US3067790A

US3067790A - Hammer cap

Info

Publication number: US3067790A
Application number: US18050A
Authority: US
Inventors: Tucker Gordon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1960-03-28
Filing date: 1960-03-28
Publication date: 1962-12-11
Anticipated expiration: 1979-12-11

Description

G- TUCKER HAMMER CAP Dec. 11, 1962 Filed March 28, 1960 Fla. 7

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3,067,790 Patented Dec. 11, 1962 free 3,067,790 HAMlt IER CAP Gordon Tucker, Minneapolis, Minn. Filed Mar. 28, 1%0, Ser. No. 18,050 1 Claim. (Cl. 145-29) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a resilient covering or cushioning which may be applied to the striking surface of a variety of hammers to provide a removable resilient striking surface therefor.

This application is a continuation in part of my application entitled Hammer Covering, Serial No. 678,562, filed August 16, 1957 and now abandoned.

Prior to this invention it has been suggested that upholsterers, carpenters, mechanics, electricians and the like should have a removable resilient cover for the hammer used for ordinary Work such as driving nails, and the like where inadvertent or accidental marring of the surface is negligible or immaterial to adapt the general purpose hammer for work upon surfaces such as fine furniture, highly machined parts, sheet parts, plastics, glass, resilient floor coverings, etc. where marring as by hammer dents must necessarily be precluded. All resilient hammer covers known prior to this invention, however, required the removal of the cover when the hammer was used for work requiring a hard face and replacement for any work in situations requiring a soft face. Such removal and replacing of the cover when switching from one form of Work to another promotes loss of the cover as well as loss of time while the cover is being removed or put into place. The present invention minimizes possibilities of loss both of the cover and time in removing and replacing it by having a central opening therein through which the hard face of the hammer with which it is being used can be applied to nails, nail sets, and punches without removing the cover.

It is therefore, an object of this invention to provide a new and useful resilient surface for a hammer.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a resilient covering for a hammer which has a central opening thereby leaving a portion of a hard face on the hammer available for use when the cover is in place.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a new and useful removable cap or cup which may be used with the ordinary hammer to provide a resilient striking surface therefor surrounding an exposed, hard striking surface.

Still a further object of this invention resides in a new and useful hammer cover having unique means whereby the covering may be readily inserted upon and removed from a hammer head, yet provide a secure positioning upon hammer heads of varying sizes.

Other and further objects of the invention are those inherent and apparent in the structure as described, pictured and claimed.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, this invention then comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claim, the following description setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.

This invention will be described with reference to the drawings in which corresponding numerals refer to the same parts and in which:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of a claw hammer having the instant invention positioned thereon;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view, partially in vertical section, showing the invention positioned upon a hammerhead according to FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 33 of FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the instant invention removed from the hammer;

FIGURE 5 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 55 of FIGURE FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 but showing a modified form of the instant invention; and

FIGURE 7 is a view taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 77 of FIGURE 6.

Reference is now made to the drawings and specifically to FIGURE 1. In the drawings, there is shown a hammer of the claw variety generally designated 10, with reference to which this invention is to be explained. It is to be understood, however, that claw hammers of varying sizes such as thirteen ounce or sixteen ounce hammers, ballpean, riveting, boilerrnakers, bricklayers or machinists or other hammers having heads that are circular, square or of other configuration may be used as the hammer to which this invention is applied, all within the spirit and scope of this invention.

The hammer 10 is provided with the usual handle 11 fitted into the head 12 in this instance provided with claw '13, and a cylindrical end 14 providing a face '15.

The cap generally designated 20 as shown comprises a bottom surface 21 having an opening 28 therein, integrally joined to a perpendicular cylindrical wall 22 thus forming an open bottomed cup as shown in FIGURE 5. It is provided with a plurality of parallel inwardly extending ridges 2.3 diminishing from their base portion at the juncture with the cylindrical wall 22 to the apex 24 thereof to form a triangular cross-section and spaced as indicated in FIGURE 4. Reference to FIGURE 5 will show that these extend from the inner surface 26 to the top 27 of the cap.

There is thus provided a cup-shaped member having a centrally open thickened bottom portion, the outer surface of which provides a striking face, the inner surface of which engages the face of a hammer and a perpendicular cylindrical wall having a plurality of inwardly turned ridges adapted to grip the hammer.

The modification shown in FIGURES 6 and 7 differs from that shown in FIGURES 1-5 in that a plurality of similar parallel ridges 30 are provided, but ridges 30 extend circumferentially around the interior of the cup rather than axially as ridge 23. There are several spaced ridges or ledges 30 positioned from the bottom to the top of that modification as shown in FIGURE 7. The ridges are interrupted at a plurality of places 31, three in this instance.

The plurality of ridges, whether axial in the modification of FIGURES 15 or circumferential FIGURES 6-7 perform two important functions: first, they allow the cap (within predetermined limits) to be positioned on hammers having striking faces of differing sizes and configurations so that the cap is adjustable to a variety of hammers; second, they allow the entrance of air in between so that there is no vacuum created when it is attempted to remove the cap from the hammer.

The compressibility of the axial ridges 23' is shown in FIGURE 3 allowing the cap to adjust to the hammer and providing air spaces therebetween. Likewise (with reference to FIGURES 6 and 7) the circumferential ridges 30 perform the similar function of providing adjustability although they are deflected upwardly and downwardly with reference to FIGURE 7 rather than circumferentially as for the ridges 24 in FIGURE 3. The interruptions 31 (as shown in FIGURES 6 and 7) provide axial or vertically aligned channels to admit air between thebe used in place of a separate rubber or other mallet or in place of a makeshift such as a block of Wood which is in turn struck by the conventional hammer, etc.

Furthermore, it is not necessary to remove the cover when striking a punch with the hammer provided with the resilient cover of the invention. The opening allows striking the punch with the hardened hammer face even while the cover is in position. For example, a carpenter may use such a covered hammer to knock a molding into position without marring or marking it, and without removing the hammer cover, drive nails to hold molding in position. These nails can then be completely driven by using a nail set.

The material from which this resilient cover is made must be one which has suflicient resiliency to allow it to be put on and removed from the hammer and yet be retained frictionally upon the hammer well. Furthermore the material should be such that it will neither mar as l Specifically, these covers without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. The specific embodiments described are given by Way of exam ple only and the invention is limited only by the terms of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A hammer cap comprising: a resilient cup having an upstanding wall joined to a bottom portion which is useful as a striking surface, a plurality of parallel inwardly extending, resilient projections secured to the wall of said cup for securing the cup to a hammer head, said inwardly extending projections being parallel to the striking surface of said cap and being interrupted by at least one channel cutting through them vertically with respect to the striking surface of said cap, said cup being open at the center of said bottom portion; whereby a portion of the hard face of a hammer head is exposed and a portion of a hammer head is provided with a resilient covering when a hammer is equipped with said cap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 960,700 Pratt June 7, 1910 1,663,886 Lutch Mar. 27, 1928 1,718,161 Lutch June 18, 1929 1,954,422 McIntyre Apr. 10, 1934 2,023,975 Qualey Dec. 10, 1935