Rollforming machine and methods

Abstract

Rollforming machines and methods for adjusting a forming roll for forming components from materials of different thicknesses. The rollforming machines and methods may also provide for overbending the component being rollformed.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A rollforming apparatus for overbending a generally C-shaped component with a web, a pair of legs connected to the web, and a lip protruding from an end of each leg, said apparatus comprising: 
 a support stand;    a lower forming roll rotatably supported on said stand for supporting a portion of the web thereon;    a backup roll pivotably supported on said stand for engagement with an outer portion of one of the legs, said backup roll being selectively independently pivotable relative to said lower forming roll without contacting the lips on the legs; and    an angled forming roll positioned for selective engagement with a junction between an inner portion of the web and an inner portion of one of the legs without contacting any of the lips protruding from the legs.    
     
     
         2 . A rollforming apparatus for overbending a generally C-shaped component with a web and a pair of legs connected to the web, said apparatus comprising: 
 a support stand;    a lower forming roll rotatably supported on said stand for supporting a portion of the web thereon;    a backup roll pivotably supported on said stand for engagement with an outer portion of one of the legs, said backup roll being selectively independently pivotable relative to said lower forming roll; and    an angled forming roll positioned for selective engagement with a junction between an inner portion of the web and an inner portion of one of the legs.    
     
     
         3 . A rollforming apparatus, comprising: 
 a vertically extending support stand;    a forming roll supported on a spindle;    an adjustment block movably supported on said support stand, said spindle rotatably supported by said adjustment block; and    a slide assembly in cooperative engagement with said support stand and said adjustment block to provide for selective angular movement of said forming roll upon moving said adjustment block vertically on said support stand.    
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said slide assembly is positioned between said support stand and said adjustment block.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said slide assembly includes a rail member and a bearing member, said rail member and bearing member in cooperative engagement to provide relative movement therebetween.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the movement between said rail member and said bearing member is linear movement.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the linear movement between said rail member and said bearing member is along an axis that extends at an angle of greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees with respect to a generally horizontal axis.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said rail member is connected to one of said support stand and said slide assembly, and said bearing member is connected to the other of said support stand and said slide assembly.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein slide assembly further includes an inner gage block mounted to said adjustment block, and wherein one of said rail member and said bearing member is attached to said inner gage block.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein slide assembly further includes an outer gage block mounted to said support stand, and wherein one of said rail member and said bearing member is attached to said outer gage block.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein said inner gage block moves relative to said outer gage block.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said forming roll is affixed directly to said spindle for rotation with said spindle.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said forming roll is affixed directly to a sleeve, said sleeve being slideably connected to said spindle for rotation with said spindle.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising a screw jack assembly connected to said adjustment block for driving movement of said adjustment block.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein said screw jack assembly is mounted to said support stand.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein said support stand includes a base having a first leg and a second leg extending therefrom, said slide assembly in cooperative engagement with at least one of said first leg and said second leg.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said forming roll is contained in a plane that is generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said spindle.  
     
     
         18 . A rollforming apparatus, comprising: 
 a support stand;    a forming roll supported on a spindle;    an adjustment block, said spindle rotatably secured to said adjustment block; and    a slide assembly in cooperative engagement with said support stand and said adjustment block to provide movement of said forming roll in a direction that is the resultant of normal and axial components of motion of said spindle.    
     
     
         19 . A rollforming apparatus, comprising: 
 a support stand;    a forming roll supported on a spindle;    an adjustment block, said spindle rotatably secured to said adjustment block; and    a slide assembly including an inner gage block mounted to said adjustment block and an outer gage block mounted to said support stand, said slide assembly further including a rail member and a bearing member, one of said rail member and said bearing member attached to said inner gage block and the other of said rail member and said bearing member attached to said outer gage block, said rail member and bearing member in cooperative engagement to facilitate movement between said support stand and adjustment block to provide movement of said forming roll axially along an axis of rotation of said spindle and transversely to said axis of rotation of said spindle.    
     
     
         20 . A rollforming machine, comprising: 
 a plurality of rollforming stations, at least one of said plurality of rollforming stations comprising: 
 a support stand;  
 a forming roll supported on a spindle;  
 an adjustment block, said spindle rotatably secured to said adjustment block; and  
 a slide assembly in cooperative engagement with said support stand and said adjustment block to provide movement of said forming roll axially along an axis of rotation of said spindle and transversely to said axis of rotation of said spindle.  
   
     
     
         21 . A method of forming a component, comprising: 
 feeding a sheet of material to a rollforming station having a forming roll supported by a spindle rotatably secured to an adjustment block to form said component; and    adjusting the position of the forming roll by employing a slide assembly in cooperative engagement with the adjustment block to facilitate movement of the forming roll in a direction that is the resultant of normal and axial components of motion of the spindle.    
     
     
         22 . A method of forming a structural component from a flat piece of sheet metal comprising: 
 bending a portion of the sheet metal to form a leg portion and a web portion such that the leg portion is oriented at an angle relative to the web portion;    supporting the web portion along a horizontal plane;    engaging a junction formed between the leg portion and the web portion with a member; and    applying a further bending force to the leg in a direction which reduces the angle between the leg portion and the web portion while said engaging the junction between the leg portion and web portion with the member.    
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the angle relative to the web portion is reduced to an angle within the range of eighty-four to ninety-one degrees upon said applying a further bending force to the leg.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22  wherein said engaging a junction formed between the leg portion and web portion further comprises engaging the junction with an angled roller.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22  further comprising removing at least some camber in the component after said applying a further bending force.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22  further comprising removing at least some twist in the component after said applying a further bending force.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 22  further comprising removing at least some bow in the component after said applying a further bending force.  
     
     
         28 . A method of forming a structural component from a flat piece of sheet metal having a pair of lateral sides, said method comprising: 
 bending portions of the flat piece of sheet metal along each lateral side to form lip portions that each protrude at an angle relative to a remaining portion of the piece of sheet metal;    bending the remaining portion of the piece of sheet metal to form a leg portion corresponding to each lip portion such that the lip portion protrudes from the corresponding leg portion at an angle and such that each leg portion forms a corresponding junction with a web portion extending between the leg portions, each leg portion oriented at an angle relative to the web portion;    supporting the web portion along a horizontal plane;    engaging the junction formed between one of the leg portions and the web portion with a member;    applying a further bending force to the one of the leg portions in a direction which reduces the angle between the one of the leg portions and the web portion while said engaging the junction between the one of the leg portions and web portion with the member;    engaging another junction formed between another of the leg portions and the web portion with another member; and    applying another further bending force to the another of the leg portions in a direction which reduces the angle between the another of the leg portions and the web portion while said engaging the junction between the another of the leg portions and web portion with the another member.    
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the angle of one of the leg portions relative to the web portion is reduced to an angle within the range of eighty-four to ninety-one degrees upon said applying a further bending force to the one of the leg portions.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the angle of the another of the leg portions relative to the web portion is reduced to another angle within the range of eighty-four to ninety-one degrees upon said applying another further bending force to the another of the leg portions.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 28  wherein said engaging a junction formed between the one of the leg portions and web portion further comprises engaging the junction with an angled roller.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31  wherein said engaging another junction formed between the another of the leg portions and web portion further comprises engaging the another junction with another angled roller.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 28  further comprising removing at least some camber in the component after said applying another further bending force.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 28  further comprising removing at least some twist in the component after said applying another further bending force.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 28  further comprising removing at least some bow in the component after said applying another further bending force.