CA1238068A - Pick-up tool - Google Patents

Pick-up tool

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Publication number
CA1238068A
CA1238068A CA000495268A CA495268A CA1238068A CA 1238068 A CA1238068 A CA 1238068A CA 000495268 A CA000495268 A CA 000495268A CA 495268 A CA495268 A CA 495268A CA 1238068 A CA1238068 A CA 1238068A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
tool
sleeve
elongated
reciprocating
pick
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA000495268A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Irving J. Nast
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to CA000495268A priority Critical patent/CA1238068A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1238068A publication Critical patent/CA1238068A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Abstract

ABSTRACT
A combination magnetic and mechanical object manipulation and retrieval tool. The magnetic portion of the tool is tubular in shape and is coaxially aligned with the mechanical, prehensile portion of the tool. The magnetic portion of the tool, which surrounds the prehensile portion, includes an annular shaped face which extends substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the tool. With this arrangement the magnetic portion of the tool augments the prehensile portion of the tool to permit objects disposed within a confined space to be easily maneuvered about so that they can either be removed by the magnet or conveniently aligned with and expeditiously gripped by the fingers of the prehensile portion of the device.

Description

PICK--UP TOOL
S P E C I F I C A T I O N
. _ Background of the Invention Field of the Invention - ~
The present invention relates generally to mechanics' ~ools. More particularly the invention concerns a novel combina-tion mechanical and magnetic manipulation and pick-up tool.
Discussion of the Prior Art -Many types of pick-up tools have been suggested in the pas~. Typically these tools are either magnetic, or they include some type of mechan.ical gripping finger arrangement which func-tions to pick-up the object to be retrieved. The U.S. patent to M.S.
Dunkelberger, No 2,320,967 discloses devices exemplary of this latter type of tool. The U.S. patent to J.T. Keys, No. 512,381 dis-closes devices exemplary of the former class of tool.
; Both magnetic and mechanical devices are useful for particular applications, but each type of tool is lacking in versatllity. The magnetic type tool can pick-up, or manipulate ferrous objects, but has no effect on objects made of non-ferrous metals. The mechanical tool, on the other hand, is useful in picking up ferrous and non-ferrous objects which are located so as to be readily accessible to the pick-up fingers or claws.
owever, such tools are generally useless in manipulating or moving the objects from one location to another. For example, if a nut or other small object to be retrieved is located proximate a wall, or in a corner of a closed chamber, often it cannot be reached by the gripping fingers of the mechanical tool and cannot ~23~
be moved away from the wall or corner to a position where it i5 accessible to the gripplng fingers~
Recognizing the lack of versatility of each of the two basic classes of tools, S. P. Winder devised a mechanical tool to which a magnetic element could be attached. This tool is disclosed in TJ.S. Patent No. 2,947,56~. However, in the Winder tool, when the magnetic attachment is in place the mechanical pick-up portion of the tool is rendered inoperative.
The present invention uniquely overcomes the drawbacks of the various prior art manipulation and pick-up tools by providing a combination magnetic and mechanical tool which provides at all times the advantages inherent in both types of tools. Because of the novel operable association between the prehensile, or gripping, portion of the tool and the magnetic portion of the tool, one does not interere with the other and both can be used simultaneously to expeditiously manipulate and retrieve lost objects.
Summary of the Invention The present invention seeks to provide a dual action pick-up and manipulation tool in which the mechanical and magnetic portions of the tool uniquely cooperate with one another to expeditiously maneuver and retrieve lost objects from confined and hard to reach locations.
The invention in its broader aspect comprehends an object manipulating and pick-up tool comprising an elongated assembly having a longitudinal passageway therethrough and first and second end portions, at least a portion of the second end portion being stationaxy and magnetic. Finger engaging means is connected proximate the first end portion of the sleeve assembly :

~L~3~

for engagement by the fingers of the user and reciprocating means is carried within the assembly for reciprocating movement within the passageway between first and second positions, the reciprocating means having a first and a second end, the first end extending from the sleeve assembly a limited distance. Palm engaging means is connected proximate the first end of the reciprocating means for engagement by the palm of the user.
Prehensile means is connected at the second end of the reciprocating means for gripping objects when the reciprocating means is moved between the first and second positions, the prehensile means being at least partially encapsulated within the magnetic portion of the assembly when the recipricating means is in the first position and being moveable relative to the stationary magnetic portion.
Further, the invention seeks to provide a tool of the aforementioned character in which the prehensile and ~nagnetic portions of the tool operate in a non-interfering manner and yet both are an integral part of the same tool, and they can be used to augment each other in retrieving objects. For example, the magnetic portion of the tool, which surrounds and substantially encapsulates the prehensile portion, can be used to maneuver ferrous metal objects into an optimum position for retrieval by the magnet alone or for gripplng and retrieval by the prehensile ~ portion.
;~ 25 Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is is a longitudinal view of the pick-up tool of the present invention, partly in section to show internal construction.
::

6~3 Figure 2 is a longitudinal view partly in section, similar to Figure 1, but showing the appearance of the tool when it has been moved into an article pick-up configuration.
Figure 3 is an end view of the device taken alonq lines 3-3 of Fiyure 1.
Description of the Invention Referring to the drawings and particularly to Figure 1, the object manipulating and pick-up tool of the invention is generally designated by the numeral 12. In the embodiment of the 10 invention shown in Figure 1, the tool comprises an elongated generally flexible sleeve 14, having a longitudinal central axis X and first and second extremities 14a and 14b~ Affixed proximate the first and second extremities of the sleeve, as by crimping or other suitable means, are first and second hollow tubular por~
15 tions designated by the numerals 16 and 18. Connected to the first tubular portion 16 is finger-engaging means for engagement by the fingers of the users. In the present embodiment of the invention, this finger-engaging means is provided in the form of a transversely extending member 20, having inwardly turned 20 extremities 20a.
Forming an important aspect of the present invention, is a magnet means, provided here in the form of a tubular shaped magnet 22~ which is removably connected to the second tubular portion 18 of the device. The magnet 22 is disposed coaxially 25 with the longitudinal axis of the sleeve of the tool and includes a generally flat, annular-shaped magnetic face 24, which is disposed in a plane su~stantially perpendicular to the longi~
tudinal axis X of the sleeve. As will be discussed in greater detail hereinafter, the magnet 22 cooperates with the object gripping or prehensile means of the device ~o manipulate an object within a closed or hard to reach space, so that the coaxially disposed prehensile means can quickly and conveniently 5 retrieve the lost object.
Carried within the elongated sleeve 12 for reciprocal movement therewithin between first and second positions i5 a reciprocating means, or shaft assembly, generally designated by the numeral 26. As indicated in Figure 1 of the drawings, shaft lOassembly 26 has first and second ends 26a and ~6b~and includes an elongated intermediate flexible wire portion 28, having Eirst and second ends 28a and 28b. Connected to end 28a is a rigid rod portion 30, which extends outwardly from tubular portion 16.
Connected to end 28b is a prehensile means, the construction of 15 which will presently be described. Portion 26 can be constructed of a length of spring steel wire, or the like, which is of smaller diameter than the inside diameter of sleeve 12. Rod portion~30 can be affixed to wire portion 28 by mechanical means, by brazing or by any other suitable means well known in the art.
20 Afixed to the outboard end of rod portion 30 is a palm engaging means provided here in the form of a palm engaging knob 3~, which is adapted to be comfortably received within the palm of the hand of the user. Disposed between the finger-engaging means, or member 20, and the palm-engaging knob 32 is biasing means for 25 yieldably resisting movement of the shaft assembly toward the second position. In the embodiment of the invention here shown, this biasing means comprises a coil spring 34~

~3~

In the present form of the invention the previously mentioned prehensile means comprises four yieldably resilient fingers 36 which are movable irom the first closed position illustrated in Figure 1 to the second expanded position illustrated in Figure 2 As best seen by also referring to Figure 3, fingers 36 have inturned ends and are ; circumferentially spaced relative to one another by approximately 90'. The prehensile means, or fingers 36, can be interconnected with wire portion 28 by any suitable means such as a clamping sleeve 38 (Figure 1) which is crimped to the ends of the fingers proximate one end and to the wire portion 28 proximate the other end Operation Uith the device of the invention in the at rest confi-guration, shown in Figure 1/ it is ideally suited for use in manipulating ferrous articles from one position within a confined space to another to dlign the objects with the prehensile means or fingers 36. It is to be noted that in the at rest position the magnet 22 surrounds and substantially encapsulates the fingers 20 ~ 36. Because the magnet 22 is coaxially aligned with the prehen-- : sile means and includes the perpendicularly extending annular face 24 which is of a reasonably substantial area, ferrous ob-jects can be readily maneuvered within the confined space to ::~ precisely align them with the prehensile means. The device is : 25 particularly useful when, for example, the object to be retrieved is in a corner or against a wall at a location where the prehen-sile means cannot reach i~. In such a situation the maclnet 22 is invaluable in manipulating the object away from a corner or from ~3~

the wall to a location where it can either be retrieved by the magnet alone or be conveniently aligned with and then encompassed by the fingers in the extended configuratiom shown in Figure 2.
When the object to be retrieved has been moved into a convenient location, the operator of the tool will grasp the .~
device in a manner such that the fingers of one hand are curled under the finger-engaging means with the palm~engaging knob 32 resting against the cupped palm of the hand. A movement of the fingers toward the palm will then cause movement of the recipro-cating means, or shaft assembly, from the first position to asecond position against the urging of spring 34 with spring 34 moving into the close coupled configuration illustrated in Figure
2. As the reciprocating means moves from the first position to the second position, the fingers 36 will move from the closed, encapsulated position shown in Figure 1 to the extended, gripping position shown in Figure ~2. Because the fingers 36 are made of a resilient spring-like material, they will diverge from one anothe~ in the ~anner shown in Figure 2 as they move outwardly with respect to the sleeve 18 and magnet 22. In this expanded 20 position, the fingers can be positioned around the ob~ect to be retrieved. By then releasing the gripping pressure exerted by the fingers on the finger-engaging means 20, spring 34 will urge the reciprocatlng means to move toward its first, or starting posi-tion, causing the fingers to once again move toward one another.
25 As the fingers move toward their closed position they will securely grip the object so that it can be lifted from the en-closed space and expeditiously retrieved.

:

~3~63~3 For certain applications magnet 22 can be removed f~omsleeve 18 and replaced with a magnet of larger or smaller size.
Also for certain applications magnet 22 can be replaced by an electromagnet. In any case, however, the magnet in no ~ay inter-feres with the operation or the prehensile means or vice versa.
.Having now described ~he invention in detail ln accor-dance with the requirements of the patent statutes, those skilled in this art will have no difficulty in making changes and modi-fications in the individual parts or their relative assembly in order to meet specific requirements or conditions. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, as set forth in the following claims.

~; .

Claims (11)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. An object manipulating and pick-up tool comprising:
(a) an elongated assembly having a longitudinal passageway therethrough and first and second end portions, at least a portion of said second end portion being stationary and magnetic;
(b) finger engaging means connected proximate said first end portion of said sleeve assembly for engagement by the fingers of the user;
(c) reciprocating means carried within said assembly for reciprocating movement within said passageway between first and second positions, said reciprocating means having a first and a second end, said first end extending from said sleeve assembly a limited distance;
(d) palm engaging means connected proximate said first end of said reciprocating means for engagement by the palm of the user; and (e) prehensile means connected at said second end of said reciprocating means for gripping objects when said reciprocating means is moved between said first and second positions, said prehensile means being at least partially encapsulated within said magnetic portion of said assembly when said reciprocating means is in said first position and being movable relative to said stationary magnetic portion.
2. An object manipulating and pick-up tool comprising:

(a) an elongated sleeve having a longitudinal central axis and first and second extremities;

(b) finger engaging means connected proximate said first extremity of said elongated sleeve for engagement by the fingers of the user;
(c) a tubular shaped magnetic means connected proxi-mate said second extremity of said elongated sleeve, said magnetic means including a generally flat, annular shaped magnetic face disposed in a plane substantially perpendic-ular to the longitudinal axis of said sleeve;
(d) reciprocating means carried within said elongated sleeve for reciprocating movement between first and second positions, said reciprocating means having a first and a second end, said first end extending from said elongated sleeve a limited distance;
(e) palm engaging means connected proximate said first end of said reciprocating means for engagement by the palm of the user; and (f) prehensile means connected at said second end of said reciprocating means for gripping objects when said reciprocating means is moved between said first and second positions, said prehensile means being encapsulated within said elongated sleeve and said magnet means when said recip-rocating means is in said first position.
3. An object manipulating and pick-up tool as defined in Claim 2 in which said reciprocating means comprises:
(a) an elongated intermediary portion having first and second ends; and (b) a rigid, rod portion connected to said first end of said intermediary portion.
4. An object manipulating and pick-up tool as defined in Claim 3 in which both said elongated sleeve and said elongated intermediary portion are flexible.
5. An object manipulating and pick-up tool as defined in Claim 2 in which said prehensile means comprises a plurality of yieldable fingers movable betweeen a first closed position and a second expanded position upon movement of said reciprocating means betweeen said first and second positions.
6. An object manipulating and pick-up tool as defined in Claim 5, including biasing means disposed between said finger engaging means and said palm engaging means for yieldably resisting movement of said reciprocating means toward said second position.
7. An object manipulating and pick-up tool comprising;
(a) an elongated generally flexible sleeve having a longitudinal central axis and first and second extremities;
(b) first and second tubular portions connected proxi-mate said upper and lower extremities of said sleeve;
(c) finger engaging means connected to said first tubular portion of said elongated sleeve for engagement by the fingers of the user;
(d) a tubular shaped magnet connected to said second tubular portion of said elongated sleeve, said magnet including a generally flat, annular shaped magnetic face disposed in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said sleeve.
(e) a shaft assembly carried within said elongated sleeve for reciprocating movement therewithin between first and second positions, said shaft assembly having a first and a second end, said first end extending from said elongated sleeve a limited distance;
(f) a palm engaging knob connected proximate said first end of said shaft assembly for engagement by the palm of the user; and (g) prehensile means connected at said second end of said shaft assembly for gripping objects when said shaft assembly is moved between said first and second positions said prehensile means being encapsulated within said elongated sleeve when said reciprocating means is in said first position and being movable relative to said stationary magnet.
8. An object manipulating and pick-up tool as defined in Claim 7 in which said shaft assembly comprises:
(a) an elongated intermediary flexible wire portion having first and second ends; and (b) a rigid, rod portion connected to said first end of said intermediary flexible wire portion.
9. An object manipulating and pick-up tool comprising:
(a) an elongated generally flexible sleeve having a longitudinal central axis and first and second extremities;

(b) first and second tubular portions connected proxi-mate said first and second extremities of said sleeve;
(c) finger engaging means connected to said first tubular portion for engagement by the fingers of the user;
(d) a tubular shaped magnet connected to said second tubular portion of the devices, said magnet being coaxial with said longitudinal central axis of said sleeve and including a generally flat, annular shaped magnetic face disposed in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said sleeve;
(e) a shaft assembly carried within said elongated sleeve for reciprocating movement therewithin between first and second positions, said shaft assembly comprising:
(i) an elongated intermediary flexible wire portion having first and second ends; and (ii) a rigid, rod portion connected to said first end of said intermediary flexible wire portion;
(f) a palm engaging knob connected proximate said first end of said rod portion for engagement by the palm of the user;
(g) biasing means disposed between said finger engaging means and said palm engaging knob for yieldably resisting movement of said shaft assembly toward said second position.
(h) prehensile means connected at said second end of said flexible wire portion for gripping objects when said shaft assembly is moved between said first and second posi-tions, said prehensile means being encapsulated within said elongated sleeve and said magnet when said reciprocating means is in said first position and comprising at least two yieldable fingers movable betweeen a first closed position and a second expanded position upon movement of said shaft assembly betweeen said first and second positions.
10. An object manipulating and pick-up tool as defined in Claim 9 in which said biasing means comprises a coil spring coaxially aligned with said longitudinal central axis of said elongated sleeve.
11. An object manipulating and pick-up tool as defined in Claim 9 in which said finger engaging means comprises a trans-versely extending member having inwardly turned extremities adapted to recive the fingers of the user.
CA000495268A 1985-11-13 1985-11-13 Pick-up tool Expired CA1238068A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA000495268A CA1238068A (en) 1985-11-13 1985-11-13 Pick-up tool

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA000495268A CA1238068A (en) 1985-11-13 1985-11-13 Pick-up tool

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1238068A true CA1238068A (en) 1988-06-14

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA000495268A Expired CA1238068A (en) 1985-11-13 1985-11-13 Pick-up tool

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Country Link
CA (1) CA1238068A (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6742415B2 (en) 2001-07-02 2004-06-01 Her Majesty The Queen In Right Of Canada As Represented By The Solicitor General Acting Through The Commissioner Of The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Remotely operable opening mechanism for potentially booby-trapped latched panels

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6742415B2 (en) 2001-07-02 2004-06-01 Her Majesty The Queen In Right Of Canada As Represented By The Solicitor General Acting Through The Commissioner Of The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Remotely operable opening mechanism for potentially booby-trapped latched panels

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