Device and method for forming bends in tubular work pieces

A system for forming a bend in a portion of a tubular work piece, comprising:

• a roller assembly comprising a plurality of rollers;
• a support assembly for supporting the tubular work piece such that the portion of the tubular work piece is aligned with the plurality of rollers along an axial direction, and for advancing the tubular work piece in the axial direction;
• a roller guide structure which radially surrounds at least some of the rollers and which extends axially past opposite axial sides of the rollers and which is configured to guide at least some of the rollers of the plurality of rollers along a path that runs around a perimeter of the portion of the tubular work piece and transverse to the axial direction, such that a pressure that is exerted by each of the at least some of the rollers on the portion of the tubular work piece increases from a minimum value to a maximum value along a first half of the path and decreases from the maximum value to approximately the minimum value along a second half of the path, the first half of the path not overlapping with the second half of the path;
• and,
• an adjuster assembly for moving the roller guide structure along an axial and radial direction that is inclined relative to the axial direction for varying the maximum value of the applied pressure.

A system for forming a bend in a first portion of a tubular work piece, comprising:

• a clamping element for clamping the tubular work piece about a second portion thereof and for aligning the clamped second portion of the tubular work piece along an axial direction;
• a roller guide structure having an inwardly facing surface that is inclined, relative to the axial direction, such that the surface defines a substantially frusto-conical volume;
• a tube feeding assembly for feeding the tubular work piece along the axial direction, so as to position the first portion of the tubular work piece at least partially within the substantially frusto-conical volume;
• a roller assembly comprising a plurality of rollers, each roller of the plurality of rollers disposed in rolling engagement with the surface of the roller guide structure, and each roller being guided along a path that runs around a perimeter of the first portion of the tubular work piece and transverse to the axial direction;
• a support structure;
• and,
• an adjuster assembly interconnecting the roller guide structure and the support structure, the adjuster assembly comprising a guide mechanism defining a guided path that is inclined relative to the axial direction for moving the roller guide structure in both a vertical and a horizontal direction relative to the roller assembly,
• wherein moving the roller guide structure along the guided path varies an amount of pressure that is exerted on the tubular work piece by the rollers to a larger extent within a first section of the perimeter of the tubular work piece than within a second section of the perimeter of the tubular work piece, the first section of the perimeter being opposite the second section of the perimeter.

A system for forming a bend in a first portion of a tubular work piece, comprising:

• a clamping element for clamping the tubular work piece about a second portion thereof and for aligning the clamped second portion of the tubular work piece along an axial direction;
• a roller guide structure having an inwardly facing surface that is inclined, relative to the axial direction, such that the surface defines a substantially frusto-conical volume;
• a tube feeding assembly for feeding the tubular work piece along the axial direction, so as to position the first portion of the tubular work piece at least partially within the substantially frusto-conical volume;
• a roller assembly comprising a plurality of first rollers and a plurality of second rollers, each one of the plurality of second rollers disposed in a fixed arrangement relative to a different one of the plurality of first rollers, each first roller of the plurality of first rollers disposed in rolling engagement with the surface of the roller guide structure, and each second roller of the plurality of second rollers being guided along a path that runs around a perimeter of the first portion of the tubular work piece and transverse to the axial direction;
• a support structure;
• and,
• an adjuster assembly interconnecting the roller guide structure and the support structure, the adjuster assembly comprising a guide mechanism defining a guided path that is inclined relative to the axial direction for moving the roller guide structure in both a vertical and a horizontal direction relative to the roller assembly,
• wherein moving the roller guide structure along the guided path varies an amount of pressure that is exerted on the tubular work piece by each of the second rollers to a larger extent within a first section of the perimeter of the tubular work piece than within a second section of the perimeter of the tubular work piece, the first section being opposite the second section.