Claims
- 1. In roll forming apparatus for making gutters having a semi-circular bottom wall with a preselected final radius and substantially parallel opposed walls, the combination comprising:
- initial roll forming station means including a series of spaced forming stations for gradually forming a flat sheet metal into a generally U-shaped, partially formed gutter body having a curved bottom wall having a radius substantially the same as the preselected final radius of the formed gutter and first and second opposed walls projecting away from said bottom wall and terminating in a pair of opposed edges,
- side roller means following said forming stations for gripping and bringing said opposed walls and edges of said gutter body toward one another,
- at least one over bending forming station following said side roller means, said over bending forming station including
- a generally spherical upper roller,
- a generally concave lower roller opposite said upper roller, and
- opposed first and second wall bending means on opposite sides of said upper and lower rollers,
- said upper and lower rollers being shaped and sized for bending that portion of said gutter body that finally forms the bottom wall to a smaller radius than said preselected final radius whereby the elasticity of the sheet metal causes said bottom wall to expand to said preselected final radius after leaving said overbending forming station,
- said wall bending means turning said first and second opposed walls and edges of said gutter body toward one another past a parallel relation to a converging relation,
- whereby the elasticity of the sheet metal causes said bottom wall and said opposed walls to expand back to the preselected final size and shape,
- said side roller means including a box-like side roller assembly including a series of sets of opposed inner and outer side rollers arranged to rotate about a vertical axis, each outer side set roller having a section for gradually bending a head and for bringing an associated one wall toward the opposite wall and a hook forming assembly opposite said side roller assembly including a series of sets of opposed side rollers for progressively forming a hook in the other opposed wall and bringing said hook toward said head.
- 2. In roll forming apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein each outer side roller includes a straight section for engaging said head, a curved section for engaging an ogee curve and an inclined section for engaging a top section of the gutter body.
- 3. In roll forming apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said overbending forming station has a side roller arranged to rotate about a vertical axis to engage and turn one opposed wall and edge toward the other.
- 4. In roll forming apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the last of said overbending forming stations has a side roller assembly including a pair of opposed side rollers arranged to grip a side section of a head of the gutter body and a top roller arranged to engage a top section of said head.
- 5. In roll forming apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said side rollers have complementary tapered peripheral surfaces.
- 6. In roll forming apparatus for making gutters having a semi-circular bottom wall with a preselected final radius and substantially parallel opposed walls, the combination comprising:
- initial roll forming station means including a series of spaced forming stations for gradually forming a flat sheet metal into a generally U-shaped, partially formed gutter body having a curved bottom wall having a radius substantially the same as the preselected final radius of the formed gutter and first and second opposed walls projecting away from said bottom wall and terminating in a pair of opposed edges,
- side roller means following said forming stations for gripping and bringing said opposed walls and edges of said gutter body toward one another,
- at least one over bending forming station following said side roller means, said over bending forming station including
- a generally spherical upper roller,
- a generally concave lower roller opposite said upper roller, and
- opposed first and second wall bending means on opposite sides of said upper and lower rollers,
- said upper and lower rollers being shaped and sized for bending that portion of said gutter body that finally forms the bottom wall to a smaller radius than said preselected final radius whereby the elasticity of the sheet metal causes said bottom wall to expand to said preselected final radius after leaving said overbending forming station,
- said wall bending means turning said first and second opposed walls and edges of said gutter body toward one another past a parallel relation to a converging relation,
- whereby the elasticity of the sheet metal causes said bottom wall and said opposed walls to expand back to the preselected final size and shape,
- said upper roller and said lower roller at said over bending forming station being in contact with substantially the full extent of at least an arc of about 180 degrees of said bottom wall of said gutter body.
- 7. In roll forming apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein the radius of said upper roller and opposed concavity of said lower roller is about 20 to 25% less than the radius of the bottom wall of said final gutter.
- 8. In roll forming apparatus for making gutters having a semi-circular bottom wall with a preselected final radius and substantially parallel opposed walls, the combination comprising:
- initial roll forming station means including a series of spaced forming stations for gradually forming a flat sheet metal into a generally U-shaped, partially formed gutter body having a curved bottom wall having a radius substantially the same as the preselected final radius of the formed gutter and first and second opposed walls projecting away from said bottom wall and terminating in a pair of opposed edges,
- side roller means following said forming stations for gripping and bringing said opposed walls and edges of said gutter body toward one another,
- at least one over bending forming station following said side roller means, said over bending forming station including
- a generally spherical upper roller,
- a generally concave lower roller opposite said upper roller, and
- opposed first and second wall bending means on opposite sides of said upper and lower rollers,
- said upper and lower rollers being shaped and sized for bending that portion of said gutter body that finally forms the bottom wall to a smaller radius than said preselected final radius whereby the elasticity of the sheet metal causes said bottom wall to expand to said preselected final radius after leaving said overbending forming station,
- said wall bending means turning said first and second opposed walls and edges of said gutter body toward one another past a parallel relation to a converging relation,
- whereby the elasticity of the sheet metal causes said bottom wall and said opposed walls to expand back to the preselected final size and shape,
- said upper roller being mounted on a central depending support member, a central shaft extending out from opposite sides of a lower end portion of said depending support member, said upper roller being provided by a pair of opposed, generally semi-spherical roller sections mounted on associated bearings carried by said shaft for free rotation relative to said support member.
- 9. In roll forming apparatus for making gutters having a semi-circular bottom wall with a preselected final radius and substantially parallel opposed walls, the combination comprising:
- initial roll forming station means including a series of spaced forming stations for gradually forming a flat sheet metal into a generally U-shaped, partially formed gutter body having a curved bottom wall having a radius substantially the same as the preselected final radius of the formed gutter and first and second opposed walls projecting away from said bottom wall and terminating in a pair of opposed edges,
- side roller means following said forming stations for gripping and bringing said opposed walls and edges of said gutter body toward one another,
- at least one over bending forming station following said side roller means, said over bending forming station including
- a generally spherical upper roller,
- a generally concave lower roller opposite said upper roller, and
- opposed first and second wall bending means on opposite sides of said upper and lower rollers,
- said upper and lower rollers being shaped and sized for bending that portion of said gutter body that finally forms the bottom wall to a smaller radius than said preselected final radius whereby the elasticity of the sheet metal causes said bottom wall to expand to said preselected final radius after leaving said overbending forming station,
- said wall bending means turning said first and second opposed walls and edges of said gutter body toward one another past a parallel relation to a converging relation,
- whereby the elasticity of the sheet metal causes said bottom wall and said opposed walls to expand back to the preselected final size and shape,
- an intermediate group of said initial roll forming station means having an upper roller mounted on a central depending support member, a central shaft extending out from opposite sides of a lower end portion of said depending support member, said upper roller being provided by a pair of opposed, generally semi-spherical roller sections mounted on associated bearings carried by said shaft for free rotation relative to said support member and a gap between said roller sections for rotation of said roller sections on opposite sides of a vertical center line about a horizontal axis.
- 10. In roll forming apparatus as set forth in claim 9 wherein said roller sections have a surface made of a plastic material to provide resiliency and increased pulling power.
- 11. In roll forming apparatus for making half-round gutters having a semi-circular bottom wall with a preselected final radius and substantially parallel opposed walls, the combination comprising:
- a support frame,
- initial roll forming station means in said support frame including a series of spaced forming stations for gradually forming a flat sheet metal into a generally U-shaped, partially formed gutter body having a curved bottom wall having a radius substantially the same as the preselected final radius of the formed gutter and opposed front and rear walls projecting away from said bottom wall with said front wall shaped as an ogee curve and having a head terminating in a first top edge and said rear wall having an inturned hook terminating in a second top edge opposite said first top edge,
- side roller means following said forming stations including a box-like side roller assembly mounted to said support frame for gripping said head and bending the front wall toward the rear wall and forming said head and a hook forming assembly opposite said side roller assembly for stabilizing said gutter body and forming said hook in said back wall,
- a pair of successive over bending forming stations following said side roller means, the last of said over bending forming station including
- a generally spherical upper roller,
- a generally concave lower roller opposite said upper roller, and
- opposed front and rear wall bending means,
- said upper and lower rollers being shaped and sized for bending bottom wall to a smaller radius than said preselected final radius whereby the elasticity of the sheet metal causes said bottom wall to expand to said preselected final radius after leaving said overbending forming station
- said front and rear wall bending means turning said front and rear walls and associated top edges inwardly toward one another past a parallel relation to a converging relation,
- whereby the elasticity of the sheet metal causes said bottom wall and said opposed walls to expand back to a preselected final size and shape,
- said side roller assembly being laterally adjustable at a front end that is an upstream end in relation to sheet metal movement and laterally adjustable at a rear end that is a downstream end in relation to sheet metal movement and turned at a selected angle front to rear to move the associated wall with the head toward the opposed wall.
- 12. In roll forming apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein said side roller assembly is adjustably mounted to tilt in at the top with respect to the bottom to move the associated front wall toward the opposed rear wall.
- 13. In roll forming apparatus for making half-round gutters having a semi-circular bottom wall with a preselected final radius and substantially parallel opposed walls, the combination comprising:
- a support frame,
- initial roll forming station means in said support frame including a series of spaced forming stations for gradually forming a flat sheet metal into a generally U-shaped, partially formed gutter body having a curved bottom wall having a radius substantially the same as the preselected final radius of the formed gutter and opposed front and rear walls projecting away from said bottom wall with said front wall shaped as an ogee curve and having a head terminating in a first top edge and said rear wall having an inturned hook terminating in a second top edge opposite said first top edge,
- side roller means following said forming stations including a box-like side roller assembly mounted to said support frame for gripping said head and bending the front wall toward the rear wall and forming said head and a hook forming assembly opposite said side roller assembly for stabilizing said gutter body and forming said hook in said back wall,
- a pair of successive over bending forming stations following said side roller means, the last of said over bending forming station including
- a generally spherical upper roller,
- a generally concave lower roller opposite said upper roller, and
- opposed front and rear wall bending means,
- said upper and lower rollers being shaped and sized for bending bottom wall to a smaller radius than said preselected final radius whereby the elasticity of the sheet metal causes said bottom wall to expand to said preselected final radius after leaving said overbending forming station
- said front and rear wall bending means turning said front and rear walls and associated top edges inwardly toward one another past a parallel relation to a converging relation,
- whereby the elasticity of the sheet metal causes said bottom wall and said opposed walls to expand back to a preselected final size and shape.
- 14. In roll forming apparatus for making gutters, the combination comprising:
- initial roll forming station means including a series of spaced forming stations for gradually forming a flat sheet metal into a generally U-shaped, partially formed gutter body having a curved bottom wall and first and second opposed walls projecting away from said bottom wall and terminating in a pair of opposed edges,
- side roller means following said forming stations for gripping and bringing said opposed walls and edges of said gutter body toward one another,
- at least one over bending forming station following said side roller means, said over bending forming station including
- a generally spherical upper roller,
- a generally concave lower roller opposite said upper roller, and
- opposed first and second wall bending means on opposite sides of said upper and lower rollers,
- said upper and lower rollers being shaped and sized for curving said bottom wall of said gutter body to a radius smaller than a preselected radius for a final gutter,
- said wall bending means turning said first and second opposed walls and edges of said gutter body toward one another past a parallel relation to a converging relation,
- whereby the resiliency of the sheet metal causes said bottom wall and said opposed walls to expand back to a preselected size and shape for a final gutter,
- said upper roller being mounted on a central depending support member, a central shaft extending out from opposite sides of a lower end portion of said depending support member, said upper roller being provided by a pair of opposed, generally semi-spherical roller sections mounted on associated bearings carried by said shaft for free rotation relative to said support member,
- said roller sections being inclined at a selected angle to a vertical center line of the support member with substantially no gap between said roller sections where said roller sections engage said bottom wall of said gutter body.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 230,314, filed Apr. 20, 1994, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Foreign Referenced Citations (5)
Number |
Date |
Country |
179464 |
Sep 1954 |
ATX |
31329 |
Jan 1923 |
DKX |
617062 |
Aug 1935 |
DEX |
881334 |
Jun 1953 |
DEX |
147117 |
Jun 1990 |
JPX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
230314 |
Apr 1994 |
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