The present invention provides a new bending apparatus and bending method of a tube material which makes it possible to achieve all of bending by a large bending radius not requiring large scale equipment or die, bending resistant to wrinkling and buckling at an inner side of the bending, and bending with a high productivity, that is, a ram bending apparatus using a punch 12 and a set of rolls 13, 13 for three-point bending of a tube material wherein the punch 12 has a groove 12a of a width of the width of a circular tube 11 or more and wherein the set of rolls 13, 13 are supported by a frame 14. The rolls 13, 13 can freely move on the frame 14 in directions away from each other in a state contacting the punch 12. The frame 14 has a hollow space 14a enabling free movement of the descending punch 12 and the circular tube 11 bent along with this during the bending of the circular tube 11.

A bending machine has a main spindle which supports a die. There are two counter dies each mounted on a working arm which rotate about the main spindle. The working arms are driven by link arms which are acted on by a translational drive. There is versatile three-point bending caused by three die points, two on the working arms and one on the die support shaft. The working arm drive includes a translational component which extends through the die support shaft, and which is connected to the link arms. This achieves excellent symmetry and compactness.

A tube bender includes a bending tool and a bending base connected to the bending tool. The bending tool has an arched member. The bending base has a first plate, a second plate, a first block, and a second block. The first plate is separated from the second plate to form a bending space therebetween. The first and the second blocks are received in the bending space and pivoted on both the first plate and the second plate. A tube is adapted to be rested on the first and the second blocks while the arched member is able to be moved toward the tube to bend the tube. The first block and the second block are rotated automatically according to a curvature of the tube being bent.

An apparatus includes a guide member configured with stress limiting features which function to prevent the stress from bending the guide member causing ovalization of the guide member. An apparatus for bending a guide member includes a ram die and a pressure die which are configured to fully encircle the portion of the guide member during the bending operation. A fixture for supporting a guide member during bending is configured to fully encircle sections of the guide member during bending.

The present invention provides a new bending apparatus and bending method of a tube material which makes it possible to achieve all of bending by a large bending radius not requiring large scale equipment or die, bending resistant to wrinkling and buckling at an inner side of the bending, and bending with a high productivity, that is, a ram bending apparatus using a punch 12 and a set of rolls 13, 13 for three-point bending of a tube material wherein the punch 12 has a groove 12a of a width of the width of a circular tube 11 or more and wherein the set of rolls 13, 13 are supported by a frame 14. The rolls 13, 13 can freely move on the frame 14 in directions away from each other in a state contacting the punch 12. The frame 14 has a hollow space 14a enabling free movement of the descending punch 12 and the circular tube 11 bent along with this during the bending of the circular tube 11.

Robotic rod benders are disclosed including a motor housing and a mechanical housing coupled with the motor housing. The motor housing may include first and second rod feeding/rotating motors, a brake motor, a bending motor, first and second rod feeding/rotating transmission inputs, a brake transmission input, and a bending transmission input. The mechanical housing may include a rod feeding/rotating subassembly, a brake subassembly, a bending subassembly, first and second rod feeding/rotating transmission outputs, a brake transmission output, and a bending transmission output. Separate motor and mechanical housings are also disclosed.