GB2248793A - Hand tool for hooks - Google Patents

Abstract

A hand tool for inserting a conventional hook comprises an elongate rod 10 with a handle 29 at one end for gripping and turning. At the opposite end there is a stepped cut out 13 with a face 17 for receiving the hook. A projection 18 on the face engages in the curved part of the hook while the screw-threaded part extends through a gap 22 in an end wall 21. A retaining plate 7 is mounted for pivoting over the hook to retain the latter in position and the plate 7 is locked in place with a slidable sleeve 23. When the hook has been inserted in position by rotating the rod 10 the sleeve 23 is moved to release the plate 7 which is pivoted out to permit the tool to be withdrawn from the hook. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN HAND HELD TOOLS The present invention relates to a tool or implement usable to facilitate the fixing of screw-threaded hooks.

Hooks with a curved part and a rectilinear screw-threaded part are widely used for fitting up curtains or for other purposes such as to hang cups or clothes. In certain cases, the hooks are difficult to fix since they may be needed in corners and fixing the hooks may be a painstaking task.

A general object of the invention is to provide a tool usable to facilitate the fixing of screw-threaded hooks or the like.

A tool constructed in accordance with the invention preferably has an elongate rod turnable at one end, means providing a seating onto which a screw-threaded hook is locatable and locking means for selectively holding the hook on the seating whilst the rod is turned to cause the hook to be inserted into a desired position.

The locking means may be a slidable or pivotable component or a combination of such. In one design a plate or the like is pivotably mounted to swivel over the seating means to retain a hook in place and a slidable sleeve locks the plate in position. The seating can be formed by a stepped cut-out region of the rod or an end piece fitted to the rod. This stepped region then presents at least one flat or smoothly curved face with a projection which lies in the curved part of the hook.

This projection preferably lies in a position offset from the Longitudinal axis of the rod. A groove in a rib or wall can receive the screw-threaded part of the hook which then projects from the associated end of the tool.

To use the tool, a hook is placed on the seating means and the locking means is operated to releasably retain the hook in place. The rod is then rotated possibly with a cross-piece or some other handle. If the rod is about 20 to 30cm in length, adequate torque can be applied to the hook. The seating and locking means need be no wider than the rod so the hook can be inserted even into a narrow corner and even into hardwood. There is no necessity to bore a hole prior to fixing the hook as is often the case hitherto. Once the hook is fixed the locking means is released to permit the tool to be removed leaving the hook in place.

The invention may be understood more readily and various other aspects and features of the invention may become apparent, from consideration of the following description.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a tool constructed in accordance with the invention, Figure 2 is a side elevation of part of the tool shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a front elevation of part of the tool shown in Figures 1 and 2, showing the location of a hook.

As shown in Figures 1 and 3, a tool constructed in accordance with the invention is composed of an elongate rod 10 of circular cross-section with one end 11 formed as a handle for gripping in the hand. At the opposite end 12 the rod has a stepped cut-out 13 with first and second regions 14, 15 with flattened faces 16,17. The face 16 of the first region 14 has a retaining member 17 pivotably mounted thereto by means of a pivot pin 18. The member 17 has a flat inner face 19 adjacent the face 16. The member 17 can be swivelled between an open position and a retaining position aligned with the regions 14, 15. The face 17 of the second region 15 has a projection or boss 20 upstanding thereon and the centre of the projection 20 is offset from the longitudinal axis of the rod 10. At the extreme end of the second region 15 there is a terminal wall 21 with a groove 22.The second region 15 with the projection 20 and the groove 22 form a seating for receiving a hook 30 as shown in Figure 4.

A locking member in the form of a sleeve 23 is slidably mounted on the rod 10 adjacent the retaining member 17 and the sleeve 23 is trapped between stops 24,25 formed by pins 26,27. The pin 27 can be an integral part of the projection 20. The sleeve 23 can be moved along the rod 10 to generally surround the first and second stepped regions 14,15 and the retaining member 17 when the latter is aligned with the rod 10.

The sleeve 23 can be moved along the rod 10 in the opposite direction to free the retaining member 17. At the end of the rod 10 remote from the stepped cut-out regions 14,15, the rod 10 has a slot 28. A hollow cylindrical handle 29 has a transverse pin 35 mounted in the side wall which can be located in the slot 28.

During use, a hook 30 is placed onto the second region with its screw-threaded part extending out through the groove 22 and its curved part extending around the projection 20 as shown in Figure 4. The retaining member 17 is then swivelled over the hook 30 to trap the hook 30 in place and the sleeve 23 is pushed towards the end of the rod 10 to lock the retaining member 17 over the hook 30. The handle 29 is fitted onto the other end of the rod 10 so that the pin 35 locks into the slot 28 thus connecting the handle 29 and the rod 10 for common rotatory movement. A user can now rotate the rod 10 to drive the screw-threaded part of the hook 30 into the desired location. When the hook 30 has been fitted, the sleeve 23 is slid back along the rod 10 to allow the retaining member 17 to pivot away from the hook 30 to enable the tool to be removed from the hook 30.

With the handle 29 released from the rod 10 the tool can be used to release or re-adjust the hook 30 by reversing the tool and fitting the slot 30 over the hook 30. To cope with hooks 30 of different sizes a number of tools with seatings 15, 20 adapted to a range of sizes of hooks can be provided. Alternatively, the rod 10 can have a number of replaceable end-pieces with seatings 15, 20 adapted to a range of sizes of hooks. A selected end piece can be fixed to the rod 10 with a screw or a bayonet-fixing for example.

It is feasible to shape the inner face of the sleeve 23 to form a seating for engagement with a hook and the retaining member 17 can be omitted.

The handle 29 is optional and can, for example, be omitted or replaced by a cross-piece.

Claims (16)

1. A tool or implement usable to facilitate the fixing of screw-threaded hooks or the like; said tool comprising a rod turnable at one end, means for providing a seating for a screw-threaded hook and locking means for selectively holding the hook on the seating while the rod is turned to insert the hook in a desired position.

2. A tool according to Claim 1, wherein the locking means is a slidable component.

3. A tool according to Claim 1, wherein the locking means is a pivotable component.

4. A tool according to Claim l wherein the locking means is a combination of slidable and pivotable components.

5. A tool according to Claim 1, wherein the locking means is a plate pivotably mounted to swivel over the seating.

6. A tool according to Claim 5, wherein the locking means further comprises a slidable sleeve for locking the plate in position.

7. A tool according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the seating is a stepped cut out region at the other end of the rod or an end piece fitted to the other end of the rod.

8. A tool according to Claim 7, wherein the stepped region presents at least one flat or smoothly curved face provided with a projection for engaging in the curved part of the hook.

9. A tool according to Claim 8, wherein the projection is located in a position offset for the longitudinal axis of the rod.

10. A tool according to Claim 8 or 9, wherein the seating further comprises a rib with a groove for receiving the screw-threaded part of the hook for projection outwardly from the other end of the rod.

11. A tool according to any one of the preceding clips wherein a handle or cross-piece is provided at the one end of the rod to facilitate the turning thereof.

12. A tool according to Claim 11, where the handle or cross-piece is detachable from or displaceably mounted to the rod.

13. A tool according to any one of Claims 1 to 12 wherein the seating and the locking means are not appreciably wider than the rod.

14. A tool according to any one of Claim 1 to 13 wherein the rod is circular in cross-section.

15. A hand-held for inserting a hook provided with a curved part and a screw-threaded rectilinear part; said tool being composed of an elongate rod with one end intended for or adapted for gripping in the hand and turning, a region at the other end of the rod which provides a seating face for the hook, a retaining member pivotably supported on the end region for swivelling into a closed position in alignment with the rod to cover the seating face or into an open position to expose the seating face, means for selectively locking the retaining member in the closed position, a projection on the seating face offset from the longitudinal axis of the rod an s wall with an aperture remote from the one enc, the aperture being aligned with the axis of the rod and serving to receiving the screw-threaded part of the hook which projects outwardly therefrom.

16. A tool or implement substantially as described with reference to, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.