Hydraulic conduit bender
A hydraulic conduit bender may be provided. The hydraulic conduit bender may comprise a mast and a main bending cylinder. The mast may be disposed in a working position. The main bending cylinder may be disposed in the mast. The main bending cylinder may be operative to accept, on a throw extending from the main bending cylinder when the mast is in the working position, different sizes of a plurality of bending shoes without having to adjust a position of the main bending cylinder within the mast.
1 . An apparatus comprising:
a mast rotatable about a pivot point between a stored position and a working position;
a main bending cylinder disposed in the mast;
a throw powered to move the throw in both a direction out of the main bending cylinder and a direction into the main bending cylinder;
a plurality of follow bars; and
a plurality of bending shoes corresponding to each of the plurality of follow bars;
wherein the main bending cylinder is operative to accept, on the throw extending from the main bending cylinder when the mast is in the working position, each of the plurality of bending shoes without having to adjust a position of the main bending cylinder within the mast.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a mast elevation cylinder operative to rotate the mast from a stored position to the working position.
3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the mast elevation cylinder is further operative to return the mast from the working position to the stored position.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of bending shoes is attached to the throw extending from the main bending cylinder.
5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein one of a plurality of hooks is attached to the one of the plurality of bending shoes wherein an assist pin is disposed in the one of a plurality of hooks and is operative to hold the hook on a conduit.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a tray operative to store at least one of a plurality of elements associated with operation of the apparatus.
7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of elements associated with operation of the apparatus comprise a hook pin, a clevis pin, and an assist pin.
8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of hooks, wherein the plurality of follow bars respectively correspond to the plurality of hooks that respectively correspond to the plurality of bending shoes, and wherein indicia indicate which ones of the plurality of follow bars respectively correspond to which ones of the plurality of hooks that respectively correspond to which ones of the plurality of bending shoes.
9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the indicia comprises a color coding system.
10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the main bending cylinder is a dual-action cylinder.
11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the throw comprises a clevis.
12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein one of the plurality of bending shoes being attached to the clevis by a clevis pin.
13 . A method comprising:
using a mast elevation cylinder to rotate a mast of an apparatus about a pivot point from a stored position to a working position;
attaching one of a plurality of bending shoes to a throw extending from a main bending cylinder, without having to adjust a position of the main bending cylinder within the mast;
placing one of a plurality of follow bars on the apparatus;
placing a conduit on the follow bar;
attaching a one of a plurality of hooks to the one of the plurality of bending shoes wherein an assist pin is disposed in the one of a plurality of hooks and is operative to hold the one of a plurality of hooks on the conduit; and
operating the main bending cylinder to bend the conduit.
14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising storing, in a tray, at least one of a plurality of elements associated with operation of the apparatus wherein the plurality of elements associated with operation of the apparatus comprise a hook pin, a clevis pin, and an assist pin.
15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising storing a plurality of follow bars and the plurality of hooks, wherein the plurality of follow bars respectively correspond to the plurality of hooks that respectively correspond to the plurality of bending shoes wherein indicia indicate which ones of the plurality of follow bars respectively correspond to which ones of the plurality of hooks that respectively correspond to which ones of the plurality of bending shoes.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the indicia comprises a color coding system.
17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein attaching one of the plurality of bending shoes to the throw comprises adjusting a position of the throw vertically.