Bending machines

Apparatus for holding an elongate workpiece, comprising:

• (a) a plurality of jaw members movable in unison about a predetermined axis;
• (b) each jaw member is axially open ended, has a central socket, a periphery and a mouth extending from said socket to interrupt the periphery of the jaw member, said mouth being effective to allow a workpiece to pass therethrough to each said socket;
• (c) said jaw members include an abutment jaw member and a clamping jaw member;
• (d) the abutment jaw member is rotatable about an axis which is co-axial with said predetermined axis, and includes a peripherally toothed portion engaged by driving means;
• (e) said driving means comprises primary and secondary driving gears which mesh with the peripheral teeth of the abutment jaw member at engagement locations which are spaced peripherally of the abutment jaw member by an arc greater than the arcuate extent of the mouth along the periphery;
• and
• (f) the clamping jaw member is rotatable about said predetermined axis by said abutment jaw member.

A bending machine comprising:

• (a) a plurality of bending units arranged to make bends in a common plane,
• (b) the bending units being mounted so that the separation thereof is adjustable, and
• (c) apparatus for holding a workpiece along a predetermined axis mounted between bending units so that said predetermined axis is alignable with said common plane;
• (d) said apparatus comprising a plurality of jaw members movable in unison about said predetermined axis;
• (e) each jaw member is axially open ended, has a central socket, a periphery and a mouth extending from said socket to interrupt the periphery of the jaw member, said mouth being effective to allow a workpiece to pass therethrough to each said socket;
• (f) said jaw members are interconnected and mounted to rotate in unison about the predetermined axis when at least one of the jaw members is driven by driving means;
• (g) one of the jaw members is arcuately movable relative to another of the jaw members between an open position, in which the mouths are aligned to admit a workpiece into the sockets, and a clamping position in which said mouths are not aligned to trap the workpiece in the sockets;
• and
• (h) in said clamping position the socket of said one jaw member is eccentric to another of the sockets to exert a clamping force on the trapped workpiece.

Apparatus for holding and turning an elongate workpiece comprising:

• (a) holding means including a plurality of jaw members rotatable in unison about a first predetermined axis therein;
• (b) turning means in driving engagement with said holding means to rotate said jaw members in unison;
• (c) each jaw member is open ended, has a central socket, a periphery and a mouth extending from said socket to interrupt the periphery of the jaw members, said mouth being effective to allow a workpiece to pass therethrough to each said socket;
• (d) a first jaw member is rotatable about an axis which is co-axial with said first predetermined axis and including means for rotating said first jaw member;
• (e) a second jaw member is movably connected to one side of said first jaw member by frictional entrainment means for arcuate movement about a clamping axis offset from and parallel with said first predetermined axis;
• and
• (f) drive means cause the second jaw member to turn about said clamping axis relative to the first jaw member between an open position and a clamping position;
• (g) said mouths are aligned in said open position and said mouths are not aligned and mutually axially offset to clamp a workpiece in said clamping position therein.

Apparatus for holding and turning an elongate workpiece comprising:

• (a) holding means comprising a plurality of jaw members rotatable in unison about a predetermined axis;
• (b) each jaw member is axially open ended, has a central socket, a periphery and a mouth extending from said socket to interrupt the periphery of the jaw member through a predetermined arcuate extent, said mouth being effective to allow a workpiece to pass therethrough to each said socket;
• (c) a first jaw member is rotatable about an axis which is co-axial with said predetermined axis and has a peripherally toothed portion engaged by driving means for rotating said holding means to turn a workpiece;
• (d) said driving means comprises primary and secondary driving gears which mesh with the peripheral teeth of the first jaw member at engagement locations which are spaced peripherally of the first jaw member by an arc greater than the predetermined arcuate extent of the mouth;
• (e) a second jaw member is rotatable about said predetermined axis by said first jaw member;
• and
• (f) one of said jaw members is arcuately movable relative to another of said jaw members between an open position, in which the mouths are aligned to admit a workpiece into the sockets, and a clamping position, in which said mouths are not aligned to trap the workpiece in the sockets.

A bending machine comprising:

• (a) a plurality of bending units arranged to make bends in a common plane;
• (b) the bending units being adjustably mounted on a frame to adjust the separation thereof in said common plane;
• (c) apparatus for holding and turning a workpiece about a predetermined axis mounted between said bending units so that said predetermined axis is alignable with said common plane;
• (d) said apparatus comprising a plurality of jaw members rotatable in unison about said predetermined axis;
• (e) each jaw member is axially open ended, has a central socket, a periphery and a mouth extending from said socket to interrupt the periphery of the jaw member, said mouth being effective to allow a workpiece to pass therethrough to each said socket;
• (f) said jaw members are interconnected and mounted to rotate in unison about the predetermined axis when at least one of the jaw members is driven by driving means;
• (g) one of the jaw members is a clamping jaw member and is arcuately movable relative to another of the jaw members between an open position, in which the mouths are aligned to admit a workpiece into the sockets, and a clamping position in which said mouths are not aligned to trap the workpiece in the sockets;
• and
• (h) in said clamping position the socket of said clamping jaw member is eccentric to the other or others of the sockets to exert a clamping force on the trapped workpiece.