Side acting extractor tool

A side acting extractor tool for extracting, from a keyway defined in part by keyway side walls, a broken key portion of a cut key, the side acting extractor tool comprising:

• (a) a handle member;
• and
• (b) a blade member for inserting into the keyway and through a clearance gap between the broken key portion and one of the keyway side walls, the blade member having a longitudinal axis and including:
• (i) a first end attached to said handle member;
• (ii) a second end opposite said first end and forming a distal end;
• (iii) a first side, and a second and opposite side;
• (iv) a first edge, and a second and opposite edge;
• and
• (v) a deflectable finger portion extending from said longitudinal axis to at least one side of said first side and said second and opposite side for wedging against a part of the broken key portion within the keyway against said at least one side of said first side and said second and opposite side, thereby enabling extraction of the wedged broken key portion from the keyway by withdrawing the inserted blade member from the keyway.

A side acting extractor tool for extracting a loose item from a slot defined in part by slot side walls, the extractor tool comprising:

• (a) a handle member;
• and
• (b) a blade member for inserting into the slot and through a clearance gap between the loose item and one of the slot side walls, the blade member having a longitudinal axis and including:
• (i) a first end attached to said handle member;
• (ii) a second end opposite said first end and forming a distal end;
• (iii) a first side, and a second and opposite side;
• (iv) a first edge, and a second and opposite edge;
• and
• (v) a deflectable finger portion extending from said longitudinal axis to at least one side of said first side and said second and opposite side for positioning behind a part of the loose item within the slot, said deflectable finger portion being formed between said first edge and said second and opposite edge, and having a first finger end attached towards said distal end of said blade member, and a cantilevered second finger end pointing towards said first end of said blade member, thereby enabling wedging and extraction of the loose item from the slot by withdrawing the inserted blade member from the slot.