Lance and slit seamed housing and method of manufacture

摘要

A lanced and/or slit seamed housing and method of manufacture having a peripheral rolled and lanced or punched seam between a wrapper and the housing panels. The method of manufacture utilizes similar or dissimilar sheet materials in a variety of material thicknesses and with or without coatings applied prior to formation whereby a housing is formed quickly and safely. The rolling and lancing method manufactures a blower housing with an assured and positive sealed seam between the panels and wrapper of the housing. The lances or slits maintain the integrity of the seam and prevent slippage between the wrapper and panels.

主权项

1. A method of manufacturing a lanced seam housing, the steps comprising:
forming two or more side panels from a first metallic material, each having a periphery; and forming a wrapper from a second metallic material having one or more edge flanges, said edge flanges having one or more extending lips and formed into at least a partially “U” form cross section with a leg separation of the “U” sufficient to at least partially insert said periphery of said side panel; and inserting said periphery of said side panels at least partially into said edge flanges; and seating one or more of said lips of said edge flanges with one or more form roller assemblies of an assembly apparatus; and substantially affixing said side panels to one or more pivotal fixtures of said assembly apparatus and allowing said side panels to rotate with said pivotal fixtures, said fixtures pivotally connected with one or more vertical slide assemblies; and positioning one or more of said form roller assemblies of said assembly apparatus with said one or more of said edge flanges, each of said form roller assemblies having two driven and mated rollers which are coupled via meshed gears and of said two rollers a first roller having one or more protrusions mating with one or more recesses within a second roller and a roller actuator capable of imparting a force necessary to form a seam from a three layers of said first and said second metallic materials; and actuating one or more of said roller actuators whereby said form roller assembly places a force onto said edge flange and said force is sufficient to form a rolled seam having an intimate three layer sandwich between at least a portion of said housing panel periphery and said wrapper edge flanges; and moving one or more of said rollers or pivoting one or more of said fixtures or vertically sliding one or more of said vertical slide assemblies while maintaining said force and said sandwich and thereby rolling a seam; and driving said rollers and pressing one or more lances, or slits within said three layer sandwich and into each of said legs of said “U” and said periphery and edge flanges via said one or more protrusions mating with said one or more recesses one or more times whereby a housing is formed with said side panels lance locked with said wrapper whether said first and second metallic materials are coated, not-coated, or dissimilar and said seam is rolled without a gap within said three layer sandwich and has one or more of said lances, or slits without requirement of an indexing.