US3293897A

US3293897A - Mechanical bending apparatus for making coiled tubing

Info

Publication number: US3293897A
Application number: US352821A
Authority: US
Inventors: Fred L Holter
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-03-18
Filing date: 1964-03-18
Publication date: 1966-12-27
Anticipated expiration: 1983-12-27

Description

Dec. 27, 1966 F. L. HOLTER 3,293,897

, MECHANICAL BENDING APPARATUS FOR MAKING COILED TUBING Filed March 18, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 250 Ze BYWQW Dec. 27, 1966 F. HOLTER 3,293,897

MECHANICAL BENDING APPARATUS FOR MAKING COILED TUBING Filed March 18, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2 O CL INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,293,897 MECHANICAL BENDING APPARATUS FOR MAKING CIIJED TUBING Fred lL. Holter, 9668113 Lois Drive, Des Plaines, Ill. 60016 Filed Mar. 18, 1964, Ser. No. 352,821 18 Claims. (Cl. 72-135) This invention relates to a mechanical bending apparatus and in particular to a bending apparatus for developing the length of an elongated body such as a tube or pipe into a spiral path of the helical type wherein the tube length or coil extends concurrently axially along and peripherally or circumferentially from a central axis. The apparatus finds particular use in fabricating a hand rail for a spiral staircase.

It is therefore a general object of this invention to provide a mechanical bending apparatus for developing elongated members into a curving peripherally or circumferentially and axially extending coil like unit.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a mechanical bending apparatus for bending a member such as a tube into axially and circumferentially extending spiral coil means whereby the diameter and the axial distance between each coil or winding may be varied.

It is another object of this invention to provide a mechanical bending apparatus for forming tubular hand rail for a spiral staircase whereby the circumferential and axial dimensions of the rail coils may be varied in conforming with variation in the size of the risers and treads of the spiral staircase.

It is another object of this invention to provide a mechanical bending apparatus in fabricating a hand rail for a spiral staircase wherein the apparatus is adjustable to accommodate varying diameters of spiral stairs; varying degrees of treads, and to the varying height of risers.

Another object is to provide a method for making coiled tubing.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a mechanical bending apparatus being provided with guide means in the form of a plurality of adjustable tubes or sleeve members for receiving the elongated body or member to be coiled.

Another object of this invention is to provide sleeve elements for the mechanical bending apparatus that receive the elongated body to be coiled wherein the sleeve elements may have flared tube entrance portions and may be provided with guide track means to guide the material and prevent it from crimping or otherwise deforming -as the body or material is coiled.

These and other objects will become apparent from reference t-o the following detailed description of a preferred construction taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of my invention taken along line 2 2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of my invention taken along line 3 3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of my invention taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 4a is a sectional view taken along line 4a-4a of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view of a modified form of sleeve means; and

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken along lines 6-6 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged sectional view of a modified form of the sleeve means shown in FIGURE 4 and as taken generally along section line 7-7 of FIGURES 7a and 7b;

ICC

FIGURE 7a is a sectional view taken along lines '7a-7a of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 7b is a sectional view taken along lines 7b-7b of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view of a type of covered rail to be formed by the sleeve means of FIGURE 7.

With reference now to the drawings and in particular to FIGURES 1 through 4a, there is shown a mechanical bending apparatus 2 comprising a support or tubular framework 4 having upper horizontal arms 6 and lower horizontal arms 8 and vertical standard 10 adjustably mounted in base members 12 by bolts 14. A material bending unit 16 is carried by the

arms

6, 8 and 10 at the right side of the framework 4 as viewed in FIGURES 1 and 2. A material feed mechanism 18 feeds the material such as round tube or pipe 2l) to the bending or coil forming unit 16 and comprises a base 22 and a gear box 24 for driving feed rolls 26 which feed tube 20 to unit 16, the gear box 24 being operated through pulleys 28 and 3l) and belt 32 driven by motor 34.

The bending unit or coil forming structure 16 cornprises the longitudinal beams or plates 36, the two flat semi-circular disc-

like plates

38, 38 and the adjustable material guide means or sleeve structure 40. The two vertical end plates 38, 3S are welded and bolted to the support structure 16 at

arms

6, 8, 10 as by welds 42 and bolts 44 as seen in FIGURES 1 and 2. Each longitudinal beam or plate 36 is L-shaped having axially extending

sides

46 and 48 and is provided with end sides Sil. The

end plates

38, 38 have arcuate slots 51 for receiving bolts 52 that fasten sides 5G of beams 36 to the plates 38. The arcuate slots 51 allow for circumferential adjustment of the beams 36 on the plates 38. The side 48 of each beam 36 is with a plurality of horizontal aligned apertures 54 for receiving bolts 55 for holding at plate or arm 56 of the guide structure 40 in two of such apertures 54 to provide for a plurality of axial or horizontal positions for the guide structure 40. The guide arm 56 is provided with a plurality of radially extending pairs of apertures 57 for receiving bolts 55 to provide for a plurality of positions of the arm 56 radially displaced from the center or axis of the bending unit 16. Thus it is seen that the beam 36 may be arcuately moved to several positions along the

disc plates

38, 38 and the guide means 40 may be moved to a number of positions horizontally along the beams 36 as to a number of positions radially of the beams.

The outer end of the guide arm 56 is provided with a guide element or sleeve 58 :for receiving the end of the material or hollow tube 20 Aas it moves in its spiraling7 or helical path circumferentially and `axially along the bending unit 16.

Each hollow sleeve or tube 58 is outwardly flared into a cone shape at its entrance end 59 and is `cylindri-cally shaped and -uniiared at -its exit end 60 (see FIGURE 4) and is held by welding to clamp arms 61 held by fastening means 62 to outer end 63 of plate 56 (see FIGURE 2). An alternate form of the sleeve 58y is shown in FIG- URES 5 and 16` where .the tubular sleeve 58a is 4flared at entrance and exi-

t ends

59a and 60a .and lhas an inte-gral cylindrical base 61a held by bolts 62 extending through base 61a and arcuate slots 56C of integral round bracket portion `56b of plate 56a, shown in FIGURES 7, 7a and 7b, permitting arcuate or vangular Iadjustment of the sleeve 58a on the bracket portion 56b. A further alternate -fonm of sleeve 58b has its inner peripheral surface 63 provided with lower crescent shaped axially tapering guide block or track 64 wider at entrance end 59 and narrower at exit end 61 and held to sleeve 58b by screw means 65 and :upper axially tapering guide block 66 wider at entrance end 59 and narrower :at exit end 61 and held to sleeve 58b by screw means 67. The .guide block or track 66 has an internal rectangular projection 68 that cooperates with iiat surface 69 of guide block' 64 `for channeling and lguiding U-shaped rail 20a through opening or channel 70 of sleeve 58b. Thus the U-shaped rail 20a is prevented from bending or buckling as it passes through sleeve 58b and may thereafter be capped by hand rail cover 71 as shown by FIG-URE 8 for a spiral staircase.

Thus it is seen that there is provided a bending apparatus for developing elongated members into a spiral form of the helical type finding use in the production of the

hand rails

20 or 20a for a spiral stair case where the member or rail 20 may be of varying diameter and of varying axial extent, the degrees of tread for a spiral staircase rail 36 being determined by the angula-r position of one beam or guide carrier relative to another by the end plates or spacer means 38 and wherein :the number of beams or carriers 36 may be varied. Further, the guide means 40 are radially extended outwardly or withdrawn inwardly for varying the -diameter of the helical coil of the tube-

like rail

20, 20a to accommodate the diametrical size of the spiral staircase. Also, the

rail

20, 20a may be made to conform to the height of the riser of the sta-ir by varying the axial proximity of one guide means 40` relative to another. Also, the entrance end off each guide or sleeve means 58 may be angularly adjusted to insure proper alignment with a preceding sleeve means 58 and the sleeve means may 'be flared to insure reception of the

member

20 or 20a therein. Too, the :guide means may be provided with internal track or tube guides 64, i66 for maintaining the diametric or perimeter shape oli tube or rail member in its travel through the sleeve or :guide means.

Further there is provided :a method of makin-g spiral coil tubing generally helical in orm from an elongated tubular body by `feeding the same through the apparatus as aforedescribed.

The guide means 40 may be so positioned on the framework or lixture 4 in a reverse pattern as shown by the dotted lines in FIGURE 3 all-owing the `fabrication of hand rails for the opposite side of the staircasel such as making right-handed as Well as left-handed rails. Whereas, FIGURE 2 has dotted lines illustrating a second radial position of the guide means 40 for the fabrication of hand rails of, greater diameter.

It will be appreciated that variations and modifications of the embodiment disclosed may occur within the scope of the invention described herein without departing from the spiri-t of the invention and that the embodiment disclosed herein is not to be considered as a limitation on the .sc-ope or breadth of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A bending apparatus for coiling an elongated tubelike member into a spiral coil pattern of the general helical type for use as .a spiral staircase rail and the like comprising a pair of diametrically opposed radially extending spacers, axially extending guide carrying members disposed between the spacers and extending radially outward from the central Iaxis ofthe apparatus, and means coupling the guide carrying members and the spacers in angular positioning of one `guide carrying member relative to the other, said guide carrying members each having an outer portion collectively presenting with another a general circumferential z-one adapted to determine t-he general diametric extent of the spiral coil pattern, and guide means disposed on the outer portion of each guide carrying means in the circumferential zone and adapted tfor the reception of the tube-like member in coiled circumscribing and axial travel above the apparatus from one Iguide means to another.

2. The invent-ion according to claim 1 and said apparatus being provided with means ,for axially adjustable positioning of the guide means along the guide carrying members.

3. The invention according to claim ,1 and said apparatus being provided with means for radially adjustable positioning of the guide means along the guide carrying member.

4. The invention according to claim 1 and said guide means comprising a sleeve adapted for reception of the tube-like member from a preceding sleeve.

5. The invention according to claim 1 and said spacers each having means connecting with the guide carrying members and adjusting the angularity of one guide member relative to another.

6. A mechanical bending apparatus for coiling an elongated tube-like member into a spiral coil pattern of the general helical type comprising a pair of diametrically opposed radially extending spacers, a plurality of axially elongated beam means radiating out from the central axis of the apparatus and connecting with each spacer in determinative angular spaced relation of one beam means relative to the other, each beam means presenting an outer peripheral surface to define collectively with another surface a circumferential sleeve zone, a plurality of sleeves for reception of the tube-like member in circumferential array in the sleeve zone, each sleeve being mounted on a complemental beam means surface dening an axial and radial coiled path for the tube-like members.

7. The invention according to claim 6 and each spacer defining a generally semi-circular plate provided with means associated with a respective .beam means in predetermining the angularity of the respective beam means to an adjacent beam means.

8. The invention according to claim 6 and said sleeve being provided with means connecting with a respective beam means for extending the sleeve radially of the respective beam means.

9. The invention according to claim 6 and said sleeve being provided with means connecting with a respective beam means for extending the sleeve axially of the respective beam means.

10. A mechanical bending apparatus for coiling an elongated part in a general helical type pattern comprising a plurality of axially extending members, each member spaced in angular relation to one another and having an inner portion extending radially inward toward a central axis of the bending apparatus and having an outer peripheral portion extending radially outwardly to define with one another a generally circumferentially arrayed guide carriage structure, and guide means provided for the reception of the elongated part and disposed on the outer peripheral portion of the member, and cooperative with the guide means of another member for coiling the elongated part about the carriage structure, and means operatively associated with the guide means and the outer peripheral portion of the member and operative to position the guide means along the members in varying the dimension of the elongated part in the coiling thereof.

11. The invention according to claim 10 and said guide means comprising a sleeve element mounted on the outer peripheral portion and adapted to receive the elongated part from a preceding sleeve element.

12. The invention according to claim 10 and said guide means comprising a sleeve element mounted on the outer peripheral portion and having an outwardly flared inlet end adapted to receive the elongated part from a preceding sleeve element.

13. The invention according to claim 10 and said guide means comprising a sleeve element mounted on the outer peripheral portion and having outwardly ared inlet and exit portions adapted to receive the elongated part from a preceding sleeve element.

14. The invention according to claim 10 and spacer means connecting with each member and provided with angle adjusting means adapted to adjust the angularity of one member relative to another.

15. The invention laccording to claim 10 and said guide means comprising a hollow sleeve element mounted on the outer peripheral portion and track means disposed Wtihin the sleeve element adapted to guide the path 0f the elongated member through the sleeve element.

16. The invention according to claim 10 and said apparatus being provided wtih part feeding means and with adjustable support means for the member, said adjustable support means being provided with me-ans adapted for registering the feed means with the guide means in the travel of the elongated part from the feed means to the guide means.

17. The invention according to claim 10 and said last mentioned means :comprising means operatively connecting the radial -portions of the guide means and the members and adapted to provide radial adjustment of the sleeve means relative to the members in varying the diametric extent of the elongated part.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 506,157 10-/1893 Clarke 72-369 885,139 4/1908 Brown 72-457 1,105,914 8/1914 Miller 72-166 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

L. A. LARSON, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A BENDING APPARATUS FOR COILING AN ELONGATED TUBELIKE MEMBER INTO A SPIRAL COIL PATTERN OF THE GENERAL HELICAL TYPE FOR USE AS A SPIRAL STAIR CASE RAIL AND THE LIKE COMPRISING A PAIR OF DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED RADIALLY EXTENDING SPACERS, AXIALLY EXTENDING GUIDE CARRYING MEMBERS DISPOSED BETWEEN THE SPACERS AND EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARD FROM THE CENTRAL AXIS OF THE APPARATUS, AND MEANS COUPLING THE GUIDE CARRYING MEMBERS AND THE SPACERS IN ANGULAR POSITIONING OF ONE GUIDE CARRYING MEMBER RELATIVE TO THE OTHER, SAID GUIDE CARRYING MEMBERS EACH HAVING AN OUTER PORTION COLLECTIVELY PRESENTING WITH ANOTHER A GENERAL CIRCUMFERENTIAL ZONE ADAPTED TO DETERMINED THE GENERAL DIAMETRIC EXTENT OF THE SPIRAL COIL PATTERN, AND GUIDE MEANS DISPOSED ON THE OUTER PORTION OF EACH GUIDE CARRYING MEANS IN THE CIRCUMFERENTAIL ZONE AND ADAPTED FOR THE RECEPTION OF THE TUBE-LIKE MEMBER IN COILED CIRCUMSCRIBING AND AXIAL TRAVEL ABOVE THE APPARATUS FROM ONE GUIDE MEANS TO ANOTHER.