US3798687A - Multiple hand tool - Google Patents

Abstract

A compact multiple hand tool which includes substantially every hand tool found in a complete tool box. A pair of elongated members are pivotally connected adjacent their upper ends, which are provided with jaws usable as pliers and as an adjustable wrench. One upper end also carries a hammer head. The lower ends provide a knife, file, rule and two types of screwdrivers. A hacksaw blade is pivotally mounted on one member and connectable to the other. A projection carried by a movable jaw on one member makes locking engagement with the other member to hold the members in open right angular position.

Description

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Great Britain 7/3 A 0 United States Patent 1 1 1111 3,798,687 Stevens Mar. 26, 1974 1 MULTIPLE HAND TOOL [76] Inventor: Peter S. Stevens, 708 Strand, Z m; fg 4 1 39"? M tt B h C SSIS an xammeral' 1C 5 an d an we a l Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Robert C. Comstock [22] Filed: June 26, 1972 [2]] Appl. N0.: 266,267

[57] ABSTRACT 52 US. Cl. 7 5.], 8l 388,145 31 R 1 Int Cl B26b/ 7/22 A compact multlple hand tool whlch includes substan- [58] pie-Id 3 A 4 5 tially every hand tool found in a complete tool box. A 7/5 1 5 d g i pair of elongated members are pivotally connected ad. h l l 1 R jacent their upper ends, which are provided with jaws usable as pliers and as an adjustable wrench. One [56] References Cited upper end also carries a hammer head. The lower ends provide a knife, file, rule and two types of screwdriv- UNITED STATES PATENTS ers. A hacksaw blade is pivotally mounted on one 874 394 12/1907 Cork .1 81/388 X member and Connectable to the other A projection I 3 12 2 g carried by a movable jaw on one member makes lockg' f, 1 i ing engagement with the other member to hold the 2.76135; ll/l956 Healy": I: 81/388 X members open right angular Position" 4 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEDHAR26 1974 3', 7 9 8 5 7 sum 1 [If 2 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to a multiple hand tool which is particularly adapted for use by outdoorsmen and which may also be carried and used in motor vehicles and in the home.

2. Description of the Prior Art Various types of combination or multiple tools are presently known, such as those of the folding knife blade type in which a plurality of blades perform various operations. Such tools are for lighter duty and simpler applications than the tool of the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention provides in compact or easily stored or carried form within a single tool almost every type of hand tool which is found in a complete tool box.

The tool of the present invention may embody, but is not necessarily limited to, a pliers, adjustable wrench, knife, file, rule, two types of screwdrivers, hammer, wire cutter and hacksaw.

It is accordingly among the objects of the invention to provide a multiple hand tool having all of the advantages and benefits of the structure set forth above and described in detail hereinafter in this specification.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a tool which may be manufactured in a relatively simple manner and sold at a reasonable price for widespread sale and use.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a tool in which all of the combination parts are compactly arranged and stored so that the tool may be conveniently carried on the person or stored in a minimum amount of space within a vehicle, camping gear, etc.

It is another object of the invention to provide such a tool having a pair of elongated members which may be held in closed position or pivoted with respect to each other or locked in an open right angular position to provide the rigidity which is desirable for various purposes.

The invention also comprises such other objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and which are inherently possessed by the invention.

While there is shown in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that the same is susceptible of modification and change without departing from the spirit of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a multiple hand tool with the elongated members held in closed position;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the same;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 taken from the opposite side;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the same; FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 55 of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view showing the tool with the elongated members in partly open pivoting position;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view taken from the side opposite from FIG. 6 with the elongated members held in completely open right angular position;

FIG. 8 is a partial side elevational view taken from the side opposite from FIG. 7, partly broken away and shown in section to show the locking engagement for holding the elongated members in open right angular position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred embodiment which has been selected to illustrate the invention comprises a tool having a pair of elongated members 10 and 11 which are pivotally connected adjacent their upper ends by a transversely directed shaft 12. The lower portions 13 and 14 respectively of the members 10 and 11 are adapted to function as handles when the tool is used as a wrench or pliers.

The other end of the elongated member I 1 comprises an upper portion 15 which has a portion so formed and serrated on the inside thereof as to comprise one jaw 22 of a pliers or wrench. The outside of the upper portion 15 carries a round protuberance 16 which is adapted to act as the striking portion of a hammer. The free end of the lower portion 13 of elongated member 10 carries the projecting blade 17 of a Phillips head screwdriver. The free end of the lower portion 14 of elongated member 11 carries the projecting blade 18 of a conventional screwdriver.

A loop 19 has its ends pivotally mounted on a pin 29 which extends transversely through the end of the lower portion 14 directly inwardly from the blade 18. The closed end of the loop 19 is adapted to removably fit around and frictionally engage the blade 17 to hold the free ends of the lower portions 13 and 14 together and lock the tool in closed position.

One side of the lower portion 14 is provided with the blade of a flat file 20. The other lower portion 13 is bevelled inwardly to form a knife blade 21.

The other end of the elongated member 10 comprises an upper portion 23, which carries the other jaw 24 of a pliers or wrench. The jaw 24 is mounted for lateral movement in the manner of an adjustable wrench. The lower portion of the jaw 24 is provided with a plurality of teeth 25 which are engaged by a worm'gear 26 which is mounted for rotation on a laterally directed shaft 27. The worm gear 26 is mounted in an opening 28 so that it is accessible for manual rotation from both sides of the upper portion 23.

The outer end of the tooth carrying portion 25 of the jaw 24 is provided with a projection 36 which extends laterally outwardly from the side edge of the upper portion 23 when the jaw 24 is moved toward a fully open position.

The elongated member 11 is provided adjacent its midportion directly adjacent to the inner end of the flat file 20 with a recess 37. The recess 37 is adapted to receive and hold the end of the projection 36 when the elongated members 10 and 11 are moved to a fully open right angular position, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 of the drawings. The worm gear 26 is rotated to move the jaw 24 to an extreme outward position, which simultaneously moves the end of the projection 36 into the recess 37. The projection 36 and recess 37 accordingly act as a lock to hold the elongated members 10 and 11 in fully open position.

' a recess 32 into which the blade 31 fits. The blade 31 is preferably mounted so that it is resiliently urged into the recess 32 when it is not in use.

The free end of the blade 31 is provided with an opening 33 which is adapted to fit around a pin 34 which projects from one side of the elongated member adjacent to the midpoint thereof. The blade 31 may be pivotted to the position shown in FIG. 7 of the drawings for engagement between the opening 33 and pin 34 to lock the blade 31 is open position for use.

When the lower portions 13 and 14 are held in closed position by the loop 19, the tool is adapted to be carried on the person or stored in a minimum amount of space. Without being open, the tool may be used as a conventional screwdriver, flat tile, hammer, rule and as an adjustable wrench by rotating the worm gear 26.

The tool may be used as a pliers by pivoting the loop 19 and releasing the elongated members 11 and 12 for pivotal movement;

After the loop 19 has been released, the lower portions 13 and 14 may be pivoted to right angular open positions and locked therein by engagement between the projection 36 and recess 37. The tool may then be used as a Phillips head screwdriver and knife. it may be used as a hacksaw by movement of the blade 31 to the position shown in FIG. 7 of the drawings.

When the lower portions 13 and 14 are locked in open position, the lower portion 14 may be held in the hand by a pistol grip for use of the knife blade 21 as a weapon. The tool may also be held with the fingers on the inside of the tool between the inner ends of the knife blade 21 and flat file and the palm of the hand between the jaws 22 and 24.

The upper portion 23 is provided with a cutaway portion 42 which fits under a lip 43 formed on the inner edge of the protuberance 16 when the elongated members 10 and 11 are in closed postion. This engagement prevents any lateral twisting of the elongated members 10 and 11v with respect to each other when the tool is used as a wrench. It may also be noted that when the elongated members 10 and 11 are in closed position, the knife blade 21 fits directly adjacent to and overlies the file 20.

Instead of the fixed screwdriver blades 17 and 18, the tool may be provided with a plurality of removably mounted blade of various sizes which may be stored within the ends of the lower portions 13 and 14.

i The ends of the elongated members 10 and 11 are provided beneath the jaws 22 and 24 with slots 40 which may be used as wire cutters.

When the elongated members 10 and 11 are moved to completely open right angular positions, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, portions of their upper ends engage to prevent their movement beyond such right angular position. The outer side of the elongated member 10 engages the bottom of the protuberance 16 and the inner side of the elongated member 10 engages a transversely directed portion of the elongated member 11 directly adjacent to the recess 37. As best shown in H6. 8, the upper surface of the jaw projection 36 which engages the recess 37 is inclined upwardly, so

that outward movement of the jaw projection 36 exerts pressure on the elongated members 10 and 11 to force their engaging portions against each other as described above. This provides rigidity of the tool in open position and also acts to tighten the hacksaw blade 31 when it is in use.

The outside edge of the lower portion 13 of the elongated member 10 may be formed with a semi-circular cross section and knurled to provide a circular file.

I claim:

1. A multiple hand tool comprising a pair of elongated members pivotally connected to each other adjacent their upper ends, the lower ends of said elongated members forming a pair of handles, the upper ends of said elongated members carrying a stationary jaw and a laterally movable jaw respectively, means for removably connecting said handles to each other for use of said tool as an adjustable wrench, said elongated members being releasable for pivotal movement for use of said tool as pliers, said elongated members being pivotable to a position in which said handles extend in substantially a right angular position to each other, tool means carried by at least one of said elongated members and operable when said handles are held in said right angular position, means engageable between said elongated members to prevent movement of said handles beyond said right angular position, holding means engageable between said elongated members to prevent movement of said handles from said right angular position toward each other, said holding means comprising a projection carried by said laterally movable jaw and a recess formed on the other of said elongated members, said recess being adapted to receive and hold said projection when said jaw is moved to a fully open position, the engagement between said projection and recess preventing pivotal movement of said handles toward each other.

2. The structure described in claim 1, said jaw projection having an inclined portion engageable with said recess when said jaw is moved toward a fully open position, the engagement between said jaw projection and recess exerting outward pressure on said elongated members to urge said elongated members toward open right angular position.

3. The structure described in claim 2, and a hacksaw blade having one end thereof pivotally secured to the lower end of one of said elongated members, said blade normally extending adjacent and parallel to the member on which it is mounted, said hacltsaw blade being pivotable to an operating position wherein it extends between said elongated members, and means for removably securing the free end of said blade to the other of said elongated members, the outward movement of said jaw projection acting to move said elongated members away from each other to hold said blade rigidly in operating position.

4. The structure described in claim 2, and means carried by the upper end of one of said elongated members engageable with means on the other of said elongated members when said elongated members are in closed position to prevent any lateral twisting of either of said elongated members with respect to the other when said tool is used as a wrench, said twist presenting means comprising a projection formed on one of said elongated members and a complementary recess formed on the other of said elongated members, said recess being adapted to removably receive said projection when said elongated members are in closed position.

# i k I i

Claims (4)

1. A multiple hand tool comprising a pair of elongated members pivotally connected to each other adjacent their upper ends, the lower ends of said elongated members forming a pair of handles, the upper ends of said elongated members carrying a stationary jaw and a laterally movable jaw respectively, means for removably connecting said handles to each other for use of said tool as an adjustable wrench, said elongated members being releasable for pivotal movement for use of said tool as pliers, said elongated members being pivotable to a position in which said handles extend in substantially a right angular position to each other, tool means carried by at least one of said elongated members and operable when said handles are held in said right angular position, means engageable between said elongated members to prevent movement of said handles beyond said right angUlar position, holding means engageable between said elongated members to prevent movement of said handles from said right angular position toward each other, said holding means comprising a projection carried by said laterally movable jaw and a recess formed on the other of said elongated members, said recess being adapted to receive and hold said projection when said jaw is moved to a fully open position, the engagement between said projection and recess preventing pivotal movement of said handles toward each other.

2. The structure described in claim 1, said jaw projection having an inclined portion engageable with said recess when said jaw is moved toward a fully open position, the engagement between said jaw projection and recess exerting outward pressure on said elongated members to urge said elongated members toward open right angular position.

3. The structure described in claim 2, and a hacksaw blade having one end thereof pivotally secured to the lower end of one of said elongated members, said blade normally extending adjacent and parallel to the member on which it is mounted, said hacksaw blade being pivotable to an operating position wherein it extends between said elongated members, and means for removably securing the free end of said blade to the other of said elongated members, the outward movement of said jaw projection acting to move said elongated members away from each other to hold said blade rigidly in operating position.

4. The structure described in claim 2, and means carried by the upper end of one of said elongated members engageable with means on the other of said elongated members when said elongated members are in closed position to prevent any lateral twisting of either of said elongated members with respect to the other when said tool is used as a wrench, said twist presenting means comprising a projection formed on one of said elongated members and a complementary recess formed on the other of said elongated members, said recess being adapted to removably receive said projection when said elongated members are in closed position.

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