US 5,499,852 AGranted

Second handle attachment for a tool

OwnerJay R. Seigendallinventor

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A second handle attachment for a tool having a handle shaft, such as a shovel, is disclosed. The second handle attachment provides a grip portion that a user may grab so that the shovel may be used without the user bending over. In this manner, back injury and strain is reduced. The second handle attachment provides two clamshell brackets which are bolted into a rigid relationship with the tool's handle shaft. The attachment also provides a rotating second handle that may be locked into place at any of several angular relationships with the tool handle shaft. The second handle provides a grip portion that is typically covered by a plastic or rubber grip cover. The second handle attachment may be transferred among any type of shovel, rake, snow shovel, hoe or pitch fork. It may be adjusted up or down the handle shaft, to accommodate taller or shorter users. It may be rotated to accommodate right-handed, left-handed or ambidextrous users. A bushing is provided so that the second handle attachment may be used with a light weight rake having a smaller diameter handle shaft, as well as a shovel having a larger diameter handle shaft.

Claims4

Dependent claims

A second handle attachment for connection to a tool having a handle shaft, comprising:

(a) left and right clamshell brackets, each bracket comprising a pivot hole, a locking pin hole, an inner securing bolt hole, an outer securing bolt hole, and a notch structure;
(b) a second handle comprising:
(a) a straight end portion having a pivot hole and a locking pin hole, the distance from the pivot hole to the locking pin hole equal to the distance between the pivot hole and locking pin hole of the left and right clamshell brackets;
(b) an angled middle portion;
and
(c) a handle grip portion;
(c) a locking pin, carded by the locking pin holes of the left and right clamshell brackets and by the locking pin hole of the second handle, having a cotter pin hole;
(d) locking means for releasably securing the locking pin comprising a cotter pin carried by the cotter pin hole of the locking pin;
and
(e) biasing means for biasing the left and right clamshell brackets togethers, whereby the handle shaft of the tool is firmly held, comprising:
(a) an inner securing bolt carried by the inner securing bolt holes of the left and right clamshell brackets;
(b) a spacer having an inner diameter that is incrementally greater than the outer diameter of the inner securing bolt and a length that is incrementally greater than the thickness of the second handle, carried by the inner securing bolt in a position between the left and right clamshell brackets, whereby the second handle may rotate even when the inner securing bolt is tightened;
and
(c) an outer securing bolt carried by the outer securing bolt holes of the left and right clamshell brackets.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.