RESILIENT INTERNAL MANDREL

: An internal mandrel is disclosed which is used for supporting the inner wall of a pipe during bending. The internal mandrel includes a urethane plug which is compressed between the piston of a hydraulic cylinder and an end plate. This expands the urethane radially outward into contact with the inner wall of the pipe to support the pipe during bending. Resilient steel strips can be mounted on the exterior surface of the urethane plug at the inside bend of the pipe to increase the effective wall thickness of the pipe at the inner bend to reduce the likelihood of deformation during bending. In a second embodiment, internal mandrel includes an annular urethane plug positioned between a resilient cylinder and the inner wall of the pipe.