US 6,289,540 B1 · Firefighting tools

Abstract

A set of firefighting tools for use in fighting forest fires and the like in different types of terrain and vegetation. An elongate handle is equipped with a releasably latching connector, and several different tool heads are attachable to the handle to perform various functions. One head has a pivotably attached shovel blade and is useful as a shovel, as a scraper or as a rake, when held in respective positions by a latching mechanism. Another tool head has a lightweight central body and replaceable oppositely directed axe and grub hoe blade portions. Yet a further tool head includes a resiliently flexible outer portion to which are fastened several flexible straps for beating out fires. Each head includes a socket adapted for emergency attachment to a simple wooden handle portion.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A combination tool head, comprising:

(a) a body defining a socket for receiving an end of a handle, the socket defining a central axis and the body including:
(i) a first blade support structure including a first blade seat defining a first blade plane oriented substantially parallel with said central axis;
(ii) a second blade support structure including a second blade seat defining a second blade plane oriented substantially normal to said first blade plane;
(b) a first blade located in said first blade plane and mounted on said first blade seat;
(c) a second blade located in said second blade plane and mounted on said second blade seat;
and
(d) wherein said tool head has a center of mass located on said central axis and within said socket.

4 more elements

In a firefighting tool including:

an elongate handle having a length;
a shovel blade defining a rear margin and having a pair of opposite lateral edges;
and
a shovel blade mounting assembly attaching said shovel blade to said handle and defining a pivot axis extending transversely with respect to the length of said handle and generally parallel with said rear margin of said shovel blade, said shovel blade being pivotable about said pivot axis between a first position in which said shovel blade extends away from said handle and said lateral edges extend generally at an angle in the range of about 15°-30° with respect to an imaginary extension of said handle, and a second position in which said lateral edges extend substantially perpendicular to said handle, the improvement comprising:
(a) a latching mechanism included in said mounting assembly, for holding said shovel blade in a selected one of said first and second positions, said latching mechanism including:
(i) a pair of parallel ears extending from a first one of said handle and said shovel blade, each of said ears defining a shaft-receiving aperture therethrough and at least one of said shaft-receiving apertures being a noncircular latching hole;
(ii) a swivel head extending from the other one of said handle and said shovel blade and located between said parallel ears, said swivel head defining a through-hole;
(iii) a combined locking and pivot shaft extending through said through-hole;
(iv) a spring acting on said combined locking and pivot shaft and thereby biasing said combined locking and pivot shaft toward a latching position with respect to said ears and said swivel head;
(v) said combined locking and pivot shaft including at least one noncircular locking body portion engaged with said swivel head;
and
(vi) said locking and pivot shaft having a length and being movable longitudinally, between said latching position, in which said locking body portion of said locking and pivot shaft engages said through-hole in said swivel head and said latching hole of at least one of said ears, thereby interconnecting said swivel head with said at least one of said ears and thereby preventing said swivel head and said ears from moving about said pivot axis with respect to each other when said shovel blade is in one of said first and second positions with respect to said handle, and an unlatching position, in which said locking and pivot shaft is displaced from said latching position interconnecting said swivel head with said at least one of said ears, and said ears and said swivel head are free to rotate with respect to each other about said pivot axis, so that said shovel blade is free to rotate between said first and second positions.

9 more elements

In a firefighting tool including:

an elongate handle having a length;
a shovel blade defining a rear margin and having a pair of opposite lateral edges;
and
a shovel blade mounting assembly attaching said shovel blade to said handle and defining a pivot axis extending transversely with respect to the length of said handle and generally parallel with said rear margin of said shovel blade, said shovel blade being pivotable about said pivot axis between a first position in which said shovel blade extends away from said handle and said lateral edges extend generally at an angle in the range of about 15°-30° with respect to an imaginary extension of said handle, and a second position in which said lateral edges extend substantially perpendicular to said handle, the improvement comprising:
(a) a latching mechanism included in said mounting assembly, for holding said shovel blade in a selected one of said first and second positions, said latching mechanism including:
(i) a pair of parallel ears extending from a first one of said handle and said shovel blade, each of said ears defining a shaft-receiving aperture therethrough and at least one of said shaft-receiving apertures being a noncircular latching hole;
(ii) a swivel head extending from the other one of said handle and said shovel blade and located between said parallel ears, said swivel head defining a through-hole;
(iii) a combined locking and pivot shaft extending through said through-hole;
(iv) a spring acting on said combined locking and pivot shaft and thereby biasing said combined locking and pivot shaft toward a latching position with respect to said ears and said swivel head;
(v) said combined locking and pivot shaft including at least one noncircular locking body portion engaged with said swivel head;
and
(vi) said locking and pivot shaft having a length and being movable longitudinally, between said latching position, in which said locking body portion of said locking and pivot shaft engages said through-hole in said swivel head and said latching hole of at least one of said ears, thereby interconnecting said swivel head with said at least one of said ears and thereby preventing said swivel head and said ears from moving about said pivot axis with respect to each other when said shovel blade is in one of said first and second positions with respect to said handle, and an unlatching position, in which said locking and pivot shaft is displaced from said latching position interconnecting said swivel head with said at least one of said ears, and said ears and said swivel head are free to rotate with respect to each other about said pivot axis, so that said shovel blade is free to rotate between said first and second positions, said locking body being slidably disposed in said through-hole but said locking body and said through-hole having related shapes preventing said locking and pivot shaft from rotating in said through-hole when said locking and pivot shaft is in either of said latching and unlatching positions, and wherein said ears are free to rotate about said locking and pivot shaft when said locking and pivot shaft is in said unlatching position, and wherein said locking and pivot shaft defines a spring cavity and an opening communicating with said spring cavity, and wherein a retaining member extends through said opening into said spring cavity from said swivel head to a position adjacent said spring.

9 more elements

In a firefighting tool including:

an elongate handle having a length;
a shovel blade defining a rear margin and having a pair of opposite lateral edges;
and
a shovel blade mounting assembly attaching said shovel blade to said handle and defining a pivot axis extending transversely with respect to the length of said handle and generally parallel with said rear margin of said shovel blade, said shovel blade being pivotable about said pivot axis between a first position in which said shovel blade extends away from said handle and said lateral edges extend generally at an angle in the range of about 15°-30° with respect to said handle, and a second position in which said lateral edges extend substantially perpendicular to said handle, the improvement comprising:
(a) a latching mechanism included in said mounting assembly, for holding said shovel blade in a selected one of said first and second positions, said latching mechanism including:
(i) a pair of parallel ears extending from a first one of said handle and said shovel blade, each of said ears defining a shaft-receiving aperture therethrough and at least one of said shaft-receiving apertures being a noncircular latching hole;
(ii) a swivel head extending from the other one of said handle and said shovel blade and located between said parallel ears, said swivel head defining a through-hole;
(iii) a combined locking and pivot shaft extending through said through-hole;
(iv) a spring acting on said combined locking and pivot shaft and thereby biasing said combined locking and pivot shaft toward a latching position with respect to said ears and said swivel head;
(v) said combined locking and pivot shaft including at least one noncircular locking body portion engaged with said swivel head;
and
(vi) said locking and pivot shaft having a length and being movable longitudinally, between said latching position, in which said locking body portion of said locking and pivot shaft engages said through-hole in said swivel head and said latching hole of at least one of said ears, thereby interconnecting said swivel head with said at least one of said ears and thereby preventing said swivel head and said ears from moving about said pivot axis with respect to each other when said shovel blade is in one of said first and second positions with respect to said handle, and an unlatching position, in which said locking and pivot shaft is displaced from said latching position interconnecting said swivel head with said at least one of said ears, and said ears and said swivel head are free to rotate with respect to each other about said pivot axis, so that said shovel blade is free to rotate between said first and second positions, and wherein said shovel blade includes a forwardly directed flange extending along said rear margin and is also pivotable to a folded position parallel with and alongside said handle when said pivot and locking shaft is in said unlatching position and wherein, as part of said latching mechanism, said swivel head and at least one of said ears define apertures in which said locking body is received when said locking and pivot shaft is in said latching position when said shovel is in said folded position.

9 more elements

A set of firefighting tools incorporating a single handle and a plurality of interchangeable heads, comprising in combination:

(a) a substantially inflexible elongate handle having a length, a near end, and an opposite outer end;
(b) a combination tool head including a body defining a socket for receiving said outer end of said handle, the socket defining a central axis and the body including:
(i) a first blade support structure defining a first blade seat;
(ii) a second blade support structure defining a second blade seat;
(iii) a first blade defining a first blade plane, mounted on said first blade seat with said first blade plane substantially parallel with said central axis;
(iv) a second blade defining a second blade plane, mounted on said second blade seat with said second blade plane oriented approximately normal to said first blade plane;
and
(v) wherein said combination tool head has a center of mass located on said central axis;
(c) a shovel head including a shovel blade defining a rear margin and having a pair of opposite lateral edges and a shovel blade mounting assembly including a handle extension, for detachably attaching said shovel blade to said outer end of said handle and defining a pivot axis extending transversely with respect to the length of said handle and generally parallel with said rear margin of said shovel blade, said shovel blade being pivotable about said pivot axis between a first position in which said shovel blade extends away from said handle extension and said lateral edges extend generally at an angle in the range of about 15°-30° with respect to said handle extension, and a second position in which said lateral edges extend substantially perpendicular to said handle extension, said shovel blade mounting assembly including a latching mechanism for holding said shovel blade in a selected one of said first and second positions, said latching mechanism including:
(i) a pair of parallel ears extending from a first one of said handle extension and said shovel blade, each of said ears defining a shaft-receiving aperture therethrough and at least one of said shaft-receiving apertures being a noncircular latching hole;
(ii) a swivel head extending from the other one of said handle extension and said shovel blade and located between said parallel ears, said swivel head defining a through-hole;
(iii) a combined locking and pivot shaft extending through said through-hole;
(iv) a spring acting on said combined locking and pivot shaft and thereby biasing said combined locking and pivot shaft toward a latching position with respect to said ears and said swivel head;
(v) said combined locking and pivot shaft including at least one noncircular locking body portion engaged with said swivel head;
and
(vi) said locking and pivot shaft having a length and being movable longitudinally, between said latching position, in which said locking body portion of said locking and pivot shaft engages said through-hole in said swivel head and said latching hole of at least one of said ears, thereby interconnecting said swivel head with said at least one of said ears and thereby preventing said swivel head and said ears from moving about said pivot axis with respect to each other when said shovel blade is in one of said first and second positions with respect to said handle extension, and an unlatching position, in which said locking and pivot shaft is displaced from said latching position interconnecting said swivel head with said at least one of said ears, and said ears and said head are free to rotate with respect to each other about said pivot axis, so that said shovel blade is free to rotate between said first and second positions;
and
(d) a fire extinguishing direct contact head including a detachable resiliently flexible outer extension portion including a female connector portion for detachably receiving said outer end of said handle, a terminal portion oppositely located on said outer extension portion, and a plurality of elongate flexible strap members attached to and extending flexibly away from said terminal portion.

15 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Abstract

Firefighting tools

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22

Firefighting tools

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22