Patent Publication Number: US-9839995-B2

Title: Drain removal tool

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM 
     This application claims priority from provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/539,095 filed on Sep. 26, 2011, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present application is directed to a tool for removing an existing drain from a tub, shower or sink fixture. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Removing a drain from a tub, shower or sink fixture can be difficult when the drain has significant deterioration due to age. In particular, when the crosshairs on the old drain are corroded and/or missing, the many available prior art drain removal tools may not be sufficient to remove the drain. When prior art tools fail to remove the drain, extreme measures are often taken, such as hammering or chiseling the drain to assist with removal. Such extreme measures increase the risk that the surface of the tub, shower or sink may be damaged or cracked in order to successfully remove the drain. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present application is for a new and improved drain removal tool. The removal tool of this application may be of any iron, steel or equivalent metal material, conveniently manufactured from hex stock material. The tool includes a holding section and an engagement section. The holding section has a top hammer surface. The engagement section includes a bottom surface, and a central opening having a central axis which passes through the tool between the top hammer surface of the holding section and the bottom surface of the engagement section. The holding section is also provided with additional surface configurations for gripping the tool and applying torque during drain removal. 
     The engagement section of the removal tool is provided with ridges or pointed teeth, extending outwardly from the surface of the engagement section. The ridges or teeth are arranged in a helical pattern along the engagement section, with each helical tooth or serration being a left hand helical serration on a 15 degree pitch with respect to the central axis of the central opening. Each tooth has one flat face, which flat face is aligned along a radius extending outwardly from the central axis, and a ramped face. The teeth are spaced such that the distance between the flat face of each tooth is approximately 6 degrees, with the helical arrangement and pitch of the teeth resulting in an angled or knurled configuration to the engagement section, with the engagement portion of the tool at the top of the teeth having a larger external diameter than the external diameter of the bottom portion of the engagement section. 
     To use the drain removal tool, the tool is dropped or placed into the old drain to be removed. The top surface of the tool may be hammered, or simply pressed, such that the pointed teeth contact the drain. Next, a pipe wrench, locking plier, fixed wrench or other torque applying tool is mounted or engaged with the holding section, and a torque is applied to turn the tool counter clockwise. The more torque that is applied to the drain removal tool to the holding section, the more the teeth of the engagement section will bite, or engage into, the drain, enabling the drain to be removed. Slippage or displacement of the tool within the drain is minimized as a result of the teeth along the engagement section. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The attached figures illustrate non-restrictive examples of the tool device of the present application. The figures include: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the drain removal tool of the present application; 
         FIGS. 2 and 6  are top views of the design of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIGS. 3 and 5  are side views of the design of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom view of the tool of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional side view of the tool, taken along the line A-A of  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  is an enlarged view of a helical tooth of the tool of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a partial conceptual view of the bottom of the tool of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 10  illustrates the drain removal tool engaged within a drain which has been removed from the tub or sink; and 
         FIGS. 10A, 10B, 10C and 10D  each illustrate an alternate method by which the drain removal tool may be used to remove a drain. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the present application provides a new and improved drain removal tool  12 . The drain removal tool device is desirable when the crosshairs on your old sink, tub or shower fixture drain are corroded and/or missing and other prior art drain removal tools fail. The present tool  12  is able to remove stubborn drains which resist removal. There is no need to use a chisel and hammer to remove the drain, which risks surface damage or cracking of the fixture. The helical knurled aspect of the present device avoids a number of problems. 
     The drain removal tool  12  of this application may be of any iron, steel or equivalent metal material, but is preferably of hardened steel, such as 12L14 steel, with a black oxide finish. Further, as shown in  FIGS. 2-4 and 6-10 , the tool may be conveniently manufactured from hex stock material, for example, 1.75 inch hex stock in the illustrated embodiment. The tool  12  includes a holding section  14  and an engagement section  16 . The holding section  14  has a top hammer surface  18 . The engagement section  16  includes a bottom surface  20 . A central opening  22  with a central axis  24  passes through the tool  12  between the top hammer surface  18  of the holding section  14  and the bottom surface  20  of the engagement section  16 . The holding section  14  is also provided with numerous additional surfaces for gripping the tool and applying torque during drain removal. First, external surfaces  26  of the holding section  14  form a hex head  27 , which is approximately 0.5 inches in height, for engagement by an adjustable wrench, pipe wrench or other gripping tool, such as ViseGrip® pliers. Second, within the holding section, along the central opening  22 , internal surfaces  28  are provided for engagement by either an Allen® wrench or other adjustable socket wrench. In  FIGS. 2-4 , the internal surfaces  28  form a hex configuration for receiving a mating wrench. In  FIGS. 6 and 9 , the internal surfaces  28 ′ form a square configuration receiving for a mating wrench, such as a ratchet wrench or extension. In these embodiments the central opening  22  is shown as extending through the entire tool  12  from the top hammer surface  18  to the bottom surface  20  of the engagement section  16 . A central opening extending through the entire tool is optional. Alternative torque applying tools for use with the tool holding section are illustrated, for example, in  FIGS. 10A to 10D . 
     The engagement section  16  of the removal tool  12  is provided with ridges or pointed teeth  30 , extending outwardly from the surface of engagement section. The portion of the engagement section  16  supporting the teeth  30  has a height of approximately 1 inch from the bottom surface  20  to the top of the teeth. The ridges or teeth  30  are arranged in a helical pattern along the engagement section  16 , each helical tooth or serration being a left hand helical serration on a 15 degree pitch with respect to the central axis  24  of the central opening  22 . As shown in  FIG. 8 , each tooth  30  begins at the bottom surface  20  of the engagement section  16 , and ramps to a height of approximately 0.094 inches. In other words, the external diameter of the engagement section  16  adjacent the bottom surface  20  is approximately 1.562 inches, and the external diameter of the engagement section at its widest location at the top of the teeth  30  is approximately 1.75 inches. Each tooth has one flat face  32 , which flat face  32  is aligned along a radius extending outwardly from the central axis  24 , and a ramped face  34 , which extends out of the engagement portion  16  at approximately 5.36 degrees with respect to the central axis. The teeth  30  are spaced such that the distance between each tooth flat face  32  is approximately 6 degrees. As shown, the helical arrangement and pitch of the teeth  30  results in an angled or knurled configuration to the engagement section  16 , with the portion of the tool  12  at the top of the teeth  30  having a larger external diameter than the external diameter adjacent the bottom surface of the engagement section. 
     To use the drain removal tool  12 , the tool is dropped or placed into the old drain D to be removed. The top hammer surface  18  of the tool may be hammered, or simply pressed, such that the pointed teeth  30  contact the drain D. Next, a pipe wrench, locking pliers, an Allen wrench or other torque applying tool T is mounted or engaged with the holding section  14 , and torque is applied to turn the tool counter clockwise. The more torque that is applied to the drain removal tool, the more the teeth  30  of the engagement section  16  will bite, or engage into, the drain, enabling the drain to be turned and removed. Slippage of the tool  12  within the drain D is minimized due to the engaged teeth  30  along the engagement section  16 . 
     While the preferred embodiments of the drain removal tool  12  have been illustrated and described, it should be understood that variations will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments illustrated and described herein, but rather the true scope and spirit of the invention are to be determined by reference to the appended claims.