Portable rescue tool and method of use
AssigneeAltair Engineering, Inc.
InventorsEdward Wettlaufer, James Trumble, Timothy R. Smith, Shaun C. Muston, Dragi Gasevski, Craig Mackiewicz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A portable, hand-operated rescue tool is provided for rescue and extreme duty operations where an object needs to be cut, crushed, pierced and separated, or lifted. The rescue tool includes a body, a support handle and articulating jaw force members used to impart high forces on an object. The tool includes a manually-operated, pivoting actuation handle connected to a high pressure fluid displacement system to pivotally rotate the jaw force arms in a selected direction or mode of operation to suit the situation.
Claims21
(canceled)
A hand-held rescue tool for use in separating or cutting an object, the rescue tool comprising:
- a body having a longitudinal axis, a front end and a rear end along the axis;
- an actuating handle connected proximate the rear end of the body comprising a cam member pivotally connected to the body;
- a jaw connected proximate the front end of the body having a first and a second force arm, at least one of the first and second force arms is angularly rotatable with respect to the body and the other force arm;
- and
- a fluid displacement system positioned in the body, the fluid system having a piston connected to an angled slot in the cam member of the actuating handle and displaceable along the longitudinal axis for selective forceful movement of fluid to angularly displace the at least one rotatable force arm.
A hand-held rescue tool for use in separating or cutting an object, the rescue tool comprising:
- a body having a longitudinal axis, a front end and a rear end along the axis;
- an actuating handle connected proximate the rear end of the body;
- a jaw connected proximate the front end of the body having a first and a second force arm, at least one of the first and second force arms is angularly rotatable with respect to the body and the other force arm;
- a fluid displacement system positioned in the body, the fluid system having a first piston connected to the actuating handle and displaceable along the longitudinal axis for selective forceful movement of fluid to angularly displace the at least one rotatable force arm;
- and
- a toggle dial having a first position operable to select between a first mode of operation wherein the at least one force member is forcibly rotated toward an open position and a second position operable to select a second mode of operation wherein the at least one force member is rotated toward a closed position on further actuation of the fluid displacement system through the actuating handle.
A method of using a rescue tool for use in separating, cutting or lifting an object, the rescue tool having a body, a jaw connected to the body having a first and a second force arm, an elongate actuating handle and a fluid displacement system in communication with the actuating handle and the jaw force arms operable to rotate at least one of the force arms relative to the body, the method comprising the steps of:
- selecting a mode of operation by rotating a toggle dial to one of an open mode of operation to allow angular separation of the first and second force arms, a closed mode of operation allowing angular closing of the first and second force arms and a neutral mode of operation preventing angular movement of the first and the second force arms;
- selectively positioning the tool force arms to engage an object;
- and
- pivotally moving the actuating handle between a first position and a second position to incrementally and progressively rotate at least one of the force arms toward or away from the other arm to forcibly do work on the object.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.