Patent Publication Number: US-2011049920-A1

Title: Tool handle

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/236,769, filed Aug. 25, 2009, under 35 U.S.C. §119(e). 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to an improved handle for use on tools such as shovels and the like. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Tools such as shovels (including snow shovels, spades, and scoops), forks and the like typically have handles comprising a single straight shaft which is secured to a head of the tool along a central axis of the tool head. One problem with such tool handles arises when the user must lift the tool head off of the ground in order to dump or expel a load therefrom. To lift the tool, the user must bend over at the waist, grasp the handle near the tool head, and lift the tool using his back. Lifting with the back in this manner often causes strain or injury to the user&#39;s back. Previous attempts to address this problem include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,499,852, 5,921,600 and 6,062,619, which describe auxiliary handles for attachment to a single shaft tool handle, the auxiliary handles being intended to extend upwardly from the primary tool handle shaft so that the user does not have to bend over as far in order to lift the tool head. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 171,325 discloses a drag rake handle having a pair of limbs mounted at an acute angle to one another and having an auxiliary handle mounted between the limbs. The auxiliary handle may be mounted so as to extend upwardly from the limbs. 
     None of these previous attempts to provide tool handles which facilitate lifting appear to have gained widespread use, and therefore there remains a need for an ergonomically designed tool handle which is relatively easy to use and which facilitates lifting. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention comprises a handle for tools such as shovels and the like. The handle includes first and second legs, each of which has a first end which is securable to a tool head such that the first and second legs extend outwardly from the tool head in generally parallel relation to one another. The tool head may include a first and second mounting sleeves disposed on opposite sides of the tool head for mounting the first ends of the first and second legs. A handlebar or primary grip is connected between the second ends of the first and second legs. A lower handle or auxiliary handle is slidably connected to said first and second legs so as to be moveable toward and away from the handlebar. 
     The auxiliary handle assembly comprises a first and second mounting member each having a semi-enclosed base and a support arm extending therefrom. The support arms of each mounting member secure the auxiliary handle therebetween. The semi-enclosed base of each mounting member receives a middle portion of the respective first or second leg and is removably connectable to the first and second legs. When the auxiliary handle is connected thereto, the support arms, and connected auxiliary grip, extends outward from a plane defined by the first and second legs. A pin or slide lock is provided for selectively securing the auxiliary handle to the first and second legs. The auxiliary handle may be removed from the perpendicular or transverse alignment with the legs and stored between the legs prior to sale to facilitate shipping and display. 
     Alternatively the auxiliary handle may be shaped to allow the tool handle assemblies to be stacked on top of each other with lower handles of adjacent tool handle assemblies nested together, one within the other. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a shovel with a tool handle assembly of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged, fragmentary and exploded perspective view of the tool handle assembly. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the shovel with an alternative embodiment of the auxiliary handle. 
         FIG. 4  is a front plan view of the shovel as shown in  FIG. 3  showing the auxiliary handle removed from a perpendicular alignment and stored between spaced apart legs of the tool handle assembly. 
         FIG. 5  is a side view showing two tool handle assemblies stacked together with the auxiliary handles of adjacent tool handle assemblies nested together. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof 
     Certain terminology will be used in the following description for convenience in reference only and will not be limiting. For example, the words “upwardly,” “downwardly,” “rightwardly,” and “leftwardly” will refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The words “inwardly” and “outwardly” will refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the embodiment being described and designated parts thereof. Said terminology will include the words specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof and words of a similar import. 
     Referring to the drawings in more detail, the reference number  1  generally designates a tool handle assembly embodying the present invention. The handle  1  is shown in  FIGS. 1-4  as being part of a spade or shovel  3  having a conventional shovel blade  5 . The blade  5  includes a front surface  7 , a rear surface  9 , a lower edge  11 , an upper edge  13 , and opposed side edges  15 . It is to be understood, however, that the handle  1  is easily adaptable for use on various types of shovels including snow shovels and scoop shovels, as well as on other types of tools such as forks, rakes, brooms and the like having tool heads other than shovel blades. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the handle assembly  1  generally comprises a primary handle  17  and an auxiliary handle  18 . Primary handle  17  includes first and second spaced apart legs  21  and  22 . The legs are connected at respective first or upper ends  24  by an upper or primary grip  26 , which may be formed of wood or plastic and bolted in place between the legs  21  and  22 . The portion of the tubing forming the legs  21  and  22  as shown is flattened at the upper ends  24  to facilitate connection of the upper grip  26  therebetween. 
     Each of the legs  21  and  22  has a tool head attachment portion  28  at a second end thereof opposite the first end  24 . The attachment portions  28  are connectable to the blade  5  by conventional means such as screws, bolts, rivets, spot welding, removable pins or the like such that the legs  21  and  22  extend upwardly or outwardly past the upper edge  13  of the blade  5  in parallel spaced relation to one another. The blade  5  as shown may have a pair of handle mounting sleeves  32  and  33  formed or mounted on the blade  5  by welding or the like proximate opposed side edges  15  to receive the lower end  30  of a respective leg  21  or  22 . The leg may then be secured in place in the sleeve by well known fastening means including screws, bolts, rivets, removable pins, spot welding or the like. Use of removable pins or other releaseable securement means would permit use of the tool handle assembly  1  with different tool heads including different types of shovels, rakes, brooms, hoes and scrapers. 
     The attachment portions  28  are preferably connected to the blade  5  proximate its side edges  15 . In the embodiment shown the attachment portions of the legs are shown attached to the front surface  7  of the blade. It is foreseen that the attachment portions could be attached to the rear surface  9 , such as for a snow shovel, or along the side edges  15 . As shown, the legs  21  and  22  include an inwardly offset section  36 , above the upper edge  13  of the blade  5 , which space the legs  21  and  22  closer together than the attachment portions  28 . The attachment portions  28  should not be spaced any closer to one another than will allow a user to easily insert a foot therebetween to push down on the upper edge  13  of the blade  5 . 
     The legs  21  and  22  also flare outward proximate the upper ends  24  thereof to accommodate the upper grip  26  and to provide sufficient spacing therebetween to comfortably accommodate the hand of a user. Medial portions  39  of the legs  21  and  22  are straight and extend in parallel, spaced apart relation to one another. 
     The lower or auxiliary handle  18  is slidably securable to the legs  21  and  22 . Auxiliary handle  18  includes mounting members  43  and  44  and auxiliary grip  46  which is bolted to and between the mounting members  43  and  44 . Each mounting member  43  and  44  shown is stamped from a single piece of sheet metal to form a semi-enclosed or semi-cylindrical base  51  and a support arm  53  projecting outward therefrom. The base  51  includes first and second curved fingers  55  and  56  extending in a first direction on opposite sides of the support arm  53  (which may also be described as a middle finger) and a curved palm portion  58  extending in a second direction relative to the curved fingers  55  and  56 . The fingers  55  and  56  and the palm portion  58  extend circumferentially approximately 180 degrees or slightly greater so that the base  51  may be secured around an associated leg  21  or  22  and slide relative thereto. 
     The position of the auxiliary handle  18  relative to the legs  21  and  22  is adjustable to accommodate users of various sizes by sliding the mounting members  43  and  44  up or down the legs  21  and  22 . A plurality of longitudinally spaced holes  61  are formed in each leg  21  and  22  and selectively alignable with one or more holes in the base  51  of the mounting members  43  and  44 . The position of the auxiliary handle  18  relative to the legs  21  and  22  may be fixed using a locking pin  63  removably positionable through aligned holes in the mounting members  43  and  44  and in the legs  21  and  22 . 
     When secured to the legs  21  and  22  with the base  51  of each mounting member  43  and  44  secured around an associated leg, the support arms  53  project upward from a plane extending through the medial portions  39  of the spaced apart legs  21  and  22 . The auxiliary grip  46  is then connected between the distal ends of each support arm  53  and spaced above the plane extending through the legs  21  and  22 . The auxiliary grip  46  extends perpendicular or generally transverse to the legs  21  and  22 . 
     In use, the auxiliary handle  18  serves to make the shovel  3  much easier to lift than is the case with a conventional shovel. The user of a conventional shovel must bend substantially at the waist in order to reach down and grip the handle of the shovel near the blade so that he can lift the shovel and throw the contents of the blade out of the way. Because the user must reach down so far to grab the handle, it is difficult for the user to bend at the knees to facilitate lifting with his legs. The user is, therefore, forced to lift with his back, which will often result in back strain. With the shovel of the present invention, however, the user can grasp the lower or auxiliary handle  18  without bending over nearly as far at the waist. He is then able to bend at the knees to get in position to lift with his legs, sparing unnecessary injury or strain to his back. 
     The dual legs  21  and  22  of the handle  1  also act to make the shovel  3  easier to use than a conventional shovel. When a user lifts a conventional shovel with a load supported on the blade, the weight of the load is often unbalanced and tends to create a torsional force on the handle. If the user does not grip the handle sufficiently tightly, this torsional force will cause the shovel to rotate or roll about its handle, thereby spilling the load. Constantly gripping the handle tightly enough to offset this torsional force adds to the user&#39;s fatigue. The dual legs  21  and  22  of the present invention move the supports for the blade  5  and the load supported thereon outwardly, thereby providing a lever arm which helps to counter the rotational forces. 
     Auxiliary handle  18  is preferably removably securable to the legs  21  and  22  so that it does not interfere with stacking of multiple handle assemblies  1  or shovels  3  for transport or display. Referring to the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 3-6 , the auxiliary grip  46  and mounting members  43  and  44  of auxiliary handle  18  may be sized and shaped to be positioned with the grip  46  extending between the legs  21  and  22  and the support arms  53  of each mounting member  43  and  44  extending inside of the legs  21  and  22  proximate the inwardly offset sections  36  thererof. One or more holes  66  may be formed in each of the support arms  53  which can be aligned with corresponding holes  68  formed in the legs  21  and  22  proximate the offset sections  36  so that the pins  63  may be used to removably secure the auxiliary handle  18  between the legs  21  and  22  as shown such that the auxiliary grip  46  generally extends in planar alignment with the first and second legs  21  and  22 . 
     The tool handle assembly  1  can then be shipped or stored on store displays with the auxiliary handle  18  positioned between and generally in planar alignment with the legs  21  and  22  to facilitate stacking of multiple shovels  3  or the like. The purchaser can then remove the auxiliary handle  18  from the stored position and attach it in a perpendicular alignment with the legs  21  and  22  as described above. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , it is also foreseen that the mounting members  43  and  44  and the auxiliary grip  46  could be sized and shaped to allow auxiliary handles  18  on adjacent tool handle assemblies  1  to nest together. More specifically, the support arms could angle inward from a base end to the distal end to which the auxiliary grip  46  is attached and the auxiliary grip  46  of each auxiliary handle  18  is narrower than the distance between first and second legs  21  and  22 . The narrower auxiliary grip  46  of a first tool handle assembly  1  then fits between the first and second legs  21  and  22  of a second tool handle assembly  1  positioned over the first tool handle assembly  1  and between the angled portion of the support arms  43  and  44 . 
     It is to be understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangement of parts described and shown.