Abstract:
A device to support the roof of a vehicle comprises a pair of clamping arms joined together by a pivot pin, a helical spring and a quick release mechanism similar to the structure of a conventional locking plier, with an elongated clamping arm having a pair of ends, a fixed jaw attached to the first end, a moveable jaw attached to a first end of the second clamping arm, an adjustment screw attached to the elongated arm at the elongated arm second end, the adjustment screw being threadably inserted into the second end, the adjustment screw terminating in an adjustment knob, the arms each having a length, the length of the elongated arm being at least twice the length of the second arm, and the jaws being sized such that after adjustment, the jaws firmly grasp the roof of the vehicle.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application for patent Ser. No. 60/677,890, filed 4 May 2005, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     This invention relates to a locking pliers having an extended, large diameter handle, and jaws for securing and allowing emergency personnel to grasp, support and carry a large item such as the roof of a motor vehicle. The device can also be used to support and carry sheet goods, such as plywood, wallboard or the like.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     One of the many problems faced by emergency personnel when dealing with vehicular accidents is extricating a victim from a vehicle involved in the accident. Depending upon the accident, parts of the vehicle may be, for example only, inaccessible, damaged such that they are unusable, such as a smashed door, crushed because of the crumple-zone construction of many vehicles, and/or an accident victim trapped inside the vehicle who may be unable to extricate themself from the vehicle.  
         [0004]     It is often necessary for emergency personnel to remove the roof from a vehicle in order to access the victim. Generally, the roof is separated from the vehicle body using a power saw, with rescue personnel grasping the roof by its sides, lifting it off the vehicle and hand carrying it to another location while other personnel attend to the victim&#39;s needs. The accident site poses other risks for rescue personnel as the footing may be uneven, vehicular fluids ranging from coolant, hydraulic fluids or fuel may have leaked onto the site, creating slippery or possibly flammable conditions, and the damage to the vehicle may create sharp edges. Removal of the roof also creates sharp edges which need to be grasped by rescue personnel such as firemen who are often wearing bulky protective clothing, boots and gloves. Thus, there is a need for a tool that rescue or emergency personnel can use at an accident scene to securely grip and then carry a roof from a vehicle. An embodiment of the present invention is described which is fully adjustable and can be used on most types of vehicular roofs. This embodiment utilizes a adjustable, locking jaw pliers with an extended, large diameter handle which can be adjusted to provide a firm grasp on the roof, and whose length provides leverage to aid in the easy removal of a roof once it has been separated from the body of the vehicle. This embodiment can also be used to handle other sheet metal components of a vehicle, such as, for example only, a hood, trunk or the like.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     An object of the present invention is to provide a carrier that enables emergency personnel to stabilize and transport the roof of a motor vehicle.  
         [0006]     Another object of the present invention is to provide a rescue tool with an elongated handle that enables leverage to be applied that facilitate the transport of a roof of a vehicle.  
         [0007]     Another object of the present invention is to provide a rescue tool which when several such tools are simultaneously used by several persons, facilitates the carrying of a roof or similar article of sheet goods.  
         [0008]     Still another object of the present invention is to provide a rescue tool that is durable, and can withstand the repeated and hard use involved in rescue functions.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  is a side view, partly in phantom, of a rescue tool in an open position.  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the jaw, including a section of the handle member.  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is an embodiment of a stand to support the rescue tool.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0012]     An embodiment of the present invention is a rescue tool  10  ( FIG. 1 ) which comprises an elongated handle member  20 , a lower handle member  40 , and a pair of jaws, the lower jaw  80  being movable and the upper jaw  100  being fixed.  
         [0013]     Elongated handle member  20  includes a knurled region  22  proximate an end  24  of the handle member  20 . End  24  includes an opening through which an adjustment screw  26  is threadably inserted, and which adjustment screw  26  terminates in adjustment knob  28 . The other end  30  of adjustment screw is in frictional engagement with a projection  32  at an end of toggle-like member  34 .  
         [0014]     The lower handle member  40  is generally channel-shaped, and includes a release lever  42  attached thereto by means of a pivot pin  44 . When the rescue tool  10  is in the closed position, an end  50  of release lever  42  engages a second projection  52  of toggle-like member  34  (shown in phantom in  FIG. 1 ). To open the rescue tool  10 , release lever  42  is pivoted about pivot pin  44 , urging projection  50  out of engagement with end  50 , such that lower handle member  40  is moved away from handle member  20 , and the jaws are opened. A second end  46  of toggle-like member  34  is retained within lower handle member by means of a pivot pin  48 .  
         [0015]     A spring  60  having two ends  62  and  64  is joined to the handle  20  at a prong  66  on the handle inside, the second end  64  joined to lower jaw member  40  through an opening  68  therethrough. A pivot pin  70  receives a portion of lower jaw member  40  therein, and pivotably retains the lower jaw member within handle  20 .  
         [0016]     The jaws  80  and  100  are both generally C-shaped, a difference being that lower jaw  80  is movable while upper jaw  100  is fixed. Each jaw terminates in a pad  82  and  102 , respectively. In the embodiment illustrated, the pads  80  and  102  are rectangular in shape, and are provided with a rubber surface  84  and  104 , respectively. The rubber surfaces  84  and  104  both facilitate the grip of rescue tool  10  on a workpiece, and also may provide a surface that may not mar the surface of the workpiece (depending upon the ultimate use of the rescue tool).  
         [0017]     The surface of pads  82  and  102  may also include a plurality of nibs  112  to increase the grip of the pads onto the workpiece. In one embodiment, pads  82  and  102  have dimensions of about 6 inches by about 3 inches, but other sizes and configurations could be substituted therefor without deviating from the scope of the invention. Although not shown in the drawing, such alternate embodiments can include pads which are pivotably mounted to jaws  80  and  100 , thereby enabling the rescue tool to conform to the shape of the workpiece, such as a curved surface of a vehicle roof.  
         [0018]     In the embodiment illustrated, the distance between the front arms  86  and  106 , and the back arms  88  and  108  of the lower and upper jaws  80  and  100 , respectively, is between 10 to about 20 inches, with a distance of between 6 and 18 inches between the central arms  90  and  110 , respectively. The jaws can expand up to a distance of about 6 inches, although greater expansion distances are possible with additional modification of component sizes.  
         [0019]     Several components of the rescue tool  10  are similar to that of a locking pliers sold under the trademark of VISE-GRIP® (Irwin Industrial Tool Co., Freeport, Ill.), and described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,280,005, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference, particularly as it relates to the over center locking mechanism, and the adjustment mechanism.  
         [0020]     The rescue tool&#39;s handle  20  is an elongated handle, having a length that is about twice the length of the lower handle member  40 . The length of the handle  20  is generally between 1 and 3 feet. The handle  20  has a diameter that is substantially greater than that of most of the locking grip pliers commonly on the market, and this is between 1 and 3 inches.  
         [0021]     The knurled region  22  extends for approximately one-third the length of the handle member  20 . This extended knurled region  22  enables the user to obtain a secure grip on the rescue tool during its use, because frequently the emergency personnel who are using the rescue tool are wearing bulky gloves.  
         [0022]     A security strap  120  is attached to handle  20 , with a length that is sufficient to be wrapped around the lower handle  40  and secure the handles in the closed position such that they will not open in the event of an jarring of release lever  42  while the rescue tool  10  is in use. Such a security strap may be a rope, made of a material that is commonly used for rope; a strap of leather which can be tied, buckled, adjusted or the like; an elastomeric material; a strip of a hook and loop material, such as that sold under the trademark of VELCRO® (registered trademark of Velcro Industries, Curacao, Netherlands Antilles); or other material known to those skilled in the art.  
         [0023]     When used in the removal of a roof from a vehicle, such as that of an automobile, it is most convenient to use four rescue tools, with one tool being attached at or near each corner of the roof. In this manner, four people can stabilize the roof and prevent it from falling into the vehicle while other personnel cut the roof from the vehicle body; these same people can then transport the cut roof away from the vehicle. Alternatively, should fewer people be available, two rescue tools, with one tool being attached to each side of the roof, could be used by two people. To attach the rescue tool, the jaws are opened to an appropriate distance, then positioned on a desired section, after which adjustment screw is adjusted so the jaws securely grasp the roof. Because of the extended length of the handle  20 , rescue personnel can grasp the rescue tool, and position themselves a distance from the vehicle while the roof is being cut. The extended length also provides leverage so that once the roof has been cut, it can be easily transported away from the vehicle. If the roof of the vehicle is particularly large, it may be necessary to use additional rescue tools to stabilize and transport the cut roof; the actual number needed will generally be dictated by the particular circumstances. When more than one rescue tool is being used on a vehicle, the rescue tools should be attached so that the roof is supported evenly, and this can entail using rescue tools on opposite sides of the roof, or diagonally opposed to one another, depending upon the particular circumstances. If only a limited number of emergency personnel are on site, it is still possible to employ multiple rescue tools, but support the additional tools by means of an adjustable support stand which supports the handle while the jaws are in contact with the vehicle. Even if the roof has been damaged, it is still possible to find regions on the roof where the rescue tool can be attached, and used to stabilize the roof for removal.  
         [0024]     A representative stand  200  is a tripod-like structure, or can be similar to an oversized jack stand. Stand  200  comprises a plate  202  to which legs  204  are pivotably attached by pins  206 . The plate  202  includes a central opening  208  through which a column  210  is passed. In the embodiment illustrated herein, the column is manually adjusted up or down by loosening or tightening of a locking ring  212 . The column  210  is terminates in a head  214  that has the shape of an inverted semi-circle, with an opening  222  into which opening  222  the handle  20  of the rescue tool is positioned. A security strap  224 , such as a spring, may be attached to the head  220  and can be wrapped around the handle  20  to hold it in position.  
         [0025]     Legs  208  are attached to the plate, the legs being adjustable by means of a conventional telescoping mechanism commonly used for tripods. The legs may be locked in place using either a twist-turn locking mechanism  220  shown in the figure, or using a lever-type locking mechanism. The angle and the length of each leg can be adjusted individually, such that the stand can be positioned even when used on uneven ground. Although not shown in the drawings, the foot  222  of each leg can include a telescoping stud or prong, which can be exposed and enable the leg to be positioned in moist or rough ground. For additional support, the legs may be braced to the column using braces (also not shown).  
         [0026]     Although the previous description has focused on the use of the rescue tool  10  for the removal and carrying of a vehicle&#39;s roof, it is to be understood and contemplated that the use of this embodiment is not to be limited solely to carrying a roof, but can be extended to carry other items of sheet metal, such as the hood or trunk of a vehicle, fenders or quarter panels, other vehicular components, aircraft components, railroad car or railroad engine components or sheet goods manufactured of other materials, such as wood, aluminum, fiberglass, plywood, oriented strand board, wood laminates, composites, gypsum board, wall board, cement board, and the like.  
         [0027]     Therefore, although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of illustration and that numerous changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.