Automatic pipe bender

Claim 1

A system for automating a pipe bender of the type having a bending ram movable with a forward stroke toward back shoes for holding a pipe to be bent, said system comprising a plurality of depth-of-bend adjustment means; actuating means for starting and stopping the forward stroke of the bending ram; sequencing means connected with each of said depth-of-bend adjustment means; bend commence means operable to actuate said actuating means to start the forward stroke of the bending ram and to energize said sequencing means to sequentially operate consecutive ones of said depth-of-bend adjustment means; detector means providing a signal corresponding to the position of the bending ram during the forward stroke; control means for comparing the position of the bending ram with the setting of said operating one of said depth-of-bend adjustment means and controlling said actuation means to stop the forward stroke of the bending ram when the position of the bending ram corresponds with the setting of said operating one of said depth-of-bend adjustment means; first counter means responsive to said sequencing means to count the number of bends made by the forward strokes of the bending ram; bend selector means adapted to be set to a predetermined number of bends; reset means responsive to said bend selector means and said first counter means to indicate the completion of bends in a pipe and to reset said first counter means when the number of bends made by the forward strokes of the bending ram equals the pre-determined number of bends set in said bend selector means; second counter means responsive to said reset means to count the number of pipes having said predetermined number of bends formed therein; pipe selector means adapted to be set to a predetermined number of pipes to be bent; and clear means responsive to said pipe selector means and said second counter means to indicate the bending of said predetermined number of pipes when The number of pipes having said predetermined number of bends therein equals the predetermined number of pipes set in said pipe selector means.

Claim 2

A system for automating a pipe bender of the type having a bending ram movable with a forward stroke toward back shoes for holding a pipe to be bent, said system comprising a plurality of depth-of-bend adjustment means; actuating means for starting and stopping the forward stroke of the bending ram; sequencing means connected with each of said depth-of-bend adjustment means; bend commence means operable to actuate said actuating means to start the forward stroke of the bending ram and to energize said sequencing means to sequentially operate consecutive ones of said depth-of-bend adjustment means; detector means providing a signal corresponding to the position of the bending ram during the forward stroke; control means for comparing the position of the bending ram with the setting of said operating one of said depth-of-bend adjustment means and controlling said actuation means to stop the forward stroke of the bending ram when the position of the bending ram corresponds with the setting of said operating one of said depth-of-bend adjustment means; first counter means responsive to said sequencing means to count the number of bends made by the forward strokes of the bending ram; bend selector means adapted to be set to a predetermined number of bends; reset means responsive to said bend selector means and said first counter means to indicate the completion of bends in a pipe and to reset said first counter means when the number of bends made by the forward strokes of the bending ram equals the pre-determined number of bends set in said bend selector means; second counter means responsive to said reset means to count the number of pipes having said predetermined number of bends formed therein; pipe selector means adapted to be set to a predetermined number of pipes to be bent; and clear means responsive to said pipe selector means and said second counter means to indicate the bending of said predetermined number of pipes when The number of pipes having said predetermined number of bends therein equals the predetermined number of pipes set in said pipe selector means.

Claim 3

A system for automating a pipe bender of the type having a bending ram movable with a forward stroke toward back shoes for holding a pipe to be bent, said system comprising a plurality of depth-of-bend adjustment means each including a variable resistor adjustable to present a resistance corresponding to the depth of a bend to be formed; actuating means for starting and stopping the forward stroke of the bending ram; sequencing means connected with each of said depth-of-bend adjustment means; bend commence means operable to actuate said actuating means to start the forward stroke of the bending ram and to energize said sequencing means to sequentially operate consecutive ones of said depth-of-bend adjustment means; detector means providing a signal corresponding to the position of the bending ram during the forward stroke; and control means for comparing the position of the bending ram with the setting of said operating one of said depth-of-bend adjustment means and controlling said actuation means to stop the forward stroke of the bending ram when the position of the bending ram corresponds with the setting of said operating one of said depth-of-bend adjustment means, said control means including resistance means having a resistance varying with movement of the bending ram, said sequencing means including means for sequentially connecting said variable resistors in circuit with said resistance means to form a voltage divider, and said control means including means for sensing voltage across a portion of said voltage divider for controlling said actuating means to stop the forward stroke of the bending ram when the sensed voltage reaches a predetermined value.

Claim 4

A system for automating a pipe bender of the type having a bending ram movable with a forward stroke toward back shoes for holding a pipe to be bent, said system comprising a plurality of depth-of-bend adjustment means each including a variable resistor adjustable to present a resistance corresponding to the depth of a bend to be formed; actuating means for starting and stopping the forward stroke of the bending ram; sequencing means connected with each of said depth-of-bend adjustment means; bend commence means operable to actuate said actuating means to start the forward stroke of the bending ram and to energize said sequencing means to sequentially operate consecutive ones of said depth-of-bend adjustment means; detector means providing a signal corresponding to the position of the bending ram during the forward stroke; and control means for comparing the position of the bending ram with the setting of said operating one of said depth-of-bend adjustment means and controlling said actuation means to stop the forward stroke of the bending ram when the position of the bending ram corresponds with the setting of said operating one of said depth-of-bend adjustment means, said control means including resistance means having a resistance varying with movement of the bending ram, said sequencing means including means for sequentially connecting said variable resistors in circuit with said resistance means to form a voltage divider, and said control means including means for sensing voltage across a portion of said voltage divider for controlling said actuating means to stop the forward stroke of the bending ram when the sensed voltage reaches a predetermined value.