US1725605A - Reenforced handle - Google Patents

Description

Allg- 20, 1929. c. D. UPTON REENFORGE'D HANDLE Filed May 15, 1926 UNITE" STATES PATENT OFFCEL.

CLIFFORD D. UPTON, OF PIQU'A, OHIO, ASSQNOR TO THE WOOD SHOVEL AND TOOL COMPANY, OF PQUA, OHIO, A CORPORATION 0F OHIO.

REENFRCED HANDLE.

Application led May l5,

This invention relates to wooden handles for shovels, rakes, hoes, and the like; in fact handles for all purposes wherein the handle long, straight and of comparatively small diameter.

One of the objects of my invention is to reenforce a handle and enable it to withstand excessive strains, especially strains applied in certain directions, as, for example, bending strains put upon the handle of a shovel when the shovel is used as a pry. Another object is to permit the use of lumber in making handles which could not otherwise be used for the purpose. Ano-ther object is to prevent warpage handles.

ln the succeeding' specification I shall first describe the structure of my improved handle and I shall then describe one of its uses. ln the accompanying drawing, which forms part of the specification,

F ig. l shows two strips of wood which are to be joined to form a handle;

Fig. 2 shows an end view of a handle made of two such strips of wood, the strips when first joined foi-ning a square cross-section, indicated by dotted lines, which is then turned to the circular cross-section shown in full lines;

Figs. 3 and l show two forms of a metallic connecter by which the two parts of the handle are united;

5 shows a shovel equipped with a handle embodying my invention;

Fig. 6 shows a shovel handle alone, from a point of view ninety degrees around from that seen in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7' shows in an enlarged view the manner of securing the upper ends of the shovel. straps to the handle, whereby the usual rivet at this point is dispensed with;

Fig. 8 shows a cross-section through the handle on line 8-8 in Fig. 5, and

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of a modied form of metallic connecter.

Referring first to Fig. Il, it is seen that the connecter' comprises a strip of metal 10, both edges having been notched, as at l1, leaving a series of projections l2, which, for lack of a better' terni, I shall call blades. These blades are bent to positions less than ninety degrees from the strip l0, alternate blades being bent toward one side ot the strip and the intervening blades bent to a similar position with reference to the other side of the strip. The blades situated oppo- 1926. Serial No. 109,250.

site each otherl on the strip l0 are bent in opposite directions, but there is no particular merit in this arrangement, as these opposing blades might as well be bent toward the same side of the strip. The strip shown in Fig. differs from that shown in Fig. l only in that its blades l2 are not separated by notches l1. The edges of the strip l0 are merely clipped and the resulting blades bent in alternate directions as before.

Each of the wooden strips l5, in Fig. l, being alike I shall describe one only. Preferably the strip is twice as wide as it is thick, and on one side it is channeled, as at 16, to a depth equal to one-half the thickness of the body l0 of the connecter. At each edge of this shallow channel a deep, narrow,

slot 17 is out, to receive the blades l2 on one side of the connecter'. These slots` are inclined to an angle corresponding to the inclination of the blades. lVhen the strips are united by the connecter the faces 18-18 of the strips come together as is seen in Fig. 2. The ir fer `ed method of a s nblin' the j c i s e1 g parts is to place the two wooden strips face to face and then slide the connecter into its place between them. Before put-ting the wooden strips together the faces 18- 18 -may be coated with glue, preferably water-proof glue. This assemblage may then be turned or otherwise reduced to the circular crosssection shown in Fig. 3. It is possible, of course, to give the strips 15 their semi-cylindrical form before they are assembled.

rlfhere are two advantages in making the connecter as in Fig. Il, that .is with the notches ll between the blades. First, it reduces the weight of the reenforcement. Second, the spaces between the blades afford an opportunity for a slight fleXure'of the body1 lO as the connecter is forced into place between woodenstrips, which, if the metal has a reasonable amount of resiliency, will enable the connecter to draw the strips tightly together. To take advantage of this it is necessary to make the depth of the channels 16 such that this fleXure can take place. But ar very slight difference in this respect is sufficient as the flexure need not be great. It is not necessary to use metal as thick as is indicated by the drawing, this however, being a mere question of designing, and depending on the uses to which the handle will be put. Nor is the use ofmy method of joining wood limited to handles; it is ap- `ber of a dove-tail joint.

plicable to any case where it is desirable either to make a very strong joint or to reenforce wood.

lVhile l have referred to the members l2 of the connecter as blades, it is plain that as a whole the union between the connecter and wooden strips is on the principle of the well known dove-tail. The' key 19 formed by cutting the slots 17 is dove-tail in form and the blades embrace it like the other mem- Because of the extreme intimacy of the connection, the blades being conlined in the comparatively close tit-ting grooves, forming a sort of interlock, the connecter stiflens a handle very materially, even against strains perpendicular to the body l() of the connecter. But in the other direction, that is, against strains parallel to the body of the connecter, the handle has very great strength and rigidity. lVhen it is desirable to provide substantially equal rigidity in both directions a connecter of the form shown in Fig. 9 may be used. This connecter has ribs 30 projecting from each side of the body l0, which, aided by the rigidity due to the interlocking of the connectei` and wood, give the handle substantially equal strength and rigidity in all directions. My method of reenforcing handles is useful in keeping them from warping, which is a valuable function where handles are much subjected to the action of water. My invention is also applicable to other uses than shovel. handles. F or example, it is applicable to the wooden bars or doctors7 used for smoothing the color after it is applied to the fabric in machines for making oilcloth'. In such machines much trouble is experienced from warping of the bars because of their being wet so much of the time, and also because of their being alternately wet and dry. Instead of providing the ribs 30, the body 10 may be provided with longitudinal corrugations to give it stiffness. This is so obvious that it is deemed unnecessary to illustrate it.

In Fig. 5 l show a shovel equipped with a handle embodying my invention. The met-al partof the shovel is of the usual style, the blade 25 having the usual pocket, comprising straps 26 and 27, for attaching the wooden handle to the blade. This handle is reenforced for a portion of its length with a metallic connecter 28, which is indicated diagrammatically with dotted lines. The handie must be bent in the usual way to get it into the pocket, and to permit this the connecter or reenforcement stops short of the bend. But it extends sufficiently past the ends of the straps to transfer all strain to the straps, therefore leaving no weak point in the handle. Instead of the rivet which ordinarily secures the ends of the straps 26 and 27 to the handle, the straps are bound to the handle by a metal band 29, which is wrapped around the Istraps and its ends tucked through a hole in one of the straps. The band is then contracted by a ewa-ging operation. As this speciiic structure of the handle, including the band for securing the straps is not my invention the foregoing description is sufficient. I merely show it here to demonstrate the reenforcing function of the connecter 28. The handle being set in the pocket with the body l() of the connecter perpendicular to the blade, any strain put upon the handle when the shovel is used as a pry is received edgewiserby the body of the connecter.

ln other types of shovels this reenforcement is similarly, or even more effective. For example, shovels for digging holes for telephone poles have handles of various lengths, as much as ten or twelve feet in some cases, and these are subjected to very severe strain at times. Because of this it has been necessary to use very high class lumber in making such handles. lith my method of building up and reenforcing handles, not

only can smaller pieces be used, but a lower grade of lumber can be used and yet produce stronger handles than before. As lumber suitable for shovel handles and other articles to which my inventionmay be applied is becoming scarce and therefore expensive, this is an important consideration.

It is not to be understood that my invention is limited, in its broader aspects, to the details of construction shown. Its limitations are only such as my claims impose.

Vhat I claim as my invention is as follows:

l. As an article of manufacture, two strips of wood united by strips of metal lying partly in one strip of wood and partly in the other in longitudinally disposed grooves formed in the wood, and inclined with reference to the abutting surfaces of the wooden strips and with reference to each other, whereby the union is effectedv on the principle of a dove-tail joint.

l Ut) 2. A handle or the like comprising two strips of wood, each having two slots cut in one side parallel to each other and to the grain of the wood, said slots converging from the surface inward, thereby forming an intermediate key of dovetail cross-section; and a metallic connector comprising a Hat body having two rows of blades projecting from each side Vin converging relationship, therebyV forniing on each side of said body a channel complementary to and adapted to receive the key of one of said strips.

3. A handle or the like comprising two strips of wood, each having two slots cut in one side, parallel to each other and to the grain of the wood, said slots converging from the Isurface inward, forming an intermediate key of dovetail cross-section; and a metallic connecter comprising a thin fiat body from each edge of which blades project toward each side of the body and leaning toward each other to form on each side of the body a channel complementary to and adapted to receive one of said keys, said keys being reduced in height with reference to the adjacent surfaces of the strips, thereby providing a space for the body of the connecter and enabling said adjacent surfaces to contact, thus entirely enclosing the connecter in the wood.

4. A handle composed of wood with abroad and relatively thin metallic reenforcement embedded within and completely surrounded by the wood.

5. A handle composed of two strips of wood having a metal reenforcement between them, which reenforcement is interlocked with said strips of wood at points intermediate its extremities.

6. A handle 'composed of two strips of wood with a metal reenforcement confined between them, portions of the wood coming together face to face on each side of said re enforcement, which portions are united with glue, said reenforcement being interlocked with said strips at points intermediate its extremities.

7. An article of manufacture composed of two strips of wood united face to vface by metal connecters, comprising flat blades radiating in two directions from and integral with a common body, said blades litt-ing in slots cut longitudinally in each of the strips at an inclination to said faces, the slots in a given strip inclining in opposite directions.

8. An article of manufacturecomposed of two strips of wood united by connecters comprising flat blades lying in slots in the strips, said slots being inclined with reference to the surfaces of the strips, the inclination of one slot in a strip being different from that of the other slot.

9. As an article of manufacture, a wooden handle composed of two halves placed face to face, each half having two deep, narrow, longitudinally extending slots, said slots being at an angle to each other in cross-sec tion, and a metal connecting device having blades adapted to slide into said slots and hold the parts together.

l0. As an article of manufacture, a handle composed of two strips of wood, each having two deep, narrow, longitudinally extending slots cut in one side, said slot-s inclining` with reference to the surface in which they areV cut and inopposite directions with reference to each other; and means for uniting said sti-ips, comprising a strip of metal having blades attached to each edge and extending alternately from leach side of the strip at inclinations corresponding to that of the slots in said strip, |said blades being slid into the slots and thereby uniting` the wood strips to said metal strip.

l1. A handle or the like comprising two strips of wood, each having two slots cut in one side parallel to each other and to the grain of the wood, said slots converging from the surface inward, thereby forming an intermediate key of dovetail cross-section; and a metallic connecter comprising a flat body having two rows of blades projecting from each side in converging relationship, thereby forming on each side of said body a channel complementary to and adapted to receive the key of one of said strips, said body having a longitudinal rib extending from each side to give the connecter rigidity perpendicular to said body.

CLIFFORD D. UPTON.

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