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:
Jul. 11, 2000
Filed:
Oct. 28, 1998
Samuel B McGuire, Sr, Fountain, CO (US);
Jeffrey A Siebert, Manitou Springs, CO (US);
Tube Bending Cocepts, Inc., Fountain, CO (US);
Abstract
A tube bending mandrel is provided, which is designed to avoid stress, fracture, and disassembly caused by forces exerted while a tube is bent. The mandrel includes mandrel links with a ball end, neck, and socket end, formed from two opposing and matching link sections. A radial tenon protruding from the face of one link section fits into a corresponding radial mortise formed in the face of the opposing link section. A detent mechanism includes a ball slot formed in the exterior of a ball end, a circular spring that fits into that ball slot, and a socket groove formed in the interior of an adjacent socket in which the ball end fits and rotates. By providing a ramp on one edge of the socket groove or the ball slot, the circular spring tends to move into the socket groove and ball slot, to assume a straight position after the mandrel has been removed from a bent tube. An external shoulder is provided on each socket, adjacent to the socket opening, to support a ball segment.