Tube bender apparatus

Abstract

Apparatus intended for bending heavy through thin wall pipe and tubing includes a generally circular bending shoe mounted for rotation about a first axis and having a plurality of semi-circular concave grooves in its outer surface. The grooves are of differing sizes and located in side-by-side axial spaced planes perpendicular to the first axis. A separate pair of bending rollers is provided for cooperation with each separate concave groove. Each pair of rollers includes a first roller and a second roller having concave exterior grooves and mounted on a bracket for independent rotary movement about separate second and third axes. A support arm is joined to the bracket for permitting tilting movement of the bracket relative to the support arm about a fourth axis parallel to the second and third axes. Carrying the support arms to position the cooperating roller pairs adjacent the associated groove of the bending shoe is an adjustable frame assembly, the frame assembly including supports for permitting rapid telescopic insertion and removal of the support arms from the frame assembly for selective use of separate ones of the plurality of grooves in the outer surface of the bending shoe. Preferably, the roller sets having rolls with surfaces contoured to eliminate flattening of the tubes during bending.