The present invention relates to the field of hand tools for forming wire and the like, more particularly, to a method of using a pliers for forming wire into loops and similar shapes.
In the past, wire loops have been formed using conventional longnose pliers, resulting in imperfect loops. Round nose pliers have permitted formation of more circular loops, but did not assure that repeated use would result in identical sized loops, because of the tapered jaws of the pliers.
Other specialty pliers are known for forming wires into loops, commonly known as wire wrapping pliers, which have one jaw formed in a series of stepped diameter cylinders, and the other jaw being flat or concave where it faces the cylindrical jaw. Such wire wrapping pliers were not convenient to forming tight loops because the wire was gripped between the jaws at a location which was typically 180 degrees away from the closure of the loop. Forming the loop adjacent the contact between the jaws of such pliers exposes the wire to the edge of the flat or concave jaw, reintroducing the possibility of undesired deformation of the wire resulting from contact with such edge.
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by using a pliers-type wire forming tool in an easy and convenient method to form consistently-sized wire loops, with or without a coil adjacent the loop.
In one aspect, the present invention includes a method for forming a loop in a wire forming a U-shape in a wire, placing the U-shape between a pair of jaws in a pliers of the type having opposing faces on respective distal ends of a pair of jaws, with each jaw having a relief between the face and a pivot point of the pliers, the reliefs forming a recess, such that the U-shape extends around a post located in the recess, closing the jaws against the wire such that the faces compress the U-shape into a loop surrounding the post; and removing the wire loop from the pliers.
The method may further include that aspect wherein the post is carried by a link loosely secured to the pivot point of the pliers.
The method may further include that aspect wherein the opposing faces are each flat.
The method may further include an additional step before the step of closing the jaws, the additional step including adjusting a stop to limit the distance the faces can approach each other.
The method may further include an additional aspect wherein the step of forming a U-shape in the wire further includes using a through hole in the pliers to form the U-shape in the wire.
The method may further include an additional step between the steps of closing the jaws and removing the wire loop from the pliers, the additional step including deforming at least one of two portions of the wire extending distally of the faces.
The method may further include an additional aspect wherein the step of deforming at least one of two portions of the wire further includes deforming at least one portion of the wire around the other portion of the wire to form a coil adjacent the loop.
The present invention may also be seen to include an improvement to a tool with a first member and a second member, each having a jaw and a handle and a mediate region between the jaw and handle; and a connecting means for securing the first and second members together at the mediate regions thereof and for permitting pivoting movement between the first and second members while locating the jaws on the same side of the connecting means such that the jaws are opposed to each other and free to move towards and away from each other; and a link attached to the mediate regions of the first and second members, and extending on the same side of the connecting means as the jaws, the link having a post projecting from the link and extending intermediate the jaws for forming wire around the post, the improvement in combination therewith including a resilient biasing means urging the link against the mediate region of one of the first and second members such that the link is manually positionable to a desired position with respect to the jaws of the tool and the resilient biasing means retains the link in the desired position until a wire is received on the link.
In another aspect the present invention includes a method of retaining a position of a link having a loop-forming post thereon with respect to a pair of jaws in a pliers to assist in forming a loop in wire by performing the steps of manually positioning the link before or after forming a U-shape in a wire; and thereafter placing the U-shape between the pair of jaws in a pliers of the type having opposing faces on respective distal ends of a pair of jaws, with each jaw having a relief between the face and a pivot point of the pliers, the reliefs forming a recess, such that the U-shape extends around a post located in the recess; closing the jaws against the wire such that the faces compress the U-shape into a loop surrounding the post; and removing the wire loop from the pliers.
Referring now to the Figures, and most particularly, to
The pliers 22 have members 24 joined at the mediate portions or regions 30 for pivoting movement between members 24. One or both of a screw 32 and rivet 34 form a pivot or connecting means 36 for securing members 24 together for pivoting movement therebetween. Alternatively, other forms of pivoting securement may be used while still staying within the scope of the present invention. The connecting means 36 secures members 24 (which may be referred to as “first and second members”) together at the mediate portions or regions 30 thereof, while at the same time permitting pivoting movement between the first and second members while locating the jaws 28 on the same (distal) side of the connecting means 36 such that the jaws 28 are opposed to each other and free to move towards and away from each other. The connecting means 36 is thus understood to include the screw 32 received in one of the first and second members, and (preferably) further includes the threaded rivet received in the other of the first and second members with the screw 32 extending through a pair of aligned apertures 33 in the first and second members 24.
A link 38 is preferably also secured to the pliers 22 by the pivot 36, and preferably, the link 38 is free to move within a limited range of movement as will be described infra. Link 38 has a post 40 projecting from a first end 42 thereof, and an aperture 44 at a second end 46 thereof. Alternatively, the link and post may be formed of a single piece of wire 48, as shown in
It is to be understood that the pivot 36 preferably has a projection, such as additional threads 50 extending laterally from the mediate region 30 beyond the rivet 34 by an amount sufficient to retain the link 38 using, for example, a threaded fastener such as a locking nut 52 received on threads 50 to loosely hold link 38 to the pliers 22.
Optionally, each handle 26 may have a resilient cover 54 and pliers 22 may have a pair of opening springs 56, although neither is necessary for the present invention. Pliers 22 preferably also has a stop 58 to limit the approach of the jaws 28 together. Stop 58 is preferably formed by an Allen screw 60 received in a threaded bore 62 in one member 24 and an anvil surface 64 on the other member 24. As may be seen most clearly in
Referring now also to
As may be seen most clearly in
Referring now to
Referring now to
Referring now to
In the practice of one embodiment of the present invention it is to be understood that it is preferable that link 38 be loosely secured to the mediate portion 30 of the first and second members 24 to permit limited movement of the post 40 within the recess 76 between the reliefs 74 of jaws 28. Referring now most particularly to
Referring now most particularly to
Referring now also to
Referring now most particularly to
The basic method of the present invention includes forming a loop 80 in wire 70 by forming a U-shape in the wire, placing the U-shape between the pair of jaws 28 in the pliers 22 which are of the type having opposing faces 72 on respective distal ends of the pair of jaws, with each jaw having a relief 74 between the face 72 and the pivot point 36 of the pliers 22. The reliefs 74 together form a recess 76, such that the U-shape may extend around the post 40 located in the recess 76. The method further includes closing the jaws 28 against the wire 70 such that the faces 72 compress the U-shape into a loop 80 surrounding the post 40. Finally, the method may include removing the wire loop 80 from the pliers 22. A further feature of the method includes carrying the post 40 by the link 38 loosely secured to the pivot point 36 of the pliers 22. In one aspect, the method may be carried out with pliers 22 having one or both opposing faces 72 being flat.
In one variation, the method of the present invention may include adjusting the stop 58 to limit the distance the faces 72 can approach each other. In another variation, the method may include using the through hole 66 in the pliers 22 to form the U-shape in the wire 70.
In another aspect, the method of the present invention includes deforming at least one of two portions of the wire 70 extending distally of the faces 72, more particularly deforming at least one portion of the wire around the other portion of the wire to form one or more coils or wraps 84 adjacent the loop 80.
In another aspect, the method may include moving the post out from the recess to locate the post distal of the tips of the jaws, in order to allow greater access to the loop. More particularly, in this aspect of the present invention, a user may move the post out from the recess to locate the post distal of the tips of the jaws; and then deform at least one portion of the wire around the other portion of the wire to form a coil more tightly adjacent the loop than would otherwise be convenient with the loop remaining within the recess formed by the jaws.
In other words, the method of forming a loop in wire according to the present invention may include initially positioning the post carried on the link to a desired position within the recess formed by the pair of reliefs in the jaws of the pliers, placing the U-shaped portion of the wire between the pair of jaws in the pliers such that the U-shape extends around the post located in the recess, and closing the jaws against the wire such that the faces compress the U-shape into a loop surrounding the post.
In this aspect, the post and link are retained to and urged against the pivot point of the pliers to allow the post to be manually repositioned to a desired position or location and thereafter the pliers (in the alternative embodiment shown in
The link is urged against the pivot point of the pliers by a spring which allows manually repositioning of the post by moving the link to locate the post relative to the jaws of the pliers.
This invention is not to be taken as limited to all of the details thereof as modifications and variations thereof may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.
This application is a Continuation-In-Part of application Ser. No. 10/664,108 filed Sep. 17, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,032,627, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
649955 | Ronk | May 1900 | A |
1337616 | Olhovsky | Apr 1920 | A |
2824583 | Knoester | Feb 1958 | A |
2854874 | Decker | Oct 1958 | A |
2857792 | McNish | Oct 1958 | A |
3174517 | Wilson | Mar 1965 | A |
3221779 | Noel | Dec 1965 | A |
3360018 | Lindsay | Dec 1967 | A |
3847189 | Guzda | Nov 1974 | A |
3861430 | Story | Jan 1975 | A |
4043364 | Rose | Aug 1977 | A |
4221118 | Chicckine | Sep 1980 | A |
4423757 | Broberg, Jr. | Jan 1984 | A |
4637084 | Wood | Jan 1987 | A |
5277231 | Dostalek | Jan 1994 | A |
5520227 | Kelley | May 1996 | A |
5632086 | Helwig | May 1997 | A |
5878788 | Gurry | Mar 1999 | A |
6108878 | Adell | Aug 2000 | A |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 10664108 | Sep 2003 | US |
Child | 11408229 | US |