US1239201A - Cutting and cleaning tool. - Google Patents

Description

E. MMLACHLAN. CUTTING AND CLEANING TOOL.

APPLICATION ILED OCT. I4. 1915.

.Patentedept 4, 191?.

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pnfrrnn srnfrns rarita-m oprima ELIZABETH MACLACI-ILAN, OF ELIfl-IART, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR T WILLIAIVI S. FERRIS, OF ELKE-LARI, INDIANA.

CUTTING AND CLEANING TOOL.

Application led October lll, 1916.

at Elkhart, in the county of Elkhart and` o State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Cutting and CleaningTools, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cutting, cleaning, and excavating tools of the type shownl in United States Patent, No. 774,142 of November 1, 1904i to Charles Brick. In the operation of tools of this character the spring jaws are alternately opened and sprung together thousands upon thousands of times being closed to grip the dirt and being opened to release same. j

The general object of my invention is to provide a device of this character which shall be of simpler construction; which shall be of less cost; which shall be lighter; which shall be of such construction that the deforming tendency of the action of moving the spring jaws together shall be minimized; and which shall more surely automatically release the material gripped therein.

My invention consists generally in the form, arrangement, construction and coperation of parts whereby the above named objects, together with others which will appear hereinafter, are attainable, and my invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying1 drawings which illustrate the` preferred construction thereof.

In the said drawings, Figure 1, is :a perspective view of a device embodying my invention with an intermediate portion broken away.

Fig. 2- is an enlarged central vertical section with the intermediate portion broken away and showing the jaws in open position.

Fig. 3- is a view similar to Fig. 2, but with the spring jaws drawn together; and

Fig. 4.- is a detail view of the spring jaw roller and associated parts.

In the drawings, 10, indicates a tubular body provided at its lower end with a U- shaped head portion 11, having slightly outwardly extending channel shape-d portions 12-12. At the opposite end, the body 10,

is provided with a slotted head 18, and to the upper end of the head 13, a cross arm 14, is secured.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Iatented Sept. al, 191'?.

serial ne. 125,687.

Extending through the slot of the head 13, is another cross arm, 15, similar to the cross arm 14, `and secured to this cross arm 15, is a rod 1G, which extends down through the body 10, and into the space between the fingers 12-12 of the head 11. To the lower end of the rod 1G, I attach a Ueshaped clip 20, having depending spaced fingers 21. The iingers 21, are provided with alined holes 22, through which a bolt 23, passes. rIhe bolt 23, serves to support and hold a roller `or cylinder 25, which has a central opening to receive the bolt and which is of length substantially equal to the distance between the spaced lingers 21. The roller or cylinder 25, is of such size and is so spaced relative to the upper portion of the U-clip 20, as to vprovide a space 26, therebetween. The dirt or weed gripping and holding portion of the implement, comprises a strip of spring material which I bend toform a gently curving or arcuated upper portion 80, with oppositely and outwardly extending substantially straight portions 31 and 3Q, and inwardly extending end portions 33 and SLI. It will be understood that if the instrlr ment is to be used for cutting weeds or removing dirt, the jaws are placed in Adesired position and in open condition and pressed into the material whereupon the operator draws the handle 15, to the handle 111, thus closing the jaws as shown in Fig. 3. Upon releasing the handle, the jaws are automatically opened to discharge the material carried thereby. In devices hitherto devised, the spring jaws have soon lost their elasticity with the result that they do not automatically discharge the material and furthermore, in devices hitherto devised, it has also been necessary to provide a spring to return the handle and rod to open position. I eliminate these objections and greatly simplify the device by the novel construction of the spring jaw and the means for drawing it together and opening it. To this end, I provide the roller or cylinder 25, and I make the radius of the roller smaller than the radius 0f the spring portion 30. In this way, the spring arcuate 30, bears substantially along a line and as the handles are moved together, to close the fingers 31 and 32, the curved portion 30, can freely change its position, form, or curvature without the slightest danger of being moved beyond its elastic limit or of being portion of the arcuate portion 30, can Wrap,

itself around the roller or cylinder dueA to. the free intervening spaces 35. By gently v curving the portion 30, a strong spring metal may be used and still be freely moved together by contact oi the portions 3l and H 32, with the lower ends of the channel shaped fingers 12-12. Also because of this construction, I am able to dispense with the additional spring hitherto employed to return the handle l5, and operating rod, 16, to open position. Furthermore, because the spring jaws are never abruptly bent, kinled or moved beyond their elastic limit they al.- ways open automatically to discharge the material and to return to normal position when the pressure on. handle 15, is released.

I claim i l. In a tool of the class described, the combination of a main hollow' body havingl a pair of iingers, a rod movable through thebody, a spring jaw strip, associated with said body fingers and having a curif'ed po-rtion, means carried by said rod engaging the curved portion of said spring .j aw strip, said means being curved and of lesser radius than the curved portion of the` spring jaw strip.V

2. In a tool of the class described, the combination of a main hollow body having a pair of fingers, arod movable. through saidv body, a U-shaped ciip secured to the.` end of said rod, an arcuate bearing face supported in` and spaced from the upper portion of the U-clip and a spring jaw strip having a curved upper portion, passing through the space between said arcuate face end, and the upper portion of said clip, said curved portion having a greater radiusthan the curved portion of the arcuate bearing face and the said spring jaw strip having outwardly disposed substantially straight portions in engagement with the fingers carried vby the body, whereby movement of the clip toward the body causes the spring jaw strip fingers to move together and whereby when released, the outward pressureA of the spring jaw strip serves to return the rod Washington, IZI. C.

and handle. to normal position and automatically to discharge any material carried by the, spring jaw strip. y

3, In a tool of the class described, the combination of a main body having a pair of fingers at one end, a rod, longitudinally movable between said lingers7 a U-Shaped clip carried by the rod and normally spaced from the juncture,of said fingers with the body, a cylinder carried bysaid U-shaped clip and having its upper4 portions spaced from, the body part of the Ll-clip', and a spring `yaw strip havingy a curved upper portion lanassing through the space between said, cylinder and U-,clip, said cylinder eng'aging the spring jaw strip and` causing the lingers thereofl to .move together when the said rod is moved and the jaw strip serving to return the parts to normal position and automatieally toy discharge any material gripped thereby.

l. In a*y tool of they class described, the combination of a hollow body portion having a. pair of lingers, of a rod movable through the body, a spring jaw strip asso# ciated with said body fingersk and jhaving a curved portion, a cylinder carried by` said rod engaging the curved.v portion of the spring, j aw strip. and serving to support it,

said cylindery being` of lesser radius than theL curved'` portion of the springffjaw strip.

y5. In a tool of the class described, the combination of a hollow body, having a pair of fingers, a rod movable through thelbody, a spring jaw. strip, associated with said bod-y ngers and; having a curved portion, a U- clipy carried by said rod, a boltcarried in the U-clgip and having a hollow cylinder mounted thereon, said cylinderengaging thel curved portion of the spring Jaw strip and having a radius less than the radius of the ciuiv'ed portion of the jaw strip.

In testimony thereof, I have hereunto` set my hand,.this 11th day of Got., 19,16, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. l

ELIZABETH MACLACHLAN. Y

each, by

@essere the Gewissens of Parents

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