AU7165700A - Multipurpose tool - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT (Original) APPLICATION NO:

LODGED:

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION LODGED:

ACCEPTED:

PUBLISHED:

RELATED ART: 4b 4*O* 4 4 NAME OF APPLICANT: ACTUAL INVENTOR: ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: ABSTIN PROPRIETARY LIMITED MICHAEL KEITH JOHNSON LORD COMPANY Patent Trade Mark Attorneys 4 Douro Place West Perth, Western Australia, 6005

AUSTRALIA.

"MULTIPURPOSE TOOL" INVENTION TITLE: 44 0 4 DETAILS OF ASSOCIATED PROVISIONAL APPLICATION NO'S: PQ4271 filed on November 25, 1999 The following Statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 2

TITLE

"MULTIPURPOSE TOOL" The present invention relates to a multipurpose tool and, in particular, to a tool for use in connecting fish hooks together.

In Australian Patent Application Number 63575/86, there is disclosed a multipurpose tool having a pair of arm members pivotably connected to each other. One arm member is provided with a substantially cone shaped projection and the other arm member is provided with a recess. The arrangement is such that, in use, when an eye of a fish hook is placed over an apex of the cone and the arm members are brought together, a portion of the cone is received in the recess and the eye of the fish hook is caused to open, thereby allowing the fish hook to be connected to a second fish hook.

However, a disadvantage of this type of multipurpose tool is that it is difficult to use the tool effectively for different sizes of fish hooks.

The present invention seeks, therefore, among other things, to provide a tool which Q**o improves on the tools known hitherto.

accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tool including a first arm member and a second arm member pivotably connected to the first arm member so that said arm members are movable relative to each other between an open configuration and a closed configuration, the first arm member being provided with a first recess and the second arm member being provided with a first .oo.oi projection having a shaft portion and an end portion configured so as to taper towards an apex remote from the shaft portion, wherein the end portion is at least partially receivable in the first recess when said arm members are in the closed configuration, and the shaft portion is movably mounted relative to the second arm member such 3 that the location of the end portion relative to the first recess when said arm members are in the closed configuration is adjustable.

In this way, the interrelationship between the projection and the recess may be adjusted to suit different sized fish hooks.

The present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a tool in accordance with the present invention with the tool in an open configuration.

Figure 2 is a further diagrammatic perspective view of the tool shown in Figure 1 with the tool in an open configuration; Figure 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of the tool shown in Figures 1 and 2 with regions of the tool adjacent projections and recesses of the tool shown in cross section; Figure 4 is a diagrammatic side view of the tool shown in Figures 1 to 3; and 15 Figure 5 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a projection of the tool shown in Figures 1 to 4 with the projection shown engaged with an arm member of the tool.

ooooo Referring to the drawings, there is shown a tool 10 which includes a first arm member 12 pivotably connected to a second arm member 14 at a pivot connection 16. The first and second arm members 12, 14 are movable about the pivot connection 16 from a first open configuration as shown in Figure 1 wherein the tool 10 is substantially Xooooo shaped to a second closed configuration (not shown) wherein the tool 10 is substantially rectilinear.

.oo, 4 The first arm member 12 includes a first handle member 18 and a first jaw member The second arm member 14 includes a second handle member 22 and a second jaw member 24.

Accommodated on the first arm member 12 are a first projection 26 and a second projection 28. Accommodated on the second arm member 14 are a first recess portion and a second recess portion 32, the configuration and the location of the first and second recess portions 30, 32 being such that the first and second projections 26, 28 are at least partially received in the respective first and second recess portions 30, 32 when the tool 10 is in the closed configuration. The size of the first projection 26 may be different to the size of the second projection 28 so that the tool 10 can be used in relation to fish hooks of a wide range of sizes. The size of the first and second recess portions 30, 32 may also be different, the size of each recess portion being determined by the size of the corresponding first or second projection 26, 28.

The configuration of each of the first and second projections 26, 28 is shown more 15 particularly in Figure 5. Each projection 26, 28 includes an end portion 34, in this example of substantially cone shaped configuration, a shaft portion 36 and a head ooooo portion 38. The end portion 34 includes a substantially conical surface 40 which tapers away from the shaft portion 36 towards an apex 42. The shaft portion 36 is provided with an externally screw threaded portion 44 which is adapted to screw threadably engage with a corresponding internally screw threaded portion 45 provided on the first arm member 12. The head portion 38 is provided with an engaging portion 47, in this example of elongate configuration, for engaging with a corresponding shaped end of a driving tool, for example a screwdriver.

It will be understood that by adjusting the location of the first or second projection 26, 28 relative to the first arm member 12, the location of the first or second projection 26, 28 relative to the first or second recess portion 30, 32 respectively when the tool is in the closed configuration can be adjusted.

To reduce wear of the tool 10 during use, the first and second projections 26, 28 may be formed of sufficiently hard material to resist typical forces exerted on the first and second projections 26, 28 during use, for example steel or tungsten.

One of the first and second arm members 12, 14, in this example the first arm member 12, is provided with adjustable stop means, in this example in the form of a screw 46, the screw 46 serving to adjust the distance between the first and second arm members 12, 14 and thereby the distance between the projections and the recess portions when the tool is in the closed configuration. The other first or second arm member 12, 14 not provided with the screw 46, in this example the second arm member 14, may include a depression 48 configured and located so as to engage with a tip of the screw oooo 46 when the tool 10 is in the closed configuration. However, it will be appreciated that the screw 46 is not an essential part of the tool as the distance between the projections and the recess portions when the tool 10 is in the closed configuration may be adjusted by adjusting the location of the projections relative to the first arm member 12.

The first and second jaw members 20, 24 are provided with crimping means, in this example in the form of at least one tongue 50 provided on one of the first and second arm members 12, 14 and at least one corresponding groove 52 provided on the other of the first or second arm members 12, 14. The first and second jaw members 20, 24 6 may also be provided with serrated gripping surfaces 54 and cutting means, in this example in the form of elongate cutting edges 56.

As shown in Figure 3, the first and second recess portions 30, 32 are substantially cylindrical in shape. The first and second recess portions 30, 32 are of an appropriate cross sectional dimension to, in use, at least partially receive the end portions 34 of the first and second projections 26, 28 respectively.

In use, the tool 10 may be used for connecting fish hooks together so as to form a chain of hooks. This is commonly known as ganging and the practice is used for catching certain types of fish. In order to connect the fish hooks together, it is necessary to open an eye of a first fish hook so that the fish hook can be linked with and thereby connected to a hook portion of a second fish hook.

To connect two fish hooks together, an eye of a first fish hook is placed over either the end portion 34 of the first projection 26 or the end portion 34 of the second projection 28 depending on which end portion 34 is the most suitable in size. The first and second arm members 12, 14 are then moved towards the closed configuration, thereby causing the apex 42 of the appropriate projection 26, 28 to extend into the corresponding recess portion 30, 32 and the fish hook eye to open to a degree sufficient for a hook portion of a second fish hook to link with the open eye of the first fish hook.

It will be understood that the eye opening operation should be monitored by the user 0..

so that the eye of the first fish hook does not open more than is necessary. However, once the eye of the first fish hook has been opened, the location of the appropriate projection 26, 28 relative to the first arm member 12 may be adjusted by rotating the projection relative to the first arm member. This sets the minimum distance between 7 the projection and the corresponding recess portion 30, 32 when the tool 10 is in the closed configuration. In this way, the projection and the corresponding recess portion are prevented from coming together any closer than is necessary to sufficiently open the fish hook eye. A hook portion of a second fish hook may then be linked with the eye of the first fish hook which is now open.

To close the eye of the first fish hook, the eye is placed between the first and second arm members at an appropriate location and first and second arm members 12, 14 are moved together.

It will be understood that the screw 46 may also be used to set the minimum distance between the first and second arm members 12, 14 and thereby the distance between the appropriate projection and the corresponding recess portion when the tool is in the closed configuration. However, by using the screw 46 to set the minimum allowable distance between the projection and the corresponding recess portion, it will be understood that the minimum distance between the first and second arm members 12, 15 14 may be too great to carry out the necessary closing operation of the fish hook eyes.

It is envisaged, therefore, that where possible the minimum distance between the appropriate projection and the corresponding recess portion will be set by adjustment of the location of the projection relative to the first arm member 12 as this will not affect the eye closing operation.

Although the present invention has been discussed in relation to a projection having a substantially conical head portion and a corresponding substantially conical recess portion, it will be appreciated that other shaped head portions and recess portions are envisaged, the important aspect being that the projection and the recess portion 8 cooperate to cause opening of a fish hook eye when the tool is moved to the closed configuration.

Modifications and variations as would be apparent to a skilled addressee are deemed to be within the scope of the present invention.

2

Claims (4)

1. A tool including a first arm member and a second arm member pivotably connected to the first arm member so that said arm members are movable relative to each other between an open configuration and a closed configuration, the first arm member being provided with a first recess and the second arm member being provided with a first projection having a shaft portion and a head portion configured so as to taper towards an apex remote from the shaft portion, wherein the head portion is at least partially receivable in the first recess when said arm members are in the closed configuration, and the shaft portion is movably mounted relative to the second arm member such that the location of the head portion relative to the first recess when said arm members are in the closed configuration is adjustable.

2. A tool according to claim 1 wherein the first arm member includes a second recess, and the second arm member is provided with a second projection having a 0o*o shaft portion and a head portion configured so as to taper towards an apex remote from the shaft portion, wherein the head portion is at least partially receivable in the second recess when the arm members are in the closed configuration, and the shaft portion of the second projection is movably mounted relative to the second arm member such that the location of the head portion of the second projection relative to the second recess when the arm members are in the closed configuration is adjustable.

3. A tool according to Claim 2 wherein the shaft portion of each projection is substantially circular in cross section, and the head portion of each projection is cone shaped.

4. A tool according to Claim 3 wherein the diameter of the first projection is different to that of the second projection. A tool substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings. DATED THIS 16 TH DAY OF NOVEMBER 2000. ABSTIN PROPRIETARY LIMITED By their Patent Attorneys LORD COMPANY PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. ooo ~o *l,