Valve and faucet handle tools

A valve and faucet handle turning tool is provided in the form of a cylindrical body having a cavity extending axially in one end thereof, a generally radially extending handle on the periphery of said body, said cavity having non-aligned indentations in the sidewall thereof at at least three different levels and at least two different diameters graduating from the open end of the cavity downwardly, and a plurality of projections extending parallel to the axis of the body on the end opposite the cavity and spaced from the cylinder axis to engage faucet handles of different configuration.

This invention relates to valve and faucet handle tools and particularly to 
a tool capable of applying added turning leverage to most presently 
existing valve and faucet handles. 
Valve and faucet handles used in plumbing can present very great problems 
to elderly persons, persons suffering from arthritis or other physical 
problems which make it difficult to exert the necessary leverage to open 
or close valves and faucets. There are also frequently situations where a 
valve has not been used for such a long time that it has become fixed in 
place due to corrosion or the like and cannot be turned by hand. Normal 
wrenches, pliers and the like may in some cases be used successfully to 
open or close such valves but their use frequently results in breakage or 
damage to the handle and their repeated usage almost inevitably results in 
breakage of the valve or faucet handle. 
I have invented a tool for opening and closing valves and faucets which has 
almost universal applicability to all valve and faucet handles used in 
plumbing. It provides a sure nondamaging grip on such handles and has a 
lever arm which provides the necessary leverage to rotate such handles. 
I provide a valve and faucet handle turning tool having a cylindrical body, 
a generally radially extending arm on said body, a cavity in one end of 
the body having indentations in the sidewall thereof at at least three 
levels and in at least two different diameters graduating from the top of 
the cavity from larger to smaller, said different indentations being 
adapted to engage different styles of faucets and valve handles, and a 
plurality of axial projections extending from said body member opposite 
the cavity and adapted to fit over a plurality of different faucet and 
valve handles. Preferably, the radial lever is provided with a recess on 
one side extending lengthwise thereof adapted to fit over straight arm 
faucet or valve handles. The tool of this invention is preferably made of 
rigid high strength plastic but it may be made of metal or any other 
suitable material such as cast iron, steel, brass, aluminum, etc.

Referring to the drawings I have illustrated the tool of my invention 
having a generally cylindrical body 10 with a radial lever arm 11 
extending from the periphery. A cavity 12 having indentations 13, 14 and 
15 at three different levels and at different diameters is provided in one 
side of the body 10. A central depression 16 is provided in the bottom of 
cavity 12 to accept a faucet or valve handle screw head. On the opposite 
side of body 10 from cavity 12 I provide a plurality of axially extending 
pairs of projections 17 and 18 of different shapes designed to accept 
different faucet and valve handles. In lever are 11 I provide on one side 
an elongate cavity 20 having a central depression 21 and depressions 22 
and 23 at its opposite ends. Cavity 20 is designed to accept an elongate 
valve or faucet handle with depressions 21, 22 and 23 designed to receive 
the head of a fastening screw for the same. 
In operation, the body 10 is turned to proper position to index either a 
recess in cavity 12 or a plurality of axial projections 17 or 18 over the 
valve handle to be turned as shown in FIG. 1 and then using the leverage 
of handle 11 to turn the problem handle 30. 
The tool of this invention, as illustrated, is capable of engaging and 
turning more than 20 different configurations of valve and faucet handles 
presently in use to my knowledge and has in tests proven capable of 
turning handles with ease for arthritic persons, elderly persons and 
others who, without this tool, could not operate such handles or could do 
so only with considerable pain and difficulty. 
In the foregoing specification I have set out certain preferred practices 
and embodiments of my invention, however, it will be understood that this 
invention may be otherwise practiced within the scope of the following 
claims.