| 摘要 |
An improved tube bending apparatus for bending rigid tubes comprising a mandrel adapted to be received within a tube to be bent; the tube having a first inner surface at the region of the bend defining a first cross-sectional shape; the mandrel comprising (a) a cylindrical sleeve member having mateable first outer surface operably abutable with the tube mateable first inner surface for maintaining the inner cross-sectional shape; (b) lubrication means for providing a lubricant to the inner tube surface and the first outer sleeve member surface; mandrel support means for maintaining the mandrel at a desired position relative to the bend during a bending operation; the improvement wherein the lubrication means comprises fluid mixture means for providing an atomised lubricant/gaseous mixture to the mateable surfaces. Preferably, the apparatus further comprises flexible mandrel member means adjacent the sleeve member operably bendable within the tube at the bend region; the tube having a second inner surface at the region of the bend defining a second cross-sectional shape; the flexible mandrel member means having a mateable second outer surface operably abutable with the mateable second inner surface for maintaining said inner cross-sectional shape; the flexible mandrel member means being in rotatable mating engagement with the sleeve member, and wherein the mandrel comprises means for detecting non-mating engagement of the flexible mandrel member means and the sleeve member. The apparatus provides improved lubricant efficiency, reduction in lubricant loss to the environment and cost; and improved damaged mandrel detection.
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