GB2257937A

GB2257937A - Foot-operable hand-held tools

Info

Publication number: GB2257937A
Application number: GB9115891A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gordon Steeds
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-07-23
Filing date: 1991-07-23
Publication date: 1993-01-27
Anticipated expiration: 2011-07-23
Also published as: GB9115891D0; GB2257937B

Abstract

Foot-operable hand-held secateurs or pruning shears (1) have a flexible connector cable (2) extending between a pivoted blade (3) of the blade pair (2, 5) and a remote pedal control arrangement (4). The blades are biassed to "open" via spring (15) and the pedal to "up" via spring (12). Alternatively, the pedal may be connected to the pivoted blade by a fluid pressure piston and cylinder arrangement. The tools provide great advantages to users who are able to hold the elongate handle (6) but whose grip would be too weak or painful to operate corresponding conventional tools in which the blade pair is closed manually. <IMAGE>

Description

HAND TOOLS The present invention relates to hand-held tools, and more particularly to hand-held tools having pivoted members which open and close with respect to each other.

Hand-held tools formed by two such members are well known, the members typically providing a shearing or pinching action. The members may be spring-biassed towards the open condition, as for example in conventional gardener's secateurs or pruning shears.

Such known tools can, however, be difficult to operate by persons with a weak grip or by persons suffering from arthritis or some other disability of the hands.

The present invention accordingly provides a hand-held tool of the type in which pivoted members open and close with respect to each other, the tool comprising a handle for holding the tool during use, the pivoted members mounted to the handle so as to be mutually openable and closable in use and actuating means provided on the tool for effecting said opening and closing, wherein control means are further provided at a location remote from the tool and operably linked thereto so as to control the actuating means in response to a force applied to the control means at a location remote from the tool.

It is most preferred that the control means will comprise a foot pedal connected via a cable, or via a hydraulic or pneumatic line with associated piston and cylinder arrangements, to one of the pivoted members and arranged so that on depressing the pedal the pivoted members close with respect to each other. In such an arrangement, the pedal is suitably biassed towards the "up" condition and the pivoted members towards the "open" condition, suitably by means of resilient biassing means such as springs.

For ease of understanding the present invention embodiments will now be described without limitation and purely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a schematic side view of a footoperable secateurs tool; and Fig. 2 shows s a schematic side view of an alternative foot-operable secateurs tool.

Fig. 1 shows a foot-operable secateurs tool 1 having a flexible cable connection 2 (e.g. braided metal cable) extending between a pivotably moveable metal blade 3 of the tool and a pedal control arrangement 4. A second metal blade 5 is fixedly mounted to an elongate handle 6 (e.g. of a moulded plastics material) provided with a contoured grip surface. The blades 3,5 are pivoted together by means of a pin 7 in conventional manner, to lie to one side of the pivot pin 7. The blades 3,5 are provided with respective projections 8,9 on the other side of the pivot pin 7, which actuate the blades when moved towards and away from each other.

The pedal control arrangement 4 comprises a base plate 10 to which a pedal plate 11 is hinged so as to be depressible by the user's foot against the restoring force of a compression spring 12.

The cable 2 ends are retained one to the projection 8 of the moveable blade 3 and one to the pedal plate 11 by means of conventional cable retainers and the intervening length of cable is housed in a conventional cable sheath or housing 13 retained in conventional manner at one end to the projection 9 of the fixed blade 5 and at the other end to a portion 14 projecting upwards from the pedal base plate 10.

The cable length may suitably be about 2 metres.

The blades 3,5 are biassed towards the mutually open condition by means of a compression spring 15 provided between projections 8 and 9.

To operate the secateurs, pedal plate 11 is depressed, so pulling on control cable 2 which causes blades 3 and 5 to close with respect to each other. Releasing the foot pressure on pedal plate 11 causes the tool to return to its resting condition with the blades open, under the influence of springs 12 and 15.

Referring now to Fig. 2, in which like parts are given like designations, there is shown a hydraulic or pneumatic version of the secateurs tool previously described.

In this second arrangement, depression of the pedal plate 11 pushes a piston 16 into a cylinder 17 against the restoring force of a spring 18 (which may alternatively be associated with cylinder 17 in conventional manner, as shown by dotted lines). A hydraulic or pneumatic control line 19 connects the cylinder 17 to a second, bladeactuating, cylinder 20 positioned on the handle 6 and provided with a return spring 21 in conventional manner.

The flow of air or fluid into the second cylinder 20 causes a second piston 22 therein to move, against the restoring force of return spring 21, to move the blade 3 to which piston 22 is connected via a piston rod 23, and so close the blades 3,5.

Releasing the foot pressure on pedal plate 11 causes the tool to return to its resting condition with the blades open, under the influence of springs 18 and 21.

The invention has been described above by way of example only and many variations and modifications will be readily apparent to the skilled reader. All such variations and modifications are intended to be included in the scope hereof.

Claims

1. A hand-held tool of the type in which pivoted members open and close with respect to each other, the tool comprising a handle for holding the tool during use, the pivoted members mounted to the handle so as to be mutually openable and closable in use and actuating means provided on the tool for effecting said opening and closing, wherein control means are further provided at a location remote from the tool and operably linked thereto so as to control the actuating means in response to a force applied to the control means at a location remote from the tool.

2. A tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control means comprises a foot pedal connected to one of the pivoted members and arranged so that on depressing the pedal the pivoted member close with respect to each other.

3. A tool as claimed in claim 2, wherein a cable connects the foot pedal to the pivoted member.

4. A tool as claimed in claim 2, wherein a hydraulic line and associated piston and cylinder arrangements connects the foot pedal to the pivoted member.

5. A tool as claimed in claim 2, wherein a pneumatic line and associated piston and cylinder arrangements connects the foot pedal to the pivoted member.

6.. A tool as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the pedal is biassed towards the "up" condition and the pivoted members towards the "open" condition.

7. A tool as claimed in any preceding claim when in the form of secateurs or pruning shears.

8. A hand-held tool substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

9. A hand-held tool substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.