Patent Application
20140112702
The present invention relates generally to handles. More particularly, the present invention relates to adding adjustability to existing stationary handles used on power tools.
In construction and various other operations relating to the creation or modification or physical items or structures, power tools are ubiquitous. A power tool is a tool that is actuated by an additional power source and mechanism other than the solely manual labor used with hand tools. The most common types of power tools use electric motors, though internal combustion engines and compressed air are also commonly used.
Power tools are used in industry, in construction, in the garden, for housework tasks and various activities such as driving fasteners, drilling, cutting, shaping, sanding, grinding, routing, polishing and more.
Portable power tools have advantages over stationary power tools in mobility. The grip for many portable power tools can be supplemented with a side handle which can be screwed into the body of the power tool. This side handle provides superior control and support of the tool during use, facilitating accuracy of the job done and safety for the user during use.
This setup can pose problems, however. When a power tool is not in use or is being retired after a day's work, it should be properly stored. Storing a power tool with the side handle still attached can pose a problem as the handle extends the boundaries of the tool and makes storing the tool or multiple tools efficiently difficult. One solution to this problem is to remove the side handle before storing the tool, but this opens up the possibility of the handle being lost. In many jobs, workers are responsible for the safekeeping of their tools, and the loss of a handle could mean the loss of a job.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a pivoting handle attachment which can be installed between the existing side handle of a power tool and the body of the power tool which allows the angle of the side handle to be adjusted.
All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
The present invention is a pivoting handle attachment for power tools. The present invention is an apparatus for use with existing power tool handles which provides a simple and economical way for re-positioning a side handle on most hand grinders, power drills and other power tools for better ergonomics and safety. The present invention allows a handle to rotate inward toward the body of a power tool such as a hand grinder or power drill for easy storage, reducing the need to remove the handle from the power tool. By not removing the handle from the power tool, chance of injury or other consequences are greatly reduced. Also reduced is the chance of losing the handle. The present invention may also be commonly known by the name Grip Pivot.
Referring to
The first cylindrical pivot half 1 and the second cylindrical pivot half 2 are identical. As can be seen in
The first cylindrical pivot half 1 and the second cylindrical pivot half 2 are positioned concentrically with each other, and are positioned adjacent to each other. The bolt 4 traverses through the first cylindrical pivot half 1 and the second cylindrical pivot half 2, and the fastener 5 is removably engaged with the bolt 4.
The first cylindrical pivot half 1 and the second cylindrical pivot half 2 each further comprise a second surface 34. Preferably, the second surface 34 is substantially flat. However, the flatness of the second surface 34 is not essential to the present invention. The serrated surface 33 is positioned opposite the second surface 34 on each of the first cylindrical pivot half 1 and the second cylindrical pivot half 2. The bolt aperture 31 traverses through the serrated surface 33 and the second surface 34.
Referring to
The plurality of ridges 330 of the first cylindrical pivot half 1 and the plurality of ridges 330 of the second cylindrical pivot half 2 may be interfaced with each other by pressing the serrated surfaces 33 into each other, with peaks and valleys being correspondingly mated together as can be seen in
The lateral threaded hole 32 is oriented perpendicular to the bolt aperture 31. The lateral threaded hole 32 of the first cylindrical pivot half 1 traverses into the first cylindrical pivot half 1 between the serrated surface 33 and the second surface 34. Similarly, the lateral threaded hole 32 of the second cylindrical pivot half 2 traverses into the second cylindrical pivot half 2 between the serrated surface 33 and the second surface 34.
The bolt 4 traverses through the bolt aperture 31 of the first cylindrical pivot half 1 and through the bolt aperture 31 of the second cylindrical pivot half 2. The bolt 4 comprises a head cap 41 and a threaded end 42, which are positioned opposite each other along the bolt 4 as can be seen in
The preferred embodiment of the present invention further comprises a threaded nut 7, wherein the threaded nut 7 has internal screw threads as commonly utilized with such hardware. It should be made clear that while the threaded nut 7 and the fastener 5 are preferably nuts with internal screw threading, the threaded nut 7 and the fastener 5 are different components. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the threaded stud 6 is threadedly engaged within the lateral threaded hole 32 of the first cylindrical pivot half 1 and secured within the lateral threaded hole 32 of the first cylindrical pivot half 1 with a liquid thread locking agent or another adhesive or securing means. In an alternate embodiment, the threaded stud 6 is secured to the first cylindrical pivot half 1 by other means, such as, but not limited to, being originally manufactured with the threaded stud 6 protruding perpendicularly to the first cylindrical pivot half 1. The threaded nut 7 is threadedly engaged with the threaded stud 6. The threaded nut 7 is preferably a locking nut which resists loosening under vibrations and torque. The purpose of the threaded nut 7 is to secure the threaded stud 6 and thereby the rest of the present invention to the body of a tool during use.
In order to use the present invention, a handle is removed from a power tool, wherein the handle is originally provided with the power tool and the handle has a threaded protrusion which normally screws into an existing threaded hole in the power tool. It should be noted that the lateral threaded hole 32 of the first cylindrical pivot half 1 should be threaded in exactly the same way as the existing threaded hole of the power tool in order to accommodate the handle. The threaded stud 6 of the present invention is then screwed into the existing threaded hole, and the threaded protrusion of the handle is screwed into the lateral threaded hole 32 of the second cylindrical pivot half 2. The threaded stud 6 is secured within the existing threaded hole of the power tool through use of the threaded nut 7. The threaded nut 7 is rotated around the threaded stud 6 in a direction which results in translation of the threaded nut 7 in a direction along the threaded stud 6 toward the existing threaded hole. When the threaded nut 7 presses against the casing of the power tool around the existing threaded hole, a portion of the threaded nut 7 deforms elastically to provide a locking action.
As seen in
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
The current application claims a priority to the U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 61/717,516 filed on Oct. 23, 2012.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61717516 | Oct 2012 | US |
