Patent Publication Number: US-8973467-B2

Title: Framing and forming hammer

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/560,662 filed in the USPTO on Nov. 16, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to tool driving and impacting devices and specifically for a hand-held forming/framing hammer. 
     2. Background 
     Hammers are well known in the construction and framing trades. They have been used by skilled and un-skilled works for centuries and they continue to evolve. One aspect of a modern hammer is that it must be able to be used in a back-to-front striking motion as well as a side-to-side striking motion. Hammers must also be able to be used to hit a target object perpendicularly as well as at an oblique angle. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention contains a number of improvements over a conventional hammer in that it incorporates the requirements noted above. 
     The hammer has three striking surfaces on the hammer head. The first two striking surfaces are on the front face of a striking body. The first striking surface is perpendicular to a horizontal axis and the second striking surface depends from the first striking surface and is angled back at a predetermined angle. The third striking surface is on the side of the hammer head. The third striking surface includes a vibration dampening cushion between it and the hammer head. 
     The handle comprises a spine of steel covered in vibration absorbing material such as wood. The bottom of the spine can accept a variety of tools in a pivoting relationship. The top of the spine is fixed to the head of the hammer. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DISCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of the head of the hammer. 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of the head of the hammer. 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom view of the striking body and the first and second striking face of the hammer. 
         FIG. 4A  is a front view of the first and second striking faces of the striking body of the hammer. 
         FIG. 4B  is a rear view of the striking body of the hammer. 
         FIG. 5  is a front view of the handle of the hammer. 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of the handle of the hammer. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the handle of the hammer at B-B in  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of the handle of the hammer at C-C in  FIG. 5 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the Figures and in particular  FIG. 1 , my invention is a hammer  10  comprising an elongate handle  12  and a head  14 . The handle  12  defines a first vertical axis  16 , a first end  18  and a second end. The hammer head  14  is fixed to the first end  18  of the handle  16 . The hammer head  14  has a second horizontal axis  22  that is perpendicular to the first axis  16 . The hammer head includes a first  24 , a second  26  and a third  28  striking faces. The hammer of the present invention includes at least one object pulling tool  30  integral to the hammer head. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the hammer head comprises a striker body  32  fixed to a neck  34  extending axially forwardly along the second axis  22 . The hammer head further comprises a first object pulling tool  30  extending rearward and generally parallel to the second axis  22 . The hammer head  14  further comprises an aperture  36  for receiving the elongate handle first end  18 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the striker body  32  comprises a first striker face  24  at the distal end thereof and perpendicular  40  to the second axis  22 . A second striker face  26  depends rearward from the first striker  38  face at a predetermined angle  44 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 3 and 4A  the first striker face  24  and the second striker face  26  comprise a plurality of spaced hemi-spherical pits  46 . These increase traction of the striking surface on the work piece such as a nail head.  FIG. 4B  illustrates a rear view of the striking body  32  of the hammer. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , there is a third striking face  28  that is disposed on at least one side of the head  14  over the first vertical axis  16 . In the embodiment shown the third striking face  28  is on the surface of a circular disc-shaped body  50 . Between the body  50  and head  14  there is disposed a circular spacer disc  52  of shock absorbing material. In one embodiment of the invention the shock absorbing material is neoprene. The third striking face body  50  is attached to the head  14  by a screw  54  fixed to the body  50  and hex nut  56 . 
     The striker body  32  further comprises a nail alignment device comprising a nail alignment slot  58  in the striker body  32  and a nail head recess  60  disposed in the neck  34  for receiving a nail head. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , the elongate handle  12  comprises a spine  64  defining a first end  66  and a second end  70 . The spine first end  66  is fixed to the head  12 . The spine  64  is overlain by shock absorbing material  72  such as wood. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the spine second end  70  is apertured  74  to accept a tool  76  such as a second object pulling tool in a pivoting relationship. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , there is shown in cross-section the handle at B-B in  FIG. 5 . The handle  12  has a forward end  80  that is curved and a rearward end  82  that is sharp for scraping and splitting a work piece. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 8 , there is shown in cross-section C-C in  FIG. 5  one of the tools  76  having tapered shoulders  86 . 
     While the invention has been described in terms of what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention needs not be limited to the disclosed embodiment. It is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.