Abstract:
A self-contained tool bolt has a head section comprising a top member and a handle section which is expandable from a stored position to a laterally outward, cantilevered position relative to the top member, to provide enhanced tightening and loosening capability of the tool bolt. The tool bolt also comprises a rigid shaft extending from the top member and a bolt section, with external threads, slideably mounted and moveable along the shaft. When the bolt section is at its lowest point on the shaft, the handle section is elevated to provide clearance from obstructions during tightening and loosening of the tool bolt.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Screws, bolts and other threaded fasteners are routinely tightened or loosened with a screwdriver, pliers, wrench or similar hand tool. There are, however, threaded fasteners, such as wing nuts, having integral components which allow the user to grasp the fastener with his fingers to tighten or loosen it without tools. These fasteners have their place in many applications, but they also have distinct disadvantages. For instance, the extent of tightening and the ability to loosen a snugly secured wing nut or like connecting devices is limited, since such fasteners do not have a means to provide the extra leverage and torque which may be needed to secure or loosen the fastener. In addition, the finger grasping components of these type fasteners extend up from their threaded sections, thus providing cumbersome and often dangerous projections from the fastener itself. Certain hand operated fasteners do include clips or rings secured to the fasteners&#39; heads, which rotate about the heads and, when not in use, rest on top of the head. However, these also have limited tightening/loosening capabilities. Also, such fasteners cannot be used in certain of applications, e.g. for clamp connections. 
     The threaded sections of screws, bolts and like fasteners are all integral and or securely attached to their respective head sections. This most commonly used fastener configuration also reduces the tightening/loosening capabilities of threaded fasteners, again, since the leverage forces are limited by such rigid construction. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a self-contained tool bolt which overcomes the limitations and disadvantages of existing bolts, screws and similar threaded fasteners. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a self-contained tool bolt having an expandable handle section which, when outwardly and laterally extended, allows for additional leverage and torque for tightening and loosening capabilities of the tool bolt. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a self-contained tool bolt which has a head section configured to house an expandable handle section, neatly and compactly into the head section. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a self-contained tool bolt which has a bolt section which is slideably mounted on a shaft, to elevate the handle section of the tool bolt to provide clearance from obstructions during tightening and loosening of the tool bolt. 
     These and other objects are accomplished by the present invention, a self-contained tool bolt having a head section comprising a top member and a handle section which is expandable from a stored position to a laterally outward, cantilevered position relative to the top member, to provide enhanced tightening and loosening capability of the tool bolt. The tool bolt also comprises a rigid shaft extending from the top member and a bolt section, with external threads, slideably mounted and moveable along the shaft. When the bolt section is at its lowest point on the shaft, the handle section is elevated to provide clearance from obstructions during tightening and loosening of the tool bolt. 
     The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention, itself, however, both as to its design, construction and use, together with additional features and advantages thereof, are best understood upon review of the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an elevation view of the self-contained tool bolt of the present invention with its shaft fully retracted within the bolt section. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded different elevation view of the self-contained tool bolt of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is the elevation view of  FIG. 2 , showing components assembled in the head section of the self-contained tool bolt of the present invention and with its shaft fully retracted within the bolt section. 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of the self-contained tool bolt of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 5-9  show, in cross-section, the sequence of unfolding of the handle section of the self-contained tool bolt of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  is an elevation view of an alternate embodiment of the self-contained tool bolt of the present invention to be used with a clamp. 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 10  in the process of securing a clamp to a pipe. 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 10  enclosed within a secured clamp. 
         FIG. 13  is a partial cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the self-contained tool bolt of the present invention with its shaft fully retracted within the bolt section. 
         FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 13  with its handle section fully expanded. 
         FIGS. 15-17  are perspective views of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 13 , showing the sequence of operation of the embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As seen in  FIGS. 1-9 , tool bolt  1  comprises head section  2  having top member  4 , with longitudinal axis  5 , secured to bolt section  16 . Handle section  6  is housed within top member  4 . Bolt section  16 , having external male threads  18 , comprises internal channel  20  which extends entirely through the center of the bolt section. Internal lip  22  extends from channel  20  near the top of bolt section  16 . Shaft  8  is slideably positioned within channel  20 . Handle cradle  24  is connected to one end  10  of shaft  8  and stop element  14  is secured at the other end  12  of the shaft. Shaft  8  is slideable within channel  20  from a lowered position within bolt section  16 , e.g. as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  3 ,  5 - 8 , to a fully raised position, extending out of the bolt section, e.g. as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 9 . In this position stop element  14  contacts lip  22  within channel  20 , to prevent shaft  8  from exiting bolt section  16 . 
     As best seen in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , top member  4  of head section  2  comprises slotted interior open space  26 , bordered by top member side walls  28  and  30 . Handle section  6  comprises first handle segment  32  and second handle segment  36 . Support cradle  24  is configured to rest within open space  26  when shaft  8  is fully retracted within bolt section  16 . First handle segment  32  is configured to rest within support cradle  24  when handle section  6  is folded within top member  4 . First handle segment  32  is rotatably secured to support cradle by pin  31 , extending through slots  13  and  15  in the support cradle. Second handle segment  36  is rotatably secured to first handle segment  32  by pin  41 , extending through slots  35  and  37  is the first handle segment. 
     When first handle segment  32  and second handle segment  36  are fully expanded and extended out, as seen in  FIG. 9 , the segments are located within longitudinal axis  5  of top member  4 , and handle section  6  is positioned for use, advantageously providing a handle with increased torque for turning bolt tool  1 . 
       FIGS. 3 and 4  show support cradle  24 , first handle segment  32  and second handle segment  36  adjacent to each other, folded within open space  26 , and thereby stored within top member  4 . Locking arm  27  is rotatably connected to top member  4 . When the support cradle and folded handle segments are positioned within open space  26 , locking arm  27  is rotated over the sections to secure them within top member  4 . 
     In use, bolt section  16  of tool bolt  1  is joined to a threaded female connection by initially engaging the first few threads  18  of the bolt section. Tool bolt  1  is then screwed into the connection, first by turning head section  2 . Locking arm  27  is then rotated off support cradle  24  and folded handle segments  32  and  36 . As seen in  FIGS. 6-9 , first handle segment  32  and second handle segment  36  are then rotatably unfolded from within support cradle  24  in top member  4  to a fully laterally extended, outward, cantilevered position within longitudinal axis  5  of top member  4 . This fully extended handle section  6 , positioned above bolt section  16 , increases the overall length of head section  2 , providing tool bolt  1  with additional leverage and torque to increase its connection capability with the corresponding female connection. 
     When operating clearance between head section  2  and bolt section  16  is needed to avoid intervening obstructions, support cradle  24  is lifted up, thereby pulling shaft  8  up and away from the bolt section. Upward movement of shaft  8  out of bolt section  16  is limited and halted, when stop element  14  of the shaft contacts lip  22  of channel  20  of the bolt section. At this point, shaft  8  is withdrawn from bolt section  16  to the full extent possible. Support cradle  24 , with handle section  6 , is now well above the bolt section, as shown in dashed lines in  FIG. 9 . In this position, elevated handle section  6  can be readily manually rotated above any obstruction. This is accomplished by means of a hex drive located with bolt section  16 . Stop element  14  is configured as a male hex drive member, with ridges  96 , adapted to engage with the corresponding slotted female hex drive portion  98  of bolt section  16 . Ridges  96  located within slotted portion  98 , provides a connection between shaft  8  and bolt section  16 , allowing the bolt section to rotate as handle section  6  is manually rotated. 
       FIGS. 10-12  show an alternate embodiment of the invention. Tool bolt  40  comprises head section  42  having top member  44  with longitudinal axis  45 , and handle section  46 . Shaft  48  is rigidly and immovably secured through top member  44  at  47 . Bolt section  50  is slideably mounted on shaft  48 , its downward movement on the shaft limited and rotational connection controlled as has been previously described. 
     Top member  44  of head section  42  comprises open space  43  into which the end of handle section  46  is rotatably connected by pin  52 , extending through opening  43 . Handle section  46  is rotatable about pin  52  and, when extended outward and within longitudinal axis  45  of top member  44 , the handle extends to a cantilevered position, increasing the length of head section  42  and again providing additional torque to increase the connection capability of tool bolt  40 . 
       FIGS. 10-12  additionally show tool bolt  40  utilized to tighten clamp  100  around pipe  102 . Bolt section  50  is threaded into the female threaded connection (not shown) of clamp  100 . Head section  42  is then slid up along shaft  48 , to a position over bolt section  50 , thus also raising the head section over clamp  100 , as best seen in  FIG. 11 . Handle section  46  can then be turned to fully tighten clamp  100  around pipe  102 . Once tightening is complete, head section  42  is slid back down shaft  48 , such that both top member  44  and handle section  46  are nested within slot  101  of clamp  100 , as seen in  FIG. 12 . 
       FIGS. 13-17  show a further embodiment of the invention. Tool bolt  60  comprises head section  62  having top member  64 , with longitudinal axis  65  and open space  67 . Head section  62  comprises external sleeve member  66 , which is rotatable about top member  64 . Sleeve member  66  has top surface  68 , lateral opening  70 , larger lateral opening  72  and top slot  74  traversing a limited distance through the top surface. Stop member  76  is fixedly mounted to top member  64  and extends through slot  74  of sleeve member  66 . The positioning of stop member  76  within slot  74  serves to limit the rotational movement of sleeve member  66  around top member  64 . 
     Handle section  80  comprises telescoping handle segments  82 ,  83 , and  84 . These handle segments are mounted in a retracted position within open space  67  of top member  64 . Handle segment  82  has a smaller diameter than handle segment  83 , which has a smaller diameter than handle segment  84 . Handle segment  82  has a larger diameter than the diameter of lateral opening  70 . Lateral opening  72  has a larger diameter than handle segment  84 . 
     Spring retainer  86  is secured within open space  67  of top member  64 . Bias spring  88  circumscribes stem  87  of retainer  86 , when handle section  80  is in the retracted position shown in  FIG. 13 . In this retracted position, the three handle segments,  82 ,  83 , and  84 , are nested together within open space  67  of top member  64 . When handle section  80  is in the expanded position, shown in  FIG. 14 , spring  88  extends through top member  64  and all the expanded handle segments. Indent  69  on top member  64  acts as a stop to limit the biased movement of handle segment  84  within the top member. In like manner, indent  71  on handle segment  84  ensures that the biased movement of handle segment  83  within handle segment  84  is limited, and indent  73  on handle segment  82  ensures that the movement of handle segment  82  within handle segment  83  is limited. 
     In the tool bolt&#39;s retracted position, shown in  FIGS. 13 and 15 , end  89  of handle segment  82  is biased by spring  88 , so that it is pushed into and located within lateral opening  70 . In this mode, stop member  76  is positioned at one end of slot  74 . Upon rotation of sleeve member  66  in counter-clockwise direction  77 , shown in  FIG. 16 , larger lateral opening  72  is ultimately moved to a position directly over end  89  of handle segment  82 . When lateral opening  72  is directly over end  89  and handle segment  82 , spring  88  is permitted to expand, causing handle segments  82 ,  83  and  84 , all having smaller diameters than lateral opening  72 , to extend through the lateral opening. In this the expanded position, shown in  FIGS. 14 and 17 , handle section  80  extends outward, in a cantilevered position in relation to and within longitudinal axis  65  of top member  64 . 
     During the rotation of sleeve member  66 , slot  74  also rotates counter-clockwise until the second end of the slot comes into contact with stop member  76 , fixedly mounted to top member  66 . See  FIG. 17 . This stops the rotational movement of the sleeve member  66  around top member  64 . Sleeve member  66  is designed such that, upon its rotational movement, lateral opening  72  will be directly over retracted handle segments  82 ,  83 , and  84  substantially at the same time the second end of slot  74  comes into contact with stop member  76 . 
     To retract handle section  80 , the user simply pushes handle segments  82 ,  83 , and  84  into top member  64  and rotates sleeve member  66  clockwise, until end  89  of segment  82  is returned to its position within lateral opening  70  and stop member  76  is again located at the first end of slot  74 . Sleeve member  66  is designed such that, upon its rotational movement, lateral opening  70  will be directly over retracted handle segments  82 ,  83 , and  84  substantially at the same time the first end of slot  74  comes into contact with stop member  76 . 
     As with the first embodiment, shaft  90 , comprising protruding stop element  99 , is slideably within bolt section  92 , and its downward movement of the shaft limited and rotational connection controlled as has been previously described. 
     Thus, in the expanded position shown in  FIGS. 14 and 17 , in which handle section  80  extends from top member  64 , and especially when shaft  90  is slid up through bolt section  92 , tool bolt  60  not only is provided with additional leverage and torque to increase its connecting capability, but also has an elevated handle which overcomes intervening obstacles. 
     Certain novel features and components of this invention are disclosed in detail in order to make the invention clear in at least one form thereof. However, it is to be clearly understood that the invention as disclosed is not necessarily limited to the exact form and details as disclosed, since it is apparent that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.