Combination tool with oppositely deploying handles

• US 6,357,068 B1
• Filed: 01/11/1996
• Issued: 03/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Leatherman Tool Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Buck Knives Incorporated
• Inventors: Debley, William P. Jr., Carson, Harold J. Jr., Carson, Harold J., Seber, Brett P., Splane, Robson L. Jr., Draguicevich, Gabriel Alejandro, Morton, Randolph J., Helton, Roy L. Jr., Rubin, Gregory F.
• Primary Examiner(s): MEISLIN, DEBRA S
• Application Number:
  US08/584,962
• Time in Patent Office: 2,259 Days
• Field of Search: 711/8, 712/5-1-5, 716/7-1-8, 814/275, 811/772, 811/774, 811/776, 814/11--12, 302/55, 301/53, 301/43, 301/55, 301/22
• US Class Current: 7/129
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 7/00 Pliers; Other hand-held gripping tools with jaws on pivoted limbs; Details applicable generally to pivoted-limb hand tools implements for fastening, connecting, or tensioning wire or strip B25B25/00; adapted for other fitting or separating purposes B25B27/00; for marking animals A01K11/00; dentists' forceps A61C3/00; bending wire eyes B21F1/06; hand-held metal-shearing or metal-cutting devices B23D29/00; hand cutting tools B26B; for punching or perforating B26F1/36; devices for securing ends of binding material in bundling machines B65B13/24; specially designed for watch-making or comparable work G04D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 7/10 with adjustable fulcrum
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 1/003 of pliers'-, scissors'- or wrench-type with at least one movable jaw B25F1/006 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 11/003 having folding handles

Abstract

A combination tool includes a tool head having a jaw mechanism with two jaws lying in a tool head plane. A first handle is pivotably attached to the jaw mechanism and rotatable in a first direction about a first pivot axle lying in the tool head plane, between a nested position wherein the first handle lies coplanar with and adjacent to the jaw mechanism and a deployed position wherein the first handle is coplanar with and remote from the jaw mechanism. A second handle is pivotably attached to the jaw mechanism and rotatable in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, about a second pivot axle lying in the tool head plane, between a nested position wherein the second handle lies coplanar with and adjacent to the jaw mechanism and a deployed position wherein the second handle is coplanar with and remote from the jaw mechanism. The combination tool further includes a set of blade tools including a first blade pivotably received in the first handle, and a second blade pivotably received in the second handle.

Claims

1. A combination tool, comprising:

a tool head including

a jaw mechanism having two jaws lying in a tool head plane,

a first attachment lug extending from the jaw mechanism, and

a second attachment lug extending from the jaw mechanism;

a first handle mechanism including

a first handle pivotably attached to the first attachment lug of the tool head, and

a first pivot axle lying in the tool head plane,

the first handle being engaged to and rotatable about the first pivot axle in a first direction relative to the tool head plane between a nested position wherein the first handle is coplanar with the two jaws and adjacent to the two jaws and a deployed position wherein the first handle is coplanar with the two jaws and remote from the two jaws;

a second handle mechanism including

a second handle pivotably attached to the second attachment lug of the tool head, and

a second pivot axle lying in the tool head plane,

the second handle being engaged to and rotatable about the second pivot axle in a second direction relative to the tool head plane between a nested position wherein the second handle is coplanar with the two jaws and adjacent to the two jaws and a deployed position wherein the second handle is coplanar with the two jaws and remote from the two jaws, the second direction being opposite to the first direction;

a set of blade tools including

a first blade pivotably received in the first handle and movable between a closed position wherein the first blade lies within the first handle and an open position wherein the first blade extends outside of the first handle, and

a second blade pivotably received in the second handle and movable between a closed position wherein the second blade lies within the second handle and an open position wherein the second blade extends outside of the second handle, the first handle and the second handle being cooperatively shaped with the jaw mechanism such that the jaw mechanism is nested between and coplanar with the first handle and the second handle when the first handle and the second handle are in their nested positions and the first blade and the second blade are in their closed positions.

2. The combination tool of claim 1, further including

a first handle detent in the deployed position, and

a second handle detent in the deployed position.

3. The combination tool of claim 1, further including

a first handle detent in the nested position, and

a second handle detent in the nested position.

4. The combination tool of claim 1, wherein the first pivot axle and the second pivot axle are angularly offset from each other.

5. The combination tool of claim 1, wherein the first pivot axle and the second pivot axle are angularly offset from each other by an amount of from about ½

to about 4 degrees.

6. The combination tool of claim 1, wherein the first pivot axle and the second pivot axle are collinear.

7. The combination tool of claim 6,

wherein the first handle mechanism further includes

means for driving the first handle parallel to the first pivot axle as the first handle is rotated about the first pivot axle from its deployed position toward its nested position, and

wherein the second handle mechanism further includes

means for driving the second handle parallel to the second pivot axle as the second handle is rotated about the second pivot axle from its deployed position toward its nested position.

8. The combination tool of claim 6,

wherein the first handle mechanism further includes

a helical first-handle cam groove on the first pivot axle, and

a first-handle cam follower on one of the first attachment lug and the first handle, wherein the first-handle cam follower is engaged to the first-handle cam groove.

9. The combination tool of claim 8,

wherein the second handle mechanism further includes

a helical second-handle cam groove on the second pivot axle, and

a second-handle cam follower on one of the second attachment lug and the second handle, wherein the second-handle cam follower is engaged to the second-handle cam groove.

10. The combination tool of claim 6,

wherein the first handle mechanism further includes

a first-handle first cam surface on the first attachment lug, and

a first-handle second cam surface on the first handle, wherein the first-handle first cam surface is engaged to the second-handle second cam surface such that the first handle is driven parallel to the first pivot axle as the first handle is rotated about the first pivot axle from its deployed position toward its nested position.

11. The combination tool of claim 10,

wherein the second handle mechanism further includes

a second-handle first cam surface on the second attachment lug, and

a second-handle second cam surface on the second handle, wherein the second-handle first cam surface is engaged to the second-handle second cam surface such that the second handle is driven parallel to the second pivot axle as the second handle is rotated about the second pivot axle from its deployed position toward its nested position.

12. The combination tool of claim 1, wherein the jaw mechanism comprises a pliers jaw.

13. The combination tool of claim 1, wherein the first handle and the second handle are each in the form of a channel having a first side lying parallel to the tool head plane, a second side lying parallel to the tool head plane, and a web connecting the first side and the second side.

14. The combination tool of claim 1, wherein the jaw mechanism comprises

a jaw pivot pin extending from the first attachment lug perpendicular to the tool head plane, and

a two-lobed bore extending through the second attachment lug and receiving the jaw pivot pin therethrough.

15. The combination tool of claim 1, wherein the first handle further includes a handle pivot therein at a location adjacent to the first pivot axle and disposed perpendicular to the first pivot axle.

16. A combination tool, comprising:

a tool head including a jaw mechanism having two jaws lying in a tool head plane;

a first handle pivotably attached to the jaw mechanism and rotatable in a first direction about a first pivot axle lying in the tool head plane between a nested position wherein the first handle lies coplanar with and adjacent to the jaw mechanism and a deployed position wherein the first handle is coplanar with and remote from the jaw mechanism,

a second handle pivotably attached to the jaw mechanism and rotatable in a second direction about a second pivot axle lying in the tool head plane between a nested position wherein the second handle lies coplanar with and adjacent to the jaw mechanism and a deployed position wherein the second handle is coplanar with and remote from the jaw mechanism; and

a set of blade tools including

a first blade pivotably received in the first handle, and

a second blade pivotably received in the second handle.

17. The combination tool of claim 16, wherein the first pivot axle and the second pivot axle are angularly offset from each other.

18. The combination tool of claim 16, wherein the first pivot axle and the second pivot axle are collinear.