US3104908A

US3104908A - Shovels and like hand tools

Info

Publication number: US3104908A
Application number: US179692A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles W Mcdonald
Original assignee: Mcdonough Co
Current assignee: Mcdonough Co
Priority date: 1962-03-14
Filing date: 1962-03-14
Publication date: 1963-09-24
Anticipated expiration: 1980-09-24

Description

Sep. 24, i963 c. w. McDoNALD SHOVELS AND LIKE HAND TOOLS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 14, 1962 Sept. 24, 1963 c. w. MCDONALD 3,104,908

sHovELs AND LIKE HAND TooLs Filed March 14, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Iawezzoai- 022412428@ MaDowZd;

United States Patent O 3,104,908 SHVELS AND LIKE HAND TOLS Charles W. McDonald, Belpre, Ohio, assigner to McDonough Co., doing business as 0. Ames Co., Parkersburg, W. Va., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 14, 1962, Ser. No. 179,692 1 Claim. (5l. 294-54) This invention relates to hand tools having a blade or head and .a handle, and in particular to shovels, and the object is to provide a simple and efficient construction whereby the handle and blade may be iirmly and permanently united not only by one unskilled in the use of tools, but even by one unprovided with any tools.

An important advantage is that the blades and handles may be shipped separately in more compact and convenient packages, The assembly may occur at the point of ultimate sale or a blade and a handle may be delivered separately to the ultimate user. He can make a perfect and permanent assembly, although he has no access to even such simple equipment as a vise, a hammer, a boring tool, a drive punch or a wrench, and perhaps would be unable to drive a nail etliciently, much less to set a rivet.

Because it Idisplays the advantages of the invention in marked degree, I have shown in the accompanying drawings asian example of its application a snow shovel of the type sold to householders for domestic use with a blade of large area typically formed from `a thin sheet of aluminum. 'Ihe demands on such a shovel do not compare with those on a shovel for handling lore, for example, or one that is a production tool in regular use throughout long periods, but it should be a unitary ltool not loose or wobbly or likely to become so, and durable or its kind.

The invention will be well understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying tdrawingsrof an illustrative embodiment of the invention as applied to such a snow shovel:

FIG. l is a perspective view of the completed shovel as seen from the back side;

FIG. 2 is a section on line 2 2 lof FIG. 1 on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevation of the shovel as seen from the back side;

FIG. 4 is a section on line 4 4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a section on line 5--5 of FIG. 2.

The words down, up, forward and rearward and their derivatives are used from the point of view of a user holding the shovel in his hands ready to take up a shovelful.

Referring to the drawings, the snow shovel herein shown as an example of the invention comprises a blade B of thin sheet aluminum, having a steel edge E and reinforced by expressed ribs R. The handle H in this case is a cylinder of wood, provided with a cross grip G of the D type. The blade is not completely liat, bu-t curved or bent so that the rearward part is displaced upwardly and forwardly to provide a proper lift in the shovel.

In the shovel illustrated the handle is tit-ted into a socket dened by the cooperation with the rearward portion of the blade of a fitting F, which fitting is formed of relatively heavy metal with a downwardly expressed central portion and an out-turned ange 12 secured at the back of the blade by rivets 14 to dene a socket at the back of the blade for receiving the end of the handle. Such a construction broadly is old in shovels of this type wherein the end of the handle is received in a socket provided between a fitting and the overlying portion of the blade, in which socket the handle has been secured by vertical rivets. Even if we assume the holes to be preformed, the ordinary purchaser of a snow shovel could not conveniently line them up and would be quite unable to make a workmanlike job of heading over iron rivets.

Referring now to FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, the rear portion of the fitting F comprises a semi-cylindrical portion corresponding to the diameter of the handle from which depend tangentially sides out-turned `to form part of the liange 12 and the blade, as seen in FIG. 4, extends like a beam between these parts of the flange. The blade may have a slight depression 16 stamped therein to tit the upward side of the handle end when inserted. While the socketv so provided is not completely cylindrical so that it iits the handle throughout its circumference, it provides a nice fit for the handle. As seen in FIG. 2 this rearward portion of the fitting extends forwardly for a distance corresponding to that portion of -the length of the handle which it is desired to secure therein. The forward portion of the fitting may then be curved to correspond to the curve of the back of the blade and be ltapered upwardly and sideways .as seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, providing a strong central rib supporting the central portion of the blade for a large fraction of its depth.

The handle receiving rearward portion of the fitting is provided with .a longitudinal keyway 18 consisting (see FIGS. 2, 4 and 5) of two outwardly expressed ribs deining inwardly facing grooves between which the keyway is interrupted by the portion 20 which desirably has an abrupt shoulder 'at the forward side and a more oblique shoulder .at the rearward side for a purpose which will appear. The handle is provided with a cooperating key which in the present instance is formed by the crossbar 22 of a staple, the crossbar being of a size to lit in the keyway, the staple having legs 24 driven directly into the wood of the handle.

To Aassemble the handle with the blade the lower end of the latter (viewing FIG. 2) s presented to the end of the socket with the key 22 opposite the open end of the keyway as seen in dotted lines in FIG. 2. When the key enters the keyway it properly positions the handle `angularly so that Ithe cross grip of the D handle G is in the proper position. The tit of the handle in the socket is a nice one, not a loose one, but the shovel and handle may be stood on end with the grip end toward the oor and a series of taps against the floor will drive it into the socket. Perhaps the central portion of the blade, bridging the sides of the iitting, springs a little during this operation, but the action is not easily perceptible if it occurs, and the blade is not permanently bent. When the crossbar of the staple reaches the interruption 20, inward movement is not ycompletely blocked, and the tapping action causes the crossbar of the staple to pass the interruption and enter the forward end of the keyway beyond the abrupt shoulder as the handle goes home, which may be indicated if desired by a mark on the handle or an omission in the finish of the handle on the end which is to be received in the socket. The cooperation of the key and keyway prevent twisting of the blade about the axis of the handle and the engagement of the key with the abrupt shoulder of part 20 effectively resists withdrawal of the handle under such strains `as the shovel is subjected to 1n use.

There are no loose parts. No skill is required to assemble the handle and blade and no tools, but a permanently connected handle having `a life comparable to that of the shovel is provided. In the ycase of a handle broken oi short as might happen, for instance if the handle was run over by the wheel of an automobile, it would be possible to split up and withdraw the stump without damaging the socket and a new handle with a similar key could be assembled.

-I am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specic forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, as is in fact clear in several area and a Wooden bar handle, theV shovel adapted for knocked-down shipment for subsequentassembly through the medium of interconnecting means comprising ya fitting having a channeled portion with out-turned an ges secured to the back of the blade at its rearward side and providing a reinforcementV for the same, the channelV being open yat the rear to receiveV within it the end of said handle entered between the same and the blade, the channeled i y portion of said Vfitting having alongV its inner side va keyway opening at the rearward end thereof, there being an obstruction in the forward part of thekeyway including an abrupt shoulder at the forward end thereof providing a forwardly facing locking shoulder and a more oblique portion at the rearward end of said obstruction, and said Y handle nicely llingthe space between the channel andthe Y,

blade and having a staple with arms driven into the wood of the handle so that the staple crossbar is disposedlongi-V tudinally of the handle and forms a key fitting the key-V Y Way of the blade and to be guided thereby, said staple-Y crossbar key presenting a rearwardly facing shoulder Vto engage the forwardly facing locking shoulder ofthe blade fitting when the key is moved past the latter.

References Cited the le of thisl patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,159,316 Gifford Q ---t Nov. 2, 1915V 1,433,163 1 waters f 001.221,1922 1,974,027 Y Knick i sept. 1 8, 1934 2,208,741: Veeder Y July/23,1940 2,852,874 Grubb f t sept. 23, 195s Y FOREIGN PATENTS 2,3181y rGreat Britain T Lk of 1886