Miscellaneous hardware (e.g. – bushing – carpet fastener – caster – Insulated handle – Bar-type handle
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-15
2001-06-19
Sandy, Robert J. (Department: 3626)
Miscellaneous hardware (e.g., bushing, carpet fastener, caster,
Insulated handle
Bar-type handle
C016S431000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06247204
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a handle for use in conjunction with trowels and related hand tools. The handle is designed to provide a comfortable and conforming grip that allows the user to control the tool, while also being lightweight.
Craftsmen and tradesmen use various hand tools such as trowels for finishing concrete, plaster and the like on a daily basis. It is important to these craftsmen that the tools be lightweight and very controllable by the craftsman. Likewise, it is important that the grip be conforming to the craftsman's hand and be comfortable during many hours of continuous use.
Historically, handles for tools of this type were often constructed of solid wood. The wood could be shaped and formed to fit the hand of the user, but added a substantial amount of weight to the overall device and, because the wood was not very soft or pliable, was not always comfortable after long usage.
More recently, trowel handles have been designed that have a relatively open interior chamber surrounded by an outer shell. In such constructions, there are many different points of construction that must be considered. In particular, it is important to provide a grip that is easy and comfortable to hold, that allows the craftsman to fully control the tool and that is soft and pliable so as to reduce stress and fatigue associated with use. It is also desirable to design the handle so that the interior will resist the entry of water into the interior of the handle when the tool is washed or soaked in a bucket of water.
It is further important to provide an open interior to reduce weight, but also provide support the exterior of the handle in such a way that it is not easily collapsed or compressed by the grip of the user. It is also desirable to have a construction which is comparatively easy to assemble. Finally, it is also important that the user be able to exert forces against the handle to control the tool and that those forces will be passed on to the tool without slippage or extensive wear at the location where the remainder of the tool joins the handle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A handle is provided for use in conjunction with various hand tools, especially trowels and the like, wherein the tool has a post that extends upwardly from the tool which in turn is attached to a rearwardly extending tang. The handle is mounted bayonet style on the tang.
The handle has an upper shell and a lower shell which mate together so as to provide an exterior surface which is then covered with a soft, pliable and elastic material such as polyurethane, especially a thermoplastic elastomer, preferably in two similar but separate molded components that are molded adjacent to each other.
Each of the handle shells has attached thereto a radially inward extending, relatively flat, annular member which has a washer-shaped appearance. Preferably, two of the annular members are positioned at the front end of each shell section and one at the rear end of each shell section. As the shell sections are mated, the annular members also slide together and interleaf or overlap to form a slightly spaced but side-by-side and parallel configuration relative to one another. An opening in each of the front annular members is square shaped and an opening in each of the rear annular members is circular in shape. All of the openings in the annular members are coaxially aligned and sized and shaped to axially receive the tang with the front openings grasping a similarly shaped front portion of the tang to prevent rotation therebetween. Preferably, the openings in each of the annular members is sized so as to snuggly receive the tang as it passes therethrough. As the front openings are not circular, this allows the handle to transfer forces without relative slippage so as to control the rotation of the tang and to likewise transfer the movements of the craftsman from the handle to the tang and then to the remainder of the tool. Likewise in this manner, the tang locks and holds the two shell sections of the handle together, both at the front and the rear.
The handle also includes a series of internal ribs which extend radially inward from the exterior of each of the shell sections at spaced intervals and which are sized and shaped to mate with opposing ribs on the opposite shell section as well as mate with and be supported by the tang. In this way, the exterior of each shell section is supported against collapse by the ribs and by the annular members.
The front of the handle mates with the post supporting the tang so as to generally seal thereabout. Likewise the rear of the tang is threaded and passes exteriorly through and out of the handle to be held in place by a nut.
The outer cover is applied in a two-stage injection molding process. In particular, the handle body comprising the combined shell sections is placed in a first mold in which a first component of the outer cover is applied. Thereafter, the handle body is placed in a second mold wherein a second component of the outer cover is applied.
OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the objects of the present invention are: to provide a handle for use in conjunction with trowels and other hand tools which is lightweight and well suited to fit and be comfortable in the hand of the user over long periods of use; to provide such a handle which includes two shell sections that are secured and held together by insertion of a tang of the tool to which the handle is mounted; to provide such a handle wherein each of the shell sections includes radially inward projecting annular members that have central openings that coaxially align when the two shell sections are placed together and that are locked in relative position to each other by insertion of the tool tang through all of the openings; to provide such a handle having a series of spaced ribs that extend between the inner surface of the shells and the tang to support the shells and prevent collapse of the handle; to provide such a handle having an exterior molded over coating of a soft and elastic material suited for providing a good grip and sealing about the sides of the handle; to provide such a handle wherein the over coating is made of two similar but slightly different materials in a two-stage molding process to offer differences in color, texture, durometer and the like; to provide such a handle which is resistant to entry of water into the interior of the handle; to provide such a handle and tool which are especially well suited for each other and wherein the handle is adapted to control the tool and withstand forces exerted by the user; and to provide such a handle and tool which are especially adapted for use in conjunction with each other, relatively inexpensive to produce and especially well suited for the intended purpose thereof.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention.
The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof.
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Hamby Mike
Meyer Ronald G.
McMahon John C.
Sandy Robert J.
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