Manhole cover tool and method
OwnerKevin J. Schuettpelzinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method to move a manhole cover relative to a manhole. The method includes providing a tool having a body having a front end with a toe, a back end with a heal pad, and a middle area located between the toe and the heal pad. The middle area includes a fulcrum joined to the middle area and an elongated handle joined to the middle area and extending away from the body to a distal end of the handle. Another step is inserting the toe of the tool into a receiving side-hole of the manhole cover. And, there is positioning the fulcrum of the tool on a surface surrounding the manhole cover. Further, there is pulling on the distal end of the handle while simultaneously stepping on the heal pad to pivotally lift the manhole cover via the fulcrum and unseating the manhole cover from the manhole.
Claims20
A method to move a manhole cover relative to a manhole, comprising:
- providing a tool including a body having a front end with a toe, a back end with a heal pad, and a middle area located between the toe and the heal pad, wherein the middle area includes (i) a fulcrum joined to the middle area and projecting away from a bottom edge of the body to create a fulcrum gap between a bottom surface of the fulcrum and an imaginary line formed by and extending parallel out from the bottom edge of the body and (i) an elongated handle joined at a handle proximal end to the middle area and extending away from the body to a distal end of the handle;
- inserting the toe of the tool into a receiving side-hole of the manhole cover;
- positioning the fulcrum of the tool on a surface surrounding the manhole cover;
- and,
- pulling on the distal end of the handle while simultaneously stepping on the heal pad to pivotally lift the manhole cover via the fulcrum and unseating the manhole cover from the manhole, wherein the handle has a circumference where the handle is joined to the middle area and defines a handle vertical circumferential projection extending parallel to a length of the handle to and through the bottom edge of the body and at least a portion of the fulcrum is located outside of the handle vertical circumferential projection.
A method to move a manhole cover relative to a manhole, comprising:
- providing a tool including a body having a front end with a toe, a back end with a heal pad, and a middle area located between the toe and the heal pad, wherein the middle area includes (i) a fulcrum joined to the middle area and projecting away from a bottom edge of the body to create a fulcrum gap between a bottom surface of the fulcrum and an imaginary line formed by and extending parallel out from the bottom edge of the body and (i) an elongated handle joined at a handle proximal end to the middle area and extending away from the body to a distal end of the handle;
- inserting the toe of the tool into a receiving side-hole of the manhole cover;
- positioning the fulcrum of the tool on a surface surrounding the manhole cover;
- guiding the distal end of the handle while simultaneously stepping on the heal pad to pivotally lift the manhole cover via the fulcrum and unseating the manhole cover from the manhole, wherein pulling on the distal end of the handle while simultaneously stepping on the heal pad comprises applying more force on the heal pad than force is applied on the handle;
- and
- completely separating the manhole cover from the manhole and rotating the tool and pivoting the tool on the fulcrum to thereby locate the manhole cover over the surface surrounding the manhole cover and then lowering the manhole cover onto the surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.