Abstract:
A multi-accessory hammer is provided having a rapid release accessory change mechanism that includes a housing mounted to the butt end of a hammer and having an opening therein. A resilient means such as a spring is mounted within the housing, and an accessory locking device is mounted over the spring. One end of this locking device extends through the opening in the housing and is capable of rapidly hooking onto an accessory. The locking device also has a side arm extending along the exterior of housing and is capable of urging the locking device against the resilient means to allow unhooking of the accessory from the locking device.

Description:
[0001]     This application is a continuation of and therefore claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/126,046, filed May 9, 2005, entitled: “Multi-Accessory Hammer with Rapid Release Change”, which claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/568,947, filed May 7, 2004, and is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to a multi-accessory hammer having a rapid release accessory change mechanism.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     There are numerous examples of prior art directed to multi-accessory hammers and other striking tools in which interchangeable heads permit the user to insert various accessory tools into the head; see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 723,764; 974,021; 133,124; 1,287,386; 1,869,850; 2,462,959; 2,763,172; 2,833,323; 2,938,412; 4,924,576; 5,255,575; and 6,347,562 . Of these tools, one, U.S. Pat. No. 1,297,386, also modifies the handle to accommodate an accessory. Because the accessory is threaded into the butt end of the handle, the combination tool described in the &#39; 386  patent would not be considered to have a rapid release accessory change mechanism.  
         [0004]     Additional examples of prior art that are directed to multi-accessory hammers and other striking tools that modify the handle to permit the user to provide additional uses for the tool include U.S. Pat. Nos. 298,650; 1,302,647; 1,221,655; 1,304,647; 1,717,562; 1,757,538; 4,741,059; 4,597,123; 5,490,437; 5,507,051; 5,546,832; 5,636,398; and 6,196,088. However, no prior art reference discloses or suggests modifying the handle to accommodate a wide variety of accessories or a mechanism that permits the rapid release of an accessory from the handle for replacement with another accessory.  
         [0005]     There is a need a hammer or similar tool having a striking face and a handle that can accommodate a variety of accessories. There is also a need for such a tool that permits one to rapidly attach a wide variety of accessories and to rapidly release and exchange one accessory for another. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]     The advantages of the present invention will become more readily appreciated by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a one embodiment of the hammer of the present invention;  
         [0008]      FIG. 2A  is an exploded perspective vertical view of the rapid release accessory change mechanism of the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0009]      FIG. 2B  is a perspective vertical view of the accessory change mechanism of the preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 1  of the present invention;  
         [0010]      FIG. 3A  is an exploded perspective vertical view of the accessory change mechanism of another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 3B  is a perspective vertical view of the accessory change mechanism of the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 3A ; of the present invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 4A  is a perspective view of a crowbar accessory to the hammer of the present invention;  
         [0013]      FIG. 4B  is a perspective view of a fastener removal accessory to the hammer of the present invention;  
         [0014]      FIG. 4C  is a perspective view of a elastic striking element accessory to the hammer of the present invention;  
         [0015]      FIG. 4D  is a perspective view of a metal striping accessory to the hammer of the present invention;  
         [0016]      FIG. 4E  is a perspective view of a retractable tape measure accessory to the hammer of the present invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 4F  is a bottom view of each of the accessories to the hammer of the present invention;  
         [0018]      FIG. 5A  is a perspective view of the accessory prior to attachment to the accessory change mechanism; and  
         [0019]      FIG. 5B  is a perspective view of the accessory after to attachment to the accessory change mechanism. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0020]     Referring now to  FIGS. 1, 2A , and  2 B, various views are presented of illustrating one embodiment of multi-accessory hammer of the present invention is hammer  10  having a conventional wooden handle  15  . One end of hammer  10  is attached to head  20  through eye  22 . Butt end  26  is attached to rapid release accessory change mechanism  30 . A portion of handle  15  adjacent butt end  26  is indented to form tenon  28  that is shown in  FIG. 2A  in a position for insertion into orifice  32  of base  40  of rapid release accessory change mechanism  30 .  
         [0021]     Housing  42 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , preferably made of stainless steel, includes base  40  and cap  50  having opening  52  therethrough. Resilient means, preferably a coil spring  54 , has end  55  for positioning within recess  56  in inner surface  58  of base  40  of housing  42  . Accessory locking device  60  within housing  42  includes: (a) spindle  62  that has protrusion  64  that fits within end  65  of spring  54 , (b) hook end  66  at the opposite end from protrusion  64 , and (c) side arm  68 .  
         [0022]     After tenon  28  is inserted within orifice  26  of base  40 , fastener means  70  unites tenon  28  of handle  15  through channel  72 . Specifically, spacer  74  has protrusion  76 , which in turn has opening  77 . Protrusion  76  is designed to fit the dimensions of channel  72  without clearance. Bolt  78  passes through opening  77  of protrusion  76  and is threaded onto nut  80  that is lodged within indent  81  on one side of base  40 . Plates  82  and  84  are respectively force fitted into an indent (not shown) on the other side of base  40  and orifice  81 . An epoxy is used to insure that the indents remain securely fastened to handle  15 . The use of nuts and bolts can be replaced by a variety of other fasteners well known in the art including rivets.  
         [0023]     After base  40  is securely fastened to handle  15 , cap  50 , which has its outer dimensions substantially the same as the outer dimensions of base  50 , is fastened to base  40  by means of bolts  90  through holes  92  and into threaded holes  94  in base  40 . Internal spacer  98  serves to maintain the necessary internal spacing within housing  42  to accommodate accessory locking device  60 . After cap  50  is securely fastened to base  40 , side arm  68 , preferably having finger grooves  100 , is passed though opening  110  formed by gaps  110 A and  110 B in cap  50  and base  40 , respectively. In addition, hook end  66  is passed through opening  52  in cap  50  and is in the accessory receiving position. Hook end  66  is designed to mate and prevent lateral motion of the accessory that is attached to accessory change mechanism  30 . After assembly, spring  54  is positioned between shoulder  128  on spindle  62  and the inner bottom of recess  56  and functions in the manner discussed in greater detail below.  
         [0024]     End  120  of cap  50 , opposite the portion of cap  50  that is attached to base  40 , has wedge  125  extending outwardly there from and has opening  52  there through. Cap  50  with wedge  125  is preferably is cast as a single unit of stainless steel. Wedge  125  is formed by two inwardly slanting and diverging walls  130  as shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B . The scale shown in these figures is approximately the dimensions of existing prototypes of this embodiment of the present invention. The degree of overhang of the inwardly slanting walls is important to assure that no reasonable force during use of the accessory allows for accessory change mechanism  30  to unintentionally release from handle  15 .  
         [0025]     Referring now to  FIGS. 3A and 3B , another embodiment of multi-accessory hammer of the present invention is hammer  210  having a partially hollow glass fiber handle  225 . Insert  228  having hole  232  to match hole  234  in protrusion  236  of base  240  of accessory change mechanism  250 . The same fasteners are used to attach mechanism  250  to handle  225  that are described above in connection with hammer  10 . All of the remaining elements of mechanism  250  are the same as those of mechanism  30  described above.  
         [0026]      FIGS. 4A-4E  show several types of accessories for attachment to any of the embodiments of the multi-accessory hammer of the present invention, such as crowbar accessory  410 , fastener removal accessory  420 , elastic striking element accessory  440 , e.g., hard rubber striking element, metal striking element accessory  450 , e.g., stainless steel striking element, and retractable tape measure accessory  460 . The foregoing types of accessories are those for which prototypes have been made. However, it is apparent to one skilled in the art that many other accessories can be designed to fit the butt end of a hammer or other striking tool of the various embodiments of the present invention.  
         [0027]      FIG. 4F  shows mating end  470  common to each of the types of accessories and preferable is made of stainless steel . Mating end  470  contains notch  480  that is capable of mating with inwardly slanting and diverging walls  130  of wedge  125  on the outside portion of the cap, end  120 . The purpose of mating inwardly slanting and divergent walls on each of wedge  125  and notch  480  is to prevent movement of the accessory in a first direction that is transverse to the direction the accessory moves along outer surface  510  of wedge  125 . Mating end  470  also contains recess  500  that is capable of mating with hook end  66  of spindle  62  . The purpose of accessory locking device  60  is to prevent movement of the accessory along surface outer surface  510  of wedge  125  and to permit rapid attachment of accessory to locking device  60  as described below.  
         [0028]     A typical configuration of the hammer of one of the embodiments of the present invention is to include tape measure accessory  460 , one of the most practical accessories to have at the butt end of a hammer. If a user wishes to change to crow bar accessory  410 , as shown in  FIGS. 5A and 5B , the user would holds one hand on handle  15  or handle  225  of hammer  10  or  210  adjacent side arm  68  and urge side arm  68  toward butt end  26  along the direction the arrow shown in  FIG. 2B  is pointed. This causes spindle  62  to compress spring  54 , which in turn causes hook end  66  to move so that it is flush with the surface  510  of wedge  125 . The user then slides accessory  460  along surface  510  until the walls of notch  480  are completely free of the walls of wedge  125 . Once accessory  460  has been removed, the user releases side arm  68 . This causes spring  54  to return to its original position and causes hook end  66  to spring through opening  52  .  
         [0029]     Because of the matching diverging walls, slide crow bar accessory  410 , assuming that is the next accessory to be attached, can only slide along the outer surfaces of wedge  124  in one direction. In this direction, bottom surface  520  of the accessory pushes against angled side  530  of hook end  66  causing spring  54  to compress until end  66  is directly over recess  500 . At this point, end  66  is urged into recess  500  as the result of the uncoiling of spring  54 . Once hook is locked into place in recess  500 , no further movement of accessory is possible until the user urges slide arm  66  toward the butt end as described above. This entire change can be done in less than a second of time assuming the user has the accessories readily available, such as in a shop apron or a pant pocket. The relatively small size of all accessories for the hammer of this invention allows a large number of accessories to be readily available for change at any given time.  
         [0030]     Various modifications of the multi-accessory hammer of the present invention in addition to those shown and described above will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description and accompanying drawings. Such modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.