Apparatus for forming serpentine heat exchangers

An apparatus for forming a serpentine heat exchanger having a predetermined length from a continuous tubing including a forming and bending head means for successively bending increments of said continuous tubing in alternate directions about a central axis comprising:

• a. tube supply means for receiving said continuous tubing;
• b. support means associated with said supply means for receiving said tubing with its longitudinal axis in a plane substantially perpendicular to said central axis;
• c. tube shifting means arranged on said support means for lateral movement relative to said central axis for successively placing the increments of said tubing to be bent on alternate sides of said central axis, including holding means being movable alternatively into engagement with opposite side walls of said continuous tube diametric to the rotational direction of said forming head to prevent lateral movement of said continuous tubing during the bending operation while said increment is positioned substantially parallel with said continuous tube;
• d. tube feed means arranged on said support means for advancing said tubing along its longitudinal axis in predetermined increments relative to said head so that a selected portion of said increment to be bent in said plane is arranged in cooperative relationship with said head means, including an advancing member slidably mounted on a guide member for longitudinal movement in a path parallel to said plane, tube holding means mounted on said advancing member being movable into engagement with said tubing when said feed means is in its retracted position relative to said central axis, stop means adjustably arranged longitudinally on one of said members positioned to cooperatively engage damping members on the other of said members when said feed means is in said retracted position to regulate the length of said increment advanced longitudinally relative to said central axis by said advancing member;
• e. said head means including a pair of shaping elements diametrically arranged on said central axis on either side of said plane being dimensioned to deform said selected portion into an oval cross section having its major axis lying parallel with said plane;
• f. drive means associated with said head means being operable when said selected portion is in the advanced position between said shaping elements for moving said head means longitudinally along said central axis to move said shaping elements into engagement with said selected portion of said tube with sufficient pressure to deform said portion into said oval cross section;
• and means for imparting a successive rotational oscillation to said head means in one direction while the shaping elements are in engagement with said selected portion to bend said increment in said selected portion substantially 180.degree. about said central axis so that said increment is substantially parallel to said continuous tubing;
• g. cutoff means positioned relative to said continuous tubing being movable radially through said longitudinal axis including a first cutter on one side of said plane arranged for cooperatively engaging a second cutter on the other side of said plane, said first cutter is mounted for lateral movement with said shifting means and said second cutter includes a plurality of cutting area so that said first cutter is aligned with one of said cutting areas, means for moving said cutters perpendicular to said plane and through said tubing to sever said heat exchanger from said continuous tube after a predetermined number of successive bending operations.