Pipe bending apparatus

Claim 1

IN A MACHINE FOR BENDING A LENGTH OF TUBING THAT INCLUDES A VERTICAL COLUMN, TWO LONGITUDINALLY ALIGNED JAWS RIGIDLY CONNECTED TO TWO SHAFTS ROTATABLY AND PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED BY SAID COLUMN, MEANS FOR TENDING TO RESTRAIN DOWNWARD PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID SAID JAWS, A DOWNWARDLY CURVED PRESSURE-EXERTING MEMBER IN WHICH AT LEAST ONE GROOVE OF SEMI-CIRCULAR CROSS SECTION IS FORMED IN THE LOWERMOST SURFACE THEREOF THAT IS IN VERTICAL ALIGNMENT WITH GROOVES OF A GENERALLY SEIMCIRCULAR CROSS SECTION FORMED IN SAID JAWS, A HYDRAULIC CYLINDER SUPPORTED FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID COLUMN, A PISTON SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID CYLINDER, A PISTON ROD CONNECTED TO SAID PISTON AND SUPPORTING SAID PRESSURE-EXERTING MEMBER ON THE LOWER END THEREOF, A SOURCE OF HYDRAULIC LIQUID UNDER PRESSURE, SOLENOID OPERATED VALVE MEANS WHICH WHEN IN A FIRST POSITION ADMITS SAID FLUID INTO THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID CYLINDER TO MOVE SAID PRESSURE-EXERTING MEMBER DOWNWARDLY TO BEND SAID TUBING AND WHEN IN A SECOND POSITION ADMITS SAID FLUID INTO SAID CYLINDER TO RAISE SAID PRESSURE-EXERTING MEMBER TO A POSITION ABOVE SAID TUBING, THE IMPROVEMENT FOR FORMING A SEQUENCE OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED BENDS IN SAID TUBING, COMPRISING: (A) AN ELECTRIC SYSTEM CONNECTED TO SAID SOLENOID OPERATED VALVE MEANS FOR MOVING THE SAME TO EITHER SAID FIRST OR SECOND POSITION; (B) A FIRST NORMALLY OPEN SWITCH IN SAID SYSTEM WHICH WHEN CLOSED RESULTS IN SAID SOLENOID OPERATED VALVE MEANS MOVING TO SAID FIRST POSITION; (C) A SECOND NORMALLY OPEN SWITCH IN SAID SYSTEM WHICH WHEN CLOSED RESULTS IN SAID SOLENOID OPERATED VALVE MEANS MOVING TO SAID SECOND POSITION, (D) FIRST RESILIENT MOVABLY SUPPORTED MEANS ADJACENT SAID SECOND SWITCH, SAID FIRST MEANS CAPABLE OF OCCUPYING EITHER A FIRST OR SECOND POSITION, AND SAID FIRST MEANS WHEN IN SAID FIRST POSITION AND DEFORMED DOWNWARDLY, CLOSING SAID SECOND SWITCH; (E) A DISC HAVING A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED, RADIALLY EXTENDING SLOTS FORMED IN THE PERIPHERAL PORTION THEREOF; (F) SECOND MEANS FOR SO SUPPORTING SAID DISC FROM ONE OF SAID SHAFTS THAT SAID DISC ROTATES WHEN SAID SHAFT ROTATES IN A FIRST DIRECTION BUT DOES NOT ROTATE WHEN SAID SHAFT ROTATES IN A SECOND DIRECTION; (G) A PLURALITY OF TABS SELECTIVELY POSITIONED IN SAID SLOTS AND PROJECTING REARWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY THEREFROM TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY SEQUENTIALLY CONTACT SAID FIRST MEANS WHEN IN SAID FIRST POSITION TO SEQUENTIALLY CLOSE SAID SECOND SWITCH TO FORM A PLURALITY OF BENDS IN SAID TUBING, EACH OF A DESIRED ANGLE, AS SAID TUBING IS MOVED INTERMITTENTLY THROUGH SAID MACHINE; (H) THIRD MEANS FOR REMOVABLY LOCKING SAID TABS IN SAID SLOTS; (I) FOURTH MEANS FOR VISUALLY INDICATING THE DEGREES OF SPACING OF SAID TABS WHEN DISPOSED IN SAID SLOTS; (J) FIFTH MEANS THAT AT ALL TIMES TEND TO MOVE SAID FIRST MEANS FROM SAID FIRST POSITION TO A SECOND POSITION WHERE SAID FIRST MEANS IS DISPOSED OUTWARDLY FROM SAID TABS; (K) SIXTH ELECTRICALLY OPERATED MEANS WHICH WHEN ENERGIZED, MAINTAINS SAID SECOND MEANS IN SAID FIRST POSITION; AND (L) A THIRD NORMALLY CLOSED ELECTRIC SWITCH CONNECTED TO SAID SYSTEM AND TO SAID SIXTH MEANS, SAID THIRD SWITCH BEING SO DISPOSED RELATIVE SAID FIRST MEANS THAT IT IS OPENED WHEN SAID FIRST MEANS CLOSES SAID SECOND SWITCH, SAID THIRD SWITCH WHEN IN SAID OPEN POSITION ALLOWING SAID FIFTH MEANS TO MOVE SAID FIRST MEANS THAT IS DOWNWARDLY DEFORMED TO SAID SECOND POSITION, SAID FIRST MEANS UPON REACHING SAID SECOND POSITION MOVING UPWARDLY DUE TO THE RESILIENCY THEREOF TO OPEN SAID SECOND SWITCH AND CLOSE SAID THIRD SWITCH, WITH SAID THIRD SWITCH UPON BEING CLOSED ENERGIZING SAID SIXTH MEANS TO MOVE SAID FIRST MEANS TO SAID FIRST POSITION, AND SAID FIRST MEANS IN RETURNING TO SAID FIRST POSITION BEING DISPOSED ABOVE THE ONE OF SAID TABS CAUSING THE DOWNWARD DEFORMATION OF SAID FIRST MEANS TO PERMIT THE FURTHER ROTATION OF SAID DISC AND TABS SUPPORTED THEREON IN THE SUBSEQUENT BENDING OF SAID TUBING.