Floating pliers

A pair of pliers, having particular utility for removing a hook swallowed by a fish, is rendered buoyant by affixing a block of closed cell polymeric foam between the inner aspects of the handles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to pliers, especially long-nosed pliers of the type 
useful for removing a hook swallowed by a fish. 
A common problem encountered by most persons who fish is that of removing a 
hook after it has been swallowed by a fish. It is not only extremely 
difficult to grasp the hook, but it is often dangerous to do so with one's 
bare hands, especially if the fish is a muskellunge, northern pike or 
other species having numerous needle-sharp teeth. Many people have found 
it convenient to carry a pair of long-nose pliers to assist in removing 
hooks which a fish has swallowed, but in an annoying number of cases the 
pliers fall overboard and are lost. Additionally, it is sometimes 
inconvenient to open the jaws of the pliers, especially with one hand. 
SUMMARY 
The present invention provides a pair of pliers which is light weight; 
indeed, the pliers are provided with a means for keeping them afloat if 
they inadvertently fall into the water. The pliers are so constructed that 
the normal position of the jaws is slightly spaced apart, so that they can 
readily slip over a hook. The handles of the pliers can then be squeezed 
together, thereby gripping the hook firmly so that it can readily be 
extracted from the fish. 
In its simplest aspect the invention comprises inserting a block of 
resilient, light weight closed cell foam between the handles of the 
pliers, thereby reducing the effective density of the composite tool to 
less than that of water. The block of foam is dimensioned so that the jaws 
of the pliers are slightly spaced apart; in order to keep the jaws from 
opening too widely and thus making it inconvenient to grip the handles, 
the block of foam is preferably adhered or otherwise attached to the 
handles. The resilient nature of the foam causes the jaws of the pliers to 
separate slightly as soon as the handles are no longer being squeezed, 
thus readying the tool for its next use.

DESCRIPTION OF PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
As a further aid to understanding the invention, a preferred but 
illustrative embodiment of the invention will now be described in greater 
detail. 
In the drawings, pliers 10 comprise members 11 and 14, each having a 
generally channel-shaped cross-section, are connected by rivet or bolt 17, 
which serves as a fulcrum. The central portion of member 11 is slightly 
wider in cross-section than the central portion of member 14, permitting 
the latter to be inserted through the former. Member 11 comprises handle 
12 and jaw 13, while member 14 similarly comprises handle 15 and jaw 16. 
The channel-shaped cross-section of members 11 and 12 permits them to have 
excellent strength for their weight. It is contemplated that members 11 
and 12 will be made out of aluminum, further contributing to their 
relatively low weight and additionally contributing rust-resistance to the 
pliers. 
Interposed between handles 12 and 15 is a block of resilient closed-cell 
polymeric foam 18. The dimensions of foam block 18 are selected so that 
jaws 13 and 16 are normally spaced slightly apart; additionally, the 
dimensions of foam block 18 are sufficiently great that the effective 
overall density of pliers 10 is less than that of water, thereby rendering 
the tool light enough to float. As is shown particularly in FIG. 2, foam 
block 18 compresses when handles 12 and 15 are squeezed together; removal 
of the squeezing pressure, however, causes handles 12 and 15 to spring 
apart, returning the pliers to the position shown in FIG. 1. 
While many polymeric foams can probably be used, it is essential that any 
such foam be closed-cell, water-resistant and of low density. One 
satisfactory foam is an odorless, light-weight polyethylene product having 
approximately 1/30 the density of water such as that available from Dow 
Chemical Company under the trade designation "Ethafoam." It is 
contemplated that a compressible polyurethane foam could be substituted 
and that such a foam could possess the resilient qualities also displayed 
by the polyethylene product. 
It is desirable that foam block 18 be affixed to handle 12, handle 15 or 
both, not only so that it will not inadvertently fall out but also so that 
handles 12, 15--and simultaneously, of course, jaws 13, 16--are not 
separated too far. For this purpose, block 18 may either be adhered to the 
inner aspects of handles 12 and 15 or be held in place by punching in tabs 
from handles 12 and 15 to penetrate and grip block 18. 
While specific dimensions of the component parts of pliers 10 are not 
critical, it is preferred to have jaws 13, 16 long enough that they can be 
inserted deep into the throat of a fish to grip a hook 19, as indicated 
generally in FIG. 5. To enhance the ease of grasping hook 19, the tips of 
jaws 13, 16 may be serrated, knurled or otherwise roughened. 
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous variations of the 
device just described can be made without departing from the spirit of the 
invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is determined only by 
the claims.