Patent ID: 6848731

Claim:
An improvement for elongate tools that are designed to engage objects from remote distances and more particularly those tool that have engagement elements located on a distal end of a first rod, a handle on a proximate end of a second rod, a controller on said handle to control said engagement elements, and a linkage between said controller and said engagement elements to control said engagement elements, said improvement comprising providing a two part rod, said rod connected together by a locking hinge, said locking hinge located at a medial position between said engagement elements and said handle, and said locking hinge further comprising: a first hinge segment comprising a leaf section and an opposite first knuckle, said first knuckle having opposite first and second annular extensions for reception of a hinge pin and said first and second annular extensions located a predetermined distance apart from one another, said leaf section adapted to be affixed to said distal end of said rod, a second hinge segment said second segment also comprising a leaf section and an opposite second knuckle having a third and fourth annular extension for receiving a hinge pin, said leaf section adapted to be affixed to said proximal end of said rod, and said first and said third annular extension located adjacent to one another and defining a first knuckle pair and said second and said fourth annular extension located adjacent to one another and defining a second knuckle pair and said first and second knuckle pairs defining a central aperture, said aperture defining an opening that is not round, wherein said first and said second knuckle pairs are positioned a predetermined distance apart from one another thereby defining a central gap, and a locking hinge pin, said locking hinge pin adapted to be received by said knuckle pairs and further comprising a plurality of axial segments, each segment having a width the same distance as said central gap and wherein two of said segments are round and spaced the same distance apart from one another as the distance separating said third and fourth annular extensions on said second hinge segment and the remainder of said segments have an axial section that are not round and can closely fit into the apertures formed by said knuckle pairs, wherein said locking hinge pin can be moved in rectilinear fashion into a first locked position wherein said not round axial profiled sections of said locking pin are aligned with the apertures in said knuckle pairs and a second free position wherein said round axial sections are aligned with said apertures in said third and fourth annular extensions and thereby provide for limited rotational movement.