Abstract:
A hacksaw weight having a pair of axially aligned saw engagement members adjustably secured to one another by an extending threaded support shaft. A threaded engagement-retaining fitting can be selectively positioned on the threaded support shaft with a retaining disk and registration pin positioned thereon for engagement with aligned notches in the respective engagement members. The weight can be selectively secured in multiple positions on both the hacksaw frame and blade.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     This invention relates to accessories for saws, specifically hacksaws which are characterized by an integral U-shaped frame and handle configuration with a saw blade held in tension there between. Hacksaws are used to cut hard material such as metal wherein concentrated force must be applied by the user during the sawing effort. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     Prior art devices of this type have relied on saw frame configurations in which a portion of the frame is enlarged or the handle portion of the saw is longitudinally offset in an attempt to improve saw efficiency and ease of use. See for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,204,390, 3,840,059, 4,079,763 and 5,678,315. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 2,204,390 a hacksaw is disclosed having a handle portion and an adjustable frame portion. A counter weight is threadably secured to the end of the frame portion opposite the handle. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,840,059 is directed to a hacksaw having an offset handle which allows for longitudinal and repositioning adjustments of the handle relative to the blade frame and the blade. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,079,763 discloses a convertible hacksaw having a pair of oppositely disposed handles in incremental adjustments of both the frame length and blade plane with respect to the plane of the handle struts. 
     A saw handle with repositionable handgrips is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,315 in which an open end handle having a generally J-shape is mounted on a saw so that the engagement plane of the handle is vertically offset in relation to the saw blade plane. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An adjustable inter-changeable supplemental weight device for use on a hacksaw. The weight device can be reconfigured to be adaptable for locking engagement on the frame and the blade of the hacksaw in multiple positions. The weight device has independent apertured registration jaws with bilateral aligned recesses that are engageable on different dimensional aspects of the saw frame and the blade imparting additional force to the saw. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the weight device of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the invention; 
     FIG. 2A is an end elevational view of a base portion of the invention on lines  2 A of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the invention in open position; 
     FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the invention positioned on a hacksaw; 
     FIG. 5 is a partial side elevational view of a hacksaw illustrating alternate attachment positions of the invention thereon; 
     FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the invention on a blade portion of a hacksaw with portions broken away; and 
     FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the invention attached to the frame portion of a hacksaw. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1,  2  and  3  of the drawings, a saw weight  10  can be seen having a base member  11 , and an oppositely disposed engagement member  12 . The base member  11  is of a disk configuration having a central internally threaded aperture at  13  therein. The base member  11  has an outer surface  14  and an interengagement face  15  with a registration slot at  16  extending across the engagement face  15  intersecting a portion of the aperture at  13  as best seen in FIG. 2A of the drawings. A threaded shaft  17  extends from the aperture at  13  having an area of reduced transverse dimension at  18  extending from within the slot  16  to a point midway the exposed length of the shaft  17  emanating there from. A surface  18 A of the reduced transverse area  18  is co-planar with that of an inner edge  16 A of the slot  16  as hereinbefore described. A notch  19  is formed within the perimeter edge  20  of the base  11  opposite the area of reduced transverse dimension at  18 . 
     The engagement member  12  is also of a disk shape having an inner engagement surface  21  and an outer engagement face  22  with a central opening at  23  therein. A secondary slot  24  extends off center across the inner engagement surface  21  intersecting a portion of the central opening  23 . A secondary notch  25  extends inwardly from a perimeter edge  26  of the engagement member  12 , as best seen in FIG. 7 of the drawings. 
     An alignment disk  27  can be seen having a central aperture at  27 A and a pin  28  extending there from. The pin  28  is adjacent a perimeter edge  30  so as to be aligned with and registerable through the notch  25  in the engagement member  12  and partially within the notch  19  in the base  11  when the engagement disk  12  and retaining disk  27  are positioned on the shaft  17  as illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawings. 
     A secondary aperture at  27 B is formed within the retaining disk  27  inwardly of the perimeter edge  30 . A retaining fitting  31  has an internally threaded sleeve portion  31 A and integrally apertured internally threaded disk portion  31 B. The retaining fitting  31  is threadably engaged on the free end of the shaft  17  that extends through the respective aligned central openings in the retaining disk  27  and engagement member  12  as hereinbefore described and as best seen and indicated for registration in FIG. 3 of the drawings. 
     In operation and use, the saw weight  10  of the invention can be positioned on a hacksaw  32  in multiple positions as illustrated in FIGS. 4-8 of the drawings. The hacksaw  32  has a telescopically extensible frame member  33  secured to a handle portion  34  with respective blade mounting insert depending arms  35  and  36  as will be well known and understood by those skilled in the art. An adjustable blade  37  is secured between the ends of the arms  35  and  36  by blade engagement fittings  35 A and  36 A respectively. 
     Referring now to FIG. 4 of the drawings, the saw weight  10  of the invention is shown positioned on the extended portion  33 A of the frame member  33 . The frame portion  33 A is engaged between the respective slots  16  and  24  as illustrated in FIG. 8 of the drawings by threadably advancing the retaining fitting  31  on the shaft  17  and advancing to contact with the retainer disk  27  as hereinbefore described. It should be noted that the retaining fitting  31  has a universal thread so that it can be reversed and threadably mounted on the shaft  17  as indicated in broken lines in FIG.  8 . 
     Referring now to FIGS. 5,  6  and  7  of the drawings, the saw weight  10  is mounted on the saw blade  37  wherein the opposing engagement face  15  and the inner engagement face  21  of the respective base  11  and engagement member  12  are registerable on the blade  37 . Additionally, it will be seen that the retaining pin  28  will extend across the opening between the respective elements so as to abut the saw blade  37  preventing the saw weight  10  from dropping off the blade  37  as best seen in FIGS. 6 and 7 of the drawings. 
     Given the versatility of the saw weight  10 , it can also be mounted to the hacksaw  32  in a variety of other positions graphically illustrated in broken lines at  38 ,  39  and  40  in FIG. 5 of the drawings depending on the nature of the hacksaw used and the requirement. 
     Other alternate mounting configurations can also be achieved as illustrated at  41  in FIG. 5 of the drawings and at  42  in FIG. 4 of the drawings in which the retaining fitting  31  has been thoroughly revised as hereinbefore described. 
     It will be evident from the above description that while the saw weight  10  is preferably made of metal, other materials or combinations of same can be used in a laminated configuration, for example, to achieve the same structural configuration. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.