sigh.
the term dates before everything in the world was made in china.
and before everything was in something other than GRC
a chinese pipe hickey is a steel mandrel that is about 8" long,
and has the end turned down to just slde in a GRC about 4".
then it has at the shoulder a tapered pipe thread to accept
a GRC coupling. you spin a coupling on it, and slide it into
a ridgid conduit that needs moving, and you have a solid
bar to put the hickey on, so you don't collapse the pipe and
deform the threads. it's great for scooching over a pipe
that needs scooching... i had a set i made for 1/2"~1",
but they disappeared when i had a trailer stolen a few
years back.
and i know where i can find them now.... in my brother's
garage, on the table right next to his lathe, after i make them.
it's just a pain to have to turn tapered threads on his lathe,
but i'll just turn a bar down with two shoulders, one the
ID of a coupling, and the second shoulder the ID of the
conduit, and it will just slip on...