Hand-held conduit bending tool

Abstract

A hand-held conduit bending tool has features which increase strength, thereby resulting in higher resistance against crack formation when the conduit bending tool falls under gravity. The bender head includes a body portion and a hook portion extending from a front end thereof. The hook portion includes a central spine, and first and second body parts extending from opposite sides thereof. The first body part has a channel formed therein which aligns with a channel in the body portion, and is separated from the body portion by a space having a radiused corner. The second body part has a radiused front corner or chamfered front corner which contacts the floor when the bender head falls under gravity thereon and thereby creates a clockwise moment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hand-held conduit bending tool comprising:
 an elongated handle having a free end and a connected end; and   a bender head disposed on the connected end of the handle, the bender head comprising:
 a body portion having a first channel formed in a lower surface thereof; and 
 a hook portion including
 a central spine extending from a front end thereof to a rear end thereof and extending from a front end of the body portion, 
 a first body part extending from a first side of the central spine, the first body part having a first channel formed in an upper surface thereof, the first channel of the first body part being longitudinally aligned with the first channel of the body portion, the first body part being separated from the body portion by a first space on the first side of the central spine, the first space having a radiused corner proximate to the central spine and which extends along a front portion of the first space, and 
 a second body part extending from a second opposite side of the central spine, the second body part having a front corner which is formed of a curved surface or a chamfer, wherein the front corner of the second body part is configured to contact a surface when the bender head falls thereon and creates a clockwise moment. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The hand-held conduit bending tool of  claim 1 , wherein the body portion has a second channel formed in the lower surface thereof, and the second body part has a second channel formed in an upper surface thereof, the second channels being longitudinally aligned, the second body part being separated from the body portion by a second space on the second side of the central spine. 
     
     
         3 . The hand-held conduit bending tool of  claim 2 , wherein the front corner is proximate to a front end of the second channel in the second body part. 
     
     
         4 . The hand-held conduit bending tool of  claim 3 , wherein the handle aligns with the central spine. 
     
     
         5 . The hand-held conduit bending tool of  claim 2 , wherein the first body part has a front corner proximate to a front end of the first channel which is formed of a curved surface or a chamfer. 
     
     
         6 . The hand-held conduit bending tool of  claim 2 , wherein the handle aligns with the central spine. 
     
     
         7 . The hand-held conduit bending tool of  claim 2 , wherein the bender head is formed of a brittle material. 
     
     
         8 . The hand-held conduit bending tool of  claim 7 , wherein the brittle material is where in bender is formed from high strength, nonferrous, light weight material having an elongation of between 2.5% to 3.5%. 
     
     
         9 . The hand-held conduit bending tool of  claim 7 , wherein the bender head is heat treated. 
     
     
         10 . The hand-held conduit bending tool of  claim 2 , wherein the first and second channels are sized to receive different sizes of conduits. 
     
     
         11 . The hand-held conduit bending tool of  claim 2 , wherein the first and second channels are sized to receive the same size of conduits. 
     
     
         12 . The hand-held conduit bending tool of  claim 2 , wherein the first and second channels are parallel to each other. 
     
     
         13 . The hand-held conduit bending tool of  claim 2 , wherein each body part extends perpendicular to the central spine. 
     
     
         14 . The hand-held conduit bending tool of  claim 1 , wherein the bender head is formed of a brittle material. 
     
     
         15 . The hand-held conduit bending tool of  claim 14 , wherein the brittle material is where in bender is formed from high strength, nonferrous, light weight material having an elongation of between 2.5% to 3.5%. 
     
     
         16 . The hand-held conduit bending tool of  claim 14 , wherein the bender head is heat treated. 
     
     
         17 . The hand-held conduit bending tool of  claim 1 , wherein a lower surface of the body portion is radiused, and the hook portion has a lower surface which extends tangentially from the lower surface of the body portion.