US2371393A - Pipe bending equipment - Google Patents

Description

March 13, 1945,. J. R. HORRIGAN 2,371,393

PIPE BENDING EQUIPMENT Filed Jan. 28, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mm i March13, 1945.l .1. R. HORRIGAN PIPE BENDINGEQUIPMENT Filed Jan. 28, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 13, 1945 UNITED STATES' PATENT OFFICE PIPE BENDING EQULPMEN T v Joseph R. HorrigamlHouston, Tex. Application January 28, 1944, Serial No. 520,114 2 claims.' grasse-32) This invention relates to -pipe bending equipment.

An ob-ject of the invention is` to provide equipment of the character described designed to be used in the process of bending pipe so that the pipe will not become distorted at the bend but maintain its approximately round contour. v Another object of the present invention is to provide equipment for transversely corrugating the pipe on the inside of the bend, or curvature, to the end that the pipe will` not become distorted, at the bend, when it is bent.k

More specically it isran object of the present y invention to provide equipment '01 the character described whereby pressure may be exerted, outwardly, against a limited area'of4 the inside of the pipe and at, or alongQthe inside vof the bend so that an outwardly extended transverse c orrugation, or corrugations, may` be formed in the pipe at the insideV ofthe bend which will facilitate the bending operation and prevent any substantial distortion of the'pipe.'

At the present time, pipe is lbeing manufactured having much thinner walls than heretofore and it has kbeen found that when it is attempted to bend or curve pipe having these thin walls that the pipe will become distorted and in some cases collapsed at the bend so as to refstrict the capacity of the pipe and the volume of fluid capable of flowing therethrough. This type of pipe is commonly used in the construc. tion of pipe lines for conducting gas, oil or other liquids and it is essential that its full capacity be maintained.

The present invention has been ,designed so thatthe pipe can be bent without distortion and Without reducing its capacity.

The invention also comprehends a novel process of bending pipe.

invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arran`gement of parts and to a novel method an example of which is given in this speciicationand illusf trated in the accompanying drawings wherein:` Figure 1 shows a side elevation, partly in section, of the equipment as applied to the pipe.

Figure 2 shows a sectional view of the pipe and its. clamp before the punch and its operating f mechanism have been inserted, and rotated clockwise through an angle of 90 degrees, taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 sho`ws a transverse sectional View, rotated clockwise through an angle of 9U degrees,

of the pipe and matrix after the pipe has been fully bent against the matrix. .f

Figure 4 shows a side elevation of the punch.

1 Figure 5 showsv a transverse sectional view of the Apipe showing the punch an-d punch oper'- ating 'mechanism therein partly in section'and,

'Figure 6 shows a longitudinal sectional view takenon the-` line S-of Figure 5.

- Referring now more particularly to the draw-y ings wherein like numerals of referencev desig-` nate the sameparts in each of the gures the numeral I designates a matrix Whose outer side is curved from end to end, having the curvature which it is desired to impart, to the pipe 2 to be bent. l'I'his matrix is also curved transversely, as shown in Figure 3 to snugly receive said pipe. The matrix may be secured to, or formed integrally with, a plate 3 which,4 in turn, may be .bolted or otherwise secured to a truck or ablefavailable anchorage.

'As -illustrated the matrix is so mounted that the pipe will be swungin a horizontal plane during the bending operation. y i'Ihe matrix is provided with a transverse opening 4 through the bottom thereof land if it'be desired to form more than one corrugation in the bend of the pipe the matrixy may be provided withadditional openings as 5 and 6.

It is. apparent that the matrix may be provided with mere indentations rather-than openings. l

The numeral 'I designates a punch designed to any other suitcooperate with the matrix to form a 'corruga- Y t With the above-and other objectsin view'the tiony'or cOrrugatiOnS, as 8 inthe pipeon fthe inside of the bend.

This punch 'l hasthe external arcuate rib 9 thereon which is brought into registration with a corresponding opening in the matrix and when the pressure is applied forces the contacting portion'of the 'pipe into said opening to form the corrugation.- l y f "The punch member l, of the die, may be made ofv any selected width and is of ageneral arcuate form. .Opposite the punch member and of approximately the 'same general contour, there is a basememberv l0 which forms a support for a jack I l.l `Any type of jack or otherV expanding and contracting equipment may be employed either hydraulically, mechanically or manually operated'. In the present illustration a gear jack is shown. This jack may be secured to the base member I0 and includes the threaded shaft l2 which operates against the punch memberl 1.

The members 1 and l0 may b'e mounted on a carriage consisting of the front and rear axles of suitable depths I3, I4, which carry the respective rollers I5, I6, and the axles are mounted in the front and rear arms I'I, II and I8, I8 carried by the respective members 1 and I0 as shown in Figures 1, 5 and 6. The equipment may accordingly be `moved into the pipe traveling on the rollers I5, I6.

The jack illustrated is the conventional type of gear jack and may -be inserted into the pipe and operated by the shaft I9'whose outer end may be provided with the hand wheel 20.. This shaft is supported by, and rotates in the bearings of, the supporting spiders 2|, 22 the latter of which may have the antifriction rollers 23, 23 to roll against the inside of the pipe.

The section of pipe to be bent may be vlai-d in the matrix I as shown in Figure 1 and oneI end.

of the pipe may be clamped in position by any suitable means and the bending forcer may be applied to the other end of the pipe by a block and tackle arrangement or by any other means providedso as to cause the pipe to conform to the longitudinal curvature of the matrix at the point where the pipe is to be bent` The clamp means above referred to may include the lower anchor 24 which may be welded, or otherwise secured, to the plate 3 and may also include the arcuate clamp jaw 25 which is hinged at one end to the anchor 24 and whose other end may be latched around the pipe by the latch mechanism 26 which in turn is hinged to pivot on a vertical axis so that it can be swung horizontally out of the way when it is desired to locate the pipe in the clamp. When the end f the pipe section is secured in the clamp and the pipe section isiitted in the matrix and the bending force is ready to be applied the corrugating equipment may be inserted into the clamped end of the pipe section and moved in- Wardly until the rib 9 is exactly opposite the opening of the matrix into which the corrugation is to be forced. It is shown opposite the opening 4 in Figure l. The shaft I9 may then be turned in an appropriate direction to force the punch member 1 outwardly and the rib 9 vwill force the opposing section of the pipe into said opening forming the transverse rib or corrugation 8 and the bending force should, preferably, be applied just after the formationof the crimp, or corrugation, is started. At the same time the arcuate base member I will be forced against the opposite side of the pipe and will hold it to its original round contour.

The pipe ts snugly in the `matrix member I and will be prevented, by it, from becoming out 0f round.

If it be desired to form morethan one corrugationthe rotation of the shaft I9 may be reversed to'release the jack and to withdraw the rib 9 from the corrugation just formed and the equipment may be moved further into tlie pipe until the rib 8 is opposite the opening 5 and another corrugation formed, asbefore, andv so on until thedesired number of corrugations have been formed, it being understood that the pipe will gradually be bent to the curved shape of the matrix as the inside of the bend is corrugated.

When the work has been completed, the jack II may be released so that the equipment inside l. Pipe bending equipment comprising a frame,

a matrix fixed rigidly on the frame and whose operative face is curved transversely from end to end to receive and embrace one side of the pipe to be bent, said face being convex longitudinally to conform to the curvature of the desired bend in the pipe, an assembly insertable into the'pipe to 4a position opposite the matrix, said assembly comprising a base member Whose outer face is curved to conform to the contour of and to fit against the interior of the pipe on the outside of the bend and a complementa] punch member whose outer face is curved to conform to the shape of and to t against the interior of the pipe on the inside of the bend, said face of said punch member having an external arcuate rib thereon positioned transversely. with respect to the pipe, said matrix having a transverse arcuate space of sufficient length and depth to substantially receive therein said arcuate rib, and means for expanding said base member and said punch member to force said rib and adjacent pipe .area engaged by the rib into said transverse arcuoperative face is curved transversely from end to end to receive and embrace one side of the pipe to be bent, said face being convex longitudinally to conform to the curvature of the desired bend in the pipe, an assembly insertable into the pipe to a position opposite the matrix, said assembly comprising a base member whose outer face is curved to conform to the contour of and to fit against the interior of the pipe on the outside of the bend and a complemental punch member whose outer face is curved to conform to the shape of and to t against the interior of the pipe on the inside of the bend, said face of said punch member having an external arcuate rib thereon positioned transversely with respect to the pipe, said matrix having a plurality of transverse arcuate spaces of sufficient length and depth to substantially'receive therein said arcuate rib,

said assembly being movable to locate the ribA

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