Dent removing tool

A dent removal tool for removing dents from curved tubing comprising, in combination:

• a metal cable;
• a tubular handle into one end of which, said cable extends and is attached;
• a series of barrel-shaped, force transmitting beads strung on said cable with the bead at one end of said series in abuttment with said handle, said beads having a smaller maximum diameter than the tube portion through which they will pass;
• a metal driver ball strung on said cable and rigidly attached thereto in abutment with the last force transmitting bead in said series of beads keeping said beads in contact with each other;
• a retainer bead threadly attached to the other end of said cable;
• a metal barrel-shaped dent ball strung onto said cable for movement along said cable between said driver ball and said retainer bead;
• whereby when said tool is inserted into a curved tube with a retainer bead being first, said cable permits said force transmitting beads to follow the curvature of said tube to the point where the dent ball becomes wedged under said dent, and said driver ball can be repeatedly impacted against said dent ball by reciprocation of said handle in the process of removing said dent until said dent ball is driven past the dented portion of said tubing, whereupon said tool may be removed by impacting of said retainer bead against said dent ball by reciprocation of said handle.

A dent removal tool for removing dents from curved, tapered tubing comprising, in combination:

• a metal cable;
• a tubular handle into one end of which said cable extends and is attached;
• a first series of barrel-shaped, force transmitting beads strung on said cable with the bead at one end of said series in abuttment with said handle, said beads having a smaller maximum diameter than the tube portion through which they will pass;
• a second series of barrel-shaped, force transmitting beads strung on said cable with the bead at one end of said series being in abuttment with the last bead of said first series of beads, and said second series of beads having a smaller maximum diameter than the maximum diameter of said first series of beads so that they can pass into a tube section of small diameter into which said first series of beads cannot pass;
• a metal driver ball strung on said cable and rigidly attached thereto in abuttment with the last force transmitting bead in said second series of beads, keeping said beads of both series in contact with each other;
• a retainer bead threadedly attached to the other end of said cable;
• a metal barrel-shaped dent ball strung onto said cable for movement along said cable between said driver ball and said reatiner bead;
• whereby when said tool is inserted, retainer bead first, into a curved tapering tube, said cable permits said force transmitting beads to follow the curvature of said tube, and said smaller diameter first series of beads passing into a tube section of smaller diameter than said second series of force transmitting beads can pass and said dent ball will become wedged under a dent, and said driver ball can be repeatedly impacted against the dent ball in the process of removing said dent until said dent ball is driven past the dented portion of said tubing, whereupon said tool may be removed by impacting of said retainer bead against said dent ball by reciprocation of said handle.

The method of removing dents in curved brass tubing of a musical instrument without the necessity of removing the curved tube from the remainder of the instrument, comprising the following steps:

• (a) introducing a tool into the instrument tubing which tool has a central cable with a retainer bead afixed at its forward end, a driver bead afixed to the cable in spaced relationship to said retainer bead, a barrel-shaped steel dent ball strung on said cable between the retainer bead and driver ball for movement along said cable therebetween, a series of barrel-shaped force transmitting beads, and a tubular handle retaining said beads in abutment with each other and said driver;
• (b) lodging said dent ball under the tubing dent by inward motion on said handle impacting said driver ball against the dent ball;
• (c) reciprocating said tool with emphasis on the in stroke to impact the driver against the dent ball raising the tubing dent in a series of hammer-like impacts driving the dent ball past the dent;
• such emphasis not allowing impacting the retainer bead against the dent ball with enough force to dislodge the dent ball from the dent;
• (d) removing said tool by reciprocating said tool with emphasis on the out stroke to impact the retainer bead against the dent ball.