Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Landscape Lighting Pocket Tool
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Typically, a landscape operator may be required to inspect and maintain
the operation of a variety of different landscape lighting systems as well as
oversee and manage the operation of a number of different types of landscape
equipment, which may include both lighting and irrigation systems as well as
security systems. The landscape systems are usually spread out over a wide
area and require the operator to walk from place to place to complete the
maintenance and management of the landscape system. In some cases the
landscape equipment may require major repairs and in other cases the
landscape equipment may require only minor repairs or adjustments in order to
maintain the system operating properly. Typically, the landscape equipment may
be an irrigation system and in other cases the landscape equipment may be a
lighting system and in other cases the landscape equipment may include both an
irrigation system and a lighting system. Due to the variety and types of
landscape equipment a variety of different tools may be required for an
operator
to maintain the landscape equipment in proper working order, which requires a
landscape operator to lug a variety of tools from place to place as the
operator
conducts an inspection and maintenance of the landscape systems. In a number
of cases only minor adjustments or repairs need to be made to the landscape
system to keep the system operation. The invention described herein provides a
convenient landscape lighting pocket tool that can be carried on the user and
allows the user to make on the go and on the spot repairs or adjustments to a
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landscape lighting system as well as to other landscape systems without having
to lug a tool box from site to site.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A folding pocket landscape lighting tool having folding handles and an
extendable set of tools for on the go and on the spot repair of an article or
system with a conviently carryable tool that may include a drywall saw blade,
an
angle adjustable level, a wire stripper and a carabineer in addition to
conventional tool bits.
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a landscape
lighting pocket tool comprising: a first channel member forming a first handle
with a first pivot pin extending through one end of the handle and a second
pivot
pin extending through another end of the handle; a second channel member
forming a second handle with a third pivot pin extending through one end of
the
second handle and a fourth pivot pin extending through another end of the
second handle; a wire stripper comprising a first jaw having a first end
pivotally
attached to the one end of the first handle with said first jaw having a
plurality of
semicircular cutting edges located axially along the first jaw and a second
jaw
having a first end pivotally attached to the one end of the second handle with
said second jaw having a plurality of semicircular cutting edges located
axially
along the second jaw with the plurality of semicircular cutting edges on the
first
jaw and the plurality of cutting edges on the second jaw axially positioned so
that
when the first jaw and the second jaw are brought into a closed condition the
semicircular cutting edges on the first jaw and the semicircular cutting edges
on
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the second jaw are in alignment to enable the cutting edges of the first jaw
and
the second jaw to penetrate through an annular layer of electrical insulation
without damaging the wire covered by the electrical insulation in response to
rotational displacement of said first handle with respect to said second
handle; a
level having a first end pivotally connected said first handle with said level
pivotally into and out of the channel in said first handle, said level having
a
reference edge on either a top side or a bottom side or both with a vial
mounted
therein containing a visible bubble for determining a level condition of a
landscape article; a drywall saw blade pivotally attached to one of said
handles,
said drywall saw blade extending from the one of said handles to enable a
person grasping said one of the handle to move said drywall saw blade back
and forth through a drywall; a hex head wrench having a one end pivotally
attached to one of said first or said second handles with a tool end of said
hex
head wrench extendable outward to engage and rotate a hex head socket; an
attachment member having a loop on one end with said attaching member
pivotally mounted to either of said first handle or said second handle with
said
loop extendable outward from said handle for engagement with a lanyard or the
like to secure the landscape lighting tool; and a resilient member
cantileverly
attached to one of said handles so that the resilient member and the one of
said
handles form a clamp for grasping an article of clothing therebetween to
maintain the landscape lighting pocket tool in an available condition.
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a
landscape lighting pocket tool comprising: a first channel member forming a
first
handle with a first pivot pin extending through one end of the handle and a
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second pivot pin extending through another end of the handle; a second channel
member forming a second handle with a third pivot pin extending through one
end of the second handle and a fourth pivot pin extending through another end
of the second handle; and a level having a first end pivotally connected to
said
first handle with said level pivotally into and out of a channel in said first
handle,
said level having a reference edge on either a top side or a bottom side or
both
with a vial mounted therein containing a visible bubble for determining a
level
condition of a landscape article by engagement of the level with an object.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a front view of the landscape lighting pocket tool in an open
condition;
Figure 2 is an isolated view of the a pivotally mountable level;
Figure 3 is an isolated side view of a pivotal mountable attachment loop;
Figure 4 is a side view of a one-piece six face pivotally mounted hex tool;
Figure 5 is an end view of the six-face pivotally mounted hex tool of
Figure 4;
Figure 6 is a side view of a pivotally mounted sheetrock saw;
Figure 7 is an isolated of a clip for attachment of the landscape lighting
pocket tool to an article of clothing; and
Figure 8 is a side view of a pivotally mounted carabineer for quick
attachment to an article.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
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Figure 1 is a front view of the landscape lighting pocket tool 10 in an open
condition revealing a first U-shaped open channel member 13 forming a first
handle with a first pivot pin 14 extending through one end of handle 13 and a
second pivot pin 15 extending through the opposite end of handle 13. A second
U-shaped open channel member 20 forms a second handle with a third pivot pin
23 extending through one end of the second handle 20 and a fourth pivot pin 21
extending through another end of the second handle 20. A slot headed pivot pin
22 forms a pivot point for moving a jaw 12 and a jaw 11 into an open or closed
condition thus providing a pliers for engaging an article.
Landscape lighting pocket tool 10 includes a first pivotal jaw 11 having a
free end and a mounting end attached to the one end of the first handle 20 for
pivoting the jaw 11 about pivot pin 22 and a second pivotal jaw 12 having a
free
end and a mounting end attached to one end of the handle 13 for pivoting jaw
12 about pivot pin 22.
A feature of the invention is that the first pivotable jaw 11, which attaches
to handle 20, includes a plurality of semicircular cutting edges 11a axially
spaced along an inner edge of the first jaw 11 with the semicircular cutting
edges
integrally formed within jaw 11 through tapering the sides of the jaw to form
an
integral curved cutting blade that terminates in a set of semicircular
openings of
various sizes. Likewise, a second pivotal jaw 12 also includes a plurality of
semicircular cutting edges 12a integrally formed with the jaw 12 with the
semicircular cutting edges integrally formed within jaw 12 through a tapering
of
the sides of the jaw to form an integral curved cutting blade that also
terminates
in a set of semicircular openings of various sizes. The semicircular openings
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formed in jaw 12 and jaw 11 are axially spaced along the respective jaws and
aligned with each other so the semicircular cutting edges 11a and 12a, which
are integrally formed within the jaw 12 and jaw 11, can cut through an annular
layer of insulation on opposite sides of an electrical wire without cutting
the core
wire covered by the annular insulation covering. This feature allows the
landscape lighting pocket tool 10 to be used on the go and on the spot to
quickly
strip insulation from a wire so that an electrical connection can be formed to
the
wire.
As shown in Figure 1 the plurality of semicircular cutting edges 11a on the
first jaw 11 and the plurality of semicircular cutting edges 12a on the second
jaw
12 are axially positioned so that when the first jaw 11 and the second jaw 12
are
brought into a closed condition around an electrical wire (through squeezing
the
handles 13 and 20) the semicircular cutting edges 11a on the first jaw 11 and
the
semicircular cutting edges12a on the second jaw 12 are in alignment with each
other. The alignment of the jaw 11 and jaw 12 enables the cutting edge 11a of
the first jaw to penetrate through one side of a layer of tubular or annular
electrical insulation on a wire and the cutting edge 12a to penetrate through
the
opposite side of the layer of tubular or annular electrical insulation on the
wire
without damaging the electrical wire covered by the tubular or annular
electrical
insulation. Once the electrical insulation covering on the wire is severed by
jaws
11 and 12 and with the jaws in a closed condition, the jaws of the landscape
lighting pocket tool can be used to axially slide the insulation off the end
the
wire. In the example shown the row of semicircular cutting edges, which are
located axially along the jaws 11 and 12, each have different radial
dimensions
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to form complimentary blades that can be selectively used to cut the annular
or
tubular electrical insulation on a variety of different size wires without
cutting or
damaging the wire covered by the tubular electrical insulation.
One of the novel features of the landscape lighting pocket tool is the
inclusion of a pivotally end-mounted, angle adjustable level 32 having a first
end
pivotally connected to handle 13 with an angle adjustable level that is
pivotally
into and out of the channel in handle 13. Level 13 includes a reference edge
32a on a top side and a reference edge 32b on bottom side with a curved
elongated vial 39 containing a fluid with a visible air bubble 38 for
determining a
level condition on a landscape article by placing a reference edge 32a or 32b
against an article while the level 32 is supported by one or both of handles
13
and 20. Due to gravitational forces the bubble locates itself at the upper
most
portion of the curved elongated vial 39 when the reference edge is in a
horizontal condition. A feature of the pivotal mounted level is that the
pivotal
mounted level allows one to hold the reference edge 32a or 32b proximate an
article by grasping the handle 20 or 30 rather than the level itself. This
feature
avoids the inconvenience that can occur when free space around a landscaper ,
article may prevent one from holding the level proximate the article. For
example, in the open condition the handle 20 or 30 may be at a right angle to
the
level 32 or in line with the level or at some other angle to the level thus
allowing
the level to be used in tight places or areas where conventional levels cannot
be
used or would be difficult to be used.
Figure 2 shows an isolated view of the landscape blade level 32 having
an upper straight edge 32b and a lower straight edge 32a with edge 32a and
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32b parallel to each other for positioning against either edge against an
article in
order to determine if the article is level. The landscape blade level 32
contains a
circular pivot pin bearing 45 to allow the level 32 to be rotated in or out of
a
channel handle in the landscape tool 10. While the bearing 32 provides
rotation
the bearing also provides a resistance to free turning so that the blade level
can
be maintained at an angle during measurements of a level condition. In this
example the landscape blade level 32 includes a first elongated curved vial 38
that contains a fluid 39 with an air bubble 40 therein. A set of line markers
41
above and below the vial 38 let a person know when an object is level (i.e.
horizontal) since the bubble 40 centers it self between the lines 41 when the
edge 32a or 32b are in a level condition. In some instance the landscape blade
level 32 may contain a second curved elongated vial 44, which is located at a
right angle to the edge 32h and 32a. In this example if the air bubble 44a is
located between the marking lines 47 the edges 32a and 32b are in a vertical
orientation.
Another feature of landscape lighting pocket tool 10 is a drywall saw
blade 33 having a blunt exposed end 33c (Figure 6) with the opposite end
pivotally attached to handle 13 through pivot pin 14. In other examples the
drywall saw blade 33 may have a pointed end for penetrating a piece of
drywall.
The handle 13 enables one to move drywall saw blade 33 back and forth
through a layer of drywall to enlarge an opening in the drywall. Examples of
drywall saw blades are rigid blades with course teeth that do not readily clog
as
the saw blade 33 is drawn back and forth through the drywall. The use on the
landscape lighting pocket tool makes it ideal for final on site trimming
around
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holes or gaps in drywall since it can be used as a replacement for a keyhole
saw. An added benefit is that the angle of handle 13 with respect to the saw
blade 33 can be adjusted to allow for cutting drywall where access may be
limited by a conventional drywall saw. Thus the landscape lighting pocket tool
provides unique ways for both handling and positioning a level as well as for
handling and cutting of dry wall since the handle for each can be adjusted to
the
work area, a feature beneficial in tight workspaces thus making the landscape
lighting pocket tool convenient for toolbox use as well as for carrying on a
person as a person goes from site to site.
Figure 6 shows an isolated view of a drywall saw blade 33 having a pivot
bearing 33b on one end and a set of course teeth 33a along an edge of the
blade. In order to remove drywall without clogging the drywall saw blade 33
preferably should have about 10 teeth per inch for cutting drywall. In this
example the pivot bearing offers torsional resistance to rotation thus
allowing a
user to select the appropriate handle angle with respect to the saw blade to
enable completing of the task of sawing a layer of drywall, which is often
referred
to as sheetrock.
Another tool feature of landscape lighting pocket tool 10 as shown in
Figure 1 is a first hex head wrench 24 having a one end pivotally attached to
handle 20 with pin 23 and the tool end 24a of hex head wrench extendable
outward into a hex socket to engage and rotate the hex head socket to provide
an integral one piece hex wrench. A second hex head wrench 18 is pivotally
attached to handle 13 with pin 15 with each hex head wrench of a unique size
for engaging an alien socket in a landscape lighting system or the like. In
the
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example shown two additional hex heads 25 and 26 are pivotally attached to
handle 20 thus providing the landscape lighting pocket tool with a range of
useful hex wrenches.
Figure 1 also include a knife blade 30, which may be used for a variety of
tasks, as well as a blade screwdriver bit 16 and an awl 17 for marking an
article
with each tool bit operable and manipulateable through either handle 20,
handle
13 or both.
Figure 4 shows a side view of the hex head wrench 24 and Figure 5
shows an end view of the six-faced hex head wrench 18 having a base 18a with
a pivot bearing 18b for rotatably mounting the hex head wrench to the handle
of
the landscape lighting pocket tool.
A further tool feature of landscape lighting pocket tool 10 as shown in
Figure 1 and Figure 5 is is a pivotal lanyard attachment member 27 including a
loop or ring 27a on one end with a base 29 having a bearing surface 29a for
pivotally mounting on handle 20 with member 27 rotatable outward from handle
for engagement with a lanyard or the like to enable a person to secure and
maintain the landscape lighting pocket tool 10 proximate a work site or on a
person by securing one end of the lanyard to a belt loop or the like. Figure 3
shows an isolated side view of the lanyard attachment member 29 having the
20 loop 27 on one end and the pivot bearing 29a on the opposite end to
enable the
pivoting of the lanyard loop to an out of the way condition in handle 20.
Figure 8 shows a carabineer 50 having a base 51 with a pivot bearing 52
for pivotally mounting to a handle of the landscape lighting pocket tool 10.
In
this example the hook or nose 53 has an angle end 53a that engages a pivotal
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gate 54 that has an angle face 54a that engages face 53a to allow for inward
pivoting of gate 54 but prevents outward pivoting of gate 54. That is, pivot
pin 55
allows the gate 54 to rotate inward so the hook or nose 53 can be placed
around
an object. This feature allows the landscape lighting pocket tool 10 to be
quickly
attached or detached from a support such as a belt loop or the like when the
person is installing landscape lighting, which allows the landscape lighting
tool
to readily available as well as detachable from the support.
A further feature of the landscape lighting pocket tool is a resilient
member 31 cantileverly attached to handle so that the resilient member
cooperates with the handle 20 to form a clamp for grasping an article of
clothing
between the clamp and the handle to enable a user to maintain the landscape
lighting pocket tool in an available and ready to use condition on a persons
clothing. Thus the landscape lighting pocket tool provides multiple methods
and
attachments for a field user.
Figure 1 shows an elongated resilient member or elongated clip
cantileverly attached to a distal end of the landscape lighting pocket tool 10
by
pin 23 while Figure 7 shows an isolated view of the clip 31 that comprise a
resilient member 31, which is cantileverly mounted to handle 20 of the
landscape lighting pocket tool 10 with the clip having an opening 31b for
securing one end of the clip 31 to an exterior surface of the handle 20 of the
landscape lighting pocket tool 10 while the other end or free end of the clip
is
held against the handle 20 by the resiliency of member 31. In this example a
cantilevered end 31a curves upward like a ski tip for ease in inserting an
object
between the clip 31 and handle 20. In contrast to other tools on the landscape
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lighting pocket tool 10 the clip 31 mounts in a non-rotatable condition on the
handle 20 so that the clip 31 can maintain a clamping action between an
article
located between a clamp underside 31b and the exterior surface of a handle 20.
A further feature of landscape lighting tool 10 is that jaw 11 of landscape
lighting pocket tool 10 provides a crimping feature. Figure 1 shows jaw 11
includes a blunt semicircular edge llb of equal diameter with a blunt
semicircular edge 12b in jaw 12 with the blunt semicircular edges alignable
with
each other to form a set of oppositely disposed semicircular compression
surfaces 11b and 12b engageable with a radially crimpable wire connector to
allow a user to radially crimp or compress the wire connector into electrical
contact with an electrical wire or wires located within the wire connector.
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