Rollforming apparatus for forming profile shapes

Abstract

The present invention provides means for automatically adjusting rollforming equipment to accommodate a range of different gauges of material such as sheet metal being formed. One rollforming roller ( 34 ) on each rollforming head ( 4 A) is mounted on an eccentric so that a force supplied in the direction of material feed through the tooling rollers ( 33,34 ) will increase the tooling gap therebetween. An automatic gauge adjustor includes applying a source of substantially constant pressure sufficient to achieve the rollforming action against rotation about the eccentric while allowing movement of the rollforming roller also about the eccentric so that the roll will move against the pressure being provided in the direction of the material feed to accommodate the gauge of material within the working range set. This allows the rollforming head ( 4 A) to adjust the rolling gap between rollers to accommodate varying gauges automatically and with minimal or no lead in damage while the rolls adjust to the new gauge of material.

1. A rollforming station for a rollforming apparatus for forming profile shapes in a formable material, the rollforming station comprising:
 a tooling pedestal including means for mounting the tooling pedestal on the rollforming apparatus,   a rollforming head mounted on said tooling pedestal, said rollforming head having   a first tooling roller rotatably mounted on a first shaft supported by said pedestal,   a second tooling roller rotatably mounted on a second shaft, said first and second tooling roller cooperating to form profile shapes by transversely deflecting said formable material into a shape having a nonplanar cross-section, and   means rotatable mounted on said pedestal for supporting the second shaft eccentrically with reference to the centre of the second tooling roller so that a force applied in the direction of material feed through the tooling rollers will increase a tooling gap between the first and second tooling rollers, and   
       an automatic gauge adjustor including means for resisting the movement of the second tooling roller to increase the tooling gap, said resisting means applying a force sufficient to achieve the rollforming action while allowing movement of the second tooling roller about the eccentric supporting means so that the second tooling roller will move against the resisting means in the direction of the material feed to accommodate the gauge of material being formed. 
     
     
       2. A rollforming station as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the automatic gauge adjustor resisting means comprises
 a support fixed relative to the pedestal, and   a reaction element reacting to relative movement between the second tooling roller and the support.   
     
     
       3. A rollforming station as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the automatic gauge adjustor comprises
 a support frame mounted on the tooling pedestal,   an abutment member carried on the eccentric supporting means and moveable relative to the support frame, and   a reaction element creating a force to resist movement between the abutment member and the support frame.   
     
     
       4. A rollforming station as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said automatic gauge adjustor includes a preload applicator to set the minimum tooling gap between the tooling rollers. 
     
     
       5. A rollforming station as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the reaction element comprises a compression block. 
     
     
       6. A rollforming station as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the compression block is formed from lurathane with a shore hardness of between about 70 to about 100. 
     
     
       7. A rollforming station as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the lurathane compression block has a shore hardness of about 90. 
     
     
       8. A rollforming station as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the reaction element comprises a spring. 
     
     
       9. A rollforming station as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the reaction element creates resistant pressure using fluid pressure. 
     
     
       10. A rollforming station as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the reaction element is a torsion resistant material mounted within the eccentric mounting means. 
     
     
       11. A rollforming station as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a carrier rotatably mounted on the tooling pedestal for supporting the rollforming head. 
     
     
       12. A rollforming station as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a carrier rotatably mounted on the tooling pedestal for supporting the rollforming head. 
     
     
       13. A rollforming station as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the resisting means applies a substantially constant force. 
     
     
       14. A rollforming apparatus for forming profile shapes from formable material the rollforming apparatus comprising:
 a frame;   a support bed on the frame;   a tooling pedestal having means for mounting the tooling pedestal to the frame;   a rollforming head mounted on the tooling pedestal, the rollforming head having
 a first tooling roller rotatably mounted on a first shaft supported by the pedestal, 
 a second tooling roller rotatably mounted on a second shaft, said first and second tooling roller cooperating to form profile shapes by transversely deflecting said formable material into a shape having a nonplanar cross-section, and 
 means for rotatably mounting the second shaft on the pedestal eccentrically with reference to the centre of the second tooling roller so that a force applied in the direction of material feed through the tooling rollers will increase a tooling gap between the first and second tooling rollers; and 
   an automatic gauge adjustor having means for resisting the movement of the second tooling roller to increase the tooling gap, the resisting means applying a force sufficient to achieve the rollforming action while allowing movement of the second tooling roller about the eccentric mounting means so that the second tooling roller will move against the resisting means in the direction of the material feed to accommodate the gauge of material being formed.   
     
     
       15. A rollforming station as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the automatic gauge adjustor resisting means comprises
 a support fixed relative to the pedestal, and   a reaction element reacting to relative movement between the second tooling roller and the support.   
     
     
       16. A rollforming station as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the automatic gauge adjustor comprises
 a support frame mounted on the tooling pedestal,   an abutment member carried on the eccentric supporting means and moveable relative to the support frame, and   a reaction element creating a force to resist movement between the abutment member and the support frame.   
     
     
       17. A rollforming station as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein said automatic gauge adjustor includes a preload applicator to set the minimum tooling gap between the tooling rollers. 
     
     
       18. A method for adjusting rollforming equipment to accommodate varying gauges of formable material, said method comprising the steps of:
 providing a rollforming roll station, 
 mounting a rollforming roll in the rollforming station on a rotatable eccentric mounting, and 
 applying a force sufficient to achieve the rollforming action against rotation of the rollforming roll about the eccentric mounting while allowing movement of the rollforming roll about the eccentric mounting so that the rollforming roll will move against the source of pressure in the direction of the material feed to automatically accommodate the gauge different gauges of material by automatically adjusting to increase a tooling gap between the rollforming roll and a further rollforming roll when the gauge of the formable material being formed is increased, while maintaining the required force to perform the rollforming operation to form a profile shape by transversely deflecting the formable material into a shape having a nonplanar cross-section. 
 
     
     
       19. A method for adjusting rollforming equipment as claimed in  claim 18 , further comprising the step of preloading the tooling roller to set the minimum tooling gap between the tooling roller and a second tooling roller on the rollforming station. 
     
     
       20. A method for adjusting rollforming equipment as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the step of applying a source of pressure sufficient to achieve the rollforming action against rotation of the rollforming roll about the eccentric mounting, comprises applying a substantially constant force.