Folding device for simultaneous formation of a plurality of corrugations in a metal sheet and method for use of said device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10688549-B2
Application number	US-201515506278-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 15, 2015
Priority date	Sep 2, 2014
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

The invention relates to a bending device for forming corrugations in a metal sheet including:
a lower frame;
an upper frame able to move vertically between a rest position and a bending position; at least two dies, carried by the lower frame; one being fixed with respect to the lower frame and the other mounted with the ability to slide; at least two punches carried by the upper frame; one being fixed and the other being mounted with the ability to slide on the upper frame; the bending device being designed so that, in operation, as the upper frame moves towards its bending position, the metal sheet transmits a pulling force to the sliding punch and to the sliding die which force moves them from a spaced-apart position toward a close-together position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A bending device for simultaneously forming at least two parallel corrugations in a metal sheet, the bending device comprising:
a lower frame having at least two longitudinal parallel axes;
an upper frame mounted and configured to move vertically with respect to the lower frame between a rest position and a bending position;
at least first and second dies borne by the lower frame and each comprising a cavity which extends along one of the two longitudinal parallel axes and has a shape for forming one of the corrugations; the first die being fixed with respect to the lower frame and the second die being mounted and configured to slide on the lower frame in a direction transverse to the two longitudinal parallel axes, between a spaced-apart position and a close-together position with respect to the first die; said second die being returned towards its spaced-apart position by a return member;
at least a first and a second punches which are parallel and carried by the upper frame respectively above the first and above the second dies, the first punch being fixed with respect to the upper frame and intended to engage inside the cavity of the first die when the upper frame moves from its rest position towards its bending position so as to press the metal sheet, and the second punch being mounted and configured to slide on the upper frame in a direction transverse to the two longitudinal parallel axes, between a spaced-apart position and a close-together position with respect to the first punch and being intended to engage inside the cavity of the second die when the upper frame moves towards its bending position so as to press the metal sheet, said second punch being returned towards its spaced-apart position by a return member;
the bending device being configured to cause the metal sheet to be bent between the first punch and the first die and between the second punch and the second die, so that said metal sheet transmits a pulling force to the second punch and to the second die which moves the second punch and the second die from their respective spaced-apart position toward their respective close-together position when the upper frame moves towards its bending position.

2. The bending device as claimed in claim 1 , in which the first and second dies each comprise two lateral elements and a central element; the lateral elements each comprising a lateral portion of the cavity of said first or second die and the central element comprising a central portion of the cavity of said first or second die, the central element being mounted and configured to move vertically, between the lateral elements, between a raised position and a lowered position and being returned toward its raised position by a return member such that, in operation, the movement of the upper frame from its rest position toward its bending position is able to grip the metal sheet between each of the first and second punches and the central element of the corresponding first or second die and to move the central element from its raised position to its lowered position.

3. The bending device as claimed in claim 2 , in which the return member for the central element is a gas spring or a helical spring.

4. The bending device as claimed in claim 2 , in which the lateral elements of the first and second dies each comprise a horizontal upper bearing surface which is intended to receive the metal sheet and in which the first and second punches each have a head comprising a V-shaped portion of a shape that complements that of the cavity of the first or of the second die and two shoulders bordering the V-shaped portion, extending out horizontally and each coming to face the horizontal upper bearing surface of one of the lateral elements of the first or of the second die.

5. The bending device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a first lower clamp, mounted on the lower frame between the first and the second dies and having a bearing surface intended to receive the metal sheet; the first lower clamp being mounted and configured to slide on the lower frame in a direction transverse to the two longitudinal parallel axes between a spaced-apart position and a close-together position with respect to the first die, the first lower clamp being returned towards its spaced-apart position by a return member;
a first upper clamp, mounted on the upper frame between the first and second punches above the first lower clamp so as to allow the metal sheet to be clamped between the first upper clamp and the first lower clamp as the upper frame moves from its rest position towards its bending position, the first upper clamp being mounted and configured to slide on the upper frame in a direction transverse to the two longitudinal parallel axes between a spaced-apart position and a close-together position with respect to the first punch, and returned towards its spaced-apart position by a return member;
the bending device being arranged such that, in operation, the movement of the upper frame from its rest position toward its bending position causes the metal sheet to be bent between the first punch and the first die such that said metal sheet transmits a pulling force to the first upper clamp and to the first lower clamp, which moves the first upper and lower clamps from their respective spaced-apart position toward their respective close-together position.

6. The bending device as claimed in claim 5 , in which the first upper clamp is mounted and configured to move vertically on a support mounted and configured to slide on the upper frame in the direction transverse to the two longitudinal parallel axes and in which the first upper clamp is returned to a distance away from said support by a series of return members.

7. The bending device as claimed in claim 6 , in which the first upper clamp is mounted and configured to slide vertically on the associated support via guide tubes borne by the first upper clamp and sliding in bores formed in the support.

8. The bending device as claimed in claim 6 , in which the return member returning the first upper clamp to some distance away from the support is a gas spring or a helical spring.

9. The bending device as claimed in any one of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third die comprising a cavity having a shape for forming one of the corrugations, parallel to the cavities of the first and second dies; the first die being arranged between the second and the third dies, the third die being mounted and configured to slide on the lower frame in a direction transverse to the two longitudinal parallel axes between a spaced-apart position and a close-together position with respect to the first die, said third die being returned to its close-together position by a return member; and
a third punch, parallel to the first and second punches, borne by the upper frame above the third die; the third punch being configured to engage inside the third die when the upper frame is moving from its rest position into its bending position and being mounted and configured to slide on the upper frame transversely to the two longitudinal parallel axes between a spaced-apart position and a close-together position with respect to the first punch, said third punch being returned to its spaced-apart position by a return member.

10. The bending device as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising:
a second lower clamp, mounted on the lower frame between the first and third dies and having a bearing surface intended to accept the metal sheet; the second lower clamp being mounted and configured to slide on the lower frame in a direction transverse to the two longitudinal parallel axes between a spaced-apart position and a close-together position with re

Assignees

• Gaztransport Et Technigaz

Inventors

• Perrot Olivier
• Gimbert Charles
• Conejero Thomas
• Sassi Mohamed

Classifications

• B21D51/24

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• B21D13/10

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• B21D13/02 Primary

  by pressing · CPC title

• B21D5/04 Primary

  on brakes making use of clamping means on one side of the work · CPC title

• F17C3/027

  Wallpanels for so-called membrane tanks · CPC title