Claims
- 1. A plier tool comprising:
- (a) a pair of levers each including a handle portion, a jaw portion including a tip and a boss portion fixedly interconnecting the handle and jaw portions;
- (b) a pivot interconnecting the levers in a permanently intended, boss portion juxtaposed, but relatively movable and slidable relationship;
- (c) the tool including a work position selection means to permit the shifting of the levers in a sliding motion as the boss portions are maintained in their juxtaposed, slidable relationship by the pivot, the motion including relative longitudinal movement such that one tip is passed by the other as the levers are moved between a first working position in a crossed relationship and a second working position in a side by side relationship and such said one tip is passed by the other as the levers are moved from the second to the first position; and,
- (d) the work position selection means including a position locating means for retaining the bosses in at least one of the working positions when the tool is in use, the locating means being constructed such that when the tool is used in one of the working positions reaction forces occasioned by work operation apply position retention force to the locating means and when in the other of the working positions the selection means overcomes reaction forces tending to move the levers from the working position.
- 2. The tool of claim 1 wherein the pivot is connected to one of the levers and the other of the levers includes a crescent shaped slot comprising at least a portion of each of the position selection and locating means.
- 3. The tool of claim 2 wherein the position locating means includes a detent in one end of the crescent shaped slot.
- 4. The tool of claim 2 wherein the connection of the pivot to the one lever is fixed.
- 5. A plier tool comprising:
- (a) a pair of levers each including a handle portion, a jaw portion including a tip and a boss portion fixedly interconnecting the handle and jaw portions;
- (b) a pivot interconnecting the levers in a permanently intended, boss portion juxtaposed, but relatively movable relationship, the pivot being connected to one of the levers;
- (c) the tool including a work position selection means to permit the shifting of the levers in a sliding motion including relative longitudinal movement such that one tip is passed by the other as the levers are moved between a first working position in a crossed relationship and a second working position in a side by side relationship and such said one tip is passed by the other as the levers are moved from the second to the first position;
- (d) the work position selection means including a position locating means for retaining the bosses in at least one of the working positions when the tool is in use, the locating means being constructed such that when the tool is used in at least one of the working positions reaction forces occasioned by work operation apply position retention force to the locating means; and
- (g) the position selection means comprising an eccentric rotatably mounted on the pivot and the other lever having surfaces complementally coactable with the eccentric.
- 6. The tool of claim 5 wherein the connection of the pivot to the one lever is fixed.
- 7. A hand tool for removing and installing internal and external retaining rings comprising:
- (a) first and second unitary operating levers each including a handle portion, a jaw portion, and a boss section interconnecting said handle and jaw sections;
- (b) a pivot operatively interconnecting said boss sections for relative work movement between open and closed positions;
- (c) a spring operatively connected to and adaptively interposed between said first and second levers; and
- (d) a driving means for moving said levers between tool operating relationships for internal and external retaining rings including a movable tool rotating member, the member and one of the levers having coactable elements, one of the elements being a guide post and the other element having a surface operably engageable with the guide post for rotation limiting engagement therewith.
- 8. The hand tool of claim 7 wherein said tool rotating member comprises a knob having a base portion, and wherein the other element is an arcuate groove formed in the base portion for engagement with the other element and the other element is a guide post projecting from said first lever.
- 9. The hand tool of claim 8 wherein said knob further includes a handle portion and an engagement portion for engagement within an attachment aperture in said boss section of said one lever.
- 10. The hand tool of claim 7 wherein said tool rotating member comprises a knob coupled with one of levers, wherein said one element is an arcuate aperture formed in the one lever for engagement with the other element, and the other element is a driving post coupled through the knob, the other lever and the arcuate aperture.
- 11. A retaining ring plier selectively for use with either internal or external rings comprising:
- (a) a pair of operating levers;
- (b) each of said levers including a jaw portion and a handle portion and a boss portion intermediate said jaw and handle portions;
- (c) a rotatable driving means including a knob having a handle portion, an engagement portion, and a base portion;
- (d) said engagement portion having a channel-like groove for rotation limiting engagement with a guide means projecting from the boss portion of one of said levers;
- (e) the other of the levers including a driving aperture having walls in sliding engagement with said knob engagement portion
- (f) said levers having a first plier operating position to provide an internal retaining ring plier wherein the levers are crossed; and
- (g) said one lever being pivotably connected to the engagement portion and being movable relative to said other lever upon operation of said driving means by rotation of said handle portion to move said engagement portion with respect to said driving aperture to cause movement from the first to a second plier operating position to provide an external retaining ring plier wherein the levers are in a side by side orientation.
- 12. The plier of claim 11 wherein said other lever has a notch in said boss section for engagement with a latch member pivotally connected to said handle section of said one lever for maintaining said plier in a closed position upon engagement of said member with a spring interposed between the levers and the adjacent latch member.
- 13. The plier of claim 11 wherein the groove extends at least 180.degree..
- 14. An apparatus for installing or removing internal or external retaining rings or the like comprising:
- (a) first and second operating levers;
- (b) said levers having jaw portions, each including a tip for engagement with retaining rings;
- (c) said levers further including handle portions and boss sections between said jaw and handle portions;
- (d) an actuating knob for rotating said tool between internal and external operating positions, the knob including a handle portion, a driving engagement portion, a base portion and a travel limiting portion having a channel-like groove;
- (e) the boss section of one of said levers having walls defining a driving aperture for rotating engagement with said driving engagement portion;
- (f) said boss section of the other of said levers being pivotably interconnected with said actuating knob and a guide means projecting from said one lever boss section for rotational guiding and stopping engagement with said groove; and
- (g) said other lever being movable relative to said one lever, whereby in the internal operating position said other lever jaw portion is positioned to one side of said pivotal interconnection and upon selective rotation of said knob, said guide means is rotatively guided along said groove into stopping engagement therewith, thereby locating said other lever jaw portion to the other side of said interconnection for operation in the external position.
- 15. A reversible snap ring tool comprising:
- (a) a pair of levers each including a handle portion, a jaw portion and a boss portion fixedly interconnecting the handle and jaw portions;
- (b) each of the jaw portions including a forwardly projecting ring engaging tip;
- (c) a pivot normally interconnecting the levers in relatively movable and slidable, while substantially fixed axially of the pivot, relationship;
- (d) the tool including a work position selection means to permit the shifting of the levers in a sliding relative motion as the boss portions are maintained in juxtaposed, slidable relationship by the pivot, the motion including relative longitudinal movement between a crossed internal ring position and a side by side external ring position;
- (e) the work position selection means including a position locating means for retaining the levers in at least one of the working positions when the tool is in use, the locating means being constructed such that when the tool is used in said at least one of the working positions reaction forces occasioned by a work operation apply a position retention force to the locating means and when in the other of the working positions the selection means overcomes reaction forces tending to move the levers from the working position; and,
- (f) the tips being canted toward one another in a forward direction when the levers are in the internal ring position and away from one another when in the external ring position whereby to facilitate the tips retentively gripping either an internal or an external ring.
- 16. The tool of claim 15 wherein while the levers are normally interconnected they are nonetheless separable for repair of the tool.
- 17. The tool of claim 15 wherein the pivot is connected to one of the levers and the other of the levers includes a crescent shaped slot comprising at least a portion of the work position means and wherein the slot has internal and external position pivot engageable surfaces for selective engagement with the pivot to provide said locating means.
- 18. A reversible snap ring tool comprising:
- (a) a pair of levers each including a handle portion, a jaw portion and a boss portion fixedly interconnecting the handle and jaw portions;
- (b) each of the jaw portions including a forwardly projecting ring engaging tip;
- (c) a pivot normally interconnecting the levers in relatively movable and slidable, while substantially fixed axially of the pivot, relationship,
- the pivot being connected to one of the levers;
- (d) the tool including a work position selection means to permit the shifting of the levers in a sliding relative motion as the boss portions are maintained in juxtaposed, slidable relationship by the pivot, the motion including relative longitudinal movement between a crossed internal ring position and a side by side external ring position;
- (e) the work position selection means including a position locating means for retaining the levers in at least one of the working positions when the tool is in use, the locating means being constructed such that when the tool is used in said at least one of the working positions reaction forces occasioned by a work operation apply a position retention force to the locating means and when in the other of the working positions the selection means overcomes reaction forces tending to move the levers from the working position;
- (f) the tips being canted toward one another in a forward direction when the levers are in the internal ring position and away from one another when in the external ring position whereby to facilitate the tips retentively gripping either an internal or an external ring; and,
- (g) the position selection means being an eccentric rotatably mounted on the pivot and lever surfaces complemental with the eccentric.
- 19. A convertible snap ring plier tool comprising:
- (a) a pair of levers each including jaw and handle portions interconnected by a boss portion;
- (b) each of the jaw portions including a tip adapted to engage a snap ring;
- (c) one of the boss portions including walls defining a circular aperture;
- (d) a knob including a circular portion complementally disposed in the aperture;
- (e) a pivot eccentrically interconnecting the knob and the other of the boss portions;
- (f) the knob also including lever connection maintenance structure overlying at least a part of the one boss portion with the one boss portion interposed between the structure and the other boss portion to maintain the levers in an interconnected condition; and,
- (g) the knob being rotatable to cause relative lever movement between internal and external ring orientations wherein the tips are canted respectively toward and outward from one another in a direction away from the boss portions.
- 20. The plier tool of claim 19 wherein the lever connection maintenance structure comprises a circular flange axially aligned with the circular portion.
- 21. The plier tool of claim 19 including a relationship establishing orientation means.
- 22. The tool of claim 21 wherein the orientation means comprises a pin projecting from one of said levers into a groove on a selected one of said lever and knob and the internal and external relationships are respectively established by coaction of the pin and the ends of the groove.
- 23. The tool of claim 21 wherein the orientation means comprises said one boss portion having a selected one of a projecting pin and a groove and a selected one of the knob and said other boss portion having the remaining one of the said pin and said groove.
- 24. A snap ring plier tool comprising:
- (a) first and second levers each including jaw and handle portions fixedly interconnected by a boss;
- (b) pivot means interconnecting the bosses in juxtaposed but relatively slidable relationship;
- (c) the levers having an internal ring manipulating position wherein the levers are in a crossed relationship;
- (d) the levers having an external ring manipulation position wherein the levers are in a side by side relationship;
- (e) the tool including position locating and guiding means for controllably permitting the levers to be shifted between the two mentioned positions while the bosses are maintained in said juxtaposed but relatively slidable relationship by said first means;
- (f) the tool being constructed such that reaction forces occasioned by use of the tool when in one of the positions tend to maintain the tool in said one position and reaction forces occasioned by use of the tool when in the other of the positions tend to move the tool out of the other position;
- (g) said position locating and guiding means including structure to overcome such reaction forces occasioned by use in said other position and to maintain the tool in said other position when in use; and,
- (h) said jaw portions including non-symmetrical tip parts whereby to permit one tip part to pass by the other as the levers are moved from a first of the positions to a second of the positions and as the levers are moved from the second position to the first.
- 25. A convertible snap ring plier tool comprising:
- (a) a pair of unitary levers each having interconnected handle, boss and tip portions;
- (b) a control knob eccentrically interconnecting the boss portions and pivotably connected to one of the boss portions;
- (c) the knob and the one boss portion having interacting pin and groove means for coacting with the pivot upon rotation of the knob;
- (i) in one direction to shift the levers from an internal ring position wherein the levers are crossed to an external ring position wherein the levers are side by side;
- (ii) in the other direction to shift the levers from the external position to the internal position; and
- (d) said tip portions being configured such that on movement of the levers from one position to the other and from the other to the one position ring engagement tip parts pass by one another as the boss portions are maintained in sliding relationship.
- 26. The plier of claim 25 wherein a biasing means is operably connected to the boss portions to maintain them in sliding relationship.
- 27. The plier of claim 25 wherein the groove extends at least 180.degree..
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of co-pending application Ser. No. 07/182,016 filed on 4/29/88, which is a continuation in part of Ser. No. 07/046,851 filed on May 7, 1987, both now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2364509 |
Apr 1974 |
DEX |
1334877 |
Oct 1973 |
GBX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
182016 |
Apr 1988 |
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
46851 |
May 1987 |
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