Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
402 words
Apparatus for forming objects from strips of metal comprising a base block having a flat, horizontally oriented, planar, upper surface that is adapted to receive a forming die, a top block assembly that includes a lower member having a flat, horizontally oriented, planar lower surface that is oriented parallel to and above said upper surface of said base block and is moveable as to proximity with respect thereto, vertically oriented hydraulic press means moveably interconnected with said top block for imparting selected amounts of bias to said top block against it being impelled away from said base block, a roll assembly positioned between said lower surface of said top block and the upper surface of said bottom block comprising two contacting cylindrical rolls which are oriented with the axes of said rolls parallel to each other and to both said lower surface of said top block and said upper surface of said bottom block and which describe a fictitious plane perpendicular to said surfaces and which are supported by roll support means, said roll assembly means being free to move along a path perpendicular to said fictitious plane, horizontally oriented hydraulic motion means which acts upon said roll support means for causing said roll support means and said rolls to move along a path which is parallel to said surfaces and perpendicular to said fictitious plane, and stop block means positioned between said top block assembly and said base block for positionally limiting the proximity of said surfaces with respect to each other to a distance equal to the collective diameters of said two rolls, whereby a strip of metal forming stock may be positioned above a forming die positioned in said base block and an object of desired configuration and dimensions produced by causing one or more reciprocations of said roll assembly through operation of said motion means while said roll assembly is biased against deflection upward in excess of pre-determined amounts along the path described by said fictitious plane in response to coming into contact with said strip as said assembly reciprocates by means of biasing pressure applied to said top block by means of said press means that is applied thereto in selected amounts which may be increased successively with sequential reciprocations of said roll assembly until reciprocation occurs with said top block positioned in the closest proximity to said base block that is permitted by said stop blocks.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
402 words
Apparatus for forming objects from strips of metal comprising a base block having a flat, horizontally oriented, planar, upper surface that is adapted to receive a forming die, a top block assembly that includes a lower member having a flat, horizontally oriented, planar lower surface that is oriented parallel to and above said upper surface of said base block and is moveable as to proximity with respect thereto, vertically oriented hydraulic press means moveably interconnected with said top block for imparting selected amounts of bias to said top block against it being impelled away from said base block, a roll assembly positioned between said lower surface of said top block and the upper surface of said bottom block comprising two contacting cylindrical rolls which are oriented with the axes of said rolls parallel to each other and to both said lower surface of said top block and said upper surface of said bottom block and which describe a fictitious plane perpendicular to said surfaces and which are supported by roll support means, said roll assembly means being free to move along a path perpendicular to said fictitious plane, horizontally oriented hydraulic motion means which acts upon said roll support means for causing said roll support means and said rolls to move along a path which is parallel to said surfaces and perpendicular to said fictitious plane, and stop block means positioned between said top block assembly and said base block for positionally limiting the proximity of said surfaces with respect to each other to a distance equal to the collective diameters of said two rolls, whereby a strip of metal forming stock may be positioned above a forming die positioned in said base block and an object of desired configuration and dimensions produced by causing one or more reciprocations of said roll assembly through operation of said motion means while said roll assembly is biased against deflection upward in excess of pre-determined amounts along the path described by said fictitious plane in response to coming into contact with said strip as said assembly reciprocates by means of biasing pressure applied to said top block by means of said press means that is applied thereto in selected amounts which may be increased successively with sequential reciprocations of said roll assembly until reciprocation occurs with said top block positioned in the closest proximity to said base block that is permitted by said stop blocks.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus described in claim 1 wherein the circumferential surface of said bottom roll includes a die forming contour.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
The apparatus described in claim 2 wherein said die forming contour projects above said surface of said lower roll and wherein the circumferential surface of said top roll includes accomodation means to accomodate said die forming contour.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus described in claim 3 wherein said die forming contour is a circumferential protuberance and wherein said accomodation means in said top roll is a groove.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
32 words
The apparatus described in either of claims 1 or 2 including registration means for regulating the position of said die forming contour with respect to a die positioned in said base block.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
The apparatus described in claim 3 including registration means for regulating the position of said die forming contour with respect to a die positioned in said base block and with respect to said accomodation means in said top roll.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
275 words
Apparatus for forming objects comprising a base means which has a flat planar surface that includes forming die means, a roll-backer member having a flat planar surface which is moveably positionable in parallel, spaced-apart relationship to said planar surface of said base means, positioning means positioned between said base means and said roll-backer member for limiting to a desired minimum distance the proximity of said roll-backer member with respect to said base means, pressure means moveably interconnected with said roll backer means for imparting bias to said roll-backer member against said roll-backer member being impelled away from said base means, said pressure means being characterized by the fact that the amount of biasing pressure imparted by it to said roll-backer member may be fixed at pre-determined maximum levels which will not be substantially exceeded upon said roll-backer member being impelled away from said base member counter-directionally to said biasing pressure, roll means comprising two rolls positioned with their outer surfaces in linear contact with each other, with the roll closest said roll-backer member in linear contact with its said planar surface and with the roll closest said base member means in linear contact with its said planar surface, with the lines of said contacts describing a flat fictitious plane which is substantially perpendicular to said planar surfaces of said roll-backer member and said base means, roll support means supporting said rolls, which support means is moveable along a path which is substantially perpendicular to said fictitious plane, and roll motion means which acts upon said roll support means for moving said roll support means in a direction which is substantially perpendicular to said ficitious plane.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
275 words
Apparatus for forming objects comprising a base means which has a flat planar surface that includes forming die means, a roll-backer member having a flat planar surface which is moveably positionable in parallel, spaced-apart relationship to said planar surface of said base means, positioning means positioned between said base means and said roll-backer member for limiting to a desired minimum distance the proximity of said roll-backer member with respect to said base means, pressure means moveably interconnected with said roll backer means for imparting bias to said roll-backer member against said roll-backer member being impelled away from said base means, said pressure means being characterized by the fact that the amount of biasing pressure imparted by it to said roll-backer member may be fixed at pre-determined maximum levels which will not be substantially exceeded upon said roll-backer member being impelled away from said base member counter-directionally to said biasing pressure, roll means comprising two rolls positioned with their outer surfaces in linear contact with each other, with the roll closest said roll-backer member in linear contact with its said planar surface and with the roll closest said base member means in linear contact with its said planar surface, with the lines of said contacts describing a flat fictitious plane which is substantially perpendicular to said planar surfaces of said roll-backer member and said base means, roll support means supporting said rolls, which support means is moveable along a path which is substantially perpendicular to said fictitious plane, and roll motion means which acts upon said roll support means for moving said roll support means in a direction which is substantially perpendicular to said ficitious plane.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus described in claim 7 wherein said planar surface of said roll-backer member is hard-surfaced.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus described in claim 8 wherein said forming die means comprises means for receiving and holding a forming die.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus described in claim 7 wherein said positioning means limits the minimum distance between said roll-backer means and said base means to substantially the sum of the diameter of said two rolls.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus described in claim 10 wherein said pressure means comprises a hydraulic press.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus described in claim 10 wherein said roll motion means comprises a hydraulic press.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus described in claim 11 wherein said roll motion means comprises a hydraulic press.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
24 words
The apparatus described in any of claims 7 through 13 wherein the surface of said lower roll is adapted to include a die-forming surface.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
46 words
The apparatus described in any of claims 7 through 13 wherein the surface of said lower roll is adapted to include a die-forming surface by including a circumferential protuberance and wherein said top roll includes a circumferential depression in the surface thereof to accomodate said protuberance.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
32 words
The apparatus described in any of claims 7 through 13 wherein the surface of said lower roll is adapted to include a die-forming surface by including a depression in the face thereof.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
41 words
The apparatus described in any of claims 7 through 13 wherein the surface of said lower roll is adapted to include a die-forming surface by including a depression in the face thereof that is adapted to receive a forming die therein.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
70 words
The apparatus described in any of claims 7 through 13 wherein the surface of said lower roll is adapted to include a die-forming surface by including a depression in the face thereof that is adapted to receive a forming die therein and wherein the face of said top roll includes a recess to accomodate a forming die positioned in said depression that extends outside the circumference of said lower roll.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
52 words
The apparatus described in any of claims 7 through 13 wherein the surface of said lower roll is adapted to include a die-forming surface by including a depression in the face thereof and includes registration means for positioning said depression at desired angular positions along the path of travel of said roll.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
48 words
The apparatus described in claim 17 wherein the surface of said lower roll is adapted to include a die-forming surface by including a depression in the face thereof and includes registration means for positioning said depression at desired angular positions along the path of travel of said roll.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
48 words
The apparatus described in claim 18 wherein the surface of said lower roll is adapted to include a die-forming surface by including a depression in the face thereof and includes registration means for positioning said depression at desired angular positions along the path of travel of said roll.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
70 words
The apparatus described in claim 18 wherein the surface of said lower roll is adapted to include a die-forming surface by including a depression in the face thereof and includes registration means for positioning said depression at desired angular positions along the path of travel of said roll with respect both to said forming die means in said base means and with respect to circumferential position on said top roll.