US2827697A

US2827697A - Seam reefing tool

Info

Publication number: US2827697A
Application number: US576459A
Authority: US
Inventors: Leonard F Woodel
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1956-04-05
Filing date: 1956-04-05
Publication date: 1958-03-25
Anticipated expiration: 1975-03-25

Description

March 25, 1958 L. F. wooDEl.

SEAM REEFING TOOL Filed April 5, 195e IN VENTOR lmwldll/adl ATTORNEYS atent Y,

Patented `Mfar.125, '1.953

The present invention Vrelates in ygeneral to seam Lreeng tools, and more particularly to hand toolsv for raking calked joints in decking and Vsides of rboats and the 4like preparatory to recalking joints.

The practice of calking joints =or seams Vbetween adjacent strips of deck planking or side planking in boats involves the wedging of a yarn of oakum lor-cotton twist or wicking between the adjacent edges of the planking and then paying the same with a calking compound such as melted pitch or'other fluid composition which subsequently sets to `form a yieldable filler between .the joints. The wedging yof Vthe oakurn `yarn or cottom wicking into the seam is an extremely'tedious Vand time-consuming job. Adequate maintenance of -boat hulls and decking many timesA can beeifected'by'mere'ly cleaning the calking compound from the seams while leaving the oakum yarn 01 cotton wicking wedged into the Aseam and applying a new calking compound filler into the clean joint, thereby drastically reducing the time and labor involved in boat maintenance as the more time-consuming process of wedging new yarn or wicking into the seam is not performed.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a tool for raking calked seams to remove plastic calking compound therefrom without disturbing the calking yarn or wicking lodged in the seam.

Another object of the present invention is the provi- Sion of a novel seam reefing tool for removing plastic calking compound from calked seams without disturbing calking yarn or wicking therein, wherein means are provided for precisely regulating the depth of insertion of the tool into the calked seam to penetrate only to the depth of the calking compound.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a seam reeling tool for raking calked seams free of plastic calking compound without disturbing the calking yarn or wicking therein, wherein means are provided to adapt the tool to rake only plastic compound from seams wherein the edges of bevelled edge planking are spaced different distances from each other.

Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing illustrating one preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a seam reeng tool embodying the present invention, viewed from one side thereof;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the seam reefng tool, viewed from the other side thereof;

Figure 3 is an end elevation view of the seam reeiing tool, illustrated in working association with a calked seam; and

Figure 4 is a longitudinal tranverse section view taken along the line 4 4 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawing, wherein like reference characters designate the corresponding parts throughout the several iigures, the seam reeng tool of the present invention, generally designated "by 'the-.referencecharacter 1t), comprises an elongated handle 11 from one end :of which projects ya tool head, generally indicatedat 12. The tool Snead 12 is generally .in the shape of 'a deformed Y, having ka .neck 'portion 13 from'which projects an integral spike 14 which -tap'ersto a point at thelowerendof the spike and is provided with screw threads along the yopposite tapered .surfaces thereof ladapted to berec'eived in the threaded bore-.15ct `a sleeve 16 embedded inthe handle :11. A reinforcing `'sleeve A17 extends around the upper `portion yof the handle in which'the threaded Vsleeve 16 is embedded. t

Projecting :along vcurved paths 'from the opposite end of :the neck 13 of the tool `head 1-21are a pair vof armslS, .19 which terminate in sharp Vseam raking points 20 and v21, respectively. As will be apparentfrom Figures l .Sand `2 of the fdrawing,'the edges -22 of the raking points -1201'and 21 `which arenadja'cent fthe handle 11 form an :acute anglefwith the :axis of the tool so as to cam calking rcomponnddislodgedfrom `the seam Vupwardly outof the i VVse'am'when .the tool :lllvis `positioned for'use approximately as 'illustrated :in .Figures l'and 4-2. The vsides of @the arm f 1S adjacentithe'ra'king point 120 are bevelled, as indicated at 23,' along planes converging toward 'the apex of the point2l to :provide .fal point Ihaving Va thickness of l/e inch at its apex, andithesid'es of @the Aarm 19 adjacent the raking point`Y yZltiaretapered, as indicated at 124, to provide ran apexwhaving aatliickness fof ls inch. The inclination of the rbevelled surfaceslsand 24..is designedlto correspond substantially with Vthe xconventional :slight Vbevelof Y the edges of boat deckand side plauking ,of the type designed to produce a V-shaped calking seam.

in order to limit the depth of projection of the apex of either of the raking points 2d, 21 into a calking seam, such as that indicated at 25 in Figure 3, an adjustable stop arm 26 is secured at one end thereof to the neck 13 at a point intersecting the axis of the tool and adjacent the lower end of the neck 13 by means of a screw 2'? having a threaded shank 23 which is threaded into a complementary threaded aperture in the neck 13 of the tool head 12.

In the use of the tool, the screw 27 is loosened so as to permit the stop arm 26 to rotate freely about the shank 2S of the screw 27, and either the raking point 2@ or 21, whichever is appropriate for the dimensions of the calking seam 25, is forced into the seam and raked a short distance along the length thereof to remove plastic calking compound from the seam 2S and expose the surface of the calking yarn or wicking, indicated generally at 29. With the

raking point

20 or 21 then seated in the calking seam 25 to an appropriate depth to just contact the surface of the calking yarn or wicking 29, the stop arm Z6 is then rotated to engage the surface of the deck planking or side planking, indicated generally at 3G, and the screw 27 is then tightened to frictionally clamp the stop arm 26 in this position of adjustment. The stop arm 25 then serves as an abutment guide which limits the depth of penetration of the

raking point

20 or 21 into the seam 2S so that as the raking point is drawn rapidly along the length of the seam, only the plastic calking compound is dislodged from the seam, and the calking yarn or wicking 29 remains undisturbed as the raking point cannot penetrate a sufficient distance into the seam to dislodge the yarn or wicking.

The smoothly curved arcuate upper edges of the arms 18, 19 rising from the depression at the juncture of the arms also affords convenient surfaces for rolling the calking cotton down tight into the seams where heavier planking is encountered and calking cotton is to be seated n the seams before the calking compound is applied.

While only one preferred embodiment of the invention has been particularly shown and described, it is apparent that other modications may be made in the invention Vand` the like and leavingundisturbed calking yarn in the seams, comprising an elongated handle, a tool head formed of a'rnetal plate in the shape of a modiiied having a neck portion removably affixed to said handle Vand, oppositely projectingfarms extending along curved paths and terminating in sharp raking points, the edges of the terminalportions of said armsadjace'nt .said handle forming acute angles with the'axis of said handle, and the portions of said arms adjacent said raking points ha"- ing bevelled sides converging vtoward said raking points to producerpoints of dissimilar thickness, said bevelled sides and raking pointsedening outwardly converging arm portions of truncated V shaped cross-section cornplemental to portions of V-shaped grooves formed between adjacent edges of bevel edge boat decking Vand planking and adjustable depth gauge means affixed to said Y Vneck portion positionable Vto selectively extend alongside the terminal portions of either one of said arms in spaced relation to said raking points and terminating in an edge forming a stop surface for engaging the surfaces of planking` adjacent calked seams and limit the depth of penetration of said raking points into the seams.

2. A reeling tool for raking calking compound from calked seams between deck and hull planking of boats and the likeand leaving undisturbed calking yarn in the seams, comprising an elongated handle, a tool head Vformed of a Ymetal platein the shape of a modied Y;

having a neck portion removably aixed to said handle andk oppositely projecting arms extending along curved paths and terminatingV in sharp raking points, the edges of the terminal portions of said arms adjacent said handle forming acute angles with the aXis of said handle, and the portions of said arms adjacent said rakingrpoints having bevelled sides converging toward said raking points to produce points of dissimilar thickness, said bevelled sides and raking points deining outwardly converging arm portions of truncated V-shaped cross-section complemental to portions of V-shaped grooves formed between adjacent edges of bevel edge boat decking and planking and an adjustable stop lever journalled adjacent one end thereof on ascrew threadedly coupled to said neck portion at a point intersecting the axis of said handle, said screw serving as adjustable clamping means to frictionally lock said stop lever in selected positions wherein the free end of said stop ,lever extends alongside the terminal portion of one ofv said arms spaced rearwardly of the raking point thereon to form a bearing stop for engaging theV surfaces of Vplanking adjacent calked seams and limit the depth of penetration'of the adjacent raking point into the seam.

References Cited in the tile of this patent Germany Dec. 11, 1939