US271303A

US271303A - Ax-handle

Info

Publication number: US271303A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1883-01-30
Anticipated expiration: 1900-01-30

Description

(No Model.)

J. D. BLAKER,

AX HANDLE.

N0. 2'71,803. Patented Ja11.30, 1883.

' 71/6886 Inv/na MXW aw UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN D. BLAKER, OF NEWTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

AX-HANDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 271,303, dated January 30, 1883,

Application filed October 20, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN D. BLAKER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Newtown, in the county of Bucks and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ax-Handles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to ax-handles; and it consists mainly in the production of 'a me.- tallic spring-handle, and, secondly, in certain details of construction whereby the main feature is successfully carried out.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side view of an ax constructed according to my improvement, and Fig. 2 a vertical section of the same.

A represents an ordinary ax, except that the eye is smaller, in whichis fitted the bandle B, made preferably of spring-steel, with its upper end squared to fit the eye of the ax, and provided with a out or burr, O, by which it is secured therein. The lower end is also squared, and has a grip, D, and a loop, E, fastened on it by a nut or burr, F.

AtG is a sliding grip, formed of leather, vulcanized rubber, canvas, or other suitable material, fitting the handle loosely, and of such size as to be readily and conveniently clasped in the hand, which grip is slipped on the handle before the lower grip is puton. This sliding grip will be found to be of the greatest usefulness in connection with the spring-handle, for a spring-handle is necessarily too small to be conveniently grasped or held in the hand, and if it were cased to secure a good hand-hold the casing would interfere with its elasticity, and the sliding grip is therefore a prime necessityin connection with a springhandle, and, moreover, it saves the hands liom the blistering caused by the ordinary wooden handles until the hands get calloused or hardened.

In using the ax the lower grip, D, is grasped with one hand and the sliding grip G by the other, which, being held firmly in the hand, slips up and down the handle as the ax is raised and lowered in chopping.

The metallic spring-handle will be found to be very advantageous in use, as besides the advantage due to the spring in making the cut, the metallic handle being of much smaller diameter thana wooden one, there is less re sistance inypassing through the air, and the ax will therefore be driven farther into the wood with the same amount of labor, and, moreover, thespring-handle will save the choppers hands from much of the shock felt by them at each blow, which although comparatively slight at each stroke, yet in the course of a days chopping tells severely on a mans powers, especially with young or inexperienced choppers.

Irrespective of the mechanical advantages of a metallic spring-handle, it has economic advantages also, for, although the first cost may be more, as the metallic handle is practically indestructible, one handle can be used on many different axes, as it will outwear many, and as the eyes of the axes and the squared part of the handle will always be of the same size it will be only necessary to unscrew the nut to remove one ax and replace it with another, which can be readily and solidly fastened by again screwing on the nut.

I do not intend to limit myself to handles made ot'steel, round in crosssection, as other forms may be used, such as oval, tubular, cruciform, square, hexagonal, or other polygonal form; nor do I limit myself to steel, as spring'brass may be used.

Although I have described the sliding handgrip as made of flexible material, yet it is obvious that it may be of hard material, such as wood or metal.

I am aware that metallic handles have been used for various tools, and therefore make no claim, broadly, to a metallic handle.

What I claim as new is- 1. The combination of a metallic ax-handle, having one end adapted to be held by one hand of the operator, with a sliding grip constructed to be grasped by the other [hand and move along the handle when the blow is given, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, with a spring ax-handle, B, of the fixed enlarged grip D and tubular sliding grip G, constructed to move along the handle when the blow is given, all con structed and arranged substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

In, testimony whereot'Iaffix mysignatnre, in presence of two witnesses, this 18th day of October, 1882. 7

JOHN D. BLAKER. Witnesses:

T. J .,,W. ROBERTSON, 1 0. MoCLEARY.