The disclosure relates to tools generally and to those having a long handle that is fastened to an end effector, such as a broom or mop.
Many tools for housekeeping and gardening have handles with end effectors. For convenience, these various tools will simply be referred to herein as tools. End effectors attached to the ends of the handles are designed for mechanical purposes, such as sweeping, brushing, scraping, raking, cutting, mixing, weeding, hoeing, and so forth, and include mop heads, brush blocks, rake tines, scrapers, and transverse blades for hoeing. The connection between the handles and end effectors may be permanent, it may be a simple friction fitting perhaps secure by screws, or it may be a threaded connection such as that shown in
A threaded connection, while facilitating more compact shipping of tools, is often unsatisfactory. In use, particularly with wider end effectors, the ends of which may be subject to unequal forces, the end effector tends to loosen from the handle. One solution to this problem is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,174,335, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
The present invention is tool with a securely attached end effector, a tool including a handle with a coupler for an end effector, and a device for connecting a handle to an end effector. The fitting and the coupler are threaded together and pinned using a clip to prevent rotation of one respect to the other. The coupler may be threaded to or glued to the end effector.
An aspect of the disclosure is a tool including a handle, an end effector with a threaded hole, a fitting with its first end attached to the handle and its second end having a first recess formed in it thereby defining a wall. The wall carries interior threads. The second end of the fitting has a first diametrical passage formed across it. The tool also includes coupler with a first end and a second end opposing the first end. The first end of the coupler carries exterior threads dimensioned to be threaded to the interior threads of the wall of the second end of the fitting. The second end of the coupler also has exterior threads that thread into the threaded hole of the end effector. The first end of the coupler also has a second diametrical passage formed thereacross so that, when the first end of the coupler is threaded to the second end of the fitting, the second diametrical passage of the coupler coaxially aligns with the first diametrical passage of the fitting.
An aspect of the disclosure is a clip having a pin and opposing arms. The pin is dimensioned to pass through the first and second diametrical passages of the fitting and the coupler when they are aligned, and the opposing arms of the clip grip the fitting. The clip may also have a pull tab.
An aspect of the disclosure is that the second end of the fitting has a ramp formed in the fitting recess, and the first end of the coupler carries a stopper on the rim of its wall. When the stopper on the coupler is seated in the ramp in the first recess of the second end of the fitting, the first and second diametrical passages are axially aligned. The stopper is seated when it reaches the end wall of the ramp.
Another aspect of the disclosure is that the ramp has a pitch. The threads of the first end of the coupler also have a pitch, and wherein the pitch of the ramp and the pitch of the threads of the first end of the coupler are the same.
Another aspect of the disclosure is a post oriented axially inside the fitting recess of the second end of the fitting. The post has a transverse hole formed therein that is aligned with the first diametrical passage of the second end of the fitting so as to coincide with and become part of the first diametrical passage.
An aspect of the disclosure is that the first end of the coupling has a coupling recess formed therein, the coupling recess being defined by an axial wall that carries exterior threads. The axial wall also has a rim that carries the stopper. The post of the second end of the fitting is dimensioned to fit inside the coupling recess.
An aspect of the disclosure is a device with a handle having an integral fitting. The fitting has a fitting recess formed in it that defines a wall having interior threads and a first diametrical passage formed through the wall. The fitting recess also has a ramp formed therein. The device further includes a coupler with a first end and a second end. The first end carries exterior threads dimensioned for threading to the fitting recess in the fitting. The first end of the coupler has a second diametrical passage across it. When the first end of the coupler is threaded to the fitting, the second diametrical passage of the coupler coaxially aligns with the first diametrical passage. The first end of the coupler also carries a stopper dimensioned to be received in the ramp in the fitting recess of the fitting when the first end of the coupler is seated in the fitting recess and the stopper is seated in the ramp, at which point the first and second diametrical passages are axially aligned.
Another aspect of the disclosure is that the device has an end effector, such as a broom or a mop, for example, attached to the second end of the coupler. The end effector may have a threaded hole formed therein. The second end of the coupler carries exterior threads to thread it into the threaded hole of the end effector.
An aspect of the disclosure is a device that includes a fitting having a first end and a second end. The second end of the fitting has a fitting recess formed therein that defines a wall and that has interior threads formed thereon. The second end of the fitting has a first diametrical passage formed across it and a ramp formed in the fitting recess. The tool also includes a coupler with a first end and an opposing second end. The first end of the coupler carries exterior threads dimensioned to be threadedly received in the fitting recess. The first end of the coupler has a second diametrical passage formed thereacross so that, when the first end of the coupler is threaded into the fitting recess in the second end of the fitting, the second diametrical passage of the coupler coaxially aligns with the first diametrical passage of the fitting. The first end of the coupler carries a stopper dimensioned to be received in the ramp of the fitting recess. When the stopper is seated in the ramp, the first and second diametrical passages align axially.
These and other aspects of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art of tools with handles and end effectors from a careful reading of the Detailed Description accompanied by the drawings.
The present disclosure teaches a device for use with a handle and an end effector, such as a broom or mop, a tool that has an end effector, and device for use with an end effector.
The present tool, generally indicated by reference number 10 in
A fitting 26 and a coupler 28 are used to connect handle 12 to end effector 14. The term fitting is used herein to indicate an attachment to the end of handle 12 that alters the configuration of that end so that handle 12 can be joined to coupler 28. It will be clear that the end of handle 12 can be configured in advance by making fitting 26 integral with handle 12 so that the end of handle 12 is a fitting and can thereby cooperate with coupler 28.
Fitting 26 has a first end 34 dimensioned to receive handle 12 and an opposing second end 36, dimensioned to receive coupler 28. Fitting 26 may for example, have a channel 48 formed in first end 34 to receive handle 12. Coupler 28 has a first end 44 and an opposing second end 46 that carries exterior threads 52 for threading second end 46 to threaded hole 20 in end effector 14. Alternatively, second end 46 of coupler 28 may be glued into threaded hole 20 using adhesive for permanent attachment, or second end 46 of coupler 28 may be both glued and threaded to end effector 14.
First end 34 of fitting 26 may be fastened to or integral with handle 12. Integral means both are formed of the same material. If fastened to first end 34 of fitting 26, handle 12 may be attached in any convenient way, such as, by forming channel 48 in first end 34 of fitting 26 dimensioned for receiving handle 12 and then using fasteners 102 such as rivets, screws or pins inserted through holes 100 to hold handle 12 in first end 34 of fitting 26. Second end 36 of fitting 26 has fitting recess 54, best seen in
First end 44 of coupler 28 may have a second recess 66 formed therein that defines a wall 70. Wall 70 of coupler 28 carries exterior threads 74 and is threadable to interior threads 58 of wall 56 of second end 36 of fitting 26. Using a threaded fitting provides a more secure, rigid fitting and, with sufficiently tight tolerances, helps to align diametrical passages 50, 64 of fitting 26 and coupler 28, respectively.
In addition, fitting recess 54 has a ramp 60, best seen in
Ramp 60 has a pitch A, which is the ratio of the depth of ramp 60 to its length. Interior threads 58 of second end 36 of fitting 26 or exterior threads 74 of wall 70 of coupler 28 also have a pitch B, which is a the ratio of the axial movement of coupler and wall with respect to each other with respect to the circumferential distance required for that movement. Pitch A and B may be the same so that stopper 68 moves smoothly into ramp 60 as fitting 26 and coupler 28 rotate. By pitch A and pitch B being the same, it is meant that they are similar enough so that stopper 68 moves steadily down ramp 60 as coupler 28 is rotated into fitting recess 54.
Finally, the present invention includes a clip 80 that has a pin 84 and two opposing arms 86, 88, as best seen in
First end 34 of the fitting 26 may have one or more holes 100 formed in it to receive fasteners 102, such as screws, nails or rivets, one in each hole 100, that pass through hole 100 and into the material of handle 12 to secure first end 34 of fitting 26 to handle 12.
Recess 54 in second end 36 of fitting 26 may also have a post 106, oriented axially with respect to handle 12 and spaced apart from wall 56 defined by fitting recess 54. Post 106 may have a groove 110, slot or hole formed therein, depending on its axial length that is aligned with diametrical passage 50 of fitting 26 and with diametrical passage 64 of coupler 28 to receive pin 84 of clip 80. Post 106 provides additional stability, strength and resists twisting of pin 84 of clip 80.
Fitting 26 may be made integral to handle 12 or may be a separate component.
It will be clear to those skilled in the art of making housekeeping and gardening tools that many modifications and substitutions may be made to the disclose tool described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.
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