[0001] The present invention refers to a spring-holder device for rolling gates or rolling
doors and to a process for manufacturing such device.
[0002] This type of device is known in the art and is composed of different types of parts,
namely two closing and supporting flanges, two guards that operate as seat for a ring
that allows rotating on a rod and a plurality of elements for spacing and joining
the two plates.
[0003] The presence of such a high number of components makes the manufacturing steps of
this device long and costly: in fact, in addition to building the various parts separately,
they must then be joined together through various procedures, more or less automated,
that increase production times and costs.
[0004] Object of the present invention is solving the above prior art problems, by providing
a spring-holder device that can be made of four components only, that, among the other
things, are perfecly identical, in pairs, one with the other, highly decreasing the
manufacturing costs of the device itself.
[0005] A further object of the present invention is providing a process for manufacturing
the above mentioned device that is completely automated and that allows obtaining
the two main components in a single pass, through a consecutive series of progressive
forming operations that transform a starting band of plate into the final, complete
three-dimensional product.
[0006] The above and other objects and advantages of the invention, as will clearly appear
from the following description, are obtained with a spring-holder device and a process
for manufacturing such device as described in the respective independent claims. Preferred
embodiments and non-trivial variations of the present invention are the subject matter
of the dependent claims.
[0007] The present invention will be better described by some preferred embodiments thereof,
provided as a non-limiting example, with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which:
- Figure 1 is a top perspective view of a flange of the device of the present invention;
- Figure 2 is a bottom perspective view corresponding to Figure 1;
- Figure 3 is a top perspective view of a ring of the device of the present invention;
- Figure 4 is a bottom perspective view corresponding to Figure 3;
- Figure 5 is a top perspective view of a flange-ring assembly of the device of the
present invention;
- Figure 6 is a bottom perspective view corresponding to Figure 5;
- Figure 7 is a top perspective view of a final embodiment of the device of the present
invention as assembled; and
- Figure 8 is a bottom perspective view corresponding to Figure 7.
[0008] With reference to the Figures, a preferred embodiment of the device of the invention
will be described; it will be immediately obvious for a skilled person in the art
how the present invention can be made in shapes, sizes, characters and details even
very different from the shown ones, but anyway such as to fall within the scope of
the enclosed claims.
[0009] The spring-holder device for rolling gates of the present invention is commonly composed
of two protecting and supporting flanges 1 for the rolling gates or rolling doors
(not shown) or other products of this type. In each one of such flanges 1, a suitable
guard 3 is obtained, that operates as support and guard for a ring-shaped element
7, usually made in a single piece of plastic material (or operating as rolling bearing),
inside which the supporting shaft of rolling gates or rolling doors is placed, that
is adapted to rotate inside such ring-shaped element 7.
[0010] Finally, a plurality (usually four) spacers 5 are provided, that keep separated and
at the same time join the two flanges 1 in order to obtain between them a space to
wind therein the spring of the device that actuates the rolling gates or rolling doors.
[0011] The peculiar characteristic of the spring-holder device of the present invention
is that flange 1, guard 3 and spacers 5 are made in a single piece, adaoted to be
coupled with another piece, made in the same way, in order to form the complete device.
To each one of the two above-mentioned pieces, it is enough to add the ring-shaped
element 7, by inserting it into its suitable guard 3, and, after having joined the
two parts (for example through riveting or fastening the respective, mutually coupled
spacers 5), it is possible to obtain the final spring-holder device with a quick and
inexpensive assembling operation.
[0012] As regards manufacturing the single-piece part composed of flange 1, guard 3 and
spacers 5, a drawing forming is employed, by commonly using a progressive, multi-figures
or transfer die. The steps of such process are:
- providing a band of starting material;
- making the flange 1, by forming the band;
- making the guard 3, by forming the flange 1;
- providing the ring 7;
- inserting the ring 7 into the guard 3;
- drawing the guard 3 in order to prevent the ring 7 from going out of the guard 3;
- making the spacer elements 5, by forming the flange 1;
- overturning the spacer elements 5 so that they remain perpendicular to the plane of
the flange 1; and
- mutually coupling two of such flanges 1 next to their respective spacer elements 5.
[0013] In particular, the step of inserting the ring 7 into the guard 3 can be performed
through mechanical means (for example a mechanical arm laterally placed with respect
to the line on which the band of material being worked is sliding) for gripping the
ring 7 and placing it into the guard 3.
[0014] Moreover, the step of mutually coupling the flanges 1 is performed by riveting or
fastening every respective spacing element 5 with which they are equipped.
1. Spring-holder device for rolling gates or rolling doors comprising two flanges (1),
each one of said two flanges (1) being equipped with a guard (3) containing therein
a ring-shaped element (7) adapted to allow sliding therein a supporting shaft of said
rolling gates or rolling doors, and with a plurality of spacer elements (5), said
two flanges (1) being adapted to be mutually coupled by mutually joining their respective
spacer elements (5), said spring-holder device being characterised in that each one of said flanges (1) is made in a single piece with its own respective guard
(3) and its own respective spacer elements (5).
2. Spring-holder device according to claim 1, characterised in that each one of said flanges (1) has a circular shape and said spacer elements (5) are
four and are placed in positions at a same distance around the circumference of each
one of said flanges (1).
3. Spring-holder device according to claim 1, characterised in that said spacer elements (5) are adapted to be mutually joined through riveting or fastening.
4. Process for manufacturing a spring-holder device according to claim 1, said process
comprising the steps of:
- providing a band of starting material;
- making said flange (1), by forming said band;
- making said guard (3), by forming said flange (1) ;
- providing said ring (7);
- inserting said ring (7) into said guard (3);
- drawing said guard (3) in order to prevent said ring (7) from going out of said
guard (3);
- making said spacer element (5), by forming said flange (1);
- overturning said spacer elements (5) so that they remain perpendicular to the plane
of said flange (1); and
- mutually coupling two of said flanges (1) next to their respective spacer elements
(5).
5. Process according to claim 4, characterised in that said step of inserting said ring (7) into said guard (3) is performed through mechanical
means for gripping said ring (7) and placing said ring (7) into said guard (3).
6. Process according to claim 4 or 5, characterised in that said step of mutually coupling said flanges (1) is performed by riveting every spacer
element (5) with which they are equipped.
7. Process according to claim 4 or 5, characterised in that said step of mutually coupling said flanges (1) is performed by fastening every respective
spacing element (5) with which they are equipped.
8. Process according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterised in that said forming steps are performed by using a progressive, multi-figures or transfer
die.