US552244A - Charles alexander gregory - Google Patents

Description

O. A. GREGORY.

- PIGKING ROD.

(No Model.)

No. 552,244. Patented Dec. 31, 1895.

Qwi/Cmeooaa M. Pnmo-umo WASHING UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

I CHARLES ALEXANDER GREGORY, OF MONTREAL, CANADA, ASS IGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO DAVID B. TOIVSLEY, OF SAME PLACE.

PlCKlNG-ROD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,244, dated December 31, 1895.

Serial No. 543,717. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES ALEXANDER GREGORY, of the city of Montreal, in the district of Montreal and Province of Quebec, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Picking-Rods; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates to picking-rods or lifters used more particularly in reaching for and lifting goods from shop-windows, Where they are usually more or less inaccessible and cannot readily be reached, and has for its object to produce an improved article of this type simple in construction and the parts of which will not be liable to wear and get out of order, as heretofore, and one which will be more convenient to handle and effective in retaining the article gripped.

To such ends the invention consists, first, V.

in constructing the instrument of a main rod,

terminating at its forward end in a jaw or finger, and a short movable jaw or finger carried by the main rod and acting in conjunction with the finger at the end thereof to grip the article, the movable finger being actuated through lever-and-rod connections from the handle end of the rod; secondly, in a locking device for holding the movable finger in its gripping position, and, thirdly, in an extensible handle portion for the rod. For full comprehension, however, of the invention, reference must be had to the annexed drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which like symbols indicate corresponding parts, and wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved picking-rod; Fig. 2, a plan view of same, and Fig. 3 a side elevation of a modified form thereof.

a is the main rod diminishing toward its forward end and terminating in a stationary jaw or finger b.

c is a short jaw or finger, preferably of the curved form shown, with its inner end pivotally connected at c to the rod a and its outer gripping end terminating opposite that of the stationary finger b. The movable finger c is held with its gripping end normally away from that of the main finger, preferably by means of a V-spring d located between the two near their point of connection, and such movable finger is moved toward the stationary one, preferably by the rollowing means: A

- thumb-lever of bell-crank form, having a long arm 6 and short arm 6, is fulcrumed at f to the rod near its handle end, and from the short arm thereof a wire connection g extends to one arm h of a second bell-crank lever fulcruined at 75 to the main rod also, and the other arm h of which is preferably connected by a link m with the movable finger, although instead of the link connection such second arm 72/ might be lengthened and bent across the outside face of the movable finger, so as to have merely a frictional bearing thereon, as shown at n in Fig. 3, but the link connection is preferable as requiring less force in operation.

As a readymeans for locking the movable finger in its gripping position I pivot a counterbalanced swinging detent to the rod near the thumb-lever so that one end 19 of such detent will engage in either of several notches q in the surface of the arm 6 of the lever and so hold it in any position to which it may be depressed as long as the rod is held in aproper position with the side thereof on which the thumb-lever is located uppermost, but which, upon the turning of such side under, will automatically free the thumb-lever, owing to the preponderating weight of the opposite end 19 of the detent.

To provide for the use of the picking-rod as a holder for clusters and the like requiring a somewhat longer handle, the rod proper may be hollowed from its handle end forward, as at r, and an extension handle piece or section 3 be located therein, which can be drawn outward various distances and retained by any suitable device, such as the spring-detent z, with an end passing through an aperture in the rod proper and engaging either of the notches u in the extension-piece.

What I claim is as follows:

1.. A picking rod orlifter comprising a main solid rod terminating at its rear end in an integral handle portion and at its forward end in an integral gripping finger,and a short movable gripping finger carried by the main rod cated at the rear handle end of the main rod with a wire rod connection between for operating the short movable finger from such rear handle end of the main rod.

3. A picking rod or lifter comprising a main solid rod terminating at its rear end in an integral handle portion and at its forward end in an integral gripping finger, a short movable gripping finger carried by the main rod, a bell crank lever and rod connection for actuating the movable finger from the rear handle end of the rod and means for locking such movable finger in its gripping position.

i. A picking rod or lifter comprising a main solid rod terminating at its rear end in an integral handle portion and at its forward end in an integral gripping finger, a short movable gripping finger pivoted to the main rod, a spring for keeping such movable finger normally out of contact with the main rod and a bell crank lever located at the forward end of the main rod having one arm overlapping and bearing upon the outer surface of the short movable finger, and a second bell crank lever located at the rear handle end of the main rod with a wire rod connection between for operating the short movable finger from such rear handle end of the main rod for the purpose set forth.

5. A picking rod or lifter comprising a main solid rod terminating at its rear end in an integral handle portion and at its forward end in an integral gripping finger, a short movable gripping finger pivoted to the main rod,

a spring for keeping such movable finger normally out of contact with the main rod, a bell crank lever and rod connection for operating such short movable finger from the rear handle end of the rod, and an automatically operated swinging detent for locking such movable finger in its gripping position for the purpose set forth.

6. A picking rod or lifter comprising a main rod terminating at its forward end in a gripping finger, a short movable gripping finger pivoted to the main rod, a spring for keeping such movable finger normally out of contact with the main rod, a pair of bell crank levers and a rod connection between them for opcrating such short movable finger from the rear handle end of the rod and a counterbalanced swinging detent having one end weighted and its other end adapted to e11- gage the bell crank lever nearest the handle and lock said movable finger in its gripping position for the purpose set forth.

7. A picking rod or lifter comprising a main rod terminating at its forward end in a gripping finger, a short movable gripping finger pivoted to the main rod, a spring for keeping such movable finger normally out of contact with the main rod, a bell crank lever fulcrumed to the stationary finger, a second bell. crank lever fulcrumed on the main rod near the handle thereof, the first bell-crank lever having one arm adapted to operate such movable finger and its other arm connected with one arm of said second bell crank lever, the second bell crank lever having its other arm notched and a counterbalanced swinging detent having one end weighted and its other arm adapted to engage with the notches in the arm of said second bell crank lever for the purpose set forth.

Montreal, March 26, 1895.

CHARLES ALEXANDER GREGOl-IY.

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