Abstract:
A quick connect tool assembly including a tool head having a socket therein, and an elongated pole for insertion into the socket tool head to lock the tool head and the pole together. The assembly includes a detent fixed to an end of the pole and teeth projecting into the interior of the socket on the tool head, such that the teeth engage the tool head detent to lock the pole to the tool head.

Description:
This invention relates to tools with sockets to receive handles, and more particularly to an improved Rake construction with a quick handle connection. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Tools such as rakes and shovels commonly have a socket for receiving a pole that serves as a handle. The conventional mode of securing a wood pole in the socket is by means of one or more fasteners, e.g., metal screws or pins. That mode of connection is cheap, and strong. Commonly, that form of connection is permanent and, therefore, the handle is attached by the manufacturer. However, for reasons of convenience and to reduce costs, some manufacturers prefer to ship the tools without first attaching the handle, with the task of attaching the handle to the rake or shovel head being left to the distributor, ultimate seller (wholesaler or retailer), or end user. The task of attaching handles can be time consuming and costly, particularly if the person attaching the handle is required to use a special tool to secure the handle with fasteners. Also, the handle may not be attached properly, leading to complaints from the customers. There have been prior efforts to provide means for quickly and simply connecting a pole-type handle to a rake or shovel head, but the quick-connection designs been relatively costly to implement. 
     OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive and reliable quick connection mechanism for attaching a pole-like handle to a tool head. 
     A second object of the invention is to provide a new and improved pole-receiving socket for a rake. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a rake having an improved pole-receiving socket construction that embodies part of a quick-connection mechanism for a pole-type handle and also serves as a secure mount for a plurality of tine members. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a socket for the purpose described that is made of relatively cheap, easy-to make sheet metal parts. 
     These and other objects are achieved by providing a tool head having a socket made of sheet metal parts, with one part comprising a plurality of teeth that project into the interior space of the socket and are arranged so as to an interlock with a detent attached to the peripheral surface off a pole that functions as a tool handle for the tool. The teeth are arranged so as to allow the detent to pass them when the pole is inserted into the socket, but to interfere with and block the detent when an effort is made to pull the pole out of the socket. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the tool head is a multi-tine rake and the socket serves as a secure anchor or mount for the tines. Other features and advantages of the invention are described or rendered obvious by the following detailed specification of a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     
       THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a fragmentary top view of a rake and handle embodying the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a fragmentary side view in elevation. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the socket, including fragments of the dual tine members. 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view of the front end of a pole that serves as a handle, and the detent member that locks the pole to the socket. 
         FIG. 5  is an enlargement of a portion of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional view, taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is a sectional view taken along the line the  7 - 7  of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 8  is a fragmentary bottom view of the rake head. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring first to  FIGS. 1-3 ,  5  and  8 , the illustrated preferred embodiment of the invention is a rake in the form of a rake head that comprises a plurality of dual tine members  2  that are attached to a socket  4  for a pole handle  60  ( FIG. 1 ) and are supported by a cross brace  6  and a U-shaped spring member  8 . The dual tine members  2  are made from flat metal stock and are formed so as to have a generally U-shaped configuration comprising a center section  10 A,  10 B,  10 C,  10 D ( FIG. 3 ) and two resilient tine sections  12 A and  12 B that diverge from one another with increasing distance from the center section  10 A,  10 B,  10 C,  10 D. The dual tine members vary in overall length and are arranged in groups. The front ends of tine sections  12 A and  12 B are bent to form rake fingers  16  ( FIG. 1 ). The front ends of spring member  8  are attached to the cross-brace  6  ( FIG. 1 ) and a U-shaped rear section  17  of spring member  8  ( FIG. 3 ) is secured to socket  4 . To the extent just described, this general form of rake construction is conventional and well known. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , the socket is made up of four parts made of sheet metal (e.g., steel or aluminum) of appropriate thickness and identified by the numerals  18 ,  20 ,  22  and  24 . Socket part  18  is U-shaped in cross-section, having opposite relatively flat side wall sections  21  and a circularly curved center wall section  23  that generally follows the curvature of the surface of the pole that is intended to serve as the rake handle. The longitudinal edges of sidewall sections  21  of socket part  18  are notched as shown at  25 A and  25 B. In addition, a portion of the curved wall section  23  is deformed to define a raised section  26  at one end of part  18 . That raised section  26  has been punched out to form a series of inwardly facing teeth  30  ( FIGS. 2 ,  6  and  8 ). Curved wall section  23  also has a hole  32  ( FIG. 6 ), and sidewall sections  21  have slots  31  ( FIG. 3 ). 
     Still referring to  FIG. 3 , socket part  20  comprises a flat plate section  34  and two opposite side walls  36 A and  36 B that extend at a right angle to plate section  34 . Socket part  20  also is formed with two sets of tabs  38  that are punched out of its sidewalls and project at substantially a right angle to plate section  34 . Tabs  38  extend in two rows, one along each of the opposite side edges of plate section  34 . Each row consists of four tabs  38 . In addition four L-shaped locking tabs  40 A,  40 B,  40 C,  40 D are punched out of plate section  34 . Tabs  40 A,  40 B,  40 C,  40 D are in alignment along the longitudinal center line of part  20 . Plate section  34  also has a hole  42  therethrough. 
     Socket part  22  consists of a flat plate body section  44 , two sidewalls  46 A and  46 B, and an end wall  48 . The sidewalls  46 A and  46 B are notched as indicated at  50 A,  50 B and  50 C. Plate section  44  has a hole  52 . Socket part  24  is a rivet that is used to secure parts,  18 ,  20  and  22  to one another in captivating relation with the center sections of the dual tine members and the rear section of spring member  8  as hereinafter described. 
     Referring again to  FIG. 3 , as noted above, the dual tine members  2  are arranged in groups  12 A,  12 B in accordance with prior practice. The total number of dual tine members  2 , the number of groups into which they are arranged, the number of dual tine members in each group, and the lengths, angles of divergence and shape of the tines may be varied and is not critical to the present invention. In each group, the center sections  10 A,  10 B,  10 C,  10 D of the tine members are aligned with one another. The center section  10 A of the innermost group of tine members extends between and is captivated between the first (forward-most) pair of side tabs  38 , and in the first (forward-most) locking tab  40 A. The center section  10 B of the next group of tine members extends between and is captured between the next-in-line side tabs  38  and the next-in-line locking tab  40 B. Similarly, the center sections  10 C and  10 D of the third and fourth groups of dual tine members extend between and are captivated by successive pairs of side tabs  38  and successive locking tabs  40 C and  40 D. The rear section  17  ( FIG. 6 ) of spring  8  is captured between socket part  24  and underlying portions of some of the dual tine members  2  ( FIG. 6 ). 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  7 , socket part  20  sits on the longitudinal edges  25 A,  25 B of part  18  ( FIG. 3 ), with its sidewalls  36 A,  36 B extending alongside of and engaging the outer surfaces of sidewall sections  21  of the socket part  18  and the rear section of its plate section  34  extending into slots  31  of the socket part  18 . Socket part  22  overlies socket part  20  and the center sections  10 A,  10 B,  10 C,  10 D of dual tine members  2  and the rear section  17  of spring member  8 , with its sidewalls  46 A and  46 B overlapping sidewalls  36 A and  36 B, respectively, of socket part  20 . A rivet  24  extends through holes  32 ,  42  and  52  ( FIGS. 3 and 6 ) in parts  18 ,  20  and  22 , respectively. The flanged head  56  of the rivet  24  overlaps and engages plate section  44  ( FIGS. 3 and 6 ) of part  22 ; the opposite end of the rivet is swaged over the outer surface of part  18  as shown at  57  ( FIG. 6 ), thereby securing together the socket parts  18 ,  21  and  22  ( FIG. 7 ) in capturing relation with the center sections  10 A,  10 B,  10 C,  10 D ( FIG. 6 ) of all the dual tine members and the rear section  17  of spring member  8 . Alternatively, the rivet could be replaced by some other form of pin-like fastener, e.g., a bolt and nut. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , a handle for the rake is provided in the form of an elongate pole  60  of suitable length, e.g., 60-72 inches. For convenience, only the front end portion of pole  60  is illustrated. The pole has a circular outer surface  62 . Preferably, but not necessarily, the pole is formed with a front end section  63  that is tapered to a smaller diameter than the remainder of the pole. The front end section of the pole is provided with a through hole  64 . Preferably, hole  64  is countersunk, as shown at  66  in  FIG. 4 . Associated with the pole is a detent  70  which comprises a base portion  72  and an angular tongue section  74 . Base portion  72  preferably is contoured to mate with the curved outer surface  62  of the pole and has is provided with a threaded hole  75 . Preferably, detent base portion  72  is deformed around hole  75 , as shown at  76 , so as to seat snugly in countersink  66 . A screw fastener  80  is inserted through hole  64  and screws into hole  75  and functions to secure detent  70  to pole  60 . The detent is oriented so that its tongue section  74  extends away from the front end surface  68  of the pole. 
     With the foregoing construction, attachment of pole  60  to the rake head is a simple matter of inserting the front end of the pole into socket  4  with detent  70  aligned with the teeth  30  of socket part  18 . As the pole is inserted, the detent will pass by one or more of the teeth  30  until the front end surface  68  of the pole engages and is stopped by rivet  24 . Preferably, holes  32 ,  42  and  52  are located along the center lines of the surfaces in which they are formed, so that rivet  24  intersects the center axis of the socket. The detent  70  is located on pole  60  so that its tongue section  74  will be engaged with one of the teeth  30  when the pole engages, or is in near engagement, with rivet  24 , with the result that the pole will be locked to the socket by the detent/tooth interaction. Thereafter; the pole cannot be pulled out of the socket without destroying the detent and/or one or more of the teeth  30 . Thus, the invention provides a quick and strong connection between the pole and rake head. 
     Of course the invention is not limited to the specific embodiment herein illustrated and described. Also, dual tine members  2  and some or all of the parts of the socket could be made of a strong plastic material, e.g., a fiber-reinforced plastic. The number and shape of tabs  38  and  40  also may be modified without altering their function. The mode of making a quick and secure connection can be incorporated into other sockets designed for rakes, shovels and other tools that require an elongate pole-like handle. Also, the handle could be made of a material other than wood, e.g. aluminum or a fiber-reinforced plastic. Still other modifications and advantages of the invention will be obvious to persons skilled in the art.