Pivoting conduit bender

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10449587-B2
Application number	US-201615015395-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 4, 2016
Priority date	May 5, 2010
Publication date	Oct 22, 2019
Grant date	Oct 22, 2019

Abstract

A bender and base assembly according to some embodiments of the disclosure is provided. The bender includes a frame having a pivot shaft extending therefrom, and a shoe shaft extending from the frame for receiving a shoe rotatably mounted thereon, the shoe shaft defining a shoe axis and a shoe plane perpendicular to the shoe axis. The base includes a pivot shaft receptacle, wherein the pivot shaft receptacle defines a pivot axis, wherein the pivot shaft of the bender is received by the pivot shaft receptacle of the base; wherein the pivot shaft rotates relative to the pivot shaft receptacle, to rotate the bender on the pivot axis between a horizontal bending position and a vertical bending position; and wherein the pivot axis intersects with the shoe plane. A lock is provided to lock the position of the bender relative to the base.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A conduit bender and base, comprising:
a conduit bender including
a frame defining a frame plane,
a shoe shaft extending from the frame, the shoe shaft having a shoe axis, the shoe axis being perpendicular to the frame plane, and
a shoe rotatably mounted on the shoe shaft,
a pivot shaft extending from the frame, the pivot shaft having a pivot axis which extends at an angle relative to the frame plane and relative to the shoe axis, wherein the pivot axis is not perpendicular to the shoe axis and wherein the pivot axis is not perpendicular to the frame plane; and

a base having a top surface defining a top plane, the top surface facing the conduit bender, and a pivot shaft receptacle, the pivot shaft receptacle having a longitudinal axis which extends at an angle relative to the top plane, the pivot shaft of the conduit bender is received by the pivot shaft receptacle of the base and the pivot axis of the pivot shaft aligns with the longitudinal axis of the pivot shaft receptacle;
wherein the pivot shaft rotates relative to the pivot shaft receptacle, to rotate the conduit bender about the longitudinal axis between a horizontal bending position and a vertical bending position.

2. The conduit bender and base as defined in claim 1 , wherein the pivot axis is provided at an angle of 45 degrees relative to the frame plane.

3. The conduit bender and base as defined in claim 1 , wherein the conduit bender is rotated 120 degrees about the pivot shaft to rotate the conduit bender between the horizontal and vertical bending positions.

4. The conduit bender and base as defined in claim 1 , wherein the conduit bender is rotated 180 degrees about the pivot shaft to rotate the conduit bender between the horizontal and vertical bending positions.

5. The conduit bender and base as defined in claim 1 , further comprising:
a lock capable of locking a position of the pivot shaft relative to the pivot shaft receptacle; and
wherein the lock provides a first locking position capable of securing the conduit bender in the vertical bending position and a second locking position capable of locking the conduit bender in the horizontal bending position.

6. The conduit bender and base as defined in claim 5 , wherein the lock comprises an index plate including first and second locking holes and a locking pin selectively positioned within the first or second locking hole.

7. The conduit bender and base as defined in claim 6 , further comprising:
a detent bracket rotatably mounted to the pivot shaft receptacle, the detent bracket including a stop recess, wherein the locking pin is mounted to the detent bracket; and
an adjustment stop extending from the pivot shaft receptacle and positioned within the stop recess, and rotation of the detent bracket is limited by the adjustment stop.

8. The conduit bender and base as defined in claim 7 , further comprising a set screw capable of fixing a position of the detent bracket relative to the adjustment stop.

9. The conduit bender and base as defined in claim 5 , wherein the lock comprises:
an index plate extending from the pivot shaft, the index plate including a first locking hole and a second locking hole; and
a locking pin secured to the pivot shaft receptacle, the locking pin capable of extending through the first locking hole to secure the conduit bender in the vertical bending position and the locking pin capable of extending through the second locking hole to secure the conduit bender in the horizontal bending position.

10. The conduit bender and base as defined in claim 9 , further comprising:
a detent bracket rotatably mounted to the pivot shaft receptacle, the detent bracket including a stop recess, wherein the locking pin is mounted to the detent bracket; and
an adjustment stop extending from the pivot shaft receptacle and positioned within the stop recess, and rotation of the detent bracket is limited by the adjustment stop.

11. The conduit bender and base as defined in claim 10 , further comprising a set screw capable of fixing a position of the detent bracket relative to the adjustment stop.

12. The conduit bender and base as defined in claim 1 , wherein the base is mounted on wheels.

13. The conduit bender and base as defined in claim 1 , wherein the pivot axis is provided at an angle of 45 degrees relative to the top plane.

14. A conduit bender and base, comprising:
a conduit bender including
a frame having a frame back defining a frame back plane, a frame front opposite the frame back and defining a frame front plane, a first side extending between the frame back and the frame front and defining a first side plane, a second side extending between the frame back and the frame front and defining a second side plane, a frame top extending between the frame back and the frame front and defining a top plane, and a frame bottom extending between the frame back and the frame front and defining a bottom plane,
a pivot shaft extending from the frame, the pivot shaft having a pivot axis which is at an angle of 45 degrees from the planes defined by the frame back and the frame front, at an angle of 45 degrees from the plane defined by the frame bottom, and at an angle of 45 degrees from the planes defined by the first and second sides,
a shoe shaft extending from the frame, the shoe shaft defining a shoe axis, the shoe axis being perpendicular to the frame front plane, and
a shoe rotatably mounted on the shoe shaft; and

a base having a base back defining a base back plane, a base front opposite the base back and defining a base front plane, a first side extending between the base back and the base front and defining a first side plane, a second side extending between the base back and the base front and defining a second side plane, a base top extending between the base back and the base front and defining a top plane of the base, and a base bottom extending between the base back and the base front and defining a bottom plane of the base, and a pivot shaft receptacle, the pivot shaft receptacle having a longitudinal axis which extends at an angle of 45 degrees relative to the top plane defined by the base, the pivot shaft of the conduit bender is received by the pivot shaft receptacle of the base;
wherein the pivot shaft rotates relative to the pivot shaft receptacle to rotate the conduit bender about the longitudinal axis between a horizontal bending position and a vertical bending position.

15. The conduit bender and base as defined in claim 14 , further comprising:
a lock capable of locking a position of the pivot shaft relative to the pivot shaft receptacle; and
wherein the lock provides a first locking position capable of securing the conduit bender in the vertical position and a second locking position capable of locking the conduit bender in the horizontal bending position.

16. The conduit bender and base as defined in claim 15 , wherein the lock comprises an index plate including first and second locking holes and a locking pin selectively positioned within the first or second locking hole.

17. The conduit bender and base as defined in claim 16 , further comprising:
a detent bracket rotatably mounted to the pivot shaft receptacle, the detent bracket including a stop recess, wherein the locking pin is mounted to the detent bracket; and
an adjustment stop extending from the pivot shaft receptacle and positioned within the stop recess, and rotation of the detent bracket is limited by the adjustment stop.

18. The conduit bender and base as defined in claim 17 , further comprising a set

Assignees

• Greenlee Textron Inc
• Greenlee Tools Inc

Inventors

• Plummer Jeffrey J
• Daugherty Sean A

Classifications

• B21D7/16

  Auxiliary equipment, e.g. for heating or cooling of bends · CPC title

• B21D7/12 Primary

  with program control · CPC title

• B21D7/021

  Construction of forming members having more than one groove · CPC title

• B21D7/024 Primary

  by a swinging forming member · CPC title