Bending tool
United States Patent 1191 Wright 1 1 Apr. 8, 1975 1 1 BENDING TOOL James B. Wright. Rockford. Ill.  
 [73] Assignee: CATV of Rockford. lnc.. Rockford.  
  221 Filed: Aug.6. 1973&#39; 211 App|.No.:386,083  
 [75] Inventor:  
 [52] US. Cl. 72/380; 72/387; 72/458 [51] Int. Cl 321d 5/02 [58] Field of Search 72/380. 386. 387. 388. 72/458; 81/180 D. 180 C. 186. 180 B [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1.261.849 4/1918 Permar 72/458 1.354.448 9/1920 Walt 72/458 1.627.034 5/1927 Henderson... 72/458 1.640.426 8/1927 Pike 72/458 1.754.317 4/1930 Henderson 72/458 7 2.464.002 3/1949 Snyder 72/458 2.584.537 2/1952 Benfield 72/458 2.594.684 4/1952 81/186 2.766.649 10/1956 Lahry 81/180 D Primary I.\&#39;umim&#39;r(. W. Lanham Assistant Evuminer-James R. Duzan Attorney. Agent. or Firm-Wolfe. Hubbard. Leydig. Voit &amp; Osann. Ltd.  
 [57] ABSTRACT A hand tool for bending portions of a television cable to form a S-shaped curve in the cable. The tool includes two bending shoes attached to one side of a rigid bar. the shoes being spaced end-toend from each other along the bar. A longitudinal groove is formed in the upper edge of one shoe and a similar groove is formed in the lower edge of the other shoe. In each shoe, the groove is curved in a direction away from the opposing edge of the shoe so the axes of the grooves define a generally S-shaped configuration. To use the tool, the cable is placed between the shoes with one portion of the cable extending above the upper edge of one shoe and another portion of the cable extending below the lower edge of the other shoe so both portions of the cable are aligned with their adjacent grooves. Then the bar is turned relative to the cable so the portions of the cable are bent and seat within the grooves thereby forming the S-shaped curve in the cable.  
 2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures BENDING TOOL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a tool for forming a curve in an elongated member such as a conduit. a rod, a cable or the like and, more particularly, relates to a hand tool for forming an S-shaped curve in the member.  
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The primary object of the present invention is to provide a unique, inexpensive and simple hand tool which is adapted for use in bending portions of the elongated member to form a generally S-shaped curve in the member. A more detailed object is to construct the tool so that it is particularly easy to use, enabling the S- shaped curve to be made in the member with a single stroke of the tool.  
  The invention further resides in the provision of novel shoes in the tool which serve to bend the portions of the elongated member to form the S-shaped curve and in the novel construction of the shoes to keep the member from being-flattened as the curve is formed. In addition. the invention resides in the coating of the shoes with a material to protect the elongated member against being scored when being bent.  
  These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.  
 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective view of a new and improved hand tool embodying the novel features of the present invention.  
  FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken substantially along line 22 of FIG. 1.  
  FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view showing parts of the tool in cross section and also showing the tool in a moved position to form a generally S-shaped curve in the elongated member.  
 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration, the present invention is embodied in a hand tool for bending an elongated member 11 such as a conduit, a rod, a cable or other like element. Herein, the member 11 is the cable ofa cable television system, such a cable being a composite and consisting of an outer aluminum sheath enshrouding a center conductor (not shown), supported by an insulating medium (not shown), and forming with that center conductor the signal-carrying wires of the system. In such systems, the cable is suspended between poles (not shown) by a steel strand (not shown) which expands and contracts at a different rate than the aluminum sheath. It has been found that the use of loops spaced along the length of the suspended cable virtually eliminates the possibility of any breakage in the cable resulting from metal fatigue caused by expansion and contraction of the cable over prolonged periods of time. The loops formed in the cable absorb the forces resulting from the differences in the expansion and contraction between the supporting steel strand and the cable, the loop enlarging and contracting without creasing or bending the cable beyond its elastic limit. A desirable type of loop is formed LII by bending portions of the cable to form generally S- shpaed curves 13 (one curve being shown) at spaced positions along the cable. At one end of the loop, the cable is formed with the curve being in the true shape of MS and, at the opposite end of the loop, the curve is formed as a reverse S.  
  In accordance with the primary aspect of the present invention, the tool 10 is inexpensive to manufacture and particularly easy to use, enabling the generally S- shaped curve 13 at each end of the loop to be made with a single stroke of the tool as the cable 11 is being lashed to its supporting steel strand. For these purposes, the tool includes first and second bending shoes 14 and 15 which are spaced end-to-end from each other and which are secured to a support member 16.  
 Longitudinal grooves 17 and 19 are formed in the upper and lower edges 20 and 21 of the shoes, respectively, the upper groove 17 being curved lengthwise upwardly or away from the lower edge 23 of the shoe l4 and the lower groove 19 being curved lengthwise downwardly or away from the upper edge 24 of the shoe l5. Advantageously, with this arrangement, the S-shaped curve 13 at either end of the loop may be formed with a single stroke by placing the cable 11 between the adjacent ends of the shoes so a portion of the cable extends generally alongside each groove as shown by phantom lines in FIG. 3. Then, by turning the tool lengthwise, the portions of the cable are bent by the shoes and seat within the grooves thereby to form the S-shaped curve in the cable with a single motion.  
  In the present instance. the support member 16 is in the form of an elongated generally rectangular metal bar. The shoes 14 and 15 are virtually identical to each other, each shoe being shaped generally as a segment of a circular plate and the grooves 17 and 19 being formed in the edges 20 and 21 of the shoes 14 and 15, respectively. Herein, the grooves are of the same width, each being approximately equal to the diameter of the cable 11 and of a depth slightly greater than the radius of the cable so that the cable seats within the grooves without being flattened, twisted or bent laterally toward or away from the sides of the grooves during formation of the curve 13. Preferably, but not necessarily. the shoes are each coated with a material 27 (FIGS. 2 and 3) such as nylon which resists wear while still protecting the cable against being scored as the curve is formed.  
  As shown in FIG. 2, the shoes 14 and 15 are fastened to the bar 16 by means such as screws 29 so the groove 17 in the shoe 14 faces upwardly while the groove 19 in the shoe 15 faces downwardly. In addition, the shoes are located vertically of each other so the longitudinal axes 30 and 31 (FIG. 3) of the grooves are tangent to each other at the adjacent inner ends 33 and 34 of the shoes and form a generally S-shaped configuration. Also, the inner ends of the shoes are spaced from each other longitudinally along the length of the bar a distance sufficient to permit the cable 11 to be inserted between the shoes such as is shown in phantom in FIG. 3.  
  To facilitate use of the tool 10 on a large diameter cable 11, a handle 35 is secured to the side of the bar 16 intermediate thereof and extends downwardly away from the shoe l4 and beneath the shoe 15 to form an acute included angle A (FIG. I) with respect to the bar. Extending between the handle and the bar is a brace 36 which serves to keep the handle from pivoting relative to the bar when using the tool to bend the cable 11. For I smaller diameter cables, the handle may be omitted.  
  To form the S-shaped curve 13 in the cable 11, the tool is placed on the cable so a first portion 37 of the cable extends above the groove 17 in the shoe l4 and a second portion 39 of the cable extends beneath the groove 19 in the shoe l5. Adjacent the inner ends 33 and 34 of the shoes, the two portions 37 and 39 seat within the grooves 17 and 19. respectively. as shown in FIG. 3 and are captivated against lateral movement rel ativeto the shoes by the sides of the grooves. Then, with the upper shoe 14 positioned beneath the first or left-hand portion 37 of the cable and the lower shoe positioned above the second or right-hand portion 39 of the cable and the latter supported against turning bodily with the tool. a downward pull on the handle pivots the shoe l4 upwardly in a clockwise direction causing the left-hand portion 37 of the cable to bend longitudinally in a downward direction so as to conform to the curved shape of the groove 17. At the same time, the lower shoe pivots downwardly, bending the right-hand portion of the cable in the reverse direction as dictated by the shape of the groove 19. In this way, the generally S-shaped bend (which in this instance is in the form of a reverse 8) is formed in the cable with one stroke of the tool to complete one end of the loop,  
  To form the other end of the loop, the tool 10 is moved to the right from the curve 13 along the cable 11 and the positions of the upper and lower shoes 14 and 15 are reversed so the upper shoe is positioned below a right-hand portion of the cable and the lower shoe is positioned above a left-hand portion of the cablc, Then. to complete the formation of the loop, the tool is pivoted in a counterclockwise direction to form an second S-shaped curve in the cable.  
  When using a tool 10 without a handle 35, the tool is gripped at each end of the support member 16 and is pivoted in a vertical plane against the cable generally in the manner described above so as to bend the cable and thereby form an S-shaped curve.  
  Thus. it will be apparent from the foregoing, that the tool 10 of the present invention enables the S-shaped curve 13 to be formed in the cable 11 easily and quickly with a single stroke of the tool. Accordingly, when the tool is used to form loops in the signal cable of a cable television system, the loops may be formed as the cable is being lashed to its supporting strand. Advantageously. this makes the handling of the cable during installation much easier because the loops may be formed in the exact position desired without having to be preformed.  
 I claim as my invention:  
  1. A hand tool for bending a coaxial television cable of predetermined diameter to form a generally S- shaped curve in the cable, said tool comprising an elongated generally rectangular support bar, first and second elongated bending shoes fixed to said bar on one side thereof and being located generally end to end from each other, each of said shoes having opposite edges projecting in a generally lateral direction from said side of said bar and inner and outer opposite ends, the outer ends of said two bending shoes being located adjacent opposite ends of said bar and the inner ends being spaced from each other adjacent the center portion of said bar a distance slightly greater than the diameter of said cable so said cable may be placed between the inner ends of said two shoes for bending, each of said shoes further having a groove formed in one of said edges along an elongated and longitudinally arcuate axis curving away from the opposite edge and extending essentially the entire length of said one edge, said groove having a width generally the same as the diameter of said cable and a depth somewhat greater than the diameter of said cable, said first and second shoes being substantially identical to each other in size and shape with theirgrooves opening in generally opposite directions from each other and the arcuate axes of said grooves being essentially tangent to each other across the central portion of said bar so when said tool is turned relative to said cable to seat the cable in said grooves an S-shaped curve defined by two transitionally smooth, elongated, arcuate, reverse bends is formed in the cable without flattening the diameter of said cable within the curve.  
  2. A hand tool as defined by claim 1 including a bandle connected to said bar and projecting generally vertically therefrom to facilitate turning of said bar when forming the S-shaped curve in said cable.