Patent ID: 6038903
Filing Date: 2000-03-21
Classification: B21D

Abstract:
A dual headed bending machine, comprising:an elongate machine bed having a generally vertically oriented forward end, and a generally horizontally oriented upper end;a dual bend head assembly at the forward end of the machine bed, the dual bend head assembly having a support frame and first and second spaced bend heads, each bend head being rotatably mounted on the frame for rotation about a horizontal bend axis aligned and co-axial with the bend axis of the other bend head, the bend axes extending transverse to the vertical forward end of the machine bed, each bend head having at least one pair of opposing bend and clamp dies defining a horizontally oriented die cavity, the die cavities being spaced along said horizontal bend axis;a carriage mounted on the upper end of the machine bed for movement in a first horizontal feed direction towards the dual bend head assembly and transverse to the horizontal bend axes of the dual bend head assembly;a pipe holder on the carriage for supporting a pipe having a pipe axis aligned with the first horizontal feed direction for relative rotation with the bend head assembly, whereby movement of the carriage in the feed direction advances the pipe into the bend head assembly; anda mounting assembly mounting the dual bend head assembly on the forward end of the machine bed for translational movement in a second horizontal direction transverse to the pipe axis and first horizontal feed direction and parallel to the horizontal bend axes between at least two horizontally spaced positions in which the pipe is aligned with the die cavity of the first and second bend head, respectively.