Feed control devices for hand operated drain cleaning tools

In a hand held and hand operated drain cleaning tool comprising a rotatable cable drum having a drum axis, a crank arm on said drum for rotating said drum by hand, a drain cleaning cable coiled in said drum for rotation therewith and having an end for extending from said drum and into a drain to be cleaned, and a drum support supporting said drum for rotation about said drum axis and including means for a user to support said drum in one hand while rotating the drum with the other hand, the improvement comprising:

• a cable feeding device for axially displacing said cable relative to said drum in response to rotation of said drum and cable, said feeding device including cable driving roll means on said support and a manually operated drive actuator on said support separate from said means for supporting said drum in one hand and operable by the one hand to radially displace said cable against said cable driving roll means while the one hand supports the drum and the other hand rotates the drum, said support including a body portion having axially spaced apart front and rear ends, said drum being at said rear end, and said means for supporting said drum in one hand including a hand grip between said front and rear ends and extending laterally outwardly from said body portion, said cable driving roll means is at said front end of said body portion and said drive actuator includes an actuator arm mounted on said body portion for pivotal displacement about an arm axis transverse to said drum axis, and actuator roll means mounted on said arm for displacement therewith, said actuator arm including a trigger portion forwardly adjacent said hand grip for pivoting said actuator arm to radially displace said actuator roll means against said cable.

In a hand held and hand operated drain cleaning tool comprising a rotatable cable drum having a drum axis, a crank arm on said drum for rotating said drum by hand, a drain cleaning cable coiled in said drum for rotation therewith and having an end for extending from said drum and into a drain to be cleaned, and a drum support supporting said drum for rotation about said drum axis and including means for a user to support said drum in one hand while rotating the drum with the other hand, the improvement comprising:

• a cable feeding device for axially displacing said cable relative to said drum in response to rotation of said drum and cable, said feeding device including cable driving roll means on said support and a manually operated drive actuator on said support separate from said means for supporting said drum in one hand and operable by the one hand to radially displace said cable against said cable driving roll means while the one hand supports the drum and the other hand rotates the drum, said support having axially spaced apart front and rear ends, said drum being at said rear end, and said means for supporting said drum in one hand including a portion of said support between said front and rear ends having an outer surface generally parallel to said drum axis, said cable driving roll means is at said front end of said support and said drive actuator includes an actuator arm mounted on said support for pivotal displacement about an arm axis transverse to said drum axis, and actuator roll means mounted on said arm for displacement therewith, said actuator arm extending axially of said support and being pivotally displaceable toward said drum axis to radially displace said actuator roll means against said cable.

A hand held and hand operated drain cleaning tool comprising a rotatable cable drum having a drum axis, a drain cleaning cable coiled in said drum for rotation therewith and having an end for extending from said drum and into a drain to be cleaned, a drum support having front and rear ends, said drum being at said rear end of said support and mounted on said support for rotation about said drum axis, a crank arm on said drum for rotating said drum, said support including means for supporting said drum in one hand of a user while rotating the drum with the other hand, and a cable feeding device for axially displacing said cable relative to said drum in response to rotation of said drum and cable, said feeding device including cable driving roll means on said front end of said support, and a manually operated drive actuator separate from said means for supporting said drum in one hand, said actuator being pivotally mounted by the one hand to radially displace said cable against said driving roll means while the one hand supports the drum and the other hand rotates the drum, said means for supporting said drum in one hand includes a portion of said support between said front and rear ends having an axially extending outer surface generally parallel to said drum axis, said drive actuator being pivotally mounted on said support adjacent said front end and extending toward said rear end and being pivotal toward said drum axis and said portion of said support to displace said cable against said driving roll means.

A hand held and hand operated drain cleaning tool comprising a rotatable cable drum having a drum axis, a drain cleaning cable coiled in said drum for rotation therewith and having an end for extending from said drum and into a drain to be cleaned, a drum support having front and rear ends. said drum being at said rear end of said support and mounted on said support for rotation about said drum axis, a crank arm on said drum for rotating said drum, said support including means for supporting said drum in one hand of a user while rotating the drum with the other hand, and a cable feeding device for axially displacing said cable relative to said drum in response to rotation of said drum and cable, said feeding device including cable driving roll means on said front end of said support, and a manually operated drive actuator separate from said means for supporting said drum in one hand, said actuator being pivotally mounted by the one hand to radially displace said cable against said driving roll means while the one hand supports the drum and the other hand rotates the drum, said support including a tubular body portion between said front and rear ends, said means for supporting said drum in one hand including a hand grip integral with and extending laterally outwardly from said body portion intermediate said front and rear ends, said drive actuator including an actuator arm pivotally mounted on said body portion between said hand grip and said front end of said support, actuator roll means on said arm for engaging said cable against said driving roll means, and a trigger axially forwardly adjacent said handle for pivoting said actuator arm, said tubular body portion is coaxial with said drum axis and has top and bottom sides with respect thereto, said hand grip and said trigger extending downwardly from said bottom side, and said driving roll means and said actuator roll means being respectively supported by said body portion and said actuator arm on opposite sides of said drum axis, said driving roll means including a driving roll mounted on said front end for rotation about a driving roll axis, and said actuator roll means includes a pair of actuator roll mounted on said actuator arm for rotation about actuator roll axes, said actuator arm is mounted on said bottom of said body portion for displacement about an arm axis below and transverse to said drum axis, said arm including a skirt portion extending upwardly and about said body portion from said arm axis and forwardly toward said front end of said support and having a front wall transverse to said drum axis and overlying said front end, and said actuator rolls being mounted on said front wall.

A hand held and hand operated drain cleaning tool comprising a rotatable cable drum having a drum axis, a drain cleaning cable coiled in said drum for rotation therewith and having an end for extending from said drum and into a drain to be cleaned, a drum support having front and rear ends, said drum being at said rear end of said support and mounted on said support for rotation about said drum axis, a crank arm on said drum for rotating said drum, said support including means for supporting said drum in one hand of a user while rotating the drum with the other hand, and a cable feeding device for axially displacing said cable relative to said drum in response to rotation of said drum and cable, said feeding device including cable driving roll means on said front end of said support, and a manually operated drive actuator separate from said means for supporting said drum in one hand, said actuator being pivotally mounted by the one hand to radially displace said cable against said driving roll means while the one hand supports the drum and the other hand rotates the drum, said means for supporting said drum in one hand includes a portion of said support extending axially between said front and rear ends and having an outer surface generally parallel to said drum axis, said portion of the support being arcuate in cross section transverse to said drum axis and opening radially inwardly relative thereto, said drive actuator including an actuator arm mounted on said front end of said support for pivotal displacement about an arm axis transverse to said drum axis and actuator roll means on said arm for engaging said cable against said driving roll means, and said arm extending axially from said arm axis toward said rear end of said support and being pivotal toward said drum axis and said portion of said support to displace said cable against said driving roll means.

A hand held and hand operated drain cleaning tool comprising a rotatable cable drum having a drum axis, a drain cleaning cable coiled in said drum for rotation therewith and having an end for extending from said drum and into a drain to be cleaned, a drum support having front and rear ends, said drum being at said rear end of said support and mounted on said support for rotation about said drum axis, a crank arm on said drum for rotating said drum, said support including means for supporting said drum in one hand of a user while rotating the drum with the other hand, and a cable feeding device for axially displacing said cable relative to said drum in response to rotation of said drum and cable, said feeding device including cable driving roll means on said front end of said support, and a manually operated drive actuator separate from said means for supporting said drum in one hand, said actuator being pivotally mounted by the one hand to radially displace said cable against said driving roll means while the one hand supports the drum and the other hand rotates the drum, said means for supporting said drum in one hand includes a portion of said support extending axially between said front and rear ends and having an outer surface generally parallel to said drum axis, said portion of the support being arcuate in cross section transverse to said drum axis and opening radially inwardly relative thereto, said drive actuator including an actuator arm mounted on said front end of said support for pivotal displacement about an arm axis transverse to said drum axis, and an actuator roll mounted on said arm forwardly of said arm axis for rotation about an actuator roll axis, said driving roll means including a pair of driving rolls mounted on said front end of said support forwardly of said arm axis for rotation about a corresponding driving roll axis, and said arm extending axially from said arm axis toward said rear end of said support and being pivotal toward said drum axis and said portion of the support for said actuator roll to displace said cable against said driving rolls.