MXPA99008806A - Improved utilitarian bar - Google Patents

Abstract

It is disclosed an improved utilitarian bar which includes an elongated handle with a longitudinal axle, a hook that levers in one end and a chisel that levers at the other. The hook has a tapered portion which extends along one direction generally at an angle (a) with the longitudinal axle and having generally a"U"-shaped portion integrally formed with the handle and the tapered portion. The tapered portion together with the"U"-shaped portion form a lever track surface oriented in an opposite direction as to the handle. The angle (a) is selected to be higher than 90ºand preferably selected within the range of 93º-110º. The lever track has a minimal transversal dimension which is substantially higher than the minimal transversal dimension of the handle.

Description

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BAR UTI LITAR IA M EJORADA BACKGROUND OF THE I NVENTION FIELD OF THE I NVENTION This invention relates generally to hand tools and, more specifically, to an improved utility bar for moving or lifting objects.

DESCRI PREVIOUS ICA TECHNIQUE PC Numerous utility lifting rods or tools are known, exhibiting different configurations and sizes. All the bars in this category operate on the principle of the first class simple lever. A first-class lever is a lever where the load to be expired is at or near one end of a rod or bar, and the fulcrum, or pivot, is somewhere along the rod or bar between the force applied and the load. Thus, the user seeks to obtain a mechanical advantage by placing one end of the bar adjacent to the surface to be moved, and providing a pivot point around which a longer moment arm is provided such that substantial forces can be provided to the surface and / or the object to be lifted, opened or moved. For example, a utility bar is a breaker bar in the form of an elongated straight bar having a generally hexagonal cross section and provided with a wedge or tapered end that can be forced between two adjacent surfaces.

However, because such a breaker bar is a straight bar, it has limitations in the applications for which it can be used. For example, it is not convenient to use it when a heavy object has a surface in contact with a floor or has a surface that is in contact with a wall. Because the tapered or bevelled edge must be inserted while the bar is substantially parallel to the floor or wall, respectively, it may be difficult in some cases for the user to hold the bar since that portion of the bar which is held by the hand of the bar. user may be very close or may come up against an adjacent surface. A draw bar similarly has an elongated member of hexagonal cross-section provided with a tapered or beveled finger tip, which may be somehow deviated from the longitudinal axis of the bar at one end. The other end of the bar is similarly provided with a tapered or beveled edge which is, however, bent between 90 ° and 180 ° to form a neck portion with the second beveled, or tapered tip being directed in one direction substantially the same as the first tip. Although this tool may be useful for applying lifting forces to relatively small areas, such as automobile breakdowns, it suffers the same aforementioned disadvantages of the breaker rod in moving objects close to a floor or wall surface since such surfaces become obstacles for the convenient insertion of tapered or beveled edges between the surfaces to be lifted.

A utility bar is also generally known as formed of a flat steel material having a tapered or beveled tip at one end and a neck portion which directs the beveled or tapered tip at the other end in a normal direction substantially to the direction longitudinal of the bar that extends between the tips. In addition to lacking the strength or structural integrity of the breaker bars and screw bars, which have a more substantial hexagonal cross section, which directs the second beveled or tapering tip in a normal direction substantially to the longitudinal direction of the bar also makes it more difficult or inconvenient to place the second point between surfaces that are close to a floor or a wall since, again, the hand of a user typically comes up against the floor or the wall when the bar is held by the user during the insertion of the tip between the surfaces. A nail screw is also known to have a tip substantially similar to the end of a bar with a hexagonal cross section, in which the tip provided with the screwdriver slot is normally directed substantially in the longitudinal direction of the bar in which the user's hand applies a force. A T-type screw bar is also known which typically also has an elongated rod of hexagonal cross-section provided with a tapered or beveled edge at one end, as with the stick bar. On the other hand, however, a transverse bar is provided which is integrally formed at the end of the elongated bar to simulate a T-shape. Each end of the crossbar is tapered or chamfered by itself. In order to make this bar more useful, the end of the elongated bar supporting the cross bar is often bent somewhat between 5 ° and 30 ° such that one of the tapered or bevelled edges on the cross bar forms a smaller angle with the elongated bar that forms the other beveled or tapered edge of the transverse bar. However, although one of the tips on the cross bar may be more convenient to insert between two surfaces than the other end, this type of bar tack does not include a rounded neck portion around which a pivoting action may take place. Instead, the pivoting action of each of the tips at the end of the cross bar is around the other end of the same cross bar. Such an arrangement is not always easy to use and becomes impractical in many applications. In addition due to the limitations inherent in prior art bars, it was often necessary for a user to purchase and use more than one of the bar designs to accommodate different or specific applications. Another disadvantage of some of the known utilitarian bars, particularly the barclay bar, is that the fulcrum for the pivoting action, between the lifter arm and the moment arm, is the same bent hexagonal bar. This results in a relatively small footprint area which creates extremely high concentrated stresses on the surface on which the pivoting action takes place. This often results in the "sinking" of the fulcrum on the surface and deformation and damage to it.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a utility bar that does not have the disadvantages inherent in such prior bar. It is another object of the present invention to provide a utility bar that is simple in construction and economical to manufacture. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a utility bar of the type under discussion that can displace 2 or more of the previous bars and, therefore, obviate the need to have multiple bars to make a number of different applications. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a utility bar for providing a utility bar as in the previous objectives which is usable with large and small objects. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a utility bar as suggested above which can be used to move a very close, adjacent surface or abutting a floor or wall surface. It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a utility bar as in the foregoing objectives which provides good mechanical advantage under a variety of conditions of use. It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a utility bar as mentioned above which allows the user to apply substantial lifting forces to the bar while minimizing pain or discomfort to the user's hand.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a utility bar which provides significant lifting forces while maintaining a sufficiently large footprint to minimize sinking of the bar and deformation of the surface on which the pivoting takes place. In order to achieve the above objectives, as well as others that will become apparent later, a utility bar according to the present invention is provided with an elongated handle defining a longitudinal axis and having a lifting hook at one end and a pick up at the other end. Said lifting hook has a tapered portion extending along a direction generally defining an angle with said longitudinal axis and a U-shaped portion generally integrally formed with said handle and said tapered portion, said tapered and shaped portions. of U forming a lifting footprint surface facing a direction away from said handle, said angle a being selected to be greater than 90 °. Said lifting footprint is provided with a minimum transverse dimension which is substantially greater than the minimum cross-sectional dimension of said handle. According to the invention, said angle α is preferably selected from the range of 90 ° -1 10 °.

BR EVE DESCRI PCI OF THE D I BUSES.

These and other objects, aspects and features of the present invention will be apparent, understood and appreciated more fully, from the detailed description that follows, when read with reference to the various figures of the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a side elevation view of the improved utility bar according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a top plan view of the utility bar shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the bar shown in Figure 1, taken along line 3-3; Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the detail A shown in Figure 1; Figure 5 illustrates a typical or conventional stick bar showing the directions of the lifting force as well as the force applied by the user's hand; Figure 6 is similar to Figure 5, but illustrating the comparable forces in connection with the utility bar of the present invention; Figure 7 is similar to Figure 6, but illustrating the limitations inherent in the use of a prior art stick bar when used in the vicinity of an adjacent vertical wall or surface; Figure 8 is similar to Figure 7, but illustrating how the utility bar of the present invention overcomes this inherent disadvantage in the use of the pin removal rod shown in Figure 7; Figure 9 is a side elevational view of a conventional sacclaw bar, illustrating the inherent limitation in the use of such bar in connection with lifting or lifting a product having a given height; and Figure 10 is similar to Figure 9, but illustrating the manner in which the improved utility bar of the present invention overcomes the disadvantage illustrated in Figure 9.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED MODALI DAD Referring now specifically to the Figures, in which identical or similar parts are designated by the same reference numerals from beginning to end, and referring first to Figures 1 and 2, a utility bar Improved according to the present invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 10. Utility bar 10 includes an elongated bar generally defining a longitudinal handle 1 1 defining an axis As and having a lifting hook 12 at an axial end and a lifting tab 14 at the other axial end. The lifting hook 12 has a U-shaped portion 16 generally formed integrally with the elongate handle 1 1 and with a tapered portion 18 which forms an angle α with the longitudinal axis As. The U-shaped portion 16 and the portion 18 taper together form a lifting foot surface 19 which faces a direction away from the handle 1 1.

According to one aspect of the invention, the angle a is selected to be greater than 90 °. Although this angle is shown in the illustrated embodiment to be approximately equal to 90 °, the angle is preferably selected in the range of 93 ° -1 10 °. . It has also been found that an angle of a = 105 ° provides many of the advantages of the present invention. Another aspect of the present invention is that the lifting footprint 19, which forms a part of the fulcrum point around which the lift with the lifting hook 12 takes place, has a minimum transverse dimension that is substantially greater than the dimension of minimum cross section of the handle. The tapered portion 18 may be provided with a V-shaped pop-up notch indicated by reference numeral 20 in Figure 2. As indicated, many of the utility bar tools that have been used have either a hexagonal cross section in the handle or a generally flat configuration. The planar configuration provides not only sharp edges but is also susceptible to deformation and rupture if sufficiently high forces are applied by the user. The rupture of a utility bar during its use can cause substantial damage to the user as well as damage to work. Referring to Figure 3, a cross section of the handle 1 1 is shown. According to a currently preferred configuration, the handle 1 1 does not exhibit any sharp edge. Such a handle can, for example, be generally oval in transverse section l. However, even a rectangular shape with rounded edges as shown can be used. When an oval configuration is used, the cross section preferably defines major and minor axes Am, An having relative dimensions approximately in the ratio of 2: 1. It should be clarified, however, that this used relationship is not critical, and that different relationships can be used, with different degrees of advantage. However, due to the significant forces that can be applied to the handle, it is preferred that the neutral plane N substantially coincide with the minor axis An or the smaller of the transverse dimensional sections. In this form the handle 1 1 is substantially rigid while maintaining a smaller cross-sectional area for a given force. This allows the handle to be held more comfortable, easily and completely by the user's hand. As also illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the working lengths of the lifting hook 12 and lifting lug 14 have approximately the same lengths along the direction of the axis As of the handle. As indicated, the lifting hook consists of a substantially U-shaped portion 16 and a substantially straight tapered portion 18. The outer leg of the U-shaped neck 16 and the tapered portion 18 together define a tread that serves as a fulcrum point around which the tool is pivoted. The lifting footprint is preferably selected such that it has, during use, a minimum transverse dimension which is greater than the minimum cross-sectional dimension of the handle 1 1. Also, the tapered portion 18 is provided with a beveled edge 22 to facilitate insertion against a surface to be moved. The entire utilitarian bar is preferably made of forged steel which is heat treated to make it stiffer. In Figures 1 and 3 it will be clear that when the handle has an oval cross section substantially the major axis is generally parallel to the tapered portion 18, variations of such a parallel relationship, as shown in Figure 1, can be acceptable for the purpose to facilitate the insertion or penetration of the beveled edge between two bumping surfaces. Also, the dimension of the lifting hook 12 is smaller than the dimension of the lifting tab 14 along the direction of the longitudinal axis As, since the tapered portion of the lifting tab is inserted between two surfaces along the a direction generally parallel to the axis As, while the portion of the lifting hook is inserted between two contiguous surfaces moves along a direction which is substantially normal or perpendicular to the axis As. Depending on the amount of penetration that needs to be reached before the actual lift, equal lengths substantially of tapered edges, at both ends or points, are directed or oriented in perpendicular directions. In the specific embodiment illustrated, the cross-sectional dimensions of the handle 1 1 are such that the major axis "m" is 30 mm and the minor axis "n" is 16 mm. Such an increased amount of material on both sides of the neutral plane N makes the bar rigid despite its overall length dimension of, for example, 600 mm for a utility rod of smaller size or 900 mm for a larger utility bar. In both cases, the utility bar remains substantially straight and the deviation is minimal within the anticipated lifting forces. The transverse dimension "a" of the lifting hook 12 is approximately 1 1 5 mm, while the dimension "b" of the hook along the longitudinal axis is approximately 125 mm. The longitudinal dimension of the lifting clamp along the As axis is 1 55 mm ("e"), while the transverse dimension over that length ("f") is 52 mm. Referring to Figure 1, the dimension "c" of the straight tapered portion 18 is approximately 76 mm, while the transverse dimension "d" of the U-shaped portion 16 is approximately 38 mm, such that the plane Neutral N or the axis As generally intersects the lifting hook at a point approximately where said tapered portion 18 is disposed on one side and the generally curved U-shaped portion is disposed on the other side of the longitudinal axis. The relative dimensions "a", "b" and "c" are not, per se, critical, as long as the length of the tapered portion 18 is sufficiently long to project beyond the As axis. The specific dimensions are merely illustrative of the relative shape and dimensions. Clearly, the utility bar can be made in different sizes in which cases the absolute dimensions will change, although the relative dimensions must generally be maintained to retain the advantages of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 5, it will be noted that a conventional screw bar 26 which forms a relatively small angle within the range of 40 ° -45 ° does not normally provide the same mechanical advantage as the utility bar in the present invention. For the handle of the same length and force Fa applied by a smaller force Fr will result in the tapering portion 28. The tapered portion 28, which serves as an arm of the fulcrum, is indicated to have a length of di. When the bar is clamped at a distance d2 as is ours, it results in a normal hand-force component equal to Fa sine a. For an angle of a of 45 °, the applied force Fa is reduced by approximately 30%. The useful component of the applied force, in this case, is that component which is normal to the handle. In Figure 6, it will be noted that because the handle 1 1 is substantially normal to the direction of the applied force Fa ', the resultant force Fr' is significantly greater, for the same length of the handle. It has been noted, thus, that the leverage with the present invention is substantially increased over conventional stick bars. For example, for a 61-centimeter bar, an increase of 52% has been observed, while in a 91.5-centimeter bar, an increase of approximately 58% has been obtained. This means, of course, that such increased leverage can either reduce the required level of forces that needs to be applied by the user or significantly increase the forces that can be applied to move or lift an object with the same forces applied by the user.

In Figure 7, the conventional lift bar of Figure 5 is illustrated when an attempt is made to use such a bar to lift an object in close proximity to a horizontal surface, such as a wall W. With an angle a of 45 ° , it will be clear that for a handle of given length L, it is difficult to insert the tapered or beveled edge of the lifting hook between surfaces that are closer than about 70% of the length of the bar to the wall. In Figure 8, however, it will be noted that the improved utility bar of the present invention allows the tapered edge 18 of the lifting hook 12 to be inserted below an object for substantially all distances from the handle to the horizontal wall or object. A similar difficulty is noted in Figure 9, with the conventional pry bar, where, again, the very nature of the lifting bar configuration prevents the tapered edge of the lifting hook from being inserted underneath an object. which has any significant height, since the upper portion of the object makes contact with the handle itself. In Figure 10, it is clear that the present invention has no such limitation or restriction, and the tapered edge of the lifting hook can penetrate below a surface a distance "D" with almost no interference whatsoever from the handle. It will be clear that, by selecting the angle a to be in the range of 93 ° -1 10 °, a user can get closer to the walls, whereas this is not always possible with normal bars. Also, by providing an oval or oblong cross-sectional dimension for the handle, as opposed to a flat metal sheet or hexagonal cross-section handle, the user can apply significantly greater forces to the handle without incurring discomfort or pain, or possible damage . The additional rounded grip area provides greater comfort to the user and facilitates the use of the bar under most conditions. By providing increased lifting footprints for both the lifting hook and lifting tab, substantially more support area is provided at both ends of the utility bar, approximately three times the support area for the lifting hook and approximately twice. the support area for the end of the lifting finger. Such increased support areas provide more control for the user and resist the collapse of the fulcrum points at both ends on the surface against which the pivoting takes place., and avoid possible deformation and damage to that surface. By selecting a working core length that is slightly larger and more easily accessible than previous bar constructions, a lower profile is obtained which adjusts more and more easily under the work pieces. In this connection, a jaw tip width compared to conventional jaw bars has also been increased and, by making such a jaw tip width of approximately 43 mm, an approximately 12% greater width is provided for improved leverage. The same is true for the width of the tip of the nail, which, at 35 mm, provides approximately 22% more width of the lantern.

It will be clear, from the foregoing, that the improved utility bar of the present invention overcomes the disadvantages of numerous prior known designs, and the resulting utility bar becomes so universal that it can be used in most applications for which such tools, without the need to resort to a multiplicity of utility bar designs to achieve a large number of functions.

Although the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments thereof, many other variations, modifications and other uses will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is the intention, therefore, that the present invention is not limited by the specific description of the embodiments herein, but only by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (10)

R EIVI N DICATION EN

1 . A utility bar having an elongated handle defining a longitudinal axis and having a lifting hook at one end and a lifting clamp at the other end, said lifting hook having a tapered portion extending along a direction generally defining an angle α with said longitudinal axis and a U-shaped portion generally integrally formed with said handle and said tapered portions, said tapered and U-shaped portions forming a lifting footprint surface facing a direction away from said handle, said angle a being greater than 90 ° and said lifting footprint having a minimum transverse direction which is substantially greater than the minimum cross-sectional dimension of said handle.

2. A utility bar as defined in claim 1, wherein said angle a is equal to approximately 96 °. 3. A utility bar as defined in claim 1, wherein said angle a is equal to approximately 1 05 °. 4. A utility bar as defined in claim 1, wherein said angle a is selected from the range of 93 ° -110 °. A utility bar as defined in claim 1, wherein a maximum transverse direction of said lifting hook footprint is equal to approximately twice the size of the minimum cross section of said handle. 6. A utility bar as defined in claim 1, wherein said longitudinal axis bisects said lifting cover with said tapered portion being disposed on one side and said U-shaped portion generally being disposed on the other side of said longitudinal axis. 7. A utility bar as defined in claim 1, wherein said handle has a generally oval cross section. 8. A utility bar as defined in claim 7, wherein said cross section defines major and minor axes having relative dimensions approximately in the ratio of 2: 1. A utility bar as defined in claim 1, wherein said lifting hook and said lifting tab have roughly equal working lengths therebetween. A utility bar as defined in claim 1, wherein said lifting tab defines a lifting footprint during use that has a minimum transverse dimension that is greater than the minimum cross sectional dimension of said handle. eleven . A utility bar as defined in claim 1, wherein said tapered portion is provided with a beveled edge to facilitate penetration against a surface to be moved. 12. A utility bar as defined in claim 1, wherein said lifting tab is provided with a beveled edge at the free end thereof to facilitate penetration against a surface to be moved.

3. A utility bar as defined in claim 1, wherein said utility bar is made of steel. 1

4. A utility bar as defined in claim 13, wherein said steel is forged steel. 1

5. A utility bar as defined in claim 13, wherein said steel is heat treated. A utility bar as defined in claim 1, wherein said tapered portion is provided with a V-shaped notch generally suitable for coupling with a nail head. 17. A utility bar as defined in claim 7, wherein said cross section has a major axis generally parallel to said tapered portion. 18. A utility bar as defined in claim 1, wherein the dimensions of said lifting hook and lifting tab along the direction of said longitudinal axis are approximately the same. 9. A utility bar as defined in claim 18, wherein the dimension of said lifting hook is smaller than the dimension of said lifting tab along the direction of said longitudinal axis. 20. A utility bar as defined in claim 1, wherein a minimum transverse dimension of said lifting fingerprint is substantially greater than the minimum cross sectional dimension of said handle. R ESU M U U Improved utility bar includes an elongated handle which has a longitudinal axis, a lifting hook on one end and a lifting hook on the other end. The lifting hook has a tapered portion extending along a direction generally angled to the longitudinal axis and a U-shaped portion generally formed integrally with the handle and the tapered portion. The tapered and U-shaped portions together form a lifting footprint surface facing away from the handle. The angle a is selected to be greater than 90 ° and preferably selected within the range of 93 ° -110 °. The lifting footprint has a minimum transverse dimension which is substantially greater than the minimum cross-sectional dimension of the handle.