Patent Abstract:
This disclosure relates to a tool, system of tools, or method of utilizing tools to quickly, safely, ergonomically and effectively lift any number of objects including but not limited to manhole covers and car tires. The user is aided by the tool containing any number of picks that may be directionally adjusted, manually or automatically, latches to connect the tool to attachments (such as tripods, power lifting belts, vehicles, and other tools), additional support handle bars located at or about the center of gravity which may be adjusted from one location to another to guide the body into a lifting posture to reduce back strain and accident potential, pre-molded or moldable sections on the tool or its handlebars to aid the user in gripping the tool, a gyroscope and other features for making the jobs of utility workers and service workers safer, more efficient, and easier.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/108,297, filed Jan. 27, 2015. The entire disclosure of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/108,297 is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The general field of the disclosure herein relate to methods, systems, or apparatuses involving designing and utilizing manhole cover tools, attaching manhole cover tools to additional equipment and components, or utilizing manhole cover lifting tools in a way that effectively informs the user of how best to quickly use the device while minimizing the risk of strain or injury. The systems, methods, and apparatuses of the disclosure involve a manhole cover lifting tool designed with components the user may utilize to aid in safely removing and restoring manhole covers. The components include but are not limited to a support bar located at a fulcrum that may be adjustable around the center of gravity of the manhole cover lifting tool, a gyroscope attached to the manhole cover lifting tool, a lever hook for attaching the manhole cover lifting tool to a truck or another device, molded hand grips, and a dial for adjusting the angle of the pick located at the base of the manhole cover lifting tool. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Many can attest to the back-breaking danger of having to bend over to lift manhole covers, often weighing over one hundred pounds, condensed into lead or concrete discs. While there have been numerous attempts to make it easier to lift manhole covers, a testament to the universal difficulty found in lifting such heavy covers worldwide, few if any such attempts focus specifically on the convenience and portability of cover lifting tools, and as a result few have become popular in public usage. Some such as the Kono patent (&#39;706) focus on having wheels with a base set at a fixed pivot point to act as a lever brace, but this fixed point is not adjustable. Others such as the Dodge patent (&#39;300) have bulkier designs which are not suitable for quick transportation from one manhole to the next, for setup by one individual, a quality which could be quite helpful for crews needing to work in roadways in limited time. Finally, there are disclosures of completely hand-operated picks with similar designs that force the user to insert the manhole cover pick at angles that are difficult to set up, and in some cases could lead to back injury. The main priorities emphasized in such disclosures are speed of setup, ergonomic ease of use, and safety. 
     According to a 2003 report from the Liberty Mutual Fund Institute for Safety, “opening manhole covers was the biggest cause of accidents in the utility industry.” The report describes workers being injured while lifting manhole covers, often causing lower back disorder (LBD) due to overexertion in lifting manhole covers. Others had severe injuries from broken feet and broken or amputated fingers and toes. Previous tool designs intended to address manhole-cover lifting injuries are large and cumbersome, requiring more time and effort to set up and use. The importance of an inexpensive, effective, and easy to use tool that can relieve these types of injuries cannot be overstated. Thus, the present disclosure strives to find one or more practical and creative solutions to addressing problems in the art, and assisting in the lever technology industry overall, including but not limited to manhole picks. While the embodiments disclosed herein may aid users in the water distribution field with lifting manhole covers quickly and safely, it is envisioned that the disclosed embodiments can be used for everything from workers in other utility trades lifting manhole covers to pit crews removing tires in a service lane for NASCAR, INDYCAR, and Formula One races. 
     SUMMARY 
     This disclosure concerns a manhole cover lifting tool or a manhole pick for back support and flexibility for use in the field. The embodiments enabled in this disclosure are separate from other prior art in its field because of its emphasis on portability and targeted support at the center of gravity. This disclosure relates to additional handlebars and pivot points for the tool located near the center of gravity, incorporation of position-based technology, such as gyroscopes to allow users to find their “sweet spot” (defined herein as a particular angle for a particular user most effective in lifting covers of a particular size), and additional interfacing ability with related accessories, including but not limited to power lifting belts, designed to reduce the strain on a person&#39;s back while lifting heavy items, thereby maintaining balance; tripod assemblies, allowing the pick to first lift the manhole cover from a given point, then from the same tripod set-point restoring the same manhole cover, without the need for re-centering the tripod; and trailer hitch assemblies, where a lever accessory already designed to fit on a standard truck tow hook can interface with the manhole pick for ease of lifting while the truck provides safety for workers removing manhole covers, which are often found in the middle of busy roadways. One of the ergonomic improvements disclosed herein, separating this disclosure from the prior art, involves locating the lifting handle around the center of gravity of the pick. This improvement allows for better mechanical advantage and back support for service workers such as water, sewer, and electrical workers. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a manhole cover removal tool with a lifting aid located at or about the center of gravity of the device. 
         FIG. 2  shows a manhole cover removal tool with lever hooks for attachment, and including molded sections. 
         FIG. 3  shows a manhole cover removal tool with a removable pick (fastened by a pin for alternating pick ends better suited for use on different orifices), and a lifting guide with pins for changing its position along a grooved track on the shaft. 
         FIG. 4  shows a manhole cover remover with two styles of removable picks on either end and a removable lifting guide on one side of the shaft around the center of gravity. 
         FIG. 5  shows a manhole cover remover with two styles of removable picks on either end and two styles of removable picks on either side of the shaft. 
         FIG. 6  shows a modified manhole cover remover with an adjustable and removable pick (which may be repositioned by removing an interior pin and reinserting at a rotated position in a dial), a lifting guide, and a trigger within the lifting guide for lifting the interior pin to adjust the angle of the pick. 
         FIG. 7  shows a modified manhole cover remover with an adjustable and removable pick, a lifting guide, dual triggers within the lifting guide (one for lifting the adjustment pin and the other for lifting the removal pin), a dial with holes for adjusting the pick angle, and an alternate pick to swap with the existing one when it is released by the user. 
         FIGS. 8-11  illustrate a method of removing a manhole cover from a manhole according to one embodiment, with a hooked pick. 
         FIGS. 12-14  illustrate a method of removing the manhole cover of  FIGS. 8-11  from the manhole according to another embodiment, with a non-hooked pick. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present disclosure relates to tools, a system of tools, or a method of utilizing lever tools for lifting objects including but not limited to manhole covers and vehicle tires. This application describes a variety of ways to build, adjust, and set up lever tools to quickly and efficiently utilize mechanical advantage. 
     In this disclosure the term “shaft” refers to a rod of any length, but much longer than it is wide, which shaft may be flat, cylindrical, or polygonal-shaped. The term “pick” refers to a connecting section of rod which may have a variety of shapes, including but not limited to flat, curved, hooked, or cylindrical, but should be angled in a direction different from that of the shaft to be envisioned as part of the tool. The term “mechanical dial” refers to an angle adjustment mechanism which may be attached to the pick and/or the shaft and adjusted by a variety of suitable methods including but not limited to being turned by hand by the user, being turned remotely by a digital indicator which responds to the user&#39;s inputs and sends a signal to the mechanical dial to automatically adjust the angle of the pick from the shaft, or an automated adjustment set to be triggered by a timer that can be set before placing the pick into a manhole cover hole. These embodiments are envisioned to allow the user to gain a mechanical advantage from the pick, which may be adjustable, while utilizing any additional handle bar(s) for balance or the assistance of a second hand and/or additional user(s). 
     In this disclosure the term “lever” refers to a shaft connected to a pick, which is to be used to lift an object located at the pick end, while the lever is attached to something at another location. This disclosure also relates to a method of utilizing a system of levers and apparatuses to attach a lever to a vehicle, tripod, additional tool, power lifting belt, or other object, adjusting a secondary or any other suitable number of bars located on the lever into position at or around the new center of gravity of the lever, locking the bar(s) into place, and lifting the lever (and the object it is attached to at the pick end). 
     Referring now to the drawings, where like reference numerals designate like elements, there is shown in  FIG. 1  a tool  100  that has a shaft  102  that is connected to a lifting guide  104 . A handle bar  106  is located at or around the center of gravity of the tool  100 . The tool  100  also has a pick  108 . The term “lifting guide” refers to an extension that juts from a face of the shaft  102 . The illustrated lifting guide  104  may be used for a variety of purposes, including but not limited to the user approximating the distance from a location of the rod  102  to the pick  108 . The handle bar  106 , which may be attached to the lifting guide  104 , may be used to increase the effective lifting torque of the tool  100 . According to one aspect of this disclosure, the position of the handle bar  106  may be adjustable along the length of the rod  102 , and the tool  100  may be configured to fix and lock the handle bar  106  into place at a desired location. According to another aspect of this disclosure, more than one handle bar may be attached to the shaft  102 . 
     According to preferred embodiments of this disclosure, the shaft  102  may be a cylindrical bar of steel, or other suitable material, with a diameter  110  less than about two inches. The distance from a distal end  112  of the shaft  102  to the handle bar  106  may be in the range of from about one foot to about three feet. An exterior diameter  114  of the handle bar  106  may be in the range of from about one inch to about four inches. The length of the shaft  102  from the distal end  112  to a proximal end  116  where the shaft  102  is connected to the pick  108  is preferably at least four feet. If desired, the pick  108  may be formed by heating the shaft  102  white hot and bending the pick  108  to the illustrated angle α and providing an end point  118 . In operation, the end point  108  is inserted into an opening in a manhole cover (not illustrated in  FIG. 1 ). The tool  100  may have dimensions other than those described herein. However, in preferred embodiments of this disclosure, the width of the tip  118  of the tool  100  should be in the range of from about 0.50 inch to about 0.625 inch to fit into a conventional manhole opening. 
     According to another aspect of this disclosure, the length of the shaft  102  is extendable by concentric sections, attaching sections, and/or other suitable devices. In other embodiments of this disclosure, the location of the lifting guide  104  and/or the handle bar  106  may be adjustable to account for a change in the center of gravity of the tool  100  if the shaft length is extended or if the tool  100  is attached to another object. In other embodiments of this disclosure, the shaft length is extendable. In still other embodiments of this disclosure, the shaft may be fitted with a gyroscope  120  which is used to give the user (not illustrated in  FIG. 1 ) some indication of the angle at which the shaft  102  is aligned relative to vertical. The gyroscope  102  may either be external, so that the user can look at it directly, or internal and configured to relay the angle from vertical to the user via an electronic system, including but not limited to sending a signal to a display (not illustrated) which indicates the angle, or sending a signal to a speaker (not illustrated) which verbally indicates the angle. One advantage of the gyroscope  120  is that it can aid users of varying heights and arm lengths in knowing what angle gives them the best mechanical advantage for lifting objects of different weights, also known as determining their “sweet spot.” 
     According to another aspect of this disclosure, referring now to  FIG. 2 , a tool  200  has a shaft  202  (which may be cylindrical). The shaft  202  is connected to molded sections  204 ,  206  located around the center of gravity of the tool  200 , and a pick  208  may be located at a proximal end  212  of the shaft  202 . The tool  200  may include an attachment hook  210  as might be needed for a system of attaching a lever to another object. The molded sections  204 ,  206  are areas where the user may ergonomically grab the tool  200 . The molded sections  204 ,  206  may be composed of a variety of materials including but not limited to rubber, Velcro, or foam. 
     Another embodiment of this disclosure, referring now to  FIG. 3 , includes a shaft  302  connected to a pick  304 , which may be released from the shaft  302  by removing a pin  305  from a hole  306  in both the shaft  302  and the pick  304 . The illustrated tool  300  may include a lifting guide  308  with a handle  310  which is removable by removing pins  312 ,  314 , and which can also be used to adjust the position of the lifting guide  308  as the pins  312 ,  314  slide along a track  316 , imbedded within or attached to the shaft  302 . The tool  300  may further include ridges  318  or latches within the track  316  to hold the lifting guide  308  stationary in a fixed position. 
     A tool  400  constructed in accordance with another embodiment of this disclosure is illustrated in  FIG. 4 . The tool  400  has a shaft  402  that is connected to a pick  404 , which may be released from the distal end  405  of the shaft  402  by removing a pin  407  from a hole  406  that extends through both the shaft  402  and the pick  404 . If desired, an additional pick  408  may be fastened to the other end  409  of the shaft  402  by securing a lock or a pin  411  through a hole  410 . In operation, the pin  411  extends through both the shaft  402  and the second pick  408 . This embodiment may include a removable lifting guide  412 , which may include a handle bar  414 . The lifting guide  412  may be fastened to the shaft  402  by removable pins  416 ,  418 . As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the first pick  404  may have a non-hooked configuration and the second pick  408  may have a hooked configuration. In operation, the selection of which of the two different picks  404 ,  408  is to be inserted into a manhole cover opening is advantageously determined by the user, according to different situations encountered at various job sites. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , another embodiment of this disclosure includes a shaft  502  connected to a pick  504 , which may be released by removing a pin  505  from a hole  506 . According to a preferred embodiment, the hole  506  extends through both the shaft  502  and the pick  504 . An additional pick  508  may be fastened to another end  509  of the shaft  502 . The second pick  508  may be secured to the shaft  502  by a lock or a pin  511  extending through a hole  510 . The tool  500  illustrated in  FIG. 5  may include a removable lifting guide  512 , which may include a handle bar  514 , and which may be fastened to the shaft  502  by removable pins  516 ,  518 . If desired, the tool  500  may further include another lifting guide  520  which may be removable by releasing pins  522 ,  524 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , a manhole cover removal (handling) tool  600  has a shaft  602  with distal and proximal ends  603 ,  601 . A non-hooked pick  604  and a dial  606  are located at the proximal end  601  of the shaft  602 . The dial  606 , the pick  604 , and the shaft  602  may be fastened together by one or more suitable devices, including but not limited to a pin, lock, or latch driven through a hole  608  in the shaft pick  604  and dial  606 . The angle α of the pick  604  relative to the axis of the rod-shaped shaft  602  may be adjusted by securing or removing another such fastener through a plurality of secondary holes  610 ,  612 ,  614 . For ease of angular adjustment, the fastener may be released by a user who is holding the shaft  602  and its lifting guide  616 , pulling a trigger  618  within the lifting guide  616  that is connected to a release on the second fastener, before a spring forces it back into a new hole. The trigger  618  may be connected to the release mechanism by a cable (not illustrated) or some other suitable mechanism. 
     Another tool  700  is illustrated in  FIG. 7 . The tool  700  has a shaft  702  that is connected to a pick  704  and a dial  706 . The dial  706 , the pick  704 , and the shaft  702  may be fastened together by one or more suitable devices including but not limited to a pin, lock, or latch driven through a hole  708  in the shaft  702 , the pick  704 , and the dial  706 . The angle of the pick (the angle α between the direction in which the pick end  118  points and the axis  703  of the shaft  702 ) may be adjusted by securing or removing a fastener through secondary holes  710 ,  712 ,  714 . For ease of adjustment of the angle α, the fastener may be released by a user who is holding the shaft  702  and the lifting guide  716 , pulling a trigger  718  within the lifting guide  716  that is connected to a release on the second fastener, before a spring forces it back into a new hole. The fastener or fasteners securing the pick  704  to the dial  706  and the shaft  702  may be released by pulling another trigger  720  connected to the fastener(s) such that another style of pick  722  (for example the illustrated hooked pick  722 ) may be inserted with holes for fastening  724  and angle adjustment  726 . 
     In operation, as shown in  FIGS. 8-11 , a tool  100 ′ with an integrally-formed hooked pick  150  may be used to remove a manhole cover  152  from a manhole  154 . The end  118  of the pick  150  is inserted into an opening  156  in the cover  152  as shown in  FIG. 9 . Then, the shaft  102  is lifted by the user  151  from a point  158  near the center of gravity of the tool  100 ′, to remove the cover  152  from the manhole  154 , as illustrated in sequence from  FIG. 10  to  FIG. 11 . 
     According to another exemplary method of operation, as shown in  FIGS. 12-14 , a tool  100 ″ may have an integrally-formed non-hooked pick  408 . The end  118  of the pick  408  is inserted into the opening  156  in the cover  152  as shown in  FIG. 13 . Then, the shaft  102  is rotated downward, without lifting, from a point  158  near the center of gravity of the tool  100 ″, to remove the cover  152  from the manhole  154 , as illustrated in  FIG. 14 . The cover  152  is rotated out of the manhole  154  by first pushing downward on the tool  100 ″ and then pulling the tool  100 ″ in a direction away from the manhole  154 . 
     It is understood that the various preferred embodiments are shown and described above to illustrate different possible features of the disclosure and the varying ways in which these features may be combined. Apart from combining the features of the above embodiments in varying ways, other modifications are also considered to be within the scope of the disclosure. The disclosure is not intended to be limited to the preferred embodiments described above, but rather is intended to be limited only by the claims set out below. Thus, the disclosure encompasses all alternate embodiments that fall literally or equivalently within the scope of these claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1