A FORK MEMBER FOR THE BENDING SECTION OF A PIPE-BENDING APPARATUS, CONNECTIBLE TO THE CONTROL SECTION AND PROVIDED WITH ARMS TO SUPPORT THE GROOVED ABUTMENT MEMBERS OF THE PIPE TO BE BENT

Abstract: A fork member (10) for the bending section of a pipe-bending apparatus which is connectible to the control section of same, to support the pipe abutment members facing the arcuated ben­ ding member and permit to realize a multiplicity of center di­ stances (L) between those latter, comprising: a flat base (11) having two symmetrically parted wide legs (12,13) with respect to the central plane of the apparatus along the axis of its control piston, each leg being provided with protruding pin (17,19) and a set of slots (a,b,c) radially departing from such pin in a symmetric arrangement on both legs (12,13); a pair of arms (20) provided with two elongated axially positio­ ned openings (22,24) and a rear rib (26), so that said arms (20) may be easily solidily mounted on respective pin (17,19) and define their symmetrical directions through the insertion of respective rib (26) into selected slot (a, or b, or c) of respective leg (12,13) to achieve the desired center distance (L) between said pipe abutment members mounted on arms (20).

Description: This invention relates to a fork member for the bending section of a pipe-bending apparatus, which is connectible to the control section of the same and provided with two arms liable to a multiple orientation to realize a multiplicity of center distances between the grooved abutment members of a pipe to be bent which are mounted on said arms. To describe and illustrate the novel features of the present invention and better interpret the advantages arising from its practical application, reference is made to a portable manually controlled hydraulic pipe-bending apparatus, for example of the type specified in the US-A-4055069, but above all to the particular type of connection between the bottom free end of the body neck of the apparatus and the fork member provided for bending pipes and to the preferred, already known type of pipe abutment members liable to a roto-translating motion, specified in such apparatus. The object of the invention is the provision of a fork member for the bending section of such a pipe-bending apparatus, which allows: a notable reduction of the pipe-bending members with respect to those which are usually necessary to bend pipes the diameters of which are comprised in a selected range considered suitable for the pipe-bending apparatus to be used; the quick and easy positioning of the pair of arms on said base along the specular directions defined by the corresponding slots of the two sets of slots provided on the fork member shanks; limitation of the fork section components to such fork member and the auxiliary arms to be mounted thereon, these arms being in turn used to mount thereon the pipe abutment members opposite to the bending member, or matrix, when a bending operation is to carry out, so that the equipment weight of the bending apparatus will be reduced and the carriage of same will be easier. According to the present invention there is provided a fork member comprising: a substantially flat base having a protruding part at 90° with respect to the same from which is in turn protruding a component member to be connected to the free end of the neck of the control section of a pipe-bending apparatus in a coaxial direction with the piston stem which operates the bending member - or matrix - of this latter, said base being provided with a pair of parallel pins specularly protruding from the flat face of said base and symmetrically positioned with respect to a plane perpendicular to the base and extended along the axis of said connecting component member each of said pins being provided with a head of a greater diameter, and fork legs of said fork member being provided with slots in radial directions from the axis of each pin to the outer edge of respective leg and traced specularly on one leg with respect to the other, said slots being so shaped that they may constitute the seat of a rib which is protruding rearwards from each arm of the fork member; a pair of arms to be mounted on said flat base of the fork member, each arm being provided with said rear rib to be seated within respective slot selected as a seat of the same, so that said arms are placed along the directions of said selected specular slots and then symmetrically positioned with respect to said plane of the connecting component axis; and two elongated openings along the longitudinal axis of each arm, the wide of a portion of each opening being sufficient to pass therethrough the head of respective pin while the remainder arcuated portion of said opening has a smaller wide corresponding to the diameter of the pin body and a smaller height which forms a low step to abut thereon said pin head in its connecting position after a sliding motion of said arm to carry out the mounting operation of the arm upon respective leg of said fork member along the direction defined by the selected seating slot; a thin spring washer, preferably of a flat splitted type with ondulations along its annular surface, as a friction eomponent element inserted between the concerned contact areas of the arm and the flat surface of the base. Preferably, the slots specularly provided on the two legs of the base of said fork member are traced radially frog the axis of said pins to the outer edge of respective leg to create center distances between the pins of said abutment members of a pipe to be bent said center distances being adapted for bending operations of pipes the diameter ranges of which are from 4 to 15 mm, or from 8 to 18 mm, or from 8 to 22 mm, considered in the sequence of respective slots. The following is a more detailed description of one embodiment of the invention, by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig.1 is a front elevation view of a fork member for the bending section of a pipe-bending apparatus in accordance with the embodiment of this invention, which is mounted on a manually controlled hydraulic pipebending apparatus of the type already claimed by the applicant, the connecting device between the neck of the apparatus and the fork member of the bending section of same allows the free rotation of this latter about its longitudinal axis, the arms to support tile pipe abutment members being shown mounted thereon along specular radially selected directions; Fig.2 is a front elevation view of a fork member of the embodiment of the present invention, wherein the pair of pins as well as the two sets of slots are shown to evidence the possibility of mounting thereon the arms of this bending section of the apparatus along the desired specular directions; Fig.3 shows a longitudinal section taken on line 3-3 of Fig.2; Fig.4 shows a top view of the fork base of Fig.2; Fig.5 is a front elevation view of one arm of the fork member according to the embodiment of the invention. Fig.6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig.5. Turning now to the drawings, and before all to Figs.2 to 4, it is possible to see that base 11 of this fork member comprises a flat piece with two parted wide legs 12, 13 and a part 14 protruding upwards. The base, which sets up one of the features of this invention, has a specular configuration referred to a vertical plane perpendicular to the drawing sheet, along the longitudinal axis of member 15 to be connected to the neck C of a pipe-bending apparatus A of the cited type (see Fig.1). The end portion of stem 8 which is protruding downwards is usually used to mount thereon a bending member (not shown). As illustrated in Fig.2 and better evidenced in Figs.3 and 4, a pair of pins 17, 19 are protruding from the front surface of base 11 with respective heads 16, 18 of larger diameter. These pins are positioned symmetrically when referred to that plane perpedicular to such front surface, along the axis of connecting member 15 of apparatus A. As shown, from the axis of each pin 17, 19 three slots a , b and c are provided to define respective radial directions specularly predetermined and form the possible seat of rib 26 (see Figs.5, 6) protruding from arm 20 because of the like shape of slot and rib, preferably at right angles. As it will be recalled later, each arm 20 may thus be mounted on respective fork leg and solidly connected to this latter. Further to the like shape of slot and rib, the possibility of mounting quickly and easily each arm 20 on base 11 to define the position of respective abutment member 30 of the pipe to be bent, as evidenced in Fig.1, is due to the appropriate shape and suitable position of elongate openings 22 and 24 provided in each arm 20 along the longitudinal axis of this latter. In Fig.5 and 6 it is possible to see that each elongate opening has a partial portion sufficiently wide to allow the free passage therethrough of the head 16, 18 of pins 17, 19 which are protruding from the flat surface of base 11. As said above, the diameter of such heads is larger than the body of the pins, while a remainder arcuated portion has a smaller diameter corresponding to the pin body and a smaller height which forms a low step 23 (or 25). Because of this particular shape and dimensions the operator may pass a pin head through the wider portion 22, 24 of the opening and place arm 20 along the selected direction (corresponding to slot a , or b , or c ) and seat rib 26 therein, in order that arm 20 may be slided up to lean the pin head against step 23 (or 25). In this manner arm 20 is suitably connected to a corresponding leg 12 or 13 of fork member 10 in consequence of its solid leaning on the flat surface of this latter. An appropriate thin washer, preferably of a flat splitted spring type with ondulations along the annular surface of same, may better aid to obtain satisfying conditions of friction between the concerned contact areas of flat surface of base 11 and arm 20. In Fig.1 each arm 20 is shown with a rib 26 inserted within respective slot b of fork member leg 12 and leg 13 in accordance with this new type of fork member 10. It is also shown that arms 20 are mounted on pins 17 and 19, respectively, of the base 11 by passing these latter through the opening of each arm indicated by the reference nemeral 22. By mounting both arms 20 in this manner, the center distance between the pins, indicated by the character in Fig.1, constitutes one of the six possible center-to-center distance which may be realized between pins 28 used to mount the abutment members 30 of a pipe to be bent. As shown in this embodiment, the pipe abutment members are of the roto-translating type, already evidenced in prior patents of the Applicant. By taking into account that:slots a , b , c are specularly provided in the two fork member legs 12, 13 of base 11 in accordance with the features of this invention; fork member 10 allows, through theme slots, the arrangement of the two arms along the directions of the respective slots a , or b or c ; each arm is provided with two elongate openings 22, 24 along the longitudinal axis of same, it will be understood that an easy and quick realization of a total number of six (3x2) center distances is possible between the pins 28,28 of the abutment members 30,30, respectively of the pipe to be bent. Consequently it will also be relatively easy to carry out a number of bending radius much more favourable than through the usually suggested equipments of prior art, also when a portable pipe-bending apparatus is used to be controlled manually through one handle by a single hand in order to carry out a desired pipe bending operation in any position, and particularly when the apparatus is provided with a rotating head as shown in Fig.1. The man skilled in the art may value better the notable advantages deriving from the use of a fork member according to this invention, when comparisons are made with the equipments required by the prior art. Comparing examples are then reported hereafter and concern the more diffused range of pipe diameters when a bending operation is to be carried on site, namely the diameter range from 4 to 22 mm. In accordance with prior art, at least three suitable fork members are required to have preferred center distances between the pipe abutment members and carry out satisfactory bending operations, namely: As some pipe diameters are listed in more than one of above items 1), 2) and 3) relating to to the approximate center distance between the pipe abutment members of a corresponding fork member, the use of that fork member which is considered more suitable to realize a good bending operation is obviously advisable. A first comparison, limited to the number of fork members to be used by the operator to bend pipes whose total range of diameter is from 4 to 22 mm, evidences very clearly that through a single fork member 10 in accordance with the present invention is possible to have a number of center distances greater than through said fork members 1), 2) and 3), useful intermediate center distances being also possible to carry out satisfactory bending operations. A second comparison concerns the necessary number of bending members to be used with cited fork members of prior art and referred to the diameter ranges 1), 2) and 3). According to the prior art, following equipment of bending members is required to carry out satisfactory bending operations: for a fork member listed in 1) : 6 bending members for a fork member listed in 2) : 8 bending members for a fork member listed in 3) : 11 bending members The equipment to bend pipes whose diameter range is from 4 to 22 comprises then a total of 25 bending members. It is to recall what said above in relation to some pipe diameters listed in more than one of items 1), 2) and 3) as regards the approximate center distances between the pipe abutment members of a corresponding fork member, and deduce that the use of that bending member which is considered more suitable to realize a good bending operation is obviously advisable. By using a fork member according to the present invention, the equipment will require a very lower number of bending members, namely: for diameter range 1) : 6 bending members for diameter range 2) : 4 bending members for diameter range 3) : 2 bending members i.e. a total of 12 bending members only for same pipe-bending apparatus to the bottom end of which a single fork member 10 is to be connected, the legs 12, 13 of such fork member 10 being provided with respective arms 20 suitably mounted on base 11. In Fig.2 the slots indicated by characters a , b , c on legs 12 and 13 of the flat base 11 must be considered as the seats of arms 20 and particularly the seats of respective ribs 26. As shown in Fig.1, arms 20 are mounted along the specular slots b of the legs and create then a center distance L between pins 28 of the pipe abutment members 30 when mounted on pins 17, 19, as shown . The advantages deriving from the use of a single fork member 10 do not relate only to a quicker working coarse by using a lower number of bending members, but evidently also to a lower total weight of the equipment and an easier and handy transport of same by the operator, a positive influence on the cost of production being thus evident. The example selected to describe the present invention referred to the accompanying drawings,and particularly the component 15 of the novel fork member 10 to be connected to the free end C of the neck of a pipe-bending apparatus of the type indicated by reference character A, does not constitute by itself a limitation. It is then possible and valid a connection not only to a hydraulic or pneumatic pipe-bending apparatus of the types thrown on the market by the applicant, but also to pipe-bending apparatus of a different production, the control of which is electro-hydraulic or exclusively mechanical.

Claims: A fork member (10) for the bending section of a pipe-bending apparatus, which is connectible to the control section of the same and provided with two arms (20) liable to a multiple orientation to realize a multiplicity of center distances between the grooved abutment members (30) of a pipe to be bent which are mounted on said arms, characterized in that it comprises: a substantially flat base (11) having a protruding part (14) at 90° with respect to the same from which is in turn protruding a component member (15) to be connected to the free end of the neck (C) of the control section of a pipe-bending apparatus (A) in a coaxial direction with the piston stem which operates the bending member - or matrix - of this latter, said base (11) being provided with a pair of parallel pins (17, 19) specularly protruding from the flat face of said base (11) and symmetrically positioned with respect to a plane perpendicular to the base (11) and extended along the axis of said connecting component member (15), said pins (17,19) being provided with a head (16) and (18), respectively of a greater diameter, and fork legs (12,13) of said fork member (10) being provided with slots (a,b,c) in radial directions from the axis of each pins (17, 19) to the outer edge of respective leg (12,13) and traced specularly on one leg with respect to the other, said slots (a,b,c) being so shaped that they may constitute the seat of a rib (26) which is protruding rearwards from each arm (20) of the fork member (10); a pair of arms (20) to be mounted on said flat base (11) of the fork member (10), each arm being provided with said rear rib (26) to be seated within respective slot (a), or (b), or (c) selected as a seat of the same, so that said arms (20) are placed along the directions of said selected specular slots and then symmetrically positioned with respect to said plane of the connecting component axis; and two elongate openings (22,24) along the longitudinal axis of each arm, the wide of a portion of each opening being sufficient to pass therethrough the head (16,18) of respective pin (17,19), while the remainder arcuated portion of said opening has a smaller wide corresponding to the diameter of the pin body and a smaller height which forms a low step (23,25) to abut thereon said pin head (16,18) in its connecting position after a sliding motion of said arm (20) to carry out the mounting operation of the arm upon respective leg of said fork member (10) along the direction defined by the selected seating slot (a), or (b), or (c); a thin spring washer, preferably of a flat splitted type with ondulations along its annular surface, as a friction component element inserted between the concerned contact areas of the arm (20) and the flat surface of the base (11). A fork member for the bending section of a pipe-bending apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said slots (a,b,c) specularly provided on the two legs (12,13) of the base (11) of said fork member (10) are traced radially from the axis of said pins (17,19) to the outer edge of respective leg (12,13) to create center distances (L) between the pins (28,28) of said abutment members (30,30) of a pipe to be bent, said center distances being adapted for bending operations of pipes the diameter ranges of which are from 4 to 15 mm, or from 8 to 18 mm or from 8 to 22 mm, considered in the sequence of respective slots (a,b,c).

Inventors: CAPORUSSO ALESSANDRO, CAPORUSSO MARIO, CAPORUSSO, ALESSANDRO, CAPORUSSO, MARIO
Applicants: LIRI COSTRUZIONI MECC, C.M.L. COSTRUZIONI MECCANICHE LIRI S.R.L.
Application year: 1987
Main classification: B21D7
IPC codes: B21D7