Patent ID: 6126217
Filing Date: 2000-10-03
Classification: B25B

Abstract:
Hand held apparatus for use by an individual inspecting a pocket of an article of clothing and for retrieving the contents thereof without the individual's hand engaging the pocket or being inserted into the pocket, said apparatus comprising, in combination:a manually graspable handle;a snagger member attached to said handle having a size and configuration enabling the snagger member to be readily inserted into the interior of a pocket through a pocket opening by manual manipulation of said handle, said snagger member for snagging the pocket and for pulling the pocket through the pocket opening to position the pocket inside out externally of the pocket opening when the handle is pulled in a direction leading away from the pocket, said snagger member comprising at least one projection having a pointed end projecting outwardly from said handle, said projection being oriented so that said pointed end does not snag the pocket as the snagger member is inserted into the pocket; anda scoop member attached to said handle at a location spaced from said snagger member having a size and configuration enabling the scoop member to be readily inserted into the interior of a pocket through a pocket opening by manual manipulation of said handle, said scoop member for scooping up contents of the pocket into which it is inserted and retrieving the contents through the pocket opening when the handle is manually pulled in a direction leading away from said pocket, said scoop member defining a recess open in an upward direction when the scoop member is in the interior of the pocket for accommodating pocket contents, said handle being elongated and having two spaced handle ends, said snagger member being attached to said handle at one of said ends and said scoop member being attached to said handle at the other of said ends, and said handle comprising pivotally connected handle portions, each said handle portion having a distal end spaced from the location of pivotal connection thereof, said snagger member being attached to the distal end of one of said handle portions and said scoop member being attached to the distal end of the other of said handle portions, said handle portions relatively movable to alternatively assume either a first configuration or a second configuration, said first configuration being shorter than said second configuration, and said snagger member and said scoop member being closely adjacent to one another when said handle portions are in said first configuration; andmeans for releasably selectively retaining said handle portions in either said first configuration or in said second configuration.