Abstract:
A handle multi-tool of particular utility to electricians for performing many operations involved in electrical installations in which a number of different tools are necessary, such as: pliers, channel locks, multi-tip screw driver, level, wire nut driver, scraper, measuring tape, calculator, level, and plum bob. All of them may be partially or totally replaced by this handle multi-tool, the shape and weight of which resembles a common screwdriver.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not applicable. 
     BACKGROUND-FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to multi-purpose hand tools of the particular type utilized by electricians. More specifically, it relates to the tools which electricians keep in their pouch. 
     BACKGROUND-DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART 
     The prior arts are well documented with pliers, screwdrivers, level wire nut drivers and many other kinds of well-known tools. Such tools are particularly useful to electricians who desire the capabilities of portable and compact multi-function tools to perform their tasks. This is even more important because of the fact that electricians must often work in fairly inaccessible locations, making the practicality of carrying numerous tools in their pouch often difficult or impossible. 
     Examples of aforementioned well-known tools are as follows: 
     A pair of pliers is particularly useful for gripping wire terminals for splicing before wire nuts are connected. 
     A wire nut driver is particularly useful to screw the nut onto the end of wires to prevent an electrician&#39;s fingers from becoming tender and sore. Examples of wire nut drivers are illustrated in U.S Pat. No. 3,769,862 November/73 to Miller or US 2002/069715 A1 to Genco. 
     A plumb bob is generally useful to get a true vertical-line when fixtures or posts are installed. 
     A level generally is useful when electrical paneling, gutters, conduits, lamps, or electrical boxes are fixed. 
     A measuring tape and a calculator is particularly useful to determine how many feet of wound wire remain on a reel. 
     A multi-tip screwdriver is generally useful for fixing screws on electrical boxes, connectors, paneling, etc. 
     A channel lock pliers or a file is particularly used to smooth burrs produced by a saw when an electrical conduit section is cut. 
     A needle nose pliers is generally useful to bend stripped wire terminals, which are often connected with a “U”, or “O”-form at their ends. 
     A particular non-slip screwdriver is used at angled positions in which a screwdriver cannot be aligned with the screw axis. 
     A lever is used to align or remove parts fastened to walls. 
     Accordingly, it is a principal objective of the present invention to provide a multi-purpose hand tool, which is able to perform the mentioned functions using just the subject matter of this invention. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In its broadest description, this invention describes a multi-purpose hand tool comprising: 
     A handle body which includes a cavity recessed from the upper end thereof, said cavity being of generally tapered section having open interior side walls, extending from said open end through half of said cavity, forming a socket next to the open end, sized to receive any of the most common sizes of wire nuts. A metallic insert extends inward from the interior side walls of said socket towards the bottom of said cavity, forming a second socket, sized to receive the most common gages of stripped electrical wire passed endwise through said first socket and into said second socket. Three pairs of grooves are formed in said interior side walls on opposite sides of said first socket, sized to receive the protruding wings of wire nuts. Three slots at the bottom of said metallic insert form a “Y”-end, sized to receive said stripped wire. 
     A hole pierces the upper end of the handle transversally, crossing trhough said first socket on a cross-section, is sized to receive both ends of a flexible “V”-form hook. 
     Various numerical columns are engraved and/or painted on the generally cylindrical exterior area of the handle extending coaxially downward from the upper end of said exterior area. 
     The exterior area of said handle is bored out to receive an embedded level instrument, which includes a liquid substance, an air bubble, and a target point, so that said handle can be used as a level. 
     Two pairs of magnets are inserted in the exterior area of said handle, transverse to said target point, proximate to both ends on a coaxial plane and parallel to the target point plane, in such a way that the handle can adhere to an iron surface. 
     An elongated metallic bar is connected to the center of the cross section of the lower end of said handle body, extending coaxially outward, with a tip receiver connected to the other end of said bar, enabling various kinds of tip drivers to be utilized. 
     Three steel wires connected on the bottom of the handle-body enable said handle to be used as a scraper. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective illustration, showing how the tool may be used as a non-slip screwdriver to fasten a screw at a coupling. 
         FIG. 1A  is a cross-sectional view of FIG.  1 . 
         FIG. 1B  is a cross-sectional view from  FIG. 1 , taken along line B, showing the holes for plumb bob function, the wire nut socket, and wire twister area. 
         FIG. 1C  is a cross-sectional view from  FIG. 1 , taken along line C, showing the wire twister area and a pair of magnets. 
         FIG. 1D  is a cross-sectional view from  FIG. 1 , taken along line D, showing the bayonet area and parts for performing as a scraper tool. 
         FIG. 1T  is an elevation view of the screwdriver tips. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective illustration of the preferred embodiment, showing how the tool may be used as a scraper to remove burrs from an electrical conduit. 
         FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of the preferred embodiment, performing as a loop maker. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment; performing as a multi-tip screwdriver, fastening a screw. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective illustration showing how the tool may be used as a lever, removing an electrical conduit from a wall. 
         FIG. 6  is a front view illustration, showing how the tool may be used to splice electrical wire terminals. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective illustration, showing how the tool may be used to determine what length of wound wire remains on a reel. 
         FIG. 8  is an elevation illustration, showing how the tool may be connected to a hook and hung by a chord, to be used as a plumb bob. 
         FIG. 9  is an elevation illustration, showing the tool stuck to a steel pipe by the magnets (no shown). 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective illustration, showing how the tool may be used as a wire nut driver. 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective illustration of the preferred embodiment carrying the tips therewith, showing a fingertip pushing a tip to take it out. 
         FIG. 11A  is a cross-section of FIG.  11 . 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective illustration of the preferred embodiment carrying the tips therewith. 
         FIG. 13  is an elevation illustration of all the different prior art tools for which the present invention could totally or partially substitute. 
       
         
           
                 
               
                 
                 
                 
                 
               
             
                 
                     
                 
                 
                   Reference Numerals in Drawings 
                 
                 
                     
                 
               
               
                 
                     
                 
               
            
             
                 
                    15 
                   Handle multi-purpose tool 
                    17 
                   Terminal wire-stripped 
                 
                 
                    18 
                   Terminal wire-stripped 
                    19 
                   Wire 
                 
                 
                    23a 
                   “L”-form steel wire 
                    23b 
                   Cavity for “L”-form steel 
                 
                 
                     
                     
                     
                   wire 
                 
                 
                    24a 
                   “L”-form steel wire 
                    24b 
                   Cavity for “L”-form steel 
                 
                 
                     
                     
                     
                   wire 
                 
                 
                    25a 
                   “J”-form steel wire 
                    25b 
                   Cavity for “J”-form steel 
                 
                 
                     
                     
                     
                   wire 
                 
                 
                    26a 
                   Loop for burr removal 
                    26b 
                   Groove for loop of “J”- 
                 
                 
                     
                     
                     
                   form steel wire 
                 
                 
                    27 
                   Filing, burrs 
                    28 
                   Electric conduit 
                 
                 
                    29 
                   Electric conduit cross section 
                    30 
                   Wire nut socket 
                 
                 
                     
                   edge 
                 
                 
                    31 
                   Loop 
                    33 
                   Bore for “V”-form hook 
                 
                 
                    34 
                   Bore for “V” form hook 
                    35a 
                   Groove of socket wire nut 
                 
                 
                     
                     
                     
                   receiver 
                 
                 
                    35b 
                   Groove of socket wire nut 
                    36a 
                   Groove of socket wire nut 
                 
                 
                     
                   receiver 
                     
                   receiver 
                 
                 
                    36b 
                   Groove of socket wire nut 
                    37a 
                   Groove of socket wire nut 
                 
                 
                     
                   receiver 
                     
                   receiver 
                 
                 
                    37b 
                   Groove of socket wire nut 
                    38 
                   Metallic insert 
                 
                 
                     
                   receiver 
                 
                 
                    39a 
                   Slot at the end of metal insert 
                    39b 
                   Slot at the end of metal 
                 
                 
                     
                     
                     
                   insert 
                 
                 
                    39c 
                   Slot in end of metal insert 
                    39y 
                   Slot base of “Y”-form 
                 
                 
                    40 
                   Level instrument 
                    41 
                   Bayonet 
                 
                 
                    42 
                   Target point 
                    43 
                   Liquid of level instrument 
                 
                 
                    44 
                   Cavity for instrument level 
                    45 
                   Wire 
                 
                 
                    46 
                   Bayonet free end 
                    47a 
                   Terminal wire between bar 
                 
                 
                     
                     
                     
                   and bayonet 
                 
                 
                    47b 
                   Space to set stripped wire 
                    48 
                   Magnets 
                 
                 
                     
                   terminal 
                 
                 
                    49 
                   Magnets 
                    50 
                   Bar 
                 
                 
                    51 
                   Tip receiver 
                    52 
                   Bar section for holding wire 
                 
                 
                     
                     
                     
                   terminal 
                 
                 
                    53 
                   Slotted screw head 
                    54 
                   Surface to be fastened 
                 
                 
                    55 
                   Conduit Section 
                    56 
                   Bar section in contact with 
                 
                 
                     
                     
                     
                   conduit 
                 
                 
                    57 
                   Notch at tip receiver extension 
                    58 
                   Notch at tip receiver ex- 
                 
                 
                     
                     
                     
                   tension 
                 
                 
                    60a 
                   Short Flat tip 
                    60a′ 
                   Flat section of short tip 
                 
                 
                    61a 
                   Flat tip 
                    61b 
                   Tip holder 
                 
                 
                    62a 
                   Phillips tip 
                    62b 
                   Tip holder 
                 
                 
                    63 
                   Pivot point 
                    64 
                   Extension walls 
                 
                 
                    65 
                   Extension walls 
                    66 
                   Screw head 
                 
                 
                    67 
                   Coupling nut 
                    69 
                   Groove to accommodate 
                 
                 
                     
                     
                     
                   forefinger 
                 
                 
                    70 
                   Hook 
                    71 
                   Hook angle 
                 
                 
                    72 
                   Cord 
                    73 
                   Hook end 
                 
                 
                    74 
                   Hook end 
                    77 
                   Pivot point 
                 
                 
                    78 
                   Wall section 
                    79 
                   Conduit strap 
                 
                 
                    82 
                   Numerical column 
                    83 
                   Reel edge 
                 
                 
                    84 
                   Reel of #14 THWN wire 
                    85 
                   Wire wound on reel 
                 
                 
                    86 
                   Wire gage indicator 
                    88a 
                   Reference point 
                 
                 
                    88b 
                   Floor mark 
                    89 
                   Gravity force direction 
                 
                 
                    92 
                   Spliced wires 
                    94 
                   Wire nut 
                 
                 
                    95a 
                   Wire nut wing 
                    95b 
                   Wire nut wing 
                 
                 
                    97 
                   Elastic band 
                    98 
                   Cavity for band 
                 
                 
                    99a 
                   Fingertip 
                    99b 
                   Tip holder upper end 
                 
                 
                   101 
                   Plumb bob 
                   102 
                   Lever 
                 
                 
                   103 
                   Multi tip screwdriver 
                   104 
                   Wire nut tool 
                 
                 
                   105 
                   Pliers 
                   106 
                   Needle nose pliers 
                 
                 
                   107 
                   Channel lock 
                   108 
                   Measurement tape and 
                 
                 
                     
                     
                     
                   calculator 
                 
                 
                   109 
                   Non-slip screwdriver 
                   110 
                   Level 
                 
                 
                     
                 
               
            
           
         
       
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The preferred embodiment of the present invention is a multi-purpose hand tool, integrally formed with an elongated body. Its generally cylindrical cross-section is composed of a substantially plastic or artificial resin material and comprises a handle body generally designated by the numeral  15   FIG. 1 , having a fixed bar  50  at the center of its lower end. Said bar  50  includes a tip receiver  51  at its free end to which various kinds of tips  60   a ,  61   a  and  62   a    FIG. 1T  can be coupled. Said tip receiver  51  includes a particular cylindrical form extension  64 ,  65   FIGS. 1 and 1A  which is slightly wider than the tip receiver and is suitable to hide the flat section  60   a ′ of the said shorter particular tip  60   a . Said extension includes two “U”-form notches  57 ,  58  to provide access to said shorter tip  60   a  as it is shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  1 A; said tip receiver  51  and tips  60   a ,  61   a  and  62   a , obviously, become the preferred embodiment  15 , a multi-tip screwdriver, shown in  FIG. 4 , with, the ability of fastening a screw head  53  to a surface  54 , as does the multi-tip screwdriver shown in  103  FIG.  13 . 
     The shorter particular tip  60   a    FIGS. 1 and 1A  is able to perform at a particularly awkward angle, at which a common screwdriver would slide, because it isn&#39;t aligned with the screw axis.  FIG. 1 and 1A  show how the flat section  60   a ′ of said shorter tip  60   a  stays in place, even though the axis of the screw  66  and coupling nut  67  are not aligned with the tip&#39;s axis, as does a non-slip screwdriver  109  of FIG.  13 . 
     The multi-purpose tool  15  shows in  FIGS. 1A ,  1 B a cross-section of cavity  30 , recessed from the upper end thereof, having upper interior sidewalls which include three pairs of grooves  35   a ,  35   b ;  36   a ,  36   b  and  37   a ,  37   b  formed in the handle material itself, equally spaced, extending from said open end to half the depth of said cavity  30 , forming a socket/wire nut receiver, proximate said open end, sized to receive the protruding wings of any of the most common sizes of wire nuts, as does wire nut driver tool  104  FIG.  13 . 
     A metallic insert  38  in the lower half of said cavity  30 , extending from the upper interior sidewalls downward, forming an interior portion consisting of a metallic socket  38  which includes three slots  39   a ,  39   b  and  39   c , all of which are slightly wider than one stripped #12 wire and narrower than two stripped #14 wires, said slots being 120° apart, in the shape of a“Y”-form base  39   y . Said insert  38  is shown at  FIGS. 1A ,  1 C and  6 ; said metallic insert socket  38  is sized to receive the most common gages of stripped electrical wire ends  17 ,  18 , passed endwise through said first socket  30  and into said socket  38 . The wires  19  to be connected are passed endwise through the first socket into the second socket. The handle  15  is rotated and the stripped wires  19  are spliced as it is shown in  FIG. 6 , as do pliers  105  FIG.  13 . Then, spliced wires  92  are passed into the wire nut  94 , as shown in FIG.  10 . The open end of the first socket is passed over the nut and the handle is slightly rotated until the nut&#39;s wings,  95   a  and  95   b , pass into grooves  37   a  and  37   b . The nut  94  is screwed into place on the wires by rotating the handle, which applies substantial torque to complete the work when it is rotated by hand  93 , as does wire nut driver  104  FIG.  13 . 
     Holes  33 ,  34  transversally pierce the upper end of handle  15 . Said holes  33 ,  34  cross through the first cavity  30   FIGS. 1A ,  1 B on one cross-sectional line and are suitable to receive a “V”-form flexible hook. The “U”-form hook  70  is made of flexible steel wire, so that both ends  73 ,  74  close when it is compressed by hand. It returns to its open position when pressure is released. Thus, the “U”-form hook  70  is coupled in place by passing the hook ends  73 ,  74  into holes  33 ,  34  from the inside to the outside, via cavity  30 . Thus, when the cord  72  is connected at angle  71  of the “U”-form hook  70  and it is hung at the reference point  88   a , as it is shown in  FIG. 8 , the multi-purpose tool is suitable to be used to compare the parallelism with gravity force direction  89  and the floor mark  88   b , as does a plumb bob  101  FIG.  13 . 
     Various numerical columns, engraved and/or painted on the generally cylindrical exterior area of the handle  15 , extend coaxially downward from the upper end of said exterior area. As it can be seen in  FIG. 7 , the handle body  15  is placed in such a way that the upper end abuts into the wound wire  85  on the reel  84 . Then, it is possible to read the numeral in the column  82  which corresponds to the reel edge  83 , to determine the amount of wound wire  85  remaining on a reel  84 , as does a measurement tape and calculator  108 , shown in FIG.  13 . Notice that the wire gage number and insulation type  86  are near the numerical columns. 
       FIG. 1A  shows a circular cavity  44  in the exterior area of the handle body  15 , wherein a sealed container  40  is embedded, said container  40  made of a transparent material and including a liquid substance  43  and an air bubble therein, as well as a target point  42  traced on the exterior area of said transparent container  40 . Thus, the preferred embodiment of the present invention could be placed in such position that the target point  42  could be used to compare the horizontality with gravity force direction  89 , as shown in  FIG. 9 , as does a level  110  FIG.  13 . 
     Two pairs of magnets  48 ,  49  are embedded at the exterior area of handle body  15 . Both of said magnet pairs  48 ,  49  are placed on the same plane, diametrical and parallel to the target point  42  plane, as it is shown in FIG.  1 A. Said two pairs of magnets  48 ,  49  enable the handle body  15  to adhere to any iron surface, so that the target point  42  can be observed as shown in FIG.  9 . Thus, the preferred embodiment of the present invention may be used as a magnetic level  110 , as shown in FIG.  13 . 
     Three “L”-form cavities  23   b ,  24   b y    25   b ,  26   b , are separated by 120° at the lower, end of the handle  15   r  of which the shorter sides are grooves extending as three radius from the exterior edge to the center and continuing coaxially inward as three flanges proximate and perpendicular to the bar  50 , as it is clearly shown in  FIGS. 1A ,  1 D. 
     Two “L”-form steel wires  23   a ,  24   a  are embedded in said “L”-form cavities  23   b ,  24   b  and a “J”-form steel wire  25   a  is embedded in said “L”-form cavity  25   b ,  26   b . Notice that said “J”-form steel wire includes a loop at its free end. In  FIG. 2 , it clearly shows the preferred embodiment  15  can perform as a scraper to remove burrs  27  from the edge  29  of a cut piece of electrical conduit  28  by rotating the handle body  15 , as commonly do electricians, using channel locks  107  of FIG.  13 . Notice that the loop  26   a  performs to remove burrs  27  inside and outside of conduit  28 . 
       FIGS. 1A ,  1 D and  3 , show a bayonet form steel wire  41  of circular cross-section connected to the upper end of the tip receiver  51 , extending upward and having a free end  46  which is apart from bar  50 . Said free end  46  is suitable to make any kind of loop  31 , even a closed “ 0 ” form loop  47   a  on a stripped wire terminal  45 , by setting it on the space  47   b  between the bar section  52  and the bayonet offset  46  and rotating the handle body  15 , as shown in FIG.  3 . Thus, the preferred embodiment performs as a needle-nose pliers  106 , FIG.  13 . 
       FIG. 5  shows that the preferred embodiment may be used as a lever to align or remove electrical conduit  55  or the like affixed to a wall  78 . By setting the end of the bar  50  between an affixed electrical conduit  55  and the wall  78 , and pulling the handle body  15  so that the bar  50  pivots at its free end  77 , the bar  56  puts pressure on the conduit  55  and strap  79 . Thus, the preferred embodiment performs as the lever shown  102  in FIG.  13 . 
     Additional Embodiment 
     Additional embodiment is shown in  FIGS. 11 and 11A . In this case, the hand tool  15  includes various additional elongated cavities  61   b ,  62   b . An elastic band  97  is placed in a groove  98  encircling said elongated cavities  61   b ,  62   b , which are designed to keep a set of tips  61   a ,  62   a  integrated with said hand tool  15  therein. Said elongated cavities  61   b ,  62   b  are positioned in the exterior area all around the hand tool  15 , extending coaxially about mid-length; along the handle body  15 , each cavity  61   b  and  62   b  alternating with an open strip alongside. Said cavities are slightly wider at the top, including a circular form  99   b . Both the ramp form  63  and the wider upper end  99   b  of said cavities allow that a tip  62   a  pivots when it is pushed by a fingertip  99   a , in order to remove tips. 
     Alternative Embodiment 
     There is another different possibility with regard to the position of the cavities  61   b ,  62   b  to keep a set of tips  61   a ,  62   a  integrated with the hand tool  15 , as illustrated in  FIG. 12 , which shows said cavities  61   b ,  62   b  positioned around the lower end of said hand tool  15 . An elastic baud  97  is placed in a groove  98 , which encircles said elongated cavities  61   b ,  62   b  (including an open strips between cavities and two open ends to provide withdrawal of said tips  61   a ,  62   a , either upward or downward by an open end at the bottom or downward by pushing with a fingertip at the upper end of said cavity) and is accessible by the groove  69  around hand tool  15 . 
     Advantages: 
     From the description above, a number of advantages of my handle tool become evident: 
     A lesser amount of artificial resin or plastic is used to manufacture it. 
     Substitute partially or totally the functions of the ten aforementioned prior arts. 
     A drastic reduction in the tool pouch weight. 
     No moving parts are needed to perform its several functions. 
     A durable multi-function hand tool. 
     A greater performance and productivity of the operator. 
     It is easier to set the wire nut in the socket than in prior arts. 
     The manufacturing cost is less than some of the prior art for which my invention substitutes. 
     Easily identifialble by touch.