US1401394A - Pipe-bending machine - Google Patents

Description

II. P. CURTISI EIPEBENDING MACHINE'.

APPLICATION FILED AuGLI'L |920.

Patented D60. 27 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I..

Patented D60. 27, 1921.

y -H;\rf..cun|s.f 'PIPE B ENDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED AUGJT. 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFISZE.

HOHER P. CURTIS, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THE PLAINS IRON WORKS COHPANY, OF DENVER, COLORADO, A CORPORATION OF COLORADO.

PINE-BENDING MACHINE.

i-Sipeciaeabtcn of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 27, 1921.

Application led August 17, 1920. Serial No. 404,152.

To all w/wmt may concern:

Be it known that I Iiioiunii P. Gnarls, a citizen oi the United States of America, residing at the city and county of Denver and State of Col' "rado, have invented a new and useful Pipe-@enclin Machine, of which the followin isa speci cation.

My invention relates to a new and improved pipe bending machine, and the ob'ects o my intention are:

First: to prov-ide a pipe bending machine that is adapted to receive lengths ot pipe and bend them into any desireff part of full circular coils. l

Second: to provide a Inachinewhich is peeially adapted to bend large iron or steel or copper pipes in `either portion or parts ot full coils or into full coils, either at the ends of lengths of pipes o1' at any part of their lengths. And

'Ihn-d: to provide a powerful and easily manipulated pipe bending machine on which pipe can be quickly placed and bent and removed therefrom by any one or two mechanics.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the 1mproved pipe bendingmachine, a section of pipe being supported thereby in position for bending.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a transverse, vertical, sectional view of the same on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fic.' 4 is a fragmental sectional view showing the manner of securing the end of a pipe to the revoluble former, and also the mandrel, which is supported in the pipe to prevent buckling or crumpling ot' the pipe at the bending point and for a distance back of that point.

Fig. 5 is a fragmental plan view, illustrating the manner of clamping a long section of ipe when the same is to be bent inter nie iate of its ends.

Fig. 6 is an end View of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a side view illustrating a modification in the pipe end clampin means.

Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate hat round U- sha ed pipe bends, res ectively.

4ig. l0 is a sectiona view of the former and its driven pipe abutment roller, showing the circumferential gear tooth meshing pitch line of the semi-circular gear of the former extending beyond the center oi'f the curved pipe gripping groovezi of the former and its drum roller, in order to make the driven roller move a trifle faster at its peripheral pipe engaging point than the turning speed of the pipe engaging groove of the former.

Fig. l1 illustrates a perspective view ol? the plug Vthat clamps the pipe to the pipe bending former. And

Fig. 12 illustrates one manner oi" connectin the ends of pipe sections together.

imilar reference numerals refer to sim-- ilar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

The numeral l, designates the bed plate or table of iny iinproifed pipe beni'ling machine, 'which is provided with supporting legs 2, and with brackets 8, which are secured at their outer ends to the underside ot the 'trout portion of the bed plate and depend therefrom, and their inner ends are integrally connected to form a journal boit e', in which the lower end oi a vertical shalt 5, is rotatably journaled` Gn the upper end of the shaft 5, is rigidly secured a gear wheel., preferably a worm gear 8, which is securely bolted to a revoluble circular table (i, which fits loosely in a circular opening iii the table 1, its upper surface being flush with the upper surface of the table.

Upon the circular table is securely bolted a semi-circular casting 7, which constitutes a pipe bending former, as will presently be shown.

The worm gear 8, meshes with a worin pinion 8^, on a sliaii't 9, whififh mounted in bearings QA, secured to the underside oit' the table. The s-,hail't 9, is also provided with a belt receiving conc pulley 1U, by which rotating power is connected to it and its shatt and to the worm pinion, and the worin gear, and consequently the vertical. shaft 5, and to the circular table 6, to which several speeds can be given by the different step pulley portions on its cone 10. i

The bed plate is )i'ovided with two extension portions 11 anc l2. The extension portion 11, is provided with two pairs ot T- shaped slots 13 and 14, which arc positioned at a few feet apart, and to each of these two pairs of T slots, blocks 15 and 1 6, are slidably mounted, and they are secured adjustably in set positions to these slots by the bolts 17. These brackets support guide rollers 18 and 1.9on shafts 18A, and 19A, that llo are secinedvertically in the opposite ends 19B, of these blocks that are formed on the opposite sides of a recess 19C, that is formed in the inner ends of the brackets. rlhese rollers 1.8 and 19, are arranged to act as guides and abutments to the pipes when bending them, as will be fully described hereinafter.

The bed plate extension 12, extends far enough away from the guide roller 18, to receive on it, between the guide roller 18 and its outer end plate 20, the longest lengths of pipes or or' tubes or of casings 21.

And my invention contemplates a pipe bending machine that is adapted to bend pipes made of either wrought iron, steel, copper, or et any other malleable metal, from the smallest` sizes up to the largest sizes that it is practical to bend and to use in tanks or for any construction work, requiring either straight or spirally coiled pipes.

rlhe extension 12, of the bed plate or table is also provided with legs 2, and adjacent its-outer end, it is provided with parallel T slots 12A, in which are slidably mounted the headed ends of bolts 22, upon which is secured a bracket 20, by clamping nuts, as shown. The upright portion ot the bracket 20, is provided with a hole 'through which the threaded end or a rod 28, passes, and receives a nut 23A.

The opposite end of this rod 23, extends to and is threaded into one end of a mandrel 211, which may he of any predetermined length, but which I preferably make about ten times the diameter of the pipe to be bent. This mandrel is made to '.it loosely but snugly into the pipe being bent. The opposite end 25, of the mandrel, for a short distance of about one-half or". the diameter of the pipe is tapered smaller in diameter than the full diameter ci' the body portion of the mandrel, and its extreme terminal end is rounded enough to allow it to be f4easily inserted inte and pushed through th'e pipe that is placed on the extension portion oi vthe bed plate to be bent until its tapering end portion projects a short distance beyond the inner end of the pipe, as will be fully described hereafter.

The former 7, is preferably oi" semi-circular shape, and as it is secured to the top of the t-able, it is rotatively turned by and with the shaft and table. The outer peripheral edge of the pipe former is machine iinished concentric to the vertical axis of the shaft 5, and the face of its peripheral edge is divided into a bottom stepped top rim portion 27, also into a central semi-circular concaved groove recess portion 28, and also into a gear tooth portion 29. The bottom rim portion 27, rests on the top surface of the table, and its stepped shouldered portion 30, fits over a projecting lip 31, that is -formed on the bottom portion ot the guide roller 18, which is provided with a stepped portion 32, ot the same size as the former, so that the lower portions oli the pipe curving former and of the guide roller intersect and intermeshingly contact with each other as they rotate with a pipe between them. The two opposing pipes receiving and tting semi-circular grooves itting tightly around the circumference of the pipe, being bent as will be fully explained hereinafter.

The gear teeth of the upper portion ot the rim of the pipe former 7. meshes with a circumferential row of similar teeth that are formed on the upper edge oi the face oit the guide roller 18, which thus becomes a driven roller, andthe face or this driven guide roller is provided' with a semi-circular recess curve 33, that is positioned directly opposite to the pipe curve in the face et the pipe former 7, and these recess curves in the faces ot the pipe former and in the driven roller 1S, must rit closely around the circumference ol' theI pipe that is being bent; consequently, when pipes of different sizes are to be bent, pipe curving formers 7 and driven rollers 18, oi different sizes made to lit tightly around the pipes must be provided and mounted on the table and in the brackets l5 and 16; and it is tor this purpose that the driven roller 18, is slidably mounted in its supporting extension portion ot the bed plates.

rlhe idler rollerA 19, also is provided with a recess groove 34, that lits hall way around the size oi pipes that are being bent. This roller acts as a rolling abutment to the side pressure of the pipes, which have a teudencv to swing away from the direction in which the pipes are being bent, and consequently this idler roller 19, is adjustably placed and slidably mounted so that it can be moved to bear against pipesl ol :ill sizes so that ils/can receive this side pressure.

,ln assembling the pipe curving former 7 and the driven roller 18, into pipe bending rel. ion with each other on the bed pl :ite oit my pipe bending machine, it is necessary that they be so positioned that a line drawn through their axial vertical centers. be a diametrically radial line through the diametrical center and axis of' the table and also of the driven roller, and that the center or the extension 12, be a tangential line B; also that the pipes will be drawn straight through and between the axial center ol the two oppositely pipe receiving grooves in the former and in the driven roller, und they will bear against the abutment roller 19. Then the pipe. will be pinched tightly between the former and this driven roller: consequently also through the center ot straight lengths of pipe laid on the longitudinal center oi the extension 12 and the bed plate; and it is also necessary.I when starting to bend a pipe, that the pipe be placed on the extension 12, and that the mandrel be inserted in its rear end and be pushed through it until its forward rounded end comes to the radial and diametrical center line A, in which position the mandrel is set and iixed by adjustably turning the nut on the end of the rod 23, against the back of the end plate 2() of the extension 12. The mandrel linserted in the pipe at this point until its full diameter is even with the line A. The immediate end of the mandrel is rounded, and this rounded portion would naturally be a little smaller in diameter than the full body of the mandrel and would project slightly beyond the point where the full diameter of the mandrel should be placed directly on this diametrically and radial line A, as this is the point where the pipes start to bend when t-he curving action of the segment shaped former moves to curve it in either a partial or a semi-circular or a full circular curve.

When about to bend a pipe, the forward swinging end 26, of the pipe curving former 7, starts` to bend the pipe, with the center of the first two or three or four teeth, preferably three teeth, of its forwardly swinging end 2G, in mesh with the teeth of the driven roller, and with its front edge portion through the center of the first three teeth on the diametrical center line A through the pipe former 7, and the axis of the driven roller 18, and of the rotating table.

After the former has been placed in the position described, the pipe is then pushed a little beyond the end of the mandrel in order that it may be secured to the forwardly swinging end of the pipe curving former, which is necessary as the end of the pipe, or at least that portion of the pipe where the curving bend is to start, has to be secured tightly and rigidly to the forwardly swinging and moving end of the former.

My invention contemplates any means of securing the end of the pipes that are to be bent, to the pipe former 7, which, as it swings around with the rotating movement of the table, must carry the pipe clamped tightly at its end to it, and around with it in order to bend it. I preferably, however, carry out this feature of my invention in the following manner:

0n the forwardly swinging movement end of the pipe curving formen, I cast a lug 26, and in the end of the pipe 21, that is to be bent, I insert a short plug 27B, which fits snugly therein and is provided with sharp edged circular bands 27A, that are beveled to permit their sharp edges to cut into the inner surface of the pipe and grip it, as will be presently explained. This plug 27B, is provided with a head portion 28D, extending in a radial direction toward the former; the plug 27B, is also provided with a lug 28A, that projects at right angles from the head piece 28D, and extends alongside of the pipe 21, and overlaps loosely the lug 2G, on the forn'ler, and a set screw 28, is threaded through the lug of the plug to bear against the lu-g 26, of the former, and thus clamp the plutIr and the end of the pipe 21, to the former. This plug, with its head and lug portions, forms a U-shaped coupling for connecting the end of the pipe that is to be bent, to the former, and when the former starts to turning, it pushes against the set screw, and consequently the plug and the sharp edges of the bands on the plug are drawn tightly against the inner surface of the pipe by the set screw 28B. Consequently when the former starts to turning, its lug pushes against the set screw and the plug and the sharp edged bands on the plug dig into it and tightly grip it and force it to move with the former without slipping movement between them. IVhen, however, a semi-circular curve is to be formed in the center or in a part of the length of a pipe, as indicated in Fig. 5, a yoke-shaped clamp 29A, is employed, which is placed over the pipe, as shown, its ends, which are threaded, extending through holes in the lug These threaded ends of the clamp receive clamp nuts 30A, which, when tightly screwed against the lug 26, cause the clamp 29A,` to rigidly secure the pipe to the former 7 A block 28C, may be inserted in the pipe to the point where the clamp 29A, engages the pipe, to prevent the pipe from being indented by the clamp.

In making a half round bend, however, the pipe is positioned on the mandrel and 105 between the semi-circular grooved recesses of the pipe bending former and its opposingdriven roller 1S, so that the plug 27B, can be inserted in the pipe and the screw tight ened, then the plug and the pipe are clamped 110 tightly together to the lug of the pipe bend* ing and curving former. It is only then necessary to move the idler roller 19, against the pipe, and the machine and the pipe are ready to be started and the pipe curved and 115 bent as desired. The operation of bending or curving pipes into quarter circles or half or semi-circles or full circles, being as follows: Y g

Having set the mandrel with the pipe on 120 it in the semi-circular grooves between the former and its driven roller and securely clamped to the former, the pipe is supported on its inside by the mandrel, and it is held tightly in the semi-circular grooves of the 125 former and its driven roller; consequently, it cannot be flattened or dented as it is drawn around the former. Rotativo power is then applied to the cone pulley, and the table is rotated slowly by the gears and cone' 130 pulley end theii1 supporting' inemheis. Then it the 'eiinei eeciies the pipe ni'otnd e. euived tine e i 'd t t ceiitei for :i heh oi" e. iiei-rohition, zint. it the nieeh'ine is sto psd zitte? iiiniing halt oV 'i i'evohitieii, s. seinieeiieiilsi bend is termed, is shown in Pigs. 8 end 9, but if it is eei'iied initie-.ily

around to subs a uil i'evohitioii, ziy full eiieuiei eii oii'ned in the pipe.

The abutment i011 i een he moved to engag e the sides 0i p'oes that placed on 4he extension i2) and eeeiiet. i and its tod eff te one side et t'li line i3. This is done bi.' ni

phiee, and is used Whei' s wanted in the pipe and en ends of the pipe eiie i'equ` eetain angle to e end is required te te the Curve itseif.

find in piii eiieuhii1 coils et z l 1i@ L( When they fiie ma. `iipe of' iibeiit iai'ein two inches up to six inches in diameter, thiit the pipe be nitide into semi-ei eiihii coiis and then that theiil en is he seeiiiee. together by any suitable ineens. l). pi'ei' use the anged clamping ineens in Fig. l2.

i ininhei1 et heit eiifeuhii eeiis een he seeiiied togethei in this ine-.nner7 and by raising them se as to puh thein iipiiit, zi 'tuti eiieuiai spiral eoil is obtained freni the tiet seiiii-eiieuiei eoiis formed en machine.

find in practice that with thiol;

pipes it is an eeiientege to neve the itoiinei rotate its pipe abutment ioifei 18.. se that the pipe gripping groove of this di'iiei iioiiei 18, will tr Just a little :sistei than iiphefai siii'feee et the p' Je grippin;I of the form-i1. which the pei'inheiiei A is in ioiliii he peo i i diiven roller. .-n tiis figure the sei of the i'oimei than its eoneentiieefi ranged pipe gripping gieove, and th eumferentiai i'ow o' geen roher is :made of any yi'edeteiimned eine teeth on the diven size iii diametei th ii t e pipe giiippinjg giooiie. Consequently, by this eoopeieaiiie eianpeneiit the pipe gripping periphery et 'he diiven zoiiei moves tester then the pipe gripping' Groove of the toiiiiei, and the increase .n the turn- .fi I an hiiiie ein inpie, pinenp; iiiiiehine inetei, :ind white I have tted the pieteiied construction and eii'i i peinent oit it I. do not wish to he hniitet` to L. :is ehsiiies niiilv he incide With- `i ifiein the spirit et my inven- 'i invention, schat .e te seeiiife hy Let- J v n l. eiiihinzitien with i pipe bending infiehine., et the hed phite end its shaft heziis, the i'eitieu hi't jeiiiniiied therein .find

S ei hnrr shove seit ed piste* with :i eiriiiole inoiiiited oi end seeiiied to said shaft, ineens including gearing and e multiple sneed p they 'for rotating seid tnhie5 :ind With the pipe curving foiinei ieinoi'iihiy iiied to the top of sziid tiihle, siiid former 0o .ii .ising :i Casting having :i huh ineiiihei i' ioi'iihiy mounted en :ind seeiiied to the sfiid 'veitiezii shiiiit. sind ii peiipheiiil pei'tioiir` the 'iee of which eontiiins ii, stepped shouidei et its hottoin edge, e seini-eiieuhii groove iii its veiitiiii portion :idiipted te fit iiouiid pipe. :ind gear-toothed poi-tion fit ts upeei' eti/fe portione find with the driven oUei' adjust if ineiinted iii pipe enofming `i l e 'ieiiiihei'iii portion of sind :ivi ii teeth iii'oiiiid its i` with the geni' teeth of pifoi'ided -with :i semi-viren l Y fing oove positioned opposite to pipe ieeeiifingij pgioove in sziid toi-nier, in having stepped bottoni edge poitioii ,tin into the stepped portion in the bottoni seid oi'iiiei.

.pipe hendinp; machine, Jdie eoinhifoiniei provided with gi'eiii teeth, itih o ,if whiwh is ot hiigei izidiiis ien its pipe tiiilg eini'ej with :i ifoiiei' pi'ovided with pipe Fitting gijioove registering; opposite the pi .e i'ittiiie gijioove ot seid ifoi'inei', sind provided with :i eii'eiiiiitei'entiiil ioi-.if ot geni' teeth oi siiiiiliei diiiinetei thiin its pipe fitting giioove, and in niesh with the geni.' teeth ot seid 'foi'nien In ii pipe bending iniiehine, the eoinhination With e. foi'inei comprising' :i seinieii'euhii pgeiii, :i geni' of hiss diziinetei in niesh TVith the"semieiieiiliiif geni', siiid gijeiiis hiiving; portions piovided with iiniiuhii, copei`- the end of the pipe is clamped to the projection; means for rotating the former, and an adjustable abutment roller for preventing outward movement of the unbent portion of the pipe.

4. In a pipe bending machine, the combination of a former comprising a semi-circular gear having an extension on one end, a. gear oi less diameter than the semi-circular gear and in mesh therewith, said gears having portions provided with registering grooves adapted to receive a pipe to be bent; a U-shaped clamp, one end of which is adapted to be inserted in the forward end of the pipe and is formed with annular knife-edged pipe gripping elements, the other end extending behind said extension and is provided With a bolt which is adapted to be screwed against said extension, thereby to clamp the end or the pipe thereto, a circular table to which said former is bolted, means for rotating said table, and an adjustable abutment roller for preventing outward movement of the unbent portion of the pipe.

.5. In a pipe bending machine, `the combination with a former comprising a semicircular gear, a gear of less diameter than the semi-circular gear and in mesh therewith, said gears having portions provided with registering grooves adapted to receive a pipe to be bent, of a longitudinally adjustable mandrel adapted to be inserted in said pipe, the forward end of which extends to the bending point of the pipe between the tivo gears, an extension on the end of the semi-circular gear next the forward end of the pipe, and means for securing the forward end of the pipe to said projection, a circular table to which said semi-circular gear is screwed, means for rotating said table, and an abutment roller at a point coincident with the rear portion of the mandrel, for preventing outward movement of the unbcnt portion of said pipe.

G. In a pipe bending machine, a table, a circular plate in the surface of said table, and gearing t'or rotating the same, a half round former secured to said plate, having gear teeth thereon, an adjustable bearing on said table, a gear .mounted in. said bearing and :in mesh with said former, said former and said gear having portions provided with registering groei/es to receive a pipe to be bent, an extension on the end of the former next the gear, and means for clamping the end of a pipe .inserted between said former and gear, to said extension, a mandrel inserted in said pipe, a rod secured to the rear end oi said mandrel, an adjustable block on said table to which the free end of said rod is adjustably secured, the forward end of said mandrel being rounded and extending slightly beyond the bending point of the pipe, and an adjustable bearing on said table, and an abutment roller mounted in said bearing and engz'iging said pipe at a point coincident; with the rear portion of the mandrel, to prevent outward movement of the pipe While being bent.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

l-IOMER P. CURTIS. Witnesses R. B. MCCONNEY, R. E. ArrLnQUrs'r.

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