US3662580A

US3662580A - Tube bender and method

Info

Publication number: US3662580A
Application number: US20330A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harlan D Power
Original assignee: Phillips Petroleum Co
Current assignee: Phillips Petroleum Co
Priority date: 1970-03-17
Filing date: 1970-03-17
Publication date: 1972-05-16
Anticipated expiration: 1989-05-16

Abstract

A tube bender, particularly adapted to bend plastic coated tubing, having a pivotally fixed tube supporting wheel, a plierslike tube gripping means for holding and bending a tube around said wheel, and a roller positioned to encompass the tube between said roller and said wheel to roll said tube to said wheel while bending the same by actuating said gripping means to bend said tube around said wheel.

Description

O Umted States Patent 1151 3,662,580 Power May 16, 1972 [54] TUBE BENDER AND METHOD 1,781,592 1 1/1930 Meier ..72/217 [72] Inventor: Harlan D- POWQI', Bartlesville, Okla. FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [731 Sigma PhilliPS Pemleum WW8"! 12,121 5/1903 Great Britain ..72/217 [22] Filed: Mar. 17, 1970 Primary Examiner-Charles W. Lanham [2 l PP 20,330 Assistant ExaminerMichael J. Keenan Attorney-Young and Quigg [52] U.S. Cl ..72/2l7, 72/298, 72/459 51 ..B2ld 7 02 ABSTRACT [58] Field of Search ..72/2l7, 459, 3 331689, A tube bender, particularly adapted to bend plastic coated tubing, having a pivotally fixed tube supporting wheel, a I References Cited phers-hketube gnpplng means for hpldmg and bending a tube around said wheel, and a roller positioned to encompass the UNITED STATES PATENTS tube between said roller and said wheel to roll said tube to said wheel while bending the same by actuating said gripping 1,52 l ,358 12/1924 Correll ..72/2 1 7 means to bend Said tube around said wheeL 2,986,195 5/1961 Landis 2,955,495 10/1960 Stirling ..72/36 6 Claims, 17 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMAY 15 I972 3, 6 62 58 O v sum 1 OF 3 INVENTOR.

H. D. POWER A 7'TORNEVS TUBE BENDER AND METHOD This invention relates to a novel tube bender. It also relates to a novel method of bending a tube. In one of its aspects the invention relates to a tube bender having a tube gripping means and a roller means. In another aspect of the invention it relates to a tube bender suited to bending various kinds of pipe or tubing, more especially plastic coated tubing. In still another of its aspects the invention relates to a tube bender having a stationary tube roller means. In a further aspect of the invention, it relates to a combination of a tube roller, tube bending and a tube gripping means.

In one of its concepts the invention provides a tube bender having a grippable handle means having a land portion at one end portion thereof and grippable means extending from said land portion toward the other end thereof; a rotatable tube roller mounted on said land; a tube holding means pivotally fixed by a pivot to said land adjacent said roller; a wheel on said pivot positioned in a manner to permit a tube to fit between said roller and said wheel; said wheel being fixed to said tube holding means and thus adapted to rotate about said pivot together with said holding means.

In another of its concepts the invention providesa tube bender as described wherein the tube holding means comprises a tube gripping means actuatable independently from the action of the tube bender when it is bending a tube. In a further concept of the invention it provides a tube bender as described wherein the tube gripping means comprises a set of tube gripping elements, or jaws, at the respective ends of a pliers portion of said tube holding means, the said ends of the pliers portion being located adjacent said wheel whereby the tube can be firmly secured against said wheel while being bent therearound.

In a further concept still the invention provides a tube bender which is adjustable in that the rotatable tube roller is mounted in said land slidably away and toward said wheel, e.g., as in a slot in said land, said slot being out along a line joining the axes of said roller and said wheel, a suitable fixing element or slide lock being provided to retain the roller in a desired position of adjustment during use of the bender, thus to hold the roller against the tube for rolling the bend.

A further concept still of the invention is in that it provides a method for bending tubing, including plastic coated tubing by drawing the tubing firmly gripped around a wheel against which it is held and, therefore, formed by a rotatable wheel.

In a further concept of the invention there is provided in conjunction with a tube bending wheel or segment around which a tube is to be bent a plierslike holding means having gripping elements or jaws as herein described.

Tube benders have been available for a long time and are exemplified, for example, in patents such as the following:

U.S. Pat. No. 1,879,868 issued Sept. 27, 1932,

U.S. Pat. No. 2,887,914 issued May 26, i959,

U.S. Pat. No. 3,374,532 issued Mar. 26, 1968 Further, various tube benders are illustrated in catalogues of manufacturers of the same.

The tube benders available in the prior art have been found unsatisfactory for bending delicate tubing, for example, tubing which has been coated with a coating which can be marred, cracked, or otherwise destroyed, e.g., a plastic coating or other coating such as paint, enamel, etc. I have conceived and designed a tube bender which will bend plain tubing as well as coated tubing without changing parts. A plier-like grip to grip the tubing is provided with a roller to bend the tube. A wheel is provided around which the tube is to be bent by action of the roller which actually rolls the bend by rolling the tube around the wheel. In its preferred form the roller rotates upon a ball bearing for ease of rolling. A slide lock or other adjustment is provided for fixing the roller precisely to the tubing, thus to encompass the same between the roller and said wheel prior to gripping the tube with the plier-like grip before bending the same. I have found that my tube bender or method of bending a tube which has been coated, as with plastic, will not break the plastic coating, nor will it scar uncoated or plain tubing. The tube is not flattened in the bend, rather it rolls out with a nice smooth bend. This is so whether the tube is coated or uncoated. 1

One of the problems in the prior art has been to provide a tube bender which will permit operation while holding the tube securely without marring or otherwise injuring the same. or its surface. I have provided a readily, quickly operable tube gripping section within a tube bender, the tube gripper being like unto a pliers having elements or jaws of the pliers to encompass substantially the entire periphery of the tube at the place of gripping. In the preferred embodiment, the elements are semicircular jaws gripping the tubing therebetween over a substantial length thereof of the order of a quarter inch or more, usually depending upon the diameter of the tubing. The pliers-like gripping device can be substituted for the usual tube holder and can be used with tube benders wherein the bending element or the bending handle, i.e., the bending shoe, slides upon the tubing as the tubing is bent, thereby around a curved object, e.g., a wheel.

An object of the invention is to provide a tube bender. Another object of the invention is to provide a method for bending a tube. A further object of the invention is to provide a tube bender and method particularly suited to bending a tube without marring or scarring the same or injuring a coating on the surface thereof, for example, a plastic or painted coating. Still further an object of the invention is to provide a tube bender and method of bending a tube which will give a nice smooth bend without any flattening of the tube in or near the bend.

Other aspects, concepts and objects of the invention are apparent from a study of this disclosure, the drawing and the appended claims.

According to the invention there'is provided a tube bender having a pliers-like tube gripping means, a means around which to bend the tube and a tube bending means. Still according to the invention the tube bender comprises a combination of a wheel around which a tube can be bent and a rotatable bending roller mounted in juxtaposition to said wheel adapted to roll the'tubing against said wheel as the tubing is drawn between said roller and said wheel when said wheel is rotated as by motion of the tube gripping means to which said wheel can be attached.

The invention is applicable to putting various degrees of bend into various kinds of pipe or tubing; thus, pipes of metal, plastic, or other materials can be bent up to or more, depending upon the structure and/or configuration of, say wheel 6.

Referring now to the drawings in which a now preferred embodiment of the concepts of the invention have been combined to produce a tube bender.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a tube bender according to the invention showing one form of the combinations possible of the grippable handle means, the rotatable roller wheel which is bearing mounted, the wheel around which the tube is bent or curved and the plier-like tube holding or gripping means.

FIG. 2 shows the grippable handle means by itself in plan view to permit the viewer to see the wheel pivot securing threaded hole and the rotatable roller slot in which the roller can be securely fixed in position whereby the distance between the wheel and roller is made to accommodate quite precisely the diameter of the tube.

FIG. 2a is a longitudinal side view of the grippable handle means showing particularly the two-level land or platform portion of the grippable handle means upon and to which the roller and wheel are respectively fixed, the wheel being fixed mediately to the land, as can be observed in FIG. 1 with the extended portion of the plieror tube-holding means fixed to the pivot between said wheel and said land.

FIGS. 3 and 3a illustrate the details of the element which acts beneath the slot in the land to slidably lock the rotating roller in a desired position thereof.

FIG. 4 shows in plan view the longer of the two elements of the plieror tube-holding means.

FIG. 5 shows the shorter of the two elements of the tubeholding means.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show in plan view and FIGS. 6a and 70 show in elevational cross-section, respectively, the roller and the wheel.

FIG. 8shows the holding and tightening shanked bolt for securing the operative positions, respectively, of the fixed wheel and rotating roller of the tube bender of the invention.

FIG. 9 shows the shanked bolt of the plierlike gripping means.

FIGS. 10 and 10a and FIGS. 11 and 11a show the structure of the tube gripping elements of the plier-like tube-holding means.

FIGS. 10 and 10a show, respectively, in end and plan view the larger of the elements or jaws and FIGS. 11 and 11a show, respectively, the same views of the smaller of said elements.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 2a, grippable handle means 1 is provided with a land means generally indicated at 2. The land means 2 possesses an upper and lower level 3 and 4, respectively, on which are mounted rotating roller 5 and wheel 6. The plier-like tube gripping or holding means generally indicated at 7 is composed of

elements

8 and 9. Element 9 extends to and is encompassed between land portion 4 and wheel 6. The roller is rotatably secured to portion 3 of the land by shank bolt 10. Further, element 9 is secured to wheel 6 by means of screws, one of which is shown in phantom view at 12. The adjustable slide lock mechanism is generally indicated at 13 and is composed of substantially right angular element 14 shown in detail in FIGS. 3 and 3a. As can be seen in FIG. 1, but referring also to FIGS. 2, 2a, 3, and 3a, a pin 15 is secured in land portion 3 and coacts with slot 16 of FIG. 3 to position pin 15 at the base of slot 16. When right angular element 14 of the slide lock is rotated in counterclockwise direction the roller 5 is adjusted with respect to the pipe to be bent and wheel 6 and the shank bolt 10 is tightened. Shank bolt 10 in this embodiment extends into element 14 so that bolt 10 secures together wheel 5, land 3 and element 14. In lieu of shank bolt 10 there can be used a bolt or machine screw which extends upwardly from under land 3 and land 4. Such a screw can serve to fasten element 14 up under land 3.

With reference to FIGS. 1, 10, 10a, 11, and 11a the

tube gripping elements

17 and 18 coact when

elements

8 and 9 are brought together by the action of shanked bolt 11 to grip or hold the tube in the cylindrical or tubular channel 20 formed by said

elements

17 and 18.

Referring to

elements

17 and 18 which in this embodiment form the tube gripping or holding jaws, it will be seen that element 17 has a bottom portion terminating upon element or handle 9 and that jaw or element 18 has a bottom portion terminating at the lower level at the top surface of element or handle 8. Thus, channel 20 is formed and aligned with the axis of a tube nested in the groove of wheel 6. This particular arrangement of the combination of the gripping jaws and the wheel 6 constitutes an important feature of my invention and 1 in combination with the two-level land. A further feature of the invention, one skilled in the art will see, is that shank bolts 10 provide for rotation therearound of roller 5 and wheel 6, respectively.

While wheel 6 has been shown as a unitary element, it is possible to provide the same composed of two or more pieces; for example, a bottom half and a top half; thus, the top portion of a composited wheel 6 can be removed as when a tube has been bent more than 180.

For sake of completeness, though it may not be necessary for one skilled in the art, viewing the drawings, FIGS. 4 and 5 show the holes through which or into which the respective bolts or screws which have been mentioned are placed. Detailed description of these figures is omitted for sake of brevity. The combination of the figures clearly elucidates to one skilled in the art just how the details of the apparatus are constructed and how the elements are brought into operative relationships.

Referring specifically to wheel 6 which is shown in FIGS. 7 and 7a, in this embodiment of the invention, the upper flange has been cut along the chord of a circle facing the roller 5 and directly opposite thereto at the jaws of the plier-like tube holding or gripping means. This form or design of wheel 6 permits a more compact apparatus in that the tube can be more readily inserted and removed from between roller 5 and wheel 6 and also from around wheel 6 and from the gripping jaws when these are opened. Further, slide lock 14 need only be moved in a direction away from wheel 6 sufficiently to insert and to remove the tube as will be understood by one skilled in the art. When many tubes have to be bent and/or when working in confined space, the feature of wheel 6 here discussed requires less motion of the slide lock and roller 5 and of element 8.

Though it is now preferred that the portion of roller 5 and wheel 6 contacted by the tube during bending form as nearly as possible an espousal of the tube, it is clear that a complete espousal is not always necessary. For example, a somewhat different radius of curvature for one or both the rollerand wheel might be used with respect to a tube of given radius, or

the same shape and size of curvature of roller 5 andwheel 6 can be used with tubes of different radii. Thus a series of tubes of different radii can be bent acceptably without changing, necessarily, a given set of roller 5 and wheel 6. Tubes which can be bent according to the invention can have other than a circular cross section, as will be understood by one skilled in the art in possession of this disclosure.

Such tubes as discussed herein can be accommodated readily by suitable adjustment of shank bolt 10 and locking element 14 in view of the slot 22 in land 3 through which shank bolt 10 passes.

Depending upon the material of construction of the tube; i.e., the nature of its bendability, roller 5 and/or wheel 6 need not be grooved or recessed at the point of contact with the tube; thus, so long as the tube will bend acceptably at wheel 6 without being deformed unacceptably by roller 5, the configuration of roller 5 and/or wheel 6 can be of any desired shape.

Reasonable variation and modification are possible within the scope of the foregoing disclosure, the drawing and the appended claims to the invention the essence of which is that there has been provided a tube bender, a tube gripper or holding means and a combination in a tube bender of said tube holder and in a specific embodiment, the tube bending means with which the tube holder is combined comprises a rotatable tube roller and a wheel which moves in fixed relation with the tube holder as it is moved to bend the tube around said wheel with aid of said rotatable tube roller; the tube holding means in one embodiment comprising a plier-like arrangement having the tube holding means formed in the form of elements or jaws as described; and also, the tube roller being slidably mounted and locked to permit adjustment thereof with respect to the tube to be bent and the wheel around which the tube is to be bent; and, finally, that a wheel design has been set forth which permits ready disengagement of the bent tube as well as engagement of the tube to be bent, especially when working in confined spaces.

I claim:

1. A tube bender comprising a pliers-like tube gripper having two pivoted handles and having coacting jaw portions one on each handle adapted to grip a tube when the handles are moved towards each other, said pliers being pivotally fixed to a pivot with a wheel also fixed to said pivot around which the tube to be bent is bent by actuating said tube gripper, and a roller positioned to encompass a tube between said roller and said wheel, the roller functioning to hold the tube against said wheel while the tube is drawn around said wheel by activating said roller.

2. A tube bender according to claim 1 wherein the tube gripper is comprised of a pliers-type portion, the jaws of which are shaped to conform to the shape of the tube and to hold the same therebetween.

3. A tube bender according to claim 2 wherein one handle of the pliers-like means and said wheel are fixed together and are rotatable about said pivot.

4. A tube bender according to claim 1 having a pivotally fixed tube supporting wheel, a pliers-like tube gripping means for holding and bending a tube around said wheel, and a roller positioned to encompass a tube between said roller and said wheel to roll said tube to said wheel while bending the same by actuating said gripping means to bend said tube around said wheel.

5. A tube bender according to claim 1 having a hand grippable means, having a land portion at one end portion thereof and a hand grippable section extending from said land portion toward the other end of said means; a rotatable tube roller mounted on said land; a tube holding means pivotally fixed by a pivot to said land adjacent said roller; a wheel on said pivot positioned in a manner to permit a tube to fit between said roller and said wheel; said wheel being fixed to at least a portion of said tube holding means and thus adapted to rotate about said pivot together with said tube holding means.

6. A tube bender according to claim 1 wherein there is provided a slidable lock means, the rotatable tube roller is mounted on said land by means of an element about which it can pivot and said element and said slide lock means coact to lock said rotatable roller in said land in a position with respect to said wheel to encompass the tube to be bent between said roller and said wheel.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE. OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,662,580 T ated: May 16, 1970 It is certified tht error appears in the above-identified patent and that Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 6 line 7, "1" should be 5 Signed and sealed this 9th day' of January 1973.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETQHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents