Width-expandable shoe with spacing preset for conduit bending apparatus and an associated method

In a conduit bending apparatus having a conduit-bending shoe mounted for rotation about an axis and having an arcuate-shaped periphery defining an outwardly-opening groove having opposing sidewalls for accepting an outer surface of a conduit to be bent, wherein the outwardly-opening groove has a width as measured laterally across an opening thereof so that by positioning the outwardly-opening groove of the shoe about the conduit such that the outer surface of the conduit is accepted by the outwardly-opening groove and then pressing the shoe against the conduit while rotating the shoe about the axis so that the outwardly-opening groove rolls along a length of the conduit, a bend is formed in the conduit, the improvement characterized in that:

• the shoe is comprised of a first section and a second section having the arcuate-shaped periphery and collectively defining the outwardly-opening groove of the shoe, wherein the first section provides one of the opposing sidewalls of the outwardly-opening groove and the second section provides the other of the opposing sidewalls of the outwardly-opening groove, and the first and seconds sections are joined together in a manner which permits the opposing sidewalls of the outwardly-opening groove to be moved away from one another for expanding the width of the outwardly-opening groove;
• an elongated shank having a length which extends through the first and second sections and which is adapted to cooperate with the first and second sections so that as the first and second sections are moved relative to one another to alter the width of the outwardly-opening groove, at least one of the first and second sections is permitted to travel along the length of the shank;
• and
• a spacer-providing mechanism associated with the shank for limiting the expansion of the width of the outwardly-opening groove by limiting a distance along the length of the shank that the at least one of the first and second sections is permitted to travel;
• wherein the spacer-providing mechanism is in the form of an elongated body defining a through-groove.

In a conduit bending apparatus having a conduit bending shoe which is mounted for rotation about an axis and having an arcuate-shaped periphery defining an outwardly-opening groove which extends there-along and having two opposing sidewalls for accepting an outer surface of a conduit to be bent and wherein the outwardly-opening groove has a width as measured laterally across an opening thereof so that by positioning the outwardly-opening groove of the periphery about the outer surface of the conduit and then pressing the shoe against the conduit while rotating the shoe about the axis so that the outwardly-opening groove rolls axially along the conduit, a bend is formed in the conduit, the improvement characterized in that:

• the shoe has an imaginary mid-plane which bisects the outwardly-opening groove between the opposing sidewalls thereof;
• and the shoe includes a first platen half-section which is arranged on one side of the mid-plane and includes a second platen half-section which is arranged on the other side of the mid-plane;
• and
• the first and second platen half-sections collectively provide the outwardly-opening groove which extends along the periphery of the shoe, wherein the first platen half-section defines one of the opposing sidewalls of the outwardly-opening groove and the second platen half-section defines the other of the opposing sidewalls of the outwardly-opening groove;
• the first and second platen half-sections are joined together in a manner which accommodates a spreading apart of the platen half-sections at the periphery of the shoe so that asthe first and second platen half-sections are spread apart, the width of the outwardly-opening groove expands by a corresponding amount;
• wherein the first and second platen half-sections define at least one set of aligned through-openings which extend through the first and second platen half-sections along a path which is substantially parallel to the rotation axis of the shoe, and the first and second platen half-sections are joined together with a bolt having a head, a shank which extends through the at least one set of aligned through-openings and a nut which is threaded about the shank of the bolt, and wherein at least one of the first and second platen half-sections travel along a length of the shank of the bolt as the first and second platen half-sections are spread apart to expand the width of the outwardly-opening groove;
• and
• a mechanism cooperable with the bolt for limiting a distance along the length of the shank that the at least one of the first and second platen half-sections are capable of traveling to thereby limit the width to which the outwardly-opening groove is capable of expanding;
• wherein the mechanism is in the form of an elongated body defining a through-groove.