Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02726623 2010-12-30
ELONGATED SCRAPER-HAMMER
Field
The present invention relates to tools. More specifically, the present
invention relates to
surface scrapers having an elongated handle.
Background
Scrapers are commonly used in the flooring industry to scrape paint, glue,
cement, grout,
etc. from different work surfaces.
Scrapers can take a variety of shapes depending on the type of surface, the
type of
material that is to be removed, and the size of the surface. Furthermore,
scrapers have
a variety of features that can improve functionality and ease of operation.
Such features
include scraper blades that can be easily detached by unfastening screws for
easy
sharpening or replacement, and the addition of one or more tool features, such
as a
striking surface, hammer head, mallet, pick, or ball-pein.
A hammer head is particularly useful for driving in nails or other protrusions
that might
interfere with the installation of new flooring. However, the addition of a
hammer head
that is perpendicular to the top flat surface of a scraper blade significantly
increases the
height of the scraper and makes it difficult to scrape material from a surface
that is
underneath fixed furniture or stairs.
Furthermore, the addition of a hammer head that is perpendicular to the top
flat surface
of a scraper blade imposes restrictions on the width and length of the blade
when trying
to hammer in nails. The wider and longer the blade is, the more difficult it
is to strike a
nail squarely on the head because it is hidden by the blade.
-1-
CA 02726623 2010-12-30
Therefore, there is a need for a scraper that includes a hammer head which
does not
increase the scraper's overall height. There is a further need for a scraper
that includes
a hammer head which can accommodate wide scraping blades without impairing
accuracy when striking nails or other fasteners.
Brief Summary
The present invention provides a scraper-hammer that has the lowest possible
height
and can accommodate wide blades without impairing the ability to strike nails
squarely
on the head.
The present invention provides a scraper-hammer having a head, the head having
a
first side and a second side and a scraping edge for scraping and a first
striking surface
for striking, the first side and the second side forming a longitudinal axis,
the scraping
edge extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis, the first striking
surface facing
outwardly in the general direction of the scraping edge and a handle, the
handle
extending from the head.
Brief Description of the Figures
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in
greater detail
and will be better understood when read in conjunction with the following
drawings in
which:
Figure IA is a right side view of a scraper-hammer in accordance with one
embodiment
of the present invention;
Figure 1 B is an front elevation view of the scraper-hammer illustrated in
Figure 1;
-2-
CA 02726623 2010-12-30
Figure 2 is a right side view of a scraper-hammer in accordance with another
embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 3 is a left side view of the scraper-hammer illustrated in Figure 2;
Figure 4 is an exploded right side view of the scraper-hammer illustrated in
Figure 2;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the head of the scraper-hammer illustrated
in Figure
2;
Figure 6A is a bottom view of the plate of the scraper-hammer illustrated in
Figure 2;
and
Figure 6B is a top view of the plate of the scraper-hammer illustrated in
Figure 2.
Detailed Description
The present invention provides a scraper-hammer that has the lowest possible
height
and can accommodate wide blades without impairing the ability to squarely
strike nails
on the head.
A scraper-hammer in accordance with at least one embodiment of the invention
is
illustrated in Figures 1A and 1 B. As shown, scraper-hammer 2 has a handle 10
and a
head 40 connected to handle 10. Head 40 and handle 10 can be formed as single
piece
or multiple pieces suitably connected together. Head 40 has a first surface 43
and an
analogous second surface 44 on the opposite side of head 40 as seen in Figure
1B.
Head 40 has a longitudinal extending scraping edge 41 that is sharp and which
is
defined by the intersection of surfaces 43 and 44 along the head's upper
periphery.
Head 40 additionally includes a striking surface 42 that faces outwardly. The
plane of the
striking surface 42 will typically be orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of
edge 41 but it
-3-
CA 02726623 2010-12-30
can also be at a selected angle relative thereto depending upon the preferred
angle of
attack for striking nails or other objects.
In the embodiment of Figures 1A and 1B, head 40, including first and second
surfaces
43, 44, edge 41, and striking surface 42 are formed as an integral unitary
component
created by stamping, milling, forging, or casting in order to provide maximum
durability
and strength. This embodiment provides a scraper-hammer that is particularly
durable
and well suited to the demands of a construction jobsite. As will be
appreciated however,
scraping edge 41 is not replaceable, requiring instead that it be periodically
sharpened
from time to time.
A scraper-hammer in accordance with another embodiment of the invention is
illustrated
in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 wherein like numerals have been used to identify like
elements.
As shown, scraper-hammer 2 has a handle 10 and a head 40 connected to handle
10.
With reference to Figures 2 and 3, head 40 has a first surface 43 and a second
surface
44 and a hammer head 39 with a striking surface 42 for striking. As seen in
Figures 4
and 5, first surface 43 can further include or have formed into it a generally
flat recessed
surface 48 bounded along its lower edge by a shoulder 49. Recessed surface 48
can
also include a recessed groove 100 which is adapted to receive a blade 60,
which will
be discussed in greater detail below. Head 40 also has at least one hole and
more
preferably three spaced apart holes 45,46,47 that extend laterally through
head 40 from
first surface 43 to second surface 44 for receiving a fastener. In at least
one
embodiment, holes 45, 46, 47 are not threaded.
As seen in Figure 4, blade 60 has a first end 64 and a second end 66 and a
longitudinally extending scraping edge 62 that extends between ends 64 and 66
along
the upper periphery of blade 60. A plate 50 is used to connect blade 60 to
head 40 as
will now be described in more detail.
With reference to Figures 6A and 6B, at least one embodiment of plate 50 is
illustrated.
Plate 50 can take a shape that is generally similar to recessed surface 48
such that the
-4-
CA 02726623 2010-12-30
lower curved portion of plate 50 abuts against shoulder 49 when the scraper-
hammer
is assembled, as seen in Figure 2. Plate 50 contains at least one but more
preferably
three spaced apart holes 52, 54, 56 which are adapted to receive a fastener.
In at least
one embodiment, holes 52, 54, 56 are threaded to receive a machine screw that
is
inserted from second surface 44 of head 40 through holes 45,46,47 and threaded
into
holes 52, 54, 56. As will be understood by the skilled person, when the
machine screws
are tightened, plate 50 is forcibly biased against head 40.
As seen in Figure 6A, the underside of plate 50 can also have a recessed
groove 58
which will be disposed longitudinally adjacent to groove 100 when plate 50 is
fastened
to head 40 in the manner described above. In this way and as will be
understood by the
skilled person, blade 60 fits within the resultant channel formed between
surface 48
groove 58 and groove 100 when plate 50 is fixed to head 40. This resultant
channel is
sized such that it is slightly narrower than the thickness of blade 60, such
that blade 60
is forcibly gripped under compression in the channel when plate 50 is fixed to
head 40.
Turning back to Figures 2, 3 , 4 and 5, hammer head 39 is oriented outwardly
in the
same general direction as the longitudinal axis of blade edge 62 but again,
this is subject
to the selection of another angle that might be more preferred. As will be
understood, a
user can replace blade 60 when required by loosening the fasteners fixing
plate 50 to
head 40 and replacing the old blade with a new one.
As discussed above, plate 50 can be affixed to head 40 by any suitable
fastener,
including but not limited to a rivet, nail, bolt or machine screw among other
fasteners that
will be readily apparent to the skilled person.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, head 40 can have a
second
striking surface (not shown) for striking. The second striking surface can
face outwardly
in the same general direction of the longitudinal axis of scraping edge 62 and
in the
general opposite direction from first striking surface 42. Or the two striking
surfaces can
-5-
CA 02726623 2010-12-30
be oriented at respectively different angles relative to the blade's
longitudinal axis to
provide a choice of orientations.
In alternative embodiments of the present invention, hammer head 39 can
instead be
a mallet, or a rubber head hammer, a pick, a ball-pein hammer or a straight
pein
hammer, among other types of striking tools. In a similar way, the second
striking
surface, if any, can be a hammer, a mallet, a rubber head hammer, a pick, a
ball pein
hammer or a straight pein hammer, among other types of striking surfaces.
In another embodiment of the present invention scraper-hammer 2 has a set of
hammer
claws (not shown) attached to head 40 such that a nail or other fastening
devices can
be removed without using a second tool as will be readily understandable by a
person
skilled in the art.
Head 40, handle 10, plate 50 and blade 60 can be formed out of carbon steel,
tool steel,
hardened steel, stainless steel, alloyed steel, aluminum, cast iron, rigid
plastic and
strain-hardened plastic among other materials. Head 40, handle 10, plate 50
and blade
60 can be formed by any suitable manufacturing process such as stamping,
milling,
forging, and casting among other manufacturing techniques provided that head
40,
handle 10, plate 50 and blade 60 are sufficiently strong and durable.
Hammer head 39, striking surface 42 and a possible second striking surface can
form
an integral part of head 40 or can form a distinct parts that are suitably
connected to
head 40, for example, by welding the striking portions to head 40.
In another embodiment, handle 10 can include a threaded end (not shown) to
screw
handle 10 into a threaded screw socket in head 40. Handle 10 can include a
grip made
out of rope, rubber, tape, and plastic among other materials.
The above-described embodiments of the present invention are meant to be
illustrative
of preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to
limit the
scope of the present invention. Various modifications, which would be readily
apparent
-6-
CA 02726623 2010-12-30
to one skilled in the art, are intended to be within the scope of the present
invention. The
only limitations to the scope of the present invention are set out in the
following claims.
-7-
