Patent Abstract:
A slide hammer may be provided. The slide hammer may include: a body defining a through hole and a first attaching surface; an auxiliary weight having a second attaching surface configured to attach to the body at the first attaching surface, the auxiliary weight having a through hole located to align with the through hole in the body when the auxiliary weight is attached to the body; and a shaft located in the through holes in the body and auxiliary weight. A method of constructing a slide hammer is provided.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to a slide hammer used with a tire spoon. More particularly, the present invention relates to a slide hammer capable of being altered by the addition of additional weights where the slide hammer may also be used on a tire spoon. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Slide hammers are tools that include a weight that is attached to a shaft and can be slid up and down the shaft. Usually at at least one location along the shaft, there is a stop that the slide hammer is rammed against to stop the slide hammer and thereby exert a force on the tool. 
         [0003]    For various applications it may be desirable to use various levels or degrees of force with the slide hammer. Changing the level of force exerted by the slide hammer can be done by increasing or decreasing the velocity at which the slide hammer hits the stop. However, in some applications it may be desirable to equip a slide hammer to be able to impart a much larger force against the stop that can normally be done with conventional slide hammers. Slide hammers are sometimes limited in the force that can exert against a stop by several factors. These factors may include the length the shaft in which the slide hammer is able to slide and the weight of the slide hammer. 
         [0004]    Furthermore, in some instances, it may be desirable to have a slide hammer that can exert force in two directions. This may be accomplished by a tool that has two stops so that the slide hammer can be slid in one direction and then encounter to stop. The slid hammer can also be slid in the other direction along the shaft where it encounters a second stop and thereby allowing the slide hammer to exert forces on tools at either end of the tool depending upon which stop the slide hammer rams into. 
         [0005]    In situations where slide hammers are able to exert forces in multiple directions the tools often need to be manufactured with the slide hammer in place before the stops are located on the tools. Otherwise, if the stops are placed on the shaft before the slide hammer has been mounted and placed, there is no way the slide hammer may be mounted on the tool using conventional slide hammer technology. 
         [0006]    Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a method and apparatus that may allow a slide hammer to be altered so that it can impart different levels of force and activate it. Further, it may also be desirable to provide a slide hammer that may be constructed in such a manner, that the slide hammer may be mounted on the shaft of the tool after stops or other tool features have been manufactured on tool. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The foregoing needs are met, to a great extent, by the present invention, wherein in one aspect an apparatus is provided that in some embodiments permits the slide hammer to be modified so that the slide hammer may impart various levels of force when activated. 
         [0008]    In some embodiments of the invention, the slide hammer may be constructed in such a manner that the hammer portion may be mounted on the shaft after other shaft features such as a stop or other features have been manufactured into the tool containing the shaft. 
         [0009]    In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a slide hammer may be provided. The slide hammer may include: a body defining a through hole and a first attaching surface; an auxiliary weight having a second attaching surface configured to attach to the body at the first attaching surface, the auxiliary weight having a through hole located to align with the through hole in the body when the auxiliary weight is attached to the body; and a shaft located in the through holes in the body and auxiliary weight. 
         [0010]    In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method of constructing a slide hammer is provided. The method may include: forming a body having a through hole and a first attaching surface; providing an auxiliary weight having a second attaching surface configured to attach to the body at the first attaching surface, the auxiliary weight having a through hole located to align with the through hole in the body when the auxiliary weight is attached to the body; and inserting a shaft in the through holes in the body and auxiliary weight. 
         [0011]    In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention a slide hammer may be provided. The slide hammer may include: means for hammering defining a through hole and a first attaching surface; an auxiliary weight having a second attaching surface configured to attach to the means for hammering at the first attaching surface, the auxiliary weight having a through hole located to align with the through hole in the body when the auxiliary weight is attached to the means for hammering; and a shaft located in the through holes in the means for hammering and auxiliary weight. 
         [0012]    There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, certain embodiments of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof herein may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional embodiments of the invention that will be described below and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
         [0013]    In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of embodiments in addition to those described and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
         [0014]    As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is an exploded, perspective view of a side hammer in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a tire spoon having a slide hammer mounted on it in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a partial cross-sectional view of the slide hammer in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is an exploded, respective view of the slide hammer in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of a slide hammer in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of a slide hammer in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]    The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. An embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides a slide hammer that is fit upon a tire spoon. An embodiment in accordance with the invention is shown as an exploded, perspective view in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 1  shows a slide hammer assembly  10 . The slide hammer assembly  10  includes a hammer body  12 . The hammer body  12  may be comprised of two halves  14  and  16  that fit together in a clam shell type manner. The hammer body  12  may be made of steel or other suitable substance for use as a slide hammer. The two halves  14  and  16  define a through hole  18  that extends through the hammer body  12 . 
         [0023]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , some embodiments may include a chamfered edge  20  located at the through hole  18 . The chamfered edge  20  may be present at both ends of the body  12 . The hammer body  12  may be equipped with exterior threads  22 . Exterior threads  22  are configured to secure additional or auxiliary weights  24  to the hammer body  12 . The exterior threads  22  are located on both halves  14  and  16 . The additional weight  24  has a through hole  26  that aligns with the through hole  18  and the hammer body  12  when the additional weight  24  is attached with its interior threads  28  to the exterior threads  22  of the hammer body  12 . 
         [0024]    In some embodiments of the invention, the internal weights  24  may provide several functions. For example, the additional weights  24  may be used to keep the two halves  14  and  16  of the clam shell body  12  together. When the extra weights  24  are secured to the hammer body  12 , the halves  14  and  16  are connected and unable to separate. The auxiliary weights  24  also provide the advantage of adding additional weight to the body  12  of the slide hammer. Adding or not adding the additional weight allows a user to modify and select a weight of the slide hammer. 
         [0025]    In some embodiments of the invention, at least one additional weight  24  is needed to secure the two halves  14  and  16  over hammer body together at  12 . However, additional weights  24  can be added to make the mass of hammer body  12  greater in order to increase the force that the slide hammer  12  can impart on to a stop  34  (see  FIG. 2 ) when the slide hammer  12  is activated. Not all embodiments in accordance of the invention require that the hammer body  12  be in two halves  14  and  16 . In some embodiments, the hammer body  12  may be a solid piece with a through hole  18 . In such embodiments, the exterior weights  24  primarily provide the function of adding weight to hammer body  12 . 
         [0026]    In some embodiments of the invention, various different weights  24  can be used in order to bring the hammer body  12  to a desired weight in order to impart a desired force when side hammer  12  is activated. In some embodiments of the invention, the exterior weights  24  can be steel or may be made of other substances. Not all embodiments require that the exterior weights  24  be of the same material as the hammer body  12 . 
         [0027]    Turning to  FIG. 2 , a slide hammer assembly  10  is shown mounted onto a tire spoon  30 . The tire spoon  30  includes a shaft  32  upon which the slide hammer assembly  10  may slide between stops  34 . The stops  34  are robust and connected to the tire spoon  30  so that the slide hammer assembly  10  can strike the stops  34  without dislodging stops  34  thereby causing force of the blow of the hammer assembly  10  to be transferred to the tire spoon  30 . In embodiments of the invention where the hammer body  12  is made up of two halves  14  and  16  as shown in  FIG. 1 , advantages may be achieved in that the slide hammer assembly  10  can be mounted to the shaft  32  after the tool of which the shaft  32  is a part of may be manufactured. For example, in the case of tire spoon  30  as shown in  FIG. 2 , the tire spoon  30  may have the spoons  36  and the stops  34  manufactured on the tire spoon  30  without having the slide hammer assembly  10  being required to be placed on the shaft before the spoons  36  and stops  34  are formed. The two halves  14  and  16  may be mounted to the shaft  32  after the stops  34  and spoons  36  are formed. 
         [0028]    In some embodiments of the invention (with reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 ), the through holes  26  on the additional weights  24  may be sized large enough to fit over the features the tool such as the tire spoon  36  and/or stops  34 . Therefore the tire spoon  30  may be manufactured with the stop  34  and the tire spoon  36  without the additional weights  24  located on the shaft  32 . The additional weights  24  may be mounted to hammer body  12  later. The through hole  26  of the additional weight  24  is sized and dimensioned so the additional weight  24  will fit over the tire spoon  36 , the stop  34  and be secured to the hammer body  12  via the exterior threads  22  interacting with the interior threads  28 . If it is a desired to use additional weights  24  of additional size or weight, they may be added or removed as required and fit over the stop  34  and tire spoon  36 . As such, additional weights  24  may be available as an after market items and may or may not be manufactured or sold with the tire spoon  30 . 
         [0029]    In some embodiments of the invention, the slide hammer assembly  10  may include a lock mechanism  38 . The lock mechanism  38  may be activated in several different ways, for example, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the lock mechanism  38  may include a detent button  40 . 
         [0030]      FIG. 3  is a partial cross-sectional of a slide hammer assembly  10  where the lock mechanism  38  includes a detent button  40 . The detent button  40  is mounted to a rocking lever  42  which pivots over a pivot point  44 . The rocking lever  42  is biased by a spring  36  which biases a engaging member  48  against the shaft  32 . The force of the spring  36  is selected such that the engaging member  48  generates sufficient friction against the shaft  32  that the slide hammer assembly  10  does not move with respect to the shaft  32  unless the detent  40  is depressed. In other embodiments, the engaging member  48  may more positively lock with the shaft  32  for example, by fitting into a detent in the shaft  32 . 
         [0031]    Depressing the detent button  40  pivots the locking lever  42 , compresses the spring  46  and causes the engaging member  48  to disengage from the shaft  32 , thereby allowing a user to operate the slide hammer assembly  10 . When it is no longer desired to operate the slide hammer assembly  10 , the user releases the detent button  40 , thereby locking the slide hammer assembly  10  in place on the shaft  32 . Such a feature may be useful when it is not desired for the slide hammer assembly  10  to move about the shaft  34  when the tool such as a tire spoon  30  is being manipulated and the use of the slide hammer assembly  10  is not desired. 
         [0032]    Another locking mechanism  38  is illustrated in  FIGS. 4-6 . In  FIGS. 4-6  a slide hammer assembly  10  is shown with a locking mechanism  38  that is activated by twisting the hammer body  12 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 , the hammer body  12  is made up a fore  50  and aft  52  half. The fore  50  and aft half  52  may attach to each other by exterior threads  54  mating with interior threads  56  as shown. Other attaching methods may also be used in accordance with the invention. Attaching the fore  50  and aft  52  halves together traps a lock collet  58  between them. The lock collet  58  is generally C-shaped. The lock collet  58  is a unclosed ring as shown in  FIG. 4  and may include locking member  60  which have a greater thickness in axial length than the remainder of the lock collet  58  as shown. 
         [0033]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of a hammer body  12  including the locking mechanism  38  and a lock collet  58 . The lock collet  58  is located in an off center trench  62 . The off center trench  62  may be circular as shown but is located off center from the through hole  18  in a hammer body  12 . Locating the trench  62  off center results in the trench forming a shallow side  64  and a deeper side  66  with respect to the through hole  18 . 
         [0034]    In  FIG. 5 , the shaft  32  is shown extending through the lock collet  58 . The thick part  68  of the lock collet  58  (also referred to as the locking member  60 ) is located in the deep part  66  of the off center trench  62 . The thin part  70  of the lock collet  58  is located in the shallow side  64  of the off center trench  62 . This results in minimal friction or interference between the lock collet  58  and the shaft  32 . When it is desired to lock the hammer body  12  onto the shaft  32 , the user rotates the hammer body  12  to a locking position as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0035]    In  FIG. 6 , the hammer body  12  has been rotated on the shaft  32 . This rotation has caused the thick part of  68  (one side of the thick part  68  is now compressed and identified in  FIG. 6  as reference character  72 ) of the lock collet  58  to move to a more narrow or shallow side  64  of the trench  62 . Moving the lock collet  58  in this manner has caused the lock collet  58  to compress between the shaft  32  and hammer body  12 . In some embodiments the lock collet  58  may be made of nylon or any other suitable substance. 
         [0036]    The amount of compression that the thick part  72  of the lock collet  58  or the locking member  60  is the reduction of the diameter of the off center trench  62 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , part of the lock collet  58  is a compressed portion  72 . The difference between the compressed portion  72  and the thick part  68  illustrates the reduction in a diameter of the off center trench  62  with respect to the shaft  32 . The compression of the lock collet  58  results in friction and/or interference between the lock collet  58  and the shaft  32  thereby locking the hammer body  12  onto the shaft  32 . When it is desired to unlock the hammer body  12  with respect to the shaft  32 , the user may twist the hammer body  12  back to the position shown in  FIG. 5  which allows the locking member  60  or thick part  68  of the lock collet  70  to reside in the deep part  66  of the off center trench  62  and the thin part  70  of the lock collet  58  to reside in the shallow side  64  of the off center trench  62  as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0037]    The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed specification, and thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1