Apparatus and methods for shaping metal sheets

Abstract

A material shaping tool having a base, a clamping assembly, and a ram assembly. The base includes a material segment supporting surface for receiving a material thereupon. The clamping assembly includes a clamping surface, and is moveable between a cleared position and a clamping position, wherein in the clamping position a material segment is held between the clamping surface and the transport assembly. The ram assembly is configured to be moveable within a channel in the transport assembly, and to act on an edge of the material segment so as to shape the edge of the material segment and/or to straighten the edge of the material to within acceptable tolerances. Alternatively, the shaping structure can impart a desired shape or distortion into the edge of the material segment.

1 . A tool for shaping a metal sheet, the metal sheet presenting opposed first and second metal sheet surfaces and opposed first and second metal sheet side edges, comprising:
 a base having a metal sheet supporting assembly and first and second opposed metal sheet supporting assembly sides;   a stopper assembly operably positioned along the base metal sheet supporting assembly first side;   a clamping assembly operably coupled to the base, the clamping assembly presenting a clamping surface generally engageable with said base metal sheet supporting assembly and shiftable between a metal sheet clamping position and a clearing position; and   a ram assembly including a ram head operably positioned along the base metal sheet supporting assembly second side, the ram head shiftable along a path of travel between a metal sheet side edge engaging position and a clearing position,   the base metal sheet supporting assembly adapted to receive said metal sheet first surface with the metal sheet second side edge abuttingly engageable with the stopper assembly and the metal sheet first side engageable with said ram head, the clamping surface of the clamping assembly engageble with the metal sheet second surface when in the metal sheet clamping position for forcibly maintaining contact between said metal sheet first surface and said base metal sheet supporting assembly when said ram head is shifted into said metal sheet side edge engaging position.   
   
   
       2 . The tool of  claim 1 , the metal sheet supporting assembly including a transport assembly operably positioned on the metal sheet supporting assembly and adapted to receive the metal sheet first surface. 
   
   
       3 . The tool of  claim 2  wherein the transport assembly comprises a plurality of rollers. 
   
   
       4 . The tool of  claim 3  wherein the transport assembly further comprises a plurality of ball transfers. 
   
   
       5 . The tool of  claim 1 , the stopper assembly comprising an alignment guide, the guide abuttingly engageable with the metal sheet second side edge when in position for maintaining contact between the metal sheet first side edge and the ram head. 
   
   
       6 . The tool of  claim 5  wherein the alignment guide is a disk, and wherein the size of the diameter of the disk varies with respect to the width of the metal sheet. 
   
   
       7 . The tool of  claim 6  wherein the alignment guide further comprises a shaft, the shaft attached to the disk. 
   
   
       8 . The tool of  claim 5 , the stopper assembly further comprising a stanchion adapted to support the alignment guide. 
   
   
       9 . The tool of  claim 1 , the clamping assembly comprising a press plate including the clamping surface, wherein the press plate further includes a structure defining a passage adapted to accommodate the ram head in the metal sheet side edge engaging position. 
   
   
       10 . The tool of  claim 9 , the clamping assembly further comprising at least one rocker arm and at least one actuator wherein the press plate is operably coupled to the rocker arm, the rocker arm is operable coupled to the actuator and the actuator is operably coupled to the base. 
   
   
       11 . The tool of  claim 1 , the ram head including structure defining a slot engageable with the metal sheet first side edge when the ram head is shifted into the metal sheet side edge engaging position. 
   
   
       12 . The tool of  claim 11 , the structure defining the slot presenting a slot top surface, a slot bottom surface and a slot engagement surface. 
   
   
       13 . The tool of  claim 12  wherein the slot engagement surface is radiused. 
   
   
       14 . The tool of  claim 2  wherein the ram head is shiftable between a cleared position and a metal sheet side edge engaging position through a channel traversing the transport assembly. 
   
   
       15 . The tool of  claim 14 , wherein the channel comprises at least two channel guides. 
   
   
       16 . The tool of  claim 15 , the ram head further defining at least two guide slots engageable with the channel guides. 
   
   
       17 . A method of shaping an edge of a material segment, the material segment presenting opposed first and second material segment surfaces and opposed first and second material segment side edges, comprising:
 providing a material segment requiring shaping in at least one side edge of the material segment;   placing the material segment on a shaping tool comprising a base having a material segment supporting assembly, a stopper assembly, a clamping assembly, and a ram assembly;   supporting the material segment first surface on a transport assembly, wherein the transport assembly is operably positioned on the base material segment supporting assembly;   constraining the material segment in place on the transport assembly with the clamping assembly wherein a clamping surface of the clamping assembly is engageable with the material segment second surface, and with the stopper assembly wherein the stopper assembly is abuttingly engageable with the second side edge of the material segment; and   engaging the first side edge of the material segment with a ram head of the ram assembly, the ram head adapted to impart a shape to the first side edge of the material segment.   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the ram head includes structure defining a slot, the structure including a slot top surface, a slot bottom surface, and a slot engagement surface, wherein the slot engagement surface forcibly engages the first side edge of the material segment. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the ram head is shiftable between a material segment second side engaging position and a cleared position, as the ram head slidingly moves through a channel traversing the transport assembly. 
   
   
       20 . A tool for shaping a material segment, the material segment presenting opposed first and second material segment surfaces and opposed first and second material segment side edges, comprising:
 a base having a material segment supporting assembly and first and second opposed material segment supporting assembly sides;
 a stopper assembly operably positioned along the base material segment supporting assembly first side; 
 a clamping assembly operably coupled to the base, the clamping assembly presenting a clamping surface generally engageable with said base material segment supporting assembly and shiftable between a material segment clamping position and a clearing position; and 
   a ram assembly including a ram head operably positioned along the base material segment supporting assembly second side, the ram head shiftable along a path of travel between a material segment side edge engaging position and a clearing position,   the base material segment supporting assembly adapted to receive said material segment first surface with the material segment first side edge abuttingly engageable with the stopper assembly and the material segment second side engageable with said ram head, the clamping surface of the clamping assembly engageble with the material segment second surface when in the material segment clamping position for forcibly maintaining contact between said material segment first surface and said base material segment supporting assembly when said ram head is shifted into said material segment side edge engaging position.