Abstract:
A hand-held instrument has a business end and a handle attached to the business end. The handle has a gripping portion and a longitudinal axis. A knob is provided on the gripping portion of the handle to facilitate the wielding of the hand-held instrument. The knob is disposed such that it projects away from the handle in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the handle. In a preferred, but not required embodiment, the knob is removably attached to the handle by a quick release attachment device. In a typical, but not required, such embodiment, the quick release attachment device includes a male connection pin disposed within the knob and a female receptor disposed within the hand tool.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention is directed to hand tools for pounding, chopping or swinging, such as hammers and hatchets. The invention addresses the problem of how to maximize control of the tool and minimize fatigue to the user of the tool. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0002]    These features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims and accompanying figures where:  
         [0003]    [0003]FIG. 1 is a side view of a basket having features of the invention;  
         [0004]    [0004]FIG. 2 is a bottom side view of the basket illustrated in FIG. 1;  
         [0005]    [0005]FIG. 3 is a reverse side view of the basket illustrated in FIG. 1;  
         [0006]    [0006]FIG. 4 is a butt end view of the basket illustrated in FIG. 1;  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the basket illustrated in FIG. 1;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 6 is a side view of a tool carrying the basket illustrated in FIG. 1, the tool being shown engaged with a safety scabbard;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 7 is a detail view of the tool illustrated in FIG. 6;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 8 is a detail view of the hand tool illustrated in FIG. 6, the tool being shown disengaged from the safety scabbard;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 9 is an exploded view of a grip guard having features of the invention;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 10 is a back side view of the grip guard illustrated in FIG. 9;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 11 is an end view of the grip guard illustrated in FIG. 9;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 12 is a side view of the grip guard illustrated in FIG. 9;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 13 is a side view of a handle carrying a grip guard having features of the invention;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 14 illustrates the hand tool and grip guard combination illustrated in FIG. 13, wherein the combination is being gripped by the user in an alternative manner;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 15 is a isometric view of a hand tool and thumb spur combination having features of the invention;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional side view of the thumb spur illustrated in FIG. 15;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 17 is a isometric view of a handle and thumb spur combination having features of the invention;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 18 is an isometric view of an alternative hand tool and thumb spur combination having features of the invention;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 19 is an isometric view of a hand tool, thumb spur and chrysalis combination having features of the invention, wherein the chrysalis is shown in a pre-wrapped position;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 20 is an isometric view of the combination of FIG. 19 showing the chrysalis attached to the handle; and  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 21 is an isometric view of the combination illustrated in FIG. 20, showing the combination in use. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0024]    The following discussion describes in detail one embodiment of the invention and several variations of that embodiment. This discussion should not be construed, however, as limiting the invention to those particular embodiments. Practitioners skilled in the art will recognize numerous other embodiments as well.  
         [0025]    In one embodiment of the invention, the base end  12  of a hand tool handle  14  is provided with a “basket”  16  as illustrated in FIGS.  1 - 8 . The basket  16  comprises a “knuckle guard”  18  made from a metal or strong plastic. The knuckle guard  18  comprises one or more finger openings  20 . In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the knuckle guard  18  is attached to the underside  22  of the base end  12  of the hand tool handle  14  with a rear plate  24  and a pair of clamps  26 . In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, both the rear plate  24  and the clamps  26  are secured by screws  28 .  
         [0026]    The basket  16  provides the user with additional gripping surfaces  30 , making it less arduous to securely hold the handle  14  of the tool  32  during use. This makes it less likely that the user will lose control of the tool  32 . It also results in markedly decreased fatigue to the hand muscles of the user, especially after prolonged use of the tool  32 . The knuckle guard  18  also protects the fingers of the user from injury due to inadvertent contact of the user&#39;s fingers with hard and/or sharp surfaces existing within the work area.  
         [0027]    In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the knuckle guard  18  includes a forward facing opening  34  which allows a hand tool  34  using the basket  16  to be readily inserted and removed from my safety scabbard invention  33  disclosed in my pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/417,529, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by this reference. The forward facing opening  34  is adapted to surround the guide rail  35  of the safety scabbard  33  as illustrated in FIGS.  6 - 8 .  
         [0028]    In another embodiment, the invention is a “grip guard”  36  illustrated in FIGS.  9 - 14 . Like the basket  16 , the grip guard  36  comprises a knuckle guard  38  having one or more finger holes  40 .  
         [0029]    In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the grip guard  36  is attached to the base end  12  of the tool handle  14  using a single snap-on male connection pin  42  and one locator pin  44 . Both pins  42  and  44  are adapted to be received within corresponding holes  46  disposed within the base end  12  of the hand tool handle  14 . The hole  46  in the handle  14  which receives the male connection pin  42  comprises a corresponding female connector  48  adapted to rigidly retain the male connection pin  42  during use. The male connection pin  42  and the female connection pin  48  can be of the same types illustrated in FIG. 16. The embodiment of the grip guard  36  illustrated in the drawings is easily attached and deattached from the base end  12  of the hand tool handle  14  by depressing a spring loaded button  50  on the outside surface  52  of the grip guard  36  to release ball bearings (not shown) projecting laterally into the female connector  48 .  
         [0030]    Additional snap-on connection pins  42  can also be used in the securing of the grip guard  36  to the handle  14  of the hand tool  32 .  
         [0031]    In a preferred embodiment, the grip guard further comprises a lanyard receiving connection  53  suitable for attaching the grip guard to my lanyard invention fully described in my co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. ______, entitled “Hand Tool Lanyard System,” which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference.  
         [0032]    Like the basket  16 , the grip guard  36  minimizes the chances that the user will inadvertently lose control of the tool  32 . Also like the basket  16 , the grip guard  36  markedly reduces fatigue to the hand muscles of the user by providing the user with additional gripping surfaces  54 .  
         [0033]    As illustrated in FIG. 14, the grip guard  36  also allows the user to conveniently “choke up” on the handle  14  of the tool  32  where required by the job to be accomplished.  
         [0034]    In another embodiment, the invention is a thumb spur  56  as illustrated in FIGS.  15 - 18 . The thumb spur  56  is a knob which is readily attachable and deattachable to the base end  12  of the hand tool handle  14 . In a typical embodiment, the thumb spur  56  comprises an elastomeric body  58  with a quick release male connection pin  60  disposed down the center of the body  58 . Typically, the body  58  is made from a soft rubber or synthetic rubber material. Like the snap-on connection pin  42  used in the grip guard  36 , the quick release male connection pin  60  allows the snap-on connection of the thumb spur  56  to a corresponding female receptor  62  disposed within the base  12  of the hand tool. In an alternative embodiment, the body  58  of the thumb spur  56  may be attachable to the handle  14  of the hand tool  32  via a threaded screw connection or other connection means known to the art.  
         [0035]    The body  58  of the thumb spur  56  is typically between about {fraction (3/4)} inches and about 1¼ inches in length and has a diameter of between about {fraction (1/2)} inches and about {fraction (3/4)} inches. Preferably, the male connection pin  60  is freely rotatable within the female connector  62  to minimize blistering of the user&#39;s abutting thumb or fingers during use.  
         [0036]    The thumb spur  56  can be effectively used when attached to the side  64  of the hand tool handle  14  as illustrated in FIGS. 16 and 17. Alternatively, the thumb spur  56  can be effectively used when attached to the underside  22  of the hand tool handle  14  as illustrated in FIG. 18. When attached to the side  64  of the handle  14 , the thumb spur  56  provides the thumb and a finger of the user with additional gripping surfaces  66 . When the thumb spur is used on the underside  22  of the hand tool handle  14 , the thumb spur  56  provides the additional gripping surfaces  66  to the fingers of the user.  
         [0037]    The thumb spur  56  has been found to provide additional gripping ability and control for a wide variety of elongate items. For example, the thumb spur can be used to increase gripping ability and support to baseball bats, tennis rackets, golf clubs, javelins, hockey sticks, pole vault poles, cricket bats, ski poles, hand gun stocks, rifle and shot gun stocks, archery bows, etc. Also, the thumb spur can be advantageously used on a variety of handled tools, such as rakes, picks, mattocks, hoes, long-reach trimmers, brooms, weed whackers, wheel barrows, chain saws, machetes, large knives, cleavers, tenderizers, pot and pan handles, etc. In fact, the thumb spur can be advantageously used with virtually any tool or other object having a handle. The handles of all such tools and objects are preferably manufactured with one or more female receptors  62  so that a thumb spur  56  can be conveniently used with the tool or objects whenever it would be advantageous to do so.  
         [0038]    In another embodiment, the invention is a chrysalis  68 . The chrysalis  68  comprises a sheet of flexible material  70  adapted to be wrapped around the base end  12  of the hand tool handle  14 . Preferably, the flexible material is padded to provide comfort to the hand of the user during use. In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the chrysalis  68  is secured to the handle  14  using hook and loop fasteners  72 .  
         [0039]    Preferably, the chrysalis  68  further comprises a control strap  74  adapted to conform to the back side of the user&#39;s hand. Most preferably, the control strap  74  is made from two opposed strap members  76  which are attachable and readily adjustable by hook and loop fasteners  78 .  
         [0040]    In the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, the chrysalis  68  is further secured to the handle of the hand tool  32  using a thumb spur  56  disposed within a reenforced thumb spur opening  80 .  
         [0041]    The use of the chrysalis  68 , especially in combination with a thumb spur  56 , has been found to markedly increase control and comfort in the use of heavy pounding and chopping tools  32 , such as hammers and hatchets.  
         [0042]    Having thus described the invention, it should be apparent that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the scope and fair meaning of the instant invention as set forth hereinabove and as described hereinbelow by the claims.