Tool having a multi-positional handle

A tool for tightening and cutting a band clamp is provided with a separable body and handle with the body and the handle having cooperating surfaces so that the handle can be associated with the body in a plurality of different angular relationships. A connecting pin is provided for holding the handle and the body in the desired angular relationship.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to the field of tightening and cutting a band clamp 
and more particularly to a tool for use in the tightening and cutting of 
the band clamp. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
It has been customary in the application of band clamps, such as attaching 
a flexible hose to a fitting, to use a hand held tool that is provided 
with means for tightening the band of the band clamp and for cutting the 
band when the proper tension has been attained. Many times during the use 
of such hand held tools, the proper operation is difficult or impossible 
because of obstructions encountered in the workplace. While there are 
instances in other fields wherein a handle may be repositioned and 
retained, the tools used in the tightening and cutting of band clamps have 
had handles in one fixed position. 
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention provides a hand held tool for use in the tightening and 
cutting of a band clamp which is provided with means cooperating between 
the body and the handle of the tool so that the handle can be associated 
with the body in a plurality of different angular relationships and 
retained in any desired angular relationship. 
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the body of the tool is 
provided with a plurality of generally planar surfaces that intersect at 
an acute angle. The handle is provided with at least one generally planar 
surface. This permits the handle to be positioned relative to the body in 
four different angular relationships. In the more preferred embodiment of 
the invention, the body is provided with two spaced apart parallel 
projections, each of which has a plurality of generally planar surfaces 
that intersect at an acute angle. The handle is provided with two 
generally planar, spaced apart and parallel surfaces. The handle is also 
provided with two spaced apart and parallel lugs projecting outwardly 
therefrom. The lugs are provided with aligned openings and the projections 
are provided with aligned openings. When the openings in the lugs and the 
projections are in alignment, the two generally planar, spaced apart and 
parallel surfaces of the handle are in contact with two of the generally 
planar surfaces of the projections. A pin passes through the aligned 
openings to hold the body and the handle in the desired relationship. The 
pin is provided at one end with means to resist a force tending to move 
the pin out of its assembled condition and at its other end with means 
capable of being grasped so that a sufficient force may be exerted to pull 
the pin out of its assembled condition. 
It is an object of this invention to provide a tool for use in tightening 
and cutting a band clamp wherein the handle of the tool may be positioned 
relative to the body of the tool in a plurality of different angular 
relationships. 
Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the 
following more particular description of preferred embodiments as 
illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference 
characters refer to the same parts throughout the various views. The 
drawing is not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon 
illustrating, the principles of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
In FIG. 1, there is illustrated a tool 2 used for tightening and cutting a 
band clamp which for the most part is conventional. A body 4 is provided 
at one end with a first projection 6 having a slot 8 therein and through 
which one end of the band of a band clamp passes. A second projection 10 
extends outwardly from the body 4 and is provided with a slot 12 through 
which the end of the band clamp passes and is then crimped over so as to 
remain therein. The projection 10 is rotatably mounted in the body 4. 
Movement of the lever 14 rotates the projection 10 so as to tighten the 
portion (not shown) of the band clamp that is around the object. A cutter 
16 is rotatably mounted in the projection 6 so that when the proper 
tension has been applied, the lever 18 is moved to rotate the cutter 16 
and cut the band. 
The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 2 and 
comprises a pair of spaced apart and parallel projections 20 and 22 
extending outwardly from the body 4. The projections 20 and 22 are 
provided with cooperating generally planar surfaces 24 and 26 and with 
cooperating generally planar surfaces 28 and 30. The generally planar 
surfaces 24 and 28 intersect to form an acute angle and the generally 
planar surfaces 26 and 30 intersect to form an acute angle of the same 
size. The acute angle between the surfaces 24 and 28 and the surface 26 
and 30 is preferably between about 45 and 60 degrees. The projections 20 
and 22 are also provided with aligned openings 32 and 34. 
A handle 36 is provided for the tool 2. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the end 
portion of the handle 36 is provided with two cooperating, spaced apart 
and parallel generally planar surfaces 38 and 40. The generally planar 
surfaces 38 and 40 form an acute angle of between about 45 and 30 degrees 
with a transverse plane passing through the handle 36. A pair of spaced 
apart and parallel lugs 42 and 44 project outwardly from the handle 36 and 
are provided with aligned openings 46 and 48. The acute angle on the body 
4 must be complimentary to the acute angle on the handle 36 so that the 
angular relationship illustrated in FIG. 3 can be obtained. 
A pin 50 is provided and when the handle 36 and body 4 are moved into 
assembled position, the pin 50 is passed through the aligned openings 34, 
48, 46 and 32. At one end, the pin 50 is provided with a ball 52 which is 
spring urged outwardly to provide resistance to moving the pin 50 out of 
its assembled relationship. At the other end, the pin 50 is provided with 
a ring 54 that may be grasped and pulled with sufficient force to overcome 
the resistance of the ball 52 so that the pin 50 can be removed when it is 
desired to change the angular relationship of the handle 36 and the body 
4. 
A first angular relationship between the handle 36 and the body 4 is 
illustrated in FIG. 1. The lugs 42 and 44 have been moved between the 
projections 20 and 22 until the openings 34, 48, 46 and 32 are in 
alignment and the surfaces 30 and 40 and the surfaces 28 and 38 are in 
abutting relationship. The pin 50 has been passed through the aligned 
openings 34, 48, 46 and 32 so as to hold the handle 36 and the body 4 in 
the illustrated angular relationship. 
A second angular relationship between the handle 36 and the body 4 is 
illustrated in FIG. 3. The lugs 42 and 44 have been moved between the 
projections 20 and 22 until the openings 34, 48, 46 and 32 are in 
alignment and the surfaces 30 and 38 and the surfaces 28 and 40 are in 
abutting relationship. The pin 50 has been passed through the aligned 
openings 34, 48, 46 and 32 so as to hold the handle 36 and the body 4 in 
the illustrated angular relationship. 
A third angular relationship between the handle 36 and the body 4 is 
illustrated in FIG. 4. The lugs 42 and 44 have been moved between the 
projections 20 and 22 until the openings 34, 48, 46 and 32 are in 
alignment and the surfaces 26 and 40 and the surfaces 24 and 38 are in 
abutting relationship. The pin 50 has been passed through the aligned 
openings 34, 48, 46 and 32 so as to hold the handle 36 and the body 4 in 
the illustrated angular relationship. 
A fourth angular relationship between the handle 36 and the body 4 is 
illustrated in FIG. 5. The lugs 42 and 44 have been moved between the 
projections 20 and 22 until the openings 34, 48, 46 and 32 are in 
alignment and the surfaces 26 and 38 and the surfaces 24 and 40 are in 
abutting relationship. The pin 50 has been passed through the aligned 
openings 34, 48, 46 and 32 so as to hold the handle 36 and the body 4 in 
the illustrated angular relationship. 
While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and 
described herein, it may be otherwise embodied and practiced within the 
scope of the following claims.