US3473183A

US3473183A - Paint applying tool

Info

Publication number: US3473183A
Application number: US763478*A
Authority: US
Inventors: Fredrick B Burns; Giacinto C D Ercoli; Albert A Mlachnik
Original assignee: EZ Paintr Corp
Current assignee: EZ Paintr Corp; E Z PAINTR CORP
Priority date: 1968-08-19
Filing date: 1968-08-19
Publication date: 1969-10-21
Anticipated expiration: 1986-10-21

Description

C. 21, 1969 F B, BURNS ETAL PAINT APPLYING TOOL 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 19, 1968 ui s l' i JTM wwf 773W @d i477/ Z/W,

6%, MyW/w M fi 0d. 21, 1969 F, B, BURNS ETAL 3,473,183

PAINT APPLYING TOOL Filed Aug. 19, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 4f ,1//1/ l//l el.,

ct. 2.1, 1969 F, B, BURNS ETAL. 3,473,183

PAINT APPLYING TOOL Filed Aug. 19, 1968 l 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 l r I l IIl"mi"IlIllllllllllllllllmllll"IIIIIIIHIHUIIIIIIIIIIlllllllllllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUIHIII 0% 21, 1969 F. B. BURNS ETAL 3,473,183Y

PAINT APPLYING TOOL Filed Aug. 1.9, 1968 4 vSheels-Shee'c, 4

@fai 49 ted States Patent O 3,473,133 PAINT APPLYING TOOL Fredrick B. Burns, South Milwaukee, and Giacinto DErcoli, Park Forest, Ill., and Albert A. Mlachmk, Milwaukee, Wis., assignors to E Z Paiutr Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 687,551, Dec. 4, 1967, which is a division of application Ser. No. 647,884, .lune 2, 1967. This application Aug. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 763,478

Int. Cl. B44d 3/00; A461) 5/00; B254; 3/38 ILS. Cl. -144 16 Claims ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE A paint applying tool comprising a handle including a gripping portion that is pivotally movable relative to an enlarged base; and an applicator removably mounted on a base and including, a rigid backing member an intermediate member secured to one face of the backing member, and a paint transferring means secured to one side of the intermediate member. The front and sides of the intermediate member of the applicator are beveled, and the applicator backing member includes spaced fianges defining -an opening that is narrower than the width of the handle base, so that the handle base must be forcibly snapped into the backing member to secure the applicator to the handle. In a modified form of the invention, means are provided for locking the base in one of two paint applying modes or permitting free pivotal movement thereof.

'I his application is a continuation-in-part of Burns et al. application Ser. No. 687,551, filed Dec. 4, 1967, now abandoned, and assigned to the assignee of this invention, which was a divisional application of Burns et al. application Ser. No. 647,884, filed June 2, 1967, now Patent No. 3,369,268, issued lune 2, 1967, and also assigned to the assignee of the present application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The tool of the present invention is of the type wherein a generally planar paint transferring surface is utilized to apply paint to a desired area. Heretofore, many serious problems have been encountered in the use of such tools, which have prevented their wide spread use in certain areas, such as painting siding and shingles. One of the most serious drawbacks of prior art devices is their failure to provide an applicator member which is readily removable from the handle of the device, so that the applicator could be easily removed for cleaning and replacement purposes, when desired. A still further deficiency of prior art devices is their failure to provide an applicator whose paint transferring member is shaped so as to be able to apply paint to restricted areas, such as are provided with lapped siding and shake shingles. Still further, prior art applicators have included a handle which is not movable relative to the paint applying member itself, and since the paint applying member must be disposed ushly against the surface which is being painted, the length of stroke which could be painted by such prior art devices has been limited.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The paint applying tool of the present invention obviates each of the problems noted above in connection with prior art devices by providing an arrangement wherein the gripping portion of the handle of the tool is yieldably movable relative to the paint transferring means, with the base of the handle cooperating with novel means on the applicator to positively, yet releasably, secure the ap- 3,473,183 Patented oct. 21, 1969 plicator to the handle. The side and front faces of the applicator are beveled, so that relatively thin portions are provided around the periphery of the applicator, which enables the applicator to fit in and apply paint to restricted areas. Spring means yieldably urges the gripping portion of the tool handle toward an equilibrium position; however, the spring means enables the paint applicator to move relative to the gripping portion and thus the planar paint transferring surface of the applicator may be maintained in engagement with the surface being painted throughout a relatively wide stroke.

In a modified form of this invention, the base may be locked in one of two paint applying positions relative to the handle or allowed to pivot freely relative thereto.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel handle for a paint applying tool or the like, which includes a spring loaded gripping portion that is pivotally mounted on a handle base.

Other objects of the invention will herein become more fully apparent from the following description taken in connection with the annexed drawings wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGS. 1 and 2 are fragmentary perspective views illustrating the paint applying tool of the present invention being used to paint lapped siding and facing trim at one edge of the lapped siding;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the handle and applicator disconnected from one another;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged central sectional view through the tool of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a view taken generally along line 5 5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally along line 6 6 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a central sectional view through a modified form of the tool of the present invention having means for locking the base in different positions relative to the gripping member and showing the base locked in a closed position relative to the gripping member;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary central sectional view of the modified tool of the present invention as shown in FIG. 7 with the locking means oriented to permit free pivotal movement between the gripping member and the base.

FIG. 9 is a central sectional view of the modified tool as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 with the locking means arranged to lock the base in an open position relative to the gripping member;

FIG. 10 is a centrall sectional view through another modified form of the tool of the present invention having different modified means for locking the base in different positions relative to the gripping member and showing the base locked in a closed position relative to the gripping member;

FIG. 1l is a central sectional view of the tool as shown in FIG. 10 with the locking means oriented so as to permit free pivotal movement between the base of the gripping member; and

FIG. 12 is a central sectional view through the tool as shown in FIGS. 10 and l1 with the locking means oriented in a position to lock the base in an open position relative to the gripping mem-ber.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail a preferred embodiment of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is-to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

The paint applying tool of the present invention is indicated generally at 10, and includes a handle 11 and an applicator 12. The applicator 12 is a laminated structure; and includes a backing member 13, an intermediate member 14, and a paint carrying and transferring member 15.

Backing member 13 is a rigid metal plate, formed as by stamping or the like, and is generally trapezoidally shaped in plan view. Backing member 13 includes a planar upper surface 13a, and a first tlange 16r extends upwardly from surface 13a at the rear edge of the backing member, while a second flange 17 extends upwardly from surface 13a at the front edge of the backing member.

Flanges

16 and 17 extend from end to end of backing member 13, and an elongate opening 18 is provided generally centrally of flange 16. The upper edge 16a of flange 16 extends inwardly toward llange 17, and cooperates with an inwardly extending portion 17a on flange 17 to define a female member having an opening of reduced width as Will hereinafter appear. The upper end 17b of flange 17 extends outwardly away from flange 16, and is rounded or inclined to dene a cam surface, the purpose of which will also hereinafter appear.

Intermediate member 14 may be formed of any suitable material; such as plastic foams, sponge rubber, wood or the like, and the upper surface 14a of member 14 is secured to the planar lower surface 13b of backing member 13. The upper surface 14a of member 14 is preferably slightly wider than backing member 13, so so that any rough edges that may be present at the outer ends of member 13 will not be exposed. In the preferred embodiment, the front to rear dimension of the upper surface 14a of member 14 is substantially the same as the front to rear dimension of the lower surface 13b of backing member 13, it being understood that the backing member 13 is secured generally centrally of the intermediate member 14, so that an equal amount of the intermediate member will be exposed at the opposite sides of the backing member. The lower surface 14b of backing member 14 is larger than the upper Surface 14a thereof, and the side surfaces 19 and the front surface 20 of the member 14 are inclined from the lower surface 14a to the portions around the lower periphery of the intermediate member.

The paint pick-up and transferring member 15 includes a plurality of short, erect llbers that lare distributed uniformly over thel ower surface 14b of member 14, uniformly over the lower surface 14b of member 14, it being understood that the fibers may be provided on a piece of material, such as mohair, that is bonded to the lower surface 14b of the intermediate member; or the fibers may be discrete elements that are secured to the intermediate member, as by flocking or the like.

Handle 11 is formed of two parts; namely, a base 21 and a gripping member 22. Base 21 defines a male member, which cooperates with the female member formed by the

flanges

16 and 17 of the backing member 13 to releasably mount the applicator 12 on the handle 11. To this end, the base 21 includes a first flange 23 extending across the rear edge thereof, and a second flange 24 extending across the front edge thereof, the front to rear dimension between the ends of

flanges

23 and 24 being greater than the dimension between the upright portion of flange 16 on backing member 13 and the inwardly extending portion 17a on ilange 17. An elongate locating and keying extension 25 projects rearwardly from flange 23, and is positionable inthe central opening 18 in flange 16; and as can be best seen in FIG. 5, the outer edges of the extension 25 are rounded to facilitate the insertion of the extension 25 into the opening 18. Thus, to assemble the handle 11 to the applicator 12, the base 21 is positioned with the extension 25 projecting through opening 18 andthe rearward edge of flange 23 positioned against the inner surface of the upright portion of flange 16. The front to rear dimension to the outer edges of

llanges

23 and 24 is less than the distance between the inner surface of the upright portion of llange 16 and the outer edge of the cam surface 17h on llange 17, so that when the insert 2S is received in opening 18, the forward edge of flange 24 is resting upon the cam surface 17b. The applicator l2 can be releasably secured to the handle 11 by merely applying a downward force to the base 21, which causes the flange 17 to be yieldably outwardly, as the flange 24 snaps over the projection 17a on llange 17. The inwardly directed backing member ilange portions 16a and 17a positively retain the handle 11 in assembled relation with the applicator 12, but the applicator 12 may be readily removed from the handle 11, when desired, by merely flexing ange 17 outwardly to free flange 24 from the projection 17a.

Base 21 includes rear and

front walls

26 and 27 that are inclined upwardly from

llanges

23 and 24, respec tively. Base 21 further includes upwardly converging s1de walls 28 and a generally horizontally disposed upper wall 29, which cooperate with rear and front wals 26 and 27 to define an enclosure 30 therebetween. A generally centrally disposed rectangular opening 31 is provided in upper wall 29, and a pair of identical upr1ghts 32 extend upwardly from wall 29 at opposed sides of the opening 31. Uprights 32 each include a vertical wall 34 at one side of the opening 31, inclined side walls 33 converging upwardly from the edge of wall 29, and inclined connecting walls 35 which connect

walls

33 and 34. Aligned cylindrical projections 36 extend outwardy from the facing surfaces of walls 34, and projections 36 cooperate -to deline a pivot axis that is parallel to the plane of the paint applicator portion 15.

The gripping member 22 of the handle 11 includes a hollow manually graspable portion 40 which extends rearwardly from an enlarged handle portion 41 that is jreceived between the facing walls 34. Portion 40 is generally cylindrically shaped, but includes somewhat tlattened top, bottom and side surfaces which facilitate gripping thereof. The rearward end of gripping portion 40 is internally threaded, as at 42, for reception of the externally threaded end of an extension pole (not shown) that may be secured to the tool 10 to enable normally inaccessible areas to be reached. A cap 43, having an externally threaded end portion 44 of reduced diameter threadably received within internally threaded bore 42, normally closes the rearward end of the gripping portion 40.

Enlarged handle portion 41 includes generally triangularly shaped side walls 45 positioned in face abutting engagement with side walls 34 of uprights 32, connecting walls 46 extend-ing perpendicularly inwardly from side walls 45, upright walls 47 extending generally perpendiculary with respect to connecting walls 46 and merging with the flattened side portions of gripping portion 40, top wall 48 merging with the upper surface of gripping portion 40, inclined front wall 49 disposed generally perpendicularly with respect to upright walls 47, and rear wall 50 extending generally perpendicuarly with respect to gripping portion 40. Aligned cylindrical recesses 52 are provided in the outer faces of walls 45, and the projections 36 on walls 34 are pivotally received therein to mount the gripping member 22 for pivotal movement with respect to the base 21.

Means is provided for biasing the gripping member 22 toward an equilibrium position, shown in full lines in FIG. 4, wherein the lower forward edge of front wall 49 of the gripping member engages the forward edge of opening 31, and the lower edge of rear wall 50 engages the upper surface 29 of the base rearwardly of the rear edge of the opening 31. Said means includes a helical spring 53 extending through chamber 28 and into the interior of the enlarged hollow end portion 41 of gripping member 22. One end of spring 53 bears against the front wall 49 of the member 40 and the other end of spring 53 bears against the base 21 to urge the gripping member 22 in a clockwise direction (as viewed in FIG. 4) about the pivot axis dened by projections 36 and recesses 52. More particularly, a rst end of the helical spring is received over a cruciform shaped spring seat 54 that extends forwardly from the rear edge of opening 31 beneath the upper surface 29 of base 21, and the opposite end of spring 53 is received over a second button-like spring seat 55 that is positioned adjacent the lower edge of the inner surface of wall 49. The gripping member 22 is capable of moving through a large angular range relative to the base 21, and as indicated in broken lines in FIG. 4, in the illustrated embodiment the gripping member 22 can be moved approximately 26 from the equilibrium full line position to the broken line position. Upward deflection of the end of spring 53 engaging wall 49 when the gripping member 22 is in the broken line position is resisted by a generally cylindrical surface 55a at the bottom of the spring seat 55. The upper surface 5517 of the spring seat 55 is inclined or curved to facilitate the removal of spring 53, when desired, for replacement purposes.

In use, as is evident from FIGS. 1 and 2, the inclined faces on the intermediate member 14 of the applicator 12 enable the paint transferring member 15 to apply paint to normally inaccessible areas, such as between the illustrated overlapped siding portions, and the areas of the siding adjacent the corner trim. Because of the wide range of angular movement of the gripping member 22 relative to the remainder of the tool, much wider painting strokes can be made by the user, thereby enabling a given area to be painted in a shorter period of time. The base 21 and gripping member 22 of the handle are preferably formed from a suitable plastic material that will readily enable the gripping member 22 to be assembled to the buse 21 by having the walls 34 of the uprights 32 and the walls 45 of the gripping member 22 flex somewhat as the p1 ojections 36 snap into recesses 52. Thus, the gripping member 22 can be quickly and easily assembled to the base 21, and can also be easily removed therefrom when desired. The applicator 12 may be readily snapped in place and is rmly held in place by the cooperative action of

flanges

16 and 17, and the engagement of projection 25 within opening 18. The applicator 12 may be readily removed from the handle 11, when desired, by merely flexing flange 17 downwardly to free flange 24 on the handle base. From the above, it will be apparent that the present invention fully achieves each of the objections thereof.

It has been found that under some painting conditions, optimum painting performance is obtained when the gripping member is at a specic angular relationship to the base. For example, when the tool is operated by a painters hand directly gripping the handle portion of the gripping member and is utilized to apply latex paint, it is found that the tool operates best when the gripping member and base are free to swivel relative to each other, as is the case with the construction in FIGS. l through 6. When it is necessary to utilize the tool in connection with an exension handle which is threaded in the gripping portion of the tool, it is desirable to orient the gripping portion at an angle of approximately 30 with respect to the painting surface. While this is possible due to the free pivotal movement afforded between these members and the structure shown in FIGS. 1 through 5, it does result in the spring 53 being compressed, causing extra effort on the part of the painter. Furthermore, each time the tool is removed at the end of a paint applying stroke, the gripping member and base member are forcefully urged together under the exertion of the spring 53 with a snap movement which results in some of the paint on the paint applying pad being flipped into the air and possibly descending upon the painter himself or on adjacent areas to the surface being painted wherein it is either not desired or intended for the paint to be applied.

It has further been found that with respect to some oil paint applications, the optimum applying condition is provided when the gripping member is generally parallel to surface 15 of the applicator, such as in the case when the two parts are in their normal or closed position as shown in FIG. 4 as well as in FIGS. 7, 8, l0 and 11. It is believed that the reason for this difference in optimum paint applying conditions is due to the tendency for oil paint to offer more drag and resistance during the application thereof, whereas latex paint is believed to offer less resistance and have some lubricating characteristics with respect to the surface to which it is being applied.

Thus, it has become desirable to provide a means in association with the paint applying tool of this invention for locking the gripping member and base member in either a closed position, an open position, or to permit free pivotal movement therebetween as desired to place the paint applying tool in the optimum paint applying mode. FIGS. 7 through 9 illustrate one such means of accomplishing this desired result, whereas FIGS. 10 through 12 show an alternate means thereof. In the structure shown in FIGS. 7 through 12, the same reference numerals have been applied as to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 through 6 and refer to identical or substantially identical components of the modified embodiments shown in FIGS. 7 through 12.

Both embodiments of the locking member of this invention comprise a member which may be made of a suitable hard material such as wood, plastic or metal, and is movably mounted on the paint applying tool and is movable to at least two positions for three functions, the rst position being one preventing pivotal movement of the gripping member relative to the base and the second permitting free pivotal movement between the two components. The locking members include two surfaces which are intended to abut different portions of the tool mernber when the locking member is in the first position to prevent pivotal movement thereof, and are further intended to be swung clear of any abutment with any of the components of the tool when the locking member is in the second position wherein free pivotal movement of the gripping member relative to the base is permitted.

Turning rst to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 through 9, the locking member 60 includes upper and lower locking portions 62 and 64, respectively, joined by a central reduced Vneck 66 which extends through a small opening 68 in horizontal upper wall 29 of the base 21, thereby pivotally mounting the locking member 60 with respect to the base portion of the gripping member. It is intended that the length of neck 66 would be the same as the thickness of wall 29 so that the locking member would be held in selected positions by frictional facial engagement of portions 62 and 64 with wall 29.

The primary function of portion 62 of locking member 60 is to serve as a handle for moving lower portion 64. In the position shown in FIG. 7, the bottom of inclined front wall 49 of handle portion 41 of the gripping member 22 abuts the top 70 of portion 64 of locking member 60. This prevents pivotal movement of the handle portion 41 of gripping member 42 in a counterclockwise direction, thereby locking the tool in a closed position wherein surface 15 of the applicator 12 will be presented at a right angle to the handle portion 41 of the gripping member 22.

As seen in FIG. 8, the locking member 60 is relatively thin in cross-section so that when it is rotated from the position shown in FIG. 7, no portion of the locking member 60 interferes with the movement of handle portion 41 and gripping member 22 relative to the base 21. Thus, when in the mode shown in FIG. 8, the locking member permits normal free pivotal movement of the two components.

FIG. 9 shows the relationship of the locking member and other components of the tool when the locking member is positioned to hold the handle in the open position wherein the axis of the handle 41 is inclined relative to surface 15 of applicator 12. Portion 64 of locking member 60 has an upwardly and forwardly inclined rear face 72 which is oriented relative to the top 13a of backing member 13 at a complementary angle relative to that of the linclined front wall 49 of handle portion 41 when the gripping member is pivoted to the fully open position as shown in FIG. 9. By turning the locking member 60 to the intermediate position as shown in FIG. 8, whereby free pivotal movement of the components is permitted, the handle portion may be swung to the Iinclined position as shown in FIGURE 9, and the locking member rotated back to the position as shown in FIGS. 7 or 9, wherein the surface 72 of portion 64 will abut the front wall 49 of the handle portion 41 and hold the gripping member in the open position at an angle of 26 to 30 degrees with respect to the base.

With respect to the embodiment shown in FIGS. through l2, the locking member 80 is substantially trapezoidal in shape having a substantially fiat rear face 80a, a generally transversely extending fiat bottom 80b, and a short top wall 80C extending transversely relative to rear face 80a. The front wall of locking member 80 includes a first portion 80d which is generally parallel with the rear wall 80a and a second, nonparallel, portion 80e which extends between portion 80d and top wall 80C. A small reduced neck 82 extends rearwardly of rear wall 80a through an opening 84 in the inclined front wall 49 of handle portion 41. The neck 82 terminates in an enlarged button 86 to pivotally mount the locking member 80 with respect to the front wall 49 of handle portion 41 and prevent the unintended withdawal or disassembly of the locking member 80 therefrom. Locking member 80 may also be held in selected positions by frictional facial engagement of rear face 80a with wall 49.

With reference to FIG. 10, the angular relationship of the walls 80a and 80b of locking member 80 is complementary to that 0f the

walls

49 and 29 so that when the locking member 80 is pivoted to the position shown in FIG. l0, the abutment of walls 80a and 80]; against

walls

49 and 29 prevents counterclockwise movement of the handle portion 41 with respect to the base 21. This locks the tool handle in the closed position wherein the surface 15 of applicator 12 will present a painting surface substantially at a right angle to the axial extent of the handle portion 41.

As shown in FIG. l1, when the locking member is rotated through 180 from its position shown in FIG. 10, the handle portion 41 is free to pivot or swivel about its mounting with respect to the base 21 to thereby place the tool in the normal operating mode. When the locking member 80 is in the position shown in FIG. 11, the inclined portion 80e of the front face is presented to the opening in the base as the handle is pivoted in a counterclockwise position. This reduction of the cross-sectional thickness of the locking member in the area of the inclined portion 80e of the front face permits the locking member to enter the opening 31 and allows for free swinging movement between the handle portion 41 and base 21, without any impediment or obstruction afforded by the locking member 80.

In FIG. 12, the locking member 80 is shown oriented in a position to hold the handle portion 41 in the open or angularly oriented position with respect to the base member. In this instance, the locking member 80 is first turned to the position as shown in FIG. 11, and the handle portion is pivoted about its mounting with respect to the base to the fully open position. Then the locking member 80 is rotated to its original position as shown in FIG. 10 with respect to the face 49 of the handle portion 41. In so doing, the enlarged cross-sectional area between the portion 80d of the front face and the rear wall `80a substantally occupies the space between the front face 49 of the handle portion and the adjacent side of the opening 31 in the top of the base 21, thereby performing a wedging function which holds the handle in its open position at an angle of about 26 to 30 degrees with respect to the base as shown in FIG. 12.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no necessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as some modications may Ibe obvious to those skilled in the art.

We claim:

1. A handle for a paint applying tool comprising: a base including front, rear, side and top walls, with the bottom thereof being open, said top wall having an opening generally centrally thereof, means at opposite sides of said opening defining a pivot axis, means on said base at said opening defining a first spring seat spaced from said pivot axis and extending generally perpendicularly with respect thereto; a gripping member mounted on said base for pivotal movement about said axis, said gripping member having a slender elongate gripping portion extending away from said base and a mounting portion positioned adjacent said opening, means on said mounting portion defining a second spring seat positioned on the same side of said axis as said first spring seat; cooperating abutments on said base and said gripping member; and spring means having a first end engaging said first Spring seat and a second end engaging said second spring seat for biasing said abutments into engagement with one another.

2. A handle as set forth in claim 1 wherein an upright is provided on the top wall of said base at opposite sides of said opening, said uprights each including a wall facing the other upright and having said pivot axis defining means thereon.

3. A handle as set forth in claim 2 wherein a first flange extends outwardly from the bottom of the rear wall of said base and a second fiange extends outwardly from the bottom of the front Wall of said base, said first and second flanges being disposed generally in the same plane and parallel to the top wall of said base.

4. A handle as set forth in claim 3 wherein a projection extends outwardly from said first ange generally centrally thereof.

5. A handle as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first spring seat is defined by a cruciform shaped member extending forwardly from the rear edge of said opening.

6. A handle as set forth in claim 2 wherein the mounting portion of said gripping member includes a front wall, with second spring seat being defined by a button positioned on the inner surface of the front wall of the mounting portion of said gripping member, said button having a generally cylindrical lower portion and a tapered upper portion.

7. A handle for a paint applying tool comprising: a base having an opening generally centrally thereof, means at opposite sides of said opening defining a pivot axis, means on said 'base at said opening defining a first spring seat spaced from said pivot axis and positioned generally perpendicularly with respect thereto; a gripping member mounted on said base for pivotal movement about said axis vbetween a closed and open position, said gripping member having a slender elongate gripping portion extending away from said base and a mounting portion positioned adjacent said opening, means on said mounting portion defining a second spring seat positioned on the same side of said axis as said first spring seat; cooperating abutments on said base and said gripping member; spring means having a first end engaging said first spring seat and a -second end engaging said second spring seat for biasing said abutments into engagement with one another; and a locking member movably mounted on one of said gripping member and base for movement from a first position to positions away therefrom, said locking member including an abutment portion located to block movement of the gripping member when the locking member is in the first position and being of a size and shape to permit free pivotal movement of the gripping member when the locking member is moved away from the first position.

8. A handle as set forth in claim 7 wherein the locking member has a portion of reduced dimension which is presented to the path of travel of the gripping member to permit pivotal movement thereof when the locking member is moved away from the iirst position.

9. A handle as set forth in claim 7 wherein the locking member is pivoted to the base and the abutment portion is positioned in the interior of the base.

10. A handle as set forth in claim 7 wherein the locking member is pivoted to the gripping member and the abutment portion is positioned to the exterior of the gripping member adjacent the top of the base.

11. The locking member of claim 9 wherein the abutment portion terminates in a surface extending at a complementary angle to the adjacent surface of the gripping member when the gripping member is pivoted to the fully opened position and wherein said surface is posi; tioned to engage the gripping member vwhen the locking member is moved to the first position and the gripping member is in the open position to hold the gripping member in the open position in opposition to the spring means.

12. A handle as set forth in claim 10 wherein the abutment portion is of a thickness suicient to occupy the distance between the gripping member and the side of the opening in the base when the gripping member is in the open position and the locking member is in the first position to thereby block movement of the gripping member away from said open position in opposition to said spring means.

13. A handle as set forth in claim 11 `wherein the base includes a top wall wherein the opening is formed and through which the gripping member moves during pivotal movement thereof and wherein the locking member is pivoted to the top wall adjacent the opening and includes an upper operating portion at an integrally connected lower portion below the top wall, with the abutment portion 'being located on the lower portion and eX- tending across the opening in the top wall when the locking member is in the first position.

14. A handle as set forth in claim 12 wherein the base includes a top wall wherein the opening is formed and through which the gripping member travels during movement to said open position and wherein the abutment portion of the locking member is positioned to engage the top wall of the base when the locking member is in the first position and the gripping member is in the closed position to prevent pivotal movement thereof and wherein the abutment portion is of a thickness to occupy the space between the adjacent side of the opening in the top wall and the gripping member when the gripping member is in the open position to lock the gripping member therein.

15. A handle as set forth in claim 13 wherein the locking member is suiciently thin in cross-section so as to clear the opening in the top wall when the locking member is moved away from the first position.

16. A handle as set forth in claim 14 wherein the locking member abutment portion terminates in a portion of suflicient reduced thickness so as to permit entry of the gripping .member and locking member through the opening in the top wall when the locking member is swung to a position opposite the first position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 960,655 7/1910 Mabey 306-20 1,771,325 7/1930 Cotter 306-3 2,881,465 4/ 1959 Duff 306-20 XR 3,103,028 9/1963 Richards.

DANIEL BLUM, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.