CN111113339A

CN111113339A - Auxiliary handle

Info

Publication number: CN111113339A
Application number: CN201911266690.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 李松; 李宇倩
Original assignee: Beijing Xinli Machinery Co Ltd
Current assignee: Beijing Xinli Machinery Co Ltd
Priority date: 2019-12-11
Filing date: 2019-12-11
Publication date: 2020-05-08

Abstract

The accessory handle attachment is attached to the handle shaft of the shovel by a foldable "flip-top" type clamp, an intermediate rod member is attached to the clamp, and a grip is screwed into the intermediate rod member, completing the assembly. The bottom of the middle stem section has a spherical knob that is completely surrounded by a hemispherical "cup" in each of the clamshell halves. When the clamshell halves are brought together, they form a simple and strong socket around the ball and comprise a ball and socket joint. Advantageously, the semi-open clamps are bolted together to ensure a strong and secure connection. This design accommodates "back and forth" movement of the vertical shaft during shoveling.

Description

Auxiliary handle

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an auxiliary handle designed for attachment to a mobile tool.

The invention is primarily intended for use with long handled tools such as shovels for moving dirt, gravel or snow, and hay forks for moving hay, silage or manure, but is also suitable for handling other heavy objects such as pipes or fire hoses.

More particularly, the invention relates to a device for relieving pressure and strain on a person's back, wrist and forearm, typically in the case of use of such tools.

Background

Conventional shovels and haymakers have proven to be very practical tools for transporting materials, but continuous or repeated use of such tools can be laborious. Although workers still use shovels and haymakers in a conventional manner, efforts have been made to reduce the difficulty of use. Various types of accessory handles have been attached to such tools to assist the user in lifting the scooped material. Such an auxiliary handle may improve the leverage of the user and reduce the reach distance when moving the material.

Disclosure of Invention

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide an auxiliary handle for a long-handled shovel or tuning fork, i.e., a tool for manually moving materials, which is used to relieve pressure on the back, wrist and forearm of a user.

A further object is to provide an assist handle of this type that is easy to attach to the tool and easy to adjust to maximize user convenience.

These objects, as well as others that will become apparent from the ensuing discussion, are achieved in accordance with the present invention by providing an adjustable auxiliary handle attachment comprising:

(a) a movable clamping device is adapted to be tightly clamped around a cylindrical shank portion of a tool. The clamp comprises two substantially identical clam shell members hinged together at one end and having mating semi-circular portions designed to surround the shaft portion and clamp tightly together. Each of the clamshell members has a hemispherical recess at the end opposite the hinge, which forms a hollow sphere when the two members are held together in the clamped position. The clamp device also includes a releasable locking device for holding the clamshell members together tightly in the clamped position and releasing the clamshell members to remove or reposition the accessory from the tool.

(b) A movable handle assembly has a knob at one end designed to fit closely within the hollow ball of a holder assembly when its flip member is attached to a tool. The handle device has a gripping member at its opposite end that is designed to facilitate gripping and manipulation by a user.

To use the auxiliary handle, a clamping device is applied and clamped in place on a tool such as a shovel or tuning fork, for example, at the lower portion of the tool handle (preferably below the midpoint). The user may wish to try to find the most effective and convenient location along the blade handle. For this purpose, the clamping device can be easily released, slid up and down on the shaft and clamped again.

The two halves of the clamping device are preferably held together by at least one nut and bolt. When in the clamped position, each bolt extends through a hole in the flip members and a cooperating nut secures the bolts, pressing the flip members tightly together. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the removable handle device is a two-part element comprising an intermediate lever member and a gripping member. The intermediate lever member comprises a lever having a knob at one end for attachment to the clamping means when the clamshell members are tightly clamped together about the shaft portion of the tool. The intermediate member has a connecting element at its opposite end for attachment to the gripping member. The gripping member having a handle that can be conveniently gripped by a user has cooperating connecting elements for connecting to the intermediate lever member. The connecting elements on the intermediate member and the gripper member preferably comprise a threaded opening in either the intermediate member or the gripper member, and a threaded stud in the other of the intermediate member and the gripper member adapted to be screwed into the screw. The screw is opened.

The gripping member is preferably a round bar having a central axis, the round bar being rotatably coupled to the intermediate member in a manner allowing angular movement about an axis about the central axis. This allows its orientation to be adjusted to maximize user convenience. In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the auxiliary handle attachment according to the invention, the hollow sphere formed by the flip member comprises a recess, and the spherical knob of the removable handle device has an extension stud designed to fit within the recess. The recess and the extended stud cooperate together to limit the freedom of movement of the handle means. This enables the user to control the tool by applying a force in a desired direction.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the length of the intermediate lever is adjustable. Alternatively, several different lengths of such members may be provided for selection by the user. In this way, the intermediate member will provide the most ergonomic comfort during use of the auxiliary handle attachment.

In use, the auxiliary handle attachment is first attached to the handle of a shovel or the like and then the position angle and length are adjusted. Different users will have different heights and different arm lengths, as well as different hand position preferences. However, once set, the user will find that the fitting can significantly relieve back and biceps, especially when moving material from side to side. The attachment reduces tool handle twisting due to the "pendulum effect" when swinging the implement by providing an additional mechanical advantage. For a fuller understanding of the present invention, reference should now be made to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an auxiliary handle attachment according to the present invention attached to the handle shaft of a shovel.

Fig. 2 is an assembled view of the auxiliary handle attachment according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing its individual, separate components, namely, the clamping arrangement with the flip member, the intermediate lever member and the rotatable handle.

Fig. 3A, 3B and 3C show in detail the flip member of the handle attachment of fig. 1. In fig. 2, in the closed, semi-closed and open positions, respectively.

Fig. 4A, 4B and 4C show intermediate rod members of different lengths having a ball knob at one end thereof according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 shows an adjustable length intermediate rail member according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a partial perspective view of a clam shell clamp having a limit notch that allows only a back and forth swinging motion of the intermediate lever member.

Detailed Description

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to fig. 1 to 5. FIGS. 1-6. Like elements in the various figures are denoted by like reference numerals.

In short, the present invention provides an attachment for tool handles, tubes and hoses that, when attached, forms a raised grip that not only minimizes back strain when the waist is bent, but also eliminates the tendency for the blade to stick. When the material is thrown aside, the shaft may twist. This twisting action forces the tool user to tighten the grip, ultimately resulting in over-fatigue, muscle strain, cramping, etc. This is particularly true for wide blade "elbow" style snow shovels, which tend to twist and swing like a pendulum.

The auxiliary handle attachment is secured to the handle shaft of the shovel by a foldable "flip-top" clamp, the middle bar member is secured to the clamp, and the rotating handle is screwed into the middle member, completing the assembly. The bottom of the middle stem section has a spherical knob that is completely surrounded by a hemispherical "cup" in each of the clamshell halves. When the clamshell halves are brought together, they form a simple and strong socket around the ball and comprise a ball and socket joint. Advantageously, the semi-open clamp halves are bolted together to ensure a strong and secure connection. This design accommodates "back and forth" movement of the vertical shaft during shoveling.

The handle is screwed into the top of the intermediate pole and is hinged to rotate about the central axis of the pole for small angular movements when shoveling earth. The length of the intermediate bar may be adjustable or it may be provided in different lengths to enable the user to select the length that best suits his/her height for ergonomic comfort.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings shows an auxiliary handle attachment 10 attached to the handle of a shovel in use. The device includes a "clamshell" gripper 12, an intermediate lever member 14 and a rotatable hand gripping member 16. It will be seen that the attachment is conveniently clipped onto the shaft of the shovel at a location relatively close to the shovel, thereby allowing the user to lift a shovel filled with earth, cement, snow or the like with one hand and one hand while holding the top of the handle with the other hand to tilt the load forward or sideways with minimal effort.

Figure 2 shows the clamp 12, the rod 14 and the clamping member 16 of the attachment 10 in detail. The clip 12 comprises two substantially identical flip halves 18 and 20 that are secured together at the bottom by a hinge 22. The

flip members

18 and 20 have mating semi-circular portions that are designed to surround the handle shaft of the tool (e.g., a shovel) and clamp together tightly to be fixedly secured to the shaft. The

clamshell members

18 and 20 each have a hemispherical recess at their opposite ends which, when held together in the clamped position, form a hollow sphere 23. The two clam shell components are held tightly together by releasable locking means (

e.g. bolts

24A and 24B) which can release the clam shell components to remove from the tool or reposition the accessory on the tool handle shaft.

As shown in fig. 2, the attachment also includes a movable handle having a knob 26 at one end designed to fit snugly within the hollow sphere 23 when the clam shell members are clamped tightly together. The handle is preferably divided into two parts:

(1) an intermediate rod member 14 comprises a rod having two ends with a ball knob 26 disposed at one end for attachment to a clamping device when clam shell members are held tightly together. At the other end of the rod there is provided a connection means, such as a threaded opening 27A, for connecting the grip member 16.

(2) The clamping member 16 has a mating connection means, i.e. a bolt 27B, for attachment to the opposite end of the rod member 14.

The gripping member 16 includes a generally circular stem 30 defining a central axis 32. The lever 30 is rotatable to allow angular movement about an axis 34 (i.e., the axis of the lever when the grip member and lever member are coupled together), the axis 34 being transverse to the axis. A central axis 32. This allows the orientation of the handle to be adjusted for the convenience of the tool user.

Figures 3A, 3B and 3C show the clamshell clamping member 12 in a clamped, partially open and fully open position, respectively. These figures show details of the hinge 22 and the holes of the hemispherical "cups" 23A and 23B and the

bolts

24A and 24B.

In order to tightly grip the relatively thin handle shaft, it may be desirable to insert a plastic or rubber washer 25 between the flip clip 12 and the shaft. The user may select the length of the rod member by selecting one of a plurality of rod members of various lengths, as shown in fig. 1 and 2. As shown in fig. 4A, 4B and 4C, or by providing a rod-like member with adjustable length as shown in fig. 3. In the embodiment of fig. 5. Referring to fig. 5, the rod member includes a telescoping rod 36 and sleeve 38, and a locking bolt 40.

Finally, fig. 6 shows a device for limiting the movement of the intermediate lever and the handle relative to the clamping member. The flip member is provided with a slot or groove 42 and the lever member 14 has an extending stud 44, which stud 44 is designed to fit tightly in the groove. The groove 42 and the extended stud 44 cooperate to limit the freedom of movement of the handle arrangement to the direction indicated by arrow 46, thereby enabling the user to control the shovel handle by applying a force in a desired direction.

When the tool with the attached handle attachment is not in use, the handle set can be moved downwardly in the direction of arrow 46 so that it lies snugly and parallel to the tool handle axis. This minimizes the storage space required and makes the tool easier to carry.

There thus has been shown and described a novel auxiliary handle attachment for a shovel or tuning fork that achieves all of the objects and advantages sought therefor. Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the subject invention will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering this specification and the accompanying drawings which disclose preferred embodiments thereof. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention.

Claims

1. An adjustable auxiliary handle attachment adapted for attachment to a mobile tool, the handle attachment comprising:

(a) a detachable clamping arrangement adapted to be clamped tightly around a cylindrical shank portion of a tool, the clamping arrangement comprising two substantially identical flip members hinged together at one end and having a mating semi-circular portion designed to surround the shaft portion and the clamping arrangement. Tightly secured together about the shaft portion to be fixedly secured thereto, each of the clamshell members having hemispherical recesses at opposite ends thereof, said recesses forming hollow spheres, when the clamshell members are held together in a clamping position, the clamping device further comprising means for tightly holding the two clamshell members in a clamping position and releasing the clamshell members for removal from or replacement on a tool;

(b) a detachable handle set having a knob at one end designed to fit tightly inside a hollow sphere when the flip members are tightly clamped together around the shaft of the tool; and having a gripping member at the other end;

wherein the hollow sphere formed by the flip member comprises a recess and the spherical knob of the movable handle means has an extension stud designed to fit in the recess, said recess and said extension stud cooperating to limit the freedom of movement of the grip.

2. The auxiliary handle assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detachable handle means comprises:

(1) an intermediate lever comprising a rod having two ends, the ball knob being provided at one end for attachment to a clamping means and the connector being provided at the opposite end when the clam shells are tightly clamped together about the shaft of the tool. The ends of which are used for attaching the gripping member;

the auxiliary clamp is designed to be conveniently clamped by a user and has cooperating connection means for connection to said opposite end of the rod.

3. An auxiliary handle fitting according to claim 2 wherein the connection means on the stem member for connection with the clamp member comprises a threaded opening in one of the stem member and the clamp member and a threaded stud in the other stem member. The rod member and the gripping member are adapted to be screwed into the threaded opening.

4. The accessory handle fitting of claim 2, wherein the grip member comprises a generally circular rod having a central axis, the rod being rotatably coupled to the intermediate rod member to allow angular movement about an axis transverse to the central axis to allow adjustment of the orientation thereof.

5. The auxiliary handle accessory as claimed in claim 2, wherein the length of the intermediate lever member is adjustable.

6. An auxiliary handle fitting according to claim 1 wherein the releasable locking means on the clamping means comprises at least one bolt adapted to extend through a hole in the clamshell member when in the clamped position, and a cooperating nut for securing the bolt on the clamp. Clamping the device and holding the clamshell parts firmly together.