US1863821A - Ax, pick, and like hand tool - Google Patents

Description

June 21, 1932. w. w. WRIGHT AX, PICK, ANDLIKE HAND TOOL Filed Jan. 6, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l \NVENTOR: w 6%MM f Attorney.

June 21, 1932. w. w. WRIGHT AX, PICK, AND LIKE HAND TOOL Filed Jan. 6. 1931 2 Sheets-Shag: 2

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Patented June 21, 1932 WALTER WILLIAMS WRIGHT, on UMTALI, soU'rHnR-N nrronnsra, AFRICA AX, PICK, AND LIKE; HAND TOOL Application filed January 6, 1931 Serial No. 506,883, and in Great Britain February 15, 1930.

This invention relates to improvements in axes, picks and other hand tools, and has for its chief object to provide improved and simplified means for securing the head to the haft of the tool.

According to the present invention, the means for holding the head on the haft are so arranged that blows on the head or on a member used to hold the head on the haft 110 set up a wedge action either between the head and the haft or between a member associated with the head and the haft, in order securely to hold the head on the h'aft. In the preferred form of" this invention,

I provide a sleeve around the head end of the haft, said sleeve being provided with diametrically opposite slots to receive a tapered cotter or a tapered tang on the head so that blows on the cotter or on the head tend to drive the cotter or tang further into the slot, thereby putting the sleeve further on to the haft and firmly securing the head in position.

-'The sleeve and the haft may be tapered so that the pulling of the sleeve on to the haft will tend to compress the haft, or I may arrange a metal wedge, either in the haft or between the sleeve and the bait, in which case the sleeve and the haft end may be parallel. The metal wedge is provided with a slot through which the tang or the cotter passes so that the wedge also is drawn into or onto the haft when the header cotter is struck as the case may be, thereby increasing the firm holding of the head in position.

More particularly in those cases in which the cotter is employed. the sleeve, which is disposed about the haft, may form part of the head of the tool. 1

Other advantageous and novel features are provided by means of this invention and will be more fully described heerinafter.

In order that this invention may be the more clearly understood and readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example and not of limitationcertain constructional embodiments of this invention, and in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary section through the head end of a simple form of hatchet ac cording to this invention, and

Figure 2 is a section on line 22 thereof.

Figure 3 is a view similar to that shown in Figure 1 and illustrating a modified form of i5 securing the head to-the haft according to this invention.

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the form shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an elevation of the wedge shown. in Figures 3 and 4, and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary elevation of a modified form of wedge.

Figure 7 is a sectional view showing a further modified form of securing an ax head to itsdhaft according to the present invention. Figure 8 is a section on line 8-'8 of the same.

Figure '9 shows a still further modified form of fixing according to the present invention. I

Figure 10 shows by means of a view similar to Figure 1 one suitable method of securing a composite toolto the haft, and

Figure 11 is ah end illustrated in'Figure 10. V

Figure 12 shows a further form of fixing a composite tool which will be of particular use in connection with combined pick and railway beater.

Figure 13 illustrates a modification of the device shown in Figure 12, and

Figure 14 is an end elevation of the tool. shown in Figure 13.

Figure 15 shows a still further form of tool according to this invention, and

Figure 16 is an end elevation of the tool shown in Figure 15.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2 of'the accompanying drawings, the ax head a is provided with a tapering tang a and the head end 5 of the haft is provided with a tapering slot 72 to receive this tang a. The end of the haft is tapered slightly, as shown, and a metal sleeve 0, similarly tapered, is disposed about the haft 25. This sleeve is slotted to receive the tang. It will thus be seen that the effect of the blows on the ax head a will not only be to drive the tang a further into 75 elevation of the tool :15 tang a the slot 6 and so hold the same firmly, but in addition the sleeve will be drawn down on to the haft in the directionof the arrow, thus the parts are firmly held together.

In the modification shownin Figures 3 to 5, the sleeve 0 and the bait b may be parallel sided, as shown, and I provide a steel or like metal wedge d which is inserted in a tapering slot 6 in the end of the haft Z), the said sleeve 0 also having a slot d? through which the tang a passes, as above described. The tang a bears only on the bottom end of the slot in the wedge and the slot, within which the wedge is disposed, is of suchlength that there is a space left between the bottom of the slot and the bottom of the wedge (see Figure 3). In this form, in addition'to the tightening action referred to above, the effect of the blows on the ax'head a will be todraw the wedge (Z further into the slot 6 This will tend to separate the two parts of the haft end I) and will press them firmly against the sleeve, thereby providing additional security.

Further, as shown in Figure 6, the top end 5 of the wedge 61 may, if desired, be provided with outstanding projections or ears (Z which bear on! the top of thesleeve 0 so that any movement of the Wedge alsoforces the sleeve efurther on to the haft b.

Referring now to the form of fixing shown in Figures 7 and 8 in this form, the haft b is tapered outwardly instead of inwardly towards its end and the sleeve, 6 is similarly tapered and is slotted as at e to receive the A filling in strip f may be provided between the sleeve 6 and the haft I) and a strengthening bridge e may be provided across the wider end of the sleeve 6, in order to strengthen the same, and also to form'an abutment for the one side of'the tang a Protecting lips 6 may also be provided onthe sleeve 6.

The fitting shown in Figure 9 is a simplified form of that shown in Figures 7 and 8 and in this form-the tang a passes through a slot in the haft b. The haft b and the sleeve 6 are tapered outwardly as before. The method of fixing shown in this figure will operate in a similar manner to that shown in Figures 1 and 2 except that instead of blows on the ax head a having the effect of draw ing the sleeve on to the haft b, they will have the effect of tending to force the same off of the haft. Since, however, the haft and sleeve are outwardly tapered, this movement, if any, will cause the sleeve and the head to be more firmly held on the haft. I The present invention isnot limited to its use for securing a's'ingle toolto a haft, it may be used for securing a composite or double tool to the haft. Certain embodiments of this form of the inventionare shown in Figures 10 to 14 inclusive and will now be described.

l Figures 10 andll show a combined aX a railway beater) are worn out part.

hammer and nail drawer. The haft b and the sleeve 6 are outwardly tapered, as de scribed in connection with Figure 9, and the haft and sleeve are likewise slotted. Instead, however, of the slots in the haft b and the slot 0 in the sleeve 6 being adapted to receive only thetaperedtang a of the ax a, they are, in addition, adapted to'receive the tapered tang 9 of a hammer g. .The hammer head 9 and the ax head ware arranged on opposite a and g abut against one another within the slot in the haft b. In this way blows on either the hammer g or the ax a, will have the effect of tightening the grip on the tangs and will hold the tools firmly in position.

A nail drawer h is also provided and is held at its ends between the sleeve e and thehaft b, asshown in Figure 10. Figure 11 showsthe shape of the nail drawer, and the manner in which it is used will be apparent. I

Figure 12 illustrates a form of this invention which will be of particular use .on railways as acombined pick and railway beater. In this form the sleeve 6 is provided with a head a. and has small projections e which 'mayform'the ends of the slot '6 The tangs 7' of the two tools (one of which may be a pick, and: the other of which may be each tapered and stepped as shown. They are inserted into the slot 6 in the sleeve 6 from opposite directions,

and the'straight faces-of the tangs are each provided :with notches so that one set of notches 3' can takeabout theprojectionse". One tang is thus heldfirmly in position and the wedge action set up by the tapered and stepped portions holds the other tang firmly. Blowson the heads ofeither of the tangs will increase the wedge action thegrip on the two tools. The two tools are, however, readily detachable and replaceable, it being merely necessary to strike theend of the tang witha hammer to release the wedge act-ion and allow either of the toolsto be removed. I V

The' combined picks and railway beaters, asheretofore constructed, have been made all in one piece so that when one of the parts is WOITH 1? the other part, even though it may be quite good, has to be discarded with the This disadvantage is overcome by means of the present invention which enables the worn out part to be replaced without affecting the other part. 7

A modification of this form of device,

which also enables two separate tools to be fixed to a'single handle or haft, is shown in Figures 13 and 14. Inthis form the tangs 7c are not stepped along the tapered portion but are ofreduced. thickness at their'ends, as at 7' so that they take about one another after the mannershown in Figure 14.

The sleeve 6 is of a similar construction to that shown in Figure 12, except that the proand will increase sides of the haft b so'that the tapering tangs jections 6 may be omitted, and like reference letters have been used to indicate like parts.

In all of the above described forms of the invention the wedge or tapered member has formed the tang of the tool. This need not be so, however, as the tapered member, to which the blows are applied, in order to increase the grip between the head and the bait, may be in the form of a separate cotter.

Figures 15 and 16 illustrate a further form of composite tool according to this invention. In this form, the end of the haft Z) is surrounded by a sleeve 0 which is provided with an extension 0 forming a hammer, a recess 0 being provided under this projection for a purpose hereinafter described. The sleeve 0 is also formed on one side to receive the shank of a nail drawer p, and the parts are all held together by the tapering tongue a of the ax head a (or the tang of an adze, as shown in dotted lines). which tang passes through the shank of the nail drawer, the sleeve, the bait 72 and the wedge d and finally projects into the recess 0 Blows on the ax head a (or on the adze) will thus hold the parts firmly together.

If desired, a standard haft and sleeve may be provided, and various tools, all of which have a standard sized tang, may be used with the same, thereby avoiding the necessity of keeping in stock a large number of different sized shanks.

If desired, the tangs may be panelled, as shown in certain figures of the drawings.

It will thus be seen that by means of this invention a simple means of securing ax heads to the haft is provided in which all screwing, riveting and the like is dispensed with. Further, although this invention has been more particularly described as applied to the securing of ax heads, it will be obvious that it is equally applicable to the securing of pick heads, hoes, rakes, shovels and other hand tools.

Among the many advantages accruing from the use of this invention may be mentioned, firstly, that all chance of the head be coming loose is avoided, secondly, the device is very simple, and thirdly, the ax or the like will be better balanced.

I claim 1. A hand tool comprising a haft, a slotted metal sleeve surrounding said haft, a slotted wedge in said haft, a tool head, a tapered tang to saidtool head, said tapered tang passing through said slots in said sleeve and said slot in said wedge so that blows on the tool head cause the said wedge to wedge more tightly.

2. A hand tool comprising a haft, a slotted metal sleeve surrounding said haft, a slotted wedge between said haft and said sleeve, a

tool head and tapered tang to said tool head,

said tapered tang passing through said slots in said sleeve and said slot in said wedge.

3. A hand tool comprising a bait, a slotted metal sleeve surrounding said haft, a slotted wedge in said haft, ears on said wedge bearing on said metal sleeve, a tool head and a tapered tang to said tool head, said tapered tang passing through said slots in said sleeve and said slot in said wedge.

4. A hand tool comprising a haft, a slotted metal sleeve surrounding said haft, a slotted wedge in said haft, two tool heads, a tapered. tang to each of said tool heads, said tapered tangs passing in opposite directions through said slots in said sleeve and through the slot in said wedge. I 1

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

WALTER WILLIAMS WRIGHT.

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