Bending machine

A bending machine comprising:

• a frame;
• a stationary table supported on said frame;
• a ram movably mounted on said frame;
• an upper die fastened to said ram, said ram and said upper die being movable and acting in cooperation with said stationary table to secure between said stationary table and said upper die a workpiece which is to be bent about a bending line;
• a bending blade selection arm movably mounted on said frame;
• a downward bending beam rotatably mounted to said bending blade selection arm at a first location thereon for rotation with respect to said bending blade selection arm;
• a downward bending blade mounted on said downward bending beam;
• an upward bending beam rotatably mounted to said bending blade selection arm at a second location thereon for rotation with respect to said bending blade selection arm,
• an upward bending blade mounted on said upward bending beam;
• said first and second locations being spaced apart from each other so that each of said downward bending blade and said upward bending blade can be rotated with respect to said bending blade selection arm while said downward bending blade and said upward bending blade are maintained separate from each other;
• a bending blade selection actuator for moving said bending blade selection arm between a first position and a second position, whereby said downward bending blade contacts a workpiece along a surface of the workpiece opposite said bending line when said bending blade selection arm is in said first position and said upward bending blade contacts a workpiece along a surface of the workpiece opposite said bending line when said bending blade selection arm is in said second position;
• a downward bending blade actuator for rotating said downward bending beam and said downward bending blade, with respect to said bending blade selection arm, about said bending line when said bending blade selection arm is in said first position, said workpiece is fixed between said upper die and said stationary table, and said downward bending blade is in contact with said workpiece, to thereby downwardly bend a portion of said workpiece about said bending line;
• and
• an upward bending blade actuator for rotating said upward bending beam and said upward bending blade, with respect to said bending blade selection arm, about said bending line when said bending blade selection arm is in said second position, said workpiece is fixed between said upper die and said stationary table, and said upward bending blade is in contact with said workpiece, to thereby upwardly bend a portion of said workpiece about said bending line.