US2133752A - Tool - Google Patents

Description

. Oct. 18, 1938. J] EMYER Er AL TooL ,. 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed oct. 24, 1936 Oct. 18, 1938. J. z. MYER E1- AL 2,133,752

TOOL

Filed Oct. 24, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheei 2 Patented Oct. 18, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOOL James E. Myer, Washington, D'. O., and Paul E. Magerstadt, San Francisco, Calif., assignors' to Tim-ber Engineering Company, Washington,

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a tool for use in connection with split metallic rings and more particularly those employed as timber connectors.

The invention aims generally to provide an exceedingly simple, inexpensive and durable tool with which the connectors may be expeditiously applied or extracted by expanding them into an enlarged eccentric shape and then in the case of extracting, by unitarily rotating them and the attached tool about the central longitudinal' axis of the connector, accompanied by slight lifting motion along said axis of the connector. It is additionally aimed to provide embodiments of the invention in both a single piece and in relatively movable pieces or levers.

The more specific objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the description following taken in connection with accompanying drawings illustrating operative embodiments, by way of example.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the improved tool in the one-piece form positioned to insert a connector;

Figure 2 is an inverted or bottom plan view of the said tool attached to a connector;

Figure 3 is a view showing the said tool applied to a connector, the former being in side elevation and the latter in section;

Figure 4 is a detail perspective fragmentarily showing a modification of said tool;

Figure 5 is a top plan view showing the tool in use in extracting a connector from the groove by rotary action;

Figure 6 is a side elevation showing the tool in use in extracting a connector by prying action;

Figure 7 is a plan view of a timber provided with a connector receiving groove, and

Figure 8 is a section on line 8-8 of Figure 7.

Referring specifically to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like or similar parts, and first to the form of Figures 1 to 3, a timber connector of the type in connection with which the invention is primarily used is shown at 9. This connector is a metallic ring, split at IO, which is seated for about half its length in an annular groove II of a timber |2, the half or portion of the connector shown projecting beyond the timber being adapted to enter an annular groove of an associated or connected timber which bears against that face of timber I 2 in which groove I l is provided. Said connector or split ring 9 contracts about and tightly embraces the core |3 of the timber surrounded by said groove il. Attention is directed to the fact that said groove I i is of greater diameter than the connector so that the latter in applying it to the groove ll may be in expanded condition. Such connectors 9 are usually made of steel, are very strong and heretofore it has been diflicult to expeditiously apply and remove them.

One form of the improved tool of the present invention is shown in Figures 1 to 4, and while it may be used in removing the connectors it is primarily used in applying the connectors to the grooves formed in the timbers, Figures 7 and 8. Such tool may be a metallic bar having a handle portion I5 and a work portion IB, which portions may be straight but are preferably disposed at about 30 to each other, as best shown in Figure 3. Adjacent the junction of said portions, a slot or notch l'l is provided in the lower edge of the bar, chamfered at the lower portion |8 of that side wall remote to the handle portion which is designated |9. A slot or notch 20 is provided in the lower free corner of the work portion IB in which there is a side wall 2|. The distance between the side wall 2| of slot 20 and the lower end of the chamfered portion |8 is about the same as the diameter of the bore of the connector and of course the distance between said side wall 2| and wall |9 is greater than the diameter of the bore of the connector or ring IO. v

In the use of this form of the device, it is first positioned on the connector or ring 9 as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3, the longitudinal axis of the tool preferably being at a right angle to the diametric line passing through the split of ring 9. Thus applied, wall 2| engages the inner wall of the connector and chamfer |8 engages the same wall at a diametrically opposite point, whereupon handle portion |5 is forcibly depressed causing the chamfer IB to exert a camming or wedging action on the ring with wall I9 moving into place, as shown in full lines in Figures 1 and 3, thereby expanding the connector ring to fit the groove l I. It will be realized that the contractile action of the ring on the engaged parts of the tool |4 is considerable hence the same and ring as a unit are adapted to be handled for the convenient insertion of the ring into a timber groove by pressure combined with slight rotation. After such insertion the ring may be freed from the tool by a sharp blow whereupon the connector 50 seats itself within the groove.

Since the connectors or split rings 9 in practice are employed in different sizes, the same tool may be constructed for use with more than one size. To this end, the work portion |6 may 55 have slots 22 and 23 for use with a connector 9 of smaller size, in exactly the same manner as the slots 20 and I'l, respectively.

As shown in Figure 4 the free end of the handle |5', which corresponds to the handle |5 of the first described form, may have one or more slots 24 and 25 therein, of different depths for engagement with rings 9 of different sizes, to remove them from the grooves through a Vertical prying action of the tool, after the manner shown in Figure 6 but with the handle substantially Vertical instead of horizontal as in Figure 6.

For similar removal this form of the tool may be utilized as shown in Figures 5 and 6. In Figure 5 the slot 22 is placed over the unseated upper edge of the ring 9, as in Figure 6, and the tool moved in the direction of the arrow from the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 5 to the full line position shown. This movement causes the slotI 22 to bind the ring 9. Further movement of the tool in the same direction rotates the ring within its slot which movement, accompanied by a slight lifting of the tool, releases the ring from the groove.

For removal of the connectors by horizontal prying action the tool is used as shown in Figure 6. In this action the slot 22 is engaged with the upper part of the ring 9 as shown in full lines. Downward pressure upon the tool handle causes the slot 22 to bend the connector until the position of the tool shown in dotted lines is reached. During this travel of the tool a combined lifting and expanding force has been transmitted to the conneotor causing it to release its hold of the slot and move vertically out of the groove using that portion of the ring under the slot 22 as a pivot.

It is preferred to form the handle portion M at an angle of about 30 to the notched or working portion, for convenience in use but obviously the whole tool may be in alignment if desired.

The language spaced slots as used in the claim is intended to include the notch 20 as this may be considered as a slot With one non-operating wall removed. It is also obvious that the non-Operating wall of slot I'l may be removed so that this slot also would become a notch without change in the action of the tool.

Minor changes may be made within the scope of the following claim without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

A split-ring connector tool comprislng a rigid member having spaced slots each presenting a wall, said walls spaced apart a greater distance than the normal inside diameter of a connector, one of said walls to engage an inner surface of the connector having a beveled portion inclined toward the bottom of its slot, said walls being engageable with the connector with the beveled portion in contact with an inner corner of the ring so that depression of the tool will cause said walls to enter and expand the connector and attachthe tool thereto.

JAMES E. MYER.. PAUL E. MAGERSTADT.

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