FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to tools, and more particularly to folding tools, such as folding pliers.

DESCRIPΗON OF THE PRIOR ART

In the prior art, it is known to provide various mechanisms for retracting or folding pliers. For instance, U.S. Patent No. 4,238,862 to Leatherman discloses pliers wherein the handles are foldable. Other designs of collapsible pliers allow for retraction of the plier jaws into the space between the handles, as in U.S. Patent No. 5,142,721 to Sessions et al. However, the complexity of the structure of each of these prior-art devices can cause problems as the number of moving parts makes a malfunction more likely, and also renders manufacture more expensive. Furthermore, the nature of the folding articulation of the plier handles renders unfolding of the tool in efficient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a folding tool which can be readily folded and unfolded, and is easy to manufacture.

The folding tool of this invention has first and second jaw structures which are pivotable with respect to each other into an out of operative engagement with each other. A first handle portion, and support plate and second handle are rotatably connected with the jaw structures and pivot with

respect to the jaw structures about substantially the same axis. The first handle portion and the support plate can be rotated with respect to the jaw structures so that the jaw structures are supported therebetween (the closed position), and also to a position where the jaw structures extend away from both the first handle portion and the support plate (the open position). In the open position, two springs on the support plate each engage a respective jaw structure. One of these springs springingly locks one of the jaw structures in the open position. The other spring engages a surface on the other jaw structure which biases the jaw structures apart, i.e., away from engagement with each other. The springs also serve to springingly secure the jaw structures between the support portion and the first handle in the closed position, so that the tool, when folded, is relatively compact and does not open inadvertently.

Other objects and advantages of the invention shall become apparent in the specification herein, and the scope of the invention will be articulated in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an elevational view of the tool of the present invention in the closed position.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the tool of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows the tool of the present invention in the open, or operational position.

FIG. 4 shows the tool of FIG. 3 with the jaws in operative engagement.

FIG. 5 is a partially cut-away plan view of the tool of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a partial view of the tool taken along line AA of FIG. 5, showing the jaw structures in engagement.

FIG. 7 is a view as in FIG. 6, but showing the jaws apart.

FIG. 8 shows one jaw structure springingly locked in the open position.

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the tool in the open position.

FIG. 10 is a schematic showing the various positions of the tool in the movement between the open and closed positions.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the folding tool of the invention.

FIG. 12 is a plan view of the tool of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of a second alternate embodiment of the tool of the invention.

SUBSTITUTE SHEET (rtiili 2b)

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

As best shown in FIG. 3, the folding tool of the present invention has a first jaw 3 and a second jaw 5 which are pivotably connected with each other about pin 7. The jaws 3 and 5 have engagement structures 9 and 11 which are engageable with each other as in common pliers. The tool also comprises a first handle 13 and a support or body portion 15.

As best shown in Fig. 5, the support portion 15 includes a support wall or plate 17 and a handle portion 19. Support wall 17 and handle portion 19 are spaced laterally with respect to each other and support therebetween the first and second biasing structures in the form of springs 21 and 23 cantileveredly supported by pins 22 and 24 extending through openings in support wall 17, the springs 21 and 23 themselves, and handle portion 19. The support wall 17 and the handle portion 19 define therebetween a space generally indicated at 25 into which the jaws 3 and 5 fit when the tool is folded into the closed position, as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2..

When the tool is in the open position of FIG. 3, a user can grasp the tool and use it like a common pliers, squeezing the handle 13 and the support structure 15 together to cause the jaw structures 3 and 5 to move into engagement as is shown in FIG. 4.

In the open position, first jaw 3 remains substantially fixed with respect to the support portion 15, and the second jaw 5 is carried to pivot with the handle portion 13. As best shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, in the open position, jaw 3 has a stop portion 27 which engages the end 29 of the spring 23, which acts as a rotational abutment or stop with respect to lengthwise loads. As a

consequence, the jaw 3 cannot rotate clockwise about pin 7 beyond the point shown in FIG. 8. Furthermore, jaw 3 has a spring engagement portion 31 which engages spring 23 so that movement of the jaw 3 counter-clockwise with respect to handle portion 19 is resisted by the biasing force upward of spring 23 engaging said portion 31.

Jaw 5 also engages its respective spring 21 in the open position shown in FIG. 7. Jaw 5 has a camming engagement portion 33 which engages the end 35 of spring 21. When the pliers are squeezed by the user to cause the jaws 3 and 5 to come together, the camming engagement portion 33 presses downwardly on the end portion 35 of spring 21 causing the spring 21 to flex.

When the jaws come completely together as in FIG. 6, the spring 21 is flexed downward to impart a force to jaw 5 which biases or urges the jaws 3 and 5 to separate back to the position of FIG. 7.

The jaws 3 and 5 are prevented from moving farther apart from each other than the position shown in FIG. 7. This is accomplished by a slot and pin connection between the structure of the two jaws. A pin 37 on jaw 5 slides in a slot 39 in jaw 3, limiting relative movement.

The connection of jaw 5 with the first handle portion 13 is a pivoting lost-motion connection. The jaw 5 includes a shaft portion 41 which extends through opening 43 in support wall 17. Handle 13 includes a connection portion 45 with a recess 47 therein that faces and receives the end 49 of shaft portion 41. The connection portion 45 has an abutment structure or stop 51 extending into the recess 47. This abutment structure 51 moves within semi- annular notch 53 in the end 49 of the shaft 41. Handle 13 is consequently permitted to rotate about pin 7 with respect to jaw 5 in a range of movement of about 180 degrees, which corresponds to movement between the position

wherein the abutment 51 engages notch wall 55 and the position where it engages notch wall 57.

This lost-motion connection provides for opening and closing of the tool as is shown in FIG. 10. The closed position of the tool shown in FIG. 1 is indicated at position A in FIG. 10, with the support wall 17 cutaway and the position of handle portion 13 shown in phantom. To open the tool, handle portion 13 is initially rotated clockwise from the closed position, reaching the position shown in position B.

Clockwise rotation of handle portion 13 continues to the position C wherein abutment portion 51 contacts notch wall 55. As the handle 13 continues to be rotated clockwise, the abutment causes the jaw 5 to rotate with the handle 13 carrying with it jaw 3. This initial movement is resisted slightly by the springs 21 and 23 which engage spring engagement portions 59 and 61 of jaws 5 and 3 respectively. These engagement portions 59 and 61 are eccentric with respect to pin 7, so rotation of the jaws 3 and 5 out of the closed position is resisted by camming pressure of the springs 21 and 23 on the jaws. The jaws 3 and 5 are carried to rotate through positions D and E to reach the open operating position F, which is shown enlarged in FIG. 3.

To close the device, the operator rotates the handle portion 13 counterclockwise from the open operating position F to begin the closing process, initially reaching the position G. This initial closing movement of the handle 13 causes abutment portion 51 to slide in the notch 53 in shaft 41 without movement of jaw 5. Counterclockwise rotation of handle 13 continues through position H until position I, at which point abutment portion 51 engages wall 57 of notch 53. At this point, handle 13 begins to carry with it jaw 5.

Jaw 5, in turn, by virtue of the slot and pin connection with jaw 3, begins to

rotate jaw 3 counter clockwise with it. Continued rotation of handle 13 brings the tool to position J, where the camming pressure of springs 21 and 23 engages the jaws 3 and 5, closing them together and bringing the tool to position A once again.

The tool includes a latching structure generally indicated at 63. This includes a push button 65 which slides in a recess 67 in handle portion 13. The push button 65 has a catch portion 69 which is latchingly secured behind pin 71, and in this position prevents the handle portion 13 from being rotated to open the tool. The catch 69 and the button 65 are biased into latching securement by spring 73.

An alternate embodiment is shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. In this embodiment, a plurality of supplemental tool structures 75, 77 and 79 are inserted between the handle portion 19 and the spring 23 and jaws 3 and 5. These tools are pivotally supported on pin 22. Each of the tools is associated with a respective spring 81, 83 and 85 which secures them open and springingly clasps them in a closed position between the handle portion 19 and the support wall in the space between handle portion 1 and support wall 17. The springs are cantilevered on pins 87 and 89, and the operation of these retractable tools 75, 77 and 79 is as is commonly known in the art of pocketknives.

With reference to FIG. 13, another alternate embodiment is shown. In this alternate embodiment, a second jaw structure generally indicated at 91 is shown. This structure comprises two jaws 93 and 95 which coact in some operative fashion, such as, e.g., clippers. Each of the jaws is associated with a respective spring 97 and 99 and these jaws are substantially the same as jaws 3 and 5 in their interaction with the springs, i.e., spring 99 springingly locks the jaw 95 in the open position and spring 97 biases the jaw 93 to open away from

jaw 95. The handle portion 19 (see FIG. 9) is replaced in this embodiment by a second support plate 103 and a third handle portion 105. The shaft 101 extends through an aperture 107 in support plate 103 and is received in a recess generally indicated at 109 in the third handle 105. Third handle 105 has an abutment portion 111 extending into the recess 109, and this abutment portion interacts with the shaft 101 in the same fashion as the abutment portion 51 of handle portion 13 interacts with the shaft 41 of jaw 5.

The handle 105 and the support member 103 serve as the two handles of the tool operating jaws 93 and 95 in the open position thereof. In their closed position, the jaws 93 and 95 lie in a space which is defined between support wall 103 and support wall 17 adjacent and in a similar fashion to jaws 3 and 5 in FIG. 1. In this embodiment, handle portion 105 is rotated relative to the support wall portions 103 and 17, causing the jaws 93 and 95 to move to the operative position. In normal use of the jaw structure 91 in the operative position, the jaws 3 and 5 and handle 13 of the tool are folded into their closed position.

The terms of the foregoing specification should be viewed as terms of description and not limitation, as those skilled in the art having the specification before them will be able to make modifications and changes thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention herein.