Abstract:
Pulling pliers are provided. The pulling pliers include a pair of pliers having a set of jaws; and an attaching point connected to a jaw of the pliers for attaching a slide hammer mechanism. A method for pulling using pulling pliers is provided. The method includes gripping an object with the pliers; locking the pliers in a gripping position; and actuating a slide hammer attached to the pliers.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a hand tool used for pulling objects. More particularly, the present invention relates to locking pliers having a slide hammer attached and configured to be used for pulling objects. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Tools are desired for pulling objects such as friction fit pins out of metal objects such as, for example, automotive engine parts, nails out of wood or any other object needing to be pulled. Pulling nails traditionally has been done with a prying tool such as a crowbar or the claw on the back of a claw hammer. Crowbars and claw hammers often leave prying marks or other marks on wood or other finished surfaces from which the nails are pulled. 
     While pry bars may be useful for pulling nails, other objects are not usually pulled by the use of a pry bar. For example, friction fit pins or bolts maybe be difficult to remove due to corrosion or rust. Further, they may not provide a surface for a claw or crowbar to attach to pull the object. In such instances another type of pulling tool may be desired. 
     Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a tool that can be used to pull objects that may not lend themselves to being pulled with a hammer claw or crowbar and that does not leave marks on finished surfaces. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The foregoing needs are met, to a great extent, by the present invention, wherein in one aspect an apparatus is provided that in some embodiments a tool is provided that can pull objects that do not lend themselves to be pulled with a hammer claw or crowbar and does not leave marks on a finished surface from which the object is pulled. 
     In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, pulling pliers are provided. The pulling pliers include a pair of pliers having a set of jaws; and an attaching point connected to a jaw of the pliers for attaching a slide hammer mechanism. 
     In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a pulling tool is provided. The pulling tool includes; a means for gripping, a means actuating the means for gripping, and a means for hammering attached to the gripping means. 
     In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, a method for pulling using pulling pliers is provided. The method includes gripping an object with the pliers; locking the pliers in a gripping position; and actuating a slide hammer attached to the pliers. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, certain embodiments of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof herein may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional embodiments of the invention that will be described below and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of embodiments in addition to those described and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side view illustrating a pulling tool in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a disassembled view of the pulling tool shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the pulling tool shown in  FIG. 1  showing the opposite side of the pulling tool and that showing  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the pulling tool showing  FIG. 1  showing a slide hammer pivoted to a different position than the position shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. An embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides a pulling tool which may also be referred to as pulling pliers  10 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1  the pulling tool  10  includes a pair of locking pliers  12 . The locking pliers  12  includes a lower jaw  14  and an upper jaw  16 . The locking pliers  12  also include an attaching point or boss  18  (best shown in  FIG. 2 ). The locking pliers  12  include an upper handle  20  and a lower handle  22 . As is typically found on locking pliers  12 , the upper handle  20  is equipped with an adjusting knob  24 . The upper  20  and lower  22  handles of the pulling plies  10  may be coated with a resilient coating such as a plastic or rubber coating. 
     Further features and functions of the locking pliers  12  will not be further discussed as typical locking pliers  12  are well known and (with the exception of the attaching point or boss  18  which is new and in accordance with some embodiments of the invention) maybe used in accordance with the invention. 
     In accordance with some of the embodiments of the invention, the pulling pliers  10  are equipped with a slide hammer mechanism  26 . The slide hammer mechanism  26  attaches to the lock pliers  12  via a coupler  28 . The coupler  28  attaches to the locking pliers  12  by a bolt  30 . 
     A long bolt or rod  32  is attached to the coupler  28  with threads  34  interlocking with interior threads to the coupler  28 . The rod  32  at an end opposite of the threads  30  is equipped with a head  36 . According to some embodiments of the invention the head  36  may be round or it may be hexed shaped. The head  36  may also have a knurled surface  37  to facilitate turning of the head  36  and rod  32  by hand. Turning the head  36  or rod  32  will remove or attach the rod  32  to the coupler  28 . 
     A slide hammer  38  is located on the rod  32 . The slide hammer  38  is able to slide along the rod  32  between the coupler  28  and the head  36 . The slide hammer  38  is comprised of a cylinder  40 . The cylinder  40  maybe made of mild steel. According to some embodiments of the invention, other materials may also be used. The slide hammer  38  may also include a hand stop  42 . The hand stop  42  may have a larger diameter than the cylinder  40 . 
     The larger diameter of the hand stop  42  allows a user&#39;s hand gripping the cylinder  40  to be less likely to slip along the cylinder  40  past the hand stop  42  and get pinched between the hammer  38  and the head  36  when a user activates the hammer mechanism  26  by sliding the hammer  38  along the rod  32  to ram the slide hammer  38  against the head  36 . In some embodiments of the invention the cylinder  40  and/or the hand stop  42  maybe coated with a resilient coating. In some embodiments the resilient coating may be rubber. Other substances such as plastic may also be used. The resilient coating of the hammer  38  may be the same or similar resilient coating of the handles  20  and  22 . 
       FIG. 2  shows a disassembled view of the locking pliers  10  shown in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 2  illustrates the hole  46  located in the boss  18 .  FIG. 2  also illustrates the threads  40  located on the bolt  30 . The threads  48  are used to attach a nut  50  to the bolt  30 .  FIG. 2  also shows the slot  52  located in the coupler  28 . The hole  54  in the coupler  28  is also shown. When the pulling pliers  10  are in the assembled condition, the slot  52  and the coupler  28  are fitted over the boss  18  so that the boss  18  fits in the slot  52 . The holes  54  in the coupler  28  are aligned with the hole  46  in the boss  18 . Aligning the holes  54  in the coupler  28  with the hole  46  in the boss  18  allows the bolt  30  to be inserted into the holes  54  in the coupler  28  and at the same time the hole  48  in the boss  18  of the lock pliers  12 . The bolt  30  is secured to the coupler  28  by the nut  50 . 
     The threads  34  allow the rod  32  to attach to the coupler  28 . According to some embodiments, before the rod  32  is attached to the coupler  28 , the hammer  38  is fitted onto the rod  32  allowing the rod  32  to extend through the hole  56  and the hammer  38 . 
       FIG. 3  shows the opposite side of the pulling pliers  10  shown in  FIG. 1 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the nut  50  is attached to the bolt  30 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the slide hammer mechanism  26  is pivotedly attached by the bolt  30  to the lock pliers  12 . Thus, the rod  32  can be pivoted in the direction of arrows A and B to a desired position. 
     A user can fit the jaws  14  and  16  over an item that is desired to be pulled. The jaws  14  and  16  may be locked onto the item to be pulled operating the lock pliers in a standard way. The user, at the user&#39;s discretion, can pivot the slide hammer mechanism  26  to allow the slide hammer mechanism  26  to exert an advantageous force on the lock pliers  12  when the hammer  38  is slammed against the bolt head  36  to apply a pulling force on the lock pliers  12 . A user may select the position of the slide hammer mechanism  26  for a variety of reasons. For example, as mentioned above, the user may select a position of the slide hammer  26  to allow the slide hammer mechanism to pull on the lock pliers  12  at an advantageous angle with respect to the item being pulled in the jaws  14  and  16  of the lock pliers  12 . Other considerations such as the space in which a user has to work may also be a factor in determining what angle a user decides to orient the hammer mechanism  26 . 
     Some advantages may be achieved by attaching the side hammer mechanism  26  to a jaw  16  rather than some other portion of the lock pliers  12 . For example, the pulling power of the lock pliers  12  may be increased and the dependability may also be increased because the force is directly applied to what is being pulled without having to be transferred through several weaker and adjustable parts within the lock pliers  12 . Such as for example, the pins  58  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ). 
     According to some embodiments the slide hammer mechanism  26  can be removed from the lock pliers  12  by either removing the rod bolt  32  and/or the bolt  30 . Removal of the sliding hammer mechanism  26  allows the lock pliers to be easily stored in a small area. It also allows the lock pliers  12  to be used as standard locking pliers. 
     In other embodiments of the invention the pulling pliers  12  may be equipped with several different rod bolts  32  of different lengths. A user may select a desired length of rod bolt  32  and switch out rod bolt  32  having a desired length for a particular task. Various components of the tool maybe be hardened as needed, for example, the coupler  28  maybe made of hardened steel. 
     The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed specification, and thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.