Striking tool

A hammer that that reduces vibration and provides advantageous balance and mass distribution having a handle portion comprising an I-shape sectional profile and a head comprising a cavity formed therethrough. The hammer may further comprise various nail or other fastener removal structures, such as a claw, slots, notches, or the like. The hammer may further include a nail-starter with magnetic nail retention.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to hand tools, and, more particularly, to a striking tool, such as a hammer, or the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

For many different purposes, striking tools, such as hammers, or the like, have been employed for delivering or imparting an impact force to a selected target. Forces generated by even light-duty striking tools can be considerable due to the mechanical advantage involved with such tools. Accordingly, striking tools have been developed having durable, sometimes hardened materials, at least in a striking head or striking surface thereof, and are typically of robust design. Such durable materials, commonly metal, and such robust design, have produced massive tools.

While such tools exhibit acceptable durability characteristics, they are frequently disadvantageously heavy. As a result, a user may become strained or fatigued from use, resulting in poor control of strikes, damage to materials, or even injury. Consequently, efforts have been made to reduce the weight of striking tools to avoid strain or fatigue during use. Reduction of weight, however, affects a striking force delivered to the selected target when struck at a given velocity. Since certain tasks require substantial striking forces, reducing the weight of a striking tool is not always possible or beneficial. Instead, selective distribution of the mass of a striking tool may provide beneficial properties with respect to durability, ease and/or comfort of use, and strike force capacity.

Additionally, and particularly when used to deliver large force strikes, striking tools may disadvantageously transmit impact vibrations to a user through the handle. Such vibrations can accelerate the onset of strain or fatigue, and cause the user to experience discomfort. Furthermore, such vibrations can contribute to material strain and fatigue, causing damage to the tool itself, reducing tool life and posing a threat of injury. In order to avoid transmissions of such vibrations, striking tools have been provided with cushioned handles or the like. Such cushioned handles, however, fail to prevent vibrations within the tool, and merely serve to isolate a user's hand for comfort.

Finally, as is well known in the art, proper balance of a striking tool, i.e. distribution and location of mass between and within the head and the handle of the tool, contributes to reducing strain and/or fatigue and to improving accuracy.

Thus, it is clear that there is an unmet need for a striking tool that advantageously provides beneficial distribution of sufficient mass to safely and reliably allow accurate delivery of forceful strikes without causing excessive strain or fatigue.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly described, in an exemplary embodiment, the striking tool of the present disclosure overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages and meets the recognized need for such a tool by providing a monolithic steel hammer having a head, a striking surface, a nail-pulling tool, and including one or more cavity and/or void, and a handle having a strong yet lightweight I-beam construction.

More specifically, the exemplary striking tool includes a generally extended handle portion, such as in the form of an I-beam, and a striking head integrally carried at a first end of the handle portion. The handle portion preferably includes a generally broad, flat forward surface adapted to reduce damage caused by overstrikes, i.e. poorly aimed strikes where an impact force is borne by the handle portion. A medial section of the handle portion, however, is generally thin compared to the broad forward surface. A broad rearward surface is preferably also included for stability and strength of the handle portion. The handle portion preferably additionally includes a comfortable grip operable therewith to provide a comfortable and secure gripping surface by which a user may grasp the striking tool.

The striking head preferably includes a transverse cavity extending therethrough, and a plurality of voids formed therein. The cavity preferably defines an upper beam portion and a lower beam portion. The beam portions preferably reduce vibrations caused by strikes, and substantially prevent transmission of vibrations to the handle portion, while allowing beneficial force transference from mass located on an opposite side of the cavity from the striking surface. More specifically, the striking face is preferably provided on a forward surface of the head, and the beam portions, particularly the upper beam portion, are arranged to substantially prevent compression along an axis of the head extending from the striking face to a rear portion of the head. The nail-pulling tool is preferably disposed proximate the rear portion of the head, as is conventional. The beam portions, particularly the lower beam portion, are arranged to substantially prevent bending between the nail-pulling tool and the handle portion.

Accordingly, one feature and advantage of the tool of the present disclosure is its ability to provide a strong, yet lightweight handle portion having a broad flat forward surface adapted to reduce damage caused by overstrikes.

Another feature and advantage of the tool of the present disclosure is its ability to provide a durable striking tool capable of delivering great impact forces while providing a beneficial weight distribution and balance for ease of use.

These and other features and advantages of the tool of the present disclosure will become more apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art after reading the following Detailed Description of the Invention and Claims in light of the accompanying drawing Figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In describing exemplary embodiments of the hammer of the present disclosure illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity. The claimed invention, however, is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific element includes all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.

In that form of the hammer of the present disclosure chosen for purposes of illustration,FIGS. 1-6show hammer100including body101and grip103. Body101is preferably formed as a monolithic or unitary member from a suitable metal, composite, or synthetic material, or the like, defining handle110and head120, and includes grip103formed or installed thereon. Body101is preferably formed from steel. Grip103may be formed from natural or synthetic rubber, plastic, composite, or the like, and may be resilient and/or sculptured or contoured to provide a comfortable and secure grasping surface. Grip103is preferably disposed proximate first end101aof body101proximate a distal end of handle110. Head120is preferably disposed proximate a distal end of handle110at second end101bof body101.

Head120preferably includes claw121disposed on a rearward portion thereof and is adapted to pry articles, such as nails, boards, or the like, via application of force to handle110. Striking surface123is preferably disposed on a forward portion of head120and is adapted to deliver a striking force to a selected target. Striking surface123may optionally include a plurality of teeth or other texture, such as a waffle pattern, a diamond pattern, or the like. Head120preferably further includes cavity125formed therethrough and a plurality of beams127. Cavity125preferably serves to reduce a total mass of head120and to reduce transmission and/or creation of vibrations as may occur from striking impacts. Additionally, beams127preferably function to transmit force applied to handle110and momentum force from the mass of head120proximate claw121in order to deliver the striking force. Accordingly, beams127are substantially incompressible in a direction of such force transmission, i.e. along a respective longitudinal axis of each such beam127. Beams127are operable, however, to absorb and/or dissipate off-axis forces, such as those that may cause vibration. Thus, vibrations are preferably not substantially transmitted to handle110. Head120preferably additionally includes voids129formed therein at selected locations to both reduce the mass of head120and to produce a desired balance of head120while not substantially reducing a strength and/or durability thereof.

Handle110is preferably likewise configured to provide durability and/or strength while reducing a total mass thereof and while providing a beneficial balance or distribution of mass. Specifically, handle110preferably includes an I-shape cross-sectional profile, at least along a portion thereof. Such I-shape cross-sectional profile includes front and rear flanges111and112, respectively, and web113. Front flange111preferably provides a broad surface adapted to reduce damage to handle110and/or a target caused by striking contact therebetween, such as due to an overstrike. Web113preferably resists bending and provides strength for handle110to allow generation and delivery of substantial striking forces by striking surface123.

Now referring particularly toFIGS. 4 and 6, nail-starter130may optionally be included on an underside of head120for use in setting a nail for subsequent driving. Specifically, nail-starter130includes channel131for receiving a shaft of a nail therein and anvil surface133for engaging a head of the nail. Magnet135may be included in head120for magnetically retaining the nail in the channel during the starting process. As will be understood by those ordinarily skilled in the art, nail-starter130may alternatively be formed on a top of head120if desired, or in another location. However, the underside of head120is the preferred location for nail-starter130due to a user's ability to accurately start a nail which is enhanced by such positioning of nail-starter130. Furthermore, when nail-starter130is disposed on a bottom or underside of head120, the arc of travel of head120made during a striking motion used to start the nail preferably tends to retain the nail within channel131and in secure engagement with anvil surface133during setting.

As a further option, and with particular reference toFIGS. 2,4, and6, nail-puller slots141and nail-puller notches143may be provided at convenient locations over body101, such as on an underside of head120or on a side of head120. Nail-puller slots141are preferably configured to receive a portion of the head of a nail, whereby a leverage force may be applied thereto to remove the nail from an object. Similarly, nail-puller notches143are preferably configured to engage a portion of the nail shaft proximate the head and a lower surface of the nail head to apply a leverage force for removing the nail from an object.

In use, hammer100may be used to drive a nail or the like by engaging a shaft of the nail with channel131of nail-starter130such that a head of the nail abuts anvil surface133and such that the nail is retained within channel131via magnet135. A user may then drive the nail into a target by swinging head120via handle110such that anvil surface133applies a driving force. Preferably, the nail may be removed from channel131, overcoming a retention force, via frictional engagement with the target and a removal force applied to handle110by the user. The user may then swing hammer100to deliver a striking force by impacting the head of the nail with striking surface123. If desired or necessary, a nail may be removed from an object via engagement of claw121with the shaft of the nail under the head and applying a levered extraction force via handle110. Additionally or alternatively, slot141may be engaged with the nail head to apply an extraction force. Likewise, notch143may be engaged with the nail shaft beneath the head of the nail to apply an extraction force.

Having thus described exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted by those skilled in the art that the within disclosures are exemplary only and that various other alternatives, adaptations, and modifications may be made within the scope and spirit of the present invention. For example, while cavity125has been described and illustrated as defining a closed-loop aperture through head120, cavity125may be formed as an open-loop aperture, such as when cavity125extends to an exterior perimeter of head120. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments as illustrated herein, but is only limited by the following claims.