Abstract: A straightening method particularly for an elongated metal member having a long longitudinally linear length, is carried out by an automatic straightening apparatus by the manner of preliminarily setting a plurality of points at which distortion are to be straightened. When it is required to straighten an amount of distortion to be straightened at a certain point, the amount is adjusted in consideration of the amounts of strains to be straightened at the other points by utilizing the method of least squares so that the elongated metal member has substantially a linearly straight shape. According to this manner, the amounts of the respective points of the long member to be straightened are adjusted. The distortion of the elongated metal member can thus be substantially straightened to a highly improved accuracy.

Abstract: A novel method and apparatus for forming stabilizer bars for engine driven land vehicles starting from tubular or rod steel stock material to provide predetermined shapes which are hardened by heat treating, forming and quenching into permanent forms. The method comprises of heating bar ends and forging in forging presses so that one of the eyed ends after heating to 1150.degree.-1240.degree. C. for forging and piercing is formed. The same series of heating, forging and piercing steps are carried out at the other end to thereby provide a new strengthened eyehole structure at each end. The bar is then heated and formed on a forming table. The heating is carried out at 870.degree.-910.degree. C. and the bending on the forming table is carried out. A drain aperture is pierced in the side of the tubular stock to drain the quenching oil which enters the tube during quenching after forming the stabilizer bar. The novel forming board is provided with twelve cylinders.

Abstract: A rod bending device using a combination of a movable mandrel and two moving rollers, between which mandrel and which rollers the rod bending is effected, the movements of which mandrel and rollers are effected simultaneously by the same power system and by a single power stroke. The power system, preferably a hydraulic system, effects movement of the movable mandrel which in turn simultaneously effects movement of two arms which support the movable rollers. This simultaneous movement of the mandrel and the rollers effects the bending of the rod which is positioned between the mandrel and the rollers. The curvature and the degree of the bending are determined by the shape of the mandrel, the positioning of the rollers on the supporting arms and the extent of the revolution of the arms about the individual fulcrums on which the respective arms are revolved.

Abstract: A novel method and apparatus for forming stabilizer bars for engine driven land vehicles starting from tubular or rod steel stock material to provide predetermined shapes which are hardened by heat treating, forming and quenching into permanent forms. The method comprises of heating bar ends end forging in forging presses so that one the eyed ends after heating to 1150.degree.-1240.degree. C. for forging and piercing is formed. The same series of heating, forging and piercing steps are carried out at the other end to thereby provide a new strengthened eyehole structure at each end. The bar is then heated and formed on a forming table. The heating is carried out at 870.degree.-910.degree. C. and the bending on the forming table is carried out. A drain aperture is pierced in the side of the tubular stock to drain the quenching oil which enters the tube during quenching after forming the stabilizer bar. The novel forming board is provided with twelve cylinders.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming tubes, rods and the like into a serpentine configuration. A plurality of guide rails are mounted on a supporting surface and carriage bars are slideable on the guide rails. A lazy tong linkage having bend forming members mounted thereon is slideably mounted on the carriage bars. A lazy tong linkage assembly is disposed on each side of a center line and expander mechanisms are provided for forcing the two spaced lazy tong linkages apart. Drive means connected to the carriage bars drives the lazy tong linkage to a collapsed position and this movement causes the bend forming members to form a straight tube or rod into a serpentine configuration.

Abstract: Tool and method for bending of shaping the tips of angioplasty guide wires. The tool has two relatively rigid body sections joined together by a relatively flexible hinge, with a flexible tube extending across the hinge for holding the tip of the wire to be bent. The body sections are folded together about the hinge to bend the wire, and the flexible tube tends to form a kink in the wire which helps the wire to retain the shape to which it is bent. Stops limit the movement of the body sections and prevent overbending of the wire.

Abstract: A bending machine is provided to form a multiplicity of predetermined types of bends within several planes in elongated, heavy gauge workpieces of various sizes and shapes by pressure between a stack of dies and a pair of swingable anvil plates carried by elongated wings each of which is, in turn, swingable to adjust the distance between the anvils. Slide rails for the workpiece are readily accessible for loading and unloading. The die stack includes releasable vise-like clamps which grip the workpiece to preclude distortion during bending, and the stack can be raised or lowered to provide proper alignment of preselected die units of the stack.

Abstract: A flat metal strip is placed horizontally on a base plate which is vertically movable between a ram and a bolster of a press. A bending die for bending the metal strip by applying pressure in the widthwise direction is fixed to a slide cam slidable horizontally on the base plate. The slide cam has a slide cam face abutting on a front cam face formed in a drive cam mounted on the bolster. When the ram is moved downwards, a cover plate fixed to the ram covers the metal strip, pushes the base plate and the slide cam downwards, and compels the slide cam to slide horizontally toward the metal strip with the aid of the front and slide cam faces to bend the metal strip with the bending die. On the other hand, the drive cam has a rear cam face abutting on a press cam face formed in a press cam fixed to the ram.

Abstract: An apparatus for bending a pipe about a fixed forming member serving as abutment has members gripping the pipe externally as well as two mandrels intended to come inside the pipe. Each mandrel has an end piece movably carried by one end, the end pieces being against each other inside the pipe at the beginning of bending. During the initial bending phase, each end piece is urged outwards from the bending center to expand the pipe to such an extent that after terminating bending, the pipe is given a circular cross section subsequent to a certain amount of return spring of the pipe wall.

Abstract: An apparatus for bending an elongate member with a pair of spaced parallel planar flanges which normally extend from the planar web to form a channel section. The apparatus includes a platen shaped for close fitting engagement with the exterior web and flange faces of the elongate member in a region where the elongate member is bent. The platen also includes a counter-pressure member, one surface of which engages the exterior face of the web of the elongate member in the bending region. The counter-pressure member is capable of being selectively advanced or retracted within the platen. A movable head member shaped for close fitting engagement with the interior web and flange faces of the elongate member in the bending region has projections which apply a force in the bending region acting in the planes of the flanges on longitudinally spaced portions of the elongate member for relative displacement of the portions.

Abstract: An apparatus for cold forming stabilizer blades from elongated members by holding an elongated member while being bent or twisted to form a stabilizer blade. A mandrel is provided for receiving first and second sleeves so that a force applied by a toggle arrangement causes the first and second sleeves to rotate in opposite directions to bend the elongated member to form a stabilizer blade.

Abstract: Apparatus for producing a serpentine tube by bending a straight tube including a plurality of dies each having an arcuate surface, the dies being arranged alternately on opposite sides of the straight tube and movable in a direction toward the center axis of the straight tube and at the same time in a direction intersecting the center axis of the straight tube. During a bending operation, the dies are spaced apart from one another in a manner to impart to the straight tube and the serpentine tube such a dimensional relationship that no excess material is produced in the tube. Each die forms a set with two wings, the two wings being operative to force the straight tube against the arcuate surface of the associated die while rotatingly moving for a circumferential extent of 90 degrees each along the arcuate surface of the die. Each set of die and wings is mounted on one of a plurality of front-to-rear ball screws supported for movement by a plurality of left-to-right ball screws.

Abstract: An improved multi-part die assembly for forming a closed clip comprises a mounting structure, punch means, first and second gate-die members and simultaneous driving means. The punch means reciprocates toward and away from a clip-forming station on the mounting structure, and the gate-die members pivot toward and away from the clip-forming station. A crown die is defined on the punch means for cooperation with the crown of an open clip. First and second leg dies on the first and second gate-die members cooperate with the legs of the open clip. The simultaneous driving means drives the punch means and the first and second gate-die members simultaneously whereby the closed clip is formed by cooperation with the crown die and the leg dies.

Abstract: Corrugated pipe is bent by pinching the spiral corrugations on one side of the pipe to decrease their pitch and increase their amplitude as compared to the undeformed corrugations on the opposite side of the pipe, thereby shortening the pipe on one side. A machine for effecting deformation of the corrugations includes inner and outer clamp mechanisms which provide an inner spiral rib extending partially around the inside of the pipe and a pair of outer spiral ribs extending partially around the outside of the pipe. The clamps include hinged together clamp sections which are pivoted by hydraulic cylinders between a pipe engaging position for bending the pipe and a release position permitting advancement of the pipe. The cylinders drive the outer ribs toward one another as well as inwardly into grooves of the corrugations where their force is opposed by the inner rib which acts against the inside pipe surface at a ridge of the corrugation.

Abstract: An apparatus for reducing the radius of the bend in a U-shaped tube comprises two squeeze dies and a back die. The back die is hollowed to form a chamber that accommodates the bent section of the tube and supports the entire circumference of the tube at the center of the bent section. Mating slide surfaces on the back die and the squeeze dies cooperate to extend the back die during squeezing in such a manner as to accommodate the longitudinal extension of the tube legs that results from the squeezing; i.e., there is no relative longitudinal movement between the squeeze dies and the tube legs. This arrangement enables relatively thin-walled tubes to be squeezed without undue deformation of the tube.

Abstract: A hydraulic bending machine comprises a reciprocating connector fitted symmetrically with a pair of roller holders having inner and outer rollers rotatably attached to the end portions thereof, respectively. In these inner and outer rollers to abut against a workpiece, the outer rollers have a diameter larger than that of the inner rollers. A guide block is disposed forward in the extending direction of the connector. When the connector extends, the workpiece is held between the rollers of the respective roller holders and the guide block. When the connector further extends, then the roller holders rock around their rocking centers, and the workpiece, pushed by the inner and outer rollers, is bent around the guide block. Since the diameter of the outer rollers is larger than that of the inner rollers, the workpiece is bent further by the outer rollers than by the inner rollers. Thus, there may be maintained a desired bending angle even with the restoring force applied to the workpiece after bending.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for bending elongated members such as pipe sections by the application of axial compression to both ends of a pipe section positioned between parallel guides. Preferably the apparatus comprises a pair of fittings with pivot mountings receivable in both ends of the pipe section, means for forcing the fittings toward each other in a direction axial of the pipe and for initially applying slight transverse pressure to the pipe section intermediate its ends in a direction radially outward with respect to the desired bend, and parallel planar guides on opposite sides of the pipe section.