Program controlled tube bender

Claim 1

A MACHINE FOR FORMING A PLURALITY OF BENDS ALONG A LENGTH OF TUBING, COMPRISING: CLAMPING MEANS FOR SAID TUBING OPERATIVE TO TRANSLATE SAID TUBING ALONG ITS AXIS AND ROTATE IT ABOUT ITS AXIS; A PLURALITY OF CIRCULAR BENDING FORMS DISPOSED ABOUT A COMMON AXIS WHICH EXTENDS PERPENDICULARLY TO THE DIRECTION OF TRANSLATION OF SAID CLAMPING MEANS; MEANS FOR MOVING SAID STACK OF FORMS ALONG ITS AXIS; A BENDING WING ROTATABLE ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAID FORMS; MEANS FOR MOVING SAID BENDING WING TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE AXIS OF SAID FORMS IN ORDER TO CAPTURE TUBING BETWEEN THE TWO; A SUPPORT FOR SAID STACK OF FORMS AND SAID BENDING WING MOVABLE IN A DIRECTION PERPENDICULAR TO BOTH THE DIRECTION OF TRANSLATION OF SAID CLAMPING MEANS AND THE EXTENSION OF THE COMMON AXIS OF SAID FORMS; A RECORD CONTAINING CODED INFORMATION RELATING TO A PLURALITY OF BENDS TO BE FORMED ALONG A LENGTH OF TUBING; AND A CONTROL SYSTEM OPERATIVE TO ESTABLISH ELECTRICAL REPRESENTATIONS OF PARTICULAR ITEMS OF INFORMATION CONTAINED ON SAID RECORD AND TO USE SAID REPRESENTATIONS TO CONTROL THE POSITION OF MOVING PARTS OF SAID MACHINES SO AS TO MOVE SAID STACK OF BENDING FORMS ALONG ITS AXIS TO POSITION A PARTICULAR FORM WITH RESPECT TO SAID WING, TO MOVE SAID FORM AND WING SUPPORT SO AS TO POSITION A PARTICULAR FORM IN OPERATING POSITION WITH RESPECT TO SAID TUBING, TO ROTATE AND TRANSLATE SAID TUBING SO AS TO POSITION A PARTICULAR POINT WITH RESPECT TO THE BENDING FORM SO SELECTED, AND TO MOVE SAID BENDING WING THROUGH A PARTICULAR ARC.