US1311637A - Method of metal-bending into looped formation - Google Patents

Description

K. M. BOBLETT.

METHOD OF METAL BENDING INTO LOOPED FORMATION.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 1. 1914.

1,8 1 1,637 Patented July 29, 1919.

U T TE KINDERMAN M. BOBLETT, 0F TOLEDO, OHIO.

METHOD OF METAL-BENDING INTO LOQPED FORMATIOI' Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 29, 1919,

Application filed October 1, 1914. Serial No. 864,503.

To (I71 whom it may concern.

Be it known that-I, Kixmnnian M. Bon- LE'IT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Toledo, iii the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Metal- Bending into Looped FOl'llltltlOll, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a method of constructing a plaited or cellular body from a continuous strip of material by bending the material upon itself to form a succession of oppositely disposed loops or bights.

The method or process, forming the subject matter hereof, while particularly adapted for producing parts or units of automobile or other radiators by forming a flat sheet of material into the meandrous looped or plaited formation as described, may also be employed in operation upon wire for forming looped bars, bands or stays for various purposes but which are particn larly adapted for use as corset stays or for analogous purposes.

The herein described method or process is bestperforined by the apparatus described and claimed in my co-pending application for metal'bender, Serial No. 737,247, filed Dec. 17, 1912.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and economical method or process by which the material may be formed into the desired shape uniformly throughout the product and which will be rapid, accurate, and easy of operation.

IVith the above primary and other incidentall objects in view, as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention con sists of the steps, manipulations, and mode of operation, or their equivalents, as hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a section of finished product comprising an automobile radiator produced bythe method or process forming the subject matter hereof. Figs. 2 and 3 are detail perspective views of modifications of the product produced by the process herein claimed and requiring only modifications of the shapes of the tools such as the die, the punch and the mandrel. Fig. l is a detail viewof a wire product suitable for use as a corset stay or similar purpose which may be produced by herein described process. Fig. 5 IS a detail view illustrating four succcssive steps, indicated by I, II, III, and IV, ot' the process or method by which the Fig. 7 is a detailed end view of the oscillatlllg'dllillldlfil indicating its degree of movement and path of operation. Fig. 8 is a detail plan view illustrating the movement of the mandrel in relation with the die.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views.

The operation of the process forming the subject matter hereof produces from either a flat sheet of material or from a wire a cellular or plaited body comprising a succession of oppositely disposed flat sided loops or biglits. \Vhile in the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the opposite sides of the finished product. are recessed and n Fig. 1 additional grooves are provided in each of the loops or bights. it is to be understood that these details are not essentials of the products resulting from the process but in this instance are peculiar to the purpose t'or which the product was intended .and may be omitted or varied at will by modifications in the shape of the tools without changing the steps or operations of the process.

Likewise in Fig. l' the outer side of the loops or bights have been shown as arcuate whereas such sides may be made square or indented in accordance with the shape of the producing. parts without varying the steps or operation of the method. The formation shown in Figs. 1 to l, inclusive, are merely illustrative of the applications of the process for particular purposes and are not iiitendcd as limiting the scope of the application.

The )rocess forming the subject matter hereof is best, though not necessarily, carried out with the aid. of an ordinary punch or stamp press with which is associated special mechanism for reciprocating and oscillating the hereinafter described mandrel at proper times in relation with the sequence of ope 'ation. However. the process is not dependent uponsuch special apparatus but may be successfully performed by hand operations with the aid of such tools and register one with the other.

appliances as are usually employed by. persons skilled in metal bending operations.

Referring first to the product, the cellular body illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises a suc cession of oppositely disposed flat sided loops or bights. 1 1 of rectangular cross section which are formed in a comparatively wide strip of sheet metal. The opposite or exterior sides of the loops or. bights are indented transversely, as'indicated at 2, such indentations of successive loops or bights Each of the loops or bights is further indented longitu- I dinally to form a groove or depression 3.

. When a collection of units, such as is shown in Fig. 1, are assembled side by side, the indentations 2 of the succeeding units registering one with the other, form water. channels or conduits ofwhich the grooves 3 form lateral ramifications.

The constructions shown in Figs. 2 and 3 are quite similar to that shown in Fig. 1

'exceptthat in Fig. 2 the rectangular loops lar loops or bights as shown in Figs. 1 or 2 or into triangular formation as shown in Fig. 3.

Referring particularly to Fig. 5, 4 is a.

re'ciprocatory punch or forming head which cooperates with a die 5 comprising a bed over which the material and finished work passes. A split'mandrel 6 capable of both reciprocatory and oscillatory movement c oope'rates with the punch and die and in one osition forms one side of the die or matrix 1n which the material is initially formed. By the operation of the punch 4 the material operated upon isinitially formed into a U shaped bend or bight one side or arm of which is of greater extent than the other side. The formation of this rectangular bight or bend is clearly shown in Fig.5, position I. The initial bend or bight, havmg been formed as shown in positions I and II of Fig. 5, the split or bifurcated mandrel 6 is withdrawn longitudinally from the work and rotated downward as.

corner of t 1e mandrel indicated at a: in Fig.

7. The oscillatory movement of the man;

vdrel consists of a rocking movement upon the corner 00 from a recumbent position, as

shown in Fig. 7 when the mandrel rests upon its side, to an upright position wherein the mandrel will rest upon its edge and vice versa. These' positions andthe directlon of movement are clearly indicated by dotted and solid lines and by means of darts in said figures. During the time that the mandrel 6 is withdrawn from engagement with the work, thefinished product together with the supply of material and the U shaped bight ormed therein, are advanced a distance of one loo or space The mandrel 6 is then move inward to a position shown by dotted lines at the right in Fig. -8 wherein the slot or bifurcatlon of the mandrel will engage the short arm or side of the U shaped bight before mentionedf The relation of the mandrel with the work 15 then such thatthe base of the U shaped bight extends beneath one finger of the mandrel While the side or arm of the bight ex- 'U shaped bight to be bent at right angles at a medial ,pointthereby bringing the extremity of the short arm or side of the bight into contact with the long arm or side of the bight at a medial point and perpendicular thereto. I ment is best illustrated in Fig. 6. Referring to Fig. 6, the rectangular U shaped bight before referred to, produced by the initial operation or step, comprises a bight a b c.d. The split or bifurcated mandrel is' engaged: with thework in such relation that the portion a?) extends through the slot between the fingers ofthe mandrel. Upon This bending move the rotation of the mandrel about its corner axisw the base portion bc of the U shaped loop is bent at its medial point 0' to form a right angle thereby causing the extremity a of the short side or arm to move to the position aand at the same time the-point e on the supply portion of the strip of material moves as indicated by darts to the point e. The material operated upon then assumes the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 6 wherein the supply portion overlies the upper side of the mandrel to the point f from which it extends diagonally downward to the bed or die 5. This is the step or position shown at IV, Fig.5.

In said osition the mandrel is shown in its uprig t or oscillated position. The parts are then in position for the next forming operation of the punch or stamp l by WlllCll a succeeding rectangularU shaped bight is formed. The .descent of the punch or stamp 1 intermediate the upturned mandrel (i and the offset of the die or bed 5 carries the point upon the supply portion of the material downward to form the lower corner at g of the U shaped bight thereby causing the portion -f to assume a perpendicular position against the side of the upturned mandrel to form the long or upright arm of the U shaped bight. The short arm of the bight is then turned against the long arm in the manner before described by the bending of the base portion of the bight and a succeeding U shaped bight'is formed. This sequence of operation is continued indefinitely or until a cellular or looped body of the desired extent is produced.

In order to form the indentation 2 and longitudinal groove 3 disclosed in Fig. 1, the punch or stamp l is provided with beads or ribs 7 projecting from a forming face or plate 8 which corresponds with the indentation 2. The bed or die is provided with a corresponding forming face 9 provided with beads or ribs 10. The mandrel fingers are likewise provided with corresponding indentations or shoulders 11 and longitudinal grooves 12.

To facilitate the disengagement of the mandrels (i from an indented construction such as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the mandrel is formed into two sections or halves and is withdrawn in opposite directions from the work. Such sections or halves are shown in Fig. 8 in which figure the rotary movement of the mandrel about its eccentric axis is indicated by dotted lines at the left and the reciproeatory movement of the mandrel is indicated by dotted lines at the right. If the desired construction is straight throughout or tapered in one direction only or provided with only one set of shoulders or offsets, a single mandrel may be employed in lieu of the double mandrel shown in Fig. 8. In operating upon wire to produce a flexible band or stay, as shown in Fig. 4, a plurality of strands of wire may be operated upon simultaneously, such strands being placed side by side and being simultaneously I engaged in the slot or bifurcation of the mandrel. In performing the process with the aid of the punch, the die, and the man drel, before described. the sequence of operation is as follows: the punch descends to form the U shaped bight intermediate the upturned mandrel and offset of the die or bed; the punch ascends and at the same time the mandrel is withdrawn from engagement with the work; the mandrel is oscillated downward about an eccentric axis to a re cumbent position and at the same time the work is advanced to bring the short side of the U shaped bight into alinement with the slot or bifurcation of the mandrel; the mandrel is reci-procated inward with the fingers projecting on opposite sides of the short side of the bight which is thereby caused to extend through the slot or bifurcation; the mandrel is then oscillated about its eccentric axis to an upright position wrapping the material in opposite directions about the fingers of the mandrel, whereupon the punch or stamp again descends to complete the wrapping of the material about the mandrel and to form the succeeding U shaped bight. This completes one sequence'of operations which may be continued indefinitely. At the descent of the punch or stamp to form the succeeding bights pressure is applied to the material wrapped about the mandrel to cause it to conform closely to the contour of the mandrel thereby setting the material in its ultimate shape. Thus the material is wrapped in opposite directions about a bifurcated mandrel and pressure is applied to set the material into conformity therewith.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided a device of the character described, possessing the particular features of advantage before enumerated'as desirable but which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportion, detail construction or arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to certain structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited toany specific details, but that the means and construction herein described comprise but one mode of putting the invention into effect and the invention is therefore claimed broadly in any of its possi'ble forms or modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The method of producing a body of the characterdescribed consisting in forming in the material operated upon a substantially U shaped bight the arms of which are of unequal length and subsequently bending the transverse portion of the bight to bring the end of the short arm into proximity with the long arm, and continuing the alternate forming and bending operations.

2. The method of producing a body of the character described consisting in forming an offset in the material operated upon adj aeent to the finished portion of the product and subsequently bending the material intermediate the offset and the finished portion to &

' cause the offset portion to approach the finished portion.

3. The method of producing a body of the character described consisting in forming an offset in the material operated upon, bending the ofi'set portion of the-material adjacent to the ofl'set at right'angles, carrying a corresponding length of .material to the point of the last mentioned bend and forming in the supply material a succeeding 10 I

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