subject: Grooving And Metal Stamping Method [print this page] The method and apparatus described herein produce a tubular shelf post having a plurality of spaced apart annular grooves along the length thereof and stamped indicia on the outside surface of the post at various groove locations. A grooving and metal stamping roller is utilized to simultaneously groove and stamp the post with indicia, such roller being substantially larger in diameter relative to the post whereby a single roller revolution is sufficient to groove and stamp the post thereby eliminating double metal stampings.
The present invention relates to the grooving and metal stamping of tubular shelf posts, and more particularly to providing a post with spaced apart annular grooves along the length thereof and simultaneously metal stamping indicia on the outside surface ofthe post at the groove locations.
Adjustable metal shelving is well known, such shelving generally including a planar shelf member and four corner posts. The shelf member has corner supports at each of its corners, and these corner supports are adapted to receive and securelyhold the corner posts. The posts are fitted with post supports which hold the corner supports and the posts in a wedging secured arrangement. The posts often include spaced apart annular grooves along the length thereof, the grooves being at fixeddistances along the vertical dimension of the post, and the post supports have inwardly directed projections designed to fit into the post grooves. In use, each post support is positioned with the projections thereof in a particular annular groove, eachat the same desired vertical height along the post. The corner supports of the shelf member fit over the post supports in wedging engagement therewith to thereby horizontally locate the shelf member at the desired vertical height.
In many cases the annular grooves are spaced about one inch apart along the vertical dimension of the post thereby enabling a great deal of shelf height adjustment. However, with a wide range of available shelf heights, proper shelf location isdifficult. With at least four post supports to position, it is often quite difficult to properly position each post support at the same desired vertical height along the post. Time consuming trial and error procedures.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is the production of shelving posts with spaced apart annular grooves along the length thereof in combination with stamped indicia on the post at various groove locations to facilitate easy assemblyof the shelving.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of both apparatus and method for simultaneously grooving and metal stamping posts, such apparatus and method being easy to use and follow, efficient and highly effective.
In accordance with the present invention, in an apparatus for grooving a tubular post a main framework is provided with a pair of closely spaced drive rollers journaled to such main framework. The axes of the drive rollers are parallel to oneanother and together define a support surface between the rollers for a tubular post. A motivator is connected to drive each of the rollers in the same direction and thereby rotate a tubular post in an opposite direction. A grooving carriage is movablyconnected to the main framework, and a grooving roller is journaled to the carriage, the roller having a plurality of spaced apart grooving tools along the length thereof. The axis of the grooving rollers is parallel to the axes of the drive rollers,and the carriage and grooving rollers are shifted toward and away from the drive rollers so that the grooving tools thereon engage a post supported by the drive rollers to thereby groove the posts. The improvement of the present invention is directed toa grooving roller which is substantially larger in diameter than the post being grooved. Also, indicia metal stamping structure is arranged along the length of the grooving roller, such metal stamping structure comprising individual dies, one die positioned neareach of substantially all of the grooving tools. Appropriate controls are arranged to allow engagement of the grooving tools with a post during approximately one revolution of the grooving roller to thereby eliminate double metal stamping of a post. Preferably, the metal stamping structure comprises individual dies substantially serial numbered.
In the process of the present invention, a tubular post is rotatably supoported, and spaced apart annular grooves are machined in the post along the length thereof. The improvement comprises the step of simultaneously metal stamping indicia next toeach of substantially all of the annular grooves to thereby identify each annular groove. Preferably the metal stamping indicia comprises numbers arranged in a substantially serial manner.
The tubular post of the present invention has a plurality of spaced apart annular grooves on the outer surface thereon arranged along the length of the post. Stamped indicia is provided near each of substantially all of the annular grooves tothereby identify each groove. Preferably the stamped indicia comprises numbers arranged in a substantially serial manner.
In accordance with the present invention, a grooving and metal stamping machine is provided for machining spaced apart annular grooves in a tubular post and simultaneously therewith metal stamping indicia on the post at various groove locations. As explained elsewhere in this application, the annular grooves facilitate assembly of adjustable metal shelving which in its simplest form includes a planar shelf member and four corner posts. The stamped indicia of the present invention enables shelfassembly in an efficient and highly effective manner by quicky and accurately locating positions on the posts.
