IP Library Granted Patent US 11,697,147
Granted Patent B2
US 11,697,147 · App. 17/527,509 · Granted Jul 11, 2023

Apparatus and method for forming duct flanges and duct work

Inventors: David E. Daw (Houston, TX); John T. Ehling (Edison, NJ)
Assignee: HVAC Inventors/Systemation, Inc.
B21D53/04B21D5/16F24F13/0209
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,697,147
App. No.
17/527,509
Granted
Jul 11, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

An apparatus and method are disclosed for the automated manufacture of a duct flange profile to make small duct fittings, including a TDF duct flange profile. The duct flange profile is directed to small part duct fittings with section widths up to about 16 inches in 20 to 26 gauge metal. The apparatus includes a bending head assembly having a drive roller, a pressure roller, an anvil and a bending leaf and a roll form assembly.

Claims (39)

1. An apparatus for making a duct flange for use in the manufacture of a small duct fitting comprising

a bending head assembly adapted to make an intermediate duct flange profile for the small duct fitting having a duct wall, a web and a flange, and

a roll form assembly adapted to make a bead of a duct flange profile, the roll form assembly comprising an upper head roller and a lower bead forming roller,

wherein the bending head assembly first makes the intermediate duct flange profile and the roll form assembly thereafter makes the duct flange bead in the intermediate duct flange profile to complete the duct flange for the small duct fitting.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bending head assembly comprises a platen, a drive roller assembly, an anvil assembly and a bending leaf assembly.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a pressure roller assembly.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein

the drive roller assembly comprises a drive roller and a drive roller servo motor,

the anvil assembly comprises an anvil and an anvil toggle cylinder,

the bending leaf assembly comprises a bending leaf and a bending leaf servo motor, and

the pressure roller assembly comprises a pressure roller and a pressure roller cylinder.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising an anvil toggle connected to the anvil and the anvil toggle cylinder.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the duct flange is a Transverse Duct Flange (TDF) flange or a Transverse Duct Connector (TDC) flange.

7. A method of making a duct flange for use in the manufacture of a small duct fitting comprising the steps of

a. inserting a piece of sheet metal into an apparatus for making the duct flange, the apparatus comprising (i) a bending head assembly, and (ii) a roll form assembly having an upper head roller and a lower bead forming roller,

b. wherein the bending head assembly is adapted to make an intermediate duct flange profile for the small duct fitting having a duct wall, a web and a flange and the roll form assembly thereafter is adapted to make a duct flange bead in the intermediate duct flange profile to form the duct flange for the small duct fitting comprising the following steps:

(i) bending the sheet metal by the bending head assembly to form the intermediate duct flange profile, and

(ii) moving the intermediate duct flange profile to the roll form assembly and the roll form assembly forms the duct flange bead in the duct wall on the intermediate duct flange profile, thereby completing the duct flange for the small duct fitting.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the bending head assembly comprises a platen, a drive roller assembly, an anvil assembly and a bending leaf assembly.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprises a pressure roller assembly.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein

the drive roller assembly comprises a drive roller and a drive roller servo motor,

the anvil assembly comprises an anvil and an anvil toggle cylinder,

the bending leaf assembly comprises a bending leaf and a bending leaf servo motor, and

the pressure roller assembly comprises a pressure roller and a pressure roller cylinder.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the duct flange is a Transverse Duct Flange (TDF) flange or a Transverse Duct Connector (TDC) flange.

12. An apparatus for making a duct flange for use in the manufacture of a small duct fitting comprising

a bending head assembly adapted to make an intermediate duct flange profile for the small duct fitting having a duct wall, a web and a flange, and

a roll form assembly adapted to make a bead of a duct flange profile,

wherein the bending head assembly first makes the intermediate duct flange profile and the roll form assembly thereafter makes the duct flange bead in the intermediate duct flange profile to complete the duct flange for the small duct fitting, and

wherein the duct flange is a Transverse Duct Flange (TDF) flange or a Transverse Duct Connector (TDC) flange.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the bending head assembly comprises a platen, a drive roller assembly, an anvil assembly and a bending leaf assembly and the roll form assembly comprises an upper head roller and a lower bead forming roller.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising a pressure roller assembly.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein

the drive roller assembly comprises a drive roller and a drive roller servo motor,

the anvil assembly comprises an anvil and an anvil toggle cylinder,

the bending leaf assembly comprises a bending leaf and a bending leaf servo motor, and

the pressure roller assembly comprises a pressure roller and a pressure roller cylinder.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising an anvil toggle connected to the anvil and the anvil toggle cylinder.

Assignments (1)
MERGER Recorded Jul 8, 2024
From: HVAC INVENTORS/SYSTEMATION, INC.
To: HVAC INVENTORS/SYSTEMATION, INC.
Reel/Frame 067929/0112 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16802838 · Feb 27, 2020
Provisional Application 62812754 · Mar 1, 2019
Related Publication 20220072601A1 · Mar 10, 2022