Auxiliary handle for a tool

• US 8,757,688 B1
• Filed: 12/06/2012
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Riordan Hajek
• Original Assignee: Riordan Hajek
• Inventors: Hajek, Riordan
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Paul T
• Application Number:
  US13/707,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20140159401A1
• Time in Patent Office: 565 Days
• Field of Search: 294/49, 294/54.5, 294/51, 294/53.5, 294/57, 294/58, 294/50.9, 372/65, 372/84, 372/85, D8/10, 403/99, 403/108, 403/113, 403/164, 403/167, 403/373, 164/26, 164/29, 254/131.5
• US Class Current: 294/58
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 1/026 with auxiliary handles for facilitating lifting
• CPC Class Codes: B25G 1/06 reversible or adjustable for position
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 5/02 Hand implements E01H5/04, E01H5/10, E01H5/12 take precedence shovels or spades in general A01B1/02; brooms, brushes A46B
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/04 Pivotal connections hinges for doors, windows or wings E05D
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32041 Universal

Abstract

An auxiliary handle includes an auxiliary shaft, a joint bracket, and a joint clamp. The auxiliary shaft extends along an auxiliary axis and has two ends. The joint bracket has a bracket axis which is substantially perpendicular to the auxiliary axis, and one end of the auxiliary shaft is rotatably connected to the joint bracket for rotation about the bracket axis. The joint clamp has a joint axis which is substantially perpendicular to the bracket axis, and the joint bracket is rotatably connected to the joint clamp for rotation about the joint axis.

Claims

1. An auxiliary handle comprising:

an auxiliary shaft that extends along an auxiliary axis and has a first end and a second end;

a joint bracket having a bracket axis which is substantially perpendicular to the auxiliary axis, wherein the second end of the auxiliary shaft is rotatably connected to the joint bracket for rotation about the bracket axis, and wherein the joint bracket further includes;

a first bracket including a joint bore that is coaxial with the joint axis and a first bracket bore that is coaxial with the bracket axis;

a second bracket in contact with the first bracket, the second bracket including a second bracket bore that is coaxial with the bracket axis; and

a first bushing for contacting the auxiliary handle, the first bushing having a third bracket bore that is coaxial with the bracket axis; and

a joint clamp having a joint axis which is substantially perpendicular to the bracket axis, wherein the joint bracket is rotatably connected to the joint clamp for rotation about the joint axis.

2. The auxiliary handle of claim 1, wherein the joint clamp is mountable to a tool shaft that extends along a tool shaft axis, the joint clamp having a clamp axis that is substantially parallel to the tool shaft axis when the auxiliary handle is mounted to the tool shaft.

3. The auxiliary handle of claim 1, wherein the joint clamp comprises:

a first clamp portion including a first securing bore and a clamp bolt that extends along the joint axis;

a second clamp portion including a second securing bore that is aligned with the first securing bore; and

a clamp fastener extending through both the first securing bore and the second securing bore;

wherein the joint bracket is rotatably attached to the joint clamp by the clamp bolt that passes through a joint bore in the joint bracket.

4. The auxiliary handle of claim 1, and further comprising:

a magnet attached to the first end of the auxiliary shaft.

5. The auxiliary handle of claim 1, and further comprising:

an auxiliary grip connected to the first end of the auxiliary shaft.

6. The auxiliary handle of claim 5, wherein the auxiliary grip is a spade grip including a grip portion that extends substantially perpendicularly to the auxiliary axis.

7. A shovel assembly comprising:

a shovel comprising a shovel grip, a shovel shaft connected to the shovel grip, and a shovel blade connected to the shovel shaft; and

an auxiliary handle comprising;

an auxiliary shaft that extends along an auxiliary axis;

an auxiliary grip connected to the auxiliary shaft;

a joint bracket that is rotatably connected to the auxiliary shaft such that the joint bracket can rotate about the bracket axis which is substantially perpendicular to the auxiliary axis; and

a joint clamp that is rotatably connected to the joint bracket such that the joint clamp can rotate about the joint axis which is substantially perpendicular to the bracket axis, wherein the auxiliary handle is connected to the shovel at the joint clamp, and wherein the joint clamp comprises;

a first clamp portion including a first securing bore and a clamp bolt that extends along the joint axis;

a second clamp portion including a second securing bore that is aligned with the first securing bore; and

a clamp fastener extending through both the first securing bore and the second securing bore;

wherein the joint bracket is rotatably attached to the joint clamp by the clamp bolt that passes through a joint bore in the joint bracket.

8. The shovel assembly of claim 7, wherein the auxiliary handle is connected to the shovel shaft proximate to the shovel blade.

9. The shovel assembly of claim 7, wherein the joint clamp substantially surrounds the shovel shaft.

10. The shovel assembly of claim 7, wherein the joint bracket comprises:

a first bracket including a joint bore that is coaxial with the joint axis and a first bracket bore that is coaxial with the bracket axis;

a second bracket in contact with the first bracket, the second bracket including a second bracket bore that is coaxial with the bracket axis; and

a first bushing for contacting the auxiliary handle, the first bushing having a third bracket bore that is coaxial with the bracket axis.

11. The shovel assembly of claim 7, wherein the auxiliary grip is a spade grip including a grip portion that extends substantially perpendicularly to the auxiliary axis.

12. The shovel assembly of claim 7, wherein the shovel grip is a spade grip including a grip portion that extends substantially perpendicularly to the shovel shaft.

13. The shovel assembly of claim 7, wherein the auxiliary shaft is between 50% and 100% of a length of the shovel shaft.

14. The shovel assembly of claim 7, wherein the joint clamp is mountable to a tool shaft of the shovel that extends along a tool shaft axis, the joint clamp having a clamp axis that is substantially parallel to the tool shaft axis when the auxiliary handle is mounted to the tool shaft.

15. The shovel assembly of claim 7, and further comprising:

a retainer connected to at least one of the auxiliary shaft and the shovel shaft.

16. The shovel assembly of claim 15, wherein the retainer comprises a magnet.

17. A universal joint for connecting an auxiliary handle to a tool, the universal joint comprising:

a joint bracket that connects the auxiliary handle to the universal joint for rotation about a bracket axis, the joint bracket comprising;

a first bracket including a joint bore having a joint axis and a first bracket bore coaxial with a bracket axis, wherein the joint axis and the bracket axis are substantially perpendicular;

a second bracket in contact with the first bracket, the second bracket including a second bracket bore that is substantially coaxial with the bracket axis; and

a first bushing for contacting the auxiliary handle, the first bushing having a third bracket bore that is coaxial with the bracket axis; and

a joint clamp that is rotatably connected to the joint bracket to allow rotation about the joint axis, the joint clamp being mechanically connectable to and disconnectable from a tool shaft.

18. The universal joint of claim 17, and wherein the joint clamp further comprises:

a first clamp portion including a first securing bore and a clamp bolt that extends along the joint axis;

a second clamp portion including a second securing bore that is aligned with the first securing bore; and

a first clamp fastener extending through both the first securing bore and the second securing bore;

wherein the joint bracket is rotatably attached to the joint clamp by the clamp bolt that passes through a joint bore in the joint bracket.

19. The universal joint of claim 17, wherein the first bracket is comprised of metal and the second bracket is comprised of polymer.

20. The universal joint of claim 17, and further comprising:

a fourth bracket bore in the first bracket and a fifth bracket bore in the second joint bracket, wherein the fourth and fifth bracket bores are coaxial with the bracket axis.

21. The universal joint of claim 17, and further comprising:

a second bushing having a sixth bracket bore that is coaxial with the bracket axis.

22. An auxiliary handle comprising:

an auxiliary shaft that extends along an auxiliary axis and has a first end and a second end;

a magnet attached to the first end of the auxiliary shaft;

a joint bracket having a bracket axis which is substantially perpendicular to the auxiliary axis, wherein the second end of the auxiliary shaft is rotatably connected to the joint bracket for rotation about the bracket axis; and

a joint clamp having a joint axis which is substantially perpendicular to the bracket axis, wherein the joint bracket is rotatably connected to the joint clamp for rotation about the joint axis, and wherein the joint clamp comprises;

a first clamp portion including a first securing bore and a clamp bolt that extends along the joint axis;

a second clamp portion including a second securing bore that is aligned with the first securing bore; and

a clamp fastener extending through both the first securing bore and the second securing bore;

wherein the joint bracket is rotatably attached to the joint clamp by the clamp bolt that passes through a joint bore in the joint bracket.

23. The auxiliary handle of claim 22, wherein the joint clamp is mountable to a tool shaft that extends along a tool shaft axis, the joint clamp having a clamp axis that is substantially parallel to the tool shaft axis when the auxiliary handle is mounted to the tool shaft.

24. The auxiliary handle of claim 22, and further comprising:

an auxiliary grip connected to the first end of the auxiliary shaft.

25. The auxiliary handle of claim 24, wherein the auxiliary grip is a spade grip including a grip portion that extends substantially perpendicularly to the auxiliary axis.