This invention relates to tools, and specifically to hammers and other impact tools.
Hand tools such as hammers and prybars have existed for many years. Some such tools have incorporated an elongated shaft with a sliding weight to assist the tool in producing the desired working force. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,188 shows a roofing remover having a weighted sliding sleeve which contacts an abutment collar to impart a driving force upon the head. These tools however have not been designed to both drive nails and later pry them with the assistance of an ancillary weight.
Accordingly, it is seen that a need remains for a tool that enables one to easily drive and remove nails or other objects with the use of a sliding weight. It is to the provision of such therefore that the present invention is primarily directed.
In a preferred form of the invention a tool comprises an elongated handle having a longitudinal axis, and a hammer head having an impact head with an impact surface. The hammer head is moveable between a first position wherein the impact head is aligned generally perpendicular to the elongated handle longitudinal axis and the impact surface aligned generally parallel with the elongated handle longitudinal axis and a second position wherein the impact head is aligned generally parallel to the elongated handle longitudinal axis and the impact surface aligned generally perpendicular to the elongated handle longitudinal axis. With this construction, with the hammer head impact head in its first position the tool may be used by swinging the tool in the fashion of a hammer, and with the hammer head impact head in its second position the tool may be used by moving or impacting the tool longitudinally along the handle longitudinal axis.
With reference next to the drawings, there is shown a tool 10 embodying principles of the invention in a preferred form. The tool 10 includes an elongated shaft 11 having a handle 12 mounted at one end, a working implement 14 mounted to an opposite end, and a sliding weight 16 journalled upon the shaft 11 for movement between the handle 12 and working implement 14.
The handle 12 includes a grip 18 comprised of two halves 19 configured to be mounted together with the end of the shaft 11 sandwiched between them. Each half 19 has a set of two mounting holes 20 which are aligned with two mounting holes 21 extending through the shaft 11 adjacent the end. A mounting bolt 22 extends through each of the grip mounting holes 20 and shaft mounting hole 21 to fix the grip 18 to the shaft 11. The handle 12 also includes a metal handle bumper or stop 24. The stop 24 has two flanges 25 each having two mounting holes 26 therein which are alignable with two additional mounting holes 27 within the shaft 11. Again, a mounting bolt 28 extends through each stop mounting hole 26 and shaft mounting hole 27 to fix the stop 24 to the shaft 11.
The sliding weight 16 includes a hand gripping portion 31, a handle abutment 32, and a working implement abutment 33. The weight 16 also includes a braking system 34 which enables the weight 16 to be locked in place. As best shown in
The working implement 14 is shown in the form of a hammer 40. The hammer 40 includes a handle or handle portion 41 which is mounted to the end of the shaft 11 and a head or head portion 42. The handle 41 has a longitudinal axis LA. The handle 41 has a weight stop 43 and a head mounting end 44 having two spaced apart flanges 45. Each flange 45 has a central pivot hole 46 and a pull or set pin hole 47. The head 42 has a central mounting portion 49, a prying claw 50, and an impact head 51 with an impact surface 52. The central mounting portion 49 includes a central pivot hole 53, which is alignable with the handle flange central pivot hole 46, and an arcuate series of set pin holes 54, which are alignable with the handle flange set pin holes 47. A pivot pin 56 extends through the handle flange central pivot holes 46 and head central portion pivot hole 53. A removable set or pull pin removably extends through the handle flange set pin holes 47 and any one of the set of head set pin holes 54, depending upon the desired positioning of the head.
The working implement 14 may be designed to be removably mounted or coupled to the shaft so that different implements may be utilized. As such, the working implement handle may include a central, longitudinal mounting hole 59 extending inwardly from the end of the handle 41. The mounting hole 59 may include two oppositely disposed channels 60, which allow the passage of two protrusions 61 extending from the shaft 11 adjacent the end, and a pair of locking notches 62 offset from the channels 60. The protrusions 61 can nest within the notches 62 to lock the handle 41 to the shaft 11 by rotating the handle relative to the shaft and having the protrusions positioned within the notches 62. The protrusions 61 are maintained within the notches through the assistance of an internal spring 63 positioned within the handle and pushing against the shaft.
In use, the head portion 42 is rotatable between a first position and a second position. In the first position (a conventional hammer head position), the impact head is oriented generally normal, perpendicular or laterally to the shaft 11 and handle 41 so that the impact surface is generally parallel to the shaft 11 and handle 41, as shown in
With the head 42 in its first position (conventional position with the impact surface oriented generally parallel to the shaft), the tool may be used in conventional fashion to drive nails or impact upon an object by moving the tool laterally. The pry claw 50 may also be used in a conventional fashion, however, the weight 16 may be quickly slid upon the shaft 11 and impacted upon the handle stop 43 to exert an additional pulling force on the object being pried upon with the claw.
The head 42 may also be moved to its second position, shown in
The braking system 34 may be employed to lock the position of the sliding weight 16 relative to the shaft 11. This locking prevents the weight 16 from sliding back and forth along the shaft 11 during transportation or storage of the tool. With the braking system locking bar 35 moved to an unlocked position the shaft 11 is positioned below the raised surface 37 so that the locking bar 35 does not contact the shaft 11, thereby allowing free movement of the sliding weight 16. To lock the weight in place, the locking bar 35 is moved to a locked position with the shaft 11 positioned below the lowered surface 38 so that the locking bar 35 frictionally contacts the shaft 11, thereby restricting or preventing relative movement of the sliding weight 16 along the shaft 11.
It should be understood that the terms parallel, perpendicular, normal, lateral, longitudinal and the like are not intended to represent exact degrees of relativity between objects and are intended to represent the general orientation due to variations in handle shapes, exact orientations of relative components, and the like.
It should be understood that the working implement may be of any variety, such as hatchets, prybars and prying tools, other types of hammers, and the like.
It should also be understood that the handle 41 may be configured with only one flange 45, however, it is believed that two flanges 45 are preferred to provide better strength between the handle and head. Also, the set holes 47 and 54 may be reversed so that the handle flanges include a series of set holes and the head flange includes one or more set holes.
It thus is seen that a tool having a pivotal head is now provided which overcomes problems with those of the prior art. While this invention has been described in detail with particular references to the preferred embodiments thereof, it should be understood that many modifications, additions and deletions, in addition to those expressly recited, may be made thereto without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Applicant claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/083,329 filed Jul. 24, 2008.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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61083329 | Jul 2008 | US |