Roll forming apparatus and method for making a half-round gutter profile, as well as a gutter profile

Abstract

The invention relates to a roll forming apparatus for making a half-round gutter profile, to a corresponding method, and to a half-round gutter profile ( 1 ). The roll forming apparatus includes second adjustment means ( 34 ), arranged in the apparatus frame ( 12 ) in the vicinity of the exit end ( 14 ) and in cooperation with the first adjustment means ( 33 ) to eliminate the non-desired tendency of the gutter profile ( 1 ) to twist about the center of torsion toward the more powerfully bent front wall ( 5 ) provided with a first fold ( 6 ) and a second fold ( 9 ). In the method, at the end of the manufacturing phases, there is eliminated the non-desired tendency of the gutter profile ( 2 ) to twist about the center of torsion toward the more powerfully bent front wall ( 5 ) provided with a first fold ( 6 ) and a second fold ( 9 ). In the half-round gutter profile ( 1 ), the second fold ( 9 ) is U-shaped to improve the torsional and flexural rigidity of the gutter profile ( 2 ).

1 . A roll forming apparatus for making a half-round gutter profile ( 1 ) from a planar sheet metal web ( 2 ),
 the half-round gutter profile ( 1 ) having a front edge ( 2 ), a rear end ( 3 ), a substantially half-round U-shaped bottom ( 4 ) between the front edge and the rear edge; a front wall ( 5 ) whose upper end has an inward bent, substantially U-shaped first fold ( 6 ) having an outward directed lower branch ( 7 ) bending via a U curve to form an inward directed upper branch ( 8 ) on the top side of the lower branch, and the free end thereof has a second fold ( 9 ) which is folded underneath the upper branch and is smaller than the first fold; and a rear wall ( 10 ) whose upper end has an inward turned hook-like third fold ( 11 ), and which roll forming apparatus includes:
 an apparatus frame ( 12 ); 
 a feed end ( 13 ) via which a sheet metal web ( 2 ) is fed into the roll forming apparatus; 
 an exit end ( 14 ) via which a formed final gutter profile ( 2 ) exits the roll forming apparatus; 
 a number of pairs of forming rolls ( 15 ,  16 ,  17 ,  18 ,  19 ,  40 ,  41 ) arranged consecutively at a distance from one another in the apparatus frame ( 12 ) between the feed end ( 13 ) and the exit end ( 14 ), each pair of forming rolls including a concave roll ( 20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28 ,  43 ,  45 ) and a convex roll ( 21 ,  23 ,  25 ,  27 ,  29 ,  42 ,  44 ) for stepwise forming a half-round gutter shape; 
 a first edge bending device ( 30 ), which is connected to the apparatus frame ( 12 ) for forming said second fold ( 9 ); 
 a second edge bending device ( 31 ), which is connected to the apparatus frame ( 12 ) for forming said third fold ( 11 ); 
 a third edge bending device ( 32 ), which is arranged in the feed direction in the apparatus frame ( 12 ) after the pairs of forming rolls ( 15 ,  16 ,  17 ,  18 ,  19 ) in the vicinity of the exit end ( 14 ) for forming said first fold ( 6 ), said third edge bending device ( 32 ) including first adjusting means ( 33 ) for making vertical, lateral and tilting adjustments for guiding the gutter, characterized in that the roll forming apparatus includes second adjustment means ( 34 ), arranged in the apparatus frame ( 12 ) in the vicinity of the exit end ( 14 ) and in co-operation with the first adjustment means ( 33 ) so as to eliminate the non-desired tendency of the gutter profile ( 1 ) to twist about the center of torsion toward the more powerfully bent front wall ( 5 ) which is provided with a first fold ( 6 ) and a second fold ( 9 ). 
   
   
   
       2 . The roll forming apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , characterized in that the second adjustment means ( 34 ) include a supporting roll assembly ( 35 ), disposed in the vicinity of the exit end ( 14 ) at a distance from the third edge bending device ( 32 ), the supporting roll combination ( 35 ) including
 one or more first supporting rolls ( 36 ), adjusted to support the gutter from the rear edge ( 3 );   first adjusting means ( 37 ) for adjusting the vertical and/or horizontal position of the first supporting roll ( 36 );   one or more second supporting rolls ( 38 ), adjusted to support the gutter from the front edge ( 2 );   second adjusting means ( 39 ) for adjusting the vertical and/or horizontal position of the second supporting roll ( 38 ).   
   
   
       3 . The roll forming apparatus as defined in  claim 1  or  2 , characterized in that the first edge bending device ( 30 ), which is mounted on the apparatus frame ( 12 ) in the vicinity of the feed end ( 13 ), is adjusted to form the second fold ( 9 ) to be a U-shaped fold for improving the torsional and flexural rigidity of the gutter profile ( 1 ), whereby the first adjusting means ( 33 ) and the second adjusting means ( 34 ) can be used to achieve a permanent deformation in the gutter profile to compensate the non-desired tendency to twist. 
   
   
       4 . The roll forming apparatus as defined in  claim 3 , characterized in that the first edge bending device ( 30 ) is adjusted to form the bending radius (r) of the second fold ( 9 ) so as to be at least about 1 mm. 
   
   
       5 . The roll forming apparatus as defined in any one of  claims 1 - 4 , characterized in that the roll forming apparatus includes
 a pair of over forming rolls ( 40 ), arranged in the feed direction after the pairs of forming rolls ( 15 ,  16 ,  17 ,  18 ,  19 ) and the second edge bending device ( 31 ) and before the third edge bending device ( 32 ) for over forming the bottom ( 4 ) with a permanent deformation to form a smaller contraction bending radius (R S ) with respect to the final bending radius (R L ) of the final semi-circular bottom; and   a pair of finishing rolls ( 41 ), arranged in the feed direction after the third edge bending device ( 32 ) and before the supporting roll assembly ( 35 ) for forming the bottom ( 4 ) with a permanent deformation from a contraction bending radius (R S ) to a final bending radius (R L ).   
   
   
       6 . The roll forming apparatus as defined in  claim 5 , characterized in that the pair of over forming rolls ( 40 ) includes an upper convex over forming roll ( 42 ) and a lower concave over forming roll ( 43 ), the radiuses of curvature of them corresponding to the contraction bending radius (R S ). 
   
   
       7 . The roll forming apparatus as defined in  claim 5  or  6 , characterized in that the pair of finishing rolls ( 41 ) includes an upper convex finishing roll ( 44 ) and a lower concave finishing roll ( 45 ), the radiuses of curvature of them corresponding to the final bending radius (R L ). 
   
   
       8 . The roll forming apparatus as defined in any one of  claims 1 - 7 , characterized in that the first edge bending device ( 30 ) includes a first frame ( 46 ) and a number of consecutive, mutually different first pairs of edge bending rolls ( 47 ), bearing-mounted on the first frame ( 47 ) for stepwise making the second fold ( 9 ). 
   
   
       9 . The roll forming apparatus as defined in any one of  claims 1 - 8 , characterized in that the second edge bending device ( 31 ) includes a second frame ( 48 ) and a number of consecutive, mutually different second pairs of edge bending rolls ( 49 ), bearing-mounted on the second frame ( 48 ) for stepwise finishing the third fold ( 11 ). 
   
   
       10 . The roll forming apparatus as defined in any one of  claims 1 - 9 , characterized in that the third edge bending device ( 32 ) includes a third frame ( 50 ) and a number of consecutive, mutually different third pairs of edge bending rolls ( 51 ) for stepwise making the first fold ( 6 ). 
   
   
       11 . The roll forming apparatus as defined in  claim 10 , characterized in that the first adjusting means ( 33 ) are arranged to act between the third frame ( 50 ) and the apparatus frame ( 12 ) for adjusting the third frame in the vertical and horizontal direction, as well as for inclining. 
   
   
       12 . The roll forming apparatus as defined in any one of  claims 1 - 11 , characterized in that the roll forming apparatus includes a cutting device ( 52 ), disposed at the exit end ( 14 ) for the purposes of cutting a finished gutter profile ( 1 ). 
   
   
       13 . A method for making a half-round gutter profile ( 1 ) from a planar sheet metal web ( 2 ),
 the half-round gutter profile ( 1 ) having a front edge ( 2 ), a rear edge ( 3 ), a substantially semicircular U-shaped bottom ( 4 ) between the front edge and the rear edge; a front wall ( 5 ) whose upper end has an inward bent, substantially U-shaped first fold ( 6 ) having an outward directed lower branch ( 7 ) bending via a U curve to form an inward directed upper branch ( 8 ) on the top side of the lower branch, and the free end thereof has a second fold ( 9 ) which is folded underneath the upper branch and is smaller than the first fold; and a rear wall ( 10 ) whose upper end has an inward turned hook-like third fold ( 11 ), and in which method
 a sheet metal web ( 2 ) is roll formed in stages from the edges toward the middle to achieve a half-round gutter shape; 
 a second fold ( 9 ) is formed in the front edge ( 2 ); 
 a third fold ( 11 ) is formed in the rear end ( 3 ); 
 a first fold ( 6 ) is formed in the front edge ( 2 ); and 
 the proceeding of the gutter profile is guided, characterized in that finally one eliminates the non-desired tendency of the gutter profile ( 2 ) to twist about the center of torsion toward the more powerfully bent front wall ( 5 ) which is provided with a first fold ( 6 ) and a second fold ( 9 ). 
   
   
   
       14 . The method as defined in  claim 13 , characterized in that in the final stage of the manufacture of the gutter profile ( 2 ) the gutter profile is turned about the center of torsion toward the rear wall ( 10 ) so that a permanent deformation is formed in the gutter profile that will eliminate the twisting and ensure the straightness. 
   
   
       15 . The method as defined in  claim 13  or  14 , characterized in that the second fold ( 9 ) is formed to be U-shaped to improve the torsional and flexural rigidity of the gutter profile ( 2 ). 
   
   
       16 . The method as defined in  claim 15 , characterized in that the bending radius (r) of the second fold ( 9 ) is formed to be at least about 1 mm. 
   
   
       17 . The method as defined in any one of  claims 13 - 16 , characterized in that the second fold ( 9 ) is formed after the first step of roll forming; the third fold ( 11 ) is formed after forming said second fold ( 9 ) and after the steps of roll forming; and the first fold ( 6 ) is formed after forming the second and third fold. 
   
   
       18 . The method as defined in any one of  claims 13 - 17 , characterized in that the gutter profile to be formed is over formed with a permanent deformation to form a smaller contraction bending radius (R S ) with respect to the final bending radius (R L ) of the final semi-circular bottom ( 4 ); and after that the bottom is formed with a permanent deformation from the contraction bending radius (R S ) to the final bending radius (R L ). 
   
   
       19 . A half-round gutter profile ( 1 ), formed from a sheet metal web ( 2 ), the half-round gutter profile ( 1 ) having a front edge ( 2 ), a rear edge ( 3 ), a substantially semi-circular U-shaped bottom ( 4 ) between the front edge and the rear edge; a front wall ( 5 ) having at the upper end thereof an inward bent, substantially U-shaped first fold ( 6 ) having an outward directed lower branch ( 7 ) which bends via a U curve to form an inward directed upper branch ( 8 ) on the top side of the lower branch; and the free end thereof has a second fold ( 9 ) which is folded underneath the upper branch and is smaller than the first fold; and a rear wall ( 10 ) having at the upper end thereof an inward bent hook-like third fold ( 11 ), characterized in that the second fold ( 9 ) is U-shaped to improve the torsional and flexural rigidity of the gutter profile ( 2 ). 
   
   
       20 . The gutter profile as defined in  claim 19 , characterized in that the bending radius (r) of the second fold ( 9 ) is at least about 1 mm.