Abstract: A quick-adjust pipe wrench wherein a sliding casing carrying the lower jaw is slidable on a wrench shank toward and away from an upper jaw mounted on the head end of the shank, and a brake surface on the slidable casing is biased to engage a gripping surface on the shank of the wrench. The brake surface is carried by a brake lever having a depression contact area directly below the lower jaw on the casing. The gripping surface and brake surface provide a sliding rack catch which permits the casing with the lower jaw to slide toward the upper jaw but ensures that the casing with its lower jaw member cannot be moved away from the upper jaw member without disengaging the meshed teeth of the shank gripping surface and the brake surface.

Abstract: A lawn debris vacuum machine having a mobile housing with an inlet chute and a discharge chute, and a motor mounted on the housing that is connected for rotatably driving a vacuum impeller disposed in the housing between the inlet chute and the discharge chute. A thrasher protrudes into the inlet chute and is rotatably driven from the motor to break up debris in the inlet chute which would otherwise be sufficiently large enough to block the inlet chute. A rotating brush is mounted to the housing at the opening of the inlet chute for brushing debris into the inlet chute. The brush is rotatably driven in a direction opposite to the forward direction of the machine's progress.

Abstract: A molding removal tool assembly for prying molding off of a wall surface without damaging the molding or the wall surface. A pry bar is provided at its proximal end with a pry bar plate that extends at an angle from the pry bar and a striker shoe plate is secured with a hinge to the pry bar at and aligned with an edge of hinge securement of the pry bar plate to the pry bar. The striker shoe plate is provided with a cutout portion that receives the pry bar plate therein whereby the pry bar plate and striker plate are substantially flush with each other in a common plane when the pry bar plate is fully received in this cutout portion of the striker shoe plate. The striker shoe plate is provided with an exposed striker edge for receiving hammer blows in order to simultaneously wedge the flush striker shoe and pry bar plates between a wall surface and a molding attached to the wall surface. Once embedded, the pry bar is rotated to pry the molding away from the wall surface.

Abstract: A nail puller having a lever arm assembly with an arcuate gripping jaw plate secured to a bottom end, and a base assembly pivotally secured to the bottom portion of the lever arm assembly, the base assembly includes an arcuate rocker base plate pivotally secured to a bottom portion of the lever arm assembly for concentric pivotal movement relative to the arcuate gripping jaw plate of the lever arm assembly. The arcuate gripping jaw plate of the lever arm assembly and the arcuate rocker base plate of the base assembly are provided with transverse open-ended slots for simultaneously receiving the shank of a nail to be extracted. The nail shank received within the slots is gripped and leveraged out by rotating the upper lever arm assembly in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction.

Abstract: A molding removal tool assembly for prying molding off of a wall surface without damaging the molding or the wall surface. A pry bar is provided at its proximal end with a pry bar plate that extends at an angle from the pry bar and a striker shoe plate is secured with a hinge to the pry bar at and aligned with an edge of hinge securement of the pry bar plate to the pry bar. The striker shoe plate is provided with a cutout portion that receives the pry bar plate therein whereby the pry bar plate and striker plate are substantially flush with each other in a common plane when the pry bar plate is fully received in this cutout portion of the striker shoe plate. The striker shoe plate is provided with an exposed striker edge for receiving hammer blows in order to simultaneously wedge the flush striker shoe and pry bar plates between a wall surface and a molding attached to the wall surface. Once embedded, the pry bar is rotated to pry the molding away from the wall surface.

Abstract: A nail puller having a lever arm assembly with an arcuate gripping jaw plate secured to a bottom end, and a base assembly pivotally secured to the bottom portion of the lever arm assembly, the base assembly includes an arcuate rocker base plate pivotally secured to a bottom portion of the lever arm assembly for concentric pivotal movement relative to the arcuate gripping jaw plate of the lever arm assembly. The arcuate gripping jaw plate of the lever arm assembly and the arcuate rocker base plate of the base assembly are provided with transverse open-ended slots for simultaneously receiving the shank of a nail to be extracted. The nail shank received within the slots is gripped and leveraged out by rotating the upper lever arm assembly in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction.

Abstract: A lawn debris vacuum machine having a mobile housing with an inlet chute and a discharge chute, and a motor mounted on the housing that is connected for rotatably driving a vacuum impeller disposed in the housing between the inlet chute and the discharge chute. A thrasher protrudes into the inlet chute and is rotatably driven from the motor to break up debris in the inlet chute which would otherwise be sufficiently large enough to block the inlet chute. A rotating brush is mounted to the housing at the opening of the inlet chute for brushing debris into the inlet chute. The brush is rotatably driven in a direction opposite to the forward direction of the machine's progress.

Abstract: A linear ratchet drive mechanism operable single handedly for pivotally actuating one or more plier jaws in a diverging or converging direction for gripping objects under extreme pressure. A drive rod is received in a handle body for axial movement with one end of the drive rod pivotally linked to the jaw or jaws in order to actuate the jaws. An actuating lever is pivotally connected at one end to the handle body and extends from the handle body for single hand actuation by squeezing the lever against spring biased towards the handle body. The actuating lever is provided with a leverage arm that extends from the pivoting end of the actuating lever and is pivotally connected to a drive grip lever having an aperture surrounding the drive rod for binding against the drive rod for thereby driving the drive rod in one direction when the drive grip lever is canted and moved by squeezing the actuating lever.

Abstract: A linear ratchet drive mechanism operable single handedly for pivotally actuating one or more plier jaws in a diverging or converging direction for gripping objects under extreme pressure. A drive rod is received in a handle body for axial movement with one end of the drive rod pivotally linked to the jaw or jaws in order to actuate the jaws. An actuating lever is pivotally connected at one end to the handle body and extends from the handle body for single hand actuation by squeezing the lever against spring biased towards the handle body. The actuating lever is provided with a leverage arm that extends from the pivoting end of the actuating lever and is pivotally connected to a drive grip lever having an aperture surrounding the drive rod for binding against the drive rod for thereby driving the drive rod in one direction when the drive grip lever is canted and moved by squeezing the actuating lever.

Abstract: A linear ratchet drive mechanism operable single handedly for pivotally actuating one or more plier jaws in a diverging or converging direction for gripping objects under extreme pressure. A drive rod is received in a handle body for axial movement with one end of the drive rod pivotally linked to the jaw or jaws in order to actuate the jaws. An actuating lever is pivotally connected at one end to the handle body and extends from the handle body for single hand actuation by squeezing the lever against spring biased towards the handle body. The actuating lever is provided with a leverage arm that extends from the pivoting end of the actuating lever and is pivotally connected to a drive grip lever having an aperture surrounding the drive rod for binding against the drive rod for thereby driving the drive rod in one direction when the drive grip lever is canted and moved by squeezing the actuating lever.

Abstract: A jaw release mechanism for locking pliers which utilize an over-center toggle locking mechanism and wherein the normally stationary upper jaw of the pliers is pivotally fastened to the main body of the pliers. This normally stationary upper jaw is releaseably retained in a normally stationary position relative to the main body of the pliers by a thumb actuated trigger release mechanism whereby the locked pliers may be safely released with the same hand which grasps and manipulates the pliers.

Abstract: A jaw release mechanism for locking pliers which utilize an over-center toggle locking mechanism and wherein the normally stationary upper jaw of the pliers is pivotally fastened to the main body of the pliers. This normally stationary upper jaw is releaseably retained in a normally stationary position relative to the main body of the pliers by a thumb actuated trigger release mechanism whereby the locked pliers may be safely released with the same hand which grasps and manipulates the pliers.

Abstract: A pair of locking pliers having an adjusting device that utilizes a cam assembly. The pliers, preferably, include a trolley disposed in a first handle member that defines a channel. The trolley is structured to be coupled to a link assembly wherein the position of the link assembly relative to the distal end of the first handle member affects the spacing of the pliers' jaws. The cam assembly is, preferably, a planar disk-like body having a radially extending handle and, preferably, a plurality of flats about the circumference. The cam assembly is disposed, preferably, in the plane defined by the first handle member and the second handle assembly. The cam is coupled to the first handle member at the distal end of the handle portion and its' axis extends generally perpendicular to the plane defined by the first handle member and the second handle assembly.

Abstract: A pair of locking pliers having an adjusting device that utilizes a cam assembly. The pliers, preferably, include a trolley disposed in a first handle member that defines a channel. The trolley is structured to be coupled to a link assembly wherein the position of the link assembly relative to the distal end of the first handle member affects the spacing of the pliers' jaws. The cam assembly is, preferably, a planar disk-like body having a radially extending handle and, preferably, a plurality of flats about the circumference. The cam assembly is disposed, preferably, in the plane defined by the first handle member and the second handle assembly. The cam is coupled to the first handle member at the distal end of the handle portion and its' axis extends generally perpendicular to the plane defined by the first handle member and the second handle assembly.

Abstract: A self-adjusting locking plier having a stationary assembly providing a stationary handle and a stationary jaw and a moveable assembly including an operating lever and a moveable jaw that is supported on the stationary jaw with a slidable pivot connection whereby the moveable jaw is permitted to automatically close down on an object disposed between the jaws for providing self-adjustment for different sized objects to be gripped between the jaws. The operating lever is spring biased to move away from the stationary handle. In addition, a dual link past-dead-center toggle locking mechanism is provided to lock the pliers on to an object gripped between the jaws. The specific arrangement of the locking toggle mechanism in combination with the moveable operating lever to which it is connected in further combination with the fact that the front end of the lever mechanism is connected with a slidable pivot to the stationary jaw provides a self-adjusting locking plier.

Abstract: A lawn sweeper is provided having rotary brushes mounted in a housing and projecting through a bottom opening in the housing for sweeping up debris. A vacuum fan with an internal shredder is also mounted to the housing and communicates through a vacuum chute with the bottom opening for drawing in, shredding and discharging debris swept up by the brushes. A damper valve plate is disposed in the vacuum chute between the brushes and the vacuum fan and is operable for closing off the vacuum chute to provide a leaf vacuum port. A linkage is connected to a damper valve plate and also to the drive for the brushes to simultaneously disengage the drive for the brushes and to close off the vacuum chute with the damper valve plate.

Abstract: A self-adjusting locking plier having a stationary assembly providing a stationary handle and a stationary jaw and a moveable assembly including an operating lever and a moveable jaw that is supported on the stationary jaw with a slidable pivot connection whereby the moveable jaw is permitted to automatically close down on an object disposed between the jaws for providing self-adjustment for different sized objects to be gripped between the jaws. The operating lever is spring biased to move away from the stationary handle. In addition, a dual link past-dead-center toggle locking mechanism is provided to lock the pliers on to an object gripped between the jaws. The specific arrangement of the locking toggle mechanism in combination with the moveable operating lever to which it is connected in further combination with the fact that the front end of the lever mechanism is connected with a slidable pivot to the stationary jaw provides a self-adjusting locking plier.

Abstract: A mobile sweeper having a wheel supported housing to be moved forward and backward over a surface to be swept of debris. A pair of parallel elongated rotary brushes are mounted in the housing for rotation and extend in the direction of their elongation transversely to the direction of normal forward movement of the housing. These rotating brushes project downwardly through a bottom opening in the housing for sweeping an underlying surface of leaves and other debris. The drive for the brushes drives the rotary brushes in counter rotation whereby debris is swept upwardly between the brushes. A vacuum shredder fan is also mounted in the housing and communicates through a vacuum chute with the bottom opening of the housing for drawing in debris swept up by the brushes and chipping, shredding or mulching and discharging the shredded debris through a discharge chute for collection.