GB2414435A

GB2414435A - Hammer

Info

Publication number: GB2414435A
Application number: GB0411874A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Marcus Hartley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-05-27
Filing date: 2004-05-27
Publication date: 2005-11-30
Also published as: GB0411874D0

Abstract

A hammer including a head 10 mounted on a shaft 12. The head comprises a body portion including a shaft mounting portion 14 to which the shaft is attached, a striking surface 20 at one side of the body portion and a nail removing portion 22 at the opposite side of the body portion to the striking surface which includes a claw portion 24 extending from the body portion nominally parallel to said striking surface. The shaft mounting portion is located intermediate the striking surface and the nail removing portion and the shaft and the nail removing portion are so spaced apart as to allow the insertion of a planar body between the shaft and the nail removing portion thus allowing the hammer to be used as a carrying tool. The planar body may be a sheet of board.

Description

Hammer The present invention relates to an improved hammer, and

specifically to a hammer having a plurality of uses.

Hammers having a variety of uses in addition to the principle use of driving in nails and the like are well known in the art. The most common additional use is the extraction of nails which is achieved by providing a claw-like construction on a side of the hammer head opposite to the striking face.

Examples of hammers having additional functions include NL 9301607, US 6 615 691, US 6 332 376, US 6 279 876, US6 032 927, and US 5 622 352.

Although the devices described in the above patents are no doubt effective in their particular areas of application they do not meet the objects of the present invention.

The present invention seeks to provide a hammer which is effective in its primary function of driving in nails and the like, is also effective for removing nails after insertion and, most preferably, is further useable as a carrying tool, in particular for large planar materials.

According to the invention there is provided a hammer including a head mounted on a shaft, wherein the head comprises: ; a body portion including a shaft mounting portion to which the shaft is 2; attached; . a substantially planar striking surface defined at one side of said body portion; a nail removing portion, defined at an opposite side of said body portion from . ' said striking surface and including a claw portion extending from said body portion nominally parallel to said striking surface, wherein the shaft mounting portion is intermediate the striking surface and the nail removing portion and the shaft and the nail removing portion are so spaced apart as to allow the insertion of a substantially planar body between the shaft and the nail removing portion.

Preferably the head portion includes a substantially planar end surface extending between the striking surface and the nail removing portion.

Preferably said end surface and the outer surface of the nail removing portion meet at a radiussed corner. More preferably the radius of said radiussed corner is at least about lOmm, especially at least about 20mm.

Preferably the outer surface of the nail removing portion is curved.

Preferably the head portion includes a carrying surface for supporting said substantially planar body defined between the handle mounting portion and an inner surface of the nail removing portion. Most preferably said carrying surface includes at least a portion which is substantially planar.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the following drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side plan view of a hammer according to the invention; : Figure 2 is a rear plan view of a hammer similar to that of Figure 1; . 25. ': . Figure 3 is an end plan view of a hammer similar to that of Figures 1 and 2; a, . Figure 4 is a section along the line A-A of Figure 1; Figure 5 is an exploded view of a hammer similar to that of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a hammer similar to that of Figure 1, in an inverted position; and Figure 7 is a view of the hammer of the invention being used to carry a large S planar body.

Referring now to the drawings the hammer 1 according to the invention comprises a head portion 10 and a shaft or handle 12. The head portion 10 is made from a suitable metal or alloy, such as a steel, and the shaft 12 is made from any suitable material such as a glass-reinforced plastic, wood or the like. The head portion 10 includes a shaft mounting portion 14 to which the shaft is attached by suitable fastening means such as bolts 16 and locking nuts 18. The shaft 12 is shaped to be comfortably gripped in a user's hand and so that the hammer 1 is well balanced in use.

The head portion 10 includes a first end face which defines a striking surface which is used for driving in nails or similar fasteners such as staples, or for striking a chisel, punch or other implement, as is conventional for a hammer. The striking surface is preferably substantially planar and in the embodiment shown is generally rectangular. The striking surface 20 is nominally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, that is, nominally parallel to line A-A in Figure 1. In preferred variations of the invention, the; striking surface 20 may not be exactly parallel to the longitudinal axis. For example, the striking surface 20 may be arranged at an angle of about 10 degrees, preferably about 5 degrees to the axis, and the term "nominally parallel" should be construed accordingly. The striking surface is sized to provide a convenient striking area for the user, typically about 500mm2 to about 800 mm2, preferably about 650 mm2.

The opposite face of the head portion 10 to the striking surface 20 provides a nail removing portion 22 which includes a claw portion 24 having a pair of fingers 24a defining between them a nail-retaining groove or slot 24b. The groove 24b becomes progressively narrower as it runs down the body portion, for effectively gripping nails of different sizes, as is known. Groove 24b preferably occupies from about one third to about on half of the length of the nail removing portion 22 measured from the leading end 241 of the fingers 24a to corner 26.

The outer surface 22a of the nail removing portion 22 is nominally parallel to the longitudinal axis A-A of the shaft 12. In preferred variations of the invention, the outer surface 22a may not be exactly parallel to the longitudinal axis. For example, the outer surface 22a may be arranged at an angle of about 10 degrees, preferably about 5 degrees to the axis. The surface 22a may include a portion 22a which is substantially planar and a portion 22a which is curved towards the shaft 12. The term "nominally parallel" in the context of outer surface 22a should be construed accordingly.

The surface portion 22a may be used as an alternative striking surface if the user desires. Typically, the curvature of the outer surface 22a is such that the leading end 241 of the fingers 24 is spaced from tangent T drawn form corner 26 (Figure i) by not more than about 10%, preferably about 4% to about 6% of length L of nail removing portion 22. The construction of the nail removing portion 22 so that it is approximately parallel to the handle 12 is advantageous in facilitating the capture of nails by the claw portion 24. ; Specifically the claw portion 24 can be drawn backwards in a direction .

approximately parallel to the handle to engage a nail head. This is easier,.

and allows more control by the user than with a conventional hammer where.

the claw portion is curved approximately through a right angle.

Corner 26 extends between outer surface 22a and end surface 28 of head portion 10. Corner 26 is most preferably radiussed with a radius of at least 10mm and more preferably at least 20mm. Thus, corner 26 provides a fulcrum about which the hammer turns when removing a nail captures in claw portion 24. By providing a radiussed corner 26 as described, damage to the underlying surface as the hammer 1 levers out a nail or the like is minimised. The end surface 28 is preferably planar and provides a convenient surface on which the hammer 1 may rest in use. Surface 28 extends between striking surface 20 and corner 26 and is preferably substantially perpendicular to axis A-A.

Inner surface 30 of nail removing portion 22 is opposed to surfaces 32, 34 of the shaft mounting portion 14 and the shaft 12 respectively. Between inner surface 30 and surface 32 of the shaft mounting portion is a surface 36 which is preferably planar, at least in part. Surfaces 30, 32, 34, 36 together define a hook portion 38 which has two principal uses. Firstly, as shown in Figure 7, with the hammer 1 in the inverted position as in Figure 6, the hammer 1 can be used to carry a planar body 40 such as a sheet of plywood, fibreboard, particle board, laminate, glass or the like which typically has dimensions significantly greater than the length of the shaft 12. The hammer can also b used to carry a plurality of planar bodies 40 of suitably small thickness, the maximum number of such bodies 40 being determined by the size of the surface 36 and the thickness of each planar body 40.

Typically the maximum thickness of the planar body 40, or of a plurality of planar bodies 40 is about 50mm. In this use, a lower edge of the planar body is supported on the surface 36 and retained between the nail removing 2.

portion 22 and the shaft 12. The user holds the shaft 12 towards its upper. 2 end. The shape of the shaft 12 and the spacing (as defined by the size of.

the surface 36) of the shaft 12 and the nail removing portion 22 are such that a user can comfortably carry the planar body without danger of grazing the knuckles on the planar body. That is, the nail removing portion 22 and .

the handle are sufficiently spaced apart that, when the hammer is used to carry a planar body of conventional thickness, the planar body can be spaced from the user's hand while the user is gripping the shaft 12. The use of the hammer 1 of the invention in this way avoids unnecessary stooping and bending by the user. Further, the use of the hammer 1 avoids the need for the user to place his fingers under the lower edge of the planar body, where they could potentially be crushed by the planar body when lowering the planar body onto the ground, for example. Both of these uses therefore have important safety advantages.

Secondly, when a user is working from a ladder, the hook portion 38 enables the hammer 1 of the invention to be hung from a rung of the ladder when not in use, the surface 36 resting against the rung. Most preferably, the dimension between the surface 36 and the end of the shaft 12 is selected to be greater than the distance between the rungs of a typical ladder. Thus, with the hammer 1 suspended by the hook portion 36, the shaft 12 rests against the next rung down. The hammer 1 is thereby prevented from swinging about the upper rung and is maintained in a safe condition when not in use. The length of the nail removing portion 22 is sufficiently long that the hammer 1 when suspended from the rung of the ladder is not easily dislodged by an accidental knock, for example. Of course the hook portion 36 also allows the hammer to be suspended when not in use from any convenient horizontal spar or member, not necessarily being part of a ladder.

Hook portion 36 further allows the hammer 1 to be hung from the user's belt when not in use. . :

Claims

Claims 1. A hammer including a head mounted on a shaft, wherein the head

comprises: a body portion including a shaft mounting portion to which the shaft is attached; a substantially planar striking surface defined at one side of said body portion; a nail removing portion, defined at an opposite side of said body portion from said striking surface and including a claw portion extending from said body portion nominally parallel to said striking surface, wherein the shaft mounting portion is intermediate the striking surface and the nail removing portion and the shaft and the nail removing portion are so spaced apart as to allow the insertion of a substantially planar body between the shaft and the nail removing portion.
2. A hammer as claimed in claim 1 wherein the head portion includes a substantially planar end surface extending between the striking surface and the nail removing portion.
3. A hammer as claimed in claim 2 wherein said end surface and the outer surface of the nail removing portion meet at a radiussed corner. . ,
4. A hammer as claimed in claim 3 wherein the radius of said radiussed corner is at least 10mm.
5. A hammer as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the outer surface of the nail removing portion is curved.
6. A hammer as claimed in wherein the head portion includes a carrying surface for supporting said substantially planar body defined between the handle mounting portion and an inner surface of the nail removing portion.
7. A hammer as claimed in claim 7 wherein said carrying surface includes at least a portion which is substantially planar.
8. A hammer substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any of Figures to 7. :