Patent Publication Number: US-8113091-B2

Title: Hammer with a socket hole blocking device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (a) Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to hammers and more particularly to a socket hole blocking device for blocking the socket hole of a hammerhead in a flush manner that has an embedded magnet for securing an iron nail temporarily for driving into a wooden workpiece. 
     (b) Description of the Prior Art 
     A wooden handle type hammer comprises a metal hammerhead having an open socket, a wooden handle inserted into the open socket of the metal hammerhead, and a wooden wedge block fitted into the open socket to tighten the connection between the metal hammerhead and the wooden handle. After the metal hammerhead and the wooden handle is connected, the mounting end of the wooden handle is not kept in flush with the metal hammerhead. Accordingly, an extra finishing step is necessary to keep the mounting end of the wooden handle in flush with the metal hammerhead. This secondary processing process includes a cutting procedure and a polishing procedure. The extra finishing step is complicated and requires much time and labor. 
     Further, a metal hammerhead may provide a nail hole having a magnet embedded therein for securing a nail temporarily for driving into a workpiece. However, during the assembly process of this kind of hammer to affix the wooden handle to the metal hammerhead, the aforesaid extra finishing step is necessary. Further, when fastening the wooden handle to the metal hammerhead, the nail hole may be deformed. When this problem occurs, a correction step is necessary to correct the deformed nail hole to the designed dimension. Therefore, this design of hammer would result in a low yield rate and a high manufacturing cost. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is one object of the present invention to provide a socket hole blocking device for hammer, which blocks the socket hole of the hammerhead after the wooden handle is installed, enhancing the connection stability of the wooden handle and keeping the hammerhead clean so that no extra finishing step is necessary. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a socket hole blocking device, which has nail grooves and an embedded magnet for securing an iron nail by means of magnetic attraction. 
     It is still another object of the present invention to provide a socket hole blocking device, which comprises a cap fitted into the socket hole of the metal hammerhead in a flush manner, and wedge bolts fitted into respective wedge holes on the cap and driven into the wooden handle. The cap is molded from plastics for the advantages of low cost and easy fabrication. Thus, the plastic cap can be fitted into the socket hole of the metal hammerhead easily. Further, the installation of the wedge bolts does not cause the socket hole to deform. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an elevational view of a hammer in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the hammer in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic sectional view of a part of the hammer in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded view of a socket hole blocking device for hammer in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic sectional view, showing the mounting of the socket hole blocking device in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic drawing showing a double-head iron nail secured to the hammerhead of the hammer constructed in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a status of use of the hammer in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention for a single-head iron nail. 
         FIG. 8  corresponds to  FIG. 7 , showing the single-head iron nail secured to the hammerhead. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a hammer  10  comprises a socket hole blocking device  1 , a hammerhead  2  and a wooden handle  3 . 
     The hammerhead  2  has a socket hole  21  cut through the top and bottom sides of the middle body thereof, a bell  22  at one end, and a claw  23  at the other end. 
     The socket hole blocking device  1  comprises a cap  11 , and at least one, for example two, metal wedge bolts  12 . The shape of the cap  11  fits the configuration of the socket hole  21  of the hammerhead  2  so that the cap  11  can be fitted into the socket hole  21 . The cap  11  has, for example, two wedge holes  111  for receiving the metal wedge bolts  12 , respectively. According to this embodiment, the wedge holes  111  are round holes. The metal wedge bolts  12  are hollow cylindrical wedge bolts having serrated portions extending around the periphery at different elevations. When the metal wedge bolts  12  are respectively forced into the wedge holes  111 , they are firmly secured to the cap  11 . Further, the length of the metal wedge bolts  12  is greater than the height of the cap  11 . When the metal wedge bolts  12  are respectively forced into the wedge holes  111 , the bottom ends of the metal wedge bolts  12  are driven into the top mounting endpiece  31  of the wooden handle  3  (see  FIG. 3 ). 
     The wooden handle  3  is fastened to the socket hole  21  of the hammer head  2 , forming the hammer  10 . The wooden handle  3  has a crevice  32  located on the top mounting endpiece  31 . The length of the top mounting endpiece  31  is shorter than the depth of the socket hole  21 . After the top mounting endpiece  3  is inserted into the socket hole  21 , a wooden wedge  33  is fitted into the crevice  32  to force the top mounting endpiece  31  against the peripheral wall of the socket hole  21  (see  FIG. 3 ). At this point, a gap is left in the socket hole  21  for receiving the cap  11 . After the cap  11  is inserted into the socket hole  21  by force, the metal wedge bolts  12  are respectively inserted into the wedge holes  111  and driven into the top mounting endpiece  31  of the wooden handle  3  and the wooden wedge  33 , thus securing the cap  11  firmly in place. At this point, the cap  11  and the wedge bolts  12  are kept in flush with the metal hammerhead  2 . Thus, no further secondary finishing step is necessary. Therefore, the invention simplifies the hammer assembly process, improves the hammer manufacturing efficiency, and lowers the hammer manufacturing cost. 
       FIG. 4  shows a socket hole blocking device for hammer in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated, the cap  11  has two nail grooves  112  and  113  located on the top side between the wedge holes  111 , a locating groove  114  disposed between the nail grooves  112  and  113 , and a magnet  13  embedded in the locating groove  114  (see  FIG. 5 ) for securing an iron nail  4  or  4 ′ by means of magnetic attraction (see  FIGS. 6˜8 ). 
     The metal hammerhead  2  has two notches  24  and  25  located on the top wall at two sides of the socket hole  21  corresponding to the nail grooves  112  and  113 , respectively, for the shank of an iron nail  4  to pass so that the head of the iron nail  4  is attracted by the magnet  13 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the cap  11  has a notch  115  disposed at an outer side relative to the nail groove  112  to facilitate the positioning of a double-head iron nail  4  (see  FIGS. 5 and 6 ). Another notch may be formed on the cap  11  at an outer side relative to the other nail groove  113 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , a single-head iron nail  4 ′ can be set either in the nail groove  112  or in the nail groove  113  and attracted by the magnet  13 , allowing the shank of the single-head iron nail  4 ′ to pass through the adjacent notch  24  or  25 . Thus, the hammer fits a left-handed user as well as a right-handed user. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 5 , the cap  11  has an escape groove  14  on the bottom side. When the cap  11  is fitted into the socket hole  21  of the metal hammerhead  2 , the escape groove  14  provides a space for receiving the wooden wedge  33 , avoiding interference of the wooden wedge  33  with the cap  11 . 
     The cap  11  of the socket hole blocking device  1  can be molded from plastics for the ease of fabrication and low manufacturing cost. After installation, the cap  11  is kept in flush with the metal hammerhead  2 , and no further secondary processing step is necessary. 
     Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.