Metal working – Expanded metal making
Utility Patent
1995-09-22
2001-01-02
Echols, P. W. (Department: 3726)
Metal working
Expanded metal making
C072S186000, C083S037000, C083S345000
Utility Patent
active
06167601
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a floor system for a grain storage bin or like application, and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for making a floor system for grain storage bins utilizing interlocking, ventilated, sheet-metal floor members.
Sheet-metal grain storage bins are used for both short term and long term storage of a wide variety of different grains. Grain storage bins of this type ordinarily include a sheet-metal housing, an elevated perforated sheet-metal floor, and a fan for blowing air into the space below the floor so that the air flows upwardly through the floor into the grain. The floor is made up of a plurality of elongated perforated floor members of generally channel-like cross-sectional configuration which interlock with each other to form a continuous floor. The floor may be supported on a variety of different kinds of support members. Usually, the support members are free standing sheet-metal support legs. Examples of grain bin flooring systems of this general kind are described in Simmons U.S. Pat. No. 4,418,558, and Trumper U.S. Pat. No. 4,137,682.
Floor members for grain storage bins are typically constructed using a roll forming machine. A strip of sheet metal having prefabricated ventilation holes drilled or punched therein is then fed into the machine from a roll stock. The prefabricated strip with ventilation holes therein is then fed through a preforming stand for making the interlocking side sections. Next, the strip is fed through a corrugation stand to form the corrugations in association with the prefabricated ventilation holes. Finally, the strip is fed through a final forming stand for arching or crowning the top surface of the floor to increase the strength of the floor because the removal of material for the ventilation slots weakens the material. There are several disadvantages with this method which include the added step of drilling or punching the ventilation holes or the extra cost of purchasing pre-punched strip sheet metal, the disposal of the wasted material from the drilling or punching of the ventilation holes, the loss of strength in the floor due to the removal of material to form the ventilation holes, and the added fabrication step of having to arch or crown the top of the floor to compensate for the loss in strength.
The Simmons U.S. Pat. No. 4,418,558 teaches a method of manufacturing a grain bin sheet metal floor which includes processing a continuous roll of sheet metal through a preliminary shaping stand for making the interlocking side walls, a lancing stand for making closed slits in the sheet metal a corrugation stand separate from the lancing stand for opening the slits and forming corrugations in the sheet metal, and a finishing stand for arching the floor member. A cut-off machine then cuts the continuous sheet metal into the desired lengths constituting the individual floor members. This method still has the disadvantage of having separate stations for lancing and corrugating the material.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention defines an improved method of manufacturing interlocking sheet metal floor members for use in a grain storage bin or like application requiring passage of fluid through the floor members without permitting passage of granular material therethrough. The method comprises the steps of forming a first interlocking section on a first side edge of a strip of sheet metal and a second interlocking section on a second side of the strip of sheet metal. The next step is shearing, opening and corrugating the strip of sheet metal in one roll forming stand using one set of rollers, wherein the shearing step includes shearing rows of slits across a width of a central portion of the strip of sheet metal, wherein the opening step includes opening the slits to permit fluid flow therethrough, and wherein the corrugating step includes corrugating the strip of sheet metal along each of the series of the slits. The final step is cutting the strip of sheet metal at selected transverse locations to form the sheet metal floor members. The first interlocking section of one sheet metal floor member is interlockable with the second interlocking section of another sheet metal floor member.
The present invention provides a shearing and corrugation stand for a continuous roll forming machine for use in making sheet metal floor members. The shearing and corrugation stand comprises a first roller and a second roller. The first roller has a plurality of shear blades each of which is arranged transversely and parallel to each other around a periphery of the first roller. Each of the plurality of shear blades having a first side section and a second side section. The first and second side sections each have recesses therein to form shearing teeth for cutting slits in the sheet metal. The shearing teeth of the first and second side sections are alternately displaced with respect to each other so that a tooth on one section is opposite a recess of the other section. The second roller has a plurality of shear blades each of which is arranged transversely and parallel to each other around a periphery of the second roller. Each of the plurality of shear blades has a first side section, and a second side section. The first and second side sections each have recesses therein to form shearing teeth for cutting slits in the sheet metal. The shearing teeth of the first and second side sections are alternately displaced with respect to each other so that a tooth on one section is opposite a recess of the other section. The shearing blades of the first roller are arranged to mesh with the shearing blades of the second roller to cut and open slits in the sheet metal and at the same time form corrugations in the sheet metal.
REFERENCES:
patent: Re. 31368 (1983-09-01), Trumper
patent: 3433044 (1969-03-01), Rhodes et al.
patent: 4137682 (1979-02-01), Trumper
patent: 4170122 (1979-10-01), Cowell
patent: 4297866 (1981-11-01), Sakauye et al.
patent: 4418558 (1983-12-01), Simmons
patent: 4649607 (1987-03-01), Kuhn, II
patent: 5375446 (1994-12-01), Hew
patent: 5509288 (1996-04-01), Ohno et al.
Gollhofer David
Smithburg Brad E.
Conrad American
Echols P. W.
Kinney & Lange , P.A.
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