US3217528A - Tube bender - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 16, 1965 J. H. STANLEY TUBE BENDER Filed Jan. 15, 1963 INVENTOR Jonu H. STANLEY Miami United States Patent 3,217,528 TUBE BENDER John H. Stanley, Euclid, Ohio, assignor to Parker- Hannifin Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, at corporation of Ohio Filed Jan. 15, 1963, Ser. No. 251,629 Claims. (Cl. 72-321) This invention relates to a tube bending device, and in particular, to compound tube bending tool of a troublefree, simplified and highly efiicient construction.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel compound tube bending device with which simple as well as complex bends may be formed in a tube with an ease and rapidity heretofore incapable of being achieved with known tube bending devices.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a novel, portable, hand-operated, compound tube bending device having a plurality of tube engaging portions adapted to captively engage either an internal or an external portion of a tube to facilitate the bending of the tube.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of a novel compound tube bending device having a reversible bracket slidably journalled on a handle of the tube bending device, and the reversible bracket including two dissimilar tube engaging means at opposite ends thereof whereby either one of the two tube engaging means may be used when the tube bending device is operated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel compound tube bending device of the type last-mentioned wherein a first of the tube engaging means is a threaded portion which complements threads on a nut secured to an end of the tube whereby the tube is held stationary while the compound tube bending device is operated to bend the tube.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel compound tube bending device constructed in accordance with the above objects wherein a second of the tube engaging means is a slot and groove structure which captively engages an external portion of the tube to hold the same immovable during the bending of the tube.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel cooperative relationship between the tube engaging means of the compound tube bending device constructed in accordance with the above-mentioned objects and a sheave secured to the handle whereby a single tube can be bent at preselected portions thereof in a plurality of dissimilar planes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel compound tube bending device constructed in according with the last-mentioned object, and in addition, to provide a prepositioning device lockable on the handle of the compound tube bending device at any one of a plurality of positions spaced from the sheave whereby the distances between the generating axes of adjacent bends in a tube may be preselected.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of a novel compound tube bending device including a tube engaging bracket-clip which is automatically positioned with respect to a grooved sheave of the device by a tube which is to be bent and requires no ancillary clamping devices to maintain planar alignment of the tube.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel compound tube bender constructed in accordance with the foregoing objects and in addition, to construct the tube bender devoid of keyways and complex connections, thereby forming a tube bender offering better support against undesirable stresses during the operation thereof.

With the above, and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be 3,217,528 Patented Nov. 16, 1965 more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of a compound tube bending device constructed in accordance with this invention, and illustrates a handle having a grooved sheave at one end thereof, a reversible bracket-clip provided with tube engaging means at opposite ends thereof freely swingably mounted on the handle and spaced from the sheave by a lockable prepositioning device, and a bending arm having a grooved head at one end thereof pivotally linked to the grooved sheave.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary top view of the compound tube bending device of FIGURE 1, and more clearly illustrates the reversible bracket-clip of the compound tube bending device as well as a plurality of angular graduations on the bracketclip.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view of the compound tube bending device taken along line 33 of FIGURE 1, and more clearly illustrates the various elements of the compound tube bending device including a swingable tube clamp in its non-use position.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary side view of the compound tube bending device, and shows the bracket-clip reversed end-for-end and mounted on the handle, a threaded nut fastened to a tube in threaded engagement with a threaded portion of the bracket-clip, the swingable tube clamp in its position of use and the bending arm in position prior to being used to bend the tube.

A novel compound tube bending device or tube bender constructed in accordance with this invention is best illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 3 of the drawings, and is generally designated by the reference numeral 10. The compound tube bending device or tube bender 10 includes an elongated handle 11 of a generally circular crosssection.

A grooved sheave 12 is secured to the elongated handle 11 by suitable means, not shown, such as a force fit or a threaded connection, or alternatively, the elongated handle 11 and the grooved sheave 12 may be integrally formed.

The grooved sheave 12 includes a peripheral face 13 provided with a groove 14. The groove 14 is semi-circular in cross-section and is of a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of a tube which is to be bent by the tube bender 10. The arcuate extent of the groove 14 about the periphery of the sheave 12 from a first fiat face 15 thereof to a second flat face 16 of the sheave 12 is approximately 225, as is best illustrated in FIGURE 1 of the drawings. A plurality of graduations 17 in a side face 18 of the grooved sheave 12 indicate the angular extent of the groove 14 for a purpose to be fully discussed hereinafter.

A bending arm 20 is pivotally linked by a pivoting link 21 to the grooved sheave 12. A central aperture 22 in the grooved sheave 12 receives a first pivot pin or trunnion 23 of the pivoting link 21. The pivot pin 23 has a head 24 in abutment with the side face 18 of the grooved sheave 12, thus journalling the pivoting link 21 to the grooved sheave 12. A second pivot pin or trunnion 25 of the pivoting link 21 extends through an aperture 26 in the bending arm 29, and has a head 27 maintaining the pivoting link 21 journalled to the bending arm 20.

The bending arm 20 includes a bending head or shoe 28 adjacent the linkage between the bending arm 20 and the pivoting link 21. The bending head or shoe 28 is grooved at 30. The groove 30 is substantially semi-circular in cross-section and complementary to the semicircular groove 14 in the grooved sheave 12, as is clearly shown in FIGURE 3.

A tube clamp 31 is swingably mounted on the handle 11 adjacent the grooved sheave 12. The tube clamp 31 includes a tube engaging hook portion 32. The tube engaging hook portion 32 clainpingly engages the exterior of a tube when the tube clamp 31 is swung from an inoperative position (shown in FIGURE 3) to an operative position, such as the position of the tube clamp 31 illustrated in FIGURE 4.

A prepositioning device comprising a locking collar 33 is slidably mounted on the handle 11 of the tube bender adjacent the tube clamp 31. The locking collar 33 is a split collar which may be secured to the handle 11 in any one of a plurality of different ways, one way being by a threaded bolt 34 cooperative with a clamping wing nut 35 as shown in FIGURE 1.

A reversible bracket means 36 is freely, swingably, slidably mounted on the handle 11 of the compound tube bender 10. An axial bore 37 through the reversible bracket 36 journals the reversible bracket means 36 upon the handle 11. A surface 38 of the reversible bracket 36 abuttingly engages the locking collar 33 for a reason to be more fully hereinafter explained.

A one-piece bracket clip 40 is journalled to revolve within an axial aperture 41 of the reversible bracket 36. One end of the bracket-clip 40 includes a first tube engaging portion 42. The tube engaging portion 42 includes a generally downwardly facing, semi-circular groove 43. The groove 43 is complementary to the groove 14 of the grooved sheave 12, as is clearly shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawings.

A downwardly opening hook portion 44 of the tube engaging portion 42 cooperates with a rearwardly opening slot 45 and a flat face 46 of the bracket-clip 40 to captively clamp a first bent portion of a tube prior to forming another bend in the tube.

An annular portion 47 of the bracket-clip 44) includes an abutting surface 48 which limits the entry of the bracket-clip 40 into the axial aperture 41 of the reversible bracket 36. A plurality of angular graduations 50 on the annular portion 47 of the bracket-clip 40 cooperate with a reference mark 51 on the reversible bracket means 36, as is best shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawing, whereby the bracket-clip 40 may be rotated with respect to the reversible bracket means 36. The bracket-clip 40 is secured with respect to the reversible bracket 36 by means of a threaded end portion 52 of the bracket-clip 40 and a knurled threaded nut 53 cooperative therewith in a manner clearly illustrated in FIGURE 1 of the drawings.

The threaded end portion 52 of the bracket-clip 40 forms a second tube engaging portion which is adapted to engage an end nut of a tube when the reversible bracket 36 is reversed end-for-end from the position illustrated in FIGURE 1 to the position shown in FIG- URE 4. The threaded end portion 52 of the bracketclip 40 is shown directed toward the grooved sheave 12 in FIGURE 4. A tube T lies within the groove 14 of the grooved sheave 12 and is clampingly maintained therein by the hook 32 of the tube clamp 31. A flared end E of the tube T secures a sleeve S and a threaded tube nut N on the end E of the tube T in a manner clearly illustrated in the drawings. The threads of the threaded end portion 52 and of the tube nut N are complementary, and in this manner, a bend may be formed in the tube T adjacent the tube nut N while the tube T is engaged by the threaded end portion 52 of the bracketclip 40.

In operation, a first bend is made in a tube by first pivoting the bending arm 20 to a position above the grooved sheave 12, as is shown in FIGURE 4, and the reversible bracket 36 is swung to an out-of-the-way position about the handle 11. A tube is then placed in an uppermost portion of the groove 14 with the hook portion 32 of the tube clamp 31 in overlying clamping engagement with the tube. The bending arm 20 is moved to a position in which the groove 30 of the shoe 28 abuttingly straddles the tube. As the bending arm 20 is pivoted clockwise about the grooved sheave 12 shown in FIGURE 1, the tube is bent into the groove 14 of the grooved sheave 12 until the desired bending of the tube is accomplished. The angular bend made in the tube is, of course, indicated by the graduations 17 on the side face 18 of the grooved sheave 12.

After a first bend has been made in the tube, a second bend may be made in the same or a dissimilar plane as the first bend by employing the reversible bracket 36 and the prepositioning device 33.

Depending on the distance between the first and second bends of the tube and the planar relationship between the first and second bend of the tube, various adjustments of the bracket-clip 40 and the prepositioning device 33 may be required. For example, the tube bender 10 illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 3 of the drawings is adjusted to form a second bend in the tube which is in the same plane as the first bend of the tube with no spacing between the respective bends. That is, the zero graduation of the plurality of graduations 50 on the annual shoulder 47 of the bracket-clip 40 is directly aligned with the reference index 51 on the reversible bracket means 36 whereby the groove 43 of the tube engaging portion 42 is in axial alignment with the groove 14 of the grooved sheave 12. When the first bend portion of the tube is placed within the groove 43 and the bending arm 20 is moved in a clockwise direction with respect to the grooved sheave 12, a second bend is formed in the tube in the same plane as the first bend therein.

Furthermore, because the prepositioning device 33 is secured to the handle 11 in the position illustrated, there is no spacing between the first and second tube bends. In other words, the position of the prepositioning device 33 and the reversible bracket 36 in FIGURE 1 is such that the axis of generation of the first bend overlies the axis of generation of the second bend, and spacing between the bends is precluded.

If for any reason it is desirable to form a second bend in a tube spaced from a first bend therein, the wing nut 35 of the prepositioning device 33 is first loosened. The prepositioning device or locking collar 33 is then slid to the left of FIGURE 1, an amount equal to the desired spacing between first and second bend. This movement to the left of the prepositioning device 33 causes the movement therewith of the reversible bracket 36 and the tube engaging portion 42 thereof. The further the portion 44 of the tube engaging portion 42 is spaced from the first fiat face 15 of the grooved sheave 12, the further apart is the spacing between first and second tube bends. At a preselected position of the prepositioning device 33 on the handle 11, the wing nut 35 is tightened, and a second bend spaced from the first bend in the tube may be formed by the movement of the bending arm 20 in a manner heretofore mentioned.

In order to accuately preposition the locking collar 33 upon the handle 11, the handle 11 may be provided with a plurality of graduations G which cooperate with the leftmost edge of the locking collar 33 to indicate the spacing between adjacent bends of a tube.

It is important to note that while the locking collar 33 positions the reversible bracket 36 and the tube engaging portion 42 thereof with respect to the grooved sheave 12, since the reversible bracket 36 is freely slidable upon the handle 11, the same can be slipped back for releasing the tube without disturbing the prepositioning device 33. In this manner a plurality of identically spaced second bends may be formed in a plurality of tubes without readjusting or remanipulating the prepositioning device 33 upon the handle 11.

Should it be necessary or desirable to form a second bend in a tube which is non-planar to a first bend therein, the knurled nut 53 is loosened, the bracket-clip 40 is rotated until a desired angular graduation of the plurality of angular graduations 50 is directly opposite to the reference index 51 on the reversible bracket 36 and the knurled nut is then tightened. In this manner, the groove 43 of the tube engaging portion 42 is rotated with respect to the groove 14 of the grooved sheave 12, whereupon a second bend in a plane dissimilar to the plane of a first bend may be formed. The complementary grooves 14 and 43 coact with a tube inserted therein to prevent the reversible bracket 36 from rotating about the handle 11, while the flat face 46 of the bracket-clip 40 coacts with a first bend in the tube to automatically position the bracket-clip 40 to the preselected plane of a desired second bend.

When the compound tube bender is used to form a bend located close to a nut, such as the tube nut N shown in FIGURE 4, the reversible bracket 36 is reversed endfor-end from the position shown in FIGURE 1 to the position shown in FIGURE 4. The tube nut N is threaded upon the complementary threads of the threaded end portion 52, thereby permitting the tube T to be bent adjacent the tube nut N. Thus, the compound tube bender 10 hereindisclosed can be used to form a bend in a tube close to a tube nut as well as to form bends anywhere along the length of the tube.

From the foregoing description of this invention, it should be readily apparent that the com-pound tube bending device 10 provides many advantages heretofore lacking in known tube benders. For example, it is well known in the prior art to employ such means as keyways to maintain and slidably position a bracket, such as the reversible bracket 36 disclosed herein, upon a handle of a tube bender. Such keyways are eliminated in the instant tube bending device because the bracket-clip 40 automatically positions itself in line with the grooved sheave 12 when a tube is in position, i.e., when a tube is positioned within the grooves 14 and 43, slot 45 and against the fiat face 46. No separate clamping means are required to hold a first bend of a tube in a fixed plane because of the cooperative relationship between the flat face 46, the slot 45 and the groove 43. Furthermore, because the bracket-clip 40 is of a one-piece construction it provides, with the reversible bracket 36, excellent support against outward pivoting when holding a tube during the bending thereof. That is, when a second bend is being formed in a tube, the forces exerted by the bending arm 20 against the tube tend to lift the tube engaging portion 42 in an upward counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURE 1, thereby placing extremely high stresses upon the respective journals between the reversible bracket 36, the handle 11 and the bracket-clip 40. The stresses are reduced to a minimum, once again, because of the one-piece construction of the bracket-clip 40 and the cooperative relationship thereof with the reversible bracket 36.

While example disclosures of a compound tube bending device are shown herein, it is to be understood that changes in the disclosed structures and arrangements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A compound tube bending device comprising a handle having a grooved sheave at one end thereof, a bending arm pivotally carried by the sheave, said bending arm having a complementary groove at the pivotally connected end thereof, a bracket slidably and freely rotatably carried by said handle, a clip rotatably journaled within said bracket, means for securing said clip in any one of a plurality of selected rotated positions, lockable prepositioning means slidably journaled on said handle, said bracket being cooperative with said prepositioning means for abutment therewith whereby the distance between first and second bends in a tube may be preset, said clip including a body having an end portion adjacent said sheave, said end portion including tube engaging means, said tube engaging means including a groove defined by a curved surface portion, said groove terminating at opposite ends thereof in slots and said tube engaging means including said slots and curved surface portions cooperating to automatically position said clip relative to said sheave when a first tube portion is positioned in said groove and slots and a second tube portion is positioned in said grooved sheave.

2. A compound tube bending device comprising a handle and a grooved sheave at one end thereof, a bending arm pivotally carried by the sheave, said arm having a complementary groove at the pivotally connected end thereof, a bracket slidably and freely rotatably carried by said handle, a clip rotatably journallled within said bracket, means for securing said clip in any one of a plurality of preselected rotated positions, lockable prepositioning means slidably journalled on said handle, said bracket being cooperative with said prepositioning means for abutment therewith whereby the distance between first and second bends in a tube may be preset, said clip including a body having an end portion adjacent said sheave, said end portion including tube engaging means, and said tube engaging means including a threaded end portion predetermined for internally gripping a portion of a tube.

3. The compound tube bending device as defined in claim 1 herein said bracket is reversibly carried by said handle.

4. The compound tube bending device as defined in claim 2 wherein said bracket is reversibly carried by said handle.

5. A compound tube bending device comprising a handle having a grooved sheave at one end thereof, a bending arm pivotally carried by the sheave, said arm having a complementary groove at the pivotally connected end thereof, a bracket slidably and freely rotatably carried by said handle and being mounted for reverse positioning thereon, a clip rotatably journalled within said bracket, means for securing said clip in any one of a plurality of selected rotated positions, a lock collar defining lockable prepositioning means slidably journalled on said handle, said bracket being cooperative with said lock collar for abutment therewith whereby the distance between first and second bends in a tube may be preset, said clip including a body having an end portion adjacent said sheave, said end portion including tube engaging means, said tube engaging means including a groove defined by a curved surface portion, said groove terminating at opposite ends thereof in slots, said bracket being automatically positioned in preselected planar alignment with respect to the grooved sheave by said tube engaging means, and a tube clamp swingable mounted on said handle adjacent said sheave.

References liter by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,665,643 4/1928 Schmitt. 1,781,592 11/1930 Meier. 2,955,495 10/ 1960 Stirling.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A COMPOUND TUBE BENDING DEVICE COMPRISING A HANDLE HAVING A GROOVED SHEAVE AT ONE END THEREOF, A BENDING ARM PIVOTALLY CARRIED BY THE SHEAVE, SAID BENDING ARM HAVING A COMPLEMENTARY GROOVE AT THE PIVOTALLY CONNECTED END THEREOF, A BRACKET SLIDABLY AND FREELY ROTATABLY CARRIED BY SAID HANDLE, A CLIP ROTATABLY JOURNALED WITHIN SAID BRACKET, MEANS FOR SECURING SAID CLIP IN ANY ONE OF A PLURALITY OF SELEACTED ROTATED POSITIONS, LOCKABLE PREPOSITIONING MEANS SLIDABLY JOURNALED ON SAID HANDLE, SAID BRACKET BEING COOPERATIVE WITH SAID PREPOSITIONING MEANS FOR ABUTMENT THEREWITH WHEREBY THE DISTANCE BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND BENDS IN A TUBE MAY BE PRESET, SAID CLIP INCLUDING A BODY HAVING AN END PORTION ADJACENT SAID SHEAVE, SAID END PORTION INCLUDING TUBE ENGAGING MEANS, SAID TUBE ENGAGING MEANS INCLUDING A GROOVE DEFINED BY A CURVED SURFACE PORTION, SAID GROOVE TERMINATING AT OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF IN SLOTS AND SAID TUBE ENGAGING MEANS INCLUDING SAID SLOTS AND CURVED SURFACE PORTIONS COOPERATING TO AUTOMATICALLY POSITION SAID CLIP RELATIVE TO SAID SHEAVE WHEN A FIRST TUBE PORTION IS POSITIONED IN SAID GROOVE AND SLOTS AND A SECOND TUBE PORTION IS POSITIONED IN SAID GROOVED SHEAVE.

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