Forming hoops for grow houses

A tube bending system for bending tube blanks into partial hoops, comprising:

• an arch die having a curved shape with two sides curving away from a central apex point to end points and a convex outer surface opposite a concave inner surface, a longitudinal plane being defined radially through the apex point and bisecting the two sides and extending through a central vertical axis of the curved shape;
• a stationary central frame having a horizontal platform on which is fixedly mounted a central portion of the arch die, the convex outer surface being vertically dimensioned at least as tall as a tube blank placed on the horizontal platform;
• an apex clamp extending above the horizontal platform of the central frame and having a clamp end projecting longitudinally toward the apex point on the convex outer surface of the arch die, the clamp end having a clamping position configured to hold a tube blank against the apex point;
• a pair of stationary lateral frames separate from and positioned on opposite lateral sides of the central frame, each lateral frame having a horizontal platform on which is fixedly mounted one of the two sides of the arch die, the lateral frames being spaced apart from the central frame such that a linear tube blank clamped against the apex point may be supported across the horizontal platforms of the central and lateral frames, wherein the horizontal platforms of the central frame and lateral frames are each separately adjustable in elevation and horizontal angle;
• a bending carriage arranged to reciprocate longitudinally along each of the lateral frames, the bending carriages each having mounted thereon an upper roller sized to contact a lateral end of a linear tube blank and bend the tube blank around the arch die and into a partial hoop when the bending carriages are displaced longitudinally forward, wherein each lateral frame supports a railway extending longitudinally forward from a starting location approximately laterally even with the apex clamp to an ending location laterally even with or slightly past respective terminal ends of the two sides of the arch die, and the bending carriages are arranged to reciprocate longitudinally along each of the railways, wherein the railway on each lateral frame extends longitudinally forward from the starting location in a line to an intermediate location, and then curls laterally inward toward the longitudinal plane to the ending location such that displacement of the bending carriages to their ending location bends the lateral ends of the tube blank to a greater extent than a mid-portion;
• and
• a drive mechanism on each lateral frame for longitudinally reciprocating the bending carriage.

A tube bending system for bending tube blanks into partial hoops, comprising:

• an arch die having a curved shape with two sides curving away from a central apex point to end points and a convex outer surface opposite a concave inner surface, a longitudinal plane being defined radially through the apex point and bisecting the two sides and extending through a central vertical axis of the curved shape;
• a stationary central frame having a horizontal platform on which is fixedly mounted a central portion of the arch die, the convex outer surface being vertically dimensioned at least as tall as a tube blank placed on the horizontal platform;
• an apex clamp extending above the horizontal platform of the central frame and having a clamp end projecting longitudinally toward the apex point on the convex outer surface of the arch die, the clamp end having a clamping position configured to hold a tube blank against the apex point;
• a pair of stationary lateral frames separate from and positioned on opposite lateral sides of the central frame, each lateral frame having a horizontal platform on which is fixedly mounted one of the two sides of the arch die, the lateral frames being spaced apart from the central frame such that a linear tube blank clamped against the apex point may be supported across the horizontal platforms of the central and lateral frames, wherein the horizontal platforms of the central frame and lateral frames are each separately adjustable in elevation and horizontal angle;
• a bending carriage arranged to reciprocate longitudinally along each of the lateral frames, the bending carriages each having mounted thereon an upper roller sized to contact a lateral end of a linear tube blank and bend the tube blank around the arch die and into a partial hoop when the bending carriages are displaced longitudinally forward, wherein each lateral frame has a motor mounted thereon that drives a chain and a plurality of gears mounted on the lateral frame and spaced apart in a plane around which the chain is guided, the chain being fixed to the bending carriage to drive the bending carriage along the lateral frame, and the plurality of gears includes a plurality of fixed gears and at least one gear that is located outside a loop of the chain and mounted for movement to enable tightening of the chain, wherein the bending carriages are displaced along each lateral frame such that the bending carriage pulls the chain off each gear as the bending carriage passes by that gear to avoid contact between the bending carriage and gear;
• and
• a drive mechanism on each lateral frame for longitudinally reciprocating the bending carriage.

A tube bending system for bending tube blanks into partial hoops, comprising:

• an arch die having a curved shape with two sides curving away from a central apex point to end points and a convex outer surface opposite a concave inner surface, a longitudinal plane being defined radially through the apex point and bisecting the two sides and extending through a central vertical axis of the curved shape;
• a stationary central frame having a horizontal platform on which is fixedly mounted a central portion of the arch die, the convex outer surface being vertically dimensioned at least as tall as a tube blank placed on the horizontal platform;
• an apex clamp extending above the horizontal platform of the central frame and having a clamp end projecting longitudinally toward the apex point on the convex outer surface of the arch die, the clamp end having a clamping position configured to hold a tube blank against the apex point, the apex clamp being mounted on a reciprocating movement mechanism adapted to displace the clamp end from its clamping position both longitudinally and vertically upward, the clamp end having a starting position for placement of a tube blank on the horizontal platform between the clamp end and the apex point;
• a pair of stationary lateral frames separate from and positioned on opposite lateral sides of the central frame, each lateral frame having a horizontal platform on which is fixedly mounted one of the two sides of the arch die, the lateral frames being spaced apart from the central frame such that a linear tube blank clamped against the apex point may be supported across the horizontal platforms of the central and lateral frames, each lateral frame supporting a railway extending longitudinally forward from a starting location approximately laterally even with the apex clamp to an ending location laterally even with or slightly past respective terminal ends of the two sides of the arch die;
• a bending carriage arranged to reciprocate longitudinally along each of the railways, the bending carriages each having mounted thereon an upper roller sized to contact a lateral end of a linear tube blank and bend the tube blank around the arch die and into a partial hoop when the bending carriages are displaced longitudinally forward, wherein the reciprocating movement mechanism is configured to elevate the clamp end of the apex clamp from its clamping position after the tube blank has been bent into the partial hoop to lift and expel the partial hoop from contact with the convex outer surface;
• and
• a drive mechanism on each lateral frame for longitudinally reciprocating the bending carriage along the railway, wherein the drive mechanism for each lateral frame comprises a motor mounted thereon that drives a chain and a plurality of gears mounted on the lateral frame and spaced apart in a plane around which the chain is guided, the chain being fixed to the bending carriage to drive the bending carriage along the railway, wherein the railway is positioned such that the bending carriage pulls the chain off each gear as the bending carriage passes by that gear to avoid contact between the bending carriage and gear.