Bending die and ram assembly for tube bending machine
First Claim
1. In a tube bending machine for bending metal tubing or the like, said machine having a machine frame, a bending die, ram means carrying said bending die and operable to advance and retract said bending die along a predetermined path, a pair of back gates, a pair of backshoe dies for mounting respectively on said back gates in positions cooperating with said bending die upon advancement of said bending die along said predetermined path to support a metal tube, and bearing means for pivotally mounting said back gates for swinging movement relative to said frame about respective axes offset to opposite sides of said predetermined path, said back gates reacting to the advancement of the bending die to bend the metal tube by pivoting outwardly from a substantially side-by-side closed position to an open position wherein said back gates are pivoted outwardly in opposite directions from each other, the improvement comprising:
- means for mounting said bending die onto said ram means such that said bending die is normally biased outwardly from said ram means, wherein said bending die attaches to said mounting means in a drop-in manner, and wherein said mounting means positively retracts said bending die from bent tubing upon retraction of said ram means along said predetermined path.
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Abstract
An improved bending die and ram assembly is provided for use in a tube bending machine used for bending metal tubing of the type used, for example, in vehicle exhaust systems and the like. The machine features a bending die having a convexly curved die face for bending engagement with a metal tube supported by a pair of backshoe dies mounted on an outwardly pivoting pair of back gates. The bending die is advanced by the ram assembly along a line extending between the back gates to engage and bend the metal tube, with the back gates swinging outwardly in opposite directions as the tube is bent. The ram assembly utilizes retractor hooks which cooperate with lugs projecting from the underside of the bending die to permit the die to be attached and detached from the ram assembly in a drop-in, lift-out manner that does not require tools. Following a bending operation, the retractor hooks engage the lugs to pull the bending die away from bent tube during retraction of the ram assembly.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. In a tube bending machine for bending metal tubing or the like, said machine having a machine frame, a bending die, ram means carrying said bending die and operable to advance and retract said bending die along a predetermined path, a pair of back gates, a pair of backshoe dies for mounting respectively on said back gates in positions cooperating with said bending die upon advancement of said bending die along said predetermined path to support a metal tube, and bearing means for pivotally mounting said back gates for swinging movement relative to said frame about respective axes offset to opposite sides of said predetermined path, said back gates reacting to the advancement of the bending die to bend the metal tube by pivoting outwardly from a substantially side-by-side closed position to an open position wherein said back gates are pivoted outwardly in opposite directions from each other, the improvement comprising:
means for mounting said bending die onto said ram means such that said bending die is normally biased outwardly from said ram means, wherein said bending die attaches to said mounting means in a drop-in manner, and wherein said mounting means positively retracts said bending die from bent tubing upon retraction of said ram means along said predetermined path. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A tube bending machine for bending metal tubing, or the like, said machine comprising:
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a pair of back gates; bearing means pivotally supporting said back gates for swinging movement relative to respective axes between a substantially side-by-side closed position and an open position pivoted outwardly in opposite directions from each other; a pair of backshoe dies mounted respectively on said back gates; a guide rail; a bending die including means for tracking said bending die along said guide rail; ram means carrying said bending die and operable to advance and retract said bending die along said guide rail, said ram means including a pair of retractor hooks; and means for biasing said bending die outwardly from said ram means, wherein said ram means advances said bending die along said guide rail toward said back gates, said backshoe dies cooperating with said bending die upon advancement thereof to support the tubing, and said back gates reacting to advancement of the bending die to pivot outwardly in opposite directions from said closed position toward said open position to bend the tubing, and wherein said retractor hooks engage said tracking means on said bending die to retract said bending die from bent tubing as said ram means moves away from said back gates along said guide rail. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A ram assembly for use in a tube bending machine, said ram assembly comprising:
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a pusher block operable to advance and retract along a guide rail, said pusher block including a pair of retractor hooks that extend outwardly therefrom on opposite sides of said guide rail; and a bending die including means for tracking said bending die along said guide rail, wherein said tracking means are engaged by said hooks during retraction of said pusher block such that the hooks pull the bending die and enable the pusher block to retract said bending die. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification