Roll-former apparatus with rapid-adjust sweep box
First Claim
1. A device for imparting a variable sweep into a beam, comprising:
- an adjustable sweep station adapted to be positioned in-line and downstream of a 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 and a sled that are longitudinally adjustable parallel to the direction of upstream or downstream 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;
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.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
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.
41 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A device for imparting a variable sweep into a beam, comprising:
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an adjustable sweep station adapted to be positioned in-line and downstream of a 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 and a sled that are longitudinally adjustable parallel to the direction of upstream or downstream 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; 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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification