Hand gripping tool

Details Hand gripping tool Hand gripping tool

2001-05-02

2003-05-20

Blau, Stephen (Department: 3711)

Chucks or sockets

Socket type

Pivoted jaws

C279S048000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06565100

ABSTRACT:

This application claims priority of International Application No. PCT/GB99/03093, filed Sep. 16, 1999, entitled A HAND GRIPPING TOOL (published in English), which in turn claims priority of Great Britain Application No. 9821888.6, filed Oct. 7, 1998, and Great Britain Application No. 9907797.6, filed Apr. 7, 1999.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to hand tools for gripping objects and in particular, although not exclusively, to hand tools for gripping and extracting protruding screws, nails and other semi-permanent mechanical fastenings from walls and other surfaces, and to hand tools for holding common tools and accessories, such as blades and screw-driver bits.
During the refurbishment of surfaces, such as walls, it may be necessary or desirable to extract previously installed, now unwanted, semi-permanent mechanical fittings.
Damaged or stubborn mechanical fittings including pins, nails, heavy duty staples, wall plugs, self-tapping screws, studs and other similar obstructions are difficult and potentially dangerous to remove, and occasionally considerable damage occurs to the surrounding wall. Inappropriate extraction techniques can also lead to personal injury.
Known gripping and extraction tools include mole grips, pliers, pincers and claw hammers. Embodiments of the present invention aim to provide hand tools which are more flexible, easier to use, provide a firmer, more secure (and hence safer) grip, enable gripping of a wide range of shapes and sizes of objects, and enable a greater extraction force to be exerted on objects compared with known gripping and extraction tools.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided a hand tool for gripping an object, the hand tool comprising a core member extending along a longitudinal axis of the tool; at least two jaws, moveable relative to the core member so as to be openable and closeable, but constrained in a forward direction substantially parallel with said longitudinal axis, at least a portion of each jaw extending from a first end of the core member generally in said forward direction when the jaws are closed, the respective extending portions each having a respective gripping surface; and a sleeve member arranged to be moveable substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis relative to the core member, the sleeve member having at least one forward facing jaw-engaging surface, the jaws, when open, each presenting a respective reverse facing engaging surface to the at least one jaw-engaging surface of the sleeve member; the sleeve member being progressively moveable in the said forward direction to urge the at least one jaw-engaging surface of the sleeve member against the reverse facing engaging surfaces of the jaws, constraint of the jaws in the said forward direction causing urging of the sleeve member against the jaws to force the jaws to close. The hand tool further comprising two lever pins (
11
) arranged to extend generally transverse to the longitudinal axis and coaxially from opposite sides of the hand tool at least when the jaws are closed, each lever pin extending from and being integral with a respective one of the jaws.
Preferably the sleeve member is generally cylindrical, extends along the longitudinal axis and is arranged coaxially with the core member such that it is movable to radially surround at least a portion of the core member.
Preferably the core member is generally cylindrical and comprises an external screw thread, and the sleeve member comprises a correspondingly threaded bore extending along the longitudinal axis and arranged to receive and threadably engage the core member such that movement of the sleeve member along the longitudinal axis relative to the core member is effected by rotation of the sleeve member with respect to the core member about the longitudinal axis.
Preferably the screw thread is left-handed. This is particularly advantageous when the hand tool is used for gripping and removing right-hand threaded objects from the surfaces in which they are embedded. The left-hand thread of the core member and sleeve member ensures that the hand tool's grip is not loosened when it is used to rotate the embedded object in the anti-clockwise direction in an attempt to remove it from the surface. The grip may, as a result of the left-handed thread, tighten as the object resists rotation.
The sleeve member may be generally cylindrical, and may comprise an outer surface adapted to be engaged by a spanner or socket for applying torque to the sleeve member about the longitudinal axis. Thus, a greater gripping force may be applied to the object. The adaptation to the sleeve member may take the form of a pair of diametrically opposed flats, or for example, an axially extending section of the sleeve member may have a generally hexagonal outer cross-section.
Advantageously, the sleeve member may comprise a handle portion adapted to facilitate gripping and rotation of the sleeve member by hand. The handle portion may, for example, take the form of a generally cylindrical portion of increased diameter to enable sufficient torque to be applied to the sleeve member by hand to achieve sufficient grip on the object.
Preferably, the sleeve member is not arranged to fully enclose the core member. Preferably a second end of the core member is arranged to extend through the sleeve member in the reverse direction beyond a first end of the sleeve member when the sleeve member is in contact with the jaws.
The protruding second end of the core member may be adapted to be engaged by a spanner or socket (for example it may be hexagonal in cross-section) and in addition, or alternatively, may be adapted to receive and be engaged by a socket drive. This adaption may take the form of a suitably dimensioned square cross-section orifice extending into the second end of the core member generally along the longitudinal axis.
Thus, substantial relative torque may be applied between the core member and sleeve member to close and lock the jaws onto an object, by use of standard hand tools engaging with suitably adapted surfaces of the hand tool.
Advantageously, the jaws, when forced closed by the sleeve member, are each arranged to extend beyond a second end of the sleeve member in the forward direction. This is particularly advantageous as the sleeve member does not then obscure the hand tool operator's view of the object to be gripped, and enables the operator to hold and manually close the jaw members on the object before tightening the grip by urging the jaw-engaging surface or surfaces of the sleeve member into contact with the corresponding engaging surfaces of the jaws.
The tool may comprise just two jaws.
Preferably, the gripping surfaces of the jaws are arranged to close generally radially and symmetrically on the longitudinal axis when the jaws are forced to close by the sleeve member.
Thus, the jaws may be adapted to open and expand radially to receive between their gripping surfaces an object inserted generally along the longitudinal axis.
The jaws may be coupled to the core member, forming a generally rotationally symmetrical arrangement around the longitudinal axis.
The jaws may be arranged such that when no object is inserted between their gripping surfaces, the jaws may be closed to bring their gripping surfaces into contact with each other generally on the longitudinal axis.
Preferably, the gripping surfaces of the jaws are adapted to provide a good grip on a wide range of shapes and sizes of objects. For example, each gripping surface may include a respective flat portion arranged to oppose the corresponding flat portion or portions on the or each other jaw, respective teeth arranged to intermesh with corresponding teeth on the or each other jaw, and/or respective teeth arranged to oppose but not intermesh with corresponding teeth on the or each other jaw.
Each gripping surface may in addition, or alternatively, comprise a generally V-shaped groove arranged to extend generally along the longitudinal axis to facilitate gripping of generall

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