IE38585L - Forming metal sections - Google Patents

Abstract

1441746 Making profiled sections; flying punches WARD BROS (SHERBURN) Ltd 4 Oct 1973 [10 Oct 1972 18 Jan 1973] 46547/72 and 2656/73 Headings B3A and B3W A cold forming installation, which shapes metal strip to channel section by bending rolls, incorporates a press which carries co-operating punches and dies for punching a desired pattern of apertures in the strip. The punches and dies are carried on respective platens and are selectively made operative or inoperative according to instructions from a suitably programmed computer. An initial strip is uncoiled at 10, Fig. 2, levelled at 11, oiled at, 14, and punched with apertures at 15. The strip is formed to channel section at 16, cut to length at 17, straightened, and discharged at 18. The forming can take place before the punching, if desired. A guillotine and CO 2 welder at 12 and 13 enable successive strips to be joined to each other. The press, Fig. 3, has punches carried by an upper platen 21, and corresponding dies on a lower platen 20. The upper platen is movable vertically by a pneumatically operated crank mechanism, and both platens are movable longitudinally by pneumatic cylinders to follow movement of the strip. The platens are clamped to the strip during punching, and are returned upstream for a further operation. Each punch is slidably movable in a vertical passage in a holder. When the punch meets a corresponding die, it merely slides upwardly in the holder, unless a wedge is moved to a position such that it prevents this sliding. The wedges for all the punches are wedges pneumatically operated under computer control, such that any combination of punches may be used. By changing templates on the platens, different arrays of punches are made available. The computer supplies punching commands in response to an input signal from an optical encoder (in the form of a wheel which engages the strip) to indicate the length of strip fed through the installation. The cut-off press at 17 operates in response to the mechanical detection of an aperture previously formed in the strip. A roll straightener removes any spring in the resulting strip. The final apertured strip of channel section may be used for purlins in building construction. [GB1441746A]