Abstract:
A multi-purpose combination hand tool useful for maintaining and attachment of horse shoes has two pivotally interengagement jaw members that define a number of user specific tool elements therebetween in a single tool configuration. The hand tool can be used as a shoe puller, nipping tool, nail clincher and nail puller as well as a hammer and hoof pick.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of he Invention 
   This invention relates to hand tools useful in horse shoeing and more specifically to multi-functional adjustable hand tools having a variety of tool use configurations. 
   2. Description of Prior Art 
   Prior art devices of this type have been developed having single and multiple tools in a hand tool configuration, see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,614,001, 4,696,346, 5,575,020, 5,987,752, 6,493,892, 6,591,917, and D349,636. 
   In U.S. Pat. No. 4,614,001 a multi-purpose plier tool is disclosed having pairs of opposing jaw elements and integrated hammer head extending therefrom. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,346 discloses a farrier&#39;s tool with a multi-functional element. A tri-pivot opposing jaw allows for a variety of different jaw engagement uses. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,029 illustrates a combination hand tool with a pair of opposing pivot jaws defining a claw hammer, a wire stripper, plier gripper jaws and a pipe reamer. 
   The farrier&#39;s nippers tool can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,987,752 in which a pair of pivoted opposing jaws and associated handles are disclosed with a nippers jaw defined therebetween. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,493,892 claims a multi-purpose tool having pivoted handle portions with a nail holder and setter and plier jaw configurations formed thereby. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,591,971 discloses a horse farrier tool with a first and second plier levers pivoted together having a pair of wedge shaped upper jaw portions extending therefrom. 
   Design Patent D349,636 illustrates an ornamental design for a horse shoer&#39;s nipper tool having dual pivots on each lever jaw portion to presumably provide for enhanced force application to the opposing nipper jaws incorporated therewith. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A single hand tool able to perform multiple tool functions associated with horse shoeing and related tasks by a horse farrier. The tool incorporates multiple tool elements into a pair of pivoting multi-jawed and plier handle lever configuration. Each of the jaw elements have multiple distinctive opposing engagement portions with the associated handle levers having additional functional application elements extending therefrom. 

   
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a front elevational view of the primary form of the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a right side elevational view thereof; 
       FIG. 3  is a left side elevational view thereof; 
       FIG. 4  is a top plan view on lines  4 — 4  of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a bottom plan view on lines  5 — 5  of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a front elevational view of a first alternate form of the invention; 
       FIG. 7  is a front elevational view of a second alternate form of the invention illustrated in open and close position; 
       FIG. 8  is a front elevational view of a third alternate form of the invention illustrating a universal handy man&#39;s tool, 
       FIG. 9  is a bottom plan view thereof; and 
       FIG. 10  is a front elevational view of a fourth alternate form of the invention; 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1–5  of the drawings, a multi-purpose tool  10  can be seen having a first handle and jaw member  11  joined by a pivot pin P fitting with a second handle and jaw member  12 . The lower portion of each handle and jaw member&#39;s  11  and  12  form handles  13  and  14  respectively. Each of the handles  13  and  14  are transversely offset at  13 A and  14 A for opposing alignment with one another with respective longitudinal bow portions  15  and  16  formed therein in spaced relation thereafter. The handle  13  has a hammer head  17  formed on its free end having a knurled face  17 A and a plurality of opposing flat side surface pairs  18  extending thereabout. In the preferred embodiment, the hammer head  17  extends from an enlarged contoured end portion  19  of the handle  13 . A stabilization and alignment pin  19 A projects from the end portion  19  for registration within a corresponding recessed  20  in the free end of the opposing handle  14 . A hoof pick fitting  21  comprising of a conical projection  21 A is formed on the handle  14 &#39;s free end and extends in oppositely disposed relation to the hereinbefore described recess  20 , best seen in  FIG. 1  of the drawings. The pick fitting  21  can be used for a variety of functions required in the horse farrier trade as will be well known to those skilled in the art. 
   Referring now to the upper portion of the first and second handle jaw members  11  and  12 , each have respective multiple jaw elements  22 A and  22 B,  23 A and  23 B and  24 A and  24 B respectively thereon which are correspondingly aligned so as to be movably engaged towards and away from one another defining respective pivot jaw pairs  22 ,  23  and  24 . The respective jaw elements  22 A and  22 B extend at right angles from the respective handle and jaw members  11  and  12  and have a plurality of transverse raised longitudinally spaced engagement ribs  22 A′ and  22 B′ thereon and are in spaced relation to one another when in so-called “closed” position as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
   The jaw elements  22 A and  22 B thus defined are referred in the farrier&#39;s art as “nail cinchers” and “nail bender”. 
   The jaw pair elements  23 A and  23 B which extend on the longitudinal axial plane of the respective handle portions  13  and  14  define respective transversely flat tapered chisel engagement surfaces  23 A′ and  23 B′ to form an edge to edge registration defining a classic so-called “nipper” tool and alternately so called “shoe puller” tool configuration well known and understood within the art and is best seen in  FIGS. 1 and 4  of the drawings. 
   The final jaw pair elements  24 A and  24 B extend at right angles from the respective handle jaw members  11  and  12  in oppositely disposed spaced relation to the hereinbefore described jaw pair  22 . Each of the jaw elements  24 A and  24 B have a transverse V-shaped notch therein at  24 A′ and  24 B′ inwardly of the respective free ends with opposing registration alignment of their vertical sidewall surfaces  27 A and  27 B and  28 A and  28 B which are tapered inwardly, best seen in  FIG. 2  of the drawings. The jaw pair  24  as so defined is referred to in the art as a so called “nail puller” and also is used as a so called “pincher pliers” due to the tapered beak like configuration of the respective opposing and engageable jaw elements  24 A and  24 B. 
   Referring back to  FIG. 1  of the drawings, a “cutter portion”  29  of the tool is configured between the respective jaw elements  23 A,  24 A and  23 B and  24 B by formation of notches at  29 A and  29 B therein shown in dotted and solid lines which allows for elongated “wire like” material (not shown) to be inserted when the notches  28 A and  28 B are so aligned and cut by applied force to the hereinbefore described handle portions  13  and  14 . 
   It will be evident to those skilled in the farrier art that the selective use of the multiple tool configurations as illustrated by the jaw pairs  22 ,  23  and  24  are that of individual tools of the same design and wherein improvements have been made which will serve to enhance the functionality of the multi-purpose tool  10  of the invention. 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 6 and 7  of the drawings, a first alternate form of the invention can be seen wherein modified handle portions  30 A and  30 B are illustrated in which the free end of the portion  30 A is rounded off and a contoured U-shaped channel element  31  is pivotally secured thereover at  32  having respective tapered sidewalls  33  extending to a tapered end point at  34 . A rounded contoured attachment end walls  35  can be seen in oppositely disposed relation to the tapered end point  34  having a stabilization lug  36  extending therefrom for registration within a corresponding recessed area  37  in the end of the opposing handle portion  38 . It will be seen that by pivoting the element  31  to a non-engagement portion illustrated in  FIG. 7  of the drawings along the longitudinal axis of the handle  30  the user can apply additional force to hereinbefore described multiple jaw configurations by compression of the handle portions  30 A and  30 B towards one another. This, in effect, will provide a so called “over torqueing” of the jaws which may be required in some applications. 
   Referring now to  FIG. 8  of the drawings, an alternate handle portion  40  can be seen for the primary form of the invention in which the handles  13  and  14  have been modified as alternate handle portions  41  and  42  having longitudinally extending generally straight shafts  41 A and  42 A and corresponding curvilinear ends at  43  and  44 . 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 9 and 10  of the drawings, a third alternate form of the invention can be seen as a universal handy man&#39;s tool  45 . The tool  45  is a modified form of the invention in which the original jaw pairs  22  have been modified as jaw pair  46  having a more typical hand plier jaw shapes  46 A and  46 B in which the opposing flat engagement surfaces  46 C and  46 D interengaged when in closed position. The jaws  46 A and  46 B have opposing concave curve sources  47 A and  47 B with corresponding teeth  48 . 
   Additionally, it will be seen that the longitudinal bow portions  15  and  16  have been modified at  49  and  50  to have a plurality of aligned longitudinal spaced teeth  49 A and  50 A. 
   As best seen in  FIG. 9  of the drawings, a modified form of the hoof pick  21  of the primary form of the invention can be seen as a bifurcated claw  51  which will emulate the form and function of a well known claw hammer, (claw not shown) and can be used for removing nails and other associated tasks. 
   It will be evident that these modifications in combination with the modified jaw pair  41  allow the alternate form of the tool  45  to be used in a wide range of uses not necessarily associated with the farrier&#39;s art. 
   It will thus be seen that a new and useful multiple jaw and functionality tool has been illustrated and described that encompass both the applications of the farrier art as well as every day use by providing a complex hand tool with multi-functional featured jaw configurations and handle elements associated therewith. 
   Having thus described my invention 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.