U.S. patent number 3,592,086 [Application Number 04/793,972] was granted by the patent office on 1971-07-13 for tool handle structure.
Invention is credited to Louis A. Derwin.
United States Patent |
3,592,086 |
Derwin |
July 13, 1971 |
TOOL HANDLE STRUCTURE
Abstract
A tool handle for an L-shaped Allan Wrench or the like
comprising a tubular structure for receiving one leg of the wrench
and having an opening intermediate its ends for passing the other
leg of the wrench therethrough. Several embodiments comprise a
tubular structure which has upper and lower interlocked portions
which are separable lengthwise to permit insertion and withdrawal
of the tool and which snugly embrace and pocket one leg of the
tool.
Inventors: |
Derwin; Louis A. (Downers
Grove, IL) |
Family
ID: |
25161297 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/793,972 |
Filed: |
January 27, 1969 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
81/177.2;
74/544 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B25G
1/105 (20130101); B25B 23/16 (20130101); Y10T
74/20738 (20150115) |
Current International
Class: |
B25G
1/10 (20060101); B25B 23/16 (20060101); B25B
23/00 (20060101); B25G 1/00 (20060101); B25b
013/00 (); B25g 001/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;81/177.1,177.2,177.4,177.5,177.5F ;74/543 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Jones, Jr.; James L.
Claims
I claim:
1. A handle for use with an L-shaped tool having a pair of
angularly related legs, said handle comprising a tubular element
having a wall with a transverse aperture intermediate its ends
dimensioned only slightly larger than one leg of the tool for
admitting said one leg therethrough transverse to the handle and
said wall defining a trough admitting the other leg therein, said
wall having spaced edges defining a tool ingress and egress gap
angularly displaced from the aperture, and means comprising at
least a portion of said wall opposite the aperture closely
confining the other leg and providing the sole means for locking
the tool via said other leg to the handle to prevent withdrawal of
the tool transversely of the other leg, and the peripheral edge of
the aperture preventing movement of the tool lengthwise of the
handle, said gap adapted to be opened to permit separation of the
tool from the handle and closed to retain the tool in the
handle.
2. A handle according to claim 1 and said element comprising a base
portion with said aperture and said confining means comprising a
locking portion diametrically opposite said aperture, and means
releasably interlocking said locking portion with the base
portion.
3. The invention according to claim 1 and said element being of one
piece and being made of inherently resilient metal and said wall
having arcuate bottom and side segments sphincterally embracing a
tool portion therebetween, said side portions being springable
apart to enlarge the gap to permit ingress and egress of the
tool.
4. The invention according to claim 1 and said wall of the element
being generally cylindrical.
5. The invention according to claim 4 and said wall having edge
portions at opposite sides of the gap, and a locking member arcuate
in cross section disposed within the tubular element and bridging
the gap and providing a closure therefor.
6. The invention according to claim 1 and said wall being generally
U-shaped in cross section and having out-turned flanges, a locking
member bridging said gap and having lateral edges coincident with
said out-turned flanges and having inturned flanges underlapped
with respect to said out-turned flanges.
7. The invention according to claim 1 and in combination with a
polysided tool providing at least on said other leg peripheral
surfaces converging transversely thereof, said surfaces serving to
engage the edges of the wall defining the gap for insertion into
the handle and other converging surfaces on the other leg disposed
to engage and wedge apart said edges of the gap to facilitate
removal of the tool from the handle.
8. The invention according to claim 7 and a locking element
disposed between said leg of the tool and the sections of the wall
portion at opposite sides of the gap and said tool having means
providing limited contact with said locking member to facilitate
removal and insertion of said member between the said other leg of
the tool and said sections of the wall portion.
9. The invention according to claim 1 and said wall portion being
U-shaped and a flat locking member having flat face engagement with
the other leg of the tool.
10. The invention according to claim 1 and said element being
substantially cylindrical and said aperture and gap being
diametrically opposed and said aperture being dimensioned to
accommodate canting of the one leg of the tool to displace the
other leg toward the gap, and said tool being polysided and
providing on said other leg a pair of surfaces converging toward
the gap for engagement with opposite edges thereof to wedge the
tool between said edges to widen the gap for egress.
Description
DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART
Prior art devices are either expensive or are cumbersome to apply
and remove. None, to applicant's knowledge, comprise a simple
tubular structure which can be easily applied to or removed from a
tool to form a T-shaped handle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention pertains to handles for tools and more specifically
to a handle structure fabricated from sheet steel.
A primary object of the invention is to provide a handle which may
be easily fabricated without excessive tooling costs and which is
inexpensive and improves the usefulness of the tool.
A further object is to provide in one embodiment of the invention a
one-piece tubular structure which is of closed C-shape, the walls
of the structure being resilient and adapted to spring closed about
a leg of the tool which has its other leg extended through an
opening in the base portion of the tubular structure, the tool
being insertable and releasable from the handle by springing the
side portions of the tube apart.
The invention comprehends several other embodiments in which the
handle is a tubular structure comprising an elongated base portion
with an intermediate transverse aperture through which one of the
legs of the tool extends, the other leg being pocketed in a trough
provided by the base portion and a cover portion being interlocked
with the base portion and snugly embracing the other leg of the
tool therewith.
A more specific object is to provide in the several embodiments a
handle in which the base and cover portions are separable by
sliding them relatively lengthwise and are mounted on the tool by
telescoping them together with the tool portion embraced
therebetween.
These and other objects and advantages inherent in and encompassed
by the invention will become more readily apparent from the
specifications and the drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view partially in axial section of one
form of the invention shown in applied position to a tool;
FIG. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view thereof taken
substantially on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 2A is an end view showing the assembly procedure of the handle
with the tool;
FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line
3-3 of FIG. 1;
FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a further embodiment of the invention;
Fig. 4 being a perspective view partly broken away; and
Fig. 5 being a cross-sectional view taken substantially on line 5-5
of FIG. 4;
FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate another embodiment of the invention;
Fig. 6 being a perspective view, and
Fig. 7 being a transverse sectional view taken substantially on
line 7-7 of FIG. 6.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION OF FIGS. 1--3
The tool handle generally designated 2 comprises a generally
C-shaped lower or base portion 3 including an arcuate bottom
section 4 and curved side portions 5 and 6 which terminate in upper
edges 7 and 8 defining a tool accommodation gap 9 therebetween.
The bottom wall section 4 is provided substantially medially
between its ends 10 and 11 and an opening 12 which accommodates the
vertical leg 13 of an L-shaped Allan wrench generally designated
14.
The horizontal or shorter leg 15 of the wrench is pocketed within
the trough 16 formed by the sidewall portions 5 and 6 and the
bottom wall portion 4.
It will be noted that the handle is preferably made of sheet steel
which has a resilient or springy characteristic and that the gap 9
therefore may be narrower in width than the corresponding width
dimension X-X (FIG. 2A) of the tool so that in inserting or
withdrawing of the tool the side sections 5 and 6 are adapted to be
sprung apart preferably by wedging the downwardly converging flat
sides 18 and 19 of the hexagonal-shaped tool leg 15. By pressing
downwardly the surfaces 18, 19, which are placed to engage surfaces
7 and 8, spread the side portions apart (FIG. 2A) until the apices
20, 21 of the tool pass the edges 7 and 8 whereupon the side
portions spring back about the tool leg 15.
The upper wedge surfaces 22, 23 provide accommodation spaces 24, 25
with the internal concave surfaces 26, 27 of side portions 5 and 6
to admit the lateral edge portions 28, 29 of the cover or locking
element 30.
The locking element 30 is elongated and arcuate or concave-convex
in cross section and seats with its concave side 32 on the tool
portion 15 in line engagement with the apices 33, 34 formed by the
egress wedge surfaces 22, 23 and top surface 35 of the tool.
The upper convex side 37 of the locking element has complementary
engagement at 39, 40 between the edge portions 28, 29 and the upper
edge portions 41, 42 of the side sections 5 and 6 of the base
portion 3.
The limited line engagement between the apices 33, 34 and the
internal side 32 of the locking element reduces frictional drag
whereby the element 30 is readily inserted from either end 10, or
11 of the base 3 and slid over the leg 15 in closing position to
the gap 9.
To remove the tool, the locking element 30 is withdrawn by
displacing it lengthwise with respect to the portion 3. Then a tool
such as a screwdriver is wedged between the surface 46 at the
bottom of leg 15 and the concave surface 46 of the bottom portion
of the base whereupon the wedge surfaces 23, 24 engage the edges 7
and 8 and spread the side portions 5 and 6 apart and the leg 15 is
exited through the enlarged gap 9. Leg 13 is then forced through
the enlarged gap 9 and withdrawn from opening 12.
To reinsert the tool into the handle the side portions are spread
apart by a wedge or any other suitable tool and the wrench leg 13
is passed through the opening 12 until the leg 14 passes the apices
20, 21 and enters the handle base portion. Then the cover locking
element 30 is driven in from either end between leg 14 and the
upper edge portions 41, 42 of the side portions 5 and 6.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT OF FIGS. 4 AND 5
This embodiment is somewhat similar to the previous embodiment and
like parts are identified with the same reference numerals. The
tool handle 50 is a tubular sheet steel structure C-shaped or
generally cylindrical in cross section comprising a bottom portion
51 and side portions 52, 53 which terminate in upper edges 54, 55
which edges define a tool-admitting gap 56 therebetween.
The horizontal leg 15 of the tool 14 is pocketed within trough 57
formed by the segments 51, 52 and 53 and has its apices 20, 21, 33,
34 and 58, 59 engaging the internal cylindrical surface 64 of the
tool handle which exerts a sphincteral force about leg portion 15
of the tool holding it in tight engagement with the handle.
The vertical leg 13 is passed through the vertical opening 60
disposed intermediate the ends 61, 62 of the handle in the bottom
section 51 thereof.
To remove the tool from the handle a screwdriver may be inserted
into the end portion 63 of the handle through the open end 61
thereof and canted upwardly while the user holds the leg 13 and
moves it in a direction away from such screwdriver. This tends to
rotate the tool about the juncture corner 65 of legs 13, 14 thereof
whereupon the horizontal leg is elevated at its free end 66 while
concurrently spreading the side portions 52, 53 to enlarge the gap
56 due to a wedging action between the apices 33, 34 and the
internal concave surface 64. As the gap enlarges the wedge surfaces
22, 23 engage the edges 54, 55. Further movement of the tool and
handle as aforesaid spreads the gap by the surfaces 22, 23 wedging
the side portions apart until the apices 20, 21 pass the edges 54,
55.
The leg 14 is then above the handle which then is forced downwardly
off the vertical leg 13.
It will be understood that alternatively to remove the tool 14 from
handle 50 a screwdriver may be inserted between the bottom surface
46 on leg 14 of the tool and the bottom section 51. The leg 14 is
pried up. The ensuing action in removing the leg 14 is the same as
heretofore described, the side portions of the handle being wedged
apart.
To insert the tool into the handle, the side portions 52, 53 are
spread apart by a wedge or any other suitable tool and the leg 13
is dropped into the opening 60 and the leg 14 placed into the
trough. The sides 52, 53 are released which spring back about leg
14.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT OF FIGS. 6 AND 7
The handle 100 comprises a bottom or base portion 101 of U-shape
having an arcuate bottom portion 102 and upright generally flat
side portions 103, 104 which together form a trough 105 receiving
the leg 15 of the tool 14. The vertical leg 13 of the tool 14
extends through an aperture 106 in bottom section 102 and is
disposed intermediate the ends 107, 108 of the base portion.
In this embodiment the upper edge portions 109, 110 of the
sidewalls 103, 104 are turned outwardly to form flanges and extend
into the grooves 112, 113 formed at the lateral edges of the
locking element 114 by the flat top wall 115 and the reentrant
flanges 116, 117 which extend under the edge portions 109, 110
respectively. The bottom side 119 of wall 115 lays tightly flat
upon the flat upper surface 35 of the leg 15 of the tool 14.
The locking element 114 is separated from the base by relative
longitudinal movement and in the separated position the tool 14 may
be readily inserted or removed from the handle structure 100.
It will be understood that in the embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5 the
tube 50 may be fashioned from a flat sheet of steel with the
aperture 60 therein, and while the leg 13 is passed therethrough
the sheet is wrapped by swagging about the leg 15 of the tool 14,
whereby the handle is thus permanently installed.
* * * * *