Roll-forming machine for making articles having varying cross-sectional configurations

 

A roll-forming machine includes a plurality of roll-stands for moving material along a predetermined path and a plurality of die-stands for progressively transforming the material from an initial configuration to a desired configuration. The die-stands are mounted on and positioned by an elongate, rigid, spine which permits conversion of the machine from one roll-forming configuration to another by replacing the spine and the die-stands mounted thereon with a different spine/die-stand assembly. The die-stands of the roll-forming machine comprise non-driven forming rollers which engage a workpiece as it moves through the roll-forming machine under the action of the roll-stands. During the operation of the roll-forming machine, the positioning of at least certain forming rollers on the die-stands relative to the path of workpiece movement is continuously varied as the workpiece moves through the roll-forming machine to form the workpiece into a desired configuration in which the cross-sectional configuration varies along the length of the workpiece. In certain embodiments of the invention the positioning of all of the forming rollers of the die-stands is continuously varied in a direction extending transversely to the direction of workpiece movement. By this means there is formed a workpiece having a width dimension which varies lengthwise thereof. In other embodiments the positioning of at least one forming roller on each die-stand is continuously varied relative to the positioning of other rollers on the die-stands and relative to the path of workpiece movement. By this means the workpiece is formed into a desired configuration having at least two dimensions which vary along the length thereof.