Abstract:
A paired set of handles attaching to a board forming a concrete screed to minimize the strain on a person performing concrete finishing work allows for an ergonomic application of downward force applied to the lower end of the handles and application of an upward lifting force by the shape of the grip portion at the upper end of the handles, with the shape and contour of the handles requiring less strain and strength than current screed handles.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     None. 
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     A paired set of handles attaching to a board forming a concrete screed to minimize the strain on a person performing concrete finishing work allows for an ergonomic application of downward force applied to the lower end of the handles and application of an upward lifting force by the shape of the grip portion at the upper end of the handles, with the shape and contour of the handles requiring less strain and strength than current screed handles. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     A preliminary review of prior art patents was conducted by the applicant which reveal prior art patents in a similar field or having similar use. However, the prior art inventions do not disclose the same or similar elements as the present pair of screed handles, nor do they present the material components in a manner contemplated or anticipated in the prior art. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 7,491,013 to Bohse, a handle attachment is indicated which provides alternate grip sites on an otherwise simple elongated handle. U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,154 to Record show a pair of screed handles connected together with intermediary grip handles and upper cuff handles steadied against the forearms of the user while surfacing concrete to provide a more stable screed apparatus. 
     A multiple contoured handle apparatus to be applied to conventional tools is indicated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,535 to Blessing, with FIG. 15 showing a handle bent along a three dimensional axis, but not in the same manner or serving the same ergonomic function as the present paired screed handles. A pivotal axis handle is demonstrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,828,427 to Nisenbaum. Two different adjustable screed frame members are indicated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,449,845 to Carrillo and 2,897,735 to Alessio, both of them having a belt to anchor the device to the operator while the screed is being used. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A concrete screed device has been used in the concrete finishing process most likely since the advent of concrete itself. The least sophisticated of these screed is a simple flat board which is drawn on the surface of the concrete to provide the concrete with a smooth and level surface. Over time, most likely due to wear and tear on the backs of the people performing the concrete finishing being bent over while using a simple flat board, these board started to have handles or extensions attached to the boards to allow the operator to stand in an upright position while keeping the board level and consistent over the surface of the concrete. Most of the advances in concrete screed have been directed towards stabilization of the screed while somewhat providing less stress on the operator. 
     The present concrete screed handles are provided in pairs, each directed to opposing arms of the operator, while formed in a mirror image of one another. Each handle has two ends, a lower end attached to the screed board, and an upper end forming a multiple bent handle which is different than any related prior art device. The upper end configuration provides each handle to incur a downward force when the hand is forces downward using the leverage against the forearm, and an upward force distributed along the hand and lower forearm near the wrist to lift the screed, providing the operator with more finesse and control over the screed during the finishing process with a reduced amount of stress to the operators back and legs and without having to alter the operator&#39;s grip in the concrete finishing process. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The following drawings are informal drawings submitted with this provisional patent application. 
         FIG. 1  is a view of the ergonomic concrete screed handles and operator during the concrete finishing process. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the upper end of one handle portion. 
         FIG. 3  is a top perspective view of the upper end of one handle portion. 
         FIG. 4  is an upper perspective view of the lower end with the board attaching means attached to a screed board. 
         FIG. 5  is a top view of an embodiment of a handle connecting means. 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of an upper end of a handle with a user&#39;s arm in position for use. 
         FIG. 7  is a top view of the upper end and the user&#39;s arm as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is an exploded view of the component parts of the ergonomic concrete screed handles. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A modified handle assembly  10  utilized with a concrete screed board  100 , provides a pair of separate screed handles  20 , as indicated in  FIGS. 1-8 , each screed handle  20  applied to a separate arm of the operator and formed in a mirror image of one another for the purpose of use to smooth the surface of wet concrete. Each modified handle  20  provides a shaft  30  having a lower end  40  attached to a common screed board  100  by a board attaching means  42 ,  FIG. 8 , and an upper end  50 ,  FIGS. 3-4  and  6 - 7 , forming a multiple bend leveraged grip portion  60 . An optional handle connecting means  90 ,  FIGS. 1 ,  5  and  8 , may be attached between each handle shaft  30 , if desired, but it is not required for use. 
     The upper end  50  provides each grip portion  60  to generate a downward rotational force when the user&#39;s hands are forces downward with leverage against the lower forearm near the wrist, and an upward rotational force with the gripped hand being elevated against the lower forearm away from the wrist to lift the screed. The multiple bend leveraged grip portion  60  provides the operator with more finesse and control over the screed board during the concrete finishing process with a reduced amount of stress to the operators arms, hands, shoulders, back and legs and without having to alter the operator&#39;s hand grip upon the handles. 
     The grip portion  60 ,  FIGS. 2-3  and  6 - 7 , is formed in a three dimensional axis to supply a first section  70  perpendicular to a linear axis X defined by the shaft  30  of each handle  20 . A second section  72  extends perpendicularly from the first section  70  away from the shaft  30  and with an upward transitional bend  73  rising above the linear axis X of the shaft  30 . A third section  74  extends perpendicular to the linear axis X of the shaft  30 , parallel to the first section  70 . A fourth curved section  76  extends downward and back towards the first section  70 , and terminates below the linear axis X, transitioning into a fifth section  78  extending back towards the second section  72 . The first, third and fifth sections  70 ,  74 ,  78  are parallel to one another,  FIGS. 3 and 7 , with the second section  72  parallel to the linear axis X of the shaft  30  when observed from the side,  FIGS. 3 and 6 . It is also observed from  FIGS. 3 and 6 , that the fifth section  78  is below the linear axis X, the third section  74  is above the linear axis X and the first section  70  is along the linear axis X, thus providing the first section  70  for a user&#39;s hand to grasp, the third section  74  positioned against the user&#39;s upper forearm and the fifth section  78  located below the forearm near the user&#39;s wrist,  FIGS. 6 and 7 . 
     One or more of the optional handle connecting means  90  provide for a fixed width between the shafts  30  of the two handles  20 , attached to the shaft  30  between the upper and lower ends  40 ,  50  of the handles  20 , and may be slidably connected to each handle  20  anywhere along the shaft  30 ,  FIGS. 1 and 8 . The connecting means  90  provides the handles  20  to be spaced apart for the comfort of the user to position the hands and arms of the user at a preferred shoulder&#39;s width,  FIG. 1 . One embodiment of the handle connecting means  90  is indicated in  FIG. 5  of the drawings, although there may be several different embodiments of the handle connecting means employed to secure the two shafts together at one or more different widths. 
     The lower end  40  of each handle is spread apart at a selected width appropriate to the user&#39;s comfort, with each lower end  40  connected to a flat and sturdy screed board  100  by the board attaching means  42 ,  FIGS. 1 ,  4 , and  8 . The handle connecting means  90 , if used, would be positioned and secured to the shafts  30  of the handles  20  at a coordinated width of the connected board attaching means  42 . The respective first sections  70  should be directed away from each other when used,  FIGS. 1 and 8 , with each second section  72  located on the outside of each of the user&#39;s arms, again preferably at a comfortable distance approximately equal to the shoulders&#39; width,  FIG. 1 .  FIGS. 4 and 8  indicate one embodiment of the board attaching means  42 , which is provided as a pair of spaced extensions  44  having two or more transverse bores  46  through each spaced extension  44  with a screw, nut and bolt, or a locking pin inserted through each aligned transverse bores and either into or through the screed board  100  along an upper margin  102 . As indicated by example in  FIG. 8 , set screws  47  traveling through threaded transverse bores  46  are shown to secure the attaching means  42  to the upper margin  102  of the screed board  100 . 
     The user grasps the first section  70  of each handle  20  with their hands, with the fifth section  78  positioned below the lower forearm near wrist and the third section  74  resting atop the forearm,  FIGS. 6-7 . With an extension of the forearms and hands downward, the user applied a leveraged downward rotational force to the lower end  40  where a controlled amount of pressure is desired on the screed board  100  during the concrete finishing process, with the third section  74  forced against the upper forearm. Lifting the grasped hand and the first section  70  with an upper force applied to the lower forearm near the wrist by the fifth section  78  will lift the lower ends  40  of the handles  20  and attached screed board  100  from the concrete surface during the concrete finishing process when necessary. The grip upon the first section  70  should remain constant during the finishing process. 
     The shafts  30  of each of the handles  20  should also be provided with a telescopic extension means to allow the handles to be extended or retracted to length to allow users of varying height to position the screed board in an ergonomically correct position in accordance with the shoulder&#39;s width, height and arm length of the individual user, as indicated in  FIGS. 1 and 8 . An embodiment of one telescopic means is indicated in  FIG. 8 , although other embodiments of a telescopic extension means may be employed, the telescopic shaft defining an upper shaft section  32  having a single alignment hole  33  and a lower shaft section  34  having a plurality of adjustment holes  35  slidably engaged within the upper shaft section with a shaft locking means  36  to secure a selected lower shaft section adjustment hole  35  with the single alignment hole  33  of the upper shaft section  32 ,  FIG. 8 . 
     There may also be some means of expansion located on the second section  72 ,  FIGS. 3 ,  7  and  8 , to properly adjust and locate the third and fifth sections  74 ,  78  at appropriate points along the forearms of the user, providing the device for use by a variety of different size and shaped users having different height, arm lengths, shoulder widths and differing levels of upper body strengths. In this embodiment, the second section is provided with a straight lower second section portion  80  having a plurality of adjustment holes  81  and an upper second section portion  82  having a single alignment hole  83  and including the upward transitional bend  73 , along with the third section  74 , fourth curved section  76  and fifth sections  78 , with the single alignment hole  83  of the upper second section portion  82  and a selected adjustment hole  81  of the lower second section portion  80  attached by a second section attaching means  85 , seen in  FIGS. 2-3 , and  6 - 8  as a bolt. 
     While the improvement is directed to screed handles, it should be recognized that the upper end and grip portion may be incorporated into any device that could use paired handles or even a single handle for an operation either occurring above or below the waist of a user. Although the embodiments of the improved screed handles have been described and shown above, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that numerous modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the improved handles or the intended and disclosed nature and purpose of the improved handles as herein described.