Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to files and; more particularly, to a file having a straight portion and a curved portion, and the curved portion includes three file surfaces. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     U.S. Pat. No. 305,344 (Simons) discloses a file having a curved portion. There are two embodiments of the curved portion of the file, one of which includes a concave filing portion and the other embodiment which includes a convex filing portion. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 1,727,690 (Anheuser) discloses another file having a curved surface. The curved surface is convex. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,058,912 (Reid) discloses a file or abrasive tool formed of several flat elements appropriately secured together and, which, when finished, may be curved. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,687,562 (Noll) discloses a file having a transversely curved configuration. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,531,841 (McCord, Jr.) discloses a file holder in which a file is made of a ribbon type material and which may be curved. That is, the file portion, secured to a support frame, may be either flat or curved, as desired. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,733,663 (Brucker) discloses a rotary tool having a rasp or file surface. The surface is circular and may be appropriately curved, as desired. That is, different embodiments of the file or rasp surface may be secured to the tool to provide the desired ultimate configuration of the material on which the tool is used. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,990,134 (Stoutenberg) discloses a sheet metal file having a convex work surface. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,178,663 (Hayes) discloses a hand scraper which includes a convex work surface. 
     U.S. Pat. No. Des. 355,829 (Kotlarz) discloses a particular design for a corner shaping file. The file includes two abrading surfaces, and the abrading surfaces are disposed perpendicularly to each other. The apparatus of the present invention differs from the prior art in several aspects, one of which is that a plurality of abrading surfaces are found in the apparatus of the present invention and the apparatus of the present invention includes a curved surface which allows the desired abrading surface to be used very close to a comer, to a wall, etc. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention described and claimed herein comprises a file apparatus which includes a base element having a pair of handles secured to the base surface and a flat file surface on the base element. Extending downwardly from the base element there is a curved file which includes file surface on three sides, including a curved bottom and the sides. The sides of the curved element are flat. 
     Among the objects of the present invention are the following: 
     To provide new and useful file apparatus; 
     To provide new and useful file apparatus having a plurality of abrading surfaces; 
     To provide new and useful file apparatus including a curved file surface and generally flat file surfaces; 
     To provide new and useful file apparatus having file surfaces disposed generally perpendicular to each other; and 
     To provide new and useful file apparatus including a convexly curved file surface and flat file surfaces adjacent to the curved file surface. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is a side view, a portion of which is broken away and in partial section of the apparatus of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a view in partial section taken generally along line  2 — 2  of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged view, in partial section of a portion of the apparatus of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged view, partially broken away, of a portion of an alternate embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1 is a side view of file apparatus  10  of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a view in partial section of the file apparatus  10  taken generally along line  2 — 2  of FIG.  1 . For the following discussion, reference will primarily be made to both FIGS. 1 and 2. 
     File apparatus  10  includes a base element  12  which is generally of a rectangular configuration. The base element  12  includes a pair of ends  14  and  20  which are generally parallel to each other. The base element also includes a bottom  30 . 
     Extending outwardly and upwardly from the ends  14  and  20  of the base element  12  are handle tangs  16  and  22 , respectively. As best shown in FIG. 2, the base element is relatively narrow, and as best shown in FIG. 1, the base element  12  is rather elongated with respect to its width. Handles  70  and  80  are secured respectively to the tangs  16  and  22 . 
     The handle tangs extend outwardly and upwardly from the base element  12 . Handles  70  and  80  are appropriately secured to the respective tangs. This will be discussed in more detail, below. On the top of the base element  12  is a generally straight and flat filing or abrading surface  28 . 
     Extending downwardly from the bottom  30  of the base element  12  are a pair of posts  32  and  42 . A curved file element  50  extends between and is appropriately secured to the posts  32  and  42 . The curved file element  50  includes a convex bottom filing or abrading surface  60  . id a pair of side filing or abrading surfaces  62  and  64 . The side abrasive surfaces  62  and  64  are generally flat. The convex filing or abrading surface  60  extends between the posts  32  and  42 . 
     As also best shown in FIG. 2, the curved file element  50  is relatively narrow, and is generally aligned with the base element  12 . The abrading surfaces  28  and  60  are accordingly relatively narrow, while the side abrading surfaces  62  and  64  are dimensionally greater than the flat abrading surface  28  and the convex abrading surface  60 . In other words, the width of the abrading surfaces  28  and  60  is relatively thin as compared to the length or width of the abrading or file surfaces  62  and  64 . 
     The file apparatus  10  is a particular use for cabinet installers in which surfaces needing filing (abrading) may be adjacent to walls and which include inside corners. The file apparatus of the prior art are now amenable to uses on inside corners and adjacent to walls without the danger, often realized, of damaging adjacent walls or adjacent cabinetry, etc. However, the use of the curved file surface  60 , as well as the flat or straight file surface  28 , along with the flat file surfaces  62  and  64 , allows the file apparatus  10  to be used in relatively confining areas and without the danger to adjacent finished surfaces, such as walls. 
     FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the tang  16  with a portion of the handle  70  secured thereto and a portion broken away to illustrate the securing of the handle  70  to the tang  16 . For the following discussion, reference will be made to both FIGS. 1 and 3. 
     The tang  16  includes an aperture  18 , and the handle  70  includes a slot  72  which receives a portion of the tang  16 . The handle  70  also includes a pair of aligned apertures  74 , shown in FIG. 1, which are aligned with the aperture  18  and the tang  16 . When the upper portion of the tang  16  is inserted into the slot  72 , the apertures  18  and  74  are aligned and a pin  76  is then inserted to secure the handle  70  to the tang  16 . 
     The handle  80  is substantially identical to the handle  70 , and the tang  22  is substantially identical to the tang  16 . Thus, the tang  22  includes an aperture, and the handle  80  includes a pair of apertures  84 , shown in FIG. 1, and the handle  80  also includes a slot which receives the upper portion of the tang  22 . The aligned apertures in the tang and handle then receive a pin to secure the handle  80  to the tang  22 . 
     The curved file portion  50  may be configured as a separate file  150 , as illustrated in FIG.  4 . FIG. 4 comprises a fragmentary view of a portion of a curved file apparatus  150 . For the following discussion, reference will be made to both FIGS. 1 and 4. 
     The curved file  150  includes the essential features of the curved file portion  50  of the file apparatus  10 . The curved file apparatus  150  includes a pair of tangs, of which a tang is shown and to which may be secured a pair of handles, of which a handle  170  is shown in FIG.  4 . The tang elements of the apparatus  150  are essentially like the tang elements  16  and  22  which are secured to the base  12  of the file apparatus  10 . The configuration of the tangs allows handles, such as handles  70  and  80 , to be secured to the tang elements. Thus, the handle  170  is substantially identical to the handle  70 . 
     The handle  170  includes a slot  172  and a pair of aligned apertures which, when the tang  152  is disposed in the slot  172 , the aligned apertures in the handle  170  are aligned with the aperture  154  in the tang  152  and a securing pin may then be inserted into the aligned apertures to secure the handle  170  to the tang  152  of the curved file  150 . The opposite tang receives a similar handle, substantially as discussed above with respect to the handle  170  and also substantially as discussed above for the handle  80  with respect to the tang  22 . 
     The file  150  includes a convexly curved filing or abrading surface  160  and a pair of side filing or abrading surfaces, of which an abrading surface  164  is shown in FIG.  4 . The file apparatus  150  is, like the file apparatus  10 , and specifically like the curved file portion  50  thereof, relatively narrow and the side abrading surfaces, of which the surface  164  is shown, are generally flat. 
     While the principles of the invention have been made clear in illustrative embodiments, there will be immediately obvious to those skilled in the art many modifications of structure, arrangement, proportions, the elements, materials, and components used in the practice of the invention, and otherwise, which are particularly adapted to specific environments and operative requirements without departing from those principles. The appended claims are intended to cover and embrace any and all such modifications, within the limits only of the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Technology Category: y