NZ208329A - Claw hammer with pivotting handles providing pairs of work surfaces - Google Patents

Description

Patents Form No. 5 Fee $100 208320 Attorney's ref. P284/83J Patents Act 1953 <v, o * ;Number: 208329 n ■ ;! *Q - Date: 31 May 1984 \U %£§ COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FENCING TOOL We, WILLIAM JAMES NELSON of Waitaruhe Road, Taihape, New Zealand, and RAYMOND ALAN ROLSTON of Turakina Valley load, Taihape, New Zealand, both citizens of New Zealand, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- S 208329 This invention relates to a fencing tool.

The object of this invention is to provide a tool which is more convenient to use than existing tools.

The present invention consists in a fencing tool comprising an elongated head portion with one end having a hammer face and the opposite end having a nail claw, a handle projecting substantially perpendicularly from the head, a slot through 10 the head between its ends, a pivot hole passing through the slot at right angles to the lengths of both the head and the handle, a lever pivotally mounted to rotate about the axis of the pivot hole, part of the lever lying in the slot the other part able to lie substantially parallel to the handle 15 on the side of the hammer face in a closed position, fastening means to fasten the lever in an open position pivoted away from the handle and a pair of co-operating tool surfaces one being on the lever and the other either on the head or handle of the fencing tool said tool surfaces 20 co-operating to perform their function when the lever is squeezed towards the handle.

The preferred form of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in 25 which: 20832 Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the tool, Figure 2 shows an end elevation from the head of the tool, Figure 3 shows a plan view looking at the hammer face with the lever omitted, Figure 4 shows a cross-section through the handle of the 10 tool in the direction IV-IV, shown on Figure 1, Figure 5 shows a cross-section of part of the tool in the plane V-V, shown in Figure 1.

The preferred embodiment of the fencing tool comprises an elongated head portion 1 with one end having a hammer face 2 and the opposite end having a nail claw 3. The hammer face 2 is preferably concave and magnetised to assist in picking up staples. A handle 4 projects substantially perpendicularly from head 1. The head is provided with a slot 5 through it between the claw and hammer face. A pivot hole 6 lies in the head and passes through the slot at right angles to both the length of the head and the length of the handle. A lever 7 is pivotally mounted to rotate about the 25 pivot hole by means of a threaded pivot screw 9. Part of 20832 9 the lever thus passes throught the slot 5 while the other part is able to lie substantially parallel to the handle 4 on the side of the hammer face 2.

Fastening means 10 is able to be actuated to fasten the lever 7 in an open position pivoted away from the handle 4. The fastener 10 may comprise a link 11 pivoted to the lever at 12 and provided with a hole 13 at its free end which is engagable on a pin 14 provided in the end of the handle. 10 When the link 11' is disengaged from the hole 14 it can be suitably locked to the lever and the lever 7 may be squeezed towards the handle 4 in the same way as the handles of a conventional fencing tool, such as an ECLIPSE or CRESCENT tool (registered trade marks), are squeezed together. 15 Figure 1 shows part of the end of the handle in an open position as well as in the closed position. An alternative fastening means utilises a bolt with a knurled head (not shown) in place of the hole 13. The bolt is held captive but rotatable in the link and its threaded portion is able 20 to be threaded into an axial threaded hole in the handle or to a transverse threaded hole in the lever.

There is at least one pair of co-operating tool surfaces on the lever and either the head or handle which are actuated 25 when the lever is squeezed towards the handle. Preferably I ' 208329 there are three such surfaces. The first is a gripping area 15 provided on the lever which mates with a corresponding gripping area 16 provided on the handle. These areas may be similar in design to those employed on the above-mentioned fencing tools and are used for a similar purpose. The head may be extended to have a longer handle shaft than the normal hammer in which case gripping surface 16 may be a part of the head shaft.

The second pair of co-operating tool surfaces comprise a slot 19 in the head and a corresponding slot 20 in the lever. The slot 19 in the head is wider on the opposite side to that illustrated in Figure 1 since edge 21 forms a cutting edge in co-operation with edge 22 of the lever.

This enables the cutting of wire in the same manner as in the above-mentioned fencing tools.

A third pair of co-operating tool surfaces is provided by a tongue 23 at the end of the lever 7 which is of hooked shape 20 and co-operates with a protuberance 24 on the head to form a pincer-like tool which is useful for extracting staples from poasts. Post staples are not driven completely home and the tongue 23 can hook into the staple eye. The lever can be closed to ensure the eye is encircled and the staple can 25 then be withdrawn. 208329 The hammer head is also preferably provided with hooks 25 and 26 which are substantially of an L-shape screwed into threaded holes in the head. These may be hooked around a 5 wire on either side of a batten and when the handle is raised or lowered, as the case may be, they draw the wire away from the batten and, provided that there is sufficient tension in the wire, the staple is removed. The hooks 25 and 26 may be provided on either side of the hammer head.

As is shown in Figure 4 the handle 4 may be provided by a steel member 29 of "I" shaped cross-section which is welded to the head 1 and this may have fibreglass, wooden or tough plastic side panels 30 and 31 riveted to it by means of 15 rivets 32.

The lever 7 may comprise a steel pressing 33, which is welded to a forged steel jaw 34. The head 1 may also be made of forged steel. As will be apparent the handle can 20 take many shapes, for example it could be tubular.

The advantages of the tool are that when the lever is stayed in the open position it can be used in the manner of a normal claw hammer which is a far superior tool to use in 25 fencing, for example when hammering in staples or chiselling 20832 9 mortises, where the above-mentioned fencing tools are not the right weight or shape to be used efficiently. Furthermore as the handle and jaw parts of a conventional fencing tool are lapped side by side in the pivot area, with 5 the head being only attached to one of them, that is a weak point, where breakages frequently occur if there is prolonged hammering either on the head or with the head of the tool. The lever when locked open forms a hand guard when hammering. All parts are preferably detachable to 10 enable replacement.

This invention overcomes some of the disadvantages of the conventional fencing tool while retaining the desirable atributes of the normal claw hammer. m 208329

Claims (6)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A fencing tool comprising an elongated head portion with 5 one end having a hammer face and the opposite end having a nail claw, a handle projecting substantially perpendicularly from the head, a slot through the head between its ends, a pivot hole passing through the slot at right angles to the lengths of both the head and the handle, a lever pivotally 10 mounted to rotate about the axis of the pivot hole, part of the lever lying in the slot the other part able to lie substantially parallel to the handle on the side of the hammer face in a closed position, fastening means to fasten the lever in an open position pivoted away from the handle 15 and a pair of co-operating tool surfaces one being on the lever and the other either on the head or handle of the fencing tool said tool surfaces co-operating to perform their function when the lever is squeezed towards the handle. 20

2. A fencing tool as claimed in claim 1 wherein the handle includes a slot in it and the lever includes a slot in it and the two slots co-operate in a shearing manner when the lever is pivoted towards the handle to enable the cutting of 25 a length of wire. - 8 - I 208329

3. A fencing tool as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the lever has a gripping portion which, when the lever is close to the handle, co-operates with another gripping

4. A fencing tool as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the lever has a tongue which projects through the slot in the head and co-operates with a protusion on the 10 head to form a pincer-like action when the lever is squeezed towards the handle.

5. A fencing tool as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein there are hooks attached to the head on 15 either side of the longitudinal axis of the handle, the open ends of the hooks facing away from the head.

6. A fencing tool as claimed in claim 1 substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying 20 drawings. 5 portion provided on the handle WILLIAM JAMES NELSON and RAYMOND ALAN ROLSTON by their authorized agents, J. D. HARDIE & COMPANY 25