Tube bender

Claim 2

A tube bender comprising: an enlongated, primary support; a secondary support carried by the primary support for reciprocation longitudinally of the primary support; power means interconnecting the supports for reciprocating the secondary support; a die assembly carried by the secondary support for reciprocation therewith, said assembly including: a pair of members disposed to receive a bendable tube therebetween, a die between the members, presenting a core around which the tube is bent, and releasable means for clamping the members against the tube; and a pair of spaced anvils carried by the primary support within the path of travel of the tube against which the latter is pressed into shape.

Claim 3

The invention of claim 1; and a pair of elongated beams mounted at one end thereof on the primary support for swinging movement toward and away from each other, said anvils being on the opposite ends of the beams, said beams having means for swinging the same.

Claim 4

The invention of claim 2; and means securing the anvils to the beams for swinging movement about axes parallel to the axes of swinging movement of the beams.

Claim 5

The invention of claim 2, said means for swinging the beams being a take-up unit coupling each beam respectively with the primary support intermediate the ends of the beams.

Claim 6

The invention of claim 2, said power means being a fluid pressure piston and cylinder assembly between the beams for pulling the die assembly toward the anvils, including a cylinder pivotally connected to the primary support and a piston rod pivotally connected to the secondary support.

Claim 7

The invention of claim 5, said rod intersecting said means for swinging the beams.

Claim 8

A tube bender comprising: an elongated, primary support; a secondary support carried by the primary support for reciprocation longitudinally of the primary support; power means interconnecting the supports for reciprocating the secondary support; a die assembly carried by the secondary support for reciprocation therewith, said assembly including a die around which the tube is bent; a pair of spaced anvils carried by the primary support within the path of travel of the tube against which the latter is pressed into shape; a pair of elongated beams mounted at one end thereof on the primary support for swinging movement toward and away from each other, said anvils being on the opposite ends of the beams; means securing the anvils to the beams for swinging movement about axes parallel to the axes of swinging movement of the beams; there being means for swinging the said beams, said beam-swinging means being a take-up unit coupling each beam respectively with the primary support intermediate the ends of the beams.

Claim 9

A tube bender comprising: an elongated, primary support; a secondary support carried by the primary support for reciprocation longitudinally of the primary support; power means interconnecting the supports for reciprocating the secondary support; a die assembly carried by the secondary support for reciprocation therewith, said assembly including a die around which the tube is bent; a pair of spaced anvils carried by the primary support within the path of travel of the tube against which the latter is pressed into shape; a pair of elongated beams mounted at one end thereof on the primary support for swinging movement toward and away from each other, said anvils being on the opposite ends of the beams; means securing the anvils to the beams for swinging movement about axes parallel to the axes of swinging movement of the beams; there being means for swinging the said beams, said beam-swinging means being a take-up unit coupling each beam respectively with the primary support intermediate the ends of the beams.

Claim 10

The invention of claim 7, said power means being a fluid pressure piston and cylinder assembly between the beams for pulling the die assembly toward the anvils, including a cylinder pivotally connected to the primary support and a piston rod pivotally connected to the secondary support.

Claim 11

The invention of claim 8, said rod intersecting said means for swinging the beams.

Claim 12

A tube bender comprising: normally stationary anvil means; a reciprocable assembly having means for clamping a bendable tube thereto and provided with a die; primary power means for shifting said assembly to bend the tube between the die and the anvil means; and secondary power means coupled with the clamping means for releasing the tube after it has been bent.

Claim 13

A tube bender comprising: normally stationary anvil means; a reciprocable assembly having means for clamping a bendable tube thereto and provided with a die; primary power means for shifting said assembly to bend the tube between the die and the anvil means; and secondary power means coupled with the clamping means for releasing the tube after it has been bent.

Claim 14

The invention of claim 10, said die having means for folding the tube material inwardly into the tube during bending.

Claim 15

The invention of claim 10, said assembly being provided with an underlying support; and means for withdrawing said support after the tube is bent.

Claim 16

The invention of claim 10, said clamping means including a vise having a pair of tube-engaging jaws adapted to be opened and closed by said secondary power means.

Claim 17

The invention of claim 13, said die being disposed between the jaws and held thereby when the tube is clamped therebetween.

Claim 18

The invention of claim 14, wherein said assembly is provided with a number of dies for accommodating tubes of varous cross-sectional sizes, there being a vise for each die respectively.

Claim 19

The invention of claim 15; and means for aligning preselected dies with said anvil means.

Claim 20

The invention of claim 16, said assembly being reciprocable horizontally and said dies being movable vertically; and means for raising and lowering the dies to align preselected dies with the anvil means.

Claim 21

A tube bender comprising: an elongated, primary support; a secondary support carried by the primary support for reciprocation longitudinally of the primary support; power means interconnecting the supports for reciprocating the secondary support; a die assembly carried by the secondary support for reciprocation therewith, said assembly including a die around which the tube is bent; a pair of elongated beams mounted at one end thereof on the primary support, there being means for swinging movement of the beams toward and away from each other during adjustment of the tube bender and prior to tube bending operations, and for maintaining the beams in a stationary position during tube bending operations; a pair of tube-engaging anvils; and means mounting one of said anvils adjacent the opposite end of each beam for pivotal movement of each of the anvils about a respective axis transverse to the axis of reciprocation of said secondary support.

Claim 22

A tube bender comprising: an elongated, primary support; a secondary support carried by the primary support for reciprocation longitudinally of the primary support; power means interconnecting the supports for reciprocating the secondary support; a die assembly carried by the secondary support for reciprocation therewith, said assembly including a die around which the tube is bent; a pair of elongated beams mounted at one end thereof on the primary support, there being means for swinging movement of the beams toward and away from each other during adjustment of the tube bender and prior to tube bending operations, and for maintaining the beams in a stationary position during tube bending operations; a pair of tube-engaging anvils; and means mounting one of said anvils adjacent the opposite end of each beam for pivotal movement of each of the anvils about a respective axis transverse to the axis of reciprocation of said secondary support.