Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
IMPROVED TOOL FOR FIREMEN
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention disclosed and claimed herein relates
to a new and improved tool for firemen and, in particular, to
a tool for use in the coupling and uncoupling of fire hoses
and related operations in connection with fire fighting.
Experience in fire fighting activities has shown that a
useful tool must be versatile as well as being compact so
that it will not be limited to only a few operations, but
would instead be adaptable to other operations besides its
use in conjunction with fire hoses. A useful tool will thus
be operative in conjunction with different types of hose
couplings as well as being applicable to turning off various
forms of gas valves and to performing other tasks.
OBJE.CTS OF THE INVE~TION
Consistent with the background of the invention set
forth above, applicant has conceived the present invention to~
provide a new and improved tool for firemen's use in various
tasks which may arise from beginning to end of fire ighting
activities.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to
provide a new and improved tool suitable for u~e in
connecting and disconnecting fire hose couplings.
;c~ L ~ 3
It is another object of this invention to provide a
new and improved tool which can be used to turn off gas
valves having various forms of nut-like heads on which a tool
may be applied for rotation thereof.
It is still another object of this invention to
provide a new and improved tool which may provide a spanner
function, if needed, against lugs on a hose coupling collar.
It is yet another object of this invention to
provide a new and improved tool which includes structure for
carrying out a prying operation.
It is a further object of this invention to provide
a new and improved tool which includes structure for carrying
out a picking operation on certain types of hose couplings.
Another object of this invention is to provide a new
and improved tool which, while versatile, is also compact and
thus convenient to carry and easy to use.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The objects enumerated above, as well as various
advantages or benefits of the present invention, will be
readily apprleciated by the reader upon referring to the
appended drawings in which:
,
Fig. 1 is a side view in perspective of the
disclosed invention in opened or unfolded condition thereof;
Fig. 2 is a side view in perspective of the
disclos~d invention in closed or folaed condition thereof;
Fig. 3 shows the tool opened as in Fig 1, but
turned up-side-down and applied in a spanner wrench operation;
Fig. 4 shows the tool as in Fig. 2, but turned 180%
therefrom and applied in a picking operation;
Figs. 5-7 show the present invention applied to the
nut or head portion of various gas valves to effect shutting
thereof, for example; and
Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of the tool in
folded condition thereof and with a portion thereof broken
away or removed to reveal details otherwise obscured.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIO~ OF THE
PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to the drawings in detail, the reader
will readily appr,eciate that the disclosed invention is
embodied in a neat and simple combination tool 10 comprising
first and second tool members 12 and 14, respectlvely, with
hinge means 16 pivotally securing first and second members
12, 14 together so that same may be selectively pivoted
between opened and closed positions of use. As may be
readily seen in Figs. 1-3, first tool member 12 includes a
pair of spa,_ed-apart generally parallel extending side walls
18, 20 forming a sheath portion between which second tool
member 14 may be folded or enclosed in closed position or
condition thereof. First tool member 12 also includes a
first tool portion 30 and a first bridge portion 22 at one
end 26 thereof and a second bridge portion 24 adjacent the
other end 28 thereof but intermediate these ends 26 and 28.
First and second bridye portions 22 and 24 are also shown to
extend between and integrally connect side walls 18 and 20.
Second tool member 14, as disclosed, includes second and
third tool portions 32 and 34 at opposite ends 36 and 38,
respectively, thereof and an intermediate region 40 adjacent
the second tool portion 32. This intermediate region 40 is
disposed between side walls 18 and 20 and hingedly assembled
adjacent the other end 28 of first tool member 12, wherein in
the folded or closed position or condition of combination
15 tool 10, second tool member 14 extends between side walls 18
and 20 and rests on bridge portions 22 and 24 as seen in Fig.
8 while second and third tool portions 32 and 34 extend
beyond opposite ends 26 and 28 of first tool member 12 and
first tool portion 30 extends in exposed condition so that
20 all three tool portions 30, 32, and 34 are available for use
in both the opened and folded or closed conditions of tool
members 12 and 14.
Upon closer inspection, the reader will readily
observe that a hook struct~re is formed on first tool portion
30 at the one end 26 of first tool member 12. This hook
structure extends away from side walls 18 and 20. Second and
third tool portions 32 and 34 at opposite ends 36 and 38 of
second tool ~lember 14 are in the form of a wedge prying
structure andl an arcuate pick structure, respectively. It
may also be readily observed that first and second tool
members 12 and 14 may be pivoted to open condition whereby
hook structure 30 or first tool portion may be applied to a
lug L of a typical collar of a coupling C or to a pin-type
lug P on the periphery of a collar B of a different form to
operate as a spanner wrench with one edge of second tool
portion 32 of second tool member 14. With hook structure 30
and tool portion 32 simultaneously applied to such a hose
coupling wherein tool portion 32 functioning as a fulcrum and
second tool member 14 cranked in the direction of the arrows,
as illustrated in Fig. 3, the clisclosed tool 10 is used as a
spanner wrench.
Other uses of combination tool 10 are suggested in
Figs. 5-7, wherein a nut or bolt head V on certain known gas
meter valves may be admitted between side walls 18 and 20 of
first tool member 12 which may then be used as an ordinary
wrench for effecting rotary motion or within the expanse of
hook 30. It is also noted that in the closed or folded
condition of tool 10, the upper or outer edge of second tool
member 14 blends in or is generally within the confines of
the outline of the upper or outer edges of side walls 18 and
20 of first tool,member 12 to thereby form a handle without
obtrusive portions as illustrated in Figs. 2, ~, and 8 so
that tool 10 may be gripped and used with comfort. Insofar
as the assembly of the disclosed parts of tool 10 is
concerned, hinge means 16 is understood to comprise a pivot
member in the form of gudgeon, trunnion, pin elements or the
like. The use of first tool portion 30 at the first end 26
of first too] member 12 which extends in a direction away
from side wa]ls 18 and 20 in the form of a hook to grip a lug
po~tion L of conventional hose coupling structure and second
3~3
tool portion 32 which in the opened condition of tool 10
extends beyond first tool member 12 in generally the same
direction as first tool portion 30 and in spaced-apart
relationship thereÇrom to operate as a fulcrum against an
area of a hose coupling C away from the lug L that would be
gripped, and the third tool portion 34 which extends in a
direction away from that of first and second tool portions 30
and 32 to provide a cranking hanale in use of tool 10 as a
spanner wrench is shown in Fig" 3.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
While there are numerous optional embodiments of the
disclosed tool assembly 10, applicant has constructed a
preferred embodiment comprising three basic parts, namely,
first and second tool members 12, 14 made out of cadmium
plated ductile iron and hinge pin 16. Instead of ductile
iron, tool members 12, 14 may, for example, be made of
malleable steel. As mentioned above, tool portion 30 of
first tool member 12 is formed ~ith a hook structure for
gripping engagement with a lug L or pin-type lug P to connect
or disconnect a hose of the type commonly employed in fire
fighting operations. Tool 10, as shown in Fig. 4 in folded
or closed condition, is used with arcuate pick 34 inserted
under the inside of a hose coupling of the type having a
spring-loaded, hinge clip C' to pry the latter open by a
downward force applied on second tool portion 32 serving as a
handle.
Another alternative use of the disclosed tool 10 in
contrast to its use as a spanner wrench, such as in Fig. 3,
--6--
i9 RhOWII in Fig. 5 with the hook structure 30 disposed
against ~alve head V of a gas meter for rotation by force
applied in the direction of the arrows to tool member 14
which is used as a handle. Other alternative uses of tool 10
are shown in Figs. 6 and 7. In Fig. 6, a valve head V is
admitted between side walls 18, 20 from the hook side of tool
member 12 with rotation being applied to tool member 14 in
the direction of the arrow to obtain rotation about the axis
of valve head V. Fig. 7 shows a further alternative use of
tool 10 where valve head V is admitted between side walls 18,
20 from behind hook 30 of tool member 12 after which rotation
is achieved generally similar to the proced~re illustrated in
Fig. 6.
Besides using the arcuate pick 34 of tool member 14
in the operation described above, tool portion 32, which has
a chisel or wedge structure at the opposite end of tool
member 14, may be used in lifting, prying, scraping, and
numerous other operations. ~perture 31 is provided in the
surface of tool portion 32 for any number of useful purposes
besides for reception of a nail, hook, or the like for
storage of tool 10.
It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that
various changes may be made to the disclosed structure
without departing from the scope of the invention which is
not to be considered as being limited to what is shown in the
drawings and described in the specification.
