Device for facilitating the bending and forming of plastic pipe or other structures

A device for facilitating the bending and forming of a structure, which comprises:

• an inflatable mandrel having a first small diameter and a second large diameter size, said mandrel having a flexible side wall with a closed first end, and an open second end, said mandrel delimiting a chamber;
• adapter means closing the open end of said mandrel, said adapter means having an axial opening in it;
• conduit means attached to said adapter means, said conduit means including a first flow passageway and a second flow passageway, said first and said second flow passageways communicating with said chamber defined by said mandrel through the opening in said adapter means;
• and
• means for heating the structure to be formed to bending temperature, said heating means adapted to transfer energy from said mandrel to said structure, said heating means being capable of raising the structure to bending temperature by heat transfer radially outwardly through said structure, said heating means including an electrically operable heating device mounted along the flexible side wall of said inflatable mandrel.

A device for facilitating the bending and forming of plastic pipe structure during field installation by an installer of said plastic pipe, said plastic pipe having an internal wall defining an opening in said pipe, which comprises:

• a tubular elastomer boot having a first closed end and a second end, said elastomer boot defining a mandrel insertable in said pipe for supporting the internal wall of said pipe during bending thereof, said boot having a first diameter for insertion and a second diameter for supporting the internal wall of said pipe, said boot being capable of manual handling by said installer;
• adapter closure means mounted in the open end of said boot, said adapter means forming a fluid seal for said boot along the open end of said boot, said adapter having an axial opening in it;
• conduit means attached to said adapter, said conduit means including first and second passageways communicating with said tubular boot, said conduit means forming a fluid seal with said adapter means;
• and
• means for heating said structure to bending temperature by heat transfer outwardly from said elastomer boot to said structure, said heating means, conduit means, adapter closure means and elastomer boot forming a closed system to permit and to facilitate manual handling by said installer.