Wood splitter's aid tool

A wood splitter's aid tool comprising an elongated, elastically stretchable, flexible member comprising a length of metal chain in series with a length of elastic cord, with the cord and a portion of the length of chain protectively surrounded by a preferably precurved length of synthetic hose and having, at one end of the member, a hook adapted to engage a selected link of the chain in order to encircle a block of wood to be split with the member under tension. The encircling band allows the block of wood to be split by an axe and holds it in assembled condition against pieces flying off and against the necessity of a person risking one hand to hold a small remaining piece in place as the other hand wields an axe.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a device useful to persons splitting firewood, 
both to facilitate the work itself and to reduce the chances of injury to 
the user and to those standing nearby, and of damage to adjacent property. 
The invention is herein illustratively described by reference to the 
presently preferred form thereof; however, it will be recognized that 
certain modifications and changes therein with respect to details may be 
made without departing from the essential features involved. 
With the increasing use of firewood in stoves, heaters and fireplaces for 
home heating, persons not familiar with the use of an axe to split wood 
are learning to do so. In the process, injuries to the user and to persons 
standing nearby are occurring from flying pieces of wood and from the blow 
of an axe glancing off a small remaining segment of wood to be split, or 
cutting a hand or wrist attempting to hold a small and unstable segment 
while the axe descends upon it. In addition, split pieces of wood flying 
from the chopping block present a problem in terms of potential property 
damage, and they also increase the labor of the user in gathering up the 
pieces afterwards for stacking or carrying into the area of the wood 
burner. 
A broad object of this invention is to provide a means, preferably a highly 
simple and reliable means, easily used, that will not only save time, but 
will add materially to the safety of persons and property in the use of an 
axe to split wood. 
More specifically, an object hereof is to devise a good wood splitter's aid 
tool which keeps the target, that is, the block of wood, intact as a large 
enough mass that it remains stable and does not require the user to employ 
his one hand to hold a remaining small piece in position on the chopping 
block while the axe is wielded with the other hand and also which 
minimizes the chances of a glancing blow of the axe deflecting against a 
nearby person or the user's own anatomy. 
Furthermore, the invention keeps the split pieces of a block of wood 
together in a group for disposition after the splitting operation and 
thereby spares the user the task of gathering the pieces into an 
assemblage for stacking or hauling. 
A specific object hereof is to devise a wood splitter's aid tool which is 
quickly and easily installed on a block of wood to be split and is easily 
removed from the assemblage of pieces of the block after splitting, a 
device which will not slip out of position during use, and a device which 
is designed to minimize the likelihood of nicking or damaging the blade of 
the axe in the event of a partial miss of the axe stroke. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with this invention, a wood splitter's aid tool is provided 
which comprises an elongated, elastically stretchable, flexible member 
preferably in the form of a metal chain connected serially with a length 
of elastically stretchable material, such as an elastic cord, and provided 
at one end with a hook or other fastening element that is engageable with 
any of successive links of the chain so as to encircle the block of wood 
to be split with the elongated member under tension. A length of synthetic 
hose or other soft frictional, protective material, such as polyethylene, 
slidably receiving and protectively surrounding the elastic portion and a 
substantial fraction of the length of chain is of a length to partially 
encircle the block when the aid tool is operatively positioned. It thereby 
helps protect the elastic cord, as well as the encircled portion of chain 
from the axe, and it also serves to hold the tensioned device against 
sliding down out of position intermediate the top and bottom ends of the 
block of wood as the axe is being used. Thus, the block, either in its 
initial integral condition or as it is split into a number of pieces, 
remains standing on the chopping block as a stable large target that is 
not easily missed by the axe, and it also remains in position as an 
assemblage of split pieces after the job is done so that the user may pick 
it up as an assemblage. This spares the chopper the necessity of gathering 
up scattered pieces and avoids running the risk of persons being injured 
by pieces flying from the chopping block in the usual procedure of 
chopping wood without such an aid tool. 
A further specific feature of the novel aid tool resides in the use of a 
protective sheath in the form of an inherently precurved, polyethylene 
hose or the like which tends to curl around the block in the process of 
positioning the tool and thereby facilitates the quick installation of the 
aid tool on the block preparatory to using the axe. Such low cost 
polyethylene hose material, being molded to assume coiled configuration on 
the hardware store shelf, has this curvature inherently so as to make it 
suitable for purposes of the invention and available at low cost. 
These and other features, objects and advantages of the invention will 
become more fully evident as the description proceeds with reference to 
the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring to the drawings, the wood splitter's aid tool 10 comprises an 
elongated, elastically stretchable, flexible member which is adapted to 
encircle a length of firewood 46 (FIG. 2) to be placed on a chopping block 
and spit with an axe. The elongated member preferably comprises a length 
of chain 12 made up of successive links 14 of steel or other suitable 
metal and a length of elastic cord 22 having a first end 26 in which a 
loop 28 is formed and held by a clamp band 30 engaged with the eye 18 of 
an anchor hook 16. The opposite or second end 32 of the cord 22 forms a 
loop 34 around the adjacent end link of chain 12 and is held by a second 
clamp band 36, thereby connecting the elastic cord 22 in series with the 
chain 12 and the anchor hook 16. 
A length of hose 38 of polyethylene or similar inexpensive, tough, soft 
frictional synthetic material extends over the eye 18 of the hook 16, the 
elastic cord 22, and an adjoining portion of the chain 12. In order to 
hold the length of protective hose in this position (i.e., adjoining the 
hook), two apertures are conveniently formed in the end of the hose 
through which the hook's eye 18 is threaded, as shown in FIG. 1. The 
length of hose protectively and slidably surrounds the elastic cord and a 
portion of the length of chain connected thereto. With the device 
installed as in FIG. 2, by stretching the chain and elastic cord under 
tension around the block of wood 46, the hose serves by its surface 
traction to hold the device against slipping down the block initially and 
during the splitting operation. As will be evident, the length of hose 
used for this purpose is selected to be less than the circumference of the 
smallest block of wood to be split so that a length portion of the chain 
projects from it in order to afford access to a link which can be engaged 
by the fastener hook 16 with the device in tension as depicted. Therefore, 
for the larger pieces of wood to be split, some of the chain will be 
exposed (i.e., not covered by the hose) to an axe. The user must be 
cautious, of course, if nicking of the axe or cutting of the chain is to 
be avoided for those pieces. Yet, it is the largest blocks that represent 
the larger axe targets and thus the problem of chain exposureis not unduly 
serious for the larger blocks to be split. If desired, during the process 
of splitting a block into pieces, the device may be shifted 
circumferentially so that the protected portion of the chain and the 
elastic cord will be nearest the user. 
In the manufacture of the device 10, low cost, safety, simplicity and 
facility in use are key objectives. As a special feature, the protective 
length of hose 38 that surrounds the elastic cord 22 and a portion of the 
chain 12 is selected of conventional manufactured hose of polyethylene or 
similar soft and tractional hose material which has a natural coil or 
curvature as it is produced and marketed. In this way, the user raising 
the aid tool 10 into position to encircle a block of wood finds that the 
device already tends to assume enwrapment curvature shown by dotted lines 
in FIG. 3 and is thereby aided considerably in fastening it in working 
position on the wood. Once the block is split, as is partially shown in 
FIG. 3, it is held together as an assemblage of pieces 45, 50, 52, 54, 56, 
and 58 for disposition suiting the purpose of the user. During splitting, 
the assemblage remains a large axe target with little danger of the axe 
glancing off a small piece and injuring a person or property. The pieces, 
of course, themselves do not fly off and risk breaking windows or injuring 
persons as the block is being split into pieces. Even more critical, the 
risk of the user chopping a hand use to hold a remaining small piece on 
the block as the axe descends is completely avoided. 
In practice, it is desirable to employ an elastic cord 22 which will 
stretch as much as ten inches to twelve inches for most firewood splitting 
applications. Common stretchable shock cord serves ideally since its 
fabric exterior is freely slidable inside the protector hose. The 
composite length of the flexible, elongated member typically will be of 
the order of three feet with the band relaxed or contracted. An 
inexpensive steel chain may be used since it is not required to carry 
heavy loads, but only to remain intact and to withstand occasional axe 
blows sufficiently to yield to the impact. The positioning of the band 
around the block of wood should be such that the band has substantially 
more remaining stretchability than is taken up in initial tensioning of 
the band around the block so that as the block splits, the axe may enter 
between the partly split surfaces without undue resistance due to 
constriction tension. Typically a three-quarter inch hose of polyethylene 
or similar material is suitable for the sheath 38. The chain 12 should be 
of a size which will side readily within the hose. The device 10 is 
compact and light in weight, as well as durable and inexpensive to 
produce. 
These and other aspects of the invention will become evident based on the 
foregoing description and illustration of the presently preferred 
embodiment thereof.