Patent Application
20110296669
The present invention relates to a comprehensive system, method, and apparatus for marking tools, and other objects, to be able to quickly identify the nearest size tool, or other object, regardless of the standard a tool, or other object, is manufactured according to.
In today's world, there are two primary standards for fasteners and tools, SAE and metric. To a lesser degree the British Whitworth standard is still used. In our global economy, multi-national companies often manufacture cars, trucks, boats, construction equipment, agricultural equipment, machinery, etc, using both SAE and metric standard sized fasteners on the same machine or object. This situation forces users, mechanics, repair personnel, etc to own, or have access to both SAE and metric tool sets. When two standards are predominate, such as SAE and metric, and in mixed use, much time can be wasted searching for the right tool to loosen or tighten a fastener. There have been many patents filed that attempt to address identifying tools whether they are manufactured according to the SAE, metric, or other standard.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,627, to Ken A. Johnson, describes a convoluted color system for use in identifying SAE and metric tools. This invention is not a universal marking system. It is instead based on ten different colors being used in combination to more easily identify tools within a standard, not across standards. What is needed is a unified marking system for identifying tools across various size standards.
US Patent Application 2008/0196562, to Elliston, et al, describes a system for use in identifying nut driver tools. This invention is not a universal marking system, but rather provides for marking the side of the handle, or the shaft with the size of the nut driver tool. What is needed is a unified marking system for identifying tools across various size standards.
US Patent Application 2001/0050477, to Andrew M. Hiller, describes a convoluted multi-tiered color system for use'in identifying SAE and metric tools. This invention is not a universal marking system and is based on ten different colors being used in combination to more easily identify tools within a standard, not across standards. What is needed is a unified marking system for identifying tools across various size standards.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,792,831, to Larry G. Crosser, describes a convoluted color system for use in identifying SAE and metric tools. This invention is not a universal marking system, it is based on ten different colors being used in combination to more easily identify tools within a standard, not across standards. What is needed is a unified marking system for identifying tools across various size standards.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,393,950, to, Larry G. Crosser, describes a convoluted color system for use in identifying SAE and metric tools. This invention is not a universal marking system, but instead is based on ten different colors being used in combination to more easily identify tools within a standard, not across standards. What is needed is a unified marking system for identifying tools across various size standards.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,227, to Arthur C. Vogel, describes a convoluted color system for use in identifying SAE and metric tools. This invention is not a universal marking system and is based on ten different colors being used in combination to more easily identify tools within a standard, not across standards. What is needed is a unified marking system for identifying tools across various size standards.
What is needed is a unified system, method, and apparatus that employs the use of sequential markings, or relative size markings in order to quickly determine the nearest size tool, or other object, regardless of the standard a tool, or other object, is manufactured to.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a unified system, method, and apparatus to solve the problem of identifying the relative size of a tool regardless of the standard it has been manufactured to.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a unified system, method, and apparatus to solve the problem of identifying the size of a tool with sequential marks regardless of the standard it has been manufactured to.
It is an object of the present invention to use a unified marking system that uses sequential numbers to identify tools in a combination SAE and metric set from smallest to largest.
It is an object of the present invention to use a unified marking system that uses numbers that suggest relative size to identify tools in a combination SAE and metric set from smallest to largest.
It is an object of the present invention to use a unified marking system to mark open end wrenches.
It is an object of the present invention to use a unified marking system to mark box end wrenches.
It is an object of the present invention to use a unified marking system to mark combination open end-box end wrenches.
It is an object of the present invention to use a unified marking system to mark sockets.
It is an object of the present invention to use a unified marking system to mark fasteners.
It is an object of the present invention to use a unified marking system to mark fastener bins.
It is an object of the present invention to use a unified marking system to mark wrenches which include on one end an SAE standard tool, and on the other end a metric standard tool.
It is an object of the present invention to use a unified marking system to mark offset wrenches.
It is an object of the present invention to use a unified marking system to mark adjustable end wrenches to indicate the range of the jaws.
It is an object of the present invention to use a unified marking system to mark pipe wrenches to indicate the range of the jaws.
It is an object of the present invention to use a unified marking system to mark monkey wrenches to indicate the range of the jaws.
It is an object of the present invention to use a unified marking system to mark ratcheting box wrenches.
It is an object of the present invention to use a unified marking system to mark vise grips to indicate the range of the jaws.
It is an object of the present invention to use a unified marking system to mark nut drivers.
It is an object of the present invention to use a unified marking system to mark wrenches for use with internal sockets.
It is an object of the present invention to use a unified marking system to mark tools in conjunction with color to indicate whether a tool is SAE or metric.
It is an object of the present invention to use a unified marking system to mark tools in conjunction with a textured surface to indicate whether a tool is SAE or metric.
It is an object of the present invention to use a unified marking system to mark tools in conjunction with color, and a textured surface to indicate whether a tool is SAE or metric.
It is an object of the present invention to use a unified marking system that includes the letter “m” or “M” to mark tools that are metric.
It is an object of the present invention to embed or attached RFID tags to tools that are marked with the unified marking system.
It is an object of the present invention to embed or attached RFID tags to tools that are not marked with the unified marking system.
It is an object of the present invention to attach bar coded tags to tools that are marked with the unified marking system.
It is an object of the present invention to attach bar coded tags to tools that are not marked with the unified marking system.
It is an object of the present invention to use the EPCglobal standard for identification for RFID tags or bar coded tags that are marked with the unified marking system.
It is an object of the present invention to mark a tool with the unified marking system during the manufacturing process.
It is an object of the present invention to mark a tool with the unified marking system after the manufacturing process with an engraving tool.
It is an object of the present invention to mark a tool with the unified marking system after the manufacturing process with a stamping tool.
It is an object of the present invention to mark a tool with the unified marking system after the manufacturing process with a laser.
It is an object of the present invention for the digital readout on a caliper to readout a measurement using the unified marking system of the present invention.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a linear measurement device that is graduated using the unified marking system of the present invention.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a linear measurement device that is graduated using the unified marking system of the present invention that is stamped or engraved into a tool.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a chart that includes SAE, metric, and the corresponding unified marking system sequential indicia.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a chart that includes SAE, metric, and the corresponding unified marking system relative size marking.
It is an object of the present invention to provide sequential markings that are numbers.
It is an object of the present invention to provide sequential markings that are letters.
It is an object of the present invention to provide relative size markings that are numbers.
It is an object of the present invention to provide relative size markings that are letters.
The preset invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a new and improved, unified method for marking fasteners and tools, such as, but not limited to open end wrenches, box end wrenches, combination wrenches, wrenches with a socket on one end, sockets, etc. The present invention for marking tools, allows a user to quickly determine the size of tools in mixed sets, which are manufactured according to more than one standard, such as, but not limited to, SAE, metric, Whitworth, etc.
In the primary embodiment of the present invention, a unified marking system for tool sets that include tools manufactured according to the SAE and metric standards, which are further identified using the present invention to sequentially number a combined SAE-metric tool set to indicate the sequential size of each wrench end, socket, etc, from smallest to largest.
In the secondary embodiment of the present invention, a unified marking system for tool sets that include tools manufactured according to the SAE and metric standards, which are further identified using the present invention to mark a combined SAE-metric tool set to indicate the relative size of each wrench end, socket, etc, from smallest to largest.
In a third embodiment of the present invention, a unified marking system for tool sets that include tools manufactured according to the SAE and metric standards, which are further identified using the present invention to sequentially lettered a combined SAE-metric tool set to indicate the sequential size of each wrench end, socket, etc, from smallest to largest.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a unified marking system for tool sets that include tools manufactured according to the SAE, metric, and Whitworth standards, which are further identified using the present invention to mark a combined SAE-metric-Whitworth tool set to indicate the sequential size of each wrench end, socket, etc, from smallest to largest.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a unified marking system for tool sets that include tools manufactured according to the SAE, metric, and Whitworth standards, which are further identified using the present invention to mark a combined SAE-metric-Whitworth tool set to indicate the relative size of each wrench end, socket, etc, from smallest to largest.
The various embodiments of the present invention can be combined with one or more features to further enhance utility for a user, such as but not limited to, color, texture, etc.
In addition, the present invention's unified marking system can be applied to fasteners such as, but not limited to, screws, nuts, and bolts.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent for tools manufactured according to different standards currently in use in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved unified marking system, which will be described subsequently in great detail, to provide a new and improved unified marking system for tools which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or implied by the prior art, either alone or in any combination thereof.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution of the art may be better appreciated.
Numerous objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading of the following detailed description of presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In this respect, before explaining the current embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The preset invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a new and improved, unified method for marking fasteners and tools, such as, but not limited to open end wrenches, box end wrenches, combination wrenches, wrenches with a socket on one end, sockets, etc. The present invention for marking tools, allows a user to quickly determine the size of tools in mixed sets, which are manufactured according to more than one standard, such as, but not limited to, SAE, metric, Whitworth, etc.
In the primary embodiment of the present invention, a unified marking system for tool sets that include tools manufactured according to the SAE and metric standards, which are further identified using the present invention, to sequentially number a combined SAE-metric tool set to indicate the sequential size of each wrench end, socket, etc, from smallest to largest.
In the secondary embodiment of the present invention, a unified marking system for tool sets that include tools manufactured according to the SAE and metric standards, which are further identified using the present invention to mark a combined SAE-metric tool set to indicate the relative size of each wrench end, socket, etc, from smallest to largest.
In a third embodiment of the present invention, a unified marking system for tool sets that include tools manufactured according to the SAE and metric standards, which are further identified using the present invention to sequentially letter a combined SAE-metric tool set to indicate the sequential size of each wrench end, socket, etc, from smallest to largest.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a unified marking system for tool sets that include tools manufactured according to the SAE, metric, and Whitworth standards, which are further identified using the present invention to mark a combined SAE-metric-Whitworth tool set to indicate the sequential size of each wrench end, socket, etc, from smallest to largest.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a unified marking system for tool sets that include tools manufactured according to the SAE, metric, and Whitworth standards, which are further identified using the present invention to mark a combined SAE-metric-Whitworth tool set to indicate the relative size of each wrench end, socket, etc, from smallest to largest.
The various embodiments of the present invention can be combined with one or more features to further enhance utility for a user, such as but not limited to, color, texture, etc.
In addition, the present invention's unified marking system can be applied to fasteners such as, but not limited to, screws, nuts, bolts
The following patents, or patent applications, include a means for measurement that can be incorporated as a useful feature for use in conjunction with the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,013,763, to Chih-Ching Hseln, includes a means for measurement, and is hereby incorporated by reference.
US Patent Application 2010/0077553, James D. Davidson, includes a means for measurement, and is hereby incorporated by reference.
US Patent Application, 2007/0157484, to Michael J. Grubler, includes a means for measurement, and is hereby incorporated by reference.
US Patent Application 2007/0051211, Stewart et al, includes a means for measurement, and is hereby incorporated by reference.
Chart 1 illustrates one method of the present invention's unified marking system for SAE and metric standard tools. Chart 1 illustrates a sequential marking system that ranks SAE and metric tools from smallest to largest.
One method of using the unified marking system indicia in Chart 1 is illustrated in
A user working on a machine, object, etc, could easily conclude which wrench, is the nearest size up or down, from the wrench they incorrectly chose when trying to size the right wrench to a fastener, regardless of whether the fastener is sized according to an SAE or metric standard.
Chart 2 illustrates one method of the present invention's unified marking system for SAE and metric standard tools. Chart 2 illustrates a sequential marking system that ranks SAE and metric tools from smallest to largest. Chart 2 also includes a letter “m” added to the sequential indicia to indicate whether the tool is sized for the metric system.
One method of using the unified marking system indicia in Chart 2 is illustrated in
A user working on a machine, object, etc, could easily conclude which wrench, is the nearest size up or down, from the wrench they incorrectly chose when trying to size the right wrench to a fastener, regardless of whether the fastener is sized according to an SAE or metric standard.
Chart 3 illustrates one method of the present invention's unified marking system for SAE and metric standard tools. Chart 3 illustrates a sequential marking system that ranks SAE and metric tools from smallest to largest. Chart 3 also includes a two color code to indicate whether the tool is sized for the SAE or metric system. As an example in
One method of using the unified marking system indicia in Chart 3 is illustrated in
A user working on a machine, object, etc, could easily conclude which wrench, is the nearest size up or down, from the wrench they incorrectly chose when trying to size the right wrench to a fastener, regardless of whether the fastener is sized according to an SAE or metric standard.
Chart 4 illustrates one method of the present invention's unified marking system for SAE and metric standard tools. Chart 4 illustrates a sequential marking system that ranks SAE and metric tools from smallest to largest. Chart 4 also includes a two color code to indicate whether the tool is sized for the SAE or metric system. As an example in
One method of using the unified marking system indicia in Chart 4 is illustrated in
A user working on a machine, object, etc, could easily conclude which wrench, is the nearest size up or down, from the wrench they incorrectly chose when trying to size the right wrench to a fastener, regardless of whether the fastener is sized according to an SAE or metric standard.
Chart 5 illustrates one method of the present invention's unified marking system for SAE and metric standard tools. As an example, Chart 5 illustrates a relative size marking system that ranks SAE and metric tools from smallest to largest. The chart also illustrates the relative size markings in millimeters times 10 (rounded off to the nearest millimeter).
One method of using the unified marking system indicia in Chart 5 is illustrated in
A user working on a machine, object, etc, could easily conclude which wrench, is the nearest size up or down, from the wrench they incorrectly chose when trying to size the right wrench to a fastener, regardless of whether the fastener is sized according to an SAE or metric standard.
Chart 6 illustrates one method of the present invention's unified marking system for SAE and metric standard tools. Chart 6 illustrates a relative size marking system that ranks SAE and metric tools from smallest to largest. Chart 6 also includes a letter “m” added to the sequential indicia to indicate whether the tool is sized for the metric system. The chart also illustrates the relative size markings in millimeters times 10 (rounded off to the nearest millimeter).
One method of using the unified marking system indicia in Chart 6 is illustrated in
A user working on a machine, object, etc, could easily conclude which wrench, is the nearest size up or down, from the wrench they incorrectly chose when trying to size the right wrench to a fastener, regardless of whether the fastener is sized according to an SAE or metric standard.
Chart 7 illustrates one method of the present invention's unified marking system for SAE and metric standard tools. Chart 7 illustrates a relative size marking system that ranks SAE and metric tools from smallest to largest. The chart also illustrates the relative size markings in millimeters times 10 (rounded off to the nearest millimeter). Chart 7 also includes a two color code to indicate whether the tool is sized for the SAE or metric system. As an example in
One method of using the unified marking system indicia in Chart 7 is illustrated in
A user working on a machine, object, etc, could easily conclude which wrench, is the nearest size up or down, from the wrench they incorrectly chose when trying to size the right wrench to a fastener, regardless of whether the fastener is sized according to an SAE or metric standard.
Chart 8 illustrates one method of the present invention's unified marking system for SAE and metric standard tools. Chart 8 illustrates a relative size marking system that ranks SAE and metric tools from smallest to largest. Chart 8 also includes a two color code to indicate whether the tool is sized for the SAE or metric system. As an example in
One method of using the unified marking system indicia in Chart 8 is illustrated in
A user working on a machine, object, etc, could easily conclude which wrench, is the nearest size up or down, from the wrench they incorrectly chose when trying to size the right wrench to a fastener, regardless of whether the fastener is sized according to an SAE or metric standard.
One method of using the unified marking system indicia in Chart 9 is illustrated in
A user working on a machine, object, etc, could easily conclude which wrench, is the nearest size up or down, from the wrench they incorrectly chose when trying to size the right wrench to a fastener, regardless of whether the fastener is sized according to an SAE or metric standard.
Chart 10 illustrates one method of the present invention's unified marking system for SAE and metric standard tools. Chart 10 illustrates a sequential marking system that ranks SAE and metric tools from smallest to largest. Chart 10 also includes a letter “m” added to the sequential indicia to indicate whether the tool is sized for the metric system.
One method of using the unified marking system indicia in Chart 10 is illustrated in
A user working on a machine, object, etc, could easily conclude which wrench, is the nearest size up or down, from the wrench they incorrectly chose when trying to size the right wrench to a fastener, regardless of whether the fastener is sized according to an SAE or metric standard.
Chart 11 illustrates one method of the present invention's unified marking system for SAE and metric standard tools. Chart 11 illustrates a sequential marking system that ranks SAE and metric tools from smallest to largest. Chart 11 also includes a two color code to indicate whether the tool is sized for the SAE or metric system. As an example, in
One method of using the unified marking system indicia in Chart 11 is illustrated in
A user working on a machine, object, etc, could easily conclude which wrench, is the nearest size up or down, from the wrench they incorrectly chose when trying to size the right wrench to a fastener, regardless of whether the fastener is sized according to an SAE or metric standard.
Chart 12 illustrates one method of the present invention's unified marking system for SAE and metric standard tools. Chart 12 illustrates a sequential marking system that ranks SAE and metric tools from smallest to largest. Chart 12 also includes a two color code to indicate whether the tool is sized for the SAE or metric system. As an example in
One method of using the unified marking system indicia in Chart 12 is illustrated in
A user working on a machine, object, etc, could easily conclude which wrench, is the nearest size up or down, from the wrench they incorrectly chose when trying to size the right wrench to a fastener, regardless of whether the fastener is sized according to an SAE or metric standard.
Chart 13 illustrates one method of the present invention's unified marking system for SAE and metric standard tools. Chart 13 illustrates a relative size marking system that ranks SAE, metric, and Whitworth tools from smallest to largest.
One method of using the unified marking system indicia in Chart 13 is illustrated in
A user working on a machine, object, etc, could easily conclude which wrench, is the nearest size up or down, from the wrench they incorrectly chose when trying to size the right wrench to a fastener, regardless of whether the fastener is sized according to an SAE or metric standard.
Chart 14 illustrates one method of the present invention's unified marking system for SAE and metric standard tools. As an example, Chart 14 illustrates a relative size marking system that ranks SAE and metric tools from smallest to largest. The chart also illustrates the relative size markings in decimal millimeters.
One method of using the unified marking system indicia in Chart 14 is illustrated in
A user working on a machine, object, etc, could easily conclude which wrench, is the nearest size up or down, from the wrench they incorrectly chose when trying to size the right wrench to a fastener, regardless of whether the fastener is sized according to an SAE or metric standard.
Chart 15 illustrates one method of the present invention's unified marking system for SAE and metric standard tools. Chart 15 illustrates a relative size marking system that ranks SAE and metric tools from smallest to largest. Chart 15 also includes a letter “m” added to the sequential indicia to indicate whether the tool is sized for the metric system. The chart also illustrates the relative size markings in decimal millimeters. millimeter).
One method of using the unified marking system indicia in Chart 15 is illustrated in
A user working on a machine, object, etc, could easily conclude which wrench, is the nearest size up or down, from the wrench they incorrectly chose when trying to size the right wrench to a fastener, regardless of whether the fastener is sized according to an SAE or metric standard.
Chart 16 illustrates one method of the present invention's unified marking system for SAE and metric standard tools. Chart 16 illustrates a relative size marking system that ranks SAE and metric tools from smallest to largest. The chart also illustrates the relative size markings in decimal millimeters. Chart 16 also includes a two color code to indicate whether the tool is sized for the SAE or metric system. As an example in
One method of using the unified marking system indicia in Chart 16 is illustrated in
A user working on a machine, object, etc, could easily conclude which wrench, is the nearest size up or down, from the wrench they incorrectly chose when trying to size the right wrench to a fastener, regardless of whether the fastener is sized according to an SAE or metric standard.
Chart 17 illustrates one method of the present invention's unified marking system for SAE and metric standard tools. Chart 17 illustrates a relative size marking system that ranks SAE and metric tools from smallest to largest. Chart 17 also includes a two color code to indicate whether the tool is sized for the SAE or metric system. As an example in
One method of using the unified marking system indicia in Chart 17 is illustrated in
A user working on a machine, object, etc, could easily conclude which wrench, is the nearest size up or down, from the wrench they incorrectly chose when trying to size the right wrench to a fastener, regardless of whether the fastener is sized according to an SAE or metric standard.
Each of the
The present invention's unified marking system can be applied to tools such as, but not limited to, open end wrenches, box end wrenches, combination open end-box end wrenches, wrenches with a socket on one end, sockets, wrenches which include a SAE standard tool on one end, and a metric standard tool on the other end, offset wrenches, adjustable end wrenches to indicate the range of the jaws, pipe wrenches to indicate the range of the jaws, monkey wrenches to indicate the range of the jaws, ratcheting box wrenches, vise grips to indicate the range of the jaws, nut drivers, wrenches for use with internal sockets, etc.
The present invention can also be used as a unified marking system to mark fasteners, fastener bins, etc.
The present invention for a unified marking system can be used in conjunction with RFID tags that are embedded, or attached to a tool, fastener, etc.
The present invention for a unified marking system can be used in conjunction with bar code tags that are attached to a tool, fastener, etc.
These RFID tags and bar codes can be created according to EPCglobal standard for identification for RFID, or bar codes.
The present invention may be applied during the manufacturing process as part of an operation, such as, but not limited to, forging, or pressing.
The present invention may be applied after the manufacturing process as part of an operation, such as, but not limited to, stamping, or engraving.
The present invention may be applied to a measurement device, such as a caliper with a digital readout, or a linear scale on a device such as, but not limited to, a ruler, the side of a wrench, etc.
It will therefore be readily understood by those persons skilled in the art that the present invention is susceptible of broad utility and application. Many embodiments and adaptations of the present invention other than those herein described, as well as many variations, modifications and equivalent arrangements, will be apparent from or reasonably suggested by the present invention and the foregoing description thereof, without departing from the substance or scope of the present invention. Accordingly, while the present invention has been described herein in detail in relation to a particular embodiment, it is to be understood that this disclosure is only illustrative and exemplary of the present invention and is made merely for purposes of providing a full and enabling disclosure of the invention. The foregoing disclosure is not intended or to be construed to limit the present invention or otherwise to exclude any such other embodiments, adaptations, variations, modifications and equivalent arrangements.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/396,979 filed Jun. 4, 2010 which is entitled TOOL MARKING SYSTEM and is herein incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61396979 | Jun 2010 | US |
