US 6,610,963 B2Granted

Ergonomic handle attachment for welding torch

OwnerFrank Zamunerinventor

Life of this patent

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Abstract

The attachment provides an overhandle, which overlies the handle of the torch, thereby creating a tapering space. The welder places the first web area of the hand into the space, whereupon the connection between the hand and the torch is made more secure. The welder can manipulate the torch, without the need to exert a constant tight gripping force on the torch. The attachment includes side-cheeks which provide even more of a constraining connection between the hand and the torch. The attachment is adjustable as to position and angle with respect to the torch.

Claims15

Dependent claims

Ergonomic over-handle, in combination with a welding torch having a torch-handle and having a service cable attached at a rear end thereof, wherein:

the over-handle includes an attachment-component, and the attachment-component makes physical contact with, and is fixedly attached to, the torch, at a point of attachment;
the said point of attachment between the attachment-component of the over-handle and the torch occurs at a location that is in front of the torch-handle;
the over-handle includes a hand-grip component, and the hand-grip component extends rearwards from the attachment-component;
the torch-handle includes a top-surface, and the hand-grip component overlies, and is spaced from, the said top-surface of the torch-handle;
the hand-grip component is so disposed in relation to the torch-handle as to create a space, between the top-surface of the torch-handle and an undersurface of the hand-grip component;
the space thus created is so shaped and sized as to be capable of, and suitable for, receiving the first web area of the hand of a person, into that space, the first web area being the webbed area between the thumb and the forefinger;
the space thus created is so shaped and sized as to be capable of, and suitable for, exerting a slight squeeze-grip upon the first web area of a person's hand, when the first web area is located in the said space;
the over-handle is open at the sides of the hand-grip component, to the extent that, when the first web area of a person's hand is located in the said space, the fingers of the hand can lie to the right side of the torch-handle, and the thumb of the hand can lie to the left side of the torch-handle;
the shape of the over-handle is such that, when the first web area of a person's hand is located in the said space, the attachment-component lies in front of the first web area;
and the configuration of the space created between the top-surface of the torch-handle and the undersurface of the hand-qrip component is such that, when the first web area of a hand is located in the said space, the first web area is gripped between the top-surface of the torch-handle and the undersurface of the hand-grig component securely enough that the person can manipulate and manhandle the torch, with the service cable attached, substantially without exerting any muscular squeeze or grin on the torch-handle.

7 more elements

Ergonomic over-handle, in combination with a welding torch having a torch-handle and having a service cable attached at a rear end thereof, wherein:

the over-handle includes an attachment-component, and the attachment-component makes physical contact with, and is fixedly attached to, the torch, at a point of attachment;
the said point of attachment between the attachment-component of the over-handle and the torch occurs at a location that is in front of the torch-handle;
the over-handle includes a hand-grip component, and the hand-grip component extends rearwards from the attachment-component:
the torch-handle includes a top-surface, and the hand-grip component overlies, and is spaced from, the said top-surface of the torch-handle;
the hand-grip component is so disposed in relation to the torch-handle as to create a space, between the top-surface of the torch-handle and an undersurface of the hand-grip component;
the space thus created is so shaped and sized as to be capable of, and suitable for, receiving the first web area of the hand of a person, into that space, the first web area being the webbed area between the thumb and the forefinger;
the space thus created is so shaped and sized as to be capable of, and suitable for, exerting a slight squeeze-grip upon the first web area of a person's hand, when the first web area is located in the said space;
the over-handle is open at the sides of the hand-grip component, to the extent that, when the first web area of a person's hand is located in the said space, the fingers of the hand can lie to the right side of the torch-handle, and the thumb of the hand can lie to the left side of the torch-handle;
the shape of the over-handle is such that, when the first web area of a person's hand is located in the said space, the attachment-component lies in front of the first web area;
the top-surface of the torch-handle is humped, to fit the palm of a hand gripping the torch-handle;
the undersurface of the hand-grip component is curved, being concave in the area of the undersurface that touches the first web area of the hand.

8 more elements

Ergonomic over-handle, in combination with a welding torch having a torch-handle and having a service cable attached at a rear end thereof, wherein:

the over-handle includes an attachment-component, and the attachment-component makes physical contact with, and is fixedly attached to, the torch, at a point of attachment;
the said point of attachment between the attachment-component of the over-handle and the torch occurs at a location that is in front of the torch-handle;
the over-handle includes a hand-grip component, and the hand-grip component extends rearwards from the attachment-component;
the torch-handle includes a top-surface, and the hand-grip component overlies, and is spaced from, the said top-surface of the torch-handle;
the hand-grip component is so disposed in relation to the torch-handle as to create a space, between the top-surface of the torch-handle and an undersurface of the hand-grip component;
the space thus created is so shaped and sized as to be capable of, and suitable for, receiving the first web area of the hand of a person, into that space, the first web area being the webbed area between the thumb and the forefinger;
the space thus created is so shaped and sized as to be capable of, and suitable for, exerting a slight squeeze-grip upon the first web area of a person's hand, when the first web area is located in the said space;
the over-handle is open at the sides of the hand-grip component, to the extent that, when the first web area of a person's hand is located in the said space, the fingers of the hand can lie to the right side of the torch-handle, and the thumb of the hand can lie to the left side of the torch-handle;
the shape of the over-handle is such that, when the first web area of a person's hand is located in the said space, the attachment-component lies in front of the first web area;
the over-handle includes left and right side-cheeks, which depend from the sides of the hand-grip component, and which are so arranged as to provide comfortable constraint for the area of the hand lying to the sides of the first web area, of a hand located in the said space.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

Ergonomic over-handle, in combination with a welding torch having a torch-handle and having a service cable attached at a rear end thereof, wherein:

the over-handle includes an attachment-component, and the attachment-component makes physical contact with, and is fixedly attached to, the torch, at a point of attachment;
the said point of attachment between the attachment-component of the over-handle and the torch occurs at a location that is in front of the torch-handle;
the over-handle includes a hand-grip component, and the hand-grip component extends rearwards from the attachment-component;
the torch-handle includes a top-surface, and the hand-grip component overlies, and is spaced from, the said top-surface of the torch-handle;
the hand-grip component is so disposed in relation to the torch-handle as to create a space, between the top-surface of the torch-handle and an undersurface of the hand-grip component;
the space thus created is so shaped and sized as to be capable of, and suitable for, receiving the first web area of the hand of a person, into that space, the first web area being the webbed area between the thumb and the forefinger;
the space thus created is so shaped and sized as to be capable of, and suitable for, exerting a slight squeeze-grip upon the first web area of a person's hand, when the first web area is located in the said space;
the over-handle is open at the sides of the hand-grip component, to the extent that, when the first web area of a person's hand is located in the said space, the fingers of the hand can lie to the right side of the torch-handle, and the thumb of the hand can lie to the left side of the torch-handle;
the shape of the over-handle is such that, when the first web area of a person's hand is located in the said space, the attachment-component lies in front of the first web area;
and the configuration of the space created between the top-surface of the torch-handle and the undersurface of the hand-qrip component is such that, when the first web area of a hand is located in the said space, the first web area is gripped between the top-surface of the torch-handle and the undersurface of the hand-grig component securely enough that the person can manipulate and manhandle the torch, with the service cable attached, substantially without exerting any muscular squeeze or grin on the torch-handle.

7 more elements