GB2511203A

GB2511203A - A tool for removing slates

Info

Publication number: GB2511203A
Application number: GB201400551A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mark John Hatfield
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-01-15
Filing date: 2014-01-13
Publication date: 2014-08-27
Also published as: GB201400551D0; GB201300701D0

Abstract

A tool for removing slates which comprises a body portion 6 for sliding under the slates, at least one blade 8 which extends along the body portion and which is for cutting nails used to hold the slates in position, and a handle 12. The body preferably has a blade along each longitudinal side. The blade(s) may be integral with the body portion or may be releasable. Releasable blades are preferably fastened by nuts and bolts. The handle preferably extends, via a step, in the same longitudinal direction as the body and blade. In use, a damaged tile can be replaced without damaging adjacent tiles or the roof sub-structure.

Description

A TOOL FOR REMOVING SLATES

This invention relates to a tool for removing slates.

A tool for removing slates is known. The known tool has a body portion for sliding under the slates, and a handle. The body portion has hooks at its end remote from the handle. In use, one of the hooks is hooked over a nail.

The handle is then hit with a hammer in order to pull the nail out. The known tool suffers from the drawback that the nail heads often come off when the handle of the tool is hit with the hammer. The result is that the hook is then no longer able to hook onto the nail and thus the known tool cannot be used any more. In addition, due to the force with which the handle is hit with the fl * hammer, battens and/or slates underneath the handle often break.

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It is an aim of the present invention to obviate or reduce the above *.. S** mentioned problem& *0

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Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention S.. S there is provided a tool for removing slates, which tool comprises a body portion for sliding under the slates, a blade which extends along the body portion and which is for cutting nails used to hold the slates in position, and a handle for enabling the tool to be moved backwards and forwards with a : sawing action so that the blade is able to cut through the nails and thereby enable the slates to be removed.

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The tool of the present invention is easily used. The blade is simply placed against a nail, and then the tool is moved with a sawing action to cut through the nail. If more than one nail is holding a slate, then the process is repeated until all nails holding the slate have been cut through. The slate can then be removed with minimum disturbance to surrounding slates, and also with minimum force on surrounding slates and on battens on which the slates are supported.

The body portion is preferably a flat strip body portion. Other constructions for the body portion may however be employed.

The tool may be one in which the blade extends along one longitudinal edge of the body portion.

The blade is preferably a saw blade with a saw tooth cutting edge.

Other types of blade may be employed so that, for example, the blade may be a blade with another type of cutting edge, such for example as an abrasive cutting edge formed of particles, for example metal particles or abrasive stone a 0.

* particles.

The tool may be one in which the blade is permanently secured to the body portion. Usually, the blade will then be formed as an integral part of the body portion. However, if desired, the blade may be separately formed and * then permanently secured to the body portion.

The tool may alternatively be one in which the blade is releasably secured to the body portion, and in which the tool includes releasable securing means for releasably securing the blade to the body portion. With a * releasable blade, the blade can easily be replaced when it become worn.

When the tool has the releasable blade, then the releasable securing means is preferably a screw threaded releasable securing means. Other types of releasable securing means may be employed so that, for example, the releasable securing means may be a pivoting over-centre releasable securing means.

The screw threaded releasable securing means preferably comprises a nut which is fixed to the body portion, and a screw threaded bolt for screwing through the nut and tightening or loosening the blade on the body portion.

Other types of screw threaded releasable securing means may be employed.

Preferably, there are two of the blades. In this case, there may be one of the blades on either side of the body portion. If desired however the tool may have only one blade. When the tool has two of the blades, then each *:" blade may have its own one of the releasable securing means if the blades 0*e are releasable blades. The tool may alternatively be one in which there is one releasable securing means for both of the blades.

The blades may be made of an odd size so that they are only able to fit the tool of the present invention. Alternatively, the blades may be of a * standard size or sizes.

The tool may be one in which the body portion extends in a first plane, to : * in which the handle extends in a second plane, and in which in use the *o second plane is above the first plane whereby the handle can be gripped and used to operate the tool with the sawing action and without a user catching their knuckles on the slates. In this case, the handle is preferably connected * to the body portion by a step portion. Other constructions may be employed. *4S

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The handle is preferably an elongate handle which extends along a longitudinal axis of the body portion. Other constructions for the handle may be employed so that, for example, the handle could be a ring handle.

The tool may be made of any suitable and appropriate materials. Thus, for example, the body portion and the handle may be made of a metal or a hard plastics material. The blade or blades will usually be made of a metal.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a view from above showing a first tool of the present invention in use and removing slates from a roof; Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the tool as shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view of the tool as shown in Figure 2; Figure 4 is an enlarged view of releasable securing means forming part of the tool shown in Figures 1 and 2; Figure 5 is a view from one end of the releasable securing means as shown in Figure 4; Figure 6 shows a nut part of the releasable securing means shown in Figure 5; Figure 7 shows a blade mounting part of the releasable securing means shown in Figure 4; Figure 8 is an exploded view from above of a second tool of the present invention: and Figure 9 is a side view of the handle shown in FigureS. 0**

Referring to Figures 1 -7, there is shown a first tool 2 for removing slates 4 on a roof. The tool 2 comprises a body portion 6 for sliding under the slates 4. The tool 2 also comprises a blade 8 which extends along the body portion 6 and which is for cutting nails 10 used to hold the slates 4 in position.

The tool 2 further comprises a handle 12 for enabling the tool 2 to be moved backwards and forwards with a sawing action so that the blade 8 is able to cut the nails 10 and thereby enable the slates 4 to be removed.

As can be appreciated from Figure 2, the tool 2 is used such that the body portion 6 is slid under a chosen one of the slates 4 to be removed. The blade 6 is then moved into engagement with a chosen nail 10 to be removed.

The handle 12 is then gripped by a user and the tool 2 is then moved backwards and forwards with a reciprocating sawing action. The blade 8 then cuts through the chosen nail 10. When all the nails 10 holding the chosen slate 4 in position have been removed, then the chosen slate 4 is able to be removed. The process can be repeated for all slates needing to be removed from a chosen area on the roof.

As best appreciated from Figures 2 and 3, the body portion 6 is a flat strip body portion. The blade 6 extends along one longitudinal edge of the body portion 6. The blade 8 is a saw blade 8 with a saw toothed cuffing edge 14.

The blade 8 is releasable secured to the body portion 6 by releasable securing means 16. The releasable securing means 16 is a screw threaded releasable securing means 16. As can best be appreciated from Figures 4 - 7, the screw threaded releasable securing means 16 comprises a nut 18 which is fixed to the body portion 6 at position 20. The screw threaded releasable securing means 16 also comprise a screw threaded bolt 22 for screwing through the nut 18 and tightening or loosening the blade 8 on the body portion 6. The screw threaded bolt 22 has a head 24 which is provided with a slot 26 for receiving a screwdriver (not shown) for rotating the screw threaded bolt 22.

The screw threaded bolt 22 has a circular formation 28 at its end remote from the head 24. The circular formation 28 is retained within a complementarily shaped recess 30 in a blade mounting formation 32. The blade mounting formation 32 has an upstanding lug 34 which is of a square cross sectional shape as shown. The lug 34 receives a complementarily shaped aperture 36 on the blade 8. The other end of the blade 8 has the similar aperture 38 which is received by a similar lug 40 on the body portion 6.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the tool 2 is such that there are two of the blades 8. One of the blades 8 extends along each of the two longitudinal edges of the body portion 6. Each blade 8 has its own one of the screw threaded releasable securing means 16.

As can best be appreciated from Figure 3, the tool 2 is such that the body portion 6 extends in a first plane, and the handle 12 extends in a second plane. The tool 2 is such that in use, the second plane is above the first plane.

As can best be appreciated from Figure 1, this enables the handle 12 to be gripped and used to operate the tool with the sawing action, and without a user catching their knuckles on the slates 4. As shown in Figure 3, the handle 12 is connected to the body portion 6 by a step portion 42. As best * appreciated from Figure 2, the handle 12 is an elongate handle which extends along a longitudinal axis of the body portion 6.

The tool 2 is easily used. The tool 2 is able to be manufactured in a simple and economic manner. When the blades 8 become worn, they can easily be replaced.

Referring now to Figures 8 and 9, there is shown a second tool 44 for removing slates 4 on a roof Similar parts as in the tool 2 have been given the same reference numbers for ease of comparison and understanding. The tool 44 is such that the blades 8 are formed as an integral part of the body portion 6. Thus the blades 8 are permanently secured to the body portion 6. The body portion 6 can then function as a single blade with two saw edges. The handle 12 is attached to the body portion 6 by two screws 46 which pass through two apertures 48 in the handle 12, and then into two apertures 50 in the body portion 6. The screws 46 are shown schematically and they may extend first through the handle 12, or first through the body portion 6.

Preferably the screws will not extend beneath the body portion 6 so that they cannot obstruct anything. An aperture 52 in the body portion 6 enables the apparatus 44 to be hung from a hook or a nail.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, Figure 1 shows the slates 4 on a roof. The slates 4 could alternatively be in the form of wall cladding. The tool 2 may be such that it has only one of the blades 8. The screw 46 may be other fixing means, for example nuts and

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bolts. The body portion 6 and the handle 12 may be of shapes other than those shown. Individual components shown in the drawings are not limited to use in their drawings and they may be used in other drawings and in all aspects of the invention.

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Claims

CLAIMS1. A tool for removing slates, which tool comprises a body portion for sliding under the slates, a blade which extends along the body portion and which is for cutting nails used to hold the slates in position, and a handle for enabling the tool to be moved backwards and forwards with a sawing action so that the blade is able to cut through the nails and thereby enable the slates to be removed.
2. A tool according to claim 1 in which the body portion is a flat strip body portion.
3. A tool according to claim I or claim 2 in which the blade extends along one longitudinal edge of the body portion.
4. A tool according to any one of the preceding claims in which blade is a saw blade with a saw tooth culling edge.
5. A tool according to any one of the preceding claims in which the blade is permanently secured to the body portion. 0*** * *
6. A tool according to claim 5 in which the blade is formed as an integral S... s* part of the body portion. *S.....S
7. A tool according to any one of claims 1 -4 in which the blade is releasably secured to the body portion, and in which the tool includes releasable securing means for releasably securing the blade to the body portion.
8. A tool according to claim 7 in which the releasable securing means is a screw threaded releasable securing means.
9. A tool according to claim 8 in which the screw threaded releasable securing means comprises a nut which is fixed to the body portion, and a screw threaded bolt for screwing through the nut and tightening or loosening the blade on the body portion.
10. A tool according to any one of the preceding claims in which there are two of the blades.
11. A tool according to claim 10 when dependent upon any one of claims 7 -9 in which each blade has its own one of the releasable securing means.
12. A tool according to any one of the preceding claims in which the body portion extends in a first plane, in which the handle extends in a second plane, and in which in use the second plane is above the first plane whereby the handle can be gripped and used to operate the tool with the sawing action and without a user catching their knuckles on the slates. *.*
13. A tool according to claim 12 in which the handle is connected to the body portion by a step.
14. A tool according to any one of the preceding claims in which the handle is an elongate handle which extends along a Longitudinal axis of the body portion.
15. A tool for removing slates, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. et.. *0* * .* S.... * *S S..S S... *S