Shape Corporation

James J Rosasco

Melvin J Guiles

Peter Sturrus

Douglas L Witte

Furniture post

A method includes providing an apparatus that includes a scoring device for making transverse score lines on a roll of sheet material, a dimpler device or dimpler roller for making dimples adjacent the score lines at predetermined width locations, and a rollformer adapted to continuously form the sheet material into a tubular shape with channels. A welder is positioned in line with the rollformer and is adapted to weld the tubular shape into a permanent tube. A break off device positioned in line with the rollformer is adapted to break off sections of the tube at the score lines as the permanent tube exits the rollformer. The dimpler device is adapted to form an &ldquo;in&rdquo; dimple and an &ldquo;out&rdquo; dimple at locations coordinated with the score lines and with a width of the sheet material so that the &ldquo;out&rdquo; dimple forms a stop configured to slip into a channel formed in the sheet material by the rollformer but that abuts the &ldquo;in&rdquo; dimple which is formed at an end of the channel.

Method of rollforming with transverse scorer and dimpler

An apparatus includes a scoring device for making transverse score lines on a roll of sheet material, a dimpler device or dimpler roller for making dimples adjacent the score lines at predetermined width locations, and a rollformer adapted to continuously form the sheet material into a tubular shape with channels. A welder is positioned in line with the rollformer and is adapted to weld the tubular shape into a permanent tube. A break off device positioned in line with the rollformer is adapted to break off sections of the tube at the score lines as the permanent tube exits the rollformer. The dimpler device is adapted to form an &ldquo;in&rdquo; dimple and an &ldquo;out&rdquo; dimple at locations coordinated with the score lines and with a width of the sheet material so that the &ldquo;out&rdquo; dimple forms a stop configured to slip into a channel formed in the sheet material by the rollformer but that abuts the &ldquo;in&rdquo; dimple which is formed at an end of the channel.

Rollformer with transverse scorer

A bumper construction for vehicles constructed of a single strip of metal roll-formed into a completely enclosed tubular member in which a foamed-in-place material is located in and completely fills only a central section of the tubular member a relatively short distance on each side of the central axis of the vehicle. An apparatus is provided for manufacturing roll-formed bumpers partially filled with a foam-in-place material, the bumpers including material defining a continuous closed section defining an open interior and opposing open ends. The apparatus includes a turntable with a plurality of holders including arms shaped to extend partially into the bumpers, and a plug on the end of each arm configured to block off the open interior of the bumper. The holders are pivotally mounted on the turntable so that a bumper can be slipped onto a selected holder, pivoted to an upright position, and then rotated by the turntable under an injector for dispensing foamable reaction injectable urethane (RIM) material. The plug is squeezed and thus expanded to seal off the interior space, after which the RIM material is dispensed into the upright open end. The upright position is held for several seconds to allow the RIM material to cure, and then the holder is then pivoted down so that the bumper can be readily removed. A method corresponding to the above-noted apparatus is also disclosed.

Growing community of inventors

Grand Haven, MI, United States of America

James J Rosasco