A WELDER' S TOOL WITH FIRST SPANNER FORMATION FOR OPENING AND CLOSING OF GAS SUPPLY AND A PIVOTALLY MOUNTED DIVIDER

THIS INVENTION relates to a welder's tool.

A welder's tool as herein envisaged is a tool to be used by welders that perform welding operations using the heat generated by the combustion of flammable gases contained in 5 gas bottles. As such, the welder's tool as envisaged is to be provided for use with gas bottles containing gases such as oxygen and acetylene, which gases can be ignited in combination to provide a high temperature flame, via a hand held nozzle arrangement, whereby gas welding can be carried out. It is known that welders perform various standard operations that are linked with gas welding and that require special tools, it 0 thus being clear that welders require a wide range of tools for dealing with different situations associated generally with gas welding. Also in relation to the use of gas welding equipment which often is associated with blockages in gas flow lines from gas bottles to nozzle arrangements, different tools for dealing with different types of blockages often are required. Because of the wide range of tools required by welders as 5 above envisaged, tools often being relatively small, welders often find that required tools are not readily available and that such tools often are misplaced and/or lost. This can result in substantial time wastages and it is thus an object of this invention to at least alleviate the problem of required tools not always being readily available.

According to the invention there is provided a welder's tool, which includes

an elongate body which in combination with a first spanner formation located thereon forms a spanner for opening and closing of the gas supply of a gas bottle; and

a divider including a pair of arms that are pivotally mounted on the elongate body in a configuration in which they are displaceable between an inoperative configuration, in which they lie within the perimeter of the elongate body, and an operative configuration, in which the arms extend angularly from the elongate body and permit their use as a divider.

The elongate body of the welder's tool of the invention particularly is an elongate, substantially planar body, the body typically comprising a fabricated body formed of a suitable metal material, such as aluminium. The body, however, also may be formed by any other suitable manufacturing process.

For an elongate body in the form of an elongate, substantially planar body, the first spanner formation may be located on and may project from the general plane of the body near one end thereof and the body itself may serve as a lever for the spanner.

The elongate body of the welder's tool also may define a second spanner formation near an end thereof, which is configured to serve for replacing the regulator of a gas bottle. Still further, the elongate body may define a third spanner formation near an end thereof, which is configured for replacing a safety regulator that forms a part of a hand-held nozzle arrangement as used by a welder for gas welding purposes and a fourth spanner formation near an end thereof, which is configured to serve as a nozzle key in conjunction with the maintenance of gas welding equipment. It is thus envisaged that the elongate body, including the four spanner formations associated therewith, will provide for all the spanner applications that a welder may have in association with the maintenance and use of the welding equipment used by him.

The welder's tool of the invention may include a spark inducing means that is mounted on the body and that is operable to induce a spark for igniting gas released from a gas bottle. As such, the spark inducing means may include a flint body, located within the elongate body in a partially exposed configuration, and a spark inducer, displaceably connected to the body, the spark inducer being displaceable along the flint body while frictionally bearing against the flint body for inducing a spark. The spark inducing means essentially is the equivalent of the conventional spark inducing means as is associated with a cigarette lighter, and the like.

The welder's tool of the invention also may include a screwdriver formation mounted on the elongate body and projecting therefrom, in an operative configuration thereof, for permitting securing of a hose that is associated with the flow of gas from a bottle to a hand-held nozzle arrangement. Still further, the welder's tool may include a blade element pivotally mounted on the elongate body, the blade element being pivotally displaceable between an inoperative position, in which the blade edge of the blade element is not exposed, and an operative position, in which the blade edge of the blade element is exposed and permits cutting-off the end of a hose. Conveniently, the screwdriver formation and the blade element may comprise a single element that is pivotally mounted on the elongate body.

The welder's tool may include also a file segment securely located on the elongate body and a set of nozzle cleaning files displaceably mounted on the elongate body, each file being displaceable between an inoperative position and an operative position in which it can serve for nozzle cleaning purposes. The elongate body also may incorporate a closable compartment for containing small instruments required for maintaining welder's equipment.

It will be appreciated from the above that the welder's tool of the invention, particularly by the provision of the divider, but also by the provision of various of the other components and parts, can serve both as a tool to be used in conjunction with actual

gas welding operations and in conjunction with the use and maintenance of the gas welding apparatus used. As such, the welder's tool can incorporate, in addition to the features identified as essential features of the invention, any combination of the remaining features, as will be considered most appropriate by welders Still further, the welder's tool may include additional features in the form of components and parts that can enable the tool to fulfill still further functions associated with the performance of welding operations and with the use and maintenance of the welding apparatus used. Typically, the welder's tool can include a scriber as is commonly required in association with the performance of different welding operations.

Clearly, the overall configuration of the welder's tool of the invention is greatly variable and, as such, the invention extends also to all such different configuration welder's tools which still incorporate at least the essential features of the welder's tools of the invention as herein above described.

It will be understood that the welding tool of the invention provides a single special purpose accessory for general use in conjunction with the use of gas welding apparatus, particularly to permit opening and closing of gas bottles, the ignition of gases released from such bottles and also the clearing of blockages within gas flow paths that are commonly associated with the above. The invention also includes means as part of the single special purpose accessory, including a divider, that is commonly used in conjunction with gas welding operations as herein envisaged. A particular example of a welder's tool, in accordance with the invention, is described hereafter with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings. In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a side view of a welder's tool, in accordance with the invention; and

Figure 2 shows a plan view of the welder's tool of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, a welder's tool, in accordance with the invention, is designated generally by the reference numeral 10. For the sake of clarity, all the features of the welder's tool are not illustrated in each drawing. The welder's tool 10 comprises a fabricated, substantially planar, aluminium body 12, the body 12 having the shank of a bolt member 14 projecting through a hole defined in the body 12 near the end 16 thereof. The shank of the bolt member 14 has a first spanner formation 22, in the form of a socket formation, screwed thereon, as shown, the spanner formation 22 being formed to engage the screw closure of a gas bottle to permit opening and closing of the gas supply from the gas bottle. The spanner formation 22 thus effectively acts as a nut that secures the location of the bolt member 14 in the configuration as shown, this configuration providing for the spanner formation 22 to project from the general plane of the body 12 as shown, rendering it conveniently positioned to permit the manipulation of the closure of a gas bottle.

A flint body 26 is located within the body 12 in a location as shown, the outer surface of the flint body being partially exposed and positioned so that a spark inducer 30, that is located at the end of an elongate lever 32, can be manipulated to induce a spark by relative displacement of the spark inducer 30, with respect to the flint body 26. The lever 32 particularly is secured to the body 12 by a securing arrangement, generally indicated by the numeral 34, the lever having a thumb engaging formation 36 projecting therefrom that permits required manipulation of the lever to permit a spark to be induced. It is envisaged that the lever 32 may be spring loaded, or may be formed of a resiliently deformable material, for permitting it to be urged into a start position from which it can be displaced for inducing a spark. The operation of the spark inducing means, including the flint body 26 and spark inducer 30, essentially is the equivalent of a spark inducing means associated with a conventional cigarette lighter. The flint body 26 particularly is located in a configuration in which it is replaceable with a fresh flint body, whenever required.

The body 12 further defines a second spanner formation 38 at the end 16 of the body 12, the second spanner formation being provided to permit the replacement of the regulator associated with a conventional gas bottle. It is well known that two different sizes of regulators are commonly associated with gas bottles, and, as such, the second spanner formation may be associated with an insert element (not shown) that can be located therein in order to effectively adjust the size of the formation so that both sizes of regulators, as referred to above, can be accommodated.

The welder's tool 10, therefore, also can be conveniently used for replacing a gas bottle regulator, which is indeed required from time to time for maintenance purposes.

A third spanner formation 44 is defined by the body 12 in the location as shown and this formation is particularly provided for replacing the safety regulator that is commonly associated with a hand held nozzle arrangement, that can be connected to a gas bottle, where gas from the gas bottle can be ignited to create a flame for welding purposes, and the like. A fourth spanner formation 46 is further defined by the body 12 near its end opposite to the end 16 and this spanner formation can serve as a nozzle key which, it is well known, is a common requirement in relation the maintenance of gas welding equipment.

The welder's tool 10 still further includes a divider 48 which is pivotally located on the body 12 via the arrangement 34, Figure 2 illustrating the divider 48 in an operative configuration in which it can fulfill conventional divider applications as are associated with welding operations. Still further, the welder's tool 10 includes a pivotally located formation 50 that defines a screwdriver head formation 52 at the free end thereof and a sharpened blade formation 54 along one longitudinal edge thereof. The screwdriver head formation 52 is particularly suitable for tightening hose fasteners that are associated with hoses provided for conveying gases from gas bottles to nozzle arrangements. The blade formation 54 clearly can be conveniently used for cutting-off the ends of hoses, as is often required.

Still further, the body 12 has a file body 56 located thereon in the location as shown for fulfilling filing applications, whereas a pivotally located holder 58 holds a plurality of nozzle cleaning files that can conveniently be used for nozzle cleaning purposes.

It is envisaged that the welder's tool 10 of the invention also can be associated with various other formations or means that can fulfill different purposes and applications that are commonly associated with gas welding operations, although the welder's tool as described, it is submitted, will accommodate most requirements that a welder may have in conjunction with the use of gas welding apparatus and operations to be commonly performed by him.

The body 12 of the welder's tool 10 preferably is a fabricated aluminium body although the body clearly also can be formed of many alternative materials by different manufacturing operations.

The invention extends also to all such variations of welder's tools that can be envisaged and that incorporate the essential principles of the welder's tool of the invention, as herein defined and described.