US3718018A - Pipe bending tool - Google Patents

Abstract

A pipe bending tool intended for foot pressure or arm leverage for actuation which incorporates visual planes in the body of the device together with indicia on both faces thereof to indicate to an operator when a certain angle of bend has been reached. The multiple planes, each for a particular angle, form a stepped zigzag side flange along one or both sides of the bending tool which not only reinforces but also protects the bend groove.

Description

United States Patent 1 1 Benfield [4 1 Feb. 27, 1973 s41 PIPE BENDING TOOL 2,584,537 2/1952 Benfield ..72/458 Inventor: J D- Benfield 2920 East Jeffer 1,240,605 9/1917 Ryerson ..72/458 Detrolt Mlch' 48207 Primary Examiner-Charles W. Lanham [22] Filed: April 14, 1971 Assistant ExaminerMichael J. Keenan PP NOI: 133,942 Attorney-Barnes, Kisselle, Raisch & Choate [57] ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl ..72/31, 72/458 A pipe bending tool intended for foot pressure or arm 11"". CI. leverage for actuation which incorporates visual [581 217 planes in the body of the device together with indicia on both faces thereof to indicate to an operator when [56] References C'ted a certain angle of bend has been reached. The multi- UNITED STATES PATENTS ple planes, each for a particular angle, form a stepped zigzag side flange along one or both sides of the bend- 3,063,314 11/1962 Benfield ..72/458 ing tool which not only reinforces but also protects the 1,393,830 10/1921 Rosenfeld bend groove. 2,780,121 2/1957 White 2,817,986 12/1957 Benfield ..72/459 5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PIPE BENDING TOOL This invention relates to a Pipe Bending Tool and more particularly to an improved type of pipe bender which has a visual indication for angles which is more readily followed by an operator who is standing above the tool and manipulating the handle from a more or less standing position, either with the body of the bender on the floor or with the bender upright in midair with the handle end resting on the floor.

In my U.S. Pat. No. 3,253,441, dated May 31, 1966, there is shown a pipe bender having a plumb-bob type of indicator for the angles. Also US. Pat. No. 3,063,314, dated Nov. l3, 1962, of which I am co-inventor, shows a pipe bender with tangential parallel slash marks visible from the side only which serve as a degree of angle indicator. These indicia are not clearly visible except under close scrutiny.

It will be appreciated that a man who is installing pipe or electrical conduit on many occasions has to bend the pipes at different angles to make it adaptable to the particular installations. These angles vary considerably and the skilled operator employs triangulation formulas which require exact degree of bend for precision pipe off-sets and saddle type bends. Bending force is applied either by a combination of foot pressure and arm leverage through a handle of appropriate length or by bending entirely with arm pressure if the tool is in mid-air. In this case, he bends the pipe over the arcuate form of the tool. In either case, the operator must be standing more or less upright while the leverage is being applied. It is important that the degree of angle indicia be read from either position without stooping or squatting. I

Thepresent invention is directed to a construction of a pipe bender which not only carries the indiciafor the various angles on both faces of the visi-planes but has a unique side formation which enables the operator to observe, from any point in the 360 range the angle which he has reached in the bending operation. Thus, the object of the invention is an improved construction which is relatively inexpensive and yet which encourages precision bending by the operator and improves his technique in the fabrication operation. Obviously, the degree of angle may be observed from top, bottom, or from either side of the tool.

Other objects and features of the invention relating to the details of construction and operation will be apparent in the following description and claims wherein the principle of operation and the utility of the device is set forth together with the best mode presently contemplated for practice of the invention.

Drawings accompany the disclosure and the various views thereof may be briefly described as:

FIG. 1, a side view of a bender shown in position ready to be moved through a bending cycle.

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, sectional views on lines 2--2, 3-3, and 4-4, respectively, of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5, a top view of the bender taken in the direction of arrow 5 indicated on FIG. 1.

FIG. 6, a second side and top elevation view taken in the direction of arrow 6 indicated on FIG. 1.

FIG. 7, a partial bottom view in the direction of arrow 7 on FIG. 1.

REFERRING TO THE DRAWINGS In FIG. 1, the arcuate pipe bending tool is shown having a main body portion 20 terminating upwardly in a socket member 22 provided with a hole 24 to receive a lever pipe 25 which can be threaded into the socket at 26. The body has arcuate rocker portions 28 and 30 which are spaced to provide an arcuate annular opening 32 which receives the pipe P to be bent. At one end of the rocker portion is a hook portion 34 shown in FIGS. 1, 5 and 6 having the usual side opening 36 which permits the insertion of the pipe prior to bending. This hook 34 is a highly reinforced member with walls designed as heavy as can be to absorb the high forces that are exerted on it during the bending operation. Thus, the arcuate groove and the handle lie in a plane which might be referred to as the bending plane and under normal circumstances it would be perpendicular to the floor or supporting surface.

At the other end of the double rocker portion is a serrated area sometimes referred to as a step or treadle portion 40. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, it will be seen that the treadle portion extends downwardly along the top of the rocker portion to a secondary area 42 which extends rather deeply into the top or the rocker portion where it meets with a reinforcing gussetshaped web 44 which is blended into one side of the socket member 22. On the other side of the socket member is another gusset-shaped web portion 46 reinforcing the hook end of the device.

Extending outwardly from the two opposed rocker portions 28 and 30 spaced upwardly for the most part from the bottom contact edges of the rockers is a side flange indicated generally in FIG. 2 as flanges 50 and 52. This side flange has, in top profile, as shown in FIG. 5, an originating point 54 near the hook opening, the line tapering outward to a point 56 from which point is moves rearwardly parallel to the general axis toward the treadle portion to a point 58 and then tapers back to the treadle portion to a point 60. While the side flange would operate on one side only, it is conveniently placed on both sides and serves to reinforce the entire structure. This flange has an unusual configuration in that it is formed of five side extending planes in the form of stepped portions which are disposed seriatim in zig-zag fashion along the curve of the rockers on each side and designated as 62, 64, 66, 68, and 70.

Each of these planes, starting with 62, carries respectively the angled designations 10, 22 1, 30, 45 and 60 on the upper and lower faces of :same. These angled dimensions can be embossed into or raised from the stepped portions or plates or imprinted thereon in any suitable manner which makes them readily visible from above, below, or from any angle in the 360 range.

With the construction shown, the visible planes can be relatively large flat surfaces to accommodate large, bold, legible characters of such size that even operators with average or poor vision can read the indicia. The extended planes also form protective wings for the rocker portions 28 and 30 to protect against damage as the tool is thrown down in the course of its use.

It will be seen that each step portion is disposed at a different angle relative to the axis of the opening 24 which would carry the operating lever, and these stepped portions are so designed and so angled that when the angle which carries the step portion has been reached in the bending operation, that particular step portion will lie horizontal to the pipe or conduit which is being fabricated. This condition is visibly discernible from above, below, or from either sideby the operator. Thus, as each particular angle is reached, he will be able to detect this visually from any position and he will know exactly when to stop the bending depending on the degree of angle which he is seeking. This means, of course, that each stepped portion is connected by a riser portion which leads to the new angle and level on the general side flanges 50 and 52. As above mentioned, these side flanges or visi-planes also serve as a protective guard rail or bumper against mechanical damage to the bending groove. This is an important feature for portable tools on heavy construction projects because a distorted groove renders the tool useless.

Thus, there is provided an improved pipe bender which has no moving parts which can become lost or inoperative by reason of rusting or dirt and the pipe bender has a highly acceptable and visual indication for the bending angle which not only is of great assistance to the experienced operator but which makes it possible to teach a novice how to use the device with much more facility.

and disposed at progressively differing angles to the axis of the lever handle.

2. A pipe bending tool as defined in claim 1 in which I each surface carries a legible indicia corresponding to a degree of bend as the device is used.

3. A pipe bending tool as defined in claim 1 in which each of said surfaces has an obverse, parallel flat surface, each surface carrying an indicia corresponding to a degree of bend as the device is used.

4. A pipe bending tool as defined in claim 1 in which said series of surfaces are connected in a continuing zig-zag configuration along the side of the tool.

5. A pipe bending tool as defined in claim 1 wherein said means forming said surfaces serve as a reinforcing guard rail to protect the pipe receiving groove against damage.

Claims (5)

1. In a pipe bending tool having a body with an arcuate pipe receiving groove and integral end hook and a rigid handle extending radially from the body to serve as a lever, that improvement which comprises means forming a series of discrete surfaces extending from the side of the body, each surface disposed seriatim along the body in planes perpendicular to the bending plane and disposed at progressively differing angles to the axis of the lever handle.

2. A pipe bending tool as defined in claim 1 in which each surface carries a legible indicia corresponding to a degree of bend as the device is used.

3. A pipe bending tool as defined in claim 1 in which each of said surfaces has an obverse, parallel flat surface, each surface carrying an indicia corresponding to a degree of bend as the device is used.

4. A pipe bending tool as defined in claim 1 in which said series of surfaces are connected in a continuing zig-zag configuration along the side of the tool.

5. A pipe bending tool as defined in claim 1 wherein said means forming said surfaces serve as a reinforcing guard rail to protect the pipe receiving groove against damage.

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