Gauge for pipe bending machine

1. Pipe bending apparatus, comprising:

a pin-up shoe for clamping to a pipe;

a first sensor for sensing relative positions of said pin-up shoe;

a bending die;

a stiffback for supporting the pipe, said stiffback being movable with respect to said pin-up clamp for moving a portion of said pipe and forming a bend therein;

a second sensor for sensing relative positions of said stiffback; and

an indicator coupled to the first and second sensors for providing an operator with an indication of the position of the stiffback and/or the pin-up clamp.

2. The pipe bending apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first and second sensors comprise a plurality of limit switches configured so that predetermined ones of the limit switches are activated when the stiffback and pin-up clamp are in predetermined positions.

3. The pipe bending apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the positions of the plurality of limit switches are adjustable so that the predetermined positions may be changed.

4. The pipe bending apparatus of claim 2 wherein the indicator comprises a plurality of visual indicators that are activated responsive to the activation of a corresponding limit switch.

5. The pipe bending apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of visual indicators comprise lights that are selectively energized responsive to corresponding ones of the limit switches.

6. The pipe bending apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the lights are LEDs.

7. The pipe bending apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first and second sensors comprise first and second transducers that provide signals indicative of the position of the stiffback and pin-up clamp, respectively.

8. The pipe bending apparatus of claim 7 , wherein signals are analog signals.

9. The pipe bending apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising circuitry for comparing the analog signal to a predetermined threshold.

10. The pipe bending apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the indicator comprises a plurality of visual indicators that are activated responsive comparing the analog signal to the predetermined threshold.

11. The pipe bending apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising circuitry for indicating a position of the stiffback or pin-up responsive to comparing the analog signal to the predetermined threshold.

12. The pipe bending apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the circuitry for comparing and the circuitry for indicating comprises a programmed processor coupled to a display device.

13. The pipe bending apparatus of claim 2 wherein the indicator comprises a plurality of visual indicators that are activated responsive to the activation of one of the plurality of limit switches.

14. Pipe bending apparatus, comprising:

a bending die;

a support member juxtaposed near a first end of the bending die and being movable with respect to said bending die for supporting a portion of a pipe;

a first sensor for sensing a position of said movable support member;

a bending member juxtaposed near a second end of the bending die and being movable with respect to said bending die for bending a pipe around the bending die;

a second sensor for sensing a position of said bending member;

an indicator coupled to the first and second sensors for providing an operator with an indication of the positions of the support member and the bending member.

15. The pipe bending apparatus of claim 14 , wherein one of the first and second sensors comprise a plurality of limit switches configured so that predetermined ones of the plurality of limit switches are activated when the member being sensed is in predetermined positions.

16. The pipe bending apparatus of claim 14 , wherein one of the first and second sensors comprises a transducer that provides position signals indicative of the position of the corresponding one of the support member and bending member.

17. The pipe bending apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the indicator comprises a plurality of visual indicators that are activated responsive to the position signals.

18. The pipe bending apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising a programmed processor coupled to a display device, wherein the plurality of visual indicators comprise portions of the display device that are displayed by the programmed processor responsive to the position signals.

19. A method of operating a pipe bending apparatus having a bending die, a support member juxtaposed near a first end of the bending die and being movable with respect to said bending die for supporting a portion of a pipe, and a bending member juxtaposed near a second end of the bending die and being movable with respect to said bending die for bending a pipe around the bending die, the method comprising:

loading a first pipe into the apparatus so that a portion of the first pipe is disposed near the bending die;

moving the support member to a first position so as to support the first pipe near the first end of the bending die;

setting the first position as a first predetermined position using a first position sensor for sensing a position of said support member;

moving the bending member to a second position so as to force the first pipe to bend around a portion of the bending die;

setting the second position as a second predetermined position using a second position sensor for sensing a position of said bending member.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:

removing the first pipe from the machine;

loading a second pipe into the apparatus so that a portion of the second pipe is disposed near the bending die;

moving the support member to the first predetermined position; and

moving the bending member to the second predetermined position, so that the second pipe is bent substantially the same as the first pipe.