US2558131A - Applicator tool for joint securing elements - Google Patents

Description

June 26, 1951 a. GREEN 2,558,131

APPLICATOR TOOL FOR JOINT SECURING ELEMENTS Filed Nov. 26, 1948 2 Sheet-Sheet 1 I ENTOR. 8, M1

June 26, 1951 L. B. GREEN APPLICATOR TOOL FOR JOINT SECURING ELEMENTS INVENTOR. km. 6.. Wu

2 Sheets-Sheet z Filed Nov. 26, 1948 Patented June 26, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPLICATO'R TOOL FOR J OINT SECURING ELEMENTS Lee B. Green, Lakewood, Ohio Application November 26, 19.48, Serial No. 62,033

6' Claims. 1

My invention relates to an applicator-tool and method of making joints between a pair of penetrable elements and relates more particularly to a tool adapted to releasably apply a tubular oppositely pronged securing element into penetrating, holding relationship with a pair of such elements to join the same.

In my previously filed applications for Letters Patent, respectively, Serial No. 737,494 filed March 27, 1947, now abandoned, of which this application is a continuation in part, and Serial No. 47,232 filed September 1, 1948, noW abandoned, I have disclosed varying forms all substantially tubular, of a new type of securing element whereof opposite end edges are deeply serrated to provide a pair of oppositely extending sets of sharply pointed prongs, each set of which is adapted to penetrate a relatively different one of two wood or like penetrable bodies so that opposing surfaces of said bodies may be disclosed in closely abutted relationship with the securing element preferably, completely submerged in the material of the respective elements whereby a tight, substantially permanent joint of the two elements is achieved.

The objects of my invention and the invention itself will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains by reference to the following description of two different embodiments of the said applicator tool, wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings illustrating the said embodiments and whereof:

Fig. 1 is a pictorial view of an applicator tool which is a first embodiment of my invention, the view showing a tool body and handle therefore and also showing by dotted lines lowermost prong end portions projecting downwardly from said body.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the tool body of the preferably integrally formed tool body, a fragment only of the handle being shown.

Fig. 3 is a vertical, diametrical, sectional view of a substantially short, longitudina ly split tubular element having a short uppermost inturned retaining flange at its upper end and the lower portion of the tube being sharply serrated throughout its circumferential extent.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan View of the element of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a vertical, diametrical view of a tubular element serving as a handle for the element of Fig. 3 and an upper portion of its wall being downwardly notched at intervals around said wall to divide the upper portion of the tube into a series of tongues, each characterized by having its uppermost edge formed to provide a radially inwardly extendin short retaining flange and the interior surface of the lower portion of the tube being provided with a plurality of parallel vertically extending grooves and there being also a circumferential groove at the upper ends of said vertical grooves.

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the element of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a view partly in side elevationand partly in diametrical, vertical, sectional view of the tool body together with the elements of Figs. 3' and Er assembled thereon and a retainer element having its upper portion interiorly fitted between the element of Fig. 5 and an outer wall portion of the tool body and with its prongs being intermeshed with the serrations of the element ofFig. 3.

Fig. 8 is a vertical, diametrical, sectional view of fragments of the tool body, the elements of Figs. 3 and 5 and showing a. pair of relatively oppositely extending upper and lower prongs of a retainer element which is disposed as recited in connection with Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a side elevational view of a tool which is a second embodiment of my invention and which comprises an uppermost handle and a lowermost tool body, the latter being broken away to expose interiorly disposed parts including the upper end portion of a retainer element herein shown in elevation, other of said parts being shown in vertical, diametrical section.

. Fig. 10 is a vertical, diametrical, sectional view of the tool of. Fig. 9 with the same parts as shown in Fig. 9,.but with the upper end portion of the handle broken away.

Fig. 11 is a. vertical, diametrical, sectional view of a tubular body for the tool of Fig. 9.

Fig. 12 is a vertical, diametrical, sectional view of a tubular adaptor insertable, from below, in the body of Fig. 11.

Fig. 13v is a. tubular element having a lowermost serrated edge telescopable over the lower end of the adaptor of Fig. 12.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the element of Fig. 13 together with a securing pin shown as adaptedto be projected through an aperture of the wall of said element.

Fig. 15 is a side elevational view of a bolt having an upper end portionprovided with screw threads and ahead at its lower end.

Fig. 16 is a substantially perspective view of the retainer element adapted to be operated upon by the tools of each of the above illustrated embodiments of my invention.

Referring now to the first embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive, the tool body I is preferably turned from a solid round bar of steel being axially recessed from the bottom end as indicated at 2 and its outer surface being formed in the manner shown in Fig. 2, said outer surface comprising a driving head end- 3" having an uppermost flat surface 4 of circular form adapted to receive driving blows from a hammer and the lateral outer surface comprising successive annular grooves 5, B, and I, the groove at 6 affording a planular lower surface portion at 8. The groove 5 is so dimensioned and formed as to receive an end loop 9 of a handle I which may be of any desired form but is conveniently and economically constructed, as shown, of a length of heavy steel wire II, the ends of which are preferably welded or brazed together at I2 to make the element integrally continuous, the portions at I 3 being bent inwardly during placement of the handle on the body I to cause the looped end 9 to tightly hold said body. The ring 30, of Fig. 3, preferably has one wall portion longitudinally split at I4 and is provided with the short inturned flange I5 at its upper end and having its lower end portion serrated as indicated at I6 to provide a series of prongs I1 disposed in circular relation, and is fitted onto the lower end portion I8 of the body with said flange I5 resiliently snapped into place within the body groove I, the steel material of the split ring 30 being sufficiently resilient as to cause it to retract with considerable force after being forced over the lowermost body portion l8 and then pushed upwardly to fit the flange I5 within said groove 1.

The ring 50, telescoped over the lowermost body portions I8 and 20 and also over the split ring 30 with the uppermost tongues I9 resiliently deflected outwardly when the uppermost inturned flanges 2I are forced over the outer surface of the body portion 20, resiliently retracts to press said flanges snugly within the groove 6 with the planular lower surfaces of said flanges being in tight fitting engagement with the upper planular surface of the shelf-surface 8 of the body groove 6.

The tool being completely assembled as described, the operator grasping a securing element such as that shown in Fig. 16 having outturned prong tips and lightly compressing it to close the seam 23, Fig. 16, telescopes it within the lowermost end portion of the tube 56 of Fig. 5, the uppermost set of prongs including those shown at 25 being received within the serration notches 26 of the element 30 of Fig. 3, and at the same time, the outturned tips 24 of said uppermost prongs 25 are fitted within the longitudinal grooves 21 on the lower portion of the inner surface of the tube 50, said tips being guided by said grooves 21 until said grooves meet and join the circumferential groove 28 formed on the inner surface of the tube 50 at the upper extremity of said longitudinal grooves by providing outwardly disposed groove spaces for receiving the outwardly deflected tip ends 24 as perhaps best shown in Fig. 8, the vertically extending body portions 24a of the upper set of prongs having their lateral side edges interfitted with the lateral side edges of the prongs H of the split tubular element 30 as shown at a and b in Fig. '7. At the same time, the inner surface portions of the vertically extending body portions of the upper set of prongs 25 are fitted snugly against the outer surface 29 of the lowermost portion I8 of the body I.

' As indicated, in Figs. 3 and 7 at EU, the tips of the downwardly extending prongs i! of the ring 30 are not continued to a sharp point, the tips thereof, as it were, being cut away, so that when the lateral surfaces of said prongs are engaged as at a and b, Fig. 7, with the lateral surfaces of the upwardly extending prongs 25 of the securing element I60, there will be a space between the blunted prong ends 3| of the element '4 30 and the apices of the inter-prong serration spaces of said securing element.

By such expedient tight fitting wedging engagement between the securing element prong sides and the sides of the prong I! of the element 3!] is better insured.

After telescoping a securing element such as shown in Fig. 16, into its downwardly facing annular mouth portion 34, as described, the tool body is moved to operative position with respect to a wood or like penetrable body, so that the lowermost prong tip ends 35 are placed against the surface of such body, and then hammer blows directed against the uppermost surface 4 of the tool body, will cause the lowermost set of prongs 33 to become imbedded within the wood body and concurrently proceeding toward their tips, the prongs will be progressively increasingly spread outwardly to achieve an outward clenching effect within said penetrable body, the driving being continued until one-half of the longitudinal length of the element of I60 is submerged in the body.

Thereafter, the tool body is lifted leaving the securing element half submerged in the penetrable body in readiness for another wood body to be pressed or driven onto the oppositely extending set of prongs which are shown uppermost in Figs. 7 and 16, whereupon the two penetrable bodies are joined by said securing element, the latter being submerged partially in the one body and partially in the other, and not being visible after the joint is made.

Referring now to the second embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. 9 to 15, inclusive, the handle I90 is provided with a handle shank IIO, provided at its upper end 40 with a driving face adapted to receive hammer blows and to transmit the force of such blows to the tool body IEII and to the upper end of which at I02 a reduced threaded end portion I03 of the shank III] is screw-threaded until a shoulder portion I of said shank is brought into jamming engagement with an annular upper surface portion of said tool body.

The tool body has an axial bore whose least diameter is at a medial portion I 01 where the wall of the body is substantially thickened by the annular radial flange portion I98. A tubular plug I09 is then telescoped into the lowermost portion of the body bore, said plug having successive portions III, H2, and H3 which are respectively of least, greatest, and intermediate diameters, and the bore of said plug comprising a portion I I4 which is of least diameter and another portion II5 which is of greatest diameter, a lateral pinreceiving recess IE6 being disposed within the lateral surface of the portion H3. Prior to insertion of the plug with its serrated lower edge I25 disposed lowermost until the aperture I25 of the wall of said tube can be brought into alignv the plug is engaged with the oppositely facing annular shoulder I it of the body IYH and the bore portion H6 is of the same diameter as the body bore portion IE3! and is axially aligned therewith so that the threaded end H9 of a bolt 12! may be successively projected through the plug mouth H5, the plug bore H6, and the bore portion IQ? of the body and then screw-threaded as at l22 into a threaded recess #23 extending from the lower end of the handle [Gil axially thereof, whereby said bolt may rigidly secure said plug in place within said body mouth.

As above described, the tool of my second embodiment is now completely assembled, ready for the reception of a securing element such as that shown in Fig. 16 at I66 and as in the case of the embodiment previously described, the upper set of prongs of the securing element IE0 is projected between opposing lateral surfaces of the lower end .of the body bore and the lower end of the plug N3, the lower portion of the body bore being provided with a series of longitudinally extending relatively interspaoed grooves I32 for the reception of the outturned tips 2 2- of said uppermost prongs, the upper half of said securing element being thus confined with their tips in said grooves between inwardly facing surfaces of the body bore at the lower end of the body and the outwardly facing lateral surfaces of the plug portion H3.

Operation of the tool constituting my second embodiment is substantially the same as that described for my said first embodiment, the only difference being the fact that the elongated axially extending handle shank l Ill of my second embodiment affords a diiferent kind though a more expensively constructed hand grip, both embodiments affording a similarly formed annular recess at its lower end for the reception of the tube-like article of Fig. 16.

Having thus described my invention in two different embodiments, I am aware that numerous and extensive departures may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A tool for driving a first of a'pair of oppositely longitudinally directed sets of prongs of a thin-walled band-like article, of the type described whose prongs have acutely converging side edges and radially outwardly deflected tips, into a resistively penetrable material such as wood; said tool comprising, in combination, a metal body having one end so formed as to provide an impact surface and its other end being provided with an annular socket recess, said recess having end wall surfaces of a form substantially complementary to and abuttingly engageable with lateral edge portions of one set of the prongs of said article when one longitudinal end portion of said article is telescoped into said socket recess, and having a pair of inner and outer longitudinally extending annular surfaces adapted to snugly embrace inner and outer side portions of the said set of prongs, to hold the same in said socket, whereby the prongs at the other end of the device may be driven into penetrating relation to a penetrable body in response to hammer blows directed against the said impact surface at the opposite end of the tool body.

2. An applicator tool substantially as set forth in claim 1, adapted to apply devices of the type described whose prong ends are outwardly bent at an obtuse angle, characterized by the recited outer longitudinally extending wall of the recited annular recess being so formed as to afford a circularly disposed set of longitudinally extending grooves which are relatively laterally interspaced a distance corresponding to the corresponding interspacing between the circularly disposed prongs Of the upper set of prongs, whereby said outwardly bent tips of such prongs may be snugly received in said grooves.

3. An applicator tool for metallic bank-like articles of the type described, each having its two ends serrated to provide a pair of sets of oppositely directed V-shaped prongs, which is adapted to force one said set of prongs into penetrating relation to a body of penetrable material, comprising, in combination, a steel or like body having an impact end and means forming with said body a unitary portion of the tool, adapted to provide an annular recess for the opposite end, said recess opening in a direction opposite to its said impact end and comprising an end Wall of substantially such form as to permit a pronged end of a device insertable in the recess to have the spaces between its prongs occupied by substantially V-shaped projections of said end wall, said recess being Of such radial width throughout substantially its entire circular extent that the inner and outer sides or a serrated end portion of a said serrated band which is projected within the recess is snugly embraced on both inner and outer surfaces by confronting lateral walls of the recess.

4. A tool for driving a first of a pair of oppositely longitudinally directed sets of prongs of a thin-walled band-like article, of the type described whose prongs have acutely converging side edges and radially outwardly deflected tips, into a resistively penetrable material such as wood, comprising a tool body formed to provide an end recess of annular form Whose depth is at least equal to the longitudinal extent of the sec-- 0nd of said pair of set of prongs, said recess and its opposite radially interspaced inner and outer lateral walls being so interspaoed, throughout their annular extent, as to substantially telescopably fittingly receive the said second of said pair of set of prongs, and the end wall surface of said recess being generally of such form as to provide an annularly extending series of tool prongs, each tool prong having a pair of inclined side edge surfaces which are convergent in the same longitudinal direction and substantially at the same acute angularity as are adjacent sides of adjacent prongs of said second of said pair of sets of prongs, to adapt each of said end-wall tool prongs to be fittingly wedged between said adjacent prong sides of said second pair of prongs.

5. The tool substantially as set forth in claim 4, characterized by the radially outer lateral wall of the recess having a series of substantially radially narrow longitudinally extending grooves which are so annularly interspaoed and of such slight depth as only to receive the outwardly deflected tips of said second set of prongs.

6. The tool substantially as set forth in claim 4, characterized by each of said tool prongs being truncated to aficrd a blunted end surface therefor, whereby said tool prong end surface is longitudinally interspaoed from the region of junction between said pair of adjacent relatively convergent sides of adjacent prongs of said second set.

LEE B. GREEN.

REFERENCES CITED FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany Apr. 23, 1892 Number

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