The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 08, 1998
Filed:
Jun. 05, 1995
Ralph E Roper, Indianapolis, IN (US);
Aquaform, Inc., Auburn Hills, MI (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for bending a tube blank having an outer diameter, comprising: an inner bending die having an arcuate outer surface which has a first radius from an axis; a wiper shoe having an inner surface, said shoe disposed and adapted to trap a tube blank between said inner surface and said outer surface; holding means for holding a first portion of the blank against said inner die; limiting means for limiting movement of said shoe to rolling about an arc around said axis, said arc having a second radius from said axis which is approximately between said first radius and said first radius plus said diameter; and, moving means for moving said shoe around said axis, and around the blank thereby bending a second portion of the blank around said outer surface; and sealing and pressurizing means for sealing the blank and for hydraulically pressurizing the interior of the blank to a sufficient pressure to allow moving means to bend a second portion of the blank around said outer surface, said pressurized liquid acting like a flexible mandrel to ensure uniform, non-buckling deformation of the tube, substantially without distorting the cross section of the second portion.