US 12,263,518 B1
Integrated system for producing articles from sheet material
Philip G. Kooima, Rock Valley, IA (US)
Assigned to Kooima Company, LLC, Rock Valley, ME (US)
Filed by Philip G. Kooima, Rock Valley, IA (US)
Filed on Jan. 10, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/152,571.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/298,254, filed on Jan. 11, 2022.
Int. Cl. B21D 1/05 (2006.01); B21D 35/00 (2006.01); B21D 43/28 (2006.01); B23K 26/362 (2014.01)
CPC B21D 35/002 (2013.01) [B21D 1/05 (2013.01); B21D 43/287 (2013.01); B23K 26/362 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for producing parts from a strip of sheet material wound in a coil, the strip of sheet material having opposite faces, the system defining at least a continuous material path for movement of the strip of sheet material from a material intake to a material output, the system comprising:
a plurality of stations between the material intake and the material output of the continuous material path, the plurality of stations including:
a preliminary station positioned along the continuous material path at the material intake, the preliminary station being configured to hold the coil of the strip of sheet material prior to processing of the sheet material;
a first leveling station positioned after the preliminary station along the continuous material path between the material intake and the material output of the material path, the first leveling station being configured to receive the unwound portion of the strip of sheet material moving along the material path from the preliminary station, the first leveling station being configured to manipulate the strip of sheet material passing through the first leveling station in a manner to reduce an initial degree of curvature of the strip of sheet material received from the preliminary station;
a cleaning station positioned after the first leveling station along the continuous material path between the material intake and the material output of the material path, the cleaning station being configured to clean at least a region of one of the opposite faces of the strip of sheet material moving along the material path from the first leveling station;
a cutting station positioned after the cleaning station along the continuous material path between the material intake and the material output, the cutting station being configured to cut parts from the strip of sheet material moving along the material path from the cleaning station to form the parts; and
wherein the cleaning station comprises an ablation apparatus positioned along the continuous material path between the material intake and the material output of the material path, the ablation apparatus being configured to selectively ablate regions of a first said face of the strip of sheet material moving along the continuous material path.