Patent Application
20070050989
In a principal aspect the present invention relates to a tool useful for the removal of molding and/or name plates from various items such as motor vehicles in order to effect repair and/or replacement.
When repairing the body of a damaged motor vehicle, it is often necessary to remove the name plates or the molding which is attached to the body sheet metal typically by means of some adhesive. The methodology for removal of such items has been dependent upon the use of chisel-type devices. Such devices are exemplified by a tool offered by Steck Manufacturing Co., Product No. 59890 and 3M Company, Product No. 051135-08978. These tools typically include a rod with one end configured to receive a pneumatic drive tool and the opposite end attached to a blade. In use, the tool is driven by the pneumatic driving tool and the blade is caused to undercut the molding or name plate from a vehicle body. These devices may include a blade which is permanently affixed to a rod, such as with the 3M tool, or a blade which may be removable from the tool. U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,429 for a Tool for Removing Moldings and the Like also discloses a tool of this general type.
Such devices have been found to be useful and accepted somewhat in the relevant trades. However, certain aspects of the use of such tools are undesirable. For example, it may not be desirable to use a pneumatic driving mechanism for such a tool, particularly where the name plate or decorative item to be removed is small or requires a delicate hand operation to effect removal. On the other hand, to provide a separate tool which may be hand operated and another tool which may be pneumatically operated calls for extra tools. Thus, there has developed the need for an improved, multifunctional molding and name plate removal tool.
Briefly, the present invention comprises a molding and name plate removal tool which is convertible between a hand operated tool and a pneumatically operated tool. The tool is comprised of a generally rectangular blade which is comprised of a thin spring steel material and includes a leading edge that is shaped in the manner which enables it to be inserted under a name plate or a piece of molding adhered to a vehicle by adhesive without damaging the underlying paint, or at least minimizing any such damage. The blade is a separate element which is attached to an elongate driving rod that has a special shape or configuration enabling the drive rod to be impacted axially from its drive rod end by means of a pneumatic driver or alternatively to receive a handle so that the tool may be manually operated or driven. The drive rod further includes a blade attachment arrangement which enables the blade to be tightly adhered to the opposite end of the drive rod. The drive rod end of the drive rod includes a flared section which is externally threaded so that a handle with a counterbore and internal threads may be screwed onto the drive rod end of the drive rod. Thus, the tool may be converted between a mode of operation dependent upon manual manipulation and engagement using the removable handle or, alternatively, by means of a pneumatic driver which engages the drive rod end when the manual handle has been removed.
Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved, multifunctional molding and name plate removal tool which is convertible between a manually operational configuration and a pneumatically driven configuration.
Another object of the invention is to provide a molding and name plate removal tool wherein the blade of the tool may be easily replaced.
A further object of the invention is to provide a molding and name plate removal tool which includes a blade that is configured to minimize any potential for damage of the underlying substrate upon which the molding or name plate is affixed.
Another object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive, yet rugged, easily used molding and name plate removal tool.
These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows.
In the detailed description which follows, reference will be made to the drawing comprised of the following figures:
Referring to the figures, the tool of the invention is comprised of three separate component parts. The tool thus includes a blade 10, a blade retainer 12 and a threaded manual handle 14. The blade 10 is a generally rectangular spring steel blade having a thickness in the range of 0.015±0.005 inches and a dimension in the range typically, in the longitudinal direction of a longitudinal axis 16, of 3-6 inches and a transverse dimension in the range of 2-5 inches. The blade 10 includes first, second and third passages 18 at the end which serve to connect blade 10 to the retainer 12 and further includes a blade edge 24, for example, as shown in
The blade 10 is aligned with the longitudinal centerline axis 16 of a drive rod arm 40 of the blade retainer 12. That is, the blade retainer 12 includes a drive head assembly 42 with an elongate drive rod arm 40 centrally located and extending along the axis 16. The head assembly 42 includes a blade retention bar 44 held in position by nut and bolt assemblies 46 that fit through passages or openings 45 in the retention bar 44, blade 10 and the transverse drive head assembly 42. Again, note that all of the component parts are arranged so as to be symmetrical about the center line axis 16. The drive rod arm 40 terminates at a driven end 50 which is a generally cylindrical shaped drive rod section 52 that is connected with a smoothly joined arcuate section 54 that, in turn, connects to a next adjacent, greater diameter, externally threaded section 56 that, in turn, connects to a circumferential rib or an abutment 58 at the end of the section 56. The end of the drive rod arm 40 is thus compatible with a manual handle 14.
That is, the manual handle 14 includes a counterbore 60 with a flared abutment section 62, an internally threaded section 64 and an outside end abutment 66. The depth of the counter bore 60 is slightly greater than the longitudinal length of the drive rod extreme end section 52. The flared section 62 of the handle 14 is designed to be spaced from the flared section 54 of the drive rod arm. The outer abutment end 66 of the handle 14 will engage the abutment 58 of the drive rod. The internal threads 64, of course, will engage the external threads 56. Thus, the handle 14 may be threaded onto the drive rod arm 40. However, if the handle 14 is pushed during operation of the tool because of the abutting surfaces, such as the surfaces of abutment 58, 66, the threads 64 of the handle 14 will not be stripped. Thus, the configuration of the counterbore 60 and the depth of the counterbore 60 as well as the various abutting surfaces all function to preserve the integrity of the threads 64 and the compatible threads 56 on the drive rod arm 50. Again, the tool is generally symmetrical about the centerline axis 16 and the symmetry persists along the entire length of the retainer and the handle 14. In practice in the manufacture of the tool, the blade retainer 12 is fabricated from a glass filled nylon material with a center metal rod axially aligned therewith providing for additional structural integrity.
The tool of the invention utilizes threads to engage the handle onto the blade retainer drive rod arm 40. However, other attachment means may be utilized. Also, the fasteners 46 as previously described which hold the blade 10 in position may be removed. The embodiment utilizes three fasteners 46. However, different numbers of fasteners 46 may be utilized. Also, the fasteners may be permanently fixed in passages 18. However, removable fasteners are preferred. A preferred dimension of the blade is approximately 3.5 inches in width and approximately 4 inches in length in the axial direction. Typically, the blade 10 will be comprised of a spring steel such as a 1075 spring steel material. As depicted in
