Nail removing apparatus

A nail removing apparatus for removing and holding nails. The nail removing apparatus includes a housing having a bottom wall, a front wall, a back wall, a pair of side walls and a top wall. The bottom wall has an opening therein extending into the interior. A foot portion is integrally coupled to the bottom wall and includes a pair of tines adapted for positioning under a head of the nail. A lifting apparatus lifts a nail and includes a saddle positioned in the housing. A first plate is slidably mounted on the saddle and is extendable through the opening in the bottom wall. A second plate is integrally coupled to a bottom edge of the first plate and has a pair of prongs thereon for lifting a nail from the foot portion. A motor is mechanically coupled to the first plate for selectively retracting and extending the first plate.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to nail removing devices and more particularly pertains to a new nail removing apparatus for removing and holding nails.

2. Description of the Prior Art

While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new nail removing apparatus. The inventive device includes a housing having a bottom wall, a front wall, a back wall, a pair of side walls and a top wall. The bottom wall has an opening therein extending into the interior. A handle is coupled to an outer surface of the back wall. A foot portion is integrally coupled to the bottom wall and includes a pair of tines adapted for positioning under a head of the nail. A lifting apparatus lifts a nail and includes a saddle positioned in the housing. A first plate is slidably mounted on the saddle and is extendable through the opening in the bottom wall. A second plate is integrally coupled to a bottom edge of the first plate and has a pair of prongs thereon for lifting a nail from the foot portion. A motor is mechanically coupled to the first plate for selectively retracting and extending the first plate.

In these respects, the nail removing apparatus according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of removing and holding nails.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of nail removing devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new nail removing apparatus construction wherein the same can be utilized for removing and holding nails.

The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new nail removing apparatus apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the nail removing devices mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new nail removing apparatus which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art nail removing devices, either alone or in any combination thereof.

To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a housing having a bottom wall, a front wall, a back wall, a pair of side walls and a top wall. The bottom wall has an opening therein extending into the interior. A handle is coupled to an outer surface of the back wall. A foot portion is integrally coupled to the bottom wall and includes a pair of tines adapted for positioning under a head of the nail. A lifting apparatus lifts a nail and includes a saddle positioned in the housing. A first plate is slidably mounted on the saddle and is extendable through the opening in the bottom wall. A second plate is integrally coupled to a bottom edge of the first plate and has a pair of prongs thereon for lifting a nail from the foot portion. A motor is mechanically coupled to the first plate for selectively retracting and extending the first plate.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new nail removing apparatus apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the nail removing devices mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new nail removing apparatus which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art nail removing devices, either alone or in any combination thereof.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new nail removing apparatus which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new nail removing apparatus which is of a durable and reliable construction.

An even further object of the present invention is to provide a a new nail removing apparatus which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such nail removing apparatus economically available to the buying public.

Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new nail removing apparatus which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new nail removing apparatus for removing and holding nails.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new nail removing apparatus which includes a housing having a bottom wall, a front wall, a back wall, a pair of side walls and a top wall. The bottom wall has an opening therein extending into the interior. A handle is coupled to an outer surface of the back wall. A foot portion is integrally coupled to the bottom wall and includes a pair of tines adapted for positioning under a head of the nail. A lifting apparatus lifts a nail and includes a saddle positioned in the housing. A first plate is slidably mounted on the saddle and is extendable through the opening in the bottom wall. A second plate is integrally coupled to a bottom edge of the first plate and has a pair of prongs thereon for lifting a nail from the foot portion. A motor is mechanically coupled to the first plate for selectively retracting and extending the first plate.

Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new nail removing apparatus that holds a plurality of nails for later use or recycling.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 7 thereof, a new nail removing apparatus embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 7 , the nail removing apparatus 10 generally comprises a housing 12 with a bottom wall 14 , a peripheral wall 16 integral to and extending upwardly from the bottom wall 14 and a top wall 18 . The top wall 18 is hingedly coupled to the peripheral wall 16 and defining a door into an interior of the housing 12 . The top wall 18 preferably has a bracket 20 therein for frictionally engaging a lip 22 on an inner surface of the peripheral wall 16 . The bottom wall 14 has an opening 24 therein extending into the interior. The peripheral wall 16 includes a front wall 25 , a back wall 26 and a pair of side walls 27 . The peripheral wall 16 has a portal 28 therein and a covering 29 for removably positioning over said portal 28 .

A compartment 30 is positioned in the housing 12 and includes a first vertical wall 31 extending upwardly from the bottom wall 14 . The first vertical wall 31 is generally between the opening 24 and the front wall 25 . The first vertical wall 31 extends to a point generally between the top wall 18 and the bottom wall 14 of the housing 12 . A first horizontal wall 32 extends from a top edge of the first vertical wall 31 toward the back wall 26 . A second vertical wall 33 extends upwardly from an edge of the first horizontal wall 32 upwardly to a top edge of the peripheral wall 16 . A second horizontal wall 34 extends from a top edge of the second vertical wall 33 to the back wall 26 . Each of the walls of the compartment 30 extends between the side walls 27 of the housing 12 . The first vertical wall 31 has an aperture 35 therein extending from the bottom wall 14 to the first horizontal wall 32 and is positioned adjacent to the opening 24 in the housing 12 . A flap 36 is coupled to a vertical edge of aperture 35 and generally covers the aperture 35 . The flap 36 comprises a resiliently flexible material.

A handle 37 is coupled to an outer surface of the back wall 26 . The handle 37 has an opening 38 therein for receiving the fingers of a user.

A foot portion 40 is integrally coupled to the bottom wall 14 . The foot portion 40 has a heel 41 . Each of a pair of tines 42 extends outwardly from the heel 41 in a parallel direction. Each of the tines 42 extends under the opening 24 in the housing 12 . The tines 42 have an upper edge 43 tapering downward to a bottom edge 44 . The tines 42 have an inside surface 45 facing each other. The inside surfaces 45 taper toward the bottom edge 44 of the tines.

A lifting apparatus lifts a nail 8 and includes a saddle 46 positioned in the compartment 30 and extends away from the back wall 26 . The saddle 46 comprises a pair of rigid panels 47 orientated parallel to each other and to the side walls 27 . Each of the panels 47 generally extends from a position adjacent to the top edge of the back wall 26 to a position generally between the top 18 and bottom 14 walls. Each of the panels 47 has an elongated vertical slot 48 therein extending from a top to a bottom edge of the panels 47 . The slots 48 are orientated generally parallel and facing each other.

A first plate 50 is slidably mounted in the slots 48 of the saddle 46 . The first plate 50 may be extended from the upper wall 34 of the compartment 30 to a position extending through the opening 24 . The first plate 50 has a back side facing the back wall 26 and has a plurality of teeth 51 thereon.

A second plate 52 is integrally coupled to a bottom edge of the first plate 50 and extends toward the front wall 25 of the housing 12 . The second plate 52 divides into a pair of prongs 53 as it extends away from the first plate 50 . Each of the prongs 53 has an upper edge 54 tapering downward to a point such that a tapered upper edge 54 of the prongs 53 are alignable with the tapered upper edge 43 of the tines 42 when the prongs 53 are abutted against the tines 42 .

A motor 56 is positioned in the housing 12 and attached to the peripheral wall 16 . A gear 57 is mechanically coupled to the motor 56 . The gear 57 is in communication with the teeth 51 such that rotation of the gear 57 in a first direction extends the first plate 50 through the opening 24 and rotation of the gear 57 in a second direction retracts the first plate 50 into the housing 12 . A power supply 58 , preferably a battery, is operationally coupled to the motor 56 and is removable through the portal 28 .

An axle 60 is positioned in the compartment 30 and extends between the bottom wall 14 and the first horizontal wall 32 . The axle 60 is positioned generally adjacent to the aperture 35 . A fork 61 extends outwardly away from the axle 60 . A rod 62 extends outwardly away from the axle 60 in a direction generally opposite of the fork 61 . A piston 63 is connected to a free end of the rod 62 . The fork 61 is swept across the opening 24 when the piston 63 retracts

An actuator 66 selectively actuates the motor 56 for rotating the gear 57 in second first direction and releasing the actuator 66 causes the motor 56 to rotate the gear 57 in the second direction. The piston 63 retracts and then extends when the first plate 50 is fully retracted such that the fork 61 pushes a nail 8 lifted on the second plate 52 through the aperture 35 . The actuator 66 is operationally coupled to the motor 56 and is mounted on the handle 37 .

In use, the user presses the tines 42 under the head of a nail 8 such that the nail 8 is lifted upward from the surface in which it is embedded. The actuator 66 is pressed which causes the first 50 and second 52 plates to lower. The head of nail 8 is positioned over the prongs 53 and the actuator 66 released such that plates 50 , 52 are lifted upward into the housing. When the plates 50 , 52 are fully retracted, power is transferred from the motor 56 to the piston 63 and the fork 61 is swept across the opening 24 to push the nail 8 through flap 36 covering the aperture 35 . The user removes the top wall 18 in order to remove the nails between the aperture 35 and the front wall 25 .