Metal working – Means to assemble or disassemble – To apply or remove a resilient article
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-23
2002-06-04
Watson, Robert C. (Department: 3723)
Metal working
Means to assemble or disassemble
To apply or remove a resilient article
C029S267000, C254S129000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06397447
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is or includes a novel hand tool, as used in a kit and method including use of a pry bar hand tool for removing or pulling fluid seals located about shafts extending through passages in walls such as engine blocks and the like.
2. Brief Description of the Related Prior Art
In the prior art, fluid seals are applied around shafts to seal between the shaft and hole in which the shaft passes. The shaft seals commonly are circular (annular) and include a metal outer flange for tight-fit frictional engagement against the walls defining or surrounding the bore through the wall, with the metal flange supporting an inner circle of rubbery impervious or seal material engaging and sealing against the shaft. Such seals commonly but not always include circular tension springs engaged with the rubbery seal material to aid in forming an improved liquid tight seal against the shaft. Such seals periodically need to be removed to allow replacing of the shafts or the seal itself, or to allow the performance of other tasks. Such shaft seals are generally not easily or readily removed from the seal seat in the wall using conventional tools and methods, and this primarily due to the frictional fit of the metal portion of the seal being jammed tightly against the annular wall defining or surrounding the bore in the wall, engine block or transmission bell.
It is admitted that a variety of hand tool type pry bars of a type which can be used as part of or as a component of the present invention are prior art and well known. Virtually all automobile or vehicle mechanics have a suitable general purpose “J” shaped pry bar available for use in their tool box.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,074 issued May 18, 1999 to R. Herbert describes a tool for pulling packing material from about a shaft. The Herbert tool is directed at pulling “packing” and thus uses a helical or corkscrew element designed for screwing into and thereby grasping the packing material to be pulled. The Herbert device or arrangement uses a pry bar applied against fixed position lugs of a hand tool design by Herbert. One lug is pried against at a time. The Herbert “lugs” or “lug” are similar to what we call a “pry base” as will become appreciated with continued reading. We consider the Herbert lugs being fixed at predetermined intervals along the length of a shaft of the Herbert tool to be far less than desireable. Fixed position lugs do not provide sufficient versatility in the position of the ready to use pry bar. Herbert applies multiple fixed position lugs along the length of his tool shaft in an attempt to provide a usable degree of lug positionings, wherein the user selects the nearest suitably positioned lug to pry against, which, in our opinion, in many instances simply will not be optimally positioned. The position of the lug pried against clearly effects the position the tip and lever portions of the pry bar. The position of the pry bar tip has a direct effect on the position of the long lever portion of the pry bar. Many times, such as in the cramped confines of a bell type housing, engine compartment or the like, there is simply little room to maneuver the pry bar in order to properly apply pressure to the fixed position “lug” of the Herbert pulling tool.
The engines, transmissions and engine compartment and the like in modern vehicles continue to be made smaller with the passage of time, and therefore it is becoming increasingly important to provide greater versatility and precision in tools such as a shaft seal puller used to work on such components. Thus, we believe there is a need for further improvement in shaft seal puller tools and methods.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,577,848 issued May 11, 1971 to R. Mengle, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,649,618 issued Mar. 17, 1987 to S. Harrison are cumulative to the Herbert disclosure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is or includes a novel hand operated puller tool which may be considered to be used in a kit and or method including use of a separate pry bar hand tool for removing or pulling fluid seals located about shafts extending through passages in walls such as engine blocks and the like.
Our invention is directed primarily toward but not limited to use with seals of engines and associated parts of autos, trucks, SUVs and the like, which as is well known, include drive shafts, crank and cam shafts and the like passing into or through holes or bores in blocks, bell and transmission housings and the like. With the present invention, seal pulling force gained through the use of leverage is very controlled and of a high level due to the use of directionally proper leverage, and thus the process of removing even a very firmly secured seal in a confined area is readily and safely accomplished.
Our invention uses a pry bar, preferably one which is generally “J” shaped, in combination with a specifically designed hand tool or puller tool to remove fluid seals secured in bores or passages through walls, wherein the seals encircle shafts to form a fluid seal about the shaft passing through the wall. Because our invention uses a puller tool and a separate pry bar, the invention can be considered, at least from one viewpoint, to be a seal pulling kit comprised of a pry bar and specifically designed puller tool. Our tool is more directed for use with seals of the type which are commonly circular (annular) and include a metal outer flange for tight-fit frictional engagement against the block walls defining or surrounding the bore through the wall, with the metal flange retaining an inner circle of rubbery seal material engaging and sealing against the shaft. The rubbery seal material may in many cases be biased inward tighter against the shaft with a circular tension spring. The metal flange and rubbery seal material of such shaft seals are installed and removed as a unit. A preferred embodiment of the present puller tool includes change-out or removable blade inserts having differently shaped/sized tips so that different styles, types and or sizes of seals or even packing material can be pulled.
The pry bar used includes a grippable area on a long or longer portion serving to provide leverage in a connected curved area, the curved area for abutment with a surface to form a pivot and fulcrum, and a tip for pushing is provided connected to the other side of the curve portion/fulcrum of the pry bar. The term connected does not necessarily mean two pieces attached, as most pry bars are single piece construction or integrally formed. The preferred pry bar is generally “J” shaped, but does not usually have a transverse member at the end of the long lever portion like the letter “J”.
Our puller tool in preferred embodiment is an elongate shaft structure including a hook in a first area; a grippable surface in a second area, and a selectively positionable pry base mounted in an intermediate area between the first and second areas on the shaft, with the term intermediate not herein required to mean centered or perfectly centered. The pry base is a “pry bar abutment member” or shoulder preferably providing material 360 degrees around the supporting shaft, and so in a preferred version the pry base is a disk of rigid material. The grippable surface or graspable surface depending upon the particular embodiment of the puller tool, may be either a handle for grasping by the human hand, or may be threaded shafting or the like to be grasp or held with an auxiliary tool member which includes a handle or graspable surface, the grasping in either case being for grasping by hand or with a grasping tool and positionally manipulating the puller tool. The pry base can be manually repositioned relative to the hook (toward or away) along a lengthwise axis and is stationary against unwanted moving along the tool lengthwise axis once positioned or when pried against due to low slope threads in one preferred embodiment. A 90 degree and an offset puller tool are also herein disclosed. To use the combination to remove a seal about a shaft, the hook of the puller t
Christopherson Scott
Woo Lewis H.
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