Patent Application
20220234179
One of the most frustrating activities in mechanical work is the removal of broken studs or bolts from metal products. Studs, threaded bolts or pins are commonly used in industrial applications to fasten equipment together or to fasten objects to some type of foundation.
Over time, these studs can become frozen through the process of varying temperatures or exposure to elements. Threaded bolts can become frozen and have their heads twisted off in the removal process, leaving the user with a stud still frozen in place. Broken bolts or studs generally have no means available to remove them after they have been broken. Thus, hex heads, slotted heads, and the like, disappear and there is now no means by which the studs can be removed.
Sometimes, studs or bolts can be removed by clamping onto the remainder of the stud by using pliers or vise grips and this is only if the stud breaks above the surface of the metal product being worked on. Typically, such breakage occurs within the threaded hole in which the bolt or stud is used. Thus, there is no way of clamping such a broken stud.
In the past, and indeed, in the prior art described infra, many stud removal tools are complex, either requiring many individual pieces, or are of a design which requires a considerable amount of effort and physical manipulation in removing the headless bolt from the associated mechanical device. In addition, such devices are expensive.
Devices of the prior art consist of a stud removal device disclosed in U.S. Design Patent 897,794 that issued Oct. 6, 2020 to Les Enterprises EZ Stud Out Inc, which discloses a nearly flat device having an opening in one end. The top surface of the opening is countersunk, and the bottom has a hex configured wrench head attached thereto that is centered over the opening.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,950,111 that issued Apr. 13, 1976 to Churchwell, et al deals with a cutting tool that can be used to remove studs.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,605 that issued Aug. 5, 1986 to Miller deals with a unitary, one-piece device for gripping threaded objects without damage to the threads. This device is useful for studs that have some amount of stud appearing above the metal in which it is used.
A tapered stud remover is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,651,596 that issued on Mar. 24, 1987 to Rachanski which can be rotated within the opening containing a broken stud wherein the taper member engages the internal taper of the sleeve member forcing finger splits on the pilot member to grip and frictionally lock on the free end of a stud.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,487 that issued on Jul. 16, 1991 to Polonsky deals with a broken bolt extractor comprising a right-hand threaded shaft having a left hand drill bit at its lower end.
A stud remover can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,907,983 that issued Jun. 1, 1999 to Spirer, that consists of a hex nut having slotted openings and through bolts to compress such openings together once the nut is aligned and contains an end of the stud.
Design patent 410,825 that issued Jun. 8, 1999 to Spirer deals with the same stud remover as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,907,983.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,520, that issued Jun. 13, 2000 to Bueno et al deals with a wrench for removing stud bolts. It relies on gripping toothed dog members to remove damaged studs.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 9,616,554, that issued Apr. 11, 2017 to Hendrix deals with a stud removal device that incorporates a body configured to hold a cage, cam sleeve and jaws for clamping on a broken stud.
None of the devices of the prior art have the simplicity or low cost of the devices of the instant invention.
Thus, what is disclosed and claimed herein in one embodiment is a handheld stud remover. The stud remover comprises an essentially flat elongated metal strip having two rounded ends and a bottom surface. At least one end of the elongated metal strip has an opening through it and the through opening has a flare extending downwardly from the bottom surface of the elongated metal strip.
In a second embodiment, there is a modified hex nut metal stud remover. The modified hex nut has a centered opening and a bottom edge, wherein the bottom edge has a metal flared extension.
In yet another embodiment, there is a method of removing metal studs or bolts from threaded openings, the method comprising providing a flat metal strip handheld stud remover and placing a through opening in the elongated metal strip on top of a metal stud with the flared extension on the metal stud.
Then, welding the elongated metal strip through the opening, to the metal stud, and turning the elongated metal strip counterclockwise to remove the metal stud.
Still another embodiment is a method of removing metal studs or bolts from threaded openings. The method comprises providing a modified hex nut metal stud remover having a centered through opening and placing the centered opening on top of a metal stud with the metal flared extension on the metal stud and then welding the modified hex nut through the opening at the bottom edge to the metal stud. Thereafter, turning the modified hex nut counterclockwise to remove the metal stud.
It is contemplated within the scope of this invention to have rounded ends on the flat base to accommodate turning attached stud.
The devices of this invention are manufactured from metal, for example, iron and steel.
The opening 3 is a through opening and there can be multiple openings of the same size or in various sizes in each metal base 2 depending on the need of the user.
It should be noted that by creating the opening 3, it can be done with a sharpened punch or an opening can be drilled and then punched with a punch slighter larger than the drilled opening 3 to push the metal through the opening to form the flare 4.
It should be noted that
Turning now to another embodiment, please note
Turning now to one method of removing metal studs or bolts from threaded openings as shown in
Then, welding the elongated metal strip 2 through the opening 3 to the metal stud 11 and then turning the elongated metal strip 2 counterclockwise to remove the metal stud 11.
What is important at this juncture is that the flared projection 4 is very thin ( 1/16 inch or less in thickness), and when the weld is applied, it does not take very much welding to attach it to the stud 11. By this means, the metal substrate 12 is not overly heated or affected or harmed (See
A second method shown in
