[1]3 1 2 5 3 @ 4 4 1 United States -Patent, Office patented May 31, 1966 3,253,441 PIPE BENDING TOOL John D. Benfield, 415 Brainard, Detroit, Mich. 48201 Filed Feb. 24, 1964, Ser. No. 346,725 5 5 Claims. (Cl. 72-31) This invention relates to a pipe bending tool and more particularly to that type of tool known as a - "hickey" which has a dictionary definition of "a device for bending 10 pipe and conduit." More particularly, the invention relates to that type of .hickey which is used for bending what is called rigid or heavy wall metal pipe or conduit as distinguished from thin wall metallic tubing. In general, devices of this kind 15 which are in common use resemble a conventional plumber's pipe T fittin- which has its side wall cut away to receive the pipe to be bent. These fist-shaped devices are equipped with a long pipe handle for leverage. Then after taking several bites on the pipe and gradually shift20 ing the tool in increments or small segments, the desired angle of bend can be obtained. The present invention is an improved hickey which may be referred to as a "one-shot hickey" which can create any arc up to 90' of either short or long radius 25 without the necessity of shifting the tool along the pipe to accomplish the result desired. The radius formed is dependent on the operator who can case off on foot pressure and obtain a lon- radius or increase foot - pressure to obtain a short radius bend. Since it is designed t.0 30 mak-c either a short or a long radius bend, this tool is not to be conftised with fixed radius shoe benders used for bending thin wall tubing wherein the radius must conform with the fixed radius of the shoe of the bender. The present tool, however, may be shifted in @everal bites if 35 the operator so chooses. It works equally well @s a "oneshot" or multishot device. It is an object of the present invention to provide a hickey for variable radius bending with a foot pedal to 1 permit the operator to apply foot pressure. This extra 40 leverage facilitates fabrication of the bend. . Another object is the provision of an extremely sturdy, compact tool which will stand the heavy bending stress to which it is subject. Another object is the provision of an extended flat45 backed hook or rocking shoulder which is cast at 90' to the plane of the bending sector which under foot - pressure forces the operator to maintain the tool flat on the floor or bending surface thereby causing th-. whole assembly to move in a vertical plane perpendicular to that surface and 50 which shoulder maintains floor contact for a sufficient portion of the bend to definitely establish the course or plane of the'bend. This flat-backed hook also provides stability and per55 mits the-tool and handle to stand upright on its own when not in use. Anotlier object of the invention is a construction wherein a free swingin@ automatic level indicator, usable for more than one pipe size, is provided for plumb bob 60 action to provide a constant visual degree of angle indicator for controlling the degree of bend at all stages from O' to 90'. Another object of the invention is the provision of a hook so contoured that it will grip the conduit in any C),5 direction thereby permitting the pipe to be bent forward or pushed backwards to a limited degree to correct an overbend or to true up a bend that is leaning in an undesired plane. Other objects and features of the invention relating to 70 details of construction and operation will be apparent in the following description and claims. 2 Drawings accompany the disclosure and the various views thereof may be briefly described as follows: FIGURE 1, a side view of the device showing engagement with a pipe. FIGURE 2, a top view of the device. FIGURE 3, a side view of one end of the device showing the pipe engaging portion. FIGURE 4, a sectional view on line 4-4 of FIGURE 1. FIGURE 5, a sectional view on line 5@5 of FIGURE 2. IFIGURE 6, an end view on line 6-6 of FIGURE 3. FIGURE 7, an illustration of the device in position for the beginning of a bend. Referring to the drawings: In FIGURES 1 to 4, the hickey is shown composed of a pair of arcuate flanges 20 which blend into a split step portion 22 at the left-hand end as viewed in FIGURE 1, this step or treadle porlion 22 terminating outwardly in a projection 23 and inwardly in a connecting web 24 which joins with a handle ferrule or socket 26. The step or treadle portion 21 has a central opening 27 large enough to receive the pipe being@bent as the bending stro@-c nears completion. At the right-hand end of the device the flanges 20 merge into a transverse heavy wall portion 23 which is narrowed somewhat from the flan.-e width and which also is connected to the central ferrule 26 by a web 30. Viewed in cross-section, as shown in FIGUPE 4, the flan-es 20 have arcuate runners 32 and 34 extending dow@nwardly and connected by a transverse arcuate surface 36. The ferrule portion 26 has a hole 38 which extends down through the entire device, this hole having a threaded portion 40 as shown in FIGURE 5 to receive the threaded end of a pipe handle 42 which seats against a sinall shoulder 44. At the right-hand end of the device, as viewed in FIGURES 1 and 2, the heavy wall portion 28 has an extension wall 46 which also constitutes an extension of one of the rails 32, this wall portion 46 curving around to form a heavy hook member 48 which terminates to leave a side opening through which a pipe may pass. This forms a pipe recess between wall 28 and hook portion 48 having a sli.-ht curved indented portion 50 oii the inside. The top of wall 46 extends at about 90' to the tangent of the curve of the rails at the point of crossing. At the bottom of the liook portion 48 is another curved indented recess 52 which angles upwardly and outwardly in a gripping ribbed section 54 shown best in FIGURE 2. The opposed walls of the opening in the hook portion are formed by a continuation of the ru@nner 32 extending upwardly in a narrow wall surface 56 on one side and a wall portion 59 at the end of the hook portion 48 on the other side. The exterior surface of the hook portion 48, extending transversely of the unit as a whole, is shown in FIGURE 6 wherein a top rib 60 forms the upper-outer ed,-e and a rounded heel portion 62 forms the lower surface, this portion beingenerated by a line moving at right angles to the general plane of the device including the handle. A short thick web 66 connects the top rib 60 with the outer wall portiohs 68 and 70 of the end hook. The surface 62 shown in FIGURE 6 is intended t<) rock squarely on a floor surface as shown in FIGURE 7 in order to position the device at right angles to the floor' This makes it possible to keep the hickey in a plane perpendicular to the floor during at least the initial portion of the bend and thus sets the proper course or plane of the bend which cannot be changed from then on by the operator except with ext@reme difficulty. FIGURE 5 illustratesthat surface 62 is spaced by distance A from the throat of the runners 32-34. With a
[2]3 runner radius of about 3", this -distance A is preferably about 2". This is an important dimension as will be shown later. It is to be noted that the tool can be positioned stably resting on the runners and the surface 62 with the handle upward and over center. Thus, an operator will not have to lay it down each time it is used. A visual indicator is also provided on the device on one side as shown in FIGURES I and 2. This indicator consists of a -free swinging pivoted pointer element 80 which is supported on a screw 82 threaded into a wall of the ferrule 26. The screw is long enough that it may be used to lock the handle in socket 38. The pointer is shaped to Rare at 84 so that it resembles a plum bob and weighted so that the center of gravity makes it swing freely. It will be noted that it has a squared pointer projection with straight spaced edges 86 and 88 which are used in connection with indicia marking on the flange port@ion 20 in such a way that the leading edge can be used for one-half inch pipe and the trailing edge for a three-quarter inch pipe. Small projections 92 at each end of the arc curve to stop the pointer from swinging beyond the arc in the event the,tool is inverted for bending in mid air. Containing or confining the indicator keeps the pointer from becoming a nuisance to the operator. The markings can be positioned for bends of 221/2', 3 O', 45', 60' and 90'. The handle 42 is preferably of a pipe size larger than the largest pipe the hickey is intended to bend. This blends with the lower portion 94 of the hole in the ferrule 26 so that a pipe can actually be projected into this hole from the bottom. This makes the device useful in straightening out small stub ends which project from a floor or a wall since these pipes may be projected up into the hole inside the pipe 42 and maneuvered into a relatively straight position in the event they have been acciden@tally knocked out of line. An arrow point 96 is provided on one of the flanges 20 to indicate what is referred to as the "back of the bend" so that in positioning the device on a pipe, the operator will know before he starts where the back @of the bend will lie when the bend is completed. An arrow marking 98 on the hook is used to align with markings on a pipe which is intended to rise over, for example, a certain obstruction. Charts are sometimes fumished to operators so that if they want to make an offset bend to go over, for example, a one foot riser, they can make two bends in thepilpe at a certain spaced distance and accomplish the exact amount of rise desired. In doing this, the pipe must be marked at two points where the bends will start and this marking is used in cooperation with the arrow 98. The arrow is also used for calculating stub bends. As shown in FIGURE 4, the pipe which is bent is not completely recessed in the opening between the runners 32-34. Thus, the hickey will always re t on the pipe once the bend has reached the point where pressure is applied to the supporting surface through the pipe. As shown in FIGURE 7, the supporting surface 100 is used to locate the bending hickey and the pipe 102 at this point is not in contact with the supporting surface. The hook portion 48 is supported on the surface 100 by the rocking shoulder portion. It is thus stabilized at right angles to the surface 100 and during the initial portion of the bend, the rocking shoulder 62 takes over, remaining in contact with supporting surface 100 for approximately 18' of the bend, thus supporting the hickey in a vertical upright position. After the bend has been started in its proper plane and as the pipe 102 is pressed on to the surface 100 as the bend continues, it is very difficult for an operator to change the course of the bend; it must remain "on course" or in its @roper plane once it has been started. During the bend, of course, the gripping portions 52 are grabbing the pipe and applying the pressure around the fulcrum portion which is the inside arcuate surface between the runners 32-34. If the pipe should acciden3,253,441 4 tally be fabricated beyond the point desired, it can be retracted by pushing back on the handle untilthe hickey engages the pipe on the shallow recess 50, and at the surface 52 to allow pressure in reverse for removing a li few degrees of bend. During the bending operation, of course, the entire weight of the operator can be placed on the split foot pedal portion 22 and this weight, plus the force introduced throu.-h the handle 42, allows a heavy wall pipe to be bent with relative ease. In each 10 case, the indicator 80 can be brought to the point where it registers with the mark selected for the degree of bend the job requires. The plum bob indicator points to the degree of bend at every step of the way. In a full bend stroke (FIGURE 1) it will be seen that 15 the tube or pipe will recess into opening 27 in the treadle 22 as it wraps around the tool. This recess permits a more compact unit without sacrificing length for leverage on the treadle and also the wide split treadle facilitates the application of foot pressure from either side of the 20 tool even at the end of the stroke. Another important feature of the @evice is the location of the stabilizing surface 62 substantially outside the throat of the runners 32-34. This lifts one end of the pipe adjacent the tool off the supporting surface and 25 permits a substantial angle of bend before that portion of the pipe or tube in contact with the tool hits the supporting surface to form the supporting fulcrum for the remainder of the stroke. It is preferable that the rocking heel 62 be spaced from the throat 36 by about twice 30 the diameter of the largest pipe -to be handled. This rocker portion 62 is also extended out to the right as viewed in FIGURE 1 so that it is a substan-tial distance from the point of first contact or bend of the pipe. This distance is shown at "B" in FIGURE 1 35 which illustrates a full size tool for heayy wall pi-pe of 1/2" to 3/4" in diameter. The actual O.D. of the pipe is, of course, greater than the specified sizes. The distance "B" is about 2" which is at least equal to 2 to 21/2 times the diameter of the pipe to be bent. This outreach 40 of the surface 62 allows the tool to swing through the approxiihately 18' arc before surface 62 leaves the supporting surface, -thus assuring that the plane of the bend will be well established relative to the supporting surface. The runners 32-34 are preferably of such depth that a pipe being bent will project below them and rest 45 on the supporting surface upon completion of the bend. As previously pointed out, to facilitate use on two different sizes of pipe, the double-edged square pointer can be used and either edge 36 or 88 is sighted depending on which size of pipe is being worked on. It should 50 be understood that the present device provides a fulcrum surface primarily as an impingement for the bend rather than as a forming surface. The pipe being fabricated does not come in contact with the iarcuate groove 36 but bends out of contact in free space away from 55 the groove in proportion to the extent of foot pressure applied. The advantage of the present device, however, over the ordinary hickey now in use is that bends may be made in the customary manner or in "one-shot." The 60 tool, therefore, permits variable bends to -any degree from l' to 360' circle or dependent upon the amount of foot pressure applied it may be used to bend short, medium or long radii in "one shot" without the necessity of shifting the tool along the pipe. With heavy foot 65 pressure, a "one-shot" tight radius bend can be accomplished. With less foot pressure a more open radius can be achieved in a "one shot" move. A large radius bend can be made by shifting the tool after short bends. It is to be noted that the pipe handle 42 is tightly 70 held against turnidg by screw 82 which drives into the pipe socket. It is very important that this pipe be rigidly beld to assure good control by the operator. The screw obviates any welding or brazing connection othefwise required. In addition, the tool has extreme strength 75 and resistance to the stresses placed on it by reason
[3]5 of the double flange body rigidified by the spaced runners directly below the opposed flanges. I
