Apparatus for locating pipe bends

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION WITH A PIPE BENDING MACHINGEW HAVING DIE MEANS AND A PUNCH MOVABLE INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH A PIPE SUPPORTED ON SAID DIE MEANS FOR FORMING BENDS THEREIN, AN APPARATUS FOR LOCATING A LENGTH OF PIPE RELATIVE TO SAID MACHING, COMPRISING (A) AN ELONGATED BEAM PROJECTING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID MACHINE (B) A PLURALITY OF PIPE SUPPORTS ADJUSTABLY SLIDABLE ALONG SAID BEAM, (C) THE ENDS OF SAID SUPPORTS REMOTE FROM SAID BEAM HAVING A GENERALLY V-SHAPED CONFIGURATION FOR CRADLING SAID PIPE THEREON AND BEING DISPOSED IN COPLANAR RELATIONSHIP WITH EACH OTHER IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID DIE MEANS, (D) A PROTRACTOR MOUNTED ON EACH OF SAID SUPPORTS IN PLANES NORMAL TO THE PLANE OF SAID BEAM, (E) STOP MEANS ADJUSTABLY SLIDABLE ALONG EACH OF SAID PROTRACTORS, AND (F) MEANS RELEASABLY RETAINED IN A FIXED POSITION ON ONE END OF SAID PIPE AND PROVIDED WITH A FIRST MEMBER SELECTIVELY ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID ENDS OF SAID SUPPORTS FOR AXIALLY LOCATING SAID PIPE RELATIVE TO SAID PUNCH AND DIE MEANS AND A SECOND MEMBER SELECTIVELY ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID STOP MEANS FOR ANGULARLY ORIENTING SAID PIPE RELATIVE TO SAID PUNCH AND DIE MEANS, (G) THE PERIPHERY OF SAID FIRST MEMBER AND THE ENDS OF SAID SUPPORTS REMOTE FROM THE BEAM HAVING MATING FACES FOR RELEASABLY RETAINING SAID FIRST MEMBER ON SAID SUPPORTS.