Mandrel assembly for tube-bending apparatus
AssigneeArvin Industries, Inc.
InventorsJeffrey P. Hayes, Alford Kessinger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mandrel assembly is provided for use with a tube bender including a mandrel rod, a mandrel ball, and a coupler. The coupler is configured to couple the mandrel ball to the mandrel rod and includes a link, a first connector member, a second connector member, and a retainer. The link includes a body and a collar. The first and second connector members are positioned to lie over the second end of the body and cooperate to define a groove sized to receive the collar of the link and a socket sized to retain a projection of the mandrel ball. The retainer is positioned to lie over the first and second connector members and the link to secure the first and second connector members to the link.
Claims44
A mandrel assembly for a tube bender, the mandrel assembly comprising
- a mandrel rod configured to be coupled to a tube bender,
- a mandrel ball having a body and a projection coupled to the body, and
- a coupler including a link, a first connector member, a second connector member, and a retainer, the link including a body having a first end and a second end coupled to the mandrel rod and spaced apart from the first end and a collar coupled to the first end of the body, the first and second connector members being positioned to lie over the first end of the body of the link and cooperate to define a groove sized to receive the collar of the link and a socket sized to retain the projection of the mandrel ball, the retainer being positioned to lie over the first and second connector members and the link to secure the first and second connector members to the link.
A coupler configured to couple a mandrel ball to a mandrel rod, the mandrel ball including a body and a projection coupled to the body, the coupler comprising
- a link configured to be coupled to a mandrel rod,
- a first connector member coupled to the link,
- a second connector member coupled to the link, the first and second connector members cooperating to define a socket configured to receive a projection of a mandrel ball, and
- a retainer moveable relative to the link between a first position securing the first and second connector members to the link and a second position permitting removal of at least one of the first and second connector members from the link.
A coupler configured to couple a mandrel ball to a mandrel rod, the mandrel ball including a body and a projection coupled to the body, the coupler comprising
- a link configured to be coupled to a mandrel rod, the link including an exterior surface,
- a connector coupled to the exterior surface of the link, the connector including a socket configured to receive a projection of a mandrel ball, and
- a retainer configured to engage the connector to restrain movement of the connector relative to the link.
A mandrel assembly for a tube bender, the mandrel assembly comprising,
- a mandrel rod including a lubrication passage,
- a mandrel ball including a body and a projection coupled to the body, and
- a coupler including a link coupled to the mandrel rod, the link including a lubrication channel in communication with the lubrication passage of the mandrel rod, a connector coupled to the link and including a socket configured to receive a projection of a mandrel ball, and a retainer including a lubrication channel configured to communicate with the lubrication channel of the link.
A tube bender configured to bend a tube having an inside surface, the tube-bending apparatus comprising,
- a tube gripper configured to grip an inner surface of a tube, the tube gripper including an inner surface having a diameter and
- a mandrel assembly including a mandrel rod configured to move within the tube gripper, a mandrel ball, and a coupler configured to couple the mandrel ball to the mandrel rod, the coupler including an outer surface having a diameter less than the diameter of the inner surface of the tube gripper.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.