US1741840A

US1741840A - Pipe bender

Info

Publication number: US1741840A
Application number: US266603A
Authority: US
Inventors: Arthur J Harmon; James W Harmon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1928-04-02
Filing date: 1928-04-02
Publication date: 1929-12-31
Anticipated expiration: 1946-12-31

Description

A JQHARMON ET A1. 1,741,840

PIPE BENDER Dec. 31,v 1929.

Filed April 2. 1929 2 sheets-sheet 1 JJ l l s Dec. 31, 1929' l A. J. HARMQN ET AL .PIPE BENDER ,Filed April 2, 19a-a 2 sheets-snee@ 2 Patented Dec. 31, 192e uNrraDN sTATEs.

PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR J. Hannon AND JAMES w. Hannon, or oHIcAGo, mnmons :PIPE BENDEB' Application led April 2,

Our invention relates to appliances lfor bending pipes, and particularly tol the class of portable pipe benders suitable for use in making bends of the required curvature in Wire. conduits when such conduits are being installed in buildings. Generally speaking, the objects of our invention include the providing of a pipe bender which will amplifyy the power ofthe user, whichvcan readily be adjusted for wide variations of curvature and for dierent llocations of the curves in relation to the ends of the pipe, which Awill serve interchangeably with different diameters of pipes without flattening or indenting the pipes, which will require no .stationary bench as its support, and which can readily be moved from one part'of the building to mit bends to be made at considerable distances from either end of a pipe. v

(4:) Means for adapting a given bending form to pipes of different diameter without materially aiecting the crosssection of the pipe inthe bent portion. j

(.5) A bending form which can readily be adjusted to varyboth its effective length and` radius, and which can also be adjusted for forming non-circular curves.

(6) Simple supporting means for permitting an entire detaching of the form when desired. f

Still further and also more detailed objects will appear from the following specifi-f cation, and from the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a pipe bender embodying our invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same 192s. serial 11. aeasos.

bender, showing it as used flor making a bend close to one end of a pipe.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation, showing the` Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the same form, ,showingy the same as adjusted for a curve of shorter radius and length.'

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the formcarrying end of supporting base, showing a non-adjustable form mounted on the base.

Fig. 9 is a section similar to the upper portion of Fig. 6, showing another shape ofthe outer face of a form member embodying a portion of our invention.

In the ,embodiment of Figs. 1 to 7, our pipe bender includes a normally horizontal base comprising two steel channel beams 1 set on edge and with their opposed backs rigidly connected by spacers 2. This base is supported at its forward end by wheels 3 and at its rear end by a wheel 4, the latter being pref-v erably journaled in aicastor swiveled to the base on a vertical axis.

Secured to the top of the base adjacent to its rear end is an adjustable bending form, which includes as its supporting portion two angle irons 5 seated upon and secured to base plates 6. These base plates rest on the upper webs 1A of the channel beams 1 and are vsecured to the latter by clamps each consisting of a clamping plate 7 seated on the upper -ianges of the channel beams 1 and connected along the line lvided at their u per edges with notches 8, the notches ont e two angle irons alining transversely of the bender. y

Rigidly fastened to the rear end ofthe base 1s a vertical thrust member 9, here shown as of a channel section, against which a part of a ipe 10 can be held by a clamping plate 11 Wlich is carried by threaded shanks 12 projecting rearwardly from the base, and which plate can be forced against the pipes by nuts 13 (Fig. 4).' The thrust 1nember of the pipe clamp, as thus arranged, has its pipeengaging face substantially tangential to one end of a bending formfwhich form may be rigid as shown at 43 in Fig. 8.- However, we preferably employ a form which can be adusted to a wide varietyof curvatures, thereavoiding boththe providing of numer ous forms of different radii, and also saving the time required for detaching the forni from the base and replacing it by another one.

Illustrative of such an adjustable form, we desirably provide a plurality of rigid arms each carrying a portion of the form at its upper end and each having its lower end socketed upon the base, together with connections between the consecutive form portions and means for independently adjusting the length of each arm. For this purpose, Figs. 5 to 7 show each such arm has comprising a threaded shank 14 extending upwards slidably into the bore of a tube 15 to a variable distance adjusted by the position of a nut 16 engaging the lower end of the tube, which nut is latched by an adjacent locknut 17. The'lower end of the shank is fast upon a cross-bar 18 which extends across the two channel members 5 on the base of our bender, and which cross-bar can be slidably socketed in any alined pair of the upwardly open notches 8.

The upper end of each tube 15 carries a head 19 which preferably is pivoted to the tube (as by the bolt 2O of Fig. 6), and each such head preferably has its upper surface convexed longitudinally of the head. The consecutive form heads 19 are connected to each other by pivoting links 21, and the form head nearest to the previously described clamp for the pipe is connected by a pivoting link 22 to a stationary part of the form, such as -a riser 23 secured to the angle irons 5. These links not only keep the form heads in longitudinal alinement but also 4maintain a constant distance between the consecutive heads and resist strains in the bending direction (namely toward the right in Fig. 5)

when our bender is in use. Y

To prevent the pipe from sliding transversely off these heads, we preferably make the upper face of each head of an upwardly concave transverse section, as for example of the oblique angled V-shaped section shown in Fig. 6. Th'enpwe also provide yielding means connecting these upper form faces to aord a continuous curvature, and preferably employ yielding means which will conof the form heads 19. When first laid upon theconsecutive form heads, this band `24 may 'rest onliv Aon outer lateral edge portions of the hea s, as shown in Fig. 5. However, the pressure of the pipe toward the form heads during the bending operation forces the band into t e concaved upper head faces and also indents the pipe into the yielding material of the band into conformity with the radius of the pipe, as shown in Fig. 6.

Consequently, this band automatically adx justs itself to the desired curvature for which the several form arms have been adjusted both by varying their respective lengths and by selecting suitable pairs of notches for engagement with the cross-bars 18 on the lower ends of the form arms. By providing counterpart notches 8 spaced by small fractions of the length of each form head 19, and by threading the arm Shanks 14 to afford a considerable adjustment in the length of each arm, we can readily adjust our bending form to a wide range of curvatures. With each adjustment, the pivoting of the cross-bars 18 in the notches entered by them, the pivoting of each head 19 on the tubular portion 15 of each form arm, andr the pivoting of the links 21 to the heads permit the heads to swing into the general desired curvature.

To facilitate the operation of our bender, we also provide power-multiplying means, preferably in the form of a winch which is adjustably mounted on the base of the bender so that it can be operatively connected to pipe portions spaced by different distances from the form. Thus, Fig. 1 shows a winch drum 25 journaled on a winch frame 26 which seats on the upper flanges 1A and which carries clamping plates 27 respectively underhanging the such two anges. .By loosening bolts 28 which connect each clamping plate with the winch base, the entire winch can be slid lengthwise of the bender base toward or from the form, so as to have the winch underhanging a desired portion of the pipe 10, after which a tightening of these bolts clamps the winch in its selected position.

A cable or other flexible connecting member 29 is then connected at one end to the winch drum 25 and at its other end by any suitable means, suchl as a clamp 30, to the pipe. The winch is preferably operated through a pivoted lever 31 carrying a pawl 32`engaging a ratchet wheel 33 on the winch drum, a releasable pawl 34 is provided for latching the"winch. Thus arranged, ,the reciprocation of the lever 31 enables a single userto exert enough power for bending piping of any size likely to need bending on a construction job,

and the pipe can quickly be released and reclamped vin another position for making a further bend in it.

To allow for the making of bends at a dis- `tance lfrom the rear (clamped) end of the pipe, we provide means whereby the entire bender can be tilted about its forward wheels 3, desirably by mounting a tubular socket 35. near the rear end of each base channel member '1. Vith each such socket extending laterspectively into the two sockets, while the lower ends of these pipes engage the floor 37 .(as in Fig. 3), thereby 'permitting the clamped pipe 10 to Vextend downward for-a. considerable distance below the rear end of the base of the bender.'

By providing an adjust-able form and also permitting the winch to be moved toward or from the form, we se'ure a self-contained bending device of wide adaptability and high power, and eliminate both the need of stationary benches and the supplying of the numerous separate forms usually required 'for making bends of different radii. Moreover, the use of vour yielding band 24 adapts our bender to widely varying diameters of pipes, and the tiltability of the entire bender facilitates the making of bends spaced from the ends of piping. So also, the'wheels 3 and 4 permit the user to move the entire bender easily from one point to another.

However, while we have heretofore described our invention in an embodiment in- "cluding certain desirable construction and wardly open channel for receiving the packing band 24, while Fig. 8 shows a single form member 43 supported by rigid bracing 39.

Nor do we wish to be limited to the employment of the various novel features of our bender in conjunction with one another. We claim as our invention: l. A pipe bender comprising a horizontally extending base provided at its top with oppositely directed'flanges, a form seated on the said flanges near one end of the base and extending longitudinally of the flanges, a

winch mounted on the fianges and slidable toward the form from the other end of the base, means for clamping the winch to the said flanges to prevent such'sliding of the winch, means for clampingr a portion of a pipe tothe form, and flexible means connecting -terial o the 4another portion of the `pipe with the wlnch.

2. In a pipe bender, a form having aconvexed edge of outwardly open channel-shaped transversesectio, anda lining for the chaninel composed of a deformable but substantially incompressible material. y

3..,In apipe bender, aform having a convexed edge of outwardly open channel-shaped transverse section, and a lining for the channel composed of a deformable but substantially incompressible material, the lining bemg wider than the mouth of the channel. 4. In a pipe bender, a form .having a convexed edge of outwardly open channel-shaped transverse section, and a lining for the channel com osed of a thick band of woven mageneral character of a brake linlng. f

5. A pipe bending form comprising a support, a plurality of relatively diverging arms disposedl substantially in a common vertical plane and each pivotally connected at one end to the support and each adjustable in length, each arm having a head of upwardly conveX'ed longitudinal section at its other end, and connecting links respectively interposed between the heads of consecutive arms.

6. A pipe bending form comprising a support, a plurality of relatively `diverging. arms disposed substantially in a common vertical plane and each pivoted at one end upon the support and each adjustable vin length, each arm having a head at its other end, and connections between consecutive heads for. definitely spacing and alining the heads.

7. A bending form as per claim 5, in which thev support is constructed to permit a vary- Y ing of the spacing between the pivoting ends of the arms.

and in which each arm has one end formed` for entering one of the said notches and pivot-vy ingu-pon the bottom of the notch.

lO. A pipe bending form comprising a plurality 'of consecutively connected heads having grooved outer faces disposed with the grooves thereof in substantial continuation of each other; arms respectively supporting the several heads., each arm being independently adjustable in length; and a yielding member seated in all of the said grooves to afford a continuous form engaged by a pipe during the bending thereof.

11. A pipe bender comprising a base having one end adapted to rest on a floor, Ia bending form mounted on the other end of the base, a winch mounted on the base and spaced from the form, a support for the said other end of the base about which the base may be tilted u wardl inra vertical plane, and means assoclated with the form-carrym end of the base for holding the base in a tilte position.

12. A bender as per claim 11, in which the said means include sockets upon the base and legs attachable at their upper ends to the sockets.

13. An adjustable bending form comprising a base, upwardly extending arms detachably journaled on the base and disposed 1n a common vertical plane, an upwardly grooved head pivoted on the upper end of each arm, links respectively connecting the consecutive heads for holding the heads with the medial portions of the grooves in the head in the said plane, and means respectively associated with the several arms for independently adjusting the length of each arm.

14. An adjustable bending form as per claim 13, in which the base is provided with a plurality of consecutively spaced journaling formations interchangeably adapted to have arms j ournaled in them.

15. A pipe bender comprising a base, an articulated form member secured to the base, a winch secured to the base beyond one end of the form member` means for clamping a portion of the pipe to one part of the other end of the form member, and means connecting the winch to a portion of the vpipe extending beyond the first named end of the form member, the winch being slidably mounted on the base for movement toward and away from the form.

16. In a pipe bender, a rigid base provided with socket formations spaced longitudinally of the base, arms each socketed at one end in one of the said-formations and having their axes in a common plane, form portions respectively mounted on the other ends of the arms and alining longitudinally with each other to constitute a form member, means definitely spacing the consecutive arms, and means ixedly spacing the base from the form portion at one end of the said form member.

17. A pipe bender as per claim 16, in which the said socket formations are spaced by distances less than the lengths of the form portions.

18. A pipe bender comprising a horizontal base having oppositely directed lateral flanges, an articulated bending form extending longitudinally of the base and secured at one end to ,the base, a sli de interlocked with the said ianges beyond the other end of the bending form for movement toward and from the form, means for clamping a pipe to the said end of the form. pulling means carried by the slide, and a pulling member interposed between the pipe and the pulling means.

19. A pipe bending device comprising a base having two parallel rows of upwardly open socketing formations, the formations in one row alining with those of the other; arm members each having at its lower end a Signed at Chicago, Illinois, March 27th,

ARTHUR J. HARMON. JAMES W. HARMON.