Abstract:
An extendable handled tool may include: a shaft; a hollow shaft extension encompassing the shaft and configured to move axially on the shaft so that the shaft moves in and out of the hollow space in the shaft extension; a locking collar attached to the shaft extension, the locking collar configured to rotate on the shaft; a tooth connected to the locking collar such that the tooth rotates with the locking collar; and a locking ring mounted on the shaft, the locking ring configured to fit with the tooth to rotate between a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein the locked position prevents the shaft extension from moving axially with respect to the shaft and the unlocked position permits the shaft extension to move axially with respect to the shaft. A method of exting a handle on a tool may also be provided.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to tire spoons used to install and remove tires on wheel rims. More particularly, the present invention relates to a tire spoon having an extendable handle. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Tire spoons have long been used by mechanics to assist in the installation and/or removal of tires on wheel rims. Tire spoons are one of several pieces of equipment that may be found in auto shops. They are usually long and may be found to be bulky or inconvenient to store. Furthermore some shops may be cramped making it difficult to manipulate a full-length tire spoon. On the other hand, due to the strong forces involved in installing and removing tires from wheel rims, is often desirable to have a long handle on the tire spoon in order to obtain leverage when installing or removing a tire. 
     Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a method and apparatus that is less bulky to store, may be used in cramped or confined conditions, yet is capable of providing enough leverage to install/or remove a tire from a wheel rim. 
     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 tire spoon that is less bulky to store, may be used in cramped or confined conditions, yet is capable of providing enough leverage to install/or remove a tire from a wheel rim. 
     In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a tool having an extendable handle is provided. The tool includes: a shaft; a hollow shaft extension encompassing at least part of the shaft and configured to move axially on the shaft so that the shaft moves in and out of the hollow space in the shaft extension; a locking collar attached to the shaft extension, the locking collar configured to rotate on the shaft; an actuating tooth on the locking collar and connected to the locking collar such that the tooth rotates with the locking collar; and a lock ring mounted on the shaft, the lock ring having a void dimensioned to permit the actuating tooth to fit in the void, the lock ring configured to rotate on the shaft between a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein the locked position prevents the shaft extension from moving axially with respect to the shaft and the unlocked position permits the shaft extension to move axially with respect to the shaft. 
     In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method of extending a handle of a tool is provided. The method includes: providing a shaft; providing a hollow shaft extension encompassing the shaft and configured to move axially on the shaft so that the shaft moves in and out of the hollow space in the shaft extension; providing a locking collar attached to the shaft extension, the locking collar configured to rotate on the shaft; locating an actuating tooth on the locking collar and connected to the locking collar such that the tooth rotates with the locking collar; and mounting a lock ring on the shaft, the lock ring having a void dimensioned to permit the actuating tooth to fit, the lock ring configured to rotate on the shaft between a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein the lock position prevents the shaft extension from moving axially with respect to the shaft and the unlocked position permits the shaft extension to move axially with respect to the shaft. 
     In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, a tool having an extendable handle may be provided. The tool may include: a shaft; a hollow shaft extension encompassing the shaft and configured to move axially on the shaft so that the shaft moves in and out of the hollow space in the shaft extension; a locking collar attached to the shaft extension, the locking collar configured to rotate on the shaft; a means for actuating connected to the locking collar such that the means for actuating rotates with the locking collar; and a camming means mounted on the shaft, the camming means configured to be actuated by the means for actuating the camming means between a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein the locked position prevents the shaft extension from moving axially with respect to the shaft and the unlocked position permits the shaft extension to move axially with respect to the shaft. 
     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 perspective view of a tire spoon in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a tire spoon where the lock collar is shown in a see-through configuration and the lock collar the shaft extension and internal components are showed in an exploded view. 
         FIG. 3  is a axial cross-sectional view of the tire spoon, lock collar and shaft extension. 
         FIG. 4  is a radial cross-sectional view of the tire spoon taken along line  4 - 4  in  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     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 tire spoon having an extendable handle. The tire spoon is configured to have a section movable to extend to an outward position and retract on inward position. Furthermore, in some embodiments in accordance with the invention, the handle of the tire spoon can be locked in various positions by twisting the locking collar. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an extendable handle tire spoon  10 . The extendable handle tire spoon  10  includes a shaft  12 . In some embodiments in accordance with the invention, the shaft  12  may be made of carbon steel or other suitable materials. A spoon portion  14  is located at one end of the shaft  12 . The spoon portion  14  may be flattened. The spoon shape as is well known in the tire spoon art. A catch  16  is located near the spoon portion  14  on the shaft  12 . The catch  16  assists the user in using the extendable handle tire spoon  12  to prevent the user from inadvertently inserting the spoon portion  14  too far between the tire and rim. The catch  16  will butt up against the wall of a tire or against the rim thereby limiting the amount the spoon portion  14  will penetrate between a tire and rim. 
     The extendable handle tire spoon  10  also includes a handle  18 , also referred to as an extendable shaft  18 . The extendable shaft  18  is hollow and surrounds at least a portion of the shaft  12  that extends into the hollow portion  19  of the hollow extendable shaft  18 . 
     The extendable handle tire spoon  10  also includes a lock collar  20 . The lock collar  20  is attached to the extendable shaft portion or handle  18 . In some embodiments in accordance with the invention, the lock collar  20  is relatively attached to the extendable shaft  18 . In other embodiments the collar  20  and extendable shaft  18  are attached and other using other methods. For example, the lock collar  20  may be connected to the extendable shaft  18  with fasteners, a lock ring (as shown and described herein) a press fit connection, an adhesive, or any other suitable manner of attaching the collar  20  with the extendable shaft portion  18 . 
     A collar stop  22  is located on the shaft  12 . The collar stop  22  may be simply a thick portion of the shaft  12 . In other embodiments, the collar stop  22  may be a separate piece or feature attached to the shaft  12 . The collar stop  22  is dimensioned and designed to prevent the shaft  22  from moving into the hollow  19  extendable shaft portion  18  beyond a desired distance. As shown in  FIG. 1  the collar  20  will contact the collar stop  22  thereby preventing the shaft  12  from moving further into the hollow  19  extendable shaft portion  18 . 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an extendable handle tire spoon  10  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.  FIG. 2  shows the collar  20  in a see-through manner. The extendable shaft portion  18  is shown detached an exploded view away from the collar  20 . The interior pieces  24  of the collar  20  are also illustrated. For example, the retaining ring  26  having an open end  28  is shown. The ring groove  30  on the reduced diameter portion  32  of the extendable shaft portion  18  is also shown. A camming ring  34  also referred to herein as a locking ring  34  is shown mounted on to the shaft  12 . The camming ring or lock ring  34  has a camming ring projection  36 . 
     It will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that the reduced diameter portion  32  of the extendable shaft portion  18  is normally fit into the collar  20 . The collar  20  also contains the retaining ring  26 , the camming ring  34  and camming ring projection  36 . 
       FIG. 3  is a partial cross-sectional view of an extendable handle tire spoon  10  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.  FIG. 3  illustrates the shaft  12  extending through the collar  20  and the extendable shaft portion  18 . The collar stop  22  is also shown. 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , the collar  20  attaches to the extendable shaft portion  18  by means of a retaining ring  26 . The retaining ring  26  is fit within a groove  27  in the collar  20  and a retaining groove  30  located on the reduced diameter portion  32  of the extendable shaft portion  18 . Using a system of a retaining ring  26  and retaining ring grooves  27  and  30  is an alternate way of attaching the collar  20  the extendable shaft portion  18  in addition to threads, press fit, fasteners, or any other suitable manner. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3  a lock ring or camming ring  34  is contained within a wider diameter portion  35  with in the extendable shaft portion  18 . The camming ring  34  has a camming ring projection  36  visible. An actuating tooth  38  connected to the collar  20  is fit with in a void in the camming ring  34 . The void maybe defined at least in part by the camming ring projection  36 . The actuating tooth  38  is configured to urge against the cam ring projection  36  when the collar  20  is rotated to rotate the cam ring  34 . 
     The front portion  42  of the extendable shaft portion  18  is shown. In some embodiments the front portion  42  has a beveled edge  40 . 
       FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  4 - 4  shown in  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 4  shows the shaft  12  supporting the camming ring  34 . The wider diameter portion  35  is, in some embodiments, an eccentric or off center counter bore. As a result of the wider diameter portion  35  being off center, when the shaft  12  is in inserted through the hollow portion  19  of the extendable shaft portion  18 , the off center wire diameter portion  35  will define a wide section  48  of relief between the shaft  12  and the wider diameter portion  35  of the hollow portion  19  of the extendable shaft portion  18  and a thin section  50  of relief between the shaft  12  and the wider diameter portion  35  of the hollow portion  19  of the extendable shaft portion  18 . 
     The camming ring  34  also has a thick side  44  and a thin side  46 . When the thin side  46  of the camming ring  34  is fit with in the thin section  50  of the wider diameter portion  35 , the lock collar  20  is not in a locking position. The extendable shaft portion  18  is free to move axially along the shaft  12 . Thereby allowing a user to adjust the length of the shaft  12  and extendable handle portion  18 . 
     When a user twists the collar  20 , the actuating tooth  38  will urge against the camming ring projection  36  thereby rotating the camming ring  34  on the shaft  12 . When the camming ring  34  is rotated on the shaft  12  the thick side  44  of the camming ring  34  will be wedged into the thin section  50  defined by the wider diameter portion  35 . This wedging action will wedge the camming ring  34  in between the wider diameter portion  35  of the extendable shaft portion  18  and the shaft  12  thereby locking the extendable shaft portion  18  to the shaft  12  by a friction fit. 
     When a user desires to unlock the extendable shaft portion  18  from the shaft  12 , the user may turn the collar  20  in the opposite direction causing the actuating tooth  18  to rotate the camming ring  34  in a manner which will push the thick side  44  of the camming ring  34  back toward the wide section  48  of the wider diameter portion  35 . The camming ring  34  will move to an unlocking position where the thin side  46  of the camming ring  34  will be fit with in the thin section  50  and the thick side  44  of the camming ring  34  will be fit with in the wide section  48 . 
     When the collar  20  being in a unlocked position this position is considered an initial position. The thick side  44  of the camming ring  34  will be in the wide section  48  of the reduced diameter portion  32  and the thin side  46  of the camming ring  34  will be in the thin section  50  of the reduced outer portion  32 . In such a condition, the extendable shaft portion or handle  18  will be free to move axially along the shaft  12 . A user may then move the extendable shaft portion  18  axially on the shaft  12  till the user finds a length that the user desires. Then the user may rotate the collar  20  either clockwise or counterclockwise thereby engaging the actuating tooth  38  with the cam ring projection  36  to turn the camming ring  34 . Turning the camming ring  34  will have the effect of moving the thin side  46  of the camming ring  34  out of the thin section  50  and into the wide side  48  of the wider diameter portion  35  and moving the thick side  44  of the camming ring  34  out of the wide section  48  of the wider diameter portion  35  and wedging it into the thin section  50  of the wider diameter portion  35  thereby wedging the thick side  44  against the shaft  12  and the wider diameter portion  35 . 
     The user may unlock the extendable shaft portion  18  to the shaft  12  by simply rotating the collar  20  in the opposite direction. When the user rotates the collar  20  in the opposite direction, the collar  20  will move to an unlocking position where the actuating tooth  38  engages the camming ring projection  36  to rotate the camming  34  ring to move the thick side  44  of the camming ring  34  out of the thin section  50  of the wider diameter portion  35  and move, the thick side  44  of the wider portion  35  to the wide section  48  thereby releasing the friction or interference fit between the collar  20  the camming ring  34  in the shaft  12 . 
     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.