METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BENDING AN ELONGATED OBJECT

• US 3,731,513 A
• Filed: 07/08/1971
• Issued: 05/08/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Emil David Knab, Wilfred Julius Kindermann
• Original Assignee: Emil David Knab, Wilfred Julius Kindermann
• Inventors: Kindermann, Wilfred Julius, Knab, Emil David
• Primary Examiner(s): Lanham, Charles W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Keenan, M. J.
• Application Number:
  US05/160,782
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 72/295,298,305,309,316,318,319,369,387,32,308,310,457
• US Class Current: 72/295
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 11/02 Bending by stretching or pulling over a die working sheet metal of limited length by stretching B21D25/00

Abstract

Method and apparatus for bending an elongated object. The method comprises gripping at least two portions of the object with rigid instrumentalities, which are spaced apart by a predetermined distance, and then tilting the instrumentalities simultaneously in opposite directions to a calculated extent. The apparatus includes at least two clamping devices for retaining respectively different portions of the object. The clamping devices have base portions which are connected together by means having an extensible portion. Means are provided for lengthening the extensible portions and for thereby forcibly increasing the spacing between the base portions.

Claims

1. Apparatus adapted for bending an elongated object, said apparatus comprising first and second clamping means adapted for securely holding respectively different portions of said object with an intermediate portion of said object disposed between them, said first and second clamping means each having a base portion, said base portions being normally spaced apart by a predeterMined length, tilting means for tilting said first and second clamping means simultaneously in opposite directions whereby said intermediate portion of said object becomes bent, said tilting means including connecting means for connecting said base portions, said connecting means having an extensible portion disposed between said base portions, means for increasing the length of said extensible portion whereby the length of said spacing between said base portions is forcibly increased, said apparatus further comprising two parallelly disposed rails, holding means for normally holding a first one of said base portions between a section of said rails, and pivot means for pivotally attaching the second one of said base portions to a portion of said connecting means for tilting movement on said pivot means.

2. Bending apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said portion of said connecting means is normally disposed between said rails, and said portion of said connecting means being adapted for sliding movement back and forth between said rails for varying the distance between said first and second base portions.

3. Bending apparatus adapted for bending an elongated object, said bending apparatus comprising first and second bending heads, each of said bending heads including first and second clamping means, each of said clamping means having an area formed in the manner of a trough and adapted for receiving therein a portion of said object and for conforming to the exterior surface thereof, means for fastening said first and second clamping means of each of said bending heads tightly together after said portions of said object have been received therein whereby said object is firmly held by said first and second bending heads, each of said bending heads having a body portion, each of said body portions having a base portion, said base portions being spaced apart from each other, means for bending the portion of said object that is intermediate the portions held by said bending heads, said last-mentioned means including tilting means for tilting said bending heads simultaneously in opposite directions, said tilting means comprising adjustable means for changing said spacing between said base portions after said first and second clamping means in each of said bending heads have been fastened around portions of said object, each of said body portions further including a pair of legs, said legs in each of said pairs being in parallel to each other, and said adjustable means being disposed between the legs of each of said pairs and also in parallel to said intermediate portion of said object.