VEHICLE BALL JOINT AND SUSPENSION REMOVAL TOOL

OUTIL DE RETRAIT D'UN JOINT A ROTULE ET D'UNE SUSPENSION D'UN VEHICULE

English Abstract

A tool for gaining leverage and facilitating the removal of a motor vehicle's
ball joints
during service. The tool comprises a bar with a gusset that provides for an
attachable /
detachable tool head that may be rotated 180 degrees, set to a left or right
hook, and or moved
in placement from front to back of the bars end. Additionally the present
invention has a
chain hookup set for gaining better access to the ball joints and a removable
foam cover to
provide for a more comfortable use while straddling the bar.

Claims

CLAIMS:
What is claimed is new and desired to be protected by letters patent is set
forth
in the appended claims.
1. A tool for removing a ball joint from a suspension system in a motor
vehicle,
comprising:
a) an elongated bar forming a handle portion having a bend at one end
extending into an arm portion;
b) the arm portion having an end with a contour face to engage with a part
of the
suspension system in the motor vehicle;
c) a gusset fixed between the handle portion and the arm portion of the
elongated bar;
d) a tool head adjustably attached onto the gusset, whereby the tool head
can
be turned 180 degrees and positioned forwardly and rearwardly along the
gusset;
e) a hook extending horizontally from the tool head; and
0 the hook having a notch formed adjacent on a free end for gripping
a
lower control arm of the suspension system in the motor vehicle to help a
person in
removing the ball joint.
2. The tool as recited in Claim 1, wherein the gusset has a plurality of
spaced apart
apertures and key slots therealong.
3. The tool as recited in Claim 2, wherein the tool head comprises:
a) a generally L-shaped member having a vertical leg and a horizontal
leg,
whereby the hook extends perpendicular out from the vertical leg;
b) an inverted U-shaped bracket on the underside of the horizontal leg,
the
bracket having two parallel spaced apart arms, in which each arm has an
aligned hole,
the arms of the U-shaped bracket slideably engaged with the gusset; and
c) a clevis pin which fits through the holes in the arms of the bracket and
into
any one of the apertures in the gusset.
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4. The tool as recited in Claim 2, further comprising a chain attachment that
can be
wrapped about a part of the suspension system in the motor vehicle and connect
to any one of
the apertures and key slots in the gusset when the hook on the tool head fails
to gain good
access to the suspension system.
5. The tool as recited in Claim 1, further comprising a foam sleeve that can
be slipped
over the handle portion of the elongated bar to provide more comfort when the
person
straddles the handle portion.
6. The tool as recited in Claim 1, further comprising:
a) the handle portion of the elongated bar having an eyelet formed on a
distal
end;
b) a line attached at a first end to the eyelet; and
c) a weight attached to a second end of the line to eliminate the need of a
second
person to press down on the handle portion when breaking loose the ball joint.
7. The tool as recited in Claim 3, wherein the clevis pin comprises a ball
detent to
allow for a quick removal of the clevis pin from the bracket of the tool head
and the gusset.
8. The tool as recited in Claim 7, further comprising a tether extending
between the
clevis pin and the vertical arm of the L-shaped member of the tool head to
prevent loss of the
clevis pin.
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Description

CA 02949498 2016-11-24
VEHICLE BALL JOINT AND SUSPENSION REMOVAL TOOL
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to tools and, more specifically, to a
tool for
gaining leverage and facilitating the removal of a vehicles ball joints during
service.
Comprising the present invention is a bar with a gusset that provides for an
attachable /
detachable tool head that may be rotated 180 degrees, set to a left or right
hook, and or moved
in placement from front to back of said bars end. Additionally the present
invention has a
chain hookup set for gaining better access to the joints and a removable foam
cover to
provide for more comfortable use while straddling the bar.
Description of the Prior Art
There are other tools which provide for vehicle suspension. While these tools
may be
suitable for the purposes for which they where designed, they would not be as
suitable for the
purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.
It is thus desirable to provide a prying bar having a detachable tool head
that can be
rotated 180 or detached wherethen a chain can be attached to the pry bar for
use with
suspensions where the hook cannot grab onto because of an unusual geometry.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a tool for the removal
of ball
joints from vehicle suspensions having a bar and gusset that work with a
plurality of tool
heads to gain greater access and easier removal of said ball joints.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a tool for the removal
of ball
joints having a tool head that is 180 degrees rotatable and can be moved from
front to back.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a tool for removing
ball joints
having a chain hookup set that can be attached to the tool to allow the user
to gain better
3 0 access to the ball joint.
Still yet another object of the present invention is provide a tool for
removing ball
joints having a padded handle for more comfortable use while straddling the
bar.
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CA 02949498 2016-11-24
Another object of the present invention is to provide a tool for removing ball
joints
having a right or left facing hook for grabbing the ball joint and aiding its
removal.
Additional objects of the present invention will appear as the description
proceeds.
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing
a tool
for the removal of ball joints from vehicle suspensions having a bar and
gusset that work with
a plurality of tool heads that may be rotated 180 degrees, moved to being
either a left or right
hook, or moved forward or back along its end to gain greater access and easier
removal of
said ball joints. Additionally the present invention has a chain hookup that
allows for the user
to gain greater access along with a padded handle for providing the user
additional comfort
while straddling the bar during use.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the
description to
follow. In the description reference is made to the accompanying drawing,
which forms a
part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments
in which the
invention may be practiced. These embodiments will be described in sufficient
detail to
enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be
understood that other
embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without
departing
from the scope of the invention. In the accompanying drawing, like reference
characters
designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views.
The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a
limiting sense,
and the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
In order that the invention may be more fully understood, it will now be
described, by
way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the present invention.
FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the present invention.
FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the present invention.
FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the present invention.
FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the present invention.
FIGURE 6 is an illustrative view of the present invention.
FIGURE 7 is an illustrative view of the present invention.
FIGURE 8 is an illustrative view of the present invention.
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CA 02949498 2016-11-24
FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of the present invention.
FIGURE 10 is an illustrative view of the present invention.
FIGURE 11 is an illustrative view of the present invention.
FIGURE 12 is an illustrative view of the present invention.
FIGURE 13 is an illustrative view of the present invention.
FIGURE 14 is an illustrative view of the present invention.
FIGURE 15 is a perspective view of the present invention.
FIGURE 16 is a perspective view of the present invention.
FIGURE 17 is a perspective view of the present invention.
FIGURE 18 is a perspective view of the present invention.
FIGURE 19 is a perspective view of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCED NUMERALS
Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference
characters
denote similar elements throughout the several views, the Figures illustrate
the vehicle ball
joint and suspension removal tool of the present invention. With regard to the
reference
numerals used, the following numbering is used throughout the various drawing
figures.
tool
20 22 bar of tool 20
24 gusset of tool 20
26 tool head of tool 20
28 hook on tool head 26
chain attachment of tool 20
25 32 foam sleeve of tool 20
34 key slot in gusset 20
36 notch on hook 28
38 ball joint
weight of tool 20
30 42 hole in bar 22
44' ball detent clevis pin for tool head 26
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CA 02949498 2016-11-24
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The following discussion describes in detail one embodiment of the invention
(and
several variations of that embodiment). This discussion should not be
construed, however, as
limiting the invention to those particular embodiments, practitioners skilled
in the art will
recognize numerous other embodiments as well. For definition of the complete
scope of the
invention, the reader is directed to appended claims.
Referring to Figure 1, shown is a perspective view of the present invention.
Shown are
the main components that comprise the present invention, a tool 20 for the
removal of vehicle
ball joints. All the component parts, the bar 22 with the gusset 24, which is
the heart of the
tool 20, allows the tool 20 to work as intended. The tool head 26 with the
hook 28 is
detachable, it can be turned 180 degrees and also relocated forward and back.
A chain
attachment 30 can be used with or without the tool head 26 for suspensions
with unusual
geometry where the hook 28 cannot grab on well. A foam sleeve 32 can be
slipped over the
bar 22 to provide more comfort when straddling the bar 22.
Referring to Figure 2, shown is a perspective view of the present invention.
Shown is
the left facing hook 28 setup.
Referring to Figure 3, shown is a perspective view of the present invention.
Shown is
the right facing hook 28 setup.
Referring to Figure 4, shown is a perspective view of the present invention.
The notch
36 in the hook 28 is in the same plane as the center line of the tool 20 to
prevent rotation of
the tool 20.
Referring to Figure 5, shown is a perspective view of the present invention. A
new
feature is the chain attachment 30, to be used when the hook 28 attachment
fails to gain good
access. Two key slots 34 are provided for the attachment of the chain 30,
whichever one fits
best, loop chain 30 over the gusset 24 to prevent slippage.
Referring to Figure 6, shown is an illustrative view of the present invention.
The notch
36 on the hook 28 is used to engage a groove or protrusion on the control arm
for a secure
grip.
Referring to Figure 7, shown is an illustrative view of the present invention.
With the
capability of switching between right and left facing hook 28 will allow the
same approach on
both sides of the vehicle if access is difficult on one of them.
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Referring to Figure 8, shown is an illustrative view of the present invention.
With the
capability of switching between right and left facing hook 28 will allow the
same approach on
both sides of the vehicle if access is difficult on one of them.
Referring to Figure 9, shown is a perspective view of the present invention.
This
illustration shows how the tool 20 is used, disengaging a ball joint 38 with
the tool 20.
Referring to Figure 10, shown is an illustrative view of the present
invention. This
illustration shows how the tool 20 can be straddled to control the movement of
the arm,
leaving both hands free to maneuver parts, allowing for a one man operation.
Straddling the
bar 22 and using body movement to control the bar 22 allows both hands to be
free to
maneuver the affected components.
Referring to Figure 11, shown is an illustrative view of the present
invention. This
illustration shows how the chain 30 can be used for difficult applications.
Referring to Figure 12, shown is an illustrative view of the present
invention. This
chain attachment 30 can be used when the hook 28 attachment fails to gain good
access. The
user must be sure to loop the chain 30 around to prevent slippage.
Referring to Figure 13, shown is an illustrative view of the present
invention. Hanging
a weight 40 from the hole 42 at the end of the bar 22 will eliminate the need
of a second
person pressing down on the bar 22 when breaking loose ball joints 38,
allowing for a one
man operation. The bar 22 is used only to apply pressure to separate the parts
while the ball
joint mounting boss is struck with a well directed hammer blow to allow the
parts to separate,
without damaging the grease boot. At no time should any attempt be made to
separate the
parts with the bar 22 alone and without hammer blows.
Referring to Figure 14, shown is an illustrative view of the present
invention. Using
the third hand setup will break loose the ball joint 38. Hanging a weight 40
from the hole 42
at the end of the bar 22 will eliminate the need of a second person pressing
down on the bar
22 when breaking loose ball joints 38, allowing for a one man operation.
Referring to Figure 15, shown is a perspective view of the present invention.
Shown is
the detachable hook tool head 26 having a ball detent clevis pin 44 that helps
make quick
change.
Referring to Figure 16, shown is a perspective view of the present invention.
Shown is
the detachable hook tool head 26 having a ball detent clevis pin 44 removed.
The clevis pin
44 is tethered to the tool head 26.
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CA 02949498 2016-11-24
Referring to Figure 17, shown is a perspective view of the present invention.
Shown is
the tool head 26 in a first position.
Referring to Figure 18, shown is a perspective view of the present invention.
Shown is
the tool head 26 in a second position.
Referring to Figure 19, shown is a perspective view of the present invention.
Shown is
the tool head 26 in a third position.
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