Abstract:
A pipe fitting tool is configured to aid a user in performing tasks frequently encountered by a pipe fitter or similar tradesman. The tool includes adjustable pliers, such as arc joint adjustable pliers, with a cutting portion for cutting and optionally stripping wire, and an impact surface for performing minor adjustments to hardware, such as adjusting the position of an object. One handle of the tool includes a prying/wedging portion and another handle of the tool includes a drive bit receiver. Molded hand grips may be provided on the handles and may include one or more receptacles for storing drive bits when not in use.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to hand tools and, in particular, to a combination hand tool suited for use in pipe fitting. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In the mechanical and industrial trades, pipe fitters and similar tradesmen are often required to perform various tasks involved in the installation and fabrication of piping systems. Such activities may include the gripping of small and large diameter pipes, joints or fasteners; cutting and/or stripping wire; twisting wire to fashion temporary supports for hanging pipes; adjusting the location of pipe joints; adjusting the fit of welded joints; installing gaskets to flanged pipe joints; and the general loosening or tightening of fasteners. Individual tools specifically suited to performing the individual tasks recited above are known in the art and because pipe fitters perform such tasks on a frequent basis, many pipe fitters carry a variety of such tools with them on the job. These tools are often carried in a back pocket of the pipe fitter&#39;s clothing. Other times these tools are carried in a tool box/bucket or held in a utility belt worn by the pipe fitter. One drawback of using such a utility belt/back pocket and a variety of dedicated hand tools is that the belt and/or tools may become heavy or cumbersome for the wearer. In addition, the pipe fitter may be required to access various tools located in different carrying pouches on the utility belt, which may be inconvenient when the pipe fitter must use one hand to hold a work piece and reach across to a pouch located on a far-side of the belt to retrieve a tool. Tool boxes/buckets are also heavy and cumbersome, and thus not easily or conveniently moved from location to location during the installation of a large piping system, particularly where the pipe fitter is required to access the piping system via ladders. 
     Also known in the art are combination hand tools which combine two or more tools or functions into a single unit. While these combination tools are convenient and reduce the number of dedicated hand tools which must be carried by a user, the inventor is not aware of a combination tool that is specifically suited to aid pipe fitters in performing routine tasks, such as those described above. Specifically, while existing combination tools may include individual features or functions which are similar to those required by a pipe fitter, the available combination tools, as a whole, are not configured to provide features or functions in a manner particularly suited to a pipe fitter&#39;s needs. For example, a tool having a hammer suitable for driving nails might also have a prying feature suited to pulling nails. While this prying feature is adequate for pulling nails, the portion of the tool providing that feature is generally angled back toward a handle of the tool and therefore is not particularly useful in performing prying and wedging tasks faced by a pipe fitter, such as adjusting a welded pipe joint to obtain proper alignment, or separating a flange joint to install a gasket. 
     There is thus a need for a combination tool which is particularly suited to aid a pipe fitter in performing routine tasks and which may be conveniently carried by a pipe fitter on the job. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a combination tool which is particularly suited to facilitate the performance of various tasks frequently faced by a pipe fitter or similar tradesman. The hand tool includes adjustable pliers having a pair of adjustable grip jaws and elongated handle members. The tool further includes a pair of cutting edges, each positioned inward of the respective jaws. The cutting edges are useful for cutting wire and may be further provided with a notch formed into at least one of the cutting edges, to permit the stripping of insulated wire. The tool further includes an impact surface provided near the jaws of the pliers. The impact surface is reinforced for durability and striking efficiency. 
     A prying/wedging portion and a bit receiver are provided on the handle portions of the tool. The prying/wedging portion is useful for adjusting weld gaps and installing flange gaskets. Bits for the bit receiver may be stored in a pouch or receptacle provided on the tool&#39;s hand grips. There is thus provided a 5-in-1 combination tool that performs at least five functions regularly needed during the installation of piping systems. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention shall be made apparent from the accompanying drawings and detailed description. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with a general description of the invention given above, and the detailed description given below, serve to explain the invention. 
     FIG. 1 is a plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a pipe fitting tool of the present invention; 
     FIG. 1A is a plan view of the tool of FIG. 1, with the adjustable pliers in the fully opened position; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing detail of the bit driver portion of the tool of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is an illustration depicting the use of the impact surface of the tool of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is an illustration depicting the use of the pry/wedge tool portion of the tool of FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 5 is an illustration depicting another use of the pry/wedge tool portion. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown an exemplary embodiment of a pipe fitter&#39;s tool  10  of the present invention. The tool  10  comprises arc joint adjustable pliers  11  comprising first and second elongated members  12 ,  14  pivotally attached to each other at attachment point  32  intermediate the ends of the elongated members  12 ,  14 . As shown, attachment point  32  may be a riveted joint. Handle portions  15 ,  17  adjacent first ends  16 ,  18  of the elongated members  12 ,  14  allow the tool  10  to be gripped by the pipe fitter or other user. The second ends  20 ,  22  of the elongated members  12 ,  14  include the jaw portions  24 ,  26  of the pliers  11 . The jaw portions are adapted to grip and manipulate various sized objects, such as pipes and bolts. The firs t and second elongated members  12 ,  14  are pivotally and slidably connected by interaction of attachment point  32  through a slot  28  on the second member  14 . In the embodiment shown, the tool  10  includes a plurality of arcuate grooves  30  on the second member  14  surrounding the slot  28  and an arcuately-shaped raised ridge (not shown) on the first member  12  near the attachment point  32 , which ridge is configured to selectively intermesh with each of the grooves  30  so that the relative distance between the jaw portions  24 ,  26  may be adjusted between multiple positions, as further shown in FIG.  1 A. Adjustable pliers include several known types which may be used in the tool  10  of the present invention, including adjustable joint, arc joint®, tongue and groove or slip joint pliers. Advantageously, the adjustable pliers  11  are arc joint adjustable pliers, as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 1A. 
     A pair of opposing cutting edges  34 ,  36  are located inward of the jaw portions  24 ,  26  of the pliers  11 , toward the attachment point  32 , with one cutting edge  34 ,  36  associated with each respective elongated member  12 ,  14 . The cutting edges  34 ,  36  are configured such that when the jaw portions  24 ,  26  are clamped together, the cutting edges  34 ,  36  are brought into contact with one another whereby an object, in particular a wire, inserted between the cutting edges  34 ,  36  may be cut. The wire cutting function is needed, for example, to add or remove wire used to temporarily suspend pipes to facilitate their placement and installation into the piping system. 
     The second elongated member  14  has an impact surface  38  located on an exterior portion of the second member  14  adjacent end  22  and opposite the jaw  24  and cutting edge  34 . In the exemplary embodiment shown, the impact surface  38  is provided by reinforcing a portion of the second member  14  with added material to provide striking efficiency and improved wear of the impact surface  38 . 
     The exemplary pipe fitters&#39; tool  10  shown in FIG. 1 further includes a wedge-shaped pry tool  40  located at the first end  16  of the first elongated member  12 . The pry/wedge tool  40  is slightly angled away from the second elongated member  14  to provide leverage while permitting substantially head-on insertion of the pry/wedge tool  40  between surfaces to be pried or wedged apart. In an exemplary embodiment, the angle α between the tip of the pry/wedge tool  40  and the handle portion  15  of the first elongated member  12  is between about 10° and about 40°. While intended to perform a prying/wedging function, it may be appreciated that the wedge-shaped pry tool  40  could also function as a slotted screwdriver. 
     The second member  14  includes a bit receiver  42  formed into the first end  18  of the second member  14 . In an exemplary embodiment, the bit receiver  42  is shaped to receive ¼-inch hex-shanked drive bits  44 , as depicted in FIG.  2 . The drive bits  44  may be retained within the bit receiver  42  by magnetic attraction or by a spring biased protrusion located within the bit  44  and designed to engage a detent when installed in the bit receiver  42 . The pipe fitters&#39; tool  10  may further include hand grips  46 ,  48  disposed on the handle portions  15 ,  17  of the first and second elongated members  12 ,  14 . In the exemplary embodiment shown, the hand grips  46 ,  48  are formed from polymeric material to provide a cushioned and non-slip grip, and include receptacles  50  formed into the grips  46 ,  48  which serve to store drive bits  44  on the tool  10 . Advantageously, two receptacles  50  are provided, one for storing a phillips-type drive bit  44  and one for storing a slotted-type drive bit  44 . An allen wrench drive bit (not shown) could also be included and stored in a receptacle  50 . 
     FIGS. 3-5 depict the use of tool  10  to perform typical pipe-fitting tasks. FIG. 3 depicts the use of the impact surface  38  in facilitating the removal of metal chips  53  from pipe threads prior to installation of a screwed fitting (not shown). These metal chips  53  are generally present after the formation of the threads on the pipe  51  and can often be removed by light strikes to the pipe  51  with the impact surface  38  of the tool  10 . The impact surface  38  is also useful for performing light impacts for the adjustment of pipe  51  or bracket location (not shown) during installation of a piping system (not shown). 
     FIGS. 4 and 5 depict the use of the wedge-shaped pry tool portion  40  of the tool  10 . Referring to FIG. 4, the pry/wedge tool portion  40  may advantageously be inserted into the weld gap  52  between adjacent pipe ends  54 ,  56 , which have been joined with a tack weld  58 , to facilitate adjusting the weld gap  52  and relative axial alignment of the pipes  54 ,  56 . The quality of the final weld requires uniformity of the weld gap  52  between the pipe ends  54 ,  56 , whereby the pry/wedge tool portion  40  may be inserted at various locations around the circumference of the weld gap  52  and manipulated to provide fine adjustment as necessary. 
     FIG. 5 depicts the use of the wedge-shaped pry tool portion  40  to facilitate installation of a gasket  60  into a flanged joint  62  of a piping system. In typical piping systems, long lengths of pipe often result in a buildup of force tending to urge the pipes together, whereby it is physically difficult or cumbersome to separate the pipe and insert a gasket therebetween. Advantageously, the pry/wedge tool  40  may be inserted or wedged between the flanges  64 ,  66  and manipulated with one hand to separate the pipe ends  68 ,  70  and permit the gasket  60  to be inserted between them with the other hand. It may be appreciated that tool portion  40  is not intended as a pry bar for breaking apart two objects, but rather is intended for minor separations of two abutting objects. 
     While many combination tools have been developed, no single hand tool has previously been available that provides the multiple functions needed for pipe installation. The tool  10  of the present invention provides a single hand tool having adjustable pliers for gripping and manipulating various sizes of pipes and objects, a wire cutter and optionally a wire stripper, an impact or striking surface for facilitating movement of objects, a prying/wedging tool, and a drive bit receiver. These five functions are combined into one convenient tool to provide a pipe fitter with a tool that performs the majority of hand tool functions needed during installation of piping systems. 
     While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of an embodiment thereof, and while the embodiment has been described in considerable detail, it is not intended to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. For example, the pliers portion of the combination tool may be adjustable between multiple positions by means other than arc joints, said means now known or hereafter developed. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and method and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the scope or spirit of Applicant&#39;s general inventive concept.