Multi-use hammer device and method field of the invention

Abstract

A slide and pull hammer device includes three major components, namely, a guide sleeve, a drive bar and an impact head. The drive bar is inserted within the guide sleeve. The impact head is secured within the distal end of the guide sleeve, and has a portion which protrudes beyond the guide sleeve distal end. The drive bar is operable to impact both a distal end and a proximal end of the guide sleeve to apply force to objects in at least two opposite force directions. One force applied by the device includes a hammering or compression force, and another force applied by the device includes a tension or withdrawing force.

Claims

1. A method of selectively generating two directional and controlled forces including a compression force and a tension force by a slide hammer device, said method comprising: providing a slide hammer device including (i) a guide sleeve having a distal end, a proximal end, and an inner surface defining a longitudinal passageway therein, the guide sleeve further comprising a first delimiting member located within the guide sleeve at the distal end thereof and a second delimiting member located at the proximal end and frictionally fit within said guide sleeve; (ii) an impact head receiving section connected to and extending from said guide sleeve; (iii) an impact head secured to the distal end of the guide sleeve within said impact head receiving section (iv) a monolithic drive bar slidably secured within the longitudinal passageway of the guide sleeve, the drive bar comprising a shaft portion, a user proximal end, an enlarged distal end, and a shelf at the enlarged distal end of the drive bar, the user proximal end comprising an extension which extends beyond the proximal end of said guide sleeve for grasping by a user (v) providing a first end tip secured to a distal end of the impact head; sliding the drive bar within the guide sleeve in a forward direction so the end tip contacts a first targeted object; generating the compression force against the first targeted object by the contact of the first end tip; removing the first end tip; providing a second end tip communicating with the distal end of the impact head; securing the second end tip to a second targeted object upon which the tension force is to be applied by the device; sliding the drive bar within the guide sleeve in a rearward direction so that the shelf of the drive bar contacts the second delimiting member within said guide sleeve; generating the tension force against the second targeted object by the contact of the shelf; and repeating the contact to generate the tension force to pull against the targeted object to dislodge or remove the second targeted object.

2. The method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the first end tip includes a tapered head and a shaft portion, the tapered head having a substantially v-shaped configuration and a rounded distal end.

3. The method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the first end tip includes a body and a pair of spaced apart prongs extending from said body, said prongs having a planar shape with interior facing sides extending substantially parallel to one another.

4. A method of selectively generating a tension force by a slide hammer device against a targeted object, said method comprising: providing a slide hammer device including (i) a guide sleeve having a distal end and a proximal end, and an inner surface defining a longitudinal passageway therein, the guide sleeve further comprising a first delimiting member located within said guide sleeve at the distal end thereof and a second delimiting member located at the proximal end thereof (ii) an impact head communicating with the distal end of the guide sleeve; (iii) a monolithic drive bar slidably secured within the longitudinal passageway of the guide sleeve, the drive bar comprising a shaft portion, a user proximal end, an enlarged distal end and a shelf at the enlarged distal end of the drive bar, the user proximal end having an extension that extends beyond the proximal end of said guide sleeve for grasping by a user; providing an end tip having a first end secured to a distal end of the impact head; securing a second opposite end of the end tip to the targeted object upon which the tension force is to be applied by the device; sliding the drive bar within the guide sleeve in a rearward direction, while the guide sleeve remains stationary, so that the shelf of the drive bar contacts the second delimiting member within the guide sleeve; and generating the tension force against the targeted object by the contact of the shelf against the second delimiting member.

5. A method of selectively generating a directional tension force by a slide hammer device, said method comprising: providing a slide hammer device including (i) a guide sleeve having a distal end and a proximal end, and an inner surface defining a longitudinal passageway therein, the guide sleeve further comprising a first delimiting member located within said guide sleeve at the distal end thereof and a second delimiting member located at the proximal end and frictionally fit within said guide sleeve; (ii) an impact head communicating with the distal end of the guide sleeve; (iii) a monolithic drive bar slidably secured within the longitudinal passageway of the guide sleeve, the drive bar comprising a shaft portion, a user proximal end, an enlarged distal end and a shelf at the enlarged distal end of the drive bar, the user proximal end having an extension that extends beyond the proximal end of said guide sleeve for grasping by a user (iv) providing an end tip having a first end connected to distal end of the impact head; securing a second end of the end tip to a targeted object upon which the tension force is to be applied by the device; sliding the drive bar within the guide sleeve in a rearward direction so that the shelf of the drive bar contacts the second delimiting member within said guide sleeve; and generating the tension force against the second targeted object by the contact of the shelf.

6. The method, as claimed in claim 5, wherein: said second delimiting member includes a cylindrical shaped bushing frictionally fit within said guide sleeve and wherein said shelf of said drive bar contacts a forward edge of said cylindrical shaped bushing when said drive bar is slid in the rearward direction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute part of the specification, illustrate embodiments and together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the drawings given below, serve to explain the principle of some of the possible embodiments.

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a slide hammer device;

(3) FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 is a an enlarged side view of a plunger according to the embodiment of FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a distal end of the embodiment of FIG. 1 showing details of a distal end of the plunger within the guide sleeve and located adjacent the impact head disposed within an impact head housing of the guide sleeve;

(6) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an end tip component of the slide hammer device according to one embodiment;

(7) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another end tip component of the slide hammer device according to another embodiment;

(8) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the slide hammer device with the end tip of FIG. 6 mounted thereto, and the end tip engaged with a targeted work piece in the form of a wrench used to tighten or loosen a nut, and the end tip provided as a mechanical force assist; and

(9) FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the slide hammer device with the end tip of FIG. 5 mounted thereto, and the end tip engaged with a targeted work piece in the form of a threaded pipe union interconnecting two sections of pipe, in which the slide hammer device is used to rotate the pipe union to join or disconnect the sections of pipe.

(10) It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale. In certain instances, details that are not necessary for an understanding of the embodiments or that render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted from these drawings. It should be understood, of course, that the embodiments are not limited to those particular embodiments illustrated in the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(11) FIGS. 1-3 illustrate a slide hammer device according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. The slide hammer 2 comprises a guide sleeve 4 and a drive bar or plunger 6. In operation, the drive bar 6 is placed within the guide sleeve 4 and is slidable within at least a portion of a length of the guide sleeve 4. In the depicted embodiment, the drive bar 6 comprises a substantially cylindrical shaft portion 8, a user proximal portion 10, and an enlarged drive bar end 22. User portion 10 is grasped by the user, and may include features to enhance gripping, such as a hand-grip portion 12 and/or a knurled end portion. Other features placed on the user proximal portion 10 to enhance gripping for safety and functionality of the device 2 may include rubber grips or covers, enlarged and/or detachable handle portions, and finger or hand guard portions. When the device 2 is to be used as a pull hammer to generate tension/withdrawal forces, a flanged or bulbous feature may be threaded onto or otherwise secured to the proximal end 11 of the drive bar to aid a user's grip when a pulling or extraction motion is applied to the drive bar.

(12) The slide hammer of the present invention is useful for transmitting at least one of two directional and controlled magnitude forces. As shown in FIG. 1, the translatable plunger or drive bar 6 is capable of being driven forward in the direction of resultant force F.sub.1 in order to provide a forward or compression force against a targeted object. The device 2 is further capable of applying a second force F.sub.2, wherein the second force F.sub.2 is directed in a substantially opposite direction from the first force F.sub.1. For example, an extraction force F.sub.2 is imparted by translating the drive bar 6 in the direction of second force F.sub.2. For transferring the tension or extraction force against a targeted object according to F.sub.2, the slide hammer incorporates a proximal stop or delimiting member 20 secured at the proximal end of the guide sleeve 4 to prevent the drive bar 6 from being completely withdrawn from within the guide sleeve. When the drive bar is withdrawn a sufficient distance, a surface or shelf 24 of an enlarged drive bar end 22 at the distal end of the drive bar makes contact with the proximal stop 20, as discussed below. The force generated by this contact results in generating the tension/extraction force.

(13) Various end tips may be secured to the impact head 18 in order to transfer force according to F.sub.1 and/or F.sub.2. For example, the end tips may include different shaped and sized tools that are each adapted for transferring force in a particular directed manner.

(14) The guide sleeve 4 comprises an elongate cylindrical portion 5 and a hand guard feature 14 located at the proximal end of the guide sleeve. The guide sleeve 4 further comprises various internal geometries and features as shown and described in more detail herein. The impact head 18 is located at the distal or working end of the guide sleeve 4. An impact head receiving section 40 includes a housing 41 houses the proximal portion of the impact head 18. The impact head 18 transfers force from the plunger or drive bar 6 to a selected end tip secured to the distal end 31 of the of the impact head 18. Each end tip may have a proximal end threadably attached to a threaded distal end of the impact head 18, or the tools may be secured to the impact head by other means such as by a retaining pin or by friction fit.

(15) The hand guard 14 of the guide sleeve may incorporate a spring loaded locking feature 26 for securing the drive bar 6 to thereby prevent it from moving within the guide sleeve, such as when the drive bar is not in use. The drive bar 6 has a corresponding annular recess 28 for receiving the locking feature 26.

(16) As shown, the drive bar 6 includes the user-proximal portion 10 with the handle-grip portion 12, the elongate shaft 8, and the enlarged drive bar end 22. The enlarged drive bar end 22 is substantially cylindrical having an outer diameter greater than an outer diameter of the elongate shaft 8, and adapted for contacting the impact head 18 when the drive bar 6 is moved forward.

(17) The proximal stop 20 may be press fitted, welded, or a combination thereof within the proximal end of the guide sleeve 4. The proximal stop may be cylindrical shaped ring or bushing piece sized to frictionally fit within the guide sleeve 4. During use, the forward or distal edge 21 of the stop 20 has a contact surface that makes contact with a shelf or surface 24 of the enlarged drive bar end 22 when the drive bar 6 is sufficiently withdrawn from the guide sleeve. More specifically, a withdrawal force F.sub.2 is applied to the device 2 such that an end tip may pull, extract, or withdraw an object to which it is attached when the drive bar is withdrawn so that the shelf 24 strikes the forward edge 21 of the stop 20.

(18) The hand guard portion 14 includes a first planar portion 19a, a second planar portion 19b, and a cylindrical portion 19 located between the planar portions. The locking feature 26 may be a biased locking pin that engages the recess 28 in the shaft 8. More particularly, when the recess 28 on the shaft 8 is moved into alignment with the lock pin 26, the lock pin can be selectively released so that the free end of the pin extends into and is secured within the recess 28. In this manner, the drive bar 6 is locked and is prevented from being moved within the guide sleeve until the lock pin 26 is extracted from the recess 28.

(19) The impact head 18 may include a leaf spring 44 adapted for securing an end tip. The leaf spring may in the form of a strip of metal that bows radially outward, and is adapted to flexibly receive and engage an interior channel or bore of an end tip. The distal end of the impact head 18 may also have a through-hole for receiving and securing an end tip to the impact head as by a retaining pin placed through the through-holes and aligned with a corresponding through hole of the end tip.

(20) Referring also to FIG. 4, the impact head 18 comprises an impact flange 30 mounted within the housing 41 of the impact head receiving section 40. The impact flange 30 provides a force-communicating interface between the impact head 18 and an end tip mounted to the protruding distal end 31 of the impact head 18 when the device is used in a first mode to transmit force according to force F.sub.1. The distal end of the impact head receiving section 40 includes a distal stop or delimiting member, shown in the preferred embodiment as an inwardly extending annular feature 43 that is smaller in diameter than the impact flange 30, thus preventing forward movement of the impact flange 30 beyond the stop 43. The enlarged drive bar end 22 within the guide sleeve 4 is shown as being in contact with a proximal facing surface of the impact flange 30. The distal end 31 of the impact flange 30 extends outwardly through the impact head housing 40. This distal portion is adapted to receive selected end tips. Spring 42 is shown as being located between the distal end of the impact flange 30 and the stop 43. The spring 42 provides shock and recoil absorption when a force or impact is applied to the device 2 by movement of the drive bar 6. Preferably, the spring 42 has stiffness suitable for reducing the shock or recoil of the device without absorbing an excessive amount of the impact that is intended to be transferred to an attached end tip.

(21) FIGS. 5-6 depict end tips according to various embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 5 depicts an end tip 50 that can be attached to the distal end 31 of the impact head 18. The end tip 50 comprises a tapered head 54 disposed on a substantially cylindrical shaft portion 52. The substantially cylindrical shaft portion 52 comprises at least one aperture 56 for selectively securing the end tip 50 to the impact head 18 as by a retaining pin (not shown). The tapered head 50 has a rounded distal end that extends substantially perpendicular to an axis of the shaft portion 52. The tapered head, when viewed from the side, has a substantially v-shaped configuration, however the distal end being rounded as shown and described.

(22) FIG. 6 depicts an end tip 60 according to another embodiment wherein the end tip 60 includes a body 62 and spaced prongs 64. As shown, the prongs 64 are substantially planar and extend longitudinally in the direction of the body, which is also longitudinally aligned with the impact head 18 when attached thereto. The prongs 64 define a channel or gap between the prongs that can be used to engage a targeted object as described below.

(23) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the slide hammer device with the end tip of FIG. 6 mounted thereto, and the end tip engaged with a targeted work piece in the form of a wrench used to tighten or loosen a nut, and the end tip provided as a mechanical force assist. More specifically, the end tip 60 engages the handle of a wrench 80, and the wrench 80 is used to tighten or loosen a nut threaded over a bolt 82. The wrench 80 is shown as a box-end wrench in which the box end 84 of the wrench 80 is placed over the bolt 82 and engaged with a nut (not shown) threaded over the bolt. As shown, the spaced prongs 62 are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than a width of the wrench handle that enables the end tip 60 to conveniently engage the wrench. A user can apply force to the wrench through the end tip by operating the slide hammer to generate a compression or hammering force by sliding the drive bar 6 forward or distally so that the enlarged end 22 of the drive bar 6 contacts the impact head 18, thereby causing the wrench to tighten or loosen the nut by rotation of the wrench in the corresponding direction.

(24) FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the slide hammer device with the end tip of FIG. 5 mounted thereto, and the end tip engaged with a targeted work piece in the form of a threaded pipe union interconnecting two sections of pipe, in which the slide hammer device is used to rotate the pipe union to join or disconnect the sections of pipe. More specifically, the end tip 50 engages a crease or channel located between the studs or protrusions 92 of a pipe union 90. Conventionally, a pipe union 90 is used to interconnect two sections of pipe 94 as shown. For pipe unions used to interconnect large sections of pipe, such as pipes used for conveying petroleum products or natural gas, the pipe unions incorporate the protrusions 92 in order to assist with rotating the pipe union. However, oftentimes these pipe unions can become seized over the sections of pipe, and significant force must be used to rotate the unions. The tip 50 is especially adapted for engaging the creases or channels located between the body of the pipe union 90 and the protrusions 90. The shape of the tapered head fits within the channels of various different sized pipe unions. A user can apply force to the pipe union through the end tip by operating the slide hammer to generate a compression or hammering force by sliding the drive bar 6 forward or distally so that the enlarged end 22 of the drive bar 6 contacts the impact head 18. In this manner, the pipe union 90 can be rotated to join or disconnect the sections of pipe 94 by rotating the pipe union in the corresponding direction.

(25) According to a method of invention, an end tip is secured to the distal end of the impact head 18. The end tip is attached to a targeted object in which it is desired to place a tension or withdrawing force upon the object. For example, the targeted object could be an object seized or jammed within a chamber that must be removed, and the chamber has only one open end that requires the object to be removed by a force directed in tension or extraction. Once the end tip is secured to the object, a user withdraws the drive bar 6 at a desired speed and force so that the shelf 24 of the enlarged drive bar end 22 makes contact with the distal edge 21 of the proximal stop 20. Upon impact of the moving drive bar 6 against the stop 20, a tension or withdrawal force is transmitted to the targeted object. The user can selectively repeat the striking action of the drive bar end 22 against the stop 20 by cycling the drive bar forward and then in a reverse withdrawn direction for another contact or strike of the drive bar end 22 against the stop 20. The repeated striking action can be conducted until sufficient forces have been applied to remove or otherwise dislodge the targeted object.

(26) One example of an end tip that can be used for attaching the end tip to a targeted object for purposes of placing a tension force against the object includes an end tip with a male or female threaded portion that enables it to be threadably attached to the targeted object that has a complementary threaded portion. Another example includes an end tip with an opening to receive a securing pin that can be placed through a complementary opening in the targeted object so that the pin joins the end tip and object. Yet another example of an end tip that can be used to attach the end tip to a targeted object includes an end tip having a section of chain or cable with one end anchored to the end tip and a free end of the chain/cable that can be wrapped around or through the targeted object. In this latter example, the chain/cable could be secured to the targeted object by means of a conventional padlock or key lock, a chain/cable clamp, or by other means. One feature associated with an end tip used for generating tension or withdrawal forces is that the end tip preferably is maintained in a position to minimize movement between the end tip and the targeted object. In this way, the tension forces generated by the device will be more fully and directly transferred to the targeted object. In the event a chain/cable arrangement is used for securing the end tip to the targeted object, it is desirable to ensure the chain/cable is tightly secured to the targeted object with a minimum of play or “slop” to avoid loss of transferred forces when the device is operated.

(27) While various embodiments of the slide hammer have been described in detail, it is apparent that modifications and alterations of those embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be expressly understood that such modifications and alterations are within the scope and spirit of the present invention, as set forth in the following claims. Further, the invention(s) described herein are capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. In addition, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purposes of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “adding” and variations thereof herein are meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof, as well as, additional items.