Method and apparatus for fabricating tubing

Claim 2

A tube fabricating apparatus comprising: a. a plurality of work stations each having i. an independently operable work performing mechanism, and ii. tube clamping means operable to support a tube during the performance of work thereon, b. transfer means for successively advancing tubes between work stations, said transfer means including a plurality of grab clamps operable to support tubes during their movement to or from a work station; c. means for preventing the disengagement of said grab clamps from the tubes gripped thereby until after the tubes have been secured by the clamping means of a work station to which they are delivered, and d. power operated means for opening and closing said tube clamping means with tubes supported in stationary positions therein by said grab clamps.

Claim 3

The combination according to claim 1, said work stations being aligned, said transfer means including rockable shafts mounted between said work stations, said grab clamps being mounted on said shafts, and means oscillating said shafts in unison whereby said clamps will swing between said work stations.

Claim 4

The combination according to claim 2, said oscillating means comprising gears on said shafts and reciprocable rack means meshing with said gears.

Claim 5

The combination according to claim 2, further provided with means for adjusting the lateral positions of said grab clamps on said shafts.

Claim 6

The combination according to claim 4, further provided with a framework supporting opposite ends of said work stations and shafts, each work station comprising a tooling bar extending between the sides of said framework and removably supported thereon, at least some of said bars supporting the tube clamping means.

Claim 7

The combination according to claim 5, said tube clamping means comprising a pair of guides mounted on said bar, a pair of clamps slidably mounted in said guides, and reciprocable motor means mounted on said bar and operating said clamps.

Claim 8

The combination according to claim 5, including tube bending means having dies movably mounted on said tooling bar and reciprocable motor means mounted on said tooling bar and operating said dies.

Claim 9

The combination according to claim 7, the bending dies of said work stations being located successively outwardly toward the ends of said tubes.

Claim 10

The combination according to claim 2, said transfer means further comprising arms mounted on and extending from said shafts, said grab clamps being mounted on said arms, means for adjusting said arms along said shafts, and means for rotatably adjusting said grab clamps on the arm axis and perpendicular to said axis, whereby said grab clamps may be adjusted to accommodate a variety of tube shapes.

Claim 11

The combination according to claim 2, at least two grab clamps being mounted on each of said shafts, said grab clamps being held by arms secured to and extending outwardly from the shafts.

Claim 12

The combination according to claiM 1, said means for preventing disengagement of the grab clamps comprising limit switch means actuatable in response to closing of said work station clamping means to release said grab clamps.

Claim 13

The combination according to claim 10, further provided with means responsive to securing of said tubes by the clamping means of a work station for operating a tube bending means of that station, time delay means responsive to securing of the tubes by the clamping means of a work station for returning the transfer means to the previous work station for the next tube and causing the grab clamps to grip said next tubes, and means responsive to disengagement of said tubes by said tube clamping and bending means at the work stations for causing said transfer means to carry said next tubes to their succeeding stations.

Claim 14

The structure set forth in claim 1 in which said work stations include at least one end forming station and one bending station.

Claim 15

The combination according to claim 13, one of said work stations being a fitting feed station for placing a fitting on one end of the tube, said end forming station having a flare press for flaring said end of the tube, said bending station being located past said end forming station.

Claim 16

The combination according to claim 13, including an alignment station between said tube supply and end forming station, said alignment station having a stop and means for moving a tube parallel to its length against said stop to align one end of the tube with said end forming station.

Claim 17

The combination according to claim 15, said transfer means further comprising rockable shafts between said stations and arms on said shafts carrying said grab clamps, and means for rocking said shafts in unison.

Claim 18

The combination according to claim 14, said transfer means comprising rockably mounted shafts between said stations, said grab clamps being mounted on said shafts, and means for shifting the fitting along said tube between said fitting feed station and end forming station, said last-mentioned means comprising plates forming an arcuate slot and set angularly with respect to the path of movement of said tubes, the tubes travelling through said slot during the transfer movement.

Claim 19

The combination according to claim 14, the flare press at said end forming station having a pair of dies for holding the tube against movement along its axis, one of said dies being fixed, and a punch movable in the direction of the tube axis, tube clamps at each of said work stations for holding the tubes placed therein, means supporting the tube clamp at said end forming station for movement toward and away from said fixed die, and means responsive to arrival of each tube between said flare press dies for moving said tube clamp at the end forming station toward the fixed die.

Claim 20

The combination according to claim 13, there being a plurality of bending stations in succession, the bending stations having dies for bending portions of the tube progressively closer to its ends, an alignment station before the first of said bending stations, an adjustable stop at one end of said alignment station, means for moving said tube against said stop, and tube clamps at each of said stations, the tube clamps at said alignment station loosely retaining the tube so as to permit said alignment to take place.

Claim 21

The combination according to claim 19, said bending stations each comprising a tooling bar suspended below and extending transversely of the path of movement of said tubes, and means removably mounting said tooling bars.

Claim 22

The combination according to claim 13, further provided with tube clamps at said work stations, means for preventing the retraction of said work station tube clamps until said grab clamps have engaged the tubes, and means for preventing the retraction of the grab clamps until the tube clamps at the next work stations have engaged said tubes.

Claim 23

The combination according to claim 13, at least one of said work stations comPrising an assembling station, and means at said assembling station for assembling a part lengthwise onto said tube.

Claim 24

The combination according to claim 22, said apparatus further comprising an alignment station following said tube supply station, means at said alignment station for locating each tube in the direction of its axis, said assembling station being located between said alignment station and said end forming station and having means for placing a fitting on one end of the tube, said end forming station having means for flaring said end of the tube, a second alignment station after said end forming station, means at said second alignment station for locating the other end of said tube in the direction of its axis, a second fitting feed station after said second alignment station and a second flaring station after said second fitting feed station.

Claim 25

The combination according to claim 23, there being a plurality of bending stations, and means at at least one of said bending stations for holding a fitting at the end of said tube, said last-mentioned means comprising an air blast nozzle.

Claim 26

A tube bending apparatus comprising: a. a plurality of equidistantly and longitudinally spaced work stations; each work station having a laterally extending tooling bar removably suspended below the level of tubes being transferred, a pair of longitudinally slidable tube clamping jaws mounted on said bar, a pair of bending dies mounted on said bar, and reciprocable motor means for actuating said clamping jaws and bending dies; b. a plurality of rockable shafts equidistantly spaced between said work stations above the level of said tooling bars; c. at least two arms secured to and extending outwardly from each shaft; d. tube grab clamps mounted at the outer end of each arm; e. means for adjusting the position of each arm along its shaft and longitudinally and rotationally adjusting each grab clamp with respect to its arm; f. means carried by each arm for moving its clamp outwardly and then into engagement with a tube; g. means for rocking said shafts in unison to simultaneously transfer tubes to succeeding work stations and then return the clamps to their previous positions; h. means for withdrawing the tube clamping jaws at each work station in response to gripping of the tube by the grab clamps; and i. means causing the grab clamps to release the tube in response to engagement of the tube with the clamping jaws at the next work station.

Claim 27

A tube bending apparatus comprising: a. a plurality of equidistantly and longitudinally spaced work stations; each work station having a laterally extending tooling bar removably suspended below the level of tubes being transferred, a pair of longitudinally slidable tube clamping jaws mounted on said bar, a pair of bending dies mounted on said bar, and reciprocable motor means for actuating said clamping jaws and bending dies; b. a plurality of rockable shafts equidistantly spaced between said work stations above the level of said tooling bars; c. at least two arms secured to and extending outwardly from each shaft; d. tube grab clamps mounted at the outer end of each arm; e. means for adjusting the position of each arm along its shaft and longitudinally and rotationally adjusting each grab clamp with respect to its arm; f. means carried by each arm for moving its clamp outwardly and then into engagement with a tube; g. means for rocking said shafts in unison to simultaneously transfer tubes to succeeding work stations and then return the clamps to their previous positions; h. means for withdrawing the tube clamping jaws at each work station in response to gripping of the tube by the grab clamps; and i. means causing the grab clamps to release the tube in response to engagement of the tube with the clamping jaws at the next work station.

Claim 28

A tube fabricating apparatus comprising: a. a plurality of equidistantly spaced and aligned work stations; b. a tube supply station before the first work station providing a supply of tubes cut to a predetermined length; c. transfer means including shafts located equidistantly between said work stations and between the supply station and first work station, transfer arms extending from said shafts, grab clamps on the ends of said transfer arms, means sequentially extending, closing, opening and retracting said grab clamps, and means rocking said shafts in unison whereby the clamps will swing between adjacent work stations; d. a first section of work stations having means for sequentially end-aligning one end of the tube, placing a fitting on said end, flaring said end, end-aligning the other end of the tube, placing a fitting on said other end and flaring said other end; e. a second section of work stations comprising bending stations, each bending station having a tooling bar extending transversely to and below the path of tube movement, removably mounted at the work station and carrying bending dies, the bending dies at successive bending stations being engageable with portions of the tube progressively toward the ends thereof; f. tube clamps at each of said work stations, the tube clamps at the aligning stations being loose to permit said end-aligning movement to take place; g. means preventing release of the tube clamps at each work Station until the grab clamps of the next succeeding transfer shaft have engaged the tube; and h. means for preventing release of the grab clamps after the tube has been moved to the next succeeding station until the tube clamps at that station have engaged the tube.

Claim 29

A tube fabricating apparatus comprising: a. a plurality of equidistantly spaced and aligned work stations; b. a tube supply station before the first work station providing a supply of tubes cut to a predetermined length; c. transfer means including shafts located equidistantly between said work stations and between the supply station and first work station, transfer arms extending from said shafts, grab clamps on the ends of said transfer arms, means sequentially extending, closing, opening and retracting said grab clamps, and means rocking said shafts in unison whereby the clamps will swing between adjacent work stations; d. a first section of work stations having means for sequentially end-aligning one end of the tube, placing a fitting on said end, flaring said end, end-aligning the other end of the tube, placing a fitting on said other end and flaring said other end; e. a second section of work stations comprising bending stations, each bending station having a tooling bar extending transversely to and below the path of tube movement, removably mounted at the work station and carrying bending dies, the bending dies at successive bending stations being engageable with portions of the tube progressively toward the ends thereof; f. tube clamps at each of said work stations, the tube clamps at the aligning stations being loose to permit said end-aligning movement to take place; g. means preventing release of the tube clamps at each work Station until the grab clamps of the next succeeding transfer shaft have engaged the tube; and h. means for preventing release of the grab clamps after the tube has been moved to the next succeeding station until the tube clamps at that station have engaged the tube.

Claim 30

A tube bending apparatus comprising: a. a plurality of rectilinearly spaced work stations each having tube clamping means and independently operable tube bending means, and b. transfer means for simultaneously advancing tubes between work stations with the tubes oriented transversely of their direction of travel, c. said bending means at each work station being operable to bend separate portions of the tubes received therein, d. said clamping means at each work station being operable to support and position the tubes while they are bent, and e. said transfer means being operable to maintain the positions of the tubes transversely of the direction of advancement of the tubes as they are advanced between work stations, f. one of said transfer and clamping means being constantly engageable with each of said tubes during their presence in said bending apparatus.

Claim 31

A tube bending apparatus comprising: a. a plurality of rectilinearly spaced work stations each having tube clamping means and independently operable tube bending means, and b. transfer means for simultaneously advancing tubes between work stations with the tubes oriented transversely of their direction of travel, c. said bending means at each work station being operable to bend separate portions of the tubes received therein, d. said clamping means at each work station being operable to support and position the tubes while they are bent, and e. said transfer means being operable to maintain the positions of the tubes transversely of the direction of advancement of the tubes as they are advanced between work stations, f. one of said transfer and clamping means being constantly engageable with each of said tubes during their presence in said bending apparatus.

Claim 32

A tube fabricating apparatus comprising: a. a plurality of spaced work stations each having i. an independently operable work performing mechanism, ii. a clamping mechanism operable to support and position a tube during the performance of work thereon; b. a plurality of transfer arms pivotally mounted in locations between said work stations, c. a pair of tube engaging jaws mounted on the end of each of said transfer arms, d. first power operated means for moving each of said pair of jaws longitudinally of the arm on which it is mounted into and out of surrounding relation with tubes supported in the clamping mechanisms of said work stations; and e. second power operated means for simultaneously pivoting said transfer arms to advance tubes between work stations.

Claim 33

A tube fabricating apparatus comprising: a. a plurality of spaced work stations each having i. an independently operable work performing mechanism, ii. a clamping mechanism operable to support and position a tube during the performance of work thereon; b. a plurality of transfer arms pivotally mounted in locations between said work stations, c. a pair of tube engaging jaws mounted on the end of each of said transfer arms, d. first power operated means for moving each of said pair of jaws longitudinally of the arm on which it is mounted into and out of surrounding relation with tubes supported in the clamping mechanisms of said work stations; and e. second power operated means for simultaneously pivoting said transfer arms to advance tubes between work stations.

Claim 34

A tube fabricating apparatus comprising: a. a plurality of spaced work stations; b. transfer means for successively advancing tubes to be fabricated between work stations with the tubes disposed parallel to one another and perpendicular to their direction of travel; c. clamps at said work stations for supporting said tubes; d. one of said work stations comprising an end alignment station having an abutment engageable with one end of a tube at said one station and means for producing endwise movement of a tube at said one station against said abutment, the clamp at said one station having a fit on the tube supported thereby which permits endwise sliding movement of the tube held thereby.

Claim 35

A tube fabricating apparatus comprising: a. a plurality of spaced work stations; b. transfer means for successively advancing tubes to be fabricated between work stations with the tubes disposed parallel to one another and perpendicular to their direction of travel; c. clamps at said work stations for supporting said tubes; d. one of said work stations comprising an end alignment station having an abutment engageable with one end of a tube at said one station and means for producing endwise movement of a tube at said one station against said abutment, the clamp at said one station having a fit on the tube supported thereby which permits endwise sliding movement of the tube held thereby.

Claim 36

The structure set forth in claim 29 in which said transfer means includes grab clamps operable to hold the endwise alignment of said tubes as the tubes are moved between work stations.