Patent Application
20080034828
The subject invention relates to a sheet bending brakes, and more particularly to a guide member reacting between a clamping member and a pivoting arm for moving the pivoting arm between the open and clamped positions.
Various sheet bending brakes are known and used for bending and cutting metal or vinyl sheet work-pieces such as those used for siding on homes and buildings in the industry today. A typical sheet bending brake functions by clamping a work piece between clamping members and using a hinged bending arm to bend the work-piece about the clamping member.
A sheet bending brake disclosed in the United States Publication No. 2002/0124621 (the '0124621 publication) shows a guide mechanism reacting between a clamping member and a pivoting arm for moving the pivoting arm between the open position and the clamped position of the sheet bending brake. The guide mechanism includes a detent between the open and the clamped positions for providing an intermediate clamping position for adjusting the position of and precisely aligning the work piece. However, the clamping member disclosed in the '0124621 publication is not self-adjustable, but instead must be tuned as before.
Hence, the sheet bending brake disclosed in the '0124621 publication, although an improvement, did not overcome the inadequacies that characterize sheet bending brakes in the area of a need to manually tune the overall mechanism to accurately perform work functions on the work-piece as the sheet metal brake was used over a period of time. Accordingly, one of the opportunities of continuous development and research is the area of a more advanced design of a pivot link that may eliminate the need of manual adjustment and provide greater accuracy in using the sheet metal brake over time.
The subject invention provides pivot link for a sheet bending brake assembly for securing a work-piece, wherein the pivot link includes a body having top and bottom ends, and sidewalls. The bottom end of the pivot link has a pocket defined therewithin, and slots defined within the sidewalls of the bottom end and inwardly extending from the side walls to the center line and connected with the pocket. The pivot link includes a spring positioned within the pocket extending internally from the bottom end towards the top end and a bolt pivotably securing the bottom end within the pivoting arm. The bolt, slided through the slots, is positioned below the spring to keep the spring within the pocket. The bolt travels within the slots from a first to a second end, compressing and releasing the spring.
In the alternative embodiment of the present invention, the pivot link includes a bar, having a cylindrical shape and formed from a vulcanized rubber. The bar includes a cavity defined within one of the respective ends to receive a washer embedded within the cavity. The bar is positioned within the pocket extending internally from the bottom end towards the top end of the body.
The advantages of the present invention provides for a new design that is simpler to manufacture. The invention does not require the adjustment by the operator wherein thicker material can be placed in the brake and the spring or the bar positioned within the pivot link adjusts the link without need of the operator's help.
Accordingly, the pivot link shown in the present invention is new, efficient, and provides for an effective way to overcome the inadequacies of the related art sheet bending brakes.
Other advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:
Referring to the Figures, wherein like numerals indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, a sheet bending brake assembly for securing a work piece is generally shown at 20.
With particular reference to
A pivoting arm 30 is pivotally supported by and extends from the clamping member 22. The pivoting arm 30 defines a clamping area 32 with the lower leg 24. The clamping area 32 has a throat depth 25 and forms a working pocket 27. Designing the C-shaped frame member differently can alter both the throat depth 25 and working pocket 27. The pivoting arm 30 has a secured end 34 and a free end 36, such that a bolt 38 extends through the secured end 34 and into the clamping member 22. The pivoting arm 30 is moveable between an open position and a clamped position by pivoting about the bolt 38 while moving between the open position and the clamped position. In the illustrated embodiment, the pivoting arm 30 includes first and second arms 31A, 31B.
An upper clamping surface 40 is connected to the free end 36 of the pivoting arm 30 and a lower clamping surface 42 is connected to the lower leg 24. The upper clamping surface 40 and the lower clamping surface 42 engage one another in the clamped position to secure the work piece therebetween. The opening between the upper clamping surface 40 and the lower clamping surface 42 is commonly referred to as a mouth opening. After the work piece is secured, the upper and lower clamping surfaces 40, 42 create a bending surface 44 that the work piece is bent about. Additionally, the sheet bending brake assembly 20 may be used with a tool cutter (not shown) for cutting the work piece while in the clamped position. It is to be understood that many different tools known in the art of sheet bending brakes may be utilized with the subject invention.
As shown in
The assembly 20 further includes a guide mechanism 58 reacting between the clamping member 22 and the pivoting arm. 30 for moving the pivoting arm 30 between the open position and the clamped position.
The guide mechanism 58 is coupled to a handle 60. The guide mechanism includes at least one pivot link 62. The handle 60 is rotatably coupled to the at least one pivot link 62. As best can be seen in
With reference to
In operation, the handle 60 rotates the guide mechanism 58 about a pin 78, which causes the pivoting arm 30 to move between the open position and the clamped position.
Referring to 2, a bending arm 80 is supported by the clamping member for engaging the work piece and bending the work piece to a desired angle. The bending arm 80 extends the length of the sheet bending brake assembly 20 and contacts the work piece 28 when rotated. The bending arm 80 may be hingedly connected with the lower clamping surface 42. The bending arm 80 may also have extensions (not shown) extending from the bending arm 80 for allowing easy rotation of the bending arm 80.
The assembly 20 may further include a bend indicator (not shown) connected to the bending arm 80 for indicating a degree of rotation of the bending arm 80 during the bending of the work piece. The bend indicator (not shown) may include a displacement sensor (not shown) for measuring the degree of rotation of the bending arm 80 and a display device (not shown) for displaying the degree of rotation of the bending arm 80. The bend indicator may be any type of electrical or mechanical device capable of measuring a degree of rotation.
The pivot link 62 is positioned within the pivoting arm 30 between the first and second arms 31A, 31B. The pivoting arm 30 is moveable between an open position and a clamped position by pivoting about a bolt (not shown) while moving between the open position and the clamped position, as shown in
The pivot link 62 reacts between the clamping member 22, as shown in
The bottom end 74 of the pivot link 62, positioned within the pivoting arm 30 has a pocket 88 defined therewithin, and slots 90, 92, respectively, defined within the sidewalls 78, 82 of the bottom end. The slots 90, 92 further define first and second ends 94,96, respectively, and inwardly extend from the side walls 78,82 of the bottom end 76 to the center line and are connected with the pocket 88.
The pivot link 62 includes a spring mechanism 98 positioned within the pocket 88 extending internally from the bottom end 76 to the top end 74. The pivot link 62 includes a bolt or threaded rod 100 and at least one nut 101 pivotably securing the bottom end 76 of the pivot link body 72 within the pivoting arm 30. The bolt 100, slided through the slots 90,82, is positioned below the spring mechanism 98 to keep the spring mechanism 98 within the pocket 88. In the close mode of operation of a brake assembly, the bolt 100 travels within the slots 90, 92 from the first end 94 to the second end 96, compressing the spring mechanism 98. In the open mode of operation of the brake assembly 20, the bolt 98 travels from the second end 96 to the first end 94 releasing the spring mechanism 98 within the pocket 88. As illustrated in
As shown in
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in
The bolt 100, slided through the slots 90, 92, is positioned below the bar 104 to keep the bar 104 within the pocket 88. In the close mode of operation of a brake assembly, the bolt 100 travels within the slots 90, 92 from the first end 94 to the second end 96, compressing the bar 104. In the open mode of operation of the brake assembly 20, the bolt 100 travels from the second end 96 to the first end 94 releasing the bar 104 within the pocket 88.
In one aspect of the present invention (shown in
In one embodiment, the first portion 88A has a cylindrical shape and the second portion 88B has a conical shape. However, it should be noted that the present invention is not limited to any particular shape.
As appreciated by those skilled in the art, the bolt 100 that adjusts the bar 104 between the open and the clamped positions of the brake assembly 20, as shown in
Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. The invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described within the scope of the appended claims.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/440,676 filed Jan. 17, 2003.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 10759351 | Jan 2004 | US |
| Child | 11738583 | Apr 2007 | US |
