ROLL-FORMER APPARATUS WITH RAPID-ADJUST SWEEP BOX

• US 20070180880A1
• Filed: 03/21/2007
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shape
• Original Assignee: Shape
• Inventors: Heinz, Richard, Dodd, James, Lyons, Bruce, Gould, Bryan
• Granted Patent: US 7,882,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 72/168
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 5/08 making use of forming-rollers B21D5/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 7/028 and altering the profile at the same time, e.g. forming bumpers

Abstract

A computer controlled roll-forming apparatus is adapted to provide a repeating pattern of different longitudinal shapes to a continuous beam “on the fly” during the roll-forming process. A sweep station of the apparatus includes a primary bending roller tangentially engaging the continuous beam along the line level and an armature for biasing the continuous beam against the primary bending roller for a distance partially around a downstream side of the primary bending roller to form a sweep. Actuators adjustably move the armature partially around the downstream side of the primary bending roller between multiple positions for imparting a series of different longitudinal shapes. Internal and external mandrels control wall stability to allow even sharper sweeps. In one form, the apparatus also includes a coordinated cut-off, so that when separated into bumper beam segments, the ends of the individual beam segments have a greater sweep than their center sections.

Claims

1. An adjustable apparatus for imparting a variable sweep into a roll-formed beam as part of a continuous process of roll-forming, comprising:

an adjustable sweep station adapted to be positioned in-line and downstream of the roll-forming apparatus to continuously receive a continuous beam formed thereby, the sweep station including at least first and second opposing rolls with the second roll being movably about an axis of the first roll to form the continuous beam around the first roll, the sweep station further including a multi-segment external mandrel that is adjustable to selectively wrap partially around the first roll during adjustment of the second roll to form the different sweeps in the continuous tubular beam on the fly during continuous operation of the roll-forming apparatus, the sweep station further including at least one actuator operably connected to the external mandrel for controlling rapid adjustment movement of the external mandrel to create selected ones of the different sweeps at predetermined locations along the continuous beam; and

a controller programmed to move the actuator between different positions to create a series of beam sections along the continuous beam, with the beam sections each including at least two of the following in a selected repeating sequence;

a first constant sweep, a second constant sweep different than the first constant sweep, a continuously changing sweep, and a linear non-swept section.

2. The adjustable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second opposing rolls are configured and designed to receive a tubular roll-formed beam.

3. The adjustable apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first and second opposing rolls are configured and designed to receive a multi-tubular roll-formed beam.

4. The adjustable apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller is programmed to form the beam sections with end sections that are curved and mirror images of each other.

5. The adjustable apparatus of claim 4, wherein the controller is programmed to form the beam sections each with a center section having a first curvature, each with end sections having a different second curvature.

6. The adjustable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the external mandrel includes a plurality of links interconnecting segments of the external mandrel.

7. The adjustable apparatus of claim 6, including a curved support for supporting the multi-segmented external mandrel, and including an actuator for moving the external mandrel along the curved support to achieve different curvatures in the continuous beam.

8. The adjustable apparatus of claim 6, including a multi-segment internal mandrel configured and adapted to fit matably into a cavity defined by the continuous beam.

9. A device for imparting a variable sweep into a beam, comprising:

an adjustable sweep station adapted to be positioned in-line and downstream of the roll-forming apparatus to receive a continuous beam, the sweep station including at least first and second opposing rolls with the second roll being movable about an axis of the first roll to form the continuous beam around the first roll, the sweep station further including external mandrels that are adjustable to selectively wrap partially around the first roll during adjustment of the second roll, the external mandrels including a layer of mandrels in contact with the continuous beam and including a curved support that supports the external mandrels as the external mandrels are moved around the first roll.

10. The adjustable apparatus of claim 9, wherein the curved support includes a stationary curved surface and further includes a second layer of segments that engage the stationary curved surface and that support segments in the layer of the external mandrel.

11. The adjustable apparatus of claim 10, wherein the curved support includes a third layer of segments that engage and are supported by the second layer of segments and that support the second layer of segments and the external mandrel.

12. The adjustable apparatus of claim 9, including an actuator for changing a shape of the external mandrel and including a controller programmed to move the actuator between different positions to create a series of beam sections along the continuous beam, with the beam sections each including at least two of the following in a selected repeating sequence:

a first constant sweep, a second constant sweep different than the first constant sweep, a continuously changing sweep, and a linear non-swept section.

13. The adjustable apparatus of claim 12, wherein the controller is programmed to alternatingly form at least a first constant sweep, and a second constant sweep different than the first constant sweep, and again the first constant sweep.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a roll-forming apparatus with rolls and a welder for forming a sheet into a continuous tubular beam;

an adjustable sweep station positioned in-line and downstream of the roll-forming apparatus to receive the continuous tubular beam, the sweep station including rolls and mandrels that are adjustable to selectively form different sweeps in the continuous tubular beam on the fly during continuous operation of the roll-forming apparatus, the sweep station further including at least one actuator operably connected to the rolls and to the mandrels for controlling movement to create selected ones of the different sweeps; and

a controller connected to the roll-forming apparatus and to the actuator, the controller being programmed to move the actuator between different positions to create a series of beam sections along the continuous tubular beam, with the beam sections each including at least two of the following in a selected sequence;

a first constant sweep, a second constant sweep different than the first constant sweep, a continuously changing sweep, and a linear non-swept section.

15. The apparatus defined in claim 14, wherein the controller is programmed to repeatedly move the actuator to cause a predictable repeating pattern including a first longitudinal shape defining a first radius and a second longitudinal shape defining a second radius different than the first radius, and then again the first longitudinal shape.

16. The apparatus defined in claim 14, including a cutter, and wherein the controller is operably connected to the roll-forming apparatus, the actuators and the cutter;

the controller being programmed to automatically change a position of the armature to repeatedly selectively change the sweep imparted into the continuous beam while the roll-forming mill is rolling the continuous beam, the controller further being programmed to selectively operate the cutter to cut the continuous beam into beam segments such that each successive beam segment is symmetrical about a perpendicular plane bisecting the beam segment at its longitudinal mid-point.

17. The apparatus defined in claim 14, wherein the roll-forming apparatus is configured to produce the continuous beam at line speeds of at least 900 feet per hour, with the sheet being at least 80 KSI tensile strength.

18. A method comprising steps of:

providing a sheet of high-strength material having a tensile strength of at least 80 KSI;

providing a roll-forming apparatus capable of forming the sheet into structural beams at speeds of at least about 900 feet per hour, the roll-forming apparatus including an adjustable sweep station, an actuator, and a controller operably connected thereto for automatically rapidly adjusting the sweep station to generate different sweep radii, the sweep station including snake-like external mandrels; and

roll-forming the sheet to form a continuous beam having a continuous cross section and, simultaneous with and near an end of the roll-forming, sequentially and repeatedly imparting different sweeps by changing a curved shape of the external mandrels on the fly while running the roll-forming at a line speed of at least about 900 feet per hour.

19. The method defined in claim 18, including a step of cutting the continuous beam into bumper segments, and wherein the step of imparting different sweeps includes repeatedly forming a tighter sweep and then a broader sweep, the step of cutting includes cutting the continuous beam at mid points of the tighter sweep.