Abstract:
A foldable pocket field tool having a foldable pliers and a set of specialty field tool bits to enable the foldable pocket tool to be carried on a person and used on-the-go with the field tool having a set of tool bits tool bits extendable or retractable into a handle and with each of the tool bits operable for efficiently performing a unique service tasks that may occur when installing or servicing a field system such as an irrigation system. The tool bits may be arranged to provide a two-part handle for use in manipulating an adjacent tool bit about a central axis as the tool bit is supported by the foldable pocket tool.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
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     REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
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     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The concept of foldable pocket utility tools is known in the art and such pocket utility tools typically include a pliers and a number of general purpose tools such as a can opener, a screw driver, a knife or a saw which make the pocket tool useful in an emergency, however, the general purpose tools, which are attached to the pocket tool, invariably do not perform as efficiently or effectively as a conventional standalone industrial tool. Consequently, pocket tools while generally useful are not necessarily desirable for a technician who uses specialty tools to perform field tasks. For example, in servicing a field system, such as an irrigation system, a service technician may carry a tool kit with multiple specialty tools which can be used in servicing the field system. Each of the tools have a specific function and are designed to conveniently and effectively perform a function. However, there are times when a service technician may encounter a need for his specialty tools but he may be not carrying the specialty tool kit. For example, the technician may notice that some adjustment to an apparatus of the field system may be necessary. If the tool kit with the specialty tools is not available the service technician must leave the job site and retrieve his specialty tool kit before the technician can make the necessary adjustments. The invention described herein allows the service technician to avoid delays in retrieving a tool kit and allow the service technician to efficiently perform on-the-go adjustments or minor repairs to the field system with a pocket field tool. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A foldable pocket field tool having a foldable pliers and a set of specialty field tool bits to enable the foldable pocket tool to be carried on a person and used on-the-go. While the foldable pocket tool does not include an actually specialty tool it does include a work head or tool bit that may be part of a set of field tools and more specifically a set of tool bits tool bits extendable or retractable into a handle and with each of the tool bits operable for efficiently performing a unique service tasks that may occur when installing or servicing a field system such as an irrigation system. Since the tool bits remain secured to the pocket tool the tool bits are available on demand. The specialty tool bits may include a one-piece two step tool bit for manually forming holes of different sizes and shapes, an elongated tool bit for clearing or cleaning a clogged passage, a cross driver for engaging and rotating a screw with a head having a cross slot and a hexagonal shaft for rotating engaging a female socket. The tool bits may be arranged to provide a two-part handle for use in manipulating an adjacent tool bit about a central axis as the tool bit is supported by the foldable pocket tool. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of a pocket tool in an open condition; 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of the pocket tool of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a two-step tool bit; 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the two-step tool bit of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is front view of the two-step tool bit of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 6  is an end view of the two-step tool bit of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 6A  is a top view of an article having holes formed by the two-step tool bit of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a cross driver tool bit; 
         FIG. 8  is a front view of a cross driver tool bit; 
         FIG. 9  is a side view of a cross driver tool bit; 
         FIG. 10  is an end view of a cross driver tool bit; 
         FIG. 11  is a front view of a tool bit; 
         FIG. 12  is an end view of the tool bit of  FIG. 11 ; 
         FIG. 13  is a front view of a hex driver tool bit; 
         FIG. 14  is an end view of the hex driver tool bit of  FIG. 13 ; 
         FIG. 15  shows the pocket tool of  FIG. 1  in a folded condition; and 
         FIG. 16  shows the pocket tool of  FIG. 1  with conventional utility tools secured to the pocket tool. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       FIG. 1  shows a foldable pocket field tool  10  in a splayed condition with four different specialty tool bits pivotally mounted to the pocket field tool to enable the specialty tool bits to be used individually and without detachment from the pocket field tool. Pocket field tool  10  includes a pliers  28  with a first jaw  26  and a second jaw  27  with the jaws of the pliers supported in a pivoting relationship to each other by a common pivot pin  25 . When in pliers mode handle  11  and handle  12  provide for opening and closing jaw  26  and  27 . In the pliers mode the specialty tool bits as described hereinafter would normally be folded into compartments or tool bit channel in handles  11  and  12 .  FIG. 2  is a top view of the pocket tool of  FIG. 1  showing tool bit channel  11   a , which is located in handle  11 , and tool bit channel  12   a  which is located in handle  12 . 
     The jaws of the pliers  28  include a Vee shaped wire cutting blade  26   a , which is located on jaw  26 , and a Vee shaped wire-cutting blade  27 , which is located on jaw  27 . The jaws and wire cutters make the pliers useful for general field technician tasks including holding or cutting small objects such as a wire or the like. In the example shown in  FIG. 1  the jaw  26  is supported on handle  12  by pivot pin  22  and the jaw  27  is supported on handle  11  by pivot pin  21 . 
       FIG. 1  shows a set of specialty tool bits  13 , 14 , 15  and  16 , which are positioned on the pocket field tool  10  so that a user has an extension or handle on each side of the tool bit where a portion of a two-part handle may be another tool bit. That is, the arrangement of the tool bits  13 ,  14 ,  15  and  16  creates a two-part tool bit handle for each tool bit where the handle for the tool bits are formed by other tool bits, the jaws of the pliers  28 , handle  11  or handle  12 . Thus a feature of the invention includes the use of tool bits with handles extending laterally outward from a central axis extending through the tool bit.  FIG. 1  shows a central axis  13   s  extending from a one-piece tool bit  13 , a central axis  14   s  extending from tool bit  14 , a central axis  15   s  extending from tool bit  15  and a central axis  16   s  extending from a rigid driver tool bit  16  having a notch  16   b  for rotating mounting base from a stored condition to a working position. 
     To use driver tool bit  16  one can use tool bit  15  and tool bit  14  as part of a two-part handle as well as the jaw  26  and jaw  27  of the pliers  28  as the other part of the two-part handle. Similarly, to use tool bit  13  one can use tool bit  15  and tool bit  14  as a part of a two-part handle as well as the jaws  26  and  27  of the pliers  28 . Using the two-part handles one can apply a radially distributed torque about a central axis through the tool bit. 
     To use tool bit  15  one can rotate tool bit  14  into a closed condition and use the handle  11  and the handle  12  which are on opposite sides of the tool bit  15  as a two-part handle to rotate the tool bit  15  about axis  15   s . Similarly, to use tool bit  14  one can rotate tool bit  15  into a closed condition and use the handle  11  and the handle  12  as the two-part handle which is located on opposite sides of the tool bit  14  to rotate the tool bit  14  about central axis  14   s . Thus, a feature of the invention is the positioning of the tool bits so that the two-part handles are located on opposite side of the tool bit and extend laterally outward from a central axis through the tool bit thus enabling one to apply torque to the tool bit from each side of the tool thus increasing the effectiveness of the tool. In addition, the use of the two-part handles also allows one to effectively exert an axial balanced downward pressure on the tool bit to maintain the tool bit in contact with the article being worked on. 
     Located at one end of pocket field tool  10  is a tool bit comprising a driver  16  having an elongated solid shaft with a hexagonal cross section and a mounting base  16   a  rotateable supported by a pivot pin  23 . The driver  16  is foldable into a concealed condition within handle  12  when not in use.  FIG. 15  shows the pocket field tool  10  in a closed condition with the elongated shaft of driver  16  folded into the handle  12 . Located on the other end of pocket tool  10  is a two-step tool bit  13  having a mounting base  13   a  pivotally mounted on pivot pin  20 .  FIG. 3  shows an isolated perspective view of the two-step tool bit  13  for manually forming openings of different sizes and shapes through hand manipulation of the pocket field tool while  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5  show the two-step tool bit  13  in front and side views while  FIG. 5  shows an end view. Tool bit  13  includes a flat rectangular shaped base  13   a  having an opening  13   h  for pivotally mounting base  13   a  to a pivot pin  20  of foldable pocket field tool  10 . Located on edge of base  13   a  and extending there across is a lateral notch  13   g  that allows a user to rotate the tool bit  13  from a closed condition to an open condition by inserting a finger nail into lateral notch  13   g  and rotating the tool bit  13  out of a stored condition within the handle  11  of the pocket tool. Tool bit  13 , although having a fixed shape allows one to manually form holes of different shape and different sizes in a material, for example a sheet of plastic, a pipe or other material.  FIG. 5  shows the tool bit  13  includes a first hole forming member having a circular shaft  13   d  of diameter D 1  with a conical tip  13   e  terminating at  13   f  to form a pointed piercing member that expands the material while forming a hole rather than punching an opening through the material. Tool bit  13  includes a second non-circular shaft  13 L extending from a transverse base  13   m  of circular shaft  13   d  with shaft  12 L having a first rectangular flat  13   b  extending along one side and a second rectangular flat  13   c  extending along an opposite side with the flat  13   a  and flat  13   b  located in a parallel condition to each other to form an oblong shape.  FIG. 4  shows the width D 1  of a working face  13   d  and  13   c  are the same as the diameter D 1  of the shaft  13   d  of the two-step tool bit are the same. While  FIG. 4  shows the width from flat  13   a  to flat  13   b  is D 1  in a transverse direction  FIG. 5  shows the tool bit  13  with shaft  13   c  having a dimension D 2  with dimension D 2  greater than dimension D 1  of shaft  13   d.    
     In one phase of operation of tool bit  13  one penetrates an object with a first portion of a pointed tool bit having a cylindrical shaft  13   d  having a first diameter D 1  to form a cylindrical opening of a first size and by continuing to penetrate the object with a second portion of the tool bit having a non-circular shaft  13   c  having at least a portion having a greater cross sectional dimension than the diameter D 1  of first portion of the tool bit one can form an enlarged opening having an elongated non-circular shape  14   b  as shown in  FIG. 6A . 
     In hand operation of the tool bit  13  of  FIG. 3  the base  13   a , which is supported on a pivot pin  20  of the folding pocket member  10 , allows the user to grip handle  11  as well as the two-part handle formed by tool bit  14 , tool bit  16  and pliers  28  to thereby form a two-part handle that extends transverse to an axis of the tool bit which allows one to apply both an axial and a rotational force to the tool bit  13  thereby enabling the service technician to form holes of different size and shape all without the aid of power tools and or multiple drill bits. Using tool bit  13  one can form a first hole in an object having a diameter D 1 , for example a polymer plastic pipe, by grasping the handle  11  and applying axial force to tool bit  13  to force conical tip  13   e  and shaft  13 L through the pipe until the pipe encounters base  13   m  which acts as an axial stop to limit further axial penetration of tool bit  13 . By limiting the axial insertion to shaft  13   d  one can make a hole having a diameter D 1  equal to the diameter of shaft  13   d  . To make a larger hole of a different shape one continues to exert axial force on tool bit  13  to force the stepped section  13   c  through the material thus creating a non-circular hole or oblong hole with a dimension D 1  in one direction and D 2  in a transverse direction. Thus, tool bit  10  can be hand manipulated to make two different size holes by manually controlling the axial penetration of the tool bit  13 . A further feature of tool bit  13  is that one can make a hole of a third size, without an additional bit, that is by rotating tool bit  13  and member  13   d  one can form a circular opening having a diameter D 2  in the material which is larger than the diameter D 1  of the first member. To illustrate the shape and sizes of holes hand formable with tool  13  reference should be made to  FIG. 6A  which shows a first circular hole  14   a  of diameter D 1 , an oblong hole with a maximum dimension D 2  and a minimum dimension D 1  and a third circular hole having a diameter D 2 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1  pocket field tool  10  includes a one-piece cross driver tool bit  15  which is shown in isolated view in  FIGS. 7,8,9 and 10 . Tool bit  15  includes a planar mounting base  32   a  rotateable mounted to pivot pin  21  with base  32   a  having the same thickness as throughout. Extending from base  32   a  is an elongated shaft  31  having a head  30   a  thereon with a blunt end  31   b  and a base  31   a  for engaging a pivot pin of a pocket tool. Head  30   a  has a first lobe  33  and a second lobe  34  with a first rigid ear  35  having a first face  35   a  and a second face  35   b  extending laterally outward from one side of head  30   a  and a second rigid ear  36  having a first face  36   a  and a second face  36   b  extending laterally outward from the opposite side of head  30   a  to form a cross driver  30  rotationally engageable with an article having a cross slot, for example in an apparatus such as an irrigation valve. A feature of cross driver tool bit  30  is that head  30   a  may be formed by swaging edge portions of the end of shaft  31 . 
     A reference to  FIG. 11  and  FIG. 12  reveals a multipurpose bit  14  comprising an elongated rigid cylindrical rod or pin having a mounting base  14   a  with a hole  14   b  therein for rotateable mounting base  14   a  to pocket field tool  10  though pivot pin  21  ( FIG. 1 ).  FIG. 1  shows multipurpose bit  14  extending outward from the tool. Multipurpose bit  14  may be used for a variety of functions including cleaning out existing holes or passages in pipelines or other functions such as checking depths of blind holes. A lip  14   c  permits for engaging mounting base  14   a  to rotate tool bit  14  from a stored condition. 
       FIG. 16  illustrates how other utility tools such as a can opener  52 , a Phillips screwdriver, a knife  51  and a saw  50  may be attached to the pocket field tool without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and  FIG. 15  shows the pocket field tool  10  in a folded condition where the tools and tool bits are concealed within the handles  11  and  12  of the pocket field tool  10 .