Patent ID: 7926392

Claim:
A method for disengaging a pawl of a slack adjuster that includes a slack adjuster body and a pawl assembly with a pawl cap having a first diameter and a pawl shaft having a second diameter extending from the slack adjuster body, said method comprising steps of: providing a tool comprising an elongated handle having a first end and an opposite second end, and a longitudinal axis extending from said first end to said second end, said tool including a pawl cap engagement means from the group consisting of a slotted aperture formed at the first end and a forked end formed at the second end, wherein: said slotted aperture formed at the first end includes: a hole formed through said tool, said hole having a diameter that is greater than the first diameter of the pawl cap of the pawl assembly of the slack adjuster; and a first slot extending from said hole, said slot having a width that is greater than the second diameter of the pawl shaft of the pawl assembly of the slack adjuster; and said forked end formed at the said second end includes a pair of parallel spaced apart prongs, each prong including a free end, said prongs defining a channel therebetween, said channel including an open end and a channel width that is greater than the second diameter of the pawl shaft and less than the first diameter of the pawl cap, and said channel also including a channel length that is greater than the second diameter of the pawl shaft and at least as great as the first diameter of the pawl cap; and positioning the pawl cap engagement means in operative relation to the pawl cap; and advancing the pawl cap engagement means between the pawl cap and slack adjuster body in a manner to urge the pawl cap away from the slack adjuster body.