AU2010100593A4 - Podgy bar guard - Google Patents

Description

PODGY BAR GUARD This invention relates to a podgy bar guard. The invention has particular application to tools known as podgy bars in the mining vehicle and machinery maintenance 5 industries. However, the invention has application to pinch bars and crowbars. Podgy bars used in the performance of a wide range of machinery and vehicle maintenance activities are normally provided with a lanyard to prevent them falling from equipment LO and injuring personnel below. However, the location of the lanyard so provided along the podgy bar is sometimes inconvenient. Moreover, the podgy bar can still fall through expanded metal flooring which is often used on mining equipment including vehicles, thereby still posing a risk of L5 injury to personnel below. Additionally, a dropped podgy bar may roll across the floor in spite of having an obtuse-angle forming the pry end. The present invention aims to provide a podgy bar guard which alleviates one or more of the aforementioned 20 shortcomings of the prior art. Other aims and advantages of the invention may become apparent from the following description. With the foregoing in view, in one aspect the present invention resides broadly in a podgy bar guard including: 2 a shaft engaging part having a body portion; a passage extending through the body portion sized to admit the shaft of a podgy bar; 5 a plurality of shaft engaging fingers extending from the body portion substantially coaxially with the passage and; nut engagement formations disposed about an external surface of the fingers; LO and a nut having an internal passage extending through the nut portion; finger engagement formations disposed about an 15 internal face of the internal passage and being complementary in form with respect to the nut engagement formations whereby the nut may be engaged with the fingers of the shaft engaging part, the formations being so formed and arranged that 20 tightening of the nut onto the shaft engaging part urges the fingers towards the axis of the passage.

3 Preferably, a collar is provided for interposition between the shaft engaging part and a bar introduced into and through the passage therethrough. The collar is suitably formed from resilient material, such as rubber or such like, 5 for compression between the passage and the shaft engaging part when a nut is tightened onto the nut engagement formations. It is further preferred that the collar be formed to be retained in the passage of the shaft engaging part. Preferably, the body portion of the shaft engaging part LO is of a size sufficient to prevent passing through apertures of an expanded metal sheet such as that commonly used for flooring in industrial applications. In a preferred form, the body portion further includes a flange extending radially outward from of the shaft engaging part to provide said size L5 for preventing passing through the floor as aforesaid. It is further preferred that the flange has an outer edge shaped to prevent rolling about the axis of the passage and hence the axis of the shaft to which the podgy bar guard is mounted across a surface on which the podgy bar may rest. For example, 20 a scalloped edge may be provided having ellipsoidal indentations about the edge at regularly spaced intervals. In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, two exemplary embodiments and a concept sketch of the present invention will 4 now be described with reference to the following drawings, and wherein: Fig. 1 is a pictorial view of a podgy bar guard according to the invention as fitted to, and shown from the pinch 5 bar end of, a podgy bar; Fig. 2 is a pictorial view of the podgy bar guard of Fig. 1 from the pointed end of the podgy bar; Fig. 3 is a pictorial view of a smaller podgy bar guard according to the invention as fitted to, and shown from LO the pinch-bar end of, a podgy bar; Fig. 4 is a pictorial view of the smaller podgy bar guard of Fig. 3 from the pointed end of the podgy bar; Figs. 5 to 7 are photographic views of the smaller podgy bar guard of Figs. 3 and 4; 15 Fig 8 is an end elevation of a shaft engaging part of a concept version podgy bar guard according to the invention; Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the shaft engaging part of the concept version podgy bar guard of Fig. 8; 20 Fig. 10 is an end elevation of the shaft engaging part of the concept version podgy bar guard of Fig. 8 from the end thereof; 5 Fig. 11 is an end elevation of a nut for the concept version podgy bar guard of Fig. 8; Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the nut of Fig. 11; Fig. 13 is a section of the nut of Fig. 12; 5 Fig. 14 is an end elevation of the nut of Fig. 11 from the other end; and Fig. 15 is a half-section of the nut engaged with the shaft engaging part of the concept podgy bar guard of Figs. 8 to 14. LO The podgy bar guard 10 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 includes a shaft engaging part 11 and a nut 12, the podgy bar guard being shown as fitted to a podgy bar 13 for illustrative purposes. The podgy bar has a pinch-bar end 14 and a pointed end 15. The shaft engaging part is of predominantly circular form and 15 includes a flange 16 having a scalloped outer periphery 17. The scalloped periphery has twelve arcuate indentations shown typically at 18 at regularly spaced intervals about the circumference of the flange. Each arcuate indentation is separated from its adjacent arcuate indentations by a circular 20 arc 19, each circular arc being a portion of a circle circumscribing the flange. The arcuate indentations are provided to decrease the likelihood that the podgy bar will roll about its axis with 6 the podgy bar guard fitted thereto in accordance with the invention. The nut conforms roughly to a cylinder of circular cross section of a length about the same as its diameter. The but 5 includes a nut passage extending axially through from one end to the other of a size sufficient to admit the podgy bar therethrough. In similar fashion, the shaft engaging part includes a flange passage 21 extending axially though the shaft engaging part from one end to the other. Although it may .0 be considered that the flange passage may have been called a shaft engaging part passage, the term flange passage is used herein merely to avoid prolixity in terminology, and is not to be taken to be limiting of the element to a passage through the flange as such. .5 The nut includes a plurality of cuneate bias slots shown typically at 22 being interposed by complementary ridges shown typically at 23, the ridges being formed as an extension of the predominantly cylindrical form of the nut. The ridges provide better grip for application of torque required to 20 tighten the nut onto the shaft engaging part. The flange has two opposed faces, and for convenience, the face nearer the nut is referred to as the nut face 24 and the other face is referred to as the flange face 25. The nut face is substantially planar, but the flange face is 7 superposed by a plurality of supporting web assemblies shown typically at 26. Each web assembly is made up of three webs, an outer pair of outer webs 27 an a central web 28. Each web has a concave 5 edge 29. The central webs are thinner in cross-section than the outer webs. The outer webs are bifurcated at a bifurcation 30 near their intersection with the flange face of the flange. It will be seen that the web assemblies provide support between the flange and a tubular portion 34 of the shaft .0 engaging part. The flange passage include six internal ridges 31 running coaxially along the length of the inner face of the flange passage. The internal ridges are so sized as to provide firm engagement with the shaft of the podgy bar, but not so firm as .5 to prevent the shaft engaging part sliding along the shaft. Six internal ridges are provided so that each ridge may engage with a respective face of the shaft of the podge bar, the shaft being of hexagonal cross section. The smaller podgy bar guard 40 shown in Figs. 3 and 4, 20 collectively in Figs. 5 and 6 and partly assembled in Fig. 7 is the same in every respect as the podgy bar guard 10 described and illustrated in respect of Figs. 1 and 2, except that it has a smaller shaft engaging part 41 having a smaller flange 46. Accordingly, the same reference numerals are used 8 to refer to the corresponding parts. However, not all of the elements have the reference numerals shown to avoid cluttering the drawings. The podgy bar is also different in that it has a circular cross section, but the same reference numerals are 5 used because the podgy bar itself does not form part of the claimed invention. The smaller flange has a smaller diameter than the flange of Figs. 1 and 2. Additionally, the smaller flange has a flange aperture 42 located inward from the scalloped edge at .0 of one of the circular arcs and between the two arcuate indentations adjacent thereto. Additionally, the tubular portion is split by a pair of splits 45, only one of which is visible in Fig. 4, in order to provide two fingers which may be urged against the shaft of the podgy bar onto which the .5 shaft engaging part is positioned by tightening of the nut onto the fingers. In the photographic views of Figs. 5 to 7, it can be seen that the shaft engaging part also has a threaded spigot 33 being divided in two by two divisions 36, only one of which is 20 visible in each of Figs. 5 and 7. The divisions are along a diametrical plane and also aligned with the splits in the case of the smaller shaft engaging part. The threaded spigot is tapered such that the tightening of the nut when threadedly engaged therewith urges the two halves of the towards one 9 another, thereby enabling tightening the grip of the spigot onto the shaft of the podgy bar. The concept podgy bar guard 50 illustrated in Figs. 8 to 15 has the same elements as the podgy bar guard 10 and the 5 smaller podgy bar guard 40 of Figs. 1 to 7. However, there are some differences, and some of the views illustrate further features of the podgy bar guard generally which are common to all of the versions illustrated. The concept podgy bar guard has a shaft engaging part as .0 illustrated in Figs. 8 to 10 and a nut as illustrated in Figs. 11 to 14, each performing the same function as the shaft engaging parts and nuts of the other embodiments described herein. However, the supporting web assemblies and bias slots of the shaft engaging parts and nuts respectively are replaced .5 by two finger-grips shown typically at 51 and 52, each being diametrically opposed one to the other. More particularly, the shaft engaging part has two main part finger grips shown at 51 and the nut has two nut finger grips shown at 52. Moreover, the nut finger grips have six regularly spaced pill 20 protrusions shown typically at 53. The nut shown in sectional elevation in Fig. 13 has an internal screw thread 35 running along a portion of the nut passage, being similar fashion to that of the nuts shown in the other drawings where the internal detail of the nut 10 passage is not visible. Also, a frusto-conical inner bearing face 37 is also provided to bear radially against the tubular portion of the shaft engaging part. In the case of the concept podgy bar guard, there are six gripping fingers shown 5 typically at 54 in Fig. 8 against which the bearing face bears to provide a radial bias and/or displacement in a similar fashion to the split tube portion of the other two embodiments described with reference to Figs. 1 to 7. The part sectional view shown in Fig. 15 illustrates at .0 55 portion of a shaft engaging part 56 in operative disposition with respect to a collar 57 located radially inwardly of the inner face of the flange passage. In the form illustrated, the inner face of the flange passage has a profile in complementary form to the outer face of the collar. .5 The collar also has a lip 58 near the tubular portion of the shaft engaging part. The collar permits the podgy bar guard to be fixed to a podgy bar of smaller diameter. In use, a podgy bar guard of the present invention may be fixed to the shaft of a podgy bar, pinch bar, crowbar or such 20 like by passing the shaft through the shaft engaging part and nut in the correct orientation for engagement with one another. Once the shaft engaging part is in the desired position on the shaft, the nut may then be engaged onto the threaded spigot and tightened thereon to urge the fingers or 25 gripping elements of the shaft engaging part against the 11 shaft. The flange prevents the bar from falling through apertures such as may be found in expanded metal flooring, and the scalloped outer periphery diminishes the propensity of the bar to roll about its axis. If desired, a lanyard or such like 5 may be threaded through the flange aperture to tether the bar to a convenient fixture. Although the invention has been described with reference to specific examples, it will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in other 0 forms within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as herein set forth and defined by the following claim.

Claims (5)

1. A podgy bar guard including: a shaft engaging part having 5 a body portion; a passage extending through the body portion sized to admit the shaft of a podgy bar; a plurality of shaft engaging fingers extending from the body portion substantially coaxially with the .0 passage and; nut engagement formations disposed about an external surface of the fingers; and a nut having .5 an internal passage extending through the nut portion; finger engagement formations disposed about an internal face of the internal passage and being complementary in form with respect to the nut 20 engagement formations whereby the nut may be engaged with the fingers of the shaft engaging part, the formations being so formed and arranged that tightening of the nut onto the shaft engaging part urges the fingers towards the axis of the passage. 25 13

2. The podgy bar guard according to Claim 1 and including a collar interposition between the shaft engaging part and a bar introduced into and through the passage therethrough. 5

3. The podgy bar guard according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the body portion includes a flange extending radially outward from the shaft engaging part.

4. The podgy bar guard according to Claim 3, wherein the LO flange has an outer edge shaped to prevent rolling about the axis of the passage.

5. The podgy bar guard as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of the groups of drawings being Figs. 1 L5 and 2, Figs. 3 to 7 and Figs. 8 to 15. Dated this 1 0 th day of June, 2010. Consolidated Plastics and Epoxy Pty Ltd By their Patent Attorneys 20 AHEARN FOX 10 podgy bar guard 11 shaft engaging part 12 nut 5 13 podgy bar 14 pinch-bar end 15 pointed end 16 flange 17 scalloped outer ) periphery 18 arcuate indentation 19 circular arc 20 nut passage 21 flange passage 22 bias slot 23 ridge 24 nut face 25 flange face 26 supporting web assembly 27 outer web 28 central web 29 concave edge 30 bifurcation 31 internal rige 32 extended flange portion 33 threaded spigot portion 34 tubular portion 35 internal screw thread 36 threaded spigot 37 bearing face 38 39 40 smaller podgy bar guard 41 smaller flange 5 42 flange aperture 43 44 45 split 46 smaller flange 0 47 48 49 50 concept podgy bar guard 51 main part finger grip 5 52 nut finger grip 53 pill protrusion 54 gripping fingers