US3124192A

US3124192A - Bending device

Info

Publication number: US3124192A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1964-03-10
Anticipated expiration: 1981-03-10

Description

Mar h 10, 1964 J. R. WILLIAMS ETAL 3, 4, 9

w Z, I

INVENTORS. JACK R. MLLIAMS BY CLARENCE L.FLssAT March 10, 1964 J. R. WILLIAMS ETAL 3,124,192

BENDING DEVICE Filed March 28, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENTORS. JACK R. MLLIAMS BY CLARENCE L. FLESSATE MMp-ZW Wfiorn eys United States Patent Ofi 3,124,192 Patented Mar. 10, 1964 iice 3,124,192 SENDING DEVI CE Jack R. Wiliiams, Painesviiie, Ohio, and Ciarence L. Fiessate, Wauhesha, Wis, assignors to Appiied Power Industries, Inc, a corporation of Wisconsin Fiied Mar. 28, 1969, Ser. N 17,882 4 Ciaims. Ci. 153-38) The present invention relates generally to improvements in the art of bending elongated metal bar or plate stock, and relates more particularly to improvements in the construction and operation of portable power actuated bending devices adapted to bend fiat bars, such as bus bars, either in a direction extending across the width or in a direction extending across the depth of the bar.

A primary object of this invention is to provide improvements in bending apparatus or" the type generally shown and described in US. Patent No. 2,255,985, dated September 16, 1941 to E. M. Pfauser, which enables such devices to be used in bending plate stock.

As shown in Patent No. 2,255,985, it has heretofore been proposed to provide portable assemblages for bending pipe or tubing comprising, in general, a pair of spaced triangular plates secured at a common apex to the end of a power cylinder and having reaction blocks pivotally mounted therebetween near the other apices thereof, and an arcuate shoe attachable to the power ram or plunger for movement therewith intermediate the plates and between the reaction blocks to bend the pipe or tube upon application of pressure to the ram.

While such prior bending devices have enjoyed widespread acceptance and have proven highly successful and efficient in operation, their use has thus far been limited to bending operations on elongated cylindrical stock such as pipe or tubing. heretofore performed wtih such apparatus has been restricted to arcuate formations as distinguished from sharp angular bends.

In working with plate or flat bar stock such as bus bars, it is frequently desired to effect sharp angular bends in a direction across the width or thickness of the bar, herein referred to as flat bends, and it is also often desired to bend the flat bar stock in the direction of the depth of the bar, herein referred to as edge bends. While various devices have heretofore been provided which enable flat bending of the stock, there are no known available devices of a portable nature by means of which edge bending may be satisfactorily accomplished, and it has therefore been common practice to either out two bars to size and then lap and bolt the same together or to diagonally cut the bar stock and unite the same by miter joints to obtain the desired curvature.

It is there-fore an object of this invention to provide a portable bending assemblage which is readily adapted for use on flat bar stock of different dimensions and by means of which either fiat or edge bends may be effected.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved bending device which may be quickly and easily converted either for use in forming fiat bends or for the formation of edge bends on flat bar or plate stock.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved portable bender by means of which diverse arcuate as well as sharp angular bends may be imparted to flat bar stock without lateral distortion of the stock.

These and other specific objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description.

A clear conception of the features constituting the present improvements, and of the construction and operation of a typical bending assemblage for operating on bar Moreover, the type of bends 3 stock and embodying the invention, may be had by referring to the drawings accompanying and forming a part or" this specification in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the several views.

FIG. 1 is a part sectional plan view of a typical fluid pressure actuated bending device embodying the invention and showing a fragment of flat bar stock positioned between the bending shoe and reaction blocks just prior to performing an edge bend thereon, the side plate of the bending shoe being removed and parts being broken away for the sake of clarity;

FIG. 2 is a similar part sectional view of the bender but showing the power ram and bending shoe extended to a position wherein the edge bending operation on the bar stock is completed, parts again being broken away for clarity;

PEG. 3 is an exploded and somewhat enlarged perspective view or" one of the improved bendin shoes for per forming edge bends on fiat stock;

FIG. 4 is a similarly enlarged part sectional side view of the assembled bending shoe of FIG. 3, the bar stock to be bent being shown by means of dot-and-dash lines;

FIG. 5 is another pian View of the bending device of FIG. 1 but showing the same performing a iiat bend on a fragment of bar stock with a fiat bending shoe mounted on the ram and a fiat bending die secured to the bender frame, a part of the bending die frame being broken away for the sake of clarity;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the bending shoe for performing flat bends as shown in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the bending die used in flat bending operations.

White the invention has been shown and described herein as applied to a fluid pressure actuated portable bending assemblage of the type generally disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,255,985 and as being particularly useful in operating on bus bar stock, it is not intended to thereby unnecessarily restrict the application or use of the improvements; and it is furthermore contemplated that specific descriptive terms employed herein shall be given the broadest possible interpretation consistent with the disclosure.

Referring to the drawings, the portable bending device shown therein comprises, in general, a power ram having a fluid pressure actuated plunger 10 movable within a cylinder 11; a frame formed by a pair of parallel rigid side plates 12, 13 each having its mid-portion detachably but firmly secured to the open end of the cylinder 11 and also having therein at least two series of axially alined holes 14, 15 respectively diverging away from the cylinder end along each side thereof; a work receiving bending shoe indicated generally at 16 and which will be hereinafter described in detail detachably secured to the extreme outer end of the plunger 10 for movement thereby between the spaced plates 12, 13 and intermediate the oppositely diverging sets or series of holes 14, 15; and a pair of work engaging reaction blocks 17 pivotally cooperable with selected pairs of alined holes 14, 15 on opposite sides of the plunger 11 for cooperation with the plunger and the shoe 16 to effect bending of a piece of elongated bar stock 18 positioned against the block 17.

The mid portion or apex of at least one of the triangular plates 12, 13 may be detachably secured to the open end of the plunger guiding cylinder 11 as by means of a removable spacing and clamping bracket 21?, and the ram assemblage may be of any well known type operable as by fluid pressure supplied from a suitable pump (not shown) through a flexible conduit 21. The shoe 16 may be detachably secured to the end of the plunger 1% in any suitable manner as by means of a traverse pin 22 cooperable with an annular recess 23 formed on the plunger, and the assemblage may thus be conveniently assembled and dismantled for placement and removal of the work pieces 18 and for interchanging the shoes 16. Each of the reaction blocks 17 is of polygonal shape having relatively deep rectilinear work receiving grooves 24 about the peripheries thereof, and these blocks 17 are rotatably mounted upon removable pivot pins adapted to coact with selected matching sets of holes 14, 15 in the plates 12, 13.

The general assemblage thus described is well known as shown in US. Patent No. 2,255,985, and such apparatus has enjoyed considerable success. However, the utility thereof has heretofore been undesirably restricted to bending operations on pipe or tubing, and by reason of the present invention, this type of portable bending apparatus may now be readily adapted for bending flat bar stock either in a direction lying in the plane of the width or transversely across the width thereof.

In addition to modifying the reaction blocks 17 to provide rectilinear work receiving grooves 24- for proper seating of the fiat work 18, the present invention contemplates provision of a special unique work bending shoe 1% for edge bending operations. The improved shoe comprises, a pair of spaced

side plates

27, 28 and an intermediate bending plate 29, one of the

side plates

27, 23 having a plunger receiving socket 3t) rigidly secured thereto as by welding or the like.

The bending plate 29 has an outwardly presented bending surface 31 engageable with one longitudinal edge of the work 18, the bending surface 31 being of any desired arcuate curvature or radius, and the width of the bending plate 29 selected is critical and should be from 4% to 10% larger than the thickness or width of the work 18 to be bent to allow the material to flow while still preventing lateral distortion thereof. While the curved segment or plate 29 performs the edge bending operation upon longitudinal movement of the plunger iii under pressure to move the bending shoe 16 between the reaction blocks 17 as shown in FIG. 2, the

side plates

27, 28 provide lateral stability and to prevent lateral distortion of the work 18 during the bending operation, the

side plates

27, 28 should be of considerably greater length or depth than the bending plate 29 as shown. The

side plates

27, 28 and bending segment or plate 29 may be firmly secured together as a unit in any suitable manner as by capscrews 32 receivable in alined 33, and one or the other of the

plates

27, 28 may be provided with positioning pins 34 cooperable with matching holes 35 in the bending plate 29 to facilitate proper assembly. The bending shoe assembly 16 is secured to the plunger 10 as aforesaid by means of a traverse pin 22 cooperable with the groove 23 in the plunger, the pin 22 being receivable in a hole 36 formed in the socket 30 of the shoe in a known manner.

While it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction of the bending shoe assemblage thus described, formation of the same of separate

detachable side plates

27, 28 and a separate bending segment or plate 29 permits ready interchangeability of these parts to accommodate Work of diverse shapes and sizes as well as to permit performance of different edge bending operations. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the plate 27 may be readily rigidly secured to or formed integral with the socket 30 and is located to one side of the center of the socket 30 to thereby properly center the bending segment or plate 29. Also, the rear of the bending plate 29 is formed with a central U-shaped recess 38 receivable by the socket 30 to properly seat the same and provide stability, and the rear of the plate 28 is formed with a similar tJ-shaped recess 39 for like purposes.

For the performance of flat bends, we have provided the attachment shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7. This attachment comprises a die 46 formed by a pair of similar spaced

side plates

47, 48 shown as being of generally V- shape connected at their apex or outer medial portion by a forming or bending block 49 of the desired angular cross-section. The wings of the

die side plates

47, 48 are provided with holes 5t) alinable with selected ones of the sets of holes 14, 15 in the bender frame so as to removably receive suitable T pins 51 or the like. Cooperable with the die 46 is a bending shoe 52 having a socket 53 for receiving the end of the ram plunger 1%) and attachable thereto by means of the traverse pin 22 as above described with reference to the attachment of the shoe 16. The shoe 52 has an angular working face 54- matching that of the die block 4).

When it is desired to form a flat bend on the bar stock 18, the edge bending shoe 16 is replaced in an obvious manner by the bending shoe 52, and the die 46 is secured to the side plates 12, 13 of the bender frame by means of the pins 51. With the plunger 16 backed up or retracted, the work to be bent is positioned against the die block 49, and pressure is thereafter applied by the ram plunger it? to form the desired flat bend as shown in FIG. 5, the plunger being retracted to its initial position to re move the work.

From the foregoing detailed description, it is apparent that a bending assemblage has been provided for working on flat bar stock which is extremely simple and economical in construction and which is moreover highly efficient in the performance of areuate edge bends as well as fiat angular bends. The side plate 13 of the main bender frame may be readily removed for access to either the edge bending shoe 16 or the flat bending shoe 52, either of which may be readily removed for quick and easy replacement by the other. When the edge bender 16 is utilized, the reaction blocks 17 may be readily interchanged to accommodate the particular work piece 13 which is desired to operate on, and the work piece 13 may be readily positioned as shown in FIG. 1 by removthe side plate 28 of the bending shoe, positioning the work piece and then attaching the side plate 23 to locate the work 13 in the plane of movement of the bending plate 29. On the other hand, whenever it is desired to perform fiat bending operations as shown in FIG. 5, it is only necessary to replace the shoe 16 with the shoe 52 and to secure the die 46 in position for the performance of the bending operation as hereinabove described.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit this invention to the exact details of construction or to the precise mode of operation of the bending apparatus herein shown and described, since various modifications within the scope of the appended claims may occur to persons skilled in the art to which this invention pertains.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for bending fiat bar stock to produce edge bends therein, said apparatus comprising, power means movable axially along a guide member, at least one rigid plate secured to said guide member and extending in the direction of movement of said power means to provide a frame, a bending shoe movable axially by said power means relative to said frame, said bending shoe having a bending plate formed with a forwardly presented bending face and secured between side plates projecting forwardly beyond said face to form an open receiving groove for the edge of a bar to be bent, one of said side plates being detachable to permit free lateral access to said groove, and a grooved reaction block pivotally and removably mounted on said frame on each side of the path of movement of said bending shoe.

2. Apparatus for bending flat bar stock to produce edge bends therein, said apparatus comprising, power means movable axially along a guide member, at least one rigid plate secured to said guide member and extending in the direction of axial movement of said power means to provide a frame, a bending shoe movable axially by said power means relative to said frame, said bending shoe having a bending plate formed with a forwardly presented bending face and secured between side plates which project beyond said face to form a forwardly open receiving groove for the edge of a bar to be bent, one of said side plates having means for detachably securing the same to said power means and said bending plate and the other side plate being detachably secured to said one side plate, and a grooved reaction block pivotally and removably mounted on said frame on each side of the path of movement of said bending shoe.

3. A bending shoe for use in producing edge bends in fiat bar stock, said bending shoe comprising, a bending plate interposed between a pair of side plates, said bending plate being formed with a forwardly presented work engaging bending face and said side plates being of greater length than said bending plate so as to project forwardly beyond said bending face and form an open work receiving groove at its forward end, means for detachably securing said side plates to said bending plate to normally retain the same in assembled condition, and means on one of said side plates for attaching the same to a power actuator.

4. A bending shoe for use in producing edge bends in flat bar stock, said bending shoe comprising, a bending plate interposed between a pair of side plates, said bending plate being formed with a forwardly presented work engaging bending face and said side plates being of greater length than said bending plate so as to project beyond said bending face and form a forwardly open work receiving groove, means for detachably securing said side plates to said bending plate to form a unitary assemblage, and a socket rigidly secured to the rear edge of one of said side plates for attaching the same to a power actuator, said bending plate and the other of said side plates each being formed with a rearwardly open U-shaped recess receivable by said socket for positioning and positively locating said plates thereon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 924,514 Warehock June 8, 1909 1,002,329 Sprengle Sept. 5, 1911 1,054,132 Miner Feb. 25, 1913 2,725,916 Gershater Dec. 6, 1955 2,808,095 Loughlin et al. Oct. 1, 1957 2,867,261 Traupmann Jan. 6, 1959 2,871,908 Flessate Feb. 3, 1959 2,882,952 Johnson Apr. 21, 1959 2,887,145 Tiedemann May 19, 1959

Claims

1. APPARATUS FOR BENDING FLAT BAR STOCK TO PRODUCE EDGE BENDS THEREIN, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING, POWER MEANS MOVABLE AXIALLY ALONG A GUIDE MEMBER, AT LEAST ONE RIGID PLATE SECURED TO SAID GUIDE MEMBER AND EXTENDING IN THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID POWER MEANS TO PROVIDE A FRAME, A BENDING SHOE MOVABLE AXIALLY BY SAID POWER MEANS RELATIVE TO SAID FRAME, SAID BENDING SHOE HAVING A BENDING PLATE FORMED WITH A FORWARDLY PRESENTED BENDING FACE AND SECURED BETWEEN SIDE PLATES PROJECTING FORWARDLY BEYOND SAID FACE TO FORM AN OPEN RECEIVING GROOVE FOR THE EDGE OF A BAR TO BE BENT, ONE OF SAID SIDE PLATES BEING DETACHABLE TO PERMIT FREE LATERAL ACCESS TO SAID GROOVE, AND A GROOVED REACTION BLOCK PIVOTALLY AND REMOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME ON EACH SIDE OF THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAID BENDING SHOE.