Unova IP Corp.

Valiant Corporation

Philip V Wiens

Dominique Baulier

Darius Gheorghita

James D Scannell

Gabor Sztvorecz

Joseph Karl Schlafhauser

Kenneth St Denis

Michael J Ross

Keller McGaffey

John B Shook

Kris R Harper

A hemming die tool assembly for use with an anvil supporting a workpiece to be hemmed. A mounting plate is pivotally secured about an axis relative to the anvil while a vertical slide is slidably attached to the mounting plate along a first direction. An elongated channel is attached to the vertical slide so that the axis of the channel is transverse to the first direction. A hemming tool is secured to the vertical slide while a rocker arm is pivotally secured at one end to the mounting plate about the pivotal axis of the mounting plate while a second end of the rocker arm is longitudinally slidably mounted in the channel. A first cam assembly pivots the mounting plate between a retracted position, in which the hemming tool is positioned away from the workpiece, and an extended position in which the hemming tool overlies the workpiece. A second cam assembly pivots the rocker arm about its pivotal axis and, in doing so, vertically displaces the vertical slide relative to the mounting plate to perform the prehemming operation.

Hemming tool die assembly

A flange bending apparatus for bending an upstanding flange on an inside perimeter of an automotive window opening. A flanging steel drive reciprocally drives a flanging steel between retracted and extended positions on a frame. The retracted position of the first flanging steel allows a metal panel workpiece to be positioned on the frame with the flanging steel extending through an opening in the workpiece. When in the extended position the flanging steel overlies a portion of an inside perimeter of the opening. As it moves toward the extended position the flanging steel engages an inner surface of an upstanding workpiece flange that extends upward from around the inside perimeter of the workpiece opening. The flanging steel then bends the flange radially outward as the drive continues to move the steel to the extended position. The flanging steel bends the workpiece flange radially outward such that a lateral bend line is formed along the flange where no breakline was present before bending.

Flange bending apparatus

A bending and hemming apparatus configured to both bend and hem a sheet metal panel to form a body closure member at a single station. The apparatus includes a hemming machine movable between a retracted position spaced from a bending machine and advanced positions adjacent the bending machine to assist in the bending operation and to hem the body panel into a finished product. The apparatus also includes an anvil assembly pivotably supported on the hemming machine. The anvil assembly is movable between a lowered position where it engages the workpiece when the hemming machine is advanced to a bending position adjacent the bending machine. In the lowered position, the anvil assembly provides a fulcrum around which the workpiece is bent. The anvil assembly is pivotable to a raised position to allow the hemming machine to be advanced to a hemming position adjacent the bending machine from which the hemming machine can engage the bent workpiece to hem the workpiece.

Bending and hemming method and apparatus

A sheet metal hemming method and apparatus for securing inner and outer sheet metal panels together by forming a generally flat hem along respective peripheries of the two panels. A fixture receives and holds an outer sheet metal panel that is formed to include an upstanding border flange. An inner sheet metal panel is stacked on top of the outer panel. A hemming tool movably supported adjacent the fixture bends the upstanding border flange of the outer sheet metal panel over a periphery of the inner panel and into a position forming an acute angle relative to an underlying portion of the outer panel. The hemming tool also bends an outer portion of the border flange down onto the periphery of the inner panel and into a position over and generally parallel to the underlying portion of the outer sheet metal panel.

Sheet metal hemming method and apparatus

A hemming steel constructed to fold or hem a flange of an outer sheet metal panel onto an inner sheet metal panel has a forming face with a first, generally flat section and a second section inclined to the first section to provide a finished, hemmed flange having an outer portion closed or folded flat onto the inner sheet metal panel and an inner portion adjacent to the fold line which is inclined to the outer portion providing a reduced radius of the fold line bend. The second section of the hemming steel is preferably generally planar such that the inner portion of the hemmed flange is generally flat and provides an outer bend diameter along the fold line of the outer sheet metal panel which is less than three times the thickness of the sheet metal panel and may be approximately equal to or less than the thickness of the outer panel. The reduced bend diameter is believed to provide a smooth and fair fold line which has a more consistent appearance when viewed from different angles to improve the appearance of the panels of the vehicle body in assembly. Further, with the outer portion of the hemmed flange folded flat against the inner sheet metal panel, no sealing operation is required to prevent foreign material from collecting between the flange and inner panel. The angle at which the second section of the forming face is inclined relative to the first section can be changed to allow the location of the peripheral edge of the inner panel to be varied relative to the fold line.

Modified flat hem apparatus and method

A multi-axis roller hemmer for forming at least a pre-hem of a flange area of a sheet metal panel having a roller engageable with the flange and movable about at least 3 axes to enable the roller to remain in contact with the flange along a substantial portion of the panel. Preferably, the apparatus is capable of varying the position of the roller along orthogonal X-Y-Z axes to enable the apparatus to form at least a pre-hem of more intricate, curved panels. Desirably, the roller may also be pivotally displaced to vary the relative angle between the roller axis of rotation and the panel to maintain the roller axis essentially parallel to the immediately underlying portion of the panels. Preferably, at least a pair of rollers are carried by the apparatus with one or more rollers forming a pre-hem of the flange and a final hem roller constructed to complete the hem of the flange area.

Multi-axis roller hemmer

A hemming apparatus has a stand which is axially and rotatably adjustable, a carrier pivotally connected to the stand and a hemming tool adjustably received on a slide assembly which in turn is slidably received on the carrier. The hemming tool can be rotatably adjusted relative to the carrier to properly orient the hemming tool on the slide assembly for engagement with a flange of a sheet metal panel to hem the flange. Further, the stand can be axially and rotatably adjusted and the carrier can be pivotally adjusted relative to the stand to vary the orientation and path of travel of the slide assembly and hence the hemming tool relative to the sheet metal panels. Desirably, this readily adjustable and versatile hemming apparatus can be used to form or hem the flange of substantially any sheet metal panel having contours or corners of substantially any configuration or orientation.

Growing community of inventors

LaSalle, Canada

Philip V Wiens