US2352010A

US2352010A - Heated scraper

Info

Publication number: US2352010A
Application number: US436943A
Authority: US
Inventors: Vernon E Robbins
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1942-03-31
Filing date: 1942-03-31
Publication date: 1944-06-20
Anticipated expiration: 1961-06-20

Description

June 20, 1944. v. E. ROBBINS 2,352,010

HEATED SCRAPER Filed March 31, 1942 INVENTOR. Verna/'74. fla/hj WM W ATTORNEYS of the highways.

Patented June 20, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE HEATED SCRAPER Vernon E. Robbins, Oakland, Calif. Application March 31, 1942, Serial No. 436,943

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to scrapers useful in the removal of materials susceptible of being softened by the application of heat, such as certain types of insulating materials and road tar.

for. Additionally, it is an object of the invention to provide a. device of the character described herein which is easy to operate in the removal of the heated material and which will prevent injury to the operator through physical contact with the said material while in such heated condition.

In the automobile industry it is common practice to coat the inner or concealed side of metal parts of the body and, in some instances, the

fenders with a sound-deadening material. Usually the insulating material consists of fibers impregnated with a thermoplastic compound, such as asphalt and the like. It is also quite common to find the under side of th fenders coated with road tar picked up when the vehicle has traversed freshly surfaced or repaired stretches Frequently small stones and grit particles thrown up by the wheels of the car become embedded in this, the insulation material or road tar coatings. It repairing body dents, whether done by mechanical pressure roller means or manual hammering, it is essential that all such materials be first removed to provide direct contact with the metal. It is preferable that the material be softened sufficiently to facililtate removal thereof in pieces from specific areas rather than to melt the same by indiscriminate application of radiant heat. In restoring the sound-deadening coating following repair of the dents, the compound removed from the surface by the use of the device of this application is remelted and brushed over the repaired surface.

These and other objects to become more apparent herein are attainable by the use of the scraper disclosed and claimed in this application.

In th drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a scraper embodying in one form the principles of the invention, taken along the line l--l of Figure 3.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the scraper in Figure l.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the device of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a plan view of a modification of the device, and

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device of Figure 4.'

In the first preferred form of the device (Figure 1), the scraper consists of a handle ill having a, longitudinal bore ll therein to receive an end of a tubular member I2. Th outer end of the tubular member I! is threaded internally to receive the correspondingly threaded portion of a blade carrier l3. A thin, flexible metal blade I5 is fitted in the slotted end 16 of the carrier l3 and retained therein by frictional engagement to permit replacement as desired.

Heat is transmitted to the blade l5 through the carrier Hi from a coil I! wound upon a suitable core l8 disposed within and intermediate the ends of the tubular member l2. Electrical enery is supplied the coil I! through the leads l9 which are in communication withlthe cords 20 extending through the butt end of handle l0, through the medium of a contact plate 2| disposed at the inner end of the bore ll of handle I0. Preferably the tubular member I2 'is made of non-conductive material such as certain wellknown plastic compositions, as it is desirable to r hold the heat within the tubular member for radiation only through the carrier l3 and blade l5. lined with insulating material such as asbestos, as disclosed in the companion form of the invention.

Since it is desirable to maintain the temperature of the blade l5 below the melting point of the sound-deadening material (approximately 450 F.), a thermostat 23 is provided within the tubular member. It may by some be deemed desirable to combine the blade carrier i3 and thermostat 23 into aunitary structure, and this could be done without departing from the spirit of the invention and still be within the scope of the appended claim, as it is merely a matter of choice. The thermostat 23, as will be understood, is in the circuit including the coil 11 having connected thereto the leads 19.

As will be noted from Figure 3, the leading edge of the blade I5 is tapered or narrowed down If desired, the' tubular member may be to localize the heat application to an area of the material to be removed such as may be convenientlyhandled by each stroke of the scraper. Additionally, by so shaping the blade, the curvatures of certain areas of the car body or fender may be more closely followed to insure a thorough cleaning job as well as to lighten the task of the operator.

- Since softened sound-deadening material raised to a temperature approching 450 F. would be likely to cause burns upon contact, protection for the hand of the operator is provided in the form of a concave shield 25, secured by means of a set screw 26 on an annular portion 21 of the handlel0, adjacent the connection to the tubular member If. The bowl of the shield extends over the forward end of the handle, as shown in Figures 1 and 3.

To facilitate the application of both forward and downward pressure on the blade IS, an auxiliary thumb rest 29 is secured to the handle I within the protective area of the shield in any conventional manner, such as by the use of screws. As illustrated in Figure 1'the thumb rest has a bowl-shaped depression to the end thatthe device may be grasped firmly and maximum pressure applied to the surface to be cleaned.

In the form illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, provision has been made for greater insulation of the handle against the heat of the device and for certain simplification of construction. In this form the shield 32 and housing 36 are made integral but divided longitudinally into matching halves. At the juncture of the shield 32 and housing 36 a ferrule 33 is formed to receive the reduced portion of the handle 3|, at which point the assembly is secured by means of a nut and bolt 4|. As in the companion form of the invention an auxiliary thumb rest 34 is provided, but in this instance it rests in a groove 42 extending longitudinally of the handle 3| and has an end clamped between ferrule 33 and the reduced end of handle 3| by means of bolt 4|.

The heating element 35 encased by housing 36 is formed of a pair of identical halves adapted to be clamped upon the blade 30. The heating element 35 is retained in spaced relation within the housing 33 by means of spacers 31 and bolts 38 passing through this assemblage serve to lock the elements into a rigid unit.

As will be noted from Figure 5, the outer end of the housing 36 is tapered down to bear snugly against blade to prevent foreign matter entering the said housing. The blade 30 is tapered at its leading edge (seeFigure 4) for the same reasons given in connection with blade ii of the companion form of the invention.

As a means of retaining the heat enerated by the element 35, the space between the walls of the housing 36, the heating element and the connected end of handle 3|, is filled with insulation material such as the asbestos fiber 40 shown in Figure 5.

A thermostat is carried by the outer end of the heating element 33 in proximity to the working'end of the blade 30 to maintain the temperature thereof below the melting point of the material to be removed, and it will be appreciated that it is electrically connected to the heating coil within the housing 36 in a conventional way. In turn, lead lines 46 connected to the thermostat 45 provide suitable connection to a plug-in source of current.

Assuming the blades l5 and 30, of the two devices, have been heated to the required degree, the operator merely grasps the handle I0 or 3|, places his thumb on the rest 29 or 34, inserts the blade of the device into the insulating material and exerts forward and downward pressure to move the blade over the area to be cleaned. This movement causes the material to be softened by contact with the heated blade and to come off in the form of strips which may be conveniently handled pending re-melting and replacement when the dented surface has been repaired.

It is believed apparent that the foregoing embodiments of my invention will be found useful as tools for the purpose primarily intended and to fill a long-felt need in the art.

Although I have specified herein that the device is particularly adapted for the removal of insulating materials, it will be appreciated that the scraper will also be found usefud in the removal of other materials susceptible of being softened by application of heat accompanied by a scraping action, such as paints, varnishes, and other finishes.

While I have shown two preferred forms of the invention, it will be readily appreciated that the invention may take additional forms and, hence, the forms shown and described are to be taken as illustrative only. Protection is desired according to the fullest scope of the appended claim.

The invention claimed is:

A scraper comprising a handle, a hand shield disposed at one end of said handle, a housing projecting from the shielded end of the handle, a heating element supported within said housing in spaced relation to its walls, a thin flexible blade having one end secured in heat conducting relationship to said heating element and its other end projecting from said housing, and a thumb rest carried by the shielded portion of said handle on a plane parallel to one of the surfaces of the thin flexible blade.

VERNON E. ROBBINS.