Patent Application
20080128039
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a hand tool for plugging conduit. More particularly, the present invention relates to conduit-plugging hand tool with a toggle-locking hand-grippable portion that enables user's thereof to conduct further conduit maintenance with the use of two hands after having toggle-locked the hand tool in a conduit-plugging position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Individualized toggle-locking pliers assemblies and conduit-plugging plumber's tools are well known in the arts. The combination of a toggle-locking pliers assembly and a conduit-plugging shaft assembly, however, is absent from the prior art. For example, certain prior art related to individualized toggle-locking pliers assemblies and the like is briefly described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,385 ('385 Patent), which issued to Petersen, and discloses a Compound Toggle Link. The '385 Patent teaches a quick release for a conventional pliers-type, toggle-locking hand tool comprising a compound toggle link. The link is pivotably mounted between the movable handle and the conventional toggle member. Four pivot points rather than the usual three form the “power line” of the tool. Locking the tool involves pushing the two internal pivot points inwardly across the power line. Release involves opening the handles which moves the internal pivot points back across the power line.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,070 ('070 Patent), which issued to Peperkorn et al., discloses a Compound Toggle Link Retention Mechanism. The '070 Patent teaches a quick release and toggle locking mechanism for a conventional pliers-type, toggle-locking hand tool. The mechanism includes a compound link pivotally connected to a movable handle and a toggle link. Retention means is provided for restricting pivotal movement of the compound link relative to the movable handle.
Certain prior art related to conduit-plugging hand tools and the like includes U.S. Pat. No. 3,704,729 ('729 Patent), which issued to Tomlinson. The '729 Patent discloses a plumbing device for plugging a pipe includes a radially expansible rubber sleeve disposed about one end of an axial shaft or tube. An annular flange is provided on the end of the shaft while an elongated metal cylinder is disposed coaxially about the shaft on the opposite side of the sleeve to transmit axial compressive movement to the rubber sleeve from a screw jack mechanism releasably secured on the shaft in proximity to its other end.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,007 ('007 Patent), which issued to Goforth, discloses a Quick Stop Soldering Plug and Method for Using Same. The '007 Patent teaches a quick stop soldering valve used for closing off an elongated pipe having an open end and an interior cylindrical pipe wall. The valve includes an elongated rod having a compressible plug mounted on one end thereof. A sleeve fits over the other end of the rod and engages the compressible plug. By pulling the rod longitudinally through the sleeve it is possible to compress the plug axially and as a result cause the plug to expand radially outwardly. When the plug is inserted within the pipe, and is expanded radially outwardly, it forms a sealing engagement with the interior surface of the pipe wall.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,516 ('516 Patent), which issued to McGovern et al., discloses a Pipe Repair Tool. The '516 Patent teaches tool for use in the repair of fluid conduits or pipes that functions to prevent fluid flow along the interior surface of the pipe, while allowing flow through a central bypass tube. The tube also serves to support an expandable plug which is axially compressed by a concentric compression tube surrounding the bypass tube. As the compression tube axially compresses the plug, the plug is forced to expand radially due to the flexible nature of the center section wall and the air entrapped therein. As no great amount of pressure is trapped behind the plug due to the communication of the pipe with the outside environment through the bypass tube, relatively low forces may be used in the actuation of the tool. Moreover, the thin wall or membrane of the center section of the plug permits a relatively wide range of expansion, allowing a single plug to be used in a wide variety of pipe sizes. The tool is particularly suited to use with copper water pipes, but is adaptable to virtually any type of fluid conduit or pipe.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,819,804 ('804 Patent), which issued to Ferrer et al., discloses a Hand Tool for Temporary Plugging of Pipe Conduits. The '804 Patent teaches an instrument for temporarily sealing a pipe against fluid flow comprising a manually actuatable handle and a sealing unit engaged to the handle, the sealing unit having a seal assembly supported at one end of a flexible cable operatively connected to the handle. The sealing assembly comprising an elastomeric seal contained between first and second compression elements which compress the elastomeric seal into an expanded state upon actuation of the handle.
From an inspection of the foregoing disclosures as well as from a consideration of the art in general, it will be seen that the prior art does not teach or otherwise disclose a conduit-plugging hand tool comprising a conduit-insertable expansive-bulb assembly in combination with a toggle-locking pliers assembly. The prior art thus perceives a need for such a device insofar as the combination device provides distinct advantages over prior or current conduit-plugging hand tools, as set forth in more detail hereinafter.
Accordingly, the prior art perceives a need for a combination hand tool comprising a conduit-plugging bulb mechanism and a toggle-locking pincer assembly, which together may well function to aid conduit workers to plug conduit with an easy to use hand tool, lock the tool in a conduit-plugged state, and attend to the conduit job at hand with the use of both hands. To achieve these and other readily ascertainable objectives, the present invention provides a conduit-plugging hand tool comprising a conduit-insertable shaft assembly and a toggle-lockable pincer assembly.
The shaft assembly comprises inner and outer telescoped shaft members, and a bulb member. The outer shaft member has proximal and distal outer shaft ends, the inner shaft has proximal and distal inner shaft ends, and the bulb member has proximal and distal bulb ends. The bulb member is spatially situated intermediate the distal ends of the inner and outer shaft member, such that when the outer and inner shaft members are coaxially displaced relative to one another, the bulb member may be axially compressed thereby effecting radial expansion of the bulb member for selectively blocking conduit.
The toggle-locking pincer assembly comprises first and second jaws, and certain jaw-displacing means for displacing the first and second jaws relative to one another. The first and second jaws extend into a pincer-receiving channel structure, which structure is coupled to or integrally formed with the outer shaft member. The first jaw is coupled to the proximal inner shaft end, and the second jaw is pivotally coupled to the pincer-receiving channel. The jaw-displacing means operate to displace the first jaw along the shaft axis relative to the second jaw. The inner and outer shaft members are thereby coaxially displaceable relative to one another for longitudinally compressing the bulb member and effecting radial bulb member expansion. The bulb member is thus actuable intermediate a relaxed bulb state and an actuated bulb state. The relaxed bulb state enables shaft assembly insertion in a target conduit, and the actuated bulb state functions to selectively plug the target conduit.
Other features of our invention will become more evident from a consideration of the following brief description of patent drawings:
a) is an enlarged side view depiction of a portion of the pincer assembly shown in
Referring now to the drawings with more specificity, the preferred embodiment of the present invention generally concerns a plumbing type hand tool or plumber's hand tool 10 as generally illustrated and referenced in
The shaft assembly 13 of the present invention may be said to preferably comprise a hollow, substantially rigid outer shaft member 15 as illustrated and referenced in
In this last regard, it will be seen from an inspection of the figures that the jaw-receiving channel 20 of the present invention is depicted as separately fitted to outer shaft member 15 via a coupling collar 35 as illustrated and referenced in
It will be further noted that the inner shaft member 16 also has a proximal inner shaft end 22 as referenced in
Turning now to the pincer or pliers assembly, it will be noted from a consideration of the prior art, that toggle-locking pliers assemblies typically utilize a movable jaw and a fixed jaw to firmly grasp and lock onto a work piece. Typically, the movable jaw may be adjusted to grasp the work piece as the handles are compressed together. As the handles are more tightly compressed, the toggle mechanism will lock the hand tool onto the work piece. After the user releases the handles, the tool will remain firmly locked in place. Adjustments to the clamping force may generally be made by rotating an adjusting screw in the base of the fixed handle. By rotating the screw, the configuration of the toggle mechanism of the pliers assembly is modified, thereby providing more or less relative force between the handle position and the position of the closed or open jaws.
The bulb-actuating pliers assembly or pincer assembly 14 of the present invention is essentially a modified toggle-locking pliers assembly having all pivot points of conventional traditional toggle-locking pliers, but further comprising modified jaw structures for attachment to the shaft assembly 13. In a conventional toggle-locking pliers assembly, there are four pivot points 101, 102, 103, and 104 around which the parts of the assemblage rotate in order to open and close the assembly. Four such pivot points are referenced in
In the pliers assembly 14 of the present invention, in contradistinction to conventional toggle-locking pliers assemblies, the right angle of the right triangle is the pivot point 102 for a (pivotable) jaw 26 as illustrated and referenced in
When locking the pliers assembly 14 of the present invention, one may move the toggle link pivot point 103 into the power line position as in the convention case. In so doing, both handles 27 and 30 are displaced toward one another as comparatively shown in
The pliers assembly 14 of the present invention may thus be said to preferably comprise a translatable, inner shaft-engaging jaw 31, a pivotable, outer shaft-engaging jaw 26, and certain jaw-displacing means. It is contemplated that the jaw-displacing means of the present invention may be preferably defined by a conventional or state of the art toggle mechanism such as the generic toggle mechanism specified herein or such as may be otherwise gleaned from exemplary U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,056,385 or 6,626,070, the specifications of which may be incorporated herein by reference thereto. The jaw-displacing means, in any event, essentially function to displace the inner and outer shaft-engaging jaws 31 and 26 relative to one another for imparting force(s) to the outer shaft member 15 and inner shaft member 16.
Notably, jaw 31 preferably receives or is otherwise coupled to proximal inner shaft end 22. From an inspection of
The inner and outer shaft-engaging jaws 31 and 26 may thus be said to preferably extend into the jaw-receiving channel 20 intermediate the jaw-guiding flanges 21, with the inner shaft-engaging jaw 31 being removably, but fixedly (e.g. threadably) coupled to the proximal inner shaft end 22, and the outer shaft-engaging jaw 26 being pivotally coupled to the jaw-guiding flanges 21 about a first pivot axis as referenced at 105. Notably, the first pivot axis 105 is preferably orthogonal relative to the shaft axis 100. It should be further noted that the toggle mechanism of the handle structures of the pliers assembly 14 notably comprises certain hand-grippable structure as may be defined by handles 27 and 30. When in a closed, bulb-compressing state, the hand-grippable structure comprises a significant dimension substantially orthogonal to the shaft axis 100 and pivot axis 105 for effecting an L-shaped or hand-gun shaped plumbing hand tool 10. It is contemplated that L-shaped implements such as hand guns or similarly shaped tools may well function to enhance a user's ability to selectively aim the tool. In this case, it is contemplated that the substantially L-shaped configuration of the hand tool 10 may well function to enhance a user's ability to selectively plug conduit, as for example, by enabling the user to aim or guide the shaft assembly 13 into conduit 12.
The jaw-displacing means may well function to simultaneously pivot the outer shaft-engaging jaw 26 about the first pivot axis 105 and displace the inner shaft-engaging jaw 31 along the shaft axis 100. The inner and outer shaft members 16 and 15 are thereby coaxially displaceable relative to one another for compressing the bulb member 17 via the distal inner and outer shaft ends 23 and 19. In this regard, it will be seen that distal inner shaft end 23 is also preferably threaded for receiving a terminal nut head 33 as illustrated and referenced in
Further, it is contemplated that the shaft assembly 13 may comprise certain bulb-interfacing means for interfacing intermediate bulb member 17 and the distal inner and outer shaft ends 23 and 19 for enhancing uniform compressibility of the bulb member 17 via the distal inner and outer shaft ends 23 and 19. It is contemplated, for example, that the bulb-interfacing means may be preferably defined by first and second washers 34 as illustrated and referenced in
As heretofore specified, the inner shaft member 16 comprises a certain transverse outer shaft diameter. The bulb member 17, being preferably formed in the shape of a cylinder, has an inner bulb diameter. The inner bulb diameter is greater in greater in magnitude than the outer shaft diameter of the inner shaft member 16, such that the inner shaft member 16 may extend through the bulb member 17 via the inner bulb diameter for effecting certain distal bulb end stop structure as may be defined by terminal nut head 33.
The bulb member 17 of the present invention is preferably formed from an elastic or elastomeric type material. In this regard, the bulb member may be actuably compressed along its longitudinal axis to effect a radial expansion of the matter intermediate the proximal and distal bulb ends 25 and 24. Restorative forces inherent in the member 17 oppose the forces imparted thereon by the distal inner and outer shaft ends 23 and 19, but are overcome thereby. When the jaw-displacing means allow the jaws 31 and 26 to displace away from one another, the restorative force(s) inherent in the member 17 operate to return the bulb member 17 to a relaxed equilibrium state as generally depicted in
When compressed, however, the bulb member 17 may be defined as compression-expandable. In other words, the material expands radially under compressive forces in the axial direction resulting in a larger bulb diameter. It is this larger bulb diameter that operates to selectively plug conduit 12 as generally depicted in
In terms of the hand tool kit 11 of the present invention as generally depicted in
Further included in the kit is at least one pincer assembly 14, the pincer assembly comprising first and second jaws, such as jaw 31 and jaw 26, as well as certain jaw-displacing means as heretofore specified. The pincer assembly is cooperable with the select inner shaft assembly and outer shaft member for coaxially displacing the select inner shaft member relative to the outer shaft member for longitudinally compressing and radially expanding the select bulb member. The select bulb member thereby is actuable intermediate a relaxed bulb state and an actuated bulb state, the relaxed bulb state enabling inner shaft assembly insertion in a target conduit, and the actuated bulb state for selectively plugging the target conduit.
While the above descriptions contain much specificity, this specificity should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather as an exemplification of the invention. For example, the invention may be said to essentially teach or disclose an A conduit-plugging hand tool comprising a shaft assembly and a pincer assembly. The shaft assembly may be said to essentially comprise an inner shaft, an outer shaft, and a bulb member. The outer shaft member extends to a proximal outer shaft end, which proximal outer shaft end comprises a pincer-receiving channel. The inner and outer shafts are substantially coaxial about a shaft axis.
The pincer assembly may be said to essentially comprise first and second jaws, and certain jaw-displacing means. The jaw-displacing means operate to displace the first and second jaws relative to one another. The first and second jaws extend into the pincer-receiving channel, with the first jaw being coupled to the inner shaft and the second jaw being coupled to the pincer-receiving channel. When the jaw-displacing means operate to displace the first jaw relative to the second jaw, the inner and outer shaft members are thereby coaxially displaceable relative to one another for compressing the bulb member. The bulb member is actuable intermediate a relaxed bulb state (when the first and second jaw displacement is maximized) and an actuated bulb state (when the first and second jaw displacement is minimized). The relaxed bulb state enables shaft assembly insertion in a target conduit, and the actuated bulb state functions to selectively plug the target conduit.
Notably, the pincer assembly may be toggle-lockable insofar as the jaw-displacement means may preferably comprise a toggle-locking mechanism for toggle-locking the first and second jaws at the minimized first and second jaw displacement position. The toggle-lockable pincer assembly essentially functions to free a user's first and second hands for enabling single user, two-handed conduit maintenance.
Accordingly, although the invention has been described by reference to a number of preferred embodiments, it is not intended that the novel apparatus be limited thereby, but that modifications thereof are intended to be included as falling within the broad scope and spirit of the foregoing disclosure, the following claims and the appended drawings.
