Apparatus for roll-forming end bumper for vehicles

Abstract

An end bumper for vehicles constructed from a single sheet of high-tensile strength steel roll-formed to provide two side-by-side tubular sections. Each section has a front wall, an outer side wall, a rear wall, and an inner side wall, the inner side walls being spaced one from the other and connected together by a web roll-formed integrally with the inner side walls. The front walls each have extended ends overlapping and abutting the web. The extreme ends of the front walls also form an abutting juncture which is welded together and also welded to the web. The bumper has a sweep formed by a sweep-forming mechanism having curvilinear external and internal mandrels conforming to the inner configuration and outer configuration of the bumper so as to provide a passageway therebetween for receiving the bumper. The bumper is passed through the passageway while the roll-forming of the bumper takes place upstream of the mandrels. The inner mandrel is supported by an elongated member extending from the internal mandrel to a support member located where the bending of the terminal lateral ends of the sheet have not yet been completed. A cutting mechanism cuts the bumper at predetermined lengths after the sweeping of the bumper has been completed to continuously form in succession a series of bumpers during the roll-forming of the sheet.