Spring clip extractor

An elongated extraction tool body slidably mounts a laterally extending abutment element closely spaced from a laterally extending jaw fixed to one end of the body. The abutment element is displaced from a limit position against a spring bias, by a thumb contact member, to a reaction establishing position enabling the jaw to exert a deforming force.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to a tool for extracting parts from a relatively 
inaccessible installation. 
Various special tools have been designed for extracting parts of an 
assembly from locations at which it is difficult to remove such parts with 
ordinary tools such as screw drivers, wrenches and pliers. Such 
specialized tools have elongated bodies to facilitate insertion into 
restricted spaces and force transmitting jaws or tool ends for engagement 
of the part to be extracted. Specialized tools are however not available 
and/or have not been regarded as effective for extraction of certain parts 
that must be deformed within restricted spaces of an inaccessible 
installation, such as the spring clips holding the links of a conveyor 
chain assembled. 
It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide a 
specialized tool for extraction of parts by deformation thereof within a 
restricted space of an inaccessible installation, avoiding disassembly of 
the installation as heretofore deemed necessary for exposure of such 
parts. 
A more particular object of the invention is to provide an extraction tool 
for removal of spring retainer clips from links of a conveyor chain. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with the present invention, the elongated body of an 
extraction tool has a deforming jaw fixed to one end thereof for 
engagement with the prong of a spring retainer clip installed between 
spaced pins interconnecting a link of a conveyor chain with adjacent chain 
links. The jaw projects laterally in one direction from the elongated body 
in parallel spaced relation to an abutment element engageable with the 
side edge of the link to establish a reaction point toward which the jaw 
may exert a prong displacing force. The abutment element is displaceable 
relative to the jaw from a limit position against a spring bias by means 
of a plunger slidably mounted in the tool body. Spaced collars are fixed 
to the tool body to respectively limit such displacement of the abutment 
element to its limit position closely spaced from the jaw, and form a 
reaction surface for the biasing spring carried on a portion of the 
plunger projecting from the end of the tool body opposite the jaw. The 
plunger is displaced against the spring bias and then a deforming force is 
exerted by the jaw, in sequence, to deform the prong of the retainer clip 
engaged by the jaw. Toward that end, a hand finger gripping bar is fixed 
to the tool body intermediate its ends and a thumb contacting member is 
connected to the end of the plunger opposite the end from which the 
abutment element extends. The finger gripping bar and thumb contact member 
thus form a hand grasping assembly through which the reaction point is 
established and the jaw is displaced relative thereto to transmit a 
deforming force.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now to the drawing in detail, FIG. 1 illustrates the entire 
extractor tool of the present invention, generally referred to by 
reference numeral 10. The tool consists of an elongated body generally 
denoted by reference numeral 12. The body 12 constitutes a lever element 
as will be explained hereinafter, and in the illustrated embodiment is 
formed by two parallel spaced bars 14 interconnected at one end by a 
laterally extending jaw 16 to which the bars are fixed, as by welding, as 
more clearly seen in FIG. 4. The bars 14 are also interconnected in spaced 
relation to each other by an external tubular collar 18 in longitudinally 
relation to the jaw 16. The collar 18 also functions to limit displacement 
of an abutment element 20 secured to one end of a plunger 22 from which 
the abutment element extends laterally. The plunger 22 projects from the 
end of the elongated body 12 opposite the jaw 16. A second tubular collar 
24 is externally secured to the bars 14 of body 12, as by welding, at that 
end from which the plunger 22 projects. In the embodiment shown, the 
abutment element 18 and jaw 16 extend from the body 12 at right angles in 
parallel spaced relation to each other. 
The jaw 16 is formed with a notch 26 on the side thereof confronting the 
abutment element 20. The abutment element being secured to one end of 
plunger 22 is slidably displaceable therewith relative to the body 12 and 
jaw 16. The plunger 22 as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 is in slide bearing 
contact with the body 12 between its bars 14. The abutment element 20 and 
plunger 22 slidably displaceable relative to body 12 in one direction from 
a limit position engaging the collar 18 as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4. 
The plunger 22 and abutment element 20 are biased to the limit position by 
a coil spring 28 carried on the portion of the plunger 22 projecting from 
the end of the body 12 to which the collar 24 is fixed. Opposite ends of 
spring 28 therefore react against the collar 24 and a thumb contacting 
member 30 fixed to the projecting end of the plunger. The member 30 forms 
part of a manipulative handle assembly for the tool with a finger gripping 
bar 32 fixed to the body 12 intermediate the collars 18 and 24. An axial 
force may be applied to the plunger 22 against the bias of spring 28 
through the member 30 in order to displace the abutment element 20 to a 
reaction establishing position as shown in FIG. 7. The finger gripping bar 
32 projects laterally in opposite directions from body 12 on that side 
opposite the side from which the jaw 16 and abutment element 20 extend. 
The tool 10 is grasped and held in one hand by placing two fingers over the 
gripping bar 32 on either side of the body 12 with member 30 engaging the 
base of the thumb. In this manner the abutment element 20 may be displaced 
by the thumb to the reaction establishing position and a deforming force 
is generated at the jaw 16 as will be explained hereinafter in detail. 
FIG. 6 shows a typical spring clip 34 which is mounted in a typically 
inaccessible installation, such as a conveyor chain 36 as shown in FIG. 5. 
The spring clip 34 when installed as shown bridges and engages a pair of 
pins 38 projecting from the connecting link 40 of the conveyor chain. The 
tool 10 as hereinbefore described is designed to extract the spring clip 
34 from the foregoing conveyor chain installation. 
As shown in FIG. 7, the end 42 of the jaw 16 laterally spaced from one end 
of the tool body 12 is placed in sliding contact with the link 40 between 
the prongs of the clip 34 and between the pins 38. The abutment element 20 
is then displaced to its reaction establishing position, as 
aforementioned, into engagement with the side edge of link 40 relatively 
close to the location at which the jaw 16 engages the prong of clip 34 in 
its notch 26. It will therefore be apparent that a continued axial 
displacing force manually applied after the abutment element 20 engages 
the edge of clip 34 causes axial displacement of jaw 16 relative to 
abutment element 20, as viewed in FIG. 7, to exert a prong deforming force 
on the clip 34 through jaw 16. The clip 34 may thereby be readily deformed 
and released from the pins 38 for removal with the jaw 16 from its 
conveyor chain installation. 
The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the 
invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily 
occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the 
invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and 
accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted 
to, falling within the scope of the invention.