Compound tools – Hammer – With cutter
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-19
2001-07-31
Banks, Derris H. (Department: 3723)
Compound tools
Hammer
With cutter
C081S045000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06266834
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to hand-held striking tools, such as hammers and hatchets, and in particular to hand-held tools for roofers having a need for a multipurpose tool to quickly, efficiently and accurately remove and replace roofing materials.
2. Description of the Prior Art
This invention relates to a new multipurpose hand-held tool and the methods of using it, and more particularly to a combination roofing tool and method of use which allows a roofer the ability to hatchet, hammer, remove nails, pry off old roofing materials and measure the distance to quickly and accurately lay new shingles on a roofing surface.
In the past, it has been conventional to require the roofer to carry several tools to perform this function. The necessity for carrying these devices are obviously not convenient for a roofer to use, places the roofer at additional risk of injury and inefficiency by requiring that the roofer carry additional heavy extra tools for performing these multiple tasks.
Heretofore, manufacturers of tools for roofing but have not provided tools that are capable of multi-tasking. Rather, until the present invention a roofer must bring along an assemblage of separate tools for cutting, prying, hammering and measuring. This is difficult and very burdensome for a roofer. Being burdened with a plurality of tools to accomplish these separate functions slows down the roofer and diminishes his or her efficiency, tires the roofer out from the multiple tools and places the roofer in greater danger due to the danger associated with multiple tools upon a sloped roofing surface. Presently, no manufacturer of hand-held roofing tools provides a simple tool with these multiple features eliminating the need for many separate tools.
It has, of course, been known to combine functions with a single tool to avoid the need to carry multiple tools. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,782 there is a hammer described which contains both a vertical and horizontal level in the handle so that a carpenter may level horizontally each nail to be nailed in place just prior to driving the nail.
Whereas, U.S. Pat. No. 3,740,799 discloses a surgical tool which comprises a surgical scalpel having a scalpel blade at one end and a series of metered markings on the shaft so as to make longitudinal measurement as well as a device for measuring the circumferential diameter of an orifice or mouth of a tube or duct at the other end of the tool.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 2,952,025 shows the combination of a cutting knife and a tape measure in the handle to facilitate cuts.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,520 discusses a combined tool and method for using a retractable knife and pitch gage to provide pitch measurements for roofers.
And U.S. Pat. No. 5,315,725 discloses a hand-held tool for rescue workers to extract victims from damaged motor vehicles, including a handle, a head, a foot, and a saw blade that projects from the bottom of the foot.
However, until now, no one invented a satisfactory multipurpose roofing tool which provides for easy use and worker efficiency and can perform all of the operations of cutting, hammering, prying, pulling and measuring in a single tool. Furthermore, tools presently available for, in particular, roofing applications are not adequate to assure with the one simple and relatively inexpensive tool, a means for cutting, hammering nails, extracting nails, prying off old roofing materials and measuring the distance between shingles when laying new shingles.
On the contrary, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be will known to used hand held tools for cutting and prying or cutting and measuring, the provision of a simple and cost effective device such as the one disclosed in this invention is not contemplated which can perform all of the operations of cutting, prying pulling, hammering and measuring in a single tool. The foregoing disadvantages are overcome by the unique multipurpose tool of the present invention as will be made apparent from the from the following description.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the foregoing and other advantages, the present invention, briefly described, provides a new and improved multipurpose hand-held tool, especially adapted for use by roofing workers for the rapid removal and accurate replacement of shingles and other roofing materials.
This tool includes a handle and a head. The head is connected to the handle and includes a first head end, a top head portion, and a second head end, and a bottom head portion.
These together with still other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be found in the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.
It is the object of the present invention to overcome the foregoing problems and disadvantages encountered in the prior art with respect to a practical, multi-functional roofing tool, which permits the easy removal and installation of shingles and other building materials.
In a first embodiment, a first cutter or hatchet-like blade device, is connected to the first head end and has a sharp, blade edge which is especially adapted to cut or chop shingles or other roofing materials. A second cutter is connected to the bottom of the first head end has a flat, axe-like blade capable of performing functions similar to that of an axe. The second cutter which is connected to the bottom of the first head end may also have a nail slot for pulling nails. A third cutter is connected to the top of the first head end and also has a flat, axe-like blade capable of performing functions similar to that of an axe. In addition, the third cutter connected to the top of the first head end also has a plurality of gauge holes capable of allowing the roofer to quickly and evenly space the new shingles. A second head end has a hammerhead affixed thereto. The second head end is adapted to hammer nails and includes a hammerhead that can be used as a conventional hammer or this second end may also be kicked with the toe of the roofer's shoe or boot. When this end is kicked it forces the first head end under existing roofing material and provides rapid and efficient removal of existing roofing materials. A nail remover or claw is connected to the top of the second head end and may also be used for prying off unwanted roofing materials.
In a second embodiment, top of the second head end may be smaller and lighter and includes a bifurcated claw having two pointed hooked tips, commonly referred to as a “cat's claw” which has been adapted for removing nails and for prying and includes a pointed, tapered opening which is especially adapted to add or to remove a smaller roofing nail, such as, for example, from a three to sixteen penny nail or smaller.
The above brief description sets forth 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 contributions to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will be covered by the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining a preferred embodiment of the multipurpose tool of the invention in detail, it is understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the 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 shou
Gilchrist John
Peterson Leonard
Walsh Tom
Banks Derris H.
Peterson Leonard
Roddan, Esq. Sharon
Thomas David B.
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