Seam forming apparatus

Claim 2

In seam forming apparatus for connecting a pair of adjacent panels, one panel having an outturned flange portion and a downturned terminal portion forming an inverted connecting channel and the other panel having an inturned flange portion positioned in the connecting channel of the one panel, said seam forming apparatus comprising, in combination; first and second sets of upper and lower power-driven rollers with the first set of upper and lower power-driven rollers axially spaced from the second set to dispose said sets along the panels to alternately serve as the leading and trailing rollers depending on the direction of movement of the apparatus relative to the panels being connected together, the lower roller of each of said sets being positioned in the connecting channel and the upper roller of each set above the outturned flange portion with both the rollers of each of said sets being in engagement with adjacent surfaces of the panels causing said rollers to move along to the panels upon the conjoint rotation thereof; and an intermediate set of laterally spaced idler rollers disposed between said first and second set of rollers and movable therewith, the leading of said first and second sets pre-alining the panels and pressing the flange portions together, the intermediate set of rollers bending the downturned terminal portion under the inturned terminal portion at an angle, the trailing of said first and second sets of rollers flattening the angularly disposed downturned terminal portion against the underside of the inturned flange portion as said sets of rollers are moved conjointly along the panels.

Claim 3

In seam forming apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said upper rollers of said first and second sets and each roller of said intermediate set are mounted on a separate shaft rotated in a bearing on a common support frame.

Claim 4

In seam forming apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said lower rollers of said first and second set are mounted on a shaft rotated in a bearing in a separate bearing support block vertically adjustably movable relative to the associated upper roller to permit placement of the rollers on the flange portions of the panels.

Claim 5

In seam forming apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein one of said rollers of said intermediate set is adjustably movable relative to the other to adjust the spacing therebetween so as to permit the placement of the rollers on the flange portions of the panels.

Claim 6

In seam forming apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said one roller is mounted on an offset portion of a supporting shaft, and manually operable handle means to rotate the supporting shaft to shift the position of said one roller relative to the other roller of said intermediate set.

Claim 7

In seam forming apparatus as set forth in claim 5 including means to lock the supporting shaft in a closed panel-bending position and in an open position.

Claim 8

In seam forming apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein a single output drive shaft is coupled through separate drive trains to conjointly drive the upper and lower rollers of said first and second sets.

Claim 9

In seam forming apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein each said drive train includes a gear on said output shaft, a gear on the shaft for each upper roller, an idler gear between the output shaft gear and each of said gears for each upper roller, a chain around the output shaft gear and the gears for the upper rollers and against the idler gear, and a drive gear between each upper roller shaft and the associated lower roller shaft which mesh when the lower roller shaft is in the raised position to transmit rotary power from each upper roller shaft to each lower roller shaft.

Claim 10

In seam forming apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said upper rollers of said first and second sets has a tapered groove with an intermediate peripheral flat surface of reduced diameter that engages the outturned flange portion of the panel.

Claim 11

In seam forming apparatus as set forth in claim 9 wherein the lower roller is inset relative to the outer extremity of the intermediate peripheral flat surface of the upper roller to form a depending bead along the outer underside of the seam to cause moisture to drip therefrom.

Claim 12

In seam forming apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said lower rollers has a knurled surface that engages the adjacent panel surface in the connecting channel.

Claim 13

In seam forming apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein one of the rollers of said intermediate set has an inclined surface to partially turn the downturned terminal portion in at an angle as the panels are moved between the third set of rollers and the other of the rollers of said third set has a rim portion of reduced diameter that engages the inside of the channel opposite the downturned terminal portion and an inclined portion projecting up at an angle therefrom.

Claim 14

In reversible, self-propelled seam forming apparatus for connecting a pair of similar adjacent panels having opposed upright side wall portions together at a seam along adjacent side wall portions thereof with one of said panels having preformed seam parts including an outturned flange portion and a downturned terminal portion from one of its side wall portions forming an inverted connecting channel in which an inturned flange portion projects from the upright side wall portion of the other panel is positioned, said apparatus comprising in combination: first and second sets of upper and lower rollers arranged in axially parallel relation with the first set of upper and lower rollers axially spaced from the second set to dispose said sets along the panels to alternately serve as the leading and trailing rollers depending on its direction of movement of the apparatus relative to the panels being connected together, the lower roller of each of said sets being positioned in the connecting channel and the upper roller of each set above the channel with both the rollers of each of said sets being in frictional engagement with the adjacent surfaces of the panels at the channel, said to cause the first and second set of upper rollers to move along the panels upon the conjoint rotation thereof, an intermediate set of laterally spaced idler rollers having their axis normal to those of said first and second set rollers and disposed between said first and second set of rollers and movable therewith, the leading of said first and second sets prealining the panels and pressing the flange portions together, said intermediate set of rollers bending the downturned terminal portion under the inturned terminal portion of the panels at an angle as the trailing of said first and second set flattens the angularly disposed downturned terminal portion against the underside of the inturned flange portion, and motive power and drive train means to conjointly drive said first and second set of rollers to effect the movement of all of said sets of rollers along the panels.

Claim 15

In reversible, self-propelled seam forming apparatus for connecting a pair of similar adjacent panels having opposed upright side wall portions together at a seam along adjacent side wall portions thereof with one of said panels having preformed seam parts including an outturned flange portion and a downturned terminal portion from one of its side wall portions forming an inverted connecting channel in which an inturned flange portion projects from the upright side wall portion of the other panel is positioned, said apparatus comprising in combination: first and second sets of upper and lower rollers arranged in axially parallel relation with the first set of upper and lower rollers axially spaced from the second set to dispose said sets along the panels to alternately serve as the leading and trailing rollers depending on its direction of movement of the apparatus relative to the panels being connected together, the lower roller of each of said sets being positioned in the connecting channel and the upper roller of each set above the channel with both the rollers of each of said sets being in frictional engagement with the adjacent surfaces of the panels at the channel, said to cause the first and second set of upper rollers to move along the panels upon the conjoint rotation thereof, an intermediate set of laterally spaced idler rollers having their axis normal to those of said first and second set rollers and disposed between said first and second set of rollers and movable therewith, the leading of said first and second sets prealining the panels and pressing the flange portions together, said intermediate set of rollers bending the downturned terminal portion under the inturned terminal portion of the panels at an angle as the trailing of said first and second set flattens the angularly disposed downturned terminal portion against the underside of the inturned flange portion, and motive power and drive train means to conjointly drive said first and second set of rollers to effect the movement of all of said sets of rollers along the panels.

Claim 16

In reversible, self-propelled seam forming apparatus for connecting a pair of similar adjacent building panels, each panel having a bottom and opposed side walls, one of said panels having an outturned flange portion and a downturned terminal portion projecting from one of its side walls forming an inverted connecting channel and the other of said panels having an inturned flange portion projecting from one of its side walls positioned in the connecting channel, said seam forming apparatus comprising in combination: a support frame having a central body portion a base portion projecting from one side of the body portion and a pair of opposed wing portions, a reversible drive motor means mounted on said base portion having an output shaft positioned midway between and above said wing portions, a first set of upper and lower power-driven rollers driven by said drive motor through a drive train, said upper roller being mounted for rotation on one of said wing portions and the lower roller being adjustably movable relative to said upper roller, a second set of upper and lower power-driven rollers driven by said drive motor means through a drive train, said upper roller of said second set being mounted for rotation on the other of said wing portions and the lower roller of said second set being adjustably movable relative to the associated upper roller, said first and second set of rollers being axially spaced from one another and arranged axially parallel to one another to alternately serve as the leading and trailing rollers depending on the direction of movement of the apparatus relative to the panels being connected together the lower roller of each of said sets being positioned in the connecting channel and the upper roller of each set above the outturned flange portion with both of the rollers of each of said sets being in frictional engagement with the adjacent surfaces of the panels causing the first and second set of upper rollers to move along to the panels upon the conjoint rotation thereof, an intermediate set of laterally spaced bending rollers arranged on the central body portion vertically in line with the output shaft of the gearmotor and midway between said first and second set of rollers having their axis disposed normal to those of said first and second set of rollers, the leading of said first and second sets of rollers prealining the panels and pressing the flange portions together, the intermediate set of rollers bending the downturned terminal portion under the inturned terminal portion of the panels at an angle, the trailing of said first and second sets of rollers flattening the angularly disposed downturned terminal portion against the underside of the inturned flange portion as said sets of rollers are moved conjointly along the panels.

Claim 17

In reversible, self-propelled seam forming apparatus for connecting a pair of similar adjacent building panels, each panel having a bottom and opposed side walls, one of said panels having an outturned flange portion and a downturned terminal portion projecting from one of its side walls forming an inverted connecting channel and the other of said panels having an inturned flange portion projecting from one of its side walls positioned in the connecting channel, said seam forming apparatus comprising in combination: a support frame having a central body portion a base portion projecting from one side of the body portion and a pair of opposed wing portions, a reversible drive motor means mounted on said base portion having an output shaft positioned midway between and above said wing portions, a first set of upper and lower power-driven rollers driven by said drive motor through a drive train, said upper roller being mounted for rotation on one of said wing portions and the lower roller being adjustably movable relative to said upper roller, a second set of upper and lower power-driven rollers driven by said drive motor means through a drive train, said upper roller of said second set being mounted for rotation on the other of said wing portions and the lower roller of said second set being adjustably movable relative to the associated upper roller, said first and second set of rollers being axially spaced from one another and arranged axially parallel to one another to alternately serve as the leading and trailing rollers depending on the direction of movement of the apparatus relative to the panels being connected together the lower roller of each of said sets being positioned in the connecting channel and the upper roller of each set above the outturned flange portion with both of the rollers of each of said sets being in frictional engagement with the adjacent surfaces of the panels causing the first and second set of upper rollers to move along to the panels upon the conjoint rotation thereof, an intermediate set of laterally spaced bending rollers arranged on the central body portion vertically in line with the output shaft of the gearmotor and midway between said first and second set of rollers having their axis disposed normal to those of said first and second set of rollers, the leading of said first and second sets of rollers prealining the panels and pressing the flange portions together, the intermediate set of rollers bending the downturned terminal portion under the inturned terminal portion of the panels at an angle, the trailing of said first and second sets of rollers flattening the angularly disposed downturned terminal portion against the underside of the inturned flange portion as said sets of rollers are moved conjointly along the panels.