Precision bending apparatus and process
AssigneeAP Industries, Inc.
InventorsTerrance C. Marlinga, Gerald R. Trudell, Jon W. Harwood
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A precision bending apparatus is provided for precisely bending tubes. The precision bending apparatus includes a preprogrammed bender for placing a selected sequence of bends in the tube. The apparatus further includes a position sensing means for sensing the precise position of locations on the bent portion of the tube. A control means is in communication with both the position sensing means and the bender, and is operative to alter the program of the bender based on data sensed by the position sensing means.
Claims12
An apparatus for precisely bending an elongated tube having opposed leading and trailing ends into a specified bent configuration, said apparatus comprising:
- a preprogrammed bender comprising means for gripping the trailing end of the tube and moving said tube axially and rotationally preprogrammed amounts, and die means for sequentially bending said tube preprogrammed amounts to form a plurality of bends in said tube;
- positioning sensing means for sensing the spatial position of at least one predetermined location between the leading end of the tube and one said bend, said position sensing means being operative to move to preprogrammed locations after the formation of each bend by the bender;
- and
- control means for altering the preprogrammed bending operations of the bender in response to the spatial positions of said tube sensed by said position sensing means such that the bender bends the tube precisely into the specified configuration.
An apparatus for precisely bending an elongated tube into a specified configuration, said tube having opposed leading and trailing ends, said apparatus comprising:
- a preprogrammed bender comprising gripping means for gripping the trailing end of the tube and moving said tube axially and rotationally preprogrammed amounts, and die means for bending said tube preprogrammed amounts to form a plurality of bends in said tube, said gripping means and said bending means being operative sequentially relative to one another;
- positioning sensing means for sensing the spatial position of at least the leading end of the tube, said position sensing means being operative to move to preprogrammed locations after each bending operation of the die means;
- and
- control means for altering the preprogrammed bending operations of the bender in response to the spatial positions of said tube sensed by said position sensing means such that the bender bends the tube precisely into the specified configuration.
A method for precisely bending an elongated tube into a specified configuration with a preprogrammed bender which is operative to bend said tube into a configuration approximating said specified configuration, said process comprising the steps of:
- providing an elongated tube having opposed leading and trailing ends;
- placing said tube in said preprogrammed bender;
- operating said preprogrammed bender to place successive preprogrammed bends in said tube;
- sensing the spatial position of said tube approximately adjacent said leading end approximately when said preprogrammed bender is completing selected ones of said bends;
- and
- successively altering the preprogrammed bending operation of said bender based on each sensed spatial position of said tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.