초록 ▼

A duct making apparatus bends a metal web to form a duct blank having a lock tab at a forward end and having a Z-fold at a rearward end. Prior to shearing off the duct blank from the metal web, the apparatus bends the duct blank to insert the lock tab into the Z-fold, and further bends the Z-fold to

A duct making apparatus bends a metal web to form a duct blank having a lock tab at a forward end and having a Z-fold at a rearward end. Prior to shearing off the duct blank from the metal web, the apparatus bends the duct blank to insert the lock tab into the Z-fold, and further bends the Z-fold to form a clinch tab holding the lock tab into the Z-fold. After shearing off the duct blank from the metal web, the apparatus clinches the clinch tab over the lock tab to form a completed duct blank.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An apparatus for in-line manufacturing of duct blanks from a metal web, comprising: a lower platen;an upper platen vertically and pivotally movable toward and away from the lower platen;a table horizontally and vertically movable toward and away from the lower platen, the table including a lower

1. An apparatus for in-line manufacturing of duct blanks from a metal web, comprising: a lower platen;an upper platen vertically and pivotally movable toward and away from the lower platen;a table horizontally and vertically movable toward and away from the lower platen, the table including a lower insert movable between a retracted position fully housed within the table and a fully extended position protruding above the table;a clamp beam horizontally movable with the table and vertically movable toward and away from the table, the clamp beam including a groove extending across the lateral width of the clamp beam in horizontal alignment with the lower insert of the table such that, in the fully extended position, the lower insert is inserted into the groove; anda leaf horizontally movable with the table and pivotally and vertically movable relative to the table, the leaf including a clinching tool; anda controller operatively connected to control the movements of the upper platen, the table, the clamp beam, and the leaf. 2. An apparatus for in-line manufacturing of duct blanks from a metal web, comprising: a lower platen;an upper platen vertically and pivotally movable toward and away from the lower platen;a table horizontally and vertically movable toward and away from the lower platen, the table including a lower insert movable between a retracted position fully housed within the table and a fully extended position protruding above the table;a clamp beam horizontally movable with the table and vertically movable toward and away from the table, the clamp beam including a groove extending across the lateral width of the clamp beam in horizontal alignment with the lower insert of the table such that, in the fully extended position, the lower insert is inserted into the groove;a leaf horizontally movable with the table and pivotally and vertically movable relative to the table, the leaf including a clinching tool; anda controller operatively connected to the upper platen, the table, the clamp beam, and the leaf, the controller being configured to move the upper platen, the clamp beam, the table, the lower insert, the leaf, and the clinching tool to feed said metal web in a forward direction from the lower platen toward the table, to repeatedly bend said metal web to form a duct blank having a lock tab at a forward end of the duct blank and having a Z-fold at a rearward end of the duct blank, to indent an inward offset into the duct blank forward of the Z-fold, to bend the duct blank at a plurality of corners to form a duct blank having a lock tab inserted into the Z-fold, to shear said metal web rearward of the Z-fold so as to form a clinch tab, and to engage the inward offset while clinching the clinch tab against the lock tab, thereby clinching a lock seam to close the duct blank. 3. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a sealant injector laterally movable along said clamp beam,wherein said controller is further configured to move and to actuate the sealant injector for depositing a bead of sealant into said Z-fold before insertion of said lock tab into said Z-fold. 4. The apparatus according to claim 2, said clamp beam further including an upper insert disposed in horizontal alignment with said groove and vertically movable within said clamp beam between an upwardly retracted position where the upper insert does not extend into said groove and a downwardly extended position where the upper insert does extend into said groove, said groove further including a pocket disposed at a rearward side of said groove. 5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said controller is further configured to form an insertion angle in said Z-fold by extending said upper insert while a rearward portion of said Z-fold is held in said pocket. 6. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a gripper movably mounted to said clamp beam for selectively holding a segment of said duct blank,wherein said controller is further configured to move and to actuate the gripper for inserting said lock tab into said Z-fold to form said lock seam. 7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said gripper is movable forward and rearward relative to said clamp beam. 8. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said clinching tool includes a retractable rib movable from a position housed within said leaf to a position protruding above an upper working surface of said leaf, and said clinching tool also includes a retractable roller assembly pivotally movable from a position recessed within said leaf to a position extended above the upper working surface of said leaf, the retractable roller assembly and the retractable rib being disposed so as to define a space therebetween for receiving said Z-fold and said clinch tab, the retractable roller assembly being laterally movable across said leaf substantially parallel to the retractable rib. 9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said controller is further configured to extend the retractable rib so as to engage said inward offset and to pivotally extend the retractable roller assembly and to laterally move the retractable roller assembly along the retractable rib so as to clinch said clinch tab against said duct blank, thereby clinching said lock seam. 10. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said controller is further configured to move the leaf to form a pre-bend rearward of the Z-fold. 11. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a gripper movably mounted to said clamp beam for selectively holding a segment of said duct blank. 12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said gripper is movable forward and rearward relative to said clamp beam. 13. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a sealant injector laterally movable along the clamp beam. 14. The apparatus according to claim 1, said clamp beam further including an upper insert disposed in horizontal alignment with said groove and vertically movable within said clamp beam between an upwardly retracted position where the upper insert does not extend into said groove and a downwardly extended position where the upper insert does extend into said groove, said groove further including a pocket disposed at a rearward side of said groove. 15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said clinching tool includes a retractable rib movable from a position housed within said leaf to a position protruding above an upper working surface of said leaf, and said clinching tool also includes a retractable roller assembly pivotally movable from a position recessed within said leaf to a position extended above said leaf upper working surface, the retractable roller assembly and the retractable rib being disposed so as to define a space therebetween for receiving said Z-fold and said clinch tab, the retractable roller assembly being laterally movable across said leaf substantially parallel to the retractable rib.