BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventional reciprocating tools allow the user to attack a point straight on, or in other words, in a direct line from the tip of the reciprocating tool to the point. While a typical blade can be affixed in the center of the reciprocating tool, the body of the reciprocating tool oftentimes interferes with the surfaces around a point of attack.

For example, if a user wants to use a reciprocating tool to cut a two inch by two inch section in a dry wall area so that the two inch by two inch section is adjacent to a floor, the user cannot easily do so with a reciprocating tool. Because the saw blade extends out of the center front of the reciprocating tool, and the reciprocating tool has a bulky mass, the user can only make such a cut into the drywall at an angle away from ninety degrees. The best way to cut into the drywall is to maintain the saw blade perpendicular to the dry wall; however, because the reciprocating tool must remain above the floor, the user must approach the drywall so that the point of attack varies from ninety degrees from the drywall. Varying from a perpendicular point of attack, the user's cut is less reliable, less controlled, and encroaches into the drywall unevenly.

Restated, the problem is that the user cannot possibly position the reciprocating tool perpendicular to the drywall because the housing of the reciprocating tool must remain above the floor. There is a need for a device that allows reciprocating tool attachments perpendicular access to spaces wherein the mass of the reciprocating tool interferes with the normal point of attack.

In the past, users have attempted to create attachments capable of making cuts near an object while maintaining a perpendicular point of attack; however, such attachments have been either not rigid enough in order to effectuate a straight cut (that is, the saw attachments bend under the pressure of the saw attachments entering the drywall), have been too rigid thereby preventing the user from completing the cut all the way into a corner (that is, the saw attachments cannot be adjusted or interchanged as access to points of attack vary), or have been so complicated that they would break--and when broken, would be very expensive to fix. Thus, there is a need for a requisitely rigid offset attachment for a reciprocating tool that can be adjusted or interchanged easily that is not so complicated that the cost is prohibitive should it become damaged.

US patent No. 3,028, 890 issued on April 10,1962, to G. E. Atkinson, et al. describes a power saw which accepts a blade in both the center position and offset on the edge of the blade holders. Atkinson's blade holder is inferior to the present invention as Atkinson's blade holder can only adjust to various positions in line with the power saw; it is ill suited to make a cut in a wall at the point where the wall touches the floor because there is very little room to maneuver the body of the power saw. Further, Atkinson's blade holder does not offer any extension of the blade forward, so that the power saw can remain a greater distance from the cut while cutting.

US patent No. 3,260, 290 issued on July 12,1966, to R. Happe, et al. describes a power saw attachment which accepts a blade for an offset position. However, Happe's device uses a guide rod which shortens the cut of the blade and does not allow the blade to be as flexible as desired. Further, Happe's device does not allow for different and varied blade placements and offsets.

US patent No. 4,553, 306 issued on November 19,1985 to Mineck describes a reciprocating offset blade. Although Mineck's offset blade adapter does allow for the blade to be placed in more then one position, one of which is that of the flush cut, Mineck's adapter does so through a complicated device that, once broken, is expensive to replace. Further, Mineck's adapter does not allow for different and varied blade placements and offsets, and does not extend the distance between the blade and the reciprocating tool.

Thus, there is a need for an offset tool adapter for a reciprocating tool capable of distancing offset tool attachments from the offset tool itself (i. e. adding inches onto the length of the offset tool attachment). Further, there is a need for an offset tool adapter that allows various positioning so that the angle of attack to make a cut, etc. can be altered. Also, there is a need for an offset tool adapter that allows for quick interchangeability so that various offset tool attachments can be employed in short amount of time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is an attachment for reciprocating tools that allows blades, sanders, or any other device associated with a reciprocating tool to be quickly interchanged.

The present invention has spaces common devices for reciprocating tools in different but parallel plane to the plane of the reciprocating tool. Thus, the user can access areas typically unreachable because with the present invention, the user can hold the reciprocating tool's body in a different plane than the device attached to the reciprocating tool. The present invention preferably has a 45 degree angle shift between the plane of the reciprocating tool and the plane of the device attached to the reciprocating tool. The angle provides a good blend of offset distance, structural integrity, and extension of the device ahead of the reciprocating tool.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a right side view of a first embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an environmental view a second embodiment of the present invention Figure 3 is a side view of a third embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a side view of a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT (S) As seen in the attached drawings, the present invention is designed to be used with any power driven saw (10) having a reciprocating drive member (20). The present invention has an offset adapter (30) made up of a first, second, and third metal planes (40,50, 60), two angle braces (70,80), a conventional set screw (90), and a set screw receiving member (100).

The first straight metal plane (40) is designed to insert into the reciprocating drive member (20) and has the standard hole (25) used for locking any reciprocating saw blade into a reciprocating drive member (20). The second straight metal plane (50) is disposed anywhere from 90 degrees to 45 degrees from the first metal plane (40), and the second straight metal plane (50) is correspondingly attached to the third metal plane (60) anywhere from 90 degrees to 45 degrees from the third metal plane (60).

The first metal plane (40) and third metal plane (60) are, at all times, parallel with each other. In the embodiment shown in figure 1, the first, second, and third metal planes (40,50, 60) are shown with a 90 degree connection. Between the first, second, and third metal planes (40,50, 60) are angle braces (70,80). These braces are designed to support the offset adapter (30) while still allowing the device to be flexible enough to access angles which are not normally accessible by the adapter (30). For example, if the user desires to use standard blade (110) to cut a hole in a wall, but the desired angle of approach to the wall cannot be achieved because of the relatively parallel arrangement of standard blade (110) and power driven saw (10), then angle braces (70, 80) flex to allow the user to engage the wall.

In such case, once the user has inserted standard bland (110) into the wall, the user can pull or push power driven saw (10) so that angle braces (70,80) flex-that is extend and compress -- to create the desired angle of approach.

The third metal plane (60) is designed to accept a standard blade (110) in the same fashion as that of the reciprocating drive member (20) by using a conventional set screw (90) and a set screw receiving member (100). Set screw receiving member (100) is a U-shaped piece of metal that sandwiches standard blade (110) when standard blade (110) is held adjacent to third metal plane (60).

Alternative embodiments of the invention are many and varied. The first, second, and third metal planes (40,50, 60), may be lengthened or shortened depending on the type of power driven saw (10) employed and depending on the additional offset length or reach desired. Further the angles between the first, second, and third metal planes (40,50, 60) may also be changed in order to allow the user to make cuts at numerous angles. As the adapter (30) is inexpensive to manufacture, and is quite simple in design, many different lengths of first, second, and third metal planes (40,50, 60) may be provided in a box in much the same fashion as drill bits are conventionally sold.

It should be noted that no matter the format of the adapter (30), it is always able to fit into a conventional power driven saw (10). As aforementioned, in figure 1, the standard hole (25) identical to the conventional hole used for locking any reciprocating saw blade into a reciprocating drive member (20) is shown.

An alternative embodiment of the present invention has second metal plane (50) and angle braces (70,80) merged as one piece with greater girth, so that merged together, they appear as a trapezoid (200), as shown in figure 2. The trapezoid (200) provides even greater structural integrity than second metal plane (50) and angle braces (70,80), if no flexing, as aforementioned, is desired. Optionally, trapezoid (200) could be made of a flexible material so that trapezoid (200) bends and flexes similar to second metal plane (50) and angle braces (70,80). Trapezoid (200) is conventionally bolted to first metal plane (40).

Another embodiment of the present invention has third metal plane (60) deleted because trapezoid (200) is specially modified to communicate with file (210). This embodiment allows the adapter (30) to hold other implements such as file (210), sanders, or any other device that can fit in slot (215) and be conventionally bolted via first bolt (220) and second bolt (230).

An additional embodiment, as shown in figure 2, has a curved collar (240) that mates with the internal shape of reciprocating drive member (20) to form a curved fit that better holds first metal plane (40) in place. Preferably, curved collar (240) is a boundary between first section (250) of first metal plane (40) and second section (260) of first metal plane (40), such that first section (250) is narrower than second section (260).

As shown in figure 3, another embodiment of the present invention has blade trapezoid (300) that is an extension mounted below and partially within trapezoid (200).

This embodiment allows the adapter (30) to hold a standard blade (110) when trapezoid (200) is employed in place of second metal plane (50). Blade trapezoid (300) can fit in slot (215)- shown in figure 2--and be conventionally bolted within and to trapezoid (200) via first bolt (220) and second bolt (230). Blade trapezoid (300) communicates with third metal plane (60), in this embodiment, such that conventional set screw (90) and a set screw receiving member (100) sandwich standard blade (110) when standard blade (110) is held adjacent to third metal plane (60).

In another embodiment, second bolt (230) can be turned by the user's fingers to move through trapezoid (200) and contact blade trapezoid (300). This is significant because blade trapezoid (300)-as shown in figure 4-has first receiving aperture (350) that is merely an arc for receiving first bolt (220), whereas second receiving aperture (360) is actually a hole for receiving second bolt (230). The user can simply slide first receiving aperture (350) on and off first bolt (220) upon engaging and disengaging second receiving aperture (360) with second bolt (230), allowing for a"quick change"operation. Because of this quick change feature, blade trapezoid (300) can be fixed to other common tools such as sanders, files, and the like, in place of standard blade (110) to allow the user to quick change a variety of common tools and affix them to trapezoid (200).

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments aforementioned, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.