Patent Application
20060185478
The present invention pertains generally to nut or head bolt holding tools. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a specifically configured pair of tweezers that function to effectively assist one holding a nut or head bolt or other similar items, to provide leverage support means for holding nuts or head bolts in areas having difficult accessibility.
The use of general pliers, tweezers or other tools for the purposes of holding and retaining one jaw (e.g. nut or head bolt) relative to another body (e.g. an opposing nut or head bolt) has been widely practiced for some time.
In many applications it is desirable that a stable fastening means against which a component, such as a nut or bolt head, can be positioned and held stationary in difficult accessibility situation such as behind walls or obscured from view. To accomplish this, however, it is necessary for the operator using standard tools to maintain hand or finger pressure on the handle end of the pliers, or use a mechanism to increase the physical size to hold a nut or bolt head in tight area or area with difficult accessibility. These standard applications generally have certain characteristics that do not allow an operator to access and hold a nut or bolt head in a specific position in an area with difficult accessibility, such as behind walls or tight areas. While the pliers or tweezers are engaged with the nut or bolt head, the present invention is used to facilitate holding and positioning a secured nut or bolt head in an area with difficult accessibility.
In addition to the functional considerations mentioned above, it is also of practical importance that the tweezers be easily engaged with and disengaged from the particular nut or bolt head with which it cooperates. The preferred method for maintaining engagement, of course, would, be a one-step locking operation wherein the legs of the tweezers are flexed towards each other, forcing the distal holding means to engage a nut or bolt head.
Likewise, the preferred method for disengagement would be effectively another one-step operation. The present invention incorporates a sliding locking mechanism which flexes the legs towards each other when moved to its distal direction and un-flexes the legs when the moved to its proximal position. The tweezers may also be disengaged by pulling toward the operator thereby flexing the distal ends in an outward direction and causing a release without moving the slide lock.
In light of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide lockable tweezers for holding a nut or bolt head to facilitate the holding and securing of the nut or bolt head in areas with difficult accessibility.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a locking mechanism which can be slid distally or proximately along the pair of legs in a one-step operation.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide lockable tweezers for holding and securing nuts or bolt heads that are relatively easy to manufacture, provide holding and positioning of a nut or bolt head in areas with difficult accessibilities.
A lockable tweezer for holding and supporting standard square, pentagon, hexagon or in generally, typical multi-polygonal shaped nuts and bolt heads comprising a pair of flexible legs which extend generally parallel to each other that are joined at their proximal (upper) ends. Each leg has a partial polygonal jaw formed at the distal ends opposite the proximal end. Further, the legs are flexed such that the partial polygonal jaws do not engage each other, forming a gap between, in its open, relaxed state. As intended for the present invention, in order to engage and secure the nut or bolt head with the partial polygonal jaws, the polygonal objects must be positioned within the gap and between the partial polygonal jaws of the tweezers. A locking slide is moved from its proximal position to its distal position, causing the legs of the tweezers to flex and move towards each other, closing the gap. As a result of moving the slide to its distal locking position, the partial polygonal jaws encase and become firmly engaged with the nut or bolt head. As intended for the present invention, the engagement of the tweezers with the nut or bolt head is accomplished in a lockable, one-step, operation. The particular structure of the tweezers makes this possible.
At their respective ends, opposite the proximal ends, each leg of the tweezers is formed with a partial polygonal jaw. For example, each partial polygonal jaw is formed by a first upward bend section having an approximately 120 degree angle, from the longitudinal axis of the tweezers shaft, and a second downwardly bend section that has an approximately 120 degree angle from the upward bent. This configuration generally is designed to match the polygonal dimensions of a variety of nuts and bolt heads. This angle may be varied to suit the specific application
The present invention includes an extended handle portion that serves to effectively extend the range of length that typical operators can hold a nut or bolt head in specific position in areas of difficult accessibility. The proximal end of the handle portion can be fitted with a means to attached additional extension pieces for extending the overall length of the tweezers.
In the operation of the nut or bolt head holding tweezers of the present invention, the nut or bolt head is located and positioned within a gap between the partial polygonal configurations. While holding the nut or bolt head between the partial polygonal shaped jaws, the locking mechanism is moved from its proximal position to its distal position, causing the flexible legs to move towards each other and close the gap. At this locked position, the nut or bolt head is engaged with the partial polygonal shaped jaws.
The novel features of this invention, as well as the invention itself, both as to its structure and its operation, will be best understood from the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanying description, in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts, and in which:
As seen in
The purpose for engaging the nut or bolt head 28 holding tweezers 10, as illustrated in
The specific details of the nut or bolt head holding tweezers 10 will be further appreciated by reference to
Legs 20 and 22 are joined together at their upper proximal end 12, as by forming them integrally from a single piece of metal or plastic. The proximal end 12 of the tweezers 10 can be fitted with a male or female threaded section. Either formed as an integral portion or as individual structures, a pair of partial polygonal jaws formed by bend sections 24a and 24b on one side and bend sections 26a and 26b on the other opposing side. The size and length of the partial polygonal jaws can be varied to accommodate small and large nut and bolts accordingly.
Legs 20 and 22 are also configured to include arcuate camming portions to allow the legs to attain an open and closed position. Engaged over the legs and arcuate camming portions is a locking slide 14 with a rectangular opening designed to receive legs 20 and 22. Locking slide 14 can be fabricated from either a preferred polymeric or an alternate metallic material. The polymeric or metallic material that is to be used for locking slide 14 can be made of any material that has sufficient strength and a low coefficient of friction to perform the functions required for operation of the nut or bolt head holding tweezers 10. For purposes of disclosure here, upper end 12 will sometimes be referred to as being at the proximal end and the separated ends near partial polygonal jaws 20 and 22 referred to as being at the distal end of the tweezers 10. Closure and locking of the gap between the legs is facilitated by moving slide 14 from its unbiased proximal position to its distal locking position. It is equally important, however, that the legs 20 and 22 be able to return to the relaxed, unstressed configuration allowing insertion of a nut or bolt head 28. This ability to return to the unstressed relaxed configuration is facilitated by the resilience of the legs 20 and 22. Therefore, moving the locking slide 14 to its proximal position allows the legs to spread apart and assume their normal, open position.
Preferably the extension 40 is comprised of a light weight rigid material such as either polymer or spring steel, enabling the extension to effectively lengthen the control of the remote secured tweezers 10.
Exact values for the dimensions for the many of structures described in this specification are unimportant. What matters for some are their relative values. The relative dimension and the size of the bend sections 24A, 24B and 26A, 26B should accommodate the size of the nut or bolt head that is to be engaged. Also, bend angle sections can have angles other than 120 degrees to better accommodate square, hexagon, or other nut and bolt heads. In addition, the length of rectangular opening of lockable slide 32 must be dimensioned to closely fit the width 48 of the tweezers 10. Furthermore, the width of rectangular opening of lockable slide 32 must be dimensioned to closely ride over arcuate camming surface 28a and 28b to force the legs 22a and 22b towards each other.
In the operation of the nut or bolt head holding tweezers 10 of the present invention, the nut or bolt head 28 is first positioned within the aperture or gap between holding means 24 A,B and 26 A,B as shown in
The tweezers 10, 60, 70 now can be guided such that the nut or bolt head can be positioned in an area with difficult accessibility, as perceptively shown in
While the particular nut or bolt head holding tweezers 10, 60, 70 as herein shown and disclosed in detail are fully capable of retaining the objects and providing the advantages herein before stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown other than as described in the appended claims.
This application claims priority from U.S. provisional application No. 60/656,234, filed on Feb. 24, 2005, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60656234 | Feb 2005 | US |
