Support device for supporting a tube on a tube working machine and tube working machine comprising such a support device

A tube working machine comprising a base, a working head, a tube-carrying carriage, and a plurality of support devices, the tube-carrying carriage being arranged to feed the tube to the working head according to a feeding direction, wherein each support device comprises

• a pivoting arm arranged to be rotatably supported at a first end thereof by the base of the machine for rotation about a first axis of rotation oriented transversely to said feeding direction,
• a cylindrical roller mounted at a second end of the pivoting arm opposite to said first end with an axis of the cylindrical roller oriented parallel to the first axis of rotation,
• a variable-profile support member which is rotatably mounted at the second end of the pivoting arm for rotation about a second axis of rotation parallel to the first axis of rotation and has a saddle-shaped cavity for receiving the tube, wherein the cavity has a cross-sectional profile which varies along a cavity length and wherein the cross-sectional profile of the cavity which is presented to the tube has a variable size depending on the angular position of the support member about the second axis of rotation, wherein the cavity has a variable shaped contact surface for contacting the tube, wherein the variable shaped contact surface has a shape which varies along the cavity length, and wherein the support member is movable, by rotation about the second axis of rotation, between a working position, in which the support member receives the tube in the cavity, and a non-working position, in which the support member is placed underneath the cylindrical roller, thereby allowing the tube to be supported on the cylindrical roller,
• a first driving system for controlling the angular position of the pivoting arm about the first axis of rotation, and
• a second driving system for controlling the angular position of the support member about the second axis of rotation,
• wherein the pivoting arm of each support device is rotatably supported at an end thereof by the base for rotation about a first axis of rotation oriented transversely said feeding direction.