Granted Patent B2

US 7,448,246 · App. 11/416,304 · Granted Nov 11, 2008

Abstract

Claims (18)

1. Apparatus for fabricating a spacer frame for use in an insulating glass unit comprising:

a) forming structure for forming a spacer frame having side walls which exits the forming structure moving along a path of travel and to which an adhesive is applied during fabrication of an insulated glass unit;

b) a notching apparatus for forming notches at locations that extend into the side walls to weaken said side walls for bending of said spacer frame into a closed structure; and

c) a workstation comprising i) crimping fingers that are moved into contact with said side walls to bend the spacer frame, side walls inwardly toward each other at a region of the notches, and ii) a carriage supporting the crimping fingers which intermittently moves with the spacer frame along its path of travel as the crimping fingers are brought into contact with side walls of the spacer frame.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the spacer frame is metal and the forming structure is a roll former having multiple rolls which contact a metal strip fed to the roll former.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the notching apparatus is located ahead of the roll former to form notches in the metal strip prior to bending by the roll former.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the carriage comprises first and second carriage portions are separatated by a space between the carriage portions where the crimping fingers contact the sides of the channel and wherein the spacing between carriages is adjustable to accommodate different width frames.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein contact rollers contact a top and a bottom surface of the spacer frame and wherein one of said rollers is supported by a yoke that allows the one roller to pivot into a notch in the frame as the frame moves past the crimping station.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the one roller that pivots into the notch frictionally engages edges of the frame that define the notch and moves the crimping fingers along a travel path with the frame as the crimping fingers engage an outer wall of the frame.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 additionally comprising a drive for selectively applying a pressure to the the one roller to maintain engagement between said one roller and the frame as the crimping fingers engage the outer wall of the spacer frame.

8. A method for use in fabricating a spacer frame for using in making an insulating glass unit comprising:

a) forming notches in a metal strip at corner locations;

b) bending the metal strip into a channel shaped elongated frame member;

c) mounting a carriage for intermittent movement with the elongated frame member as the elongated frame member moves along a travel path subsequent to the bending; and

d) supporting crimping fingers with the carriage and moving the fingers into contact with sides of the channel shaped elongated frame member at the region of the corner defining notches to bend the channel inwardly to facilitate further bending of the frame into a closed structure.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein different channel widths of the frame member are accomodated by adjusting a spacing between the crimping fingers supported by the carriage in an actuated and unactuated position.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the carriage supports a pair of spaced rollers which contact the frame member as the crimping fingers engage the frame member and wherein further comprising adjusting a pressure applied to one of said rollers to maintain engagement between said roller and said channel.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the roller is biased by a drive and further wherein the drive operation is controlled by a sensor which senses movement of the carriage as the crimping fingers engage the frame.

Assignments (9)