Cable bender

A cable bender includes two bending members rotatably joined together about a common pivot axis, one of the bending members having a hydraulic cylinder associated therewith such that force may be applied causing the piston shaft of the cylinder to extend and cooperate with a tie arm extending between the bending members to drive one of the bending members in a curved path about the pivot axis.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to cable and conduit benders and the like. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
A wide variety of hand-operated conduit and cable benders are disclosed in 
the prior art. In U.S. Pat. No. 475,261, Winton discloses a trolley wire 
bender having spaced cable shoes and a bending member rotated about a 
pivot axis between the shoes in order to effect bending. Safranski, in 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,709,382, teaches a portable tube bender having two levers 
pivoted on a common axis, one of the levers including an outer shoe which 
moves around the periphery of a grooved wheel fixed to the other lever, to 
cause bending of tubing fitted across that periphery. 
Another variety of tube and cable benders employs a fixed lever having a 
curved mandrel at one end. Another lever having a bending shoe opposing 
the mandrel is rotatably joined to the fixed lever, with the workpiece 
extending across the periphery of the mandrel in between the two levers. 
Bending is effected by rotating the second lever toward the first, causing 
the bending shoe to bend the workpiece around the periphery of the 
mandrel. Examples of this type of device are disclosed in the following 
U.S. Pat. Nos: 3,750,447 to Kowal et al.; 3,051,218 to Franck; 3,194,038 
to Small et al.; 2,908,193 to Gryniewicc; 3,685,335 to Kowal; and 
3,380,283 to Wilson et al. 
Other prior art references of interest include the following U.S. Pat. Nos: 
3,662,580 to Power; 1,868,852 to Schneider; 1,794,689 to Holsclaw et al.; 
and 1,075,837 to Malo et al. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention contemplates a cable bender comprising two bending 
members rotatably joined together about a common pivot axis, with means 
for rotating one of the bending members about the pivot axis. The rotating 
means comprises a lever coupled to one of the bending members, with means 
for fixing the lever in a set position when rotational force is applied in 
one direction, and allowing the lever to rotate freely when rotational 
force is applied in a direction opposite to the one direction.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
A first embodiment of a cable bender in accordance with the present 
invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1. 
A cable bender, referred to generally as 10, includes two bending members 
12 and 14 rotatably joined together about a common pivot axis 20. Each 
bending member includes a respective cable shoe 16 and 18 for holding the 
cable 11 against bending members 12 and 14. Each bending member-cable shoe 
combination may be integrally formed. The size, shape and dimensions of 
the bending members are not critical, and may be fabricated from a variety 
of high tensile strength materials. The pivot axis 20 may be formed from a 
rod having the outer ends thereof flattened against the respective bending 
members 12 and 14. 
In accordance with the present invention, the cable bender 10 further 
comprises means for rotating one of the bending members 12, 14 about the 
pivot axis 20. In this embodiment, the rotating means comprises a ratchet 
wrench 22 fixed to one of the bending members 14 at the wrench shaft 24. 
In a well known manner, the ratchet wrench 22 includes a switch 26 which 
provides means for fixing the lever in a set position when rotational 
force is applied in one direction, as the direction indicated by arrow 28 
in FIG. 1, and further allows the wrench 22 to rotate freely when 
rotational force is applied in a direction 30 opposite to the one 
direction 28. The ratchet wrench 22 thus serves as a lever spaced from the 
pivot axis 20. 
The cable bender 10 further includes another lever 32 fixed to the other 
bending member 12, as by a stud 34 extending from the bending member. In 
operation, the cable is fitted underneath the cable shoes 16 and 18. The 
operator then firmly grasps the lever 32 in one hand, and operates the 
ratchet wrench in a well known manner thereby causing the bending member 
14 to rotate about the pivot axis 20 and bend the cable as desired. The 
use of the ratchet wrench 22 allows the operator to continuously change 
the position of leverage by rotating the wrench handle in the direction 
30. 
A second embodiment of a cable bender in accordance with the present 
invention is shown in FIG. 2 and described with reference thereto. 
The bender, referred to generally as 40, also includes two bending members 
42 and 44 having respective cable shoes 46 and 48, the bending members 42, 
44 being rotatably joined together about a pivot axis 52 in a manner 
similar to the cable bender 10 shown in FIG. 1. 
The cable bender 40 in FIG. 2 further includes a stationary gear 50 having 
a flat portion across the top thereof to allow cable to be inserted under 
the shoes 46, 48. The stationary gear 50 is fixed axial with the pivot 
axis 52. 
Another gear 54 is rotatably mounted alongside one of the bending members 
44, the teeth of the rotatable gear 54 being mashed with the stationary 
gear 50. The rotatable gear 54 includes a stud 56, or similar means, fixed 
thereon which is adapted to mate with a ratchet wrench 58. The cable 
bender 40 further includes a latch 60 adapted to engage the rotatable gear 
54 and prevent rotation thereof. Another lever 57 is fixed to the other 
bending member 42. 
When using the cable bender 40, the operator firmly grasps the fixed lever 
57 in one hand, and rotates the ratchet wrench 58 in the direction in 
which force is applied so as to rotate the rotatable gear 54. The teeth of 
the rotatable gear 54 mesh with those of the stationary gear 50, and cause 
rotation of the bending member 44 about the pivot axis 52. 
Yet another embodiment of a cable bender in accordance with the present 
invention is shown in FIG. 3 and referred to generally as 60. The cable 
bender 60 includes two bending members 62, 64 having respective cable 
shoes 66 and 68, and being rotatably joined together about a pivot axis 
70. 
The cable bender 60 includes a first bracket 72 pivotably mounted at 74 on 
the bending member 62, and a second bracket 76 pivotably mounted at 78 on 
the other bending member 64. Each bracket 72, 76 includes a respective 
opening 73, 77, one of which is threaded. A threaded rod 80 extends 
through the openings 73, 77, with a ratchet wrench 82 attached at an outer 
end of the rod 80. 
In use, the ratchet wrench 82 is rotated, causing the threaded rod 80 to 
pull the bracket 72 towards the bracket 76 and thereby effect rotation of 
the bending members 62, 64 about the pivot axis 70. 
A hydraulically operated cable bender is shown in FIG. 4 and described with 
reference thereto. 
The cable bender, referred to generally as 100, includes a first bending 
member 102 which may comprise a hydraulic cylinder having a hose for 
applying hydraulic pressure thereto in a well known manner. A variable 
length shaft 110 extends out of the hydraulic cylinder 102, and is adapted 
to be driven in a direction away from the cylinder upon exertion of 
hydraulic pressure therein. A cable shoe 106 is mounted on the hydraulic 
cylinder 102. 
The cable bender 100 further comprises a second bending member 102 
including a cable shoe 108 mounted thereon. The second bending member 104 
further comprises a shaft 112 which is pivotably joined to the variable 
length hydraulic shaft 110 at a pivot axis 114. A bending knuckle 116 is 
pivotably joined with the shafts 110, 112 at the pivot axis 114. The 
joinder of the shafts 110, 112 and the bending knuckle 116 may be made by 
utilizing tongue-and-groove techniques well known to those in the 
machinist art. A rotatable cable shoe 118 is fixed to the bending knuckle 
116. 
The cable member 100 further includes a tie arm 120 pivotably joined to the 
hydraulic cylinder 102 and the bending member 104 at respective pivot 
points 122, 124. Preferably, the tie arm and the respective shafts 110, 
112 all lie in a common plane which is normal to the direction in which 
the cable is to be bent. 
Operation of the cable bender 100 will be described with references to 
FIGS. 5 and 6. Noting FIG. 5, at the instant hydraulic pressure is applied 
to a hydraulic cylinder 102, the operator presses in an upward direction 
normal to the pivot axis and at the joinder between the shafts 110, 112. 
As the variable length shaft 110 extends out of the hydraulic cylinder, 
the bending knuckle is forced upward in a direction normal to the tie arm 
120, causing bending of the cable 130. In a similar manner, the cable may 
be bent in a direction opposite to that shown in FIG. 5. Noting FIG. 6, 
the operator applies a downward pressure at the time hydraulic fluid is 
directed into the hydraulic cylinder 102, causing the variable length arm 
to extend in a downward direction and thereby bend the cable 130 in the 
manner shown in FIG. 6.