US3195380A - Device for engaging, holding and releasing objects - Google Patents

Description

J. L. BICKS 3,195,380

DEVICE FOR ENGAGING, HOLDING AND RELEASING OBJECTS July 20, 1965 Filed Sept. 20, 1963 1 N V'ENTOR. Jam 1 fl/c/cs BY A rraz/vz Y5 United States Patent 3,195,380 DEVICE FUR ENGAGING, HOLDING AND RELEASING GBJECTS .Iean Leonard Ricks, R0. Box 3, Severna Park, Md. Filed Sept. 20, 1963, Ser. No. 310,369 1 Claim. (ill. 81-3.8)

This invention relates in general to a device for inserting, holding or removing objects, and more particularly, cartridge type fuses that are inserted into electrical circuits and switch gear boxes as ferrule or knife blade type fuses and the like.

Electricians, service men, craftsmen, model makers, mechanics, and even surgeons, often find it necessary to have and employ a small tool-like device to get into cramped inaccessible spaces to remove, insert or hold small objects of various shapes which are not capable of being held by conventional tools such as a pair of pliers, operators hands and the like.

The instant invention solves the above problems by being adapted to be selectively used for many types of objects as desired.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a dielectric tool that is simple in operation, economical to manufacture, and adapted for inserting, extracting and holding various types of electrical fuses from electrical receptacles, fuse boxes and the like which have a minimum clearance therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dielectric tool that may be used with full safety precaution and as a guide against the side of the fuse.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device for engaging, holding and releasing objects of various sizes and shapes.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a dielectric device for handling various types of fuses with safety while in contact with any part of an energized electrical circuit.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dielectric tool adapted to completely grip and retain a fuse without operator assistance allowing greater facility of placement or removal of a fuse of the knife blade type.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dielectric device for holding hot electric fuses after their removal from a fuse box to prevent heat burns to an electrician or service man.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of the instant invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the figures thereof and wherein: 1

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational View of the device of the instant invention carrying a fuse shown in dotted lines;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the instant device immediately before engaging a fuse;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 showing the device of the instant invention engaged with a fuse, the latter element being shown in cross-section;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view, partly in section and partly in elevation, showing the device of the instant invention after it has removed the fuse;

FIGURE 5 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken substantially on lines 5-5 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a top plan view of the device of the instant invention;

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 6 but showing the device carrying a fuse of the knife blade type in dotted lines; and

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FIGURE 8 is a view of the wedge detent means serving to lock the finger in position relative to the tool head.

The new device of the instant invention comprises, in general, a tool handle 11), tubular member or neck of tool 11,hollow tool body 12, head or jaw means 13,finger member 14, cooperating with head means 13 and Wedge detent means 15. Hollowtubular member 12 terminates in a wntrally apertured jaw means 13 having anarcuate seat 13a for receiving and gripping objects. Tubular member 11 terminates at its outer end in ahandle 10 and terminates at its inner end in an internally threaded portion, as shown in FIGURE 4.Member 14 isthreaded at one end and terminates at the other end in a radial finger portion having a receiving seat thereon to cooperate withseat 13a injaw 13. The threaded end ofmember 14 is adjustably and threadably received by the internally threaded portion of tubular member 11 so thatspring 20 is biased betweenwasher 21 and the inner end of jaw means 13.law 13 reciprocably and rotatably receivesmember 14 in its central aperture. Tubular member 11 carries detent means 15 of collet-like design having longitudinally and circumferentially spacedtapered locking members 19 thereon to mate with the internal surface ofmember 21 and external surface of member 11. Jaw seat means 13a and the finger portion ofmember 14 grips fuses 16 and 19a.Fuse 16 is carried by clip means 17 from support means 18.Detent 15 is slidable and rotatably carried by member 11. Tubular member 11 is reciprocably and rotatably mounted in outertubular member 12.

FIGURES 2, 3, 4 and 1 illustrate various ways the tool may be used in operation of the new device of the instant invention. In FIGURE 2 the operator hasdepressed handle 10 against spring bias means 21) to displacefinger member 14 fromhead member 13 and has rotatedfinger member 14 substantially degrees to the engaging jaw portion 13:: of head means 13 preparatory to placingjaw portion 13a to engage the top portion offuse 16 held byfuse holder 17 of a portion ofreceptacle 18. In this position detent means 15 is locked in position by its wedge means 19 of FIGURE 8 being inserted or wedged betweenmembers 11 and 12 so as to positionfinger 14 out of line withjaw 13a in order thatfinger 14 may be used as a hook means to extract objects from confined places. In FIGURE 3 thejaw portion 13a and finger means 14 are in position for engaging fuse means 16 for removal from itsholder 17, and FIGURE 4 illustrates the coaction of parts, such as, finger means 14 andjaw portion 13a with fuse means 16 and a part sectional View of howfinger member 14 is threadably secured to neck member 11 being spring biased byspring means 20 and washer means 21.Finger 14 may be rotatably positioned against spring means 21) and locked in position as desired by rotatable detent means 15 having wedgedprongs 19 which frictionally wedge between the end ofbody member 12 and neck means 11 as the operator forces tapered prongs 19 longitudinally therein with a uniform wedging action resulting from rotary turning of detent 15. Handle means 141 is used to rotate finger means 14. FIGURE 1 shows the relative positions of handle means 10, neck means 11, body means 12, jaw means 13a of head means 13 and finger means 14 when engaging a fuse means 16 shown in broken lines.

FIGURES 5, 6 and 7 show various views of body means 12,jaw portion 13a of head means 13 in relation to finger means 14. FIGURE 8 shows detent means 15 having a plurality of extendingwedge projections 19 suitable for being wedged between the internal end surface ofhollow body member 12 and outer surface of neck means 11. FIGURE 7 shows the relative positions ofbody member 12, jaw portion and finger means 14 in engagement encased 7 with the intermediate portion of a knife type offuse 19a indicated in broken lines.

In use, the inventive tool of the instant invention may be used merely as a hook means, as shown in FIGURE 2,

for extracting objects from confined places, by rotatingfinger 14 at 90 degrees or 180 degrees with respect tojaw 13a, and lockingfinger 14 against compression spring 2%) in the open position by tapered wedging detent means enacting betweenmembers 11 and 12, by longitudinally forcing and rotatably turning of detent 15 for taper locking or wedging action betweenmembers ll and 12., as understood by those skilled in the art. By rotating and positioningfinger 14 with respect tojaw 13a, as above, permits greater clearance of operation of finger M as a hook extracting means of objects from confined places.

The instant inventive tool may be used by an operator as shown in FIGURES l, 3 and 4, as a positively gripping tool by theoperator gripping member 12 and handle it) to depress spring to sufficiently separatefinger 14 fromjaw 13a to receive a fuse or other object, after which handle it is released withrespect to member 12 by the operator to allow spring 2% to permit both finger l4 andjaw 13:: to cooperatively grip fuse in, after whichdetent 15 is pushed by the operator longitudinally toward jaw 13a and rotatably turned by the operator to obtain a more uniform wedging and positive action of taperedmembers 19 betweenmembers 11 and 12. Detent 1:; by the above action insures a more positive or vise-like gripping action orfuse 16 between finger l4 and jaw means 13a than would be obtained by the mere coaction of spring 29 betweenjaw 13a andfinger 14. Of course, if desired, where the object to be removed requires only a slight pull, the detent 15 need not be used; but where fuses are corroded to their holders and the holders are located in various positions with respect to the operator and are ditlicult to be removed therefrom, thendetent 15 is very helpful to coast with spring'Ztl to fixedly holdjaw 13a andfinger 14 in tight and fixed relationship to securely gripfuse 16 to insure removal of a fuse fromholder 17, which, may be mounted in a horizontal, vertical or other position in an accessible place requiring a pull against fuse to, which is substantially parallel with the finger andgripping jaw seat means 13a. By use of detent 15 the new tool may be used as a work holder to replace a fuse element infuse 16. Also where the tool is made small for surgical applications for compressing blood vessels, then detent means 15' may be used to fixedly lock finger i4 andjaw seat 13a around a blood vessel during surgery to insure positive stoppage of blood flow or bleeding when the instant inventive tool isused as a hemostat, as understood by those skilled in the surgical art.

The instant new device may be made of various materials as desired, also the shape and size ofjaw portion 13a and finger means 14 may be modified as desired without departing from the scope and intent of this invention. Although the device has been shown in its preferred form as utilized as a fuse'puller, it will be understood that by varying the size and shape of same it may readily be adapted for use inengaging, holding and releasing other objects. For example, by providing an elongated thin device, the same could be utilized in surgery to reach into an opened body cavity and grasp an object such as a blood vessel to temporarily move the same out of the way of the surgeon during a sensitive operating procedure.

From the foregoing it will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved engagingzholding and releasing device which aceomplishes all the objects of this invention, and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosure relatesto only a preferred embodiment of the invention and that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for the purposes of the, disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scopeof the invention set forth in the appended claim.

I claim:

A multipurpose instrument for gripping, clamping, holding, inserting and pulling objects comprising an outer tubular member, terminating at one .end in a jaw means having an arcuate seat therein adapted to receive an objcct, an inner tubular member, adapted to be rotatably and reciprocably received in said outer tubular member, and terminating at one end in an outer handle and terminating at the other end in an internally threaded portion, a rod member threaded at one end and adapted to be threadably received by the internally threadedend of said inner tubular member, and terminating at the other end in a radially extending finger portion having a receiving seat thereon to cooperate with the seat on said jaw means to grip an object, a compression spring within the outer tubular member between the end'having a jaw means thereon and the threaded end of the inner tubular member to bias said finger portion to coact with said jaw means to hold an object, and a collet-like locking means having a plurality of longitudinally and circumferentially spaced tapered fingers thereon and a central aperture therein adapted to be rotatably and slidably received on said inner tubular member, said longitudinally tapered fingers adapted to wedgingly engage theinner Wall of the outer tubular member to selectively lock said tubular. members against either axial or rotational movement.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 121,955 12/71 Moore et al 294l9 X 389,195 9/38 Charpentier 294103 1,382,666 6/21 Norton 28752.07 2,454,878 11/48 Marler 8l3.8 3,072,428 1/63 Johnson 29419 X WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner. MICHAEL BALAS, Examiner.

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