Method and apparatus for forming multiple panel shapes

Claim 2

In apparatus for forming material into more than one desired shape, the combination comprising: a plurality of pairs of opposed shaping rollers arranged at spaced intervals along a preselected course and supported for rotary movement, said first group of said pairs of rollers being shaped to impart a first shape to the material upon being progressively passed between successive pairs thereof and a second group of said pairs of rollers succeeding said first group being shaped to impart a second shape to the first-shaped material upon being progressively passed between successive pairs thereof, one roller of each pair of said second group of pairs of rollers being at a substantially common plane conjoined with one another and being readily releasable and movable conjointly away from the other associated roller of each pair of said second group to a retracted, non-shaping position to allow the material with the first shape to pass between the opposed rollers of each pair of the second group without altering the shape thereof whereby to alternately form the first and second shapes in the material or only the first shape in the material.

Claim 3

In apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the said one roller of each pair of the second group is a lower roller which drops down from an associated upper roller to the non-shaping position.

Claim 4

In apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein the one roller of each pair of said second group is mounted on a pair of opposed side support members common to all of the said one rollers for a conjoint dropping movement thereof relative to the support structure, the side support members being releasably fastened to the support structure.

Claim 5

In apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein the releasable fastening for the one roller of the second group includes a plurality of pin members arranged at spaced intervals along the support structure, the pin members being releasably inserted through aligned apertures in the side support members and the support structure.

Claim 6

In apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further including means for continuously feeding the material with a coil set and bending means at the inlet end for bending the material to substantially remove the coil set therein prior to entry between said opposed shaping rollers.

Claim 7

In apparatus for forming a coiled material with a coil set into more than one desired shape, the combination comprising: support structure means; bending means supported by the support structure means for bending the coiled material as it unrolls from the coil against the coil set to a substantially flattened condition, a first group of pairs of opposed shaping rollers supported for rotary movement on the support structure means, said first group of pairs of rollers being shaped to impart a first shape to the material upon being progressively passed between successive pairs thereof; a second group of pairs of opposed shaping rollers shaped to impart a second shape to the first-shaped material upon being passed between successive pairs thereof; and a pair of opposed support members supporting the ends of a plurality of rollers of said second group to move said plurality of the lower rollers of the second group between an upper operative position and a lower retracted position spaced from the other associated roller of each pair of said second group to allow the material with the first shape to pass between the opposed rollers of each pair of the second group without altering the shape thereof whereby to alternately form the first and second shapes in the material or only the first shape in the material.

Claim 8

In apparatus for forming a coiled material with a coil set into more than one desired shape, the combination comprising: support structure means; bending means supported by the support structure means for bending the coiled material as it unrolls from the coil against the coil set to a substantially flattened condition, a first group of pairs of opposed shaping rollers supported for rotary movement on the support structure means, said first group of pairs of rollers being shaped to impart a first shape to the material upon being progressively passed between successive pairs thereof; a second group of pairs of opposed shaping rollers shaped to impart a second shape to the first-shaped material upon being passed between successive pairs thereof; and a pair of opposed support members supporting the ends of a plurality of rollers of said second group to move said plurality of the lower rollers of the second group between an upper operative position and a lower retracted position spaced from the other associated roller of each pair of said second group to allow the material with the first shape to pass between the opposed rollers of each pair of the second group without altering the shape thereof whereby to alternately form the first and second shapes in the material or only the first shape in the material.

Claim 9

In apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said bending means includes a bending roller positioned adjacent the inlet end of the shaping Rollers arranged so that the material passes in a reverse direction away from the shaping rollers back around the bending roller and then passes toward the shaping rollers to bend against the coil set in the material.

Claim 10

In apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said bending means includes a first bending roller positioned adjacent the inlet end of the shaping rollers and a second bending roller above the first bending roller, the bending rollers being arranged so that the coiled material passes around the second roller and reverses back around the first roller and again reverses toward the shaping rollers to bend against the coil set in the material.

Claim 11

In a roll-forming apparatus for forming building siding and the like, the combination comprising: a strip of sheet material wound in a coil on a drum with a coil set in the material, the drum being supported for rotary movement to pay out the material, a housing of generally rectangular form having a bottom plate, opposed side plates and a top plate; bending means supported by the housing for bending the coiled material as it unrolls from the drum against the coil set to a substantially flattened condition, a first group of pairs of opposed shaping rollers supported for rotary movement on the support structure means, said first group of pairs of rollers being shaped to impart a first shape to the material upon being progressively passed between successive pairs thereof; a second group of pairs of opposed shaping rollers shaped to impart a second shape to the first-shaped material upon being passed between successive pairs thereof; and each said pair of rollers being arranged as an upper roller and a lower roller, a pair of opposed support members rotatably supporting the ends of a plurality of the lower rollers an upper operative shaping position and lower retracted non-shaping position spaced apart from an upper associated roller of each pair of said second group to allow the material with the first shape to pass between the opposed rollers of each pair of the second group without altering the shape thereof whereby to alternately form the first and second shapes in the material or only the first shape in the material; pin-like members arranged at spaced intervals along said housing adapted to extend through the side plates and into the opposed support members to releasably hold the lower rollers of the second group in the operative shaping position; and motive power means coupled to the rollers of said first and second groups with the rollers being coupled to one another in a power transmission train whereby at least some of the upper and lower rollers are driven to draw the material therethrough to shape the material.

Claim 12

In a roll-forming apparatus for forming building siding and the like, the combination comprising: a strip of sheet material wound in a coil on a drum with a coil set in the material, the drum being supported for rotary movement to pay out the material, a housing of generally rectangular form having a bottom plate, opposed side plates and a top plate; bending means supported by the housing for bending the coiled material as it unrolls from the drum against the coil set to a substantially flattened condition, a first group of pairs of opposed shaping rollers supported for rotary movement on the support structure means, said first group of pairs of rollers being shaped to impart a first shape to the material upon being progressively passed between successive pairs thereof; a second group of pairs of opposed shaping rollers shaped to impart a second shape to the first-shaped material upon being passed between successive pairs thereof; and each said pair of rollers being arranged as an upper roller and a lower roller, a pair of opposed support members rotatably supporting the ends of a plurality of the lower rollers an upper operative shaping position and lower retracted non-shaping position spaced apart from an upper associated roller of each pair of said second group to allow the material with the first shape to pass between the opposed rollers of each pair of the second group without altering the shape thereof whereby to alternately form the first and second shapes in the material or only the first shape in the material; pin-like members arranged at spaced intervals along said housing adapted to extend through the side plates and into the opposed support members to releasably hold the lower rollers of the second group in the operative shaping position; and motive power means coupled to the rollers of said first and second groups with the rollers being coupled to one another in a power transmission train whereby at least some of the upper and lower rollers are driven to draw the material therethrough to shape the material.

Claim 13

In a method of forming a material into a desired shape wherein there is provided a plurality of pairs of opposed shaping rollers arranged at spaced intervals along a preselected course, the steps of: passing the material between a first group of the pairs of opposed rollers shaped to progressively impart a first shape to the material; passing the material between a second group of pairs of rollers shaped to progressively impart a second shape to the material, and; alternately conjointly positioning a plurality of conjointly movable pairs of rollers of said second group arranged at a substantially common plane in a shaping position or a retracted non-shaping position relative to associated opposed rollers of the second group which allows the first shape to pass without being altered in shape to form either the first and second shapes in the material or only the first shape in the material.

Claim 14

In a method of forming a material into a desired shape wherein there is provided a plurality of pairs of opposed shaping rollers arranged at spaced intervals along a preselected course, the steps of: passing the material between a first group of the pairs of opposed rollers shaped to progressively impart a first shape to the material; passing the material between a second group of pairs of rollers shaped to progressively impart a second shape to the material, and; alternately conjointly positioning a plurality of conjointly movable pairs of rollers of said second group arranged at a substantially common plane in a shaping position or a retracted non-shaping position relative to associated opposed rollers of the second group which allows the first shape to pass without being altered in shape to form either the first and second shapes in the material or only the first shape in the material.

Claim 15

In a method of forming a material as set forth in claim 10 wherein said material is wound in a coil and has a coil set, the further steps comprising: bending the material against the coil set to change it to a substantially flattened condition prior to passing it into the shaping rollers.