Apparatus for making tubular beam with center leg
US8872060B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 27, 2013 |
| Grant date | Oct 28, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 27, 2033 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB60R2019/1826
- WIPO fieldMachine tools
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An apparatus forms a sheet into a beam having four exterior walls and a common center leg extending between an opposing two of the walls. The apparatus includes a roll former forming the sheet into the beam cross section, a welding station with top and bottom laser welders, and a weld box fixture having inwardly-biased external mandrels (biased by actuators) and outwardly-biased internal split mandrels (biased by springs) that interact to hold a desired shape of the beam in the weld fixture, and also includes a sweeping unit and cutoff device. By this arrangement, the internal and external mandrels, in combination with a bias of the actuators and springs, control a shape of the beam by flexure and movement of material of the sheet when in the weld box fixture during a welding process of the welder.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.