Abstract:
A body shop tool includes at least four fold out tool elements pivotally mounted at one end of a trough shaped holder and a fastener pry tool pivotally mounted at the opposite end of the through shaped holder wherein the pry tool is configured to fit over, retain and protect the at least four tool elements when the tool elements and pry tool are in the folded or storage position.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application is a utility application based upon previously filed provisional application Ser. No. 60/635,125 filed Dec. 10, 2004 for “Fastener Removal Tool” which is incorporated herewith by reference. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   In a principal aspect, the present invention relates to a fastener removal tool of the type which includes multiple tool elements maintained in a trough shaped carrier. The separate tool elements are foldable between a storage position within the trough shaped carrier and a work position in which separate elements are folded outwardly about pivot pins used to mount the tool elements within the trough shaped carrier. 
   Various tools, such as knife blades, Allen wrenches and the like are often incorporated in a single composite tool incorporating a storage element or bracket with the individual tool elements pivotally mounted therein and foldable between a position within the bracket and a position projecting from the bracket for use. Such tools have been made available for example as a device which includes multiple sized Allen wrenches and other types of wrench devices wherein three, four or more tool elements are incorporated at each end of an elongate bracket member. Such tools have been principally limited to embodiments involving cutting tools such as knife blades and fastener tools such as Allen wrenches and screwdrivers. Such tools have not been highly useful or available for use in body shops. The present invention provides a tool useful particularly in a body shop environment. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Briefly, the present invention comprises a multiple element, repair and fastener removal tool especially useful in a body shop. The tool includes a body member in the form of an elongate trough with a plurality of at least four tool elements supported on a pivot member at one end of the trough and a single, bifurcated pry tool element pivotally mounted at the opposite end of the trough. The tool is constructed so that the bifurcated pry tool element is formed from a generally planar sheet of metal stock and is configured so that it can fold over, retain and protect the multiple tool elements arrayed at the opposite end of the tool when all of the elements are in a tool storage position. 
   Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved multiple working element tool, particularly useful in body shops and by body shop workers. 
   It is a further object of the invention to provide a multiple tool element fastener removing tool. 
   Another object of the invention is to provide a multiple component tool having multiple tool elements which is easy to use, economical, safe to use, compact to provide for storage of the tool elements, and which enables use of any one of multiple tool elements incorporated in the tool. 
   These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     In the detailed description which follows, reference will be made to the drawing comprised of the following figures: 
       FIG. 1  is a side view of the tool of the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded isometric view of the tool of the invention illustrating the component parts thereof; 
       FIG. 3  is an isometric view of the tool of  FIG. 1  wherein the various working tool elements of the tool are pivoted to a partially or fully opened position; 
       FIG. 4  is a plan view of the pry member tool element of the invention; and 
       FIG. 5  is a side view of the pry member tool element of  FIG. 4 . 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   The fastener removal tool of the invention is especially useful for the removal of automotive type fasteners including, for example, metal screws, plastic push pins and other types of automotive fasteners. Additionally, the tool is especially useful for tasks performed by body shop mechanics inasmuch as the individual tools incorporated in the preferred embodiment of the tool are especially utilitarian for tasks with respect to body repair of an automobile. 
   Thus, referring to the figures, the tool of the invention includes a body member  10  in the form of an elongate formed trough having a longitudinal axis  12 . The body member  10  thus includes a first side wall  14  and a second generally parallel, spaced side wall  16 . The side walls  14 ,  16  are formed and connected by a web  18  and terminate at a first upturned end or end wall  20  and a second upturned end or end wall  22 . The ends  20  and  22  are generally mirror images of one another. The spaced side walls  14  and  16  adjacent the ends  20 ,  22  provide a platform through which fasteners; namely, a bolt  24  and a nut  26 , as well as a bolt  28  cooperative with a nut  30  may be attached respectively. The bolts  24  and  28  serve as pivot pins or pivot members for the tool elements described below. 
   Positioned adjacent the first end  20  between the sides or side walls  14  and  16  is a series of four tool elements  40 ,  42 ,  46  and  48 . Each of these tool elements  40 ,  42 ,  46 ,  48  is formed from a single elongate, generally straight, bar stock and includes a formed loop at one end, for example, the loop  50  associated with tool element  40 . The formed loop  50  receives the shaft of the bolt  24  so that the tool element  40  can be held between the side walls  14  and  16 . Similarly, the tool elements  42 ,  46  and  48  include end loops  52 ,  54  and  56  cooperative with the bolt  24  at the first end  20  to pivotally mount the tool elements  40 ,  42 ,  46  and  48  for rotation about the longitudinal axis of bolt  24 . Washers (not shown) may be positioned between adjacent tool elements. 
   Each of the tool elements  40 ,  42 ,  46  and  48  is a generally elongate member sized so that it can pivot and fit or nest into the trough defined between the side walls  14  and  16  of the body member  10 . Each of the tool elements  40 ,  42 ,  46  and  48  includes a unique working end. For example, the tool element  40  includes a working end  60  in the form of a Phillips head type screwdriver. The tool element  42  includes a working end  62  in the form of a wedge. The tool element  46  includes a working end in the form of a wrench  64 , for example, an Allen wrench. The tool element  48  includes a working end  66  in the form of an awl. Note that each of the tool elements  40 ,  42 ,  46 ,  48 , though having unique features, is approximately the same length or extends the same distance from the pivot axis defined by the bolt  24 . 
   A single tool element  70 ; namely, a pry element or pry tool element  70  is positioned at the second end  22 . The pry element  70  includes a loop section  72  which fits around the shaft of the bolt  28  so that the pry tool element  70  may pivot about an axis of bolt  28  between a storage position between the walls  14  and  16  of the body member  10  and an extended position wherein the tool element  70  may be utilized. The tool element  70  is made from a length of flat stock which has been machined and shaped in a desired fashion so as to form a unique type of pry bar mechanism. Specifically, the tool element  70  is machined or formed so that it has a distal wedge configuration or wedge section  74 . The wedge section  74  terminates in a pair of bifurcated projections  76  and  78  spaced one from another to define a slot  80 . The wedge section  74  and, more particularly, the projections  76  and  78  may thus be inserted under the head of a fastener, for example, a push type plastic fastener of a body panel of a vehicle. The slot  80  will fit around a shaft of the fastener and will thus enable positioning of the wedge member projections  76  and  78  fully under the head of the fastener to provide a mechanical advantage so that the fastener may be appropriately pried and removed. 
   The pry bar tool element  70  is an elongate member which also folds into the region for storage between the side walls  14  and  16 . Thus, all of the tool elements  40 ,  42 ,  46 ,  48  and  70  may be folded compactly between the side walls  14  and  16  when the fastener removal tool is not in use. Each of the tool elements  40 ,  42 ,  46 ,  48 ,  70  may, however, be pivoted to a working position as needed. 
     FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate the tool element or pry  70  in greater detail and depict numerous features of pry  70 . Thus, the pry  70  includes loop  72  formed by bending flat plate stock in a clockwise sense as viewed in  FIG. 5 . The loop  72  defines a through passage  73  which receives the shaft of bolt  28 . The loop  72  thus extends or is positioned so that passage  73  is generally fully above the plane  75  of a first flat planar plate section  77  of tool  70 . The tool  70  is retained on bolt  28  through passage  73  so that the loop  72  is in direct opposed relation to the spring member  90  and web  18  as shown in  FIG. 1 . Tool  70  further includes second pry end section or wedge section  74  having a top surface  79  forming an obtuse angle in the range of about 160° to 175° with the plane  75  of first section  77 . A preferred angle is about 1730. As a consequence, element  70  conveniently fits over tool elements  40 ,  42 ,  46 ,  48  in the tool folded condition as depicted in  FIG. 1 . This arrangement facilitates a number of functions: The elements  40 ,  42 ,  46 ,  48  are retained by tool or element  70 . This is a protective and safety feature since the potentially sharp ends of elements  40 ,  42 ,  46 ,  48  are shielded. Also, the angular relationship of the sections  74 ,  77  of element  70  facilitates placement of section  74  under a headed fastener for a prying action when the tool is held against the palm or inside finger pads of a user. To further facilitate placement under the head of a fastener, wedge section  74  is defined by converging flat planar surfaces  79 ,  81 . 
   An important feature of the invention is the use of a spring member  90  which is positioned within the trough or region between the walls  14  and  16 . The spring member  90  frictionally engages with the end loop portions or sections of the various tool elements (e.g. loop  72 ) mounted on the respective pins or shafts of the bolts  24  and  28 . In this manner, all of the tool elements are frictionally engaged by the spring member  90  so that upon positioning of any one tool element in a desired orientation, causes that tool element to tend to remain in that position to facilitate utilization by the mechanic or workman. 
   The spring member  90  comprises a thin sheet of spring steel which is shaped or formed so that it will fit between the walls  14  and  16  and extend the length of the body member  10  for frictional engagement of the ends thereof against the respective tool elements  40 ,  42 ,  46 ,  48  and  70  which are mounted on a bolt  24 . Thus, a single spring member  90  is utilized inasmuch as the engagement thereof with the tool elements at the first end  20  and second end  22  simultaneously serves to maintain the spring element  90  properly shaped and positioned between the walls  14  and  16  and in engagement with the various tool elements. Note spring  90  is longer than the length of the trough between walls  14  and  16 . Thus, it is deformed to the configuration in  FIG. 1  and fits tightly against end loop of each tool element  40 ,  42 ,  46 ,  48 ,  70 . 
   The bolt  24  may include a spring or wave washer to frictionally engage and maintain the tool elements and/or pry tool  70  snuggly between the sides of the walls  14 ,  16 . 
   While there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is understood that the invention is to be limited only by the following claims and equivalents thereof.