Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6532789
-
Patent Number
6,532,789
-
Date Filed
Monday, February 26, 200123 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, March 18, 200321 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
- Reising, Ethington, Barnes, Kisselle, Learman & McCullosh, P.C.
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A portable sheet bending brake has a support frame with spaced longitudinally extending rails and a plurality of frame sections interconnecting the rails. A clamp member is carried by the lower arms of the frame sections, and an anvil member is carried by arms pivotally coupled to the upper arms of the frame sections. A bend member is pivotally mounted to the clamp member for bending over the anvil member sheet material clamped between the anvil and base members. A pair of longitudinally spaced handles are pivotally mounted to the bend member for pivoting into a channel on the bend member out of position to facilitate transport and storage of the brake. A shaft extends between bearings on the frame section arms, and has diametrically opposed longitudinally extending channels. Eccentric cams are received on the shaft, with diametrically opposed lugs received in the channels for automatically timing the cams with respect to the shaft, for pivoting the arms and the anvil member into clamping engagement with the base member. A stand supports the frame above the ground, and a table is mounted to the stand by four-bar linkages for movement between a lowered position beneath the brake and a raised position adjacent to the bend member while maintaining horizontal orientation of the table.
Description
The present invention relates to portable sheet bending brakes.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Sheet bending brakes heretofore proposed generally include a support frame formed by a pair of elongated support rails and a plurality of C-shaped frame sections that interconnect the rails. An elongated base member is mounted on the lower arms of the frame sections to form a clamp surface, and an elongated anvil member is mounted on bars pivotally secured to the upper arms of the frame sections for clamping sheet material against a clamp surface on the base member. A bend member is pivotally mounted to the base member for bending over the anvil member sheet material clamped between the anvil member and the base member. Among problems associated with conventional portable sheet bending brakes of this type is difficulty in storing and transporting the brake between jobs. Manufacturers recommend against suspending the brakes from hangers that engage the frame rails, which can bend or distort the brakes. Handles on the bend member must be removed prior to transport, still leaving mounting posts or the like extending beneath the support plane of the frame, which can catch on clothing or frame support surfaces. Another problem with conventional brakes lies in the fact that some assembly is typically required before the brake is ready for use by a purchaser.
The present invention provides a number of aspects or improvements in sheet bending brakes. These aspects or improvements may be implemented separately from each other, or more preferably in combination with each other, as in the preferred embodiment of the invention herein disclosed. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the handle or handles coupled to the bend member of the sheet bending brake, to assist an operator in manually bending the sheet material over the anvil member, are mounted to the bend member to pivot between a position extending from the bend member for use by an operator and a position adjacent to the bend member. In the latter position, the handle or handles are effectively folded out of the way and do not obstruct storage of the bending brake. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the arms that pivotally mount the anvil member to the frame sections have handle openings adjacent to the anvil member for grasping by a user to facilitate transport of the brake. Yet another aspect of the invention contemplates securement of the frame sections to the frame rails on three sides of the rails, so that the brake may be suspended from hooks by the front or rear rail, for example, without distorting or bending the rear rail or the brake assembly.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a shaft extends through bearings on the upper arms of the frame sections. Eccentric cams are mounted on the shaft and engage the anvil member support arms for pivoting the support arms and the anvil member toward and away from the clamp member as a function of rotation of the shaft. The shaft has a non-uniform lateral cross section, preferably including diametrically opposed longitudinally extending channels parallel to the axis of the shaft. The eccentric cams are of integrally formed construction, and have non-uniform openings, preferably with diametrically opposed lugs, received over the shaft so that the cams are automatically timed with respect to each other and with respect to the shaft upon assembly of the cams to the shaft. This aspect of the invention addresses problems in prior art constructions of this type, in which the cams are mounted on collars that must be rotationally timed with respect to the shaft, and in which the cams may readily become misaligned and mistimed during use of the bending brake. The shaft support bearings mounted in the upper arms of the frame sections have elongated tapering openings for accommodating movement of the shaft to clamp the anvil member and the sheet material in position. These bearings have tapering outer surfaces that cooperate with tapering outer surfaces in the frame section arms to facilitate manufacture in that the bearings may be inserted in the arms in only one direction. The elongated bearing slots allow clamping of a wide range of sheet material thicknesses, are self-adjusting, and do not require manual adjustment with wear as weather changes.
Yet another aspect of the present invention contemplates a stand and table assembly for a sheet bending brake, including a stand for mounting the brake above a horizontal surface such as the ground, and a table mounted on the stand for movement between a lowered position beneath the brake and a raised position adjacent to the clamp surface of the brake. In the preferred embodiment, the stand includes multi-bar linkages mounting the table to the frame for maintaining horizontal orientation of the table at and between the lowered and raised positions. The frame includes locks for locking the table in the raised position, and springs for assisting manual raising of the table from the lowered to the raised position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The invention, together with additional objects, features and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1
is a front perspective view of a sheet bending brake with stand and table assembly in accordance with a presently preferred embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2
is a partially sectioned side elevational view of the sheet bending brake illustrated in
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 3
is a fragmentary partially sectioned side elevational view on an enlarged scale of a portion of the sheet bending brake illustrated in
FIG. 2
;
FIG. 4
is a fragmentary partially sectioned front elevational view taken substantially along the line
4
—
4
in
FIG. 3
;
FIG. 5
is a fragmentary partially sectioned elevational view on an enlarged scale of a portion of the sheet bending brake illustrated in
FIG. 2
;
FIG. 6
is a fragmentary partially exploded perspective view of a portion of the sheet bending brake illustrated in
FIGS. 1 and 2
;
FIG. 7
is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the sheet bending brake illustrated in
FIGS. 1-2
and
5
-
6
;
FIGS. 8 and 9
are respective front and side elevational views of the shaft support bearing in the sheet bending brake illustrated in
FIGS. 1-2
and
5
-
7
;
FIG. 10
is a partially sectioned view of the eccentric cam and shaft assembly illustrated in
FIGS. 1-2
and
5
-
7
;
FIG. 11
is a diametric sectional view of the eccentric cam illustrated in
FIG. 10
;
FIG. 12
is a perspective view of the stand and table assembly in the portable sheet bending brake assembly illustrated in
FIG. 1
, with the sheet bending brake removed for purposes of illustration;
FIGS. 13 and 14
are fragmentary views that illustrate a portion of the stand and table assembly of
FIG. 12
, with the table in the fully raised position;
FIG. 15
is a fragmentary sectional view similar to a portion of
FIG. 3
but showing a modified embodiment of the invention; and
FIG. 16
is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line
16
—
16
in FIG.
14
.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1
illustrates a sheet bending brake, stand and table assembly
20
as including a sheet bending brake
22
mounted on a stand
24
that also carries a table
26
. Referring to
FIGS. 1-6
, brake
22
includes an elongated front rail
28
and an elongated rear rail
30
parallel to rail
28
. A plurality of frame sections
32
are disposed in a longitudinally spaced array and secured as by screws
34
to rails
28
,
30
. Rails
28
,
30
and frame sections
32
thus form a rigid elongated generally rectangular support frame
35
, in which frame sections
32
hold rails
28
in spaced apart parallel position. Rails
28
,
30
are disposed in downwardly extending openings on the underside of each frame section
32
, with the frame section surrounding each rail on at least three sides, as best seen in
FIGS. 2 and 3
. This support for the rails, particularly rear rail
30
, allows bending brake
22
to be hung from hooks or the like during transport and storage without distorting rail
30
.
Each frame section
32
is generally C-shaped in lateral view (FIG.
2
). An elongated base member
36
is secured by screws
38
to the forward edge of the lower arms
40
of the several frame sections
32
. Base member
36
has a flat upper surface
40
that forms a clamp surface for sheet metal to be bent by the brake. An elongated bend member
42
is pivotally mounted by a hinge rod
44
to base member
36
at a position adjacent to the forward edge of clamp surface
40
. A bar or arm
46
is pivotally mounted by a bolt
48
to upper arm
50
of each frame section
32
. An elongated anvil member
52
interconnects the forward ends of the several arms
46
, being secured thereto by the screws
54
. A handle opening
55
extends through each arm
46
at the forward end of the arm adjacent to anvil member
52
for grasping and carrying the sheet bending brake by a user. Arms
46
are pivotal with respect to frame sections
32
under control of a handle
56
, as will be described, to bring anvil member
32
into opposed clamping engagement with clamp surface
40
of base member
36
. With sheet metal clamped between anvil
52
and base member
36
, bend member
42
may be pivoted upwardly by an operator to bend the sheet metal over the forward edge of anvil member
52
.
Bend member
42
in the preferred embodiment of the invention takes the form of an elongated extrusion having a downwardly open channel
58
formed along the back side adjacent to base member
36
. A pair of longitudinally spaced handles
60
(
FIGS. 2-4
and
6
) each have an upper end disposed in channel
58
and pivotally secured to bend member
42
by a bolt
62
. A spring washer
64
is captured in compression around bolts
62
between handles
60
and an opposing interior surface of channel
58
. The upper end of each handle
60
is chamfered, as at
66
in FIG.
4
. Each handle
60
preferably comprises an elongated hollow extrusion in which chamfer
66
is formed in an operation after the extrusion has been cut to length. Thus, each handle
60
is pivotal with respect to bend member
42
from a lowered position illustrated in
FIGS. 2-4
and
6
, in which the handles may be raised by an operator to pivot bend member
42
around hinge rod
44
and bend sheet material over the surface of anvil member
52
, and a raised position in which each handle
60
is entirely concealed within channel
58
(FIG.
1
). In this raised position, the handle will be above the plane defined by the lower edges of rails
28
,
30
, and will not interfere with carrying of the bending brake or support of the brake on rails
28
,
30
on the bed of a truck, for example. This handle mounting arrangement may be distinguished, for example, from conventional handle mounting arrangements in which the handles must be removed by an operator before transport and storage of the bending brake, in which mounting pins or the like continue to depend from the bend member for possible interference during transport or storage, and in which the handle mounting hardware can become lost during transport and storage. The forces applied by compressed spring washer
64
are sufficient to hold handles
60
in either the lowered or raised position.
FIG. 15
illustrates a modified embodiment, in which bend member
42
a
has two (or more) longitudinally spaced pairs of depending tabs
68
,
70
, between which handle
60
and spring washer
64
are secured by bolt
62
. The arrangement of
FIG. 3
, in which handles
60
are entirely enclosed within channel
58
in the raised position of the handles, is preferred both because of the fact that the handles will then be protected from possibly catching against clothes or support structure, and because of the additional rigidity given to bend member
42
by the channel structure.
Handle
56
is coupled to the several anvil support arms
46
by means of an elongated shaft
72
and a plurality of eccentric cams
74
(
FIGS. 1-2
and
5
-
7
). Shaft
72
extends through a bearing
76
mounted in each frame section upper arm
50
. Each bearing
76
has a tapering outer periphery, as best seen in
FIG. 9
, that is slidably received within a correspondingly tapering opening in each arm
50
. This tapering bearing geometry ensures that each bearing
76
may be inserted into an associated arm
50
in only one direction. Each bearing
76
has a radially extending key
78
that is received within a corresponding slot in the arm opening for aligning the several bearings
76
with respect to each other and with respect to the several frame sections
32
. Each bearing
76
has an inner opening
80
that narrowingly tapers in the upward direction when the bearing is mounted in the frame section upper arm. Shaft
72
extends through the aligned openings
80
of the several bearings
76
.
Shaft
72
has a pair of diametrically opposed channels
82
integrally formed in the shaft. Each eccentric cam
74
has an opening
84
into which a pair of diametrically opposed lugs
86
radially extend. Cam
74
is of integrally formed construction. Thus, when the several cams
74
are positioned on shaft
76
, lugs
86
cooperate with channels
82
automatically to align and time the several cams with respect to each other. This may be distinguished from prior art structures of this general type, in which the cams are mounted on sleeves that are themselves rotationally adjustable with respect to the shaft, rendering alignment and timing of the cams very difficult to accomplish and maintain during use. In assembly of shaft
72
, bearings
76
and cams
74
, the cams are disposed adjacent to the wide ends of the several bearings, so that the cams hold the bearings in position within the corresponding openings of frame section arms
50
. At the same time, cams
74
slidably engage vertically opposed cam surfaces
90
,
92
(
FIGS. 2 and 5
) on each pivot arm
46
.
Handle
56
is secured to shaft
72
by means of handle mounting brackets
94
(FIGS.
1
and
6
). The position of handle
56
with respect to shaft
72
may be adjusted by rotatably adjusting the position of clamps
94
around shaft
72
. When handle
56
and shaft
72
are rotated counterclockwise in the drawings, cams
74
push downwardly on the several arms
46
to bring anvil member
52
into clamping engagement with surface
40
of base member
36
, and to clamp therebetween the sheet material that is to be bent. When anvil member
52
engages the sheet material against the clamp surface, further motion of handle
56
pulls shaft
72
upwardly within openings
80
of bearings
76
. The clamp is locked in position by the action of cams
74
against surfaces
90
and capture of shaft
72
at the upper ends of the bearing openings. After the sheet material has been bent as desired over anvil member
52
, handle
56
and shaft
72
are rotated clockwise in the drawings, so that cams
74
lifts arms
46
by engagement with cam surfaces
92
to release the sheet material. Handle
56
and brackets
94
are angularly adjustable with respect to the axis of shaft
72
. In this respect, the handle may be adjusted to lock sheet material in the brake by either pulling the handle as described above, or by pushing the handle clockwise in the drawings. Rails
28
,
30
, members
36
,
42
,
52
and shaft
72
may be of extruded metallic construction, such as aluminum. Longitudinally extending grooves
82
in shaft
76
are extruded in the shaft at the time of manufacture. Frame sections
50
and arms
46
may be of cast metal construction, such as aluminum. Bearings
76
and cams
74
may be of suitable molded plastic construction, such as nylon.
FIGS. 12-14
and
16
illustrate the assembly of stand
24
and table
26
in greater detail. Stand
24
has a pair of leg assemblies
96
,
97
that are interconnected by longitudinal bars
98
,
99
removably secured by locks
100
(
FIGS. 1
,
12
and
13
). Leg assembly
96
has wheels
104
, while leg assembly
97
has legs
102
. Otherwise, leg assemblies
96
,
97
are essentially mirror images of each other. Each leg assembly includes a leg
106
that extends upwardly from each rear corner of the leg assembly, and a support bar
108
that extends forwardly from the upper end of each leg
106
. Each bar
108
carries a bracket
110
and a bracket
112
for engaging rear rail
30
and front rail
28
of bending brake
20
to mount the bending brake in position on the stand. A table support arm
118
is suspended beneath each bar
108
by a rearward link
120
and a forward link
122
. Links
120
,
122
, bar
108
and arm
118
form a multi-bar linkage (preferably but not necessarily a four-bar linkage as shown) for pivoting arm
118
forwardly and upwardly while maintaining arm
118
parallel to bar
108
. A coil spring
124
extends in tension between a hook
126
carried by each bar
108
and a pin
128
secured adjacent to the lower edge of each linkage
122
. Table
24
has a pair of longitudinally spaced U-shaped channels
130
(
FIGS. 14 and 16
) secured to the underside thereof. Each channel
130
is slidably received over a corresponding support arm
118
, and is removably secured thereto by an appropriate lock mechanism
132
. A manual clamp lock
134
is carried at the forward end of each bar
108
. Locks
134
engage and hold arms
118
in the fully raised position (
FIGS. 1
,
13
and
14
).
Thus, table
26
is pivotally mounted by the stand for swinging between a lowered position (
FIG. 12
) beneath the bending brake mounted on the stand, and a raised position (
FIGS. 1
,
13
and
14
) forwardly adjacent to the clamping members. The table may thus be used to position and mark a piece of sheet material for bending. The four-bar linkage maintains horizontal orientation of table
26
in and between the raised and lowered positions. Springs
124
are secured in an over-center arrangement that urges the table forward and helps hold the table in the raised and lowered position. To disassemble the bending brake and stand assembly, the bending brake may be removed from frame
24
. Table
26
is then removed from arms
118
by loosening locks
132
(FIG.
16
). Frame
24
may then be disassembled, and all components moved to a truck or other vehicle for transport. The entire assembly may be rapidly reassembled at a new job site.
There has thus been disclosed a portable sheet bending brake, a stand and table assembly for a portable sheet bending brake, and a portable sheet bending brake and table assembly that fully satisfy all of the objects and previously set forth. A number of modifications and variations have been discussed. Other modifications and variations will readily suggest themselves to persons of ordinary skill in the art. The invention is intended to embrace all such modifications and variations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.
Claims
- 1. A portable sheet bending brake that includes:a support frame including a pair of elongated rails and at least two frame sections secured to said rails, said frame sections having downwardly opening pockets on an underside of each frame section that each capture said rails on at least three external sides of each of said rails, an elongated base member secured to said frame sections and having a clamp surface, an anvil member mounted on said support frame and movable toward and away from said base member for clamping sheet material against said clamp surface, and a bend member pivotally mounted on said base member for bending over said anvil member sheet material clamped between said base and anvil members.
- 2. The brake set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said frame sections has a lower arm secured to said rails and on which said base member is secured and an upper arm spaced from said lower arm, at least one pivot arm pivotally mounted on each said upper arm and to which said anvil member is secured, an elongated shaft extending between said upper arms, a handle coupled to said shaft, and eccentric cams on said shaft for pivoting said pivot arms toward and away from said lower arms.
- 3. The brake set forth in claim 2 wherein said shaft is of elongated integrally extruded construction having a non-uniform lateral cross section extending throughout its length, and wherein said cams are of integrally formed construction and have internal openings of corresponding non-uniform cross section that cooperate with said shaft for automatically timing said cams with respect to each other and to said shaft.
- 4. The brake set forth in claim 3 wherein said shaft has at least one elongated integrally extruded channel, and wherein each of said cams has a radial lug received in said channel.
- 5. The brake set forth in claim 4 wherein said shaft had diametrically opposed elongated integrally extruded channels, and said cams have diametrically opposed radial lugs received in said channels.
- 6. The brake set forth in claim 3 further comprising bearings secured in openings in said upper arms surrounding said shaft, said openings and said bearings having opposed tapering peripheries so that said bearings are insertable into said openings in only one direction.
- 7. The brake set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said frame sections has a handle opening adjacent to said anvil member for carrying said bending brake.
- 8. The brake set forth in claim 1 further comprising a stand for mounting said brake, and a table mounted on said stand for movement between a lowered position beneath said brake and a raised position adjacent to said bend member.
- 9. A portable sheet bending brake that includes:a support frame, a base member secured to said support frame and having a clamp surface, an anvil member mounted on said support frame and movable toward and away from said base member for clamping sheet material against said clamp surface, a bend member pivotally mounted on said base member for bending over said anvil member sheet material clamped between said base and anvil members, at least one handle mounted on said bend member for pivotal motion between a first position in which said handle extends from said bend member for manual operation of said bend member to bend sheet material over said anvil member, and a second position adjacent to and against said bend member for storage and transport of said sheet bending brake, and means for securing said at least one handle in said first and second positions, said handle being pivotally mounted between a pair of surfaces on said bend member, and said securing means comprising a spring member captured in compression with said handle between said pair of surfaces.
- 10. The brake set forth in claim 9 wherein said bend member includes an elongated channel having opposed surfaces, and wherein said handle and said spring member are captured between said surfaces for pivoting said handle to said second position within said channel.
- 11. The brake set forth in claim 9 wherein said support frame includes a pair of elongated rails, and at least two spaced frame sections secured to said rails and cooperating with said rails to form a support plane, and wherein said at least one handle is mounted to said bend member such that said handle clears said support plane in said second position of said handle.
- 12. The brake set forth in claim 11 wherein said at least one handle comprises a pair of said handles spaced longitudinally of each other along said bend member.
- 13. The brake set forth in claim 11 wherein said frame sections have openings that capture said rails on at least three sides of said rails.
- 14. The brake set forth in claim 11 wherein each of said frame sections has a lower arm secured to said rails and on which said base member is secured and an upper arm spaced from said lower arm, at least one pivot arm pivotally mounted on each said upper arm and to which said anvil member is secured, an elongated shaft extending between said upper arms, a handle coupled to said shaft, and eccentric cams on said shaft for pivoting said pivot arms toward and away from said lower arms.
- 15. The brake set forth in claim 14 wherein said shaft has a non-uniform lateral cross section, and wherein said cams are of integrally formed construction and have internal openings of corresponding non-uniform cross section that cooperate with said shaft for automatically timing said cams with respect to each other and to said shaft.
- 16. The brake set forth in claim 15 wherein said shaft has at least one elongated channel, and wherein each of said cams has a radial lug received in said channel.
- 17. The brake set forth in claim 16 wherein said shaft has diametrically opposed elongated channels, and said cams have diametrically opposed radial lugs received in said channels.
- 18. The brake set forth in claim 14 further comprising bearings secured in openings in said upper arms surrounding said shaft, said openings and said bearings having opposed tapering peripheries so that said bearings are insertable into said openings in only one direction.
- 19. The brake set forth in claim 11 wherein each of said frame sections has a handle opening adjacent to said anvil member for carrying said bending brake.
- 20. The brake set forth in claim 9 further comprising a stand for mounting said brake, and a table mounted on said stand for movement between a lowered position beneath said brake and a raised position adjacent to said bend member.
- 21. The brake set forth in claim 7 wherein said stand includes a multi-bar linkage mounting said table to said stand for maintaining orientation of said table between said lowered and raised positions.
- 22. The brake set forth in claim 21 wherein said stand includes locks for locking said table in said raised position.
- 23. The brake set forth in claim 22 wherein said stand further includes springs for holding said table in said lowered and said raised positions.
- 24. A portable sheet bending brake that includes:a support frame, a base member secured to said support frame and having a clamp surface, an anvil member mounted on said support frame and movable toward and away from said base member for clamping sheet material against said clamp surface, a bend member pivotally mounted on said base member for bending over said anvil member sheet material clamped between said base and anvil members, at least one handle mounted on said bend member for pivotal motion between a first position in which said handle extends from said bend member for manual operation of said bend member to bend sheet material over said anvil member, and a second position adjacent to and against said bend member for storage and transport of said sheet bending brake, a stand for mounting said brake, and a table mounted on said stand for movement between a lowered position beneath said brake and a raised position adjacent to said bend member.
- 25. A portable sheet bending brake that includes:a support frame including a pair of elongated rails and at least two frame sections secured to said rails, said frame sections having openings that capture said rails on at least three sides of said rails, an elongated base member secured to said frame sections and having a clamp surface, an anvil member mounted on said support frame and movable toward and away from said base member for clamping sheet material against said clamp surface, a bend member pivotally mounted on said base member for bending over said anvil member sheet material clamped between said base and anvil members, a stand for mounting said brake, and a table mounted on said stand for movement between a lowered position beneath said brake and a raised position adjacent to said bend member.
- 26. The brake set forth in claim 25 wherein said stand includes a multi-bar linkage mounting said table to said stand for maintaining orientation of said table between said lowered and raised position.
- 27. The brake set forth in claim 26 wherein said stand includes locks for locking said table in said raised position.
- 28. The brake set forth in claim 27 wherein said stand further includes springs for holding said table in said lowered and said raised positions.
- 29. The brake set forth in claim 1 further comprising at least one handle mounted on said bend member for pivotal motion between a first position in which said handle extends from said bend member for manual operation of said bend member to bend sheet material over said anvil member, and a second position adjacent to and against said bend member for storage and transport of said sheet bending brake.
- 30. The brake set forth in claim 29 further comprising means for securing said at least one handle in said first and second positions.
- 31. The brake set forth in claim 30 wherein said handle is pivotally mounted between a pair of surfaces on said bend member, and wherein said securing means comprises a spring member captured in compression with said handle between said support surfaces.
- 32. A portable sheet bending brake that includes:a support frame including a pair of elongated rails and at least two frame sections secured to said rails, said frame sections having openings that capture said rails on at least three sides of said rails, an elongated base member secured to said frame sections and having a clamp surface, an anvil member mounted on said support frame and movable toward and away from said base member for clamping sheet material against said clamp surface, a bend member pivotally mounted on said base member for bending over said anvil member sheet material clamped between said base and anvil members, at least one handle mounted on said bend member for pivotal motion between a first position in which said handle extends from said bend member for manual operation of said bend member to bend sheet material over said anvil member, and a second position adjacent to and against said bend member for storage and transport of said sheet bending brake, and means for securing said at least one handle in said first and second positions, said handle being pivotally mounted between a pair of surfaces on said bend member, and said securing means comprising a spring member captured in compression with said handle between said pair of surfaces.
- 33. The brake set forth in claim 32 wherein said bend member includes an elongated channel having opposed surfaces, and wherein said handle and said spring member are captured between said surfaces for pivoting said handle to said second position within said channel.
- 34. The brake set forth in claim 32 wherein said at least one handle comprises a pair of said handles spaced longitudinally of each along said bend member.
US Referenced Citations (14)