on said driving shaft.

JOHN BURLEY PICTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Kane July 8,, 1941

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