Abstract: A non-recoil striking tool and related production method are provided. The striking tool includes a metal tool head having an internal cavity, a handle-receiving socket, a port defining a passageway between the internal cavity and the handle-receiving socket, and an impact member. A flowable filler material of relatively high mass partially fills the internal cavity. A handle has an end fixed within the handle-receiving socket to prevent escape of the flowable filler material from the internal cavity and the handle extends away from the tool head. The method for making the non-recoil striking tool includes providing the metal tool head defining an open internal cavity, an impact member, and the handle-receiving socket. The internal cavity is partially filled with the flowable filler material of relatively high mass through the handle-receiving socket. The end of the handle is then fixed within the handle-receiving socket such that the rest of the handle extends away from the metal tool head.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing a composite rod assembly that may be used, for example, as a tool handle includes the steps of feeding a core into a pultrusion die tube and surrounding the core with resin coated fibers. At least one external mold member having a mold face defining an irregular profile shape is inserted into a space between the resin coated fibers and the die tube. The core is pulled through the pultrusion die tube and the at least one external mold member is drawn through the die tube with the resin coated fibers and the core. The resin coated fibers are cured around the core to form a fiber-resin jacket having an outer surface conforming to the irregular profile shape of the mold face. The core itself may have an irregular profile shape so that an inner surface of the fiber-resin jacket conforms thereto to key-lock the fiber-resin jacket to the core.

Abstract: A roofer's ripping spade is fabricated by inserting an end of a tool handle into a handle receiving socket of a tool head having a blade and a back-side cavity in the blade. A molded composite block including a fulcrum portion and a frog portion is positioned adjacent to a lower surface of the blade such that the fulcrum portion extends away from a lower surface of the blade and the frog portion is situated within and configured to fill the back-side cavity. Attachment rivets extend through aligned apertures in the fulcrum portion of the composite block and the blade to fasten the composite block to the blade. A tang element has a first end secured to the frog portion of the composite block, and a second end secured to the tool handle, to interconnect the frog portion of the composite block with the end of the tool handle inserted into the handle receiving socket of the tool head.

Abstract: An extension pole is provided for use in handling and manipulating a tool head, such as a tree pruner or other selected implement. The pole comprises a base section and an extension section defining a mated pair of generally planar side faces retained in face-to-face relation by a first slide cuff secured to a distal end of the base section for slide-fit reception of the extension section, and a second slide cuff secured to a proximal end of the extension section for slide-fit reception of the base section. One or more lock keys are carried by one of the pole sections for key-lock engagement with a longitudinally extending pattern of detents formed in the side face of the other pole section. At least one band clamp is releasibly secured about the pole sections to retain the lock keys in engagement with the detent pattern, thereby releasibly locking the two pole sections in a selected position of longitudinal adjustment.

Abstract: An improved manufacturing process is provided for surface protective striking tools such as hammers and mallets. An elongate hollow core is fitted with impact heads at opposite ends thereof and filled with a flowable filler material such as small steel pellets prior to placement of the core into a mold cavity for injection mold formation of an outer encasement. During the molding step, the filler material provides a substantially rigid structural backstop which enables a core of lightweight construction to withstand typical injection molding parameters. The molded outer encasement ensheathes a skirt portion of the impact heads and any exposed portion of the core member to bind the impact heads to the core member. The molded outer encasement does not extend over an impact face of each impact head. A handle may also be molded with the outer encasement. A striking tool thus formed is removed from the mold, and some or all of the filler material is drained from the core through an open port.

Abstract: A composite tool handle includes one or more load-bearing jackets surrounding a core of lightweight or reinforcing material. The interface between the core and the jacket is corrugated to increase the flexural strength of the tool handle while minimizing weight. The composite tool handle is manufactured by pultrusion wherein the core having a corrugated outer surface is fed through a pultrusion die tube. Resin coated fibers are channeled into the space between the core and the die tube for compression and heating to form a fiber-resin jacket having an internal surface conforming to the shape of the core for key-lock engagement therewith. The outer surface of the fiber-resin jacket can be formed with a corrugated or other discontinuous surface shape by placing one or more external mold members into the space between the resin coated fibers and the die tube for pultrusion therewith through the die tube, and for separation from the fiber-resin jacket upon exiting the die tube.

Abstract: A hand tool includes at least one handle connected to a tool head in a secure and stable manner to accommodate loads incurred during normal use, wherein the handle is adapted for quick and easy removal and replacement. The tool includes a mounting tang projecting rearwardly from the tool head and having a handle adapter at a rear end thereof. The handle adapter defines a rearwardly open socket for slide-fit reception of a front end of the handle. At least one clamp is provided for securely but releasably clamping the handle front end within the adapter socket. In the preferred form, the handle is constructed from a lightweight fiber resin composite material and has an adapter cuff mounted on the front end thereof for mating slide-fit reception into the adapter socket.

Abstract: An improved manufacturing process is provided for surface protective striking tools such as hammers and mallets. An elongate hollow core is fitted with impact heads at opposite ends thereof and filled with a flowable filler material such as small steel pellets prior to placement of the core into a mold cavity for injection mold formation of an outer encasement. During the molding step, the filler material provides a substantially rigid structural backstop which enables a core of lightweight construction to withstand typical injection molding parameters. The molded outer encasement ensheathes a skirt portion of the impact heads and any exposed portion of the core member to bind the impact heads to the core member. The molded outer encasement does not extend over an impact face of each impact head. A handle may also be molded with the outer encasement. A striking tool thus formed is removed from the mold, and some or all of the filler material is drained from the core through an open port.

Abstract: A closed back shovel is fabricated by placing a frog within a back-side cavity of a standard open back shovel head. The frog is configured to fill the back-side cavity of the shovel blade. A tang element interconnects the frog and a forward end of a tool handle positioned within a tool receiving socket of the blade, within a handle receiving socket, to secure the tool handle to the shovel head. A process for assembling a closed back shovel includes the steps of securing the tang element to the frog, heating the tang element and placing the frog within the back-side cavity of the shovel blade so that the tang element extends into the handle receiving socket, and aligning a tool handle with the tang element by inserting the handle front end into the handle receiving socket. The tool handle includes a thermoplastic section in proximity into the front end thereof, having an elongate tang receiving channel.

Abstract: An improved method is provided for the manufacture of tool components and the like, of a type having a hollow core disposed within an outer encasement of molded plastic material. A hollow core for the tool component is filled with a flowable filler material such as small steel pellets prior to placement of the core into a mold cavity for injection mold formation of the outer encasement. During the molding step, the filler material provides a substantially rigid structural backstop which enables a core of lightweight construction to withstand typical injection molding parameters. The thus-formed tool component is removed from the mold, and some or all of the filler material is drained from the core through an open port. In one embodiment the tool component includes a lightweight hollow tool handle; in another embodiment, the tool component includes the head of a deadblow hammer with a portion of the filler material retained therein.

Abstract: A closed back shovel is fabricated by placing a frog within a back-side cavity of a standard open back shovel head. The frog is configured to fill the back-side cavity of the shovel blade. A tang element interconnects the frog and a forward end of a tool handle positioned within a tool receiving socket of the blade, within a handle receiving socket, to secure the tool handle to the shovel head. A process for assembling a closed back shovel includes the steps of securing the tang element to the frog, heating the tang element and placing the frog within the back-side cavity of the shovel blade so that the tang element extends into the handle receiving socket, and aligning a tool handle with the tang element by inserting the handle front end into the handle receiving socket. The tool handle includes a thermoplastic section in proximity into the front end thereof, having an elongate tang receiving channel.

Abstract: A process for assembling a hand tool includes the steps of heating an elongated tang element fixed relative to the tool head, aligning a front end of a composite tool handle with a rearwardly extending portion of the tang element, and driving the heated tang element into the tool handle. The tool handle includes a thermoplastic section in proximity to the front end thereof, having an elongate tang receiving channel. The heated tang element is driven into the tang receiving channel such that as the tang element engages the tool handle, the thermoplastic section surrounding the tang receiving channel is softened and flows into intimate contact around the tang element and then hardens as the heat of the tang element is dissipated to hold the tang element in place. In one preferred form, the tang element forms a portion of the tool head which is heated and then positioned in a stationary jig.

Abstract: A tool handle includes a tapered shaft retainer which is dimensioned for insertion into the eyehole of a tool head, a high strength handle shaft bonded within the shaft retainer, and a grip which ensheathes the handle shaft. The shaft retainer includes an outer surface portion generally corresponding to a portion of the eyehole, an upper enlarged portion which is incapable of passing through the eyehole, and a slightly tapered inner cavity. The shaft retainer is inserted into the eyehole from the top end thereof, a measured adhesive is placed into the inner cavity, and then the handle shaft is pressed therein through a lower end of the eyehole. In order to improve the bond between the shaft retainer and the upper end of the handle shaft, keyways are provided on the upper end of the shaft and within the inner cavity of the shaft retainer.

Abstract: A poultry watering cup valve for controlling the flow of water from a water feed line to a poultry watering cup includes, generally, a substantially hollow valve housing extending from the watering cup for engaging the water feed line, and an improved valve seal positioned within the feed line and over the end of the valve housing opposite the watering cup. A shaft extending through the valve housing supports the valve seal adjacent a valve inlet aperture. In one preferred form, the valve seal includes an integral O-ring which can prevent fluid flow from the feed line through the valve inlet aperture. In another preferred form, the valve seal is provided a second integral O-ring which, like the first O-ring, can also prevent fluid flow from the feed line through the valve inlet aperture.

Abstract: A lightweight rod is strengthened by one or more longitudinally extending reinforcing beads of fiber-resin material which are integrally formed with a rod composite jacket during a pultrusion manufacturing process. Specifically, lightweight cores or alternating lightweight and reinforcing cores are introduced into a larger diameter pultrusion die tube. These cores can be provided with a particular shape and/or they can be introduced to the die tube so that the distance between the outer surface of the core and the inner surface of the die tube is non-uniform. Resin coated fibers are channeled into the space between the cores and the die tube where these fibers are compressed and heated to form a cured product. The result is a lightweight rod having longitudinally extending reinforcing beads of fiber-resin composite material where the distance between the lightweight core and the die tube was significantly greater than the average core to die tube distance.

Abstract: A reinforced tool handle and a method of producing the same are provided by which a hollow fiberglass rod is produced with a solid section integrally formed at predetermined stress points. The tool handle of this invention is formed by alternately feeding sections of a light weight core and a relatively strong solid core into the center of a die tube. The alternate cores are uniformly surrounded by resin coated fibers and pulled through the die tube to form a continuous rod having alternate light weight and strong solid cores. The continuous rod can then be cut as desired to form the reinforced tool handle of the present invention.

Abstract: A flexible core is provided for insertion in the handle receiving socket of a tool blade, such as a shovel. This flexible core provides compressive support inside the handle socket to prevent buckling or collapse of the socket when the socket is subjected to high bending stress.

Abstract: A bushing for connecting a tool head with a tapered eye to a fiberglass tool handle. The bushing, formed in two sections, is mounted around and over a tongue on the distal end of the handle and is configured externally to be wedged by driving the bushing and handle in proximal direction to the eye of the tool head. Complementary double tapers on the tongue and the corresponding interior surface of the bushing are pressed into engagement when the bushing is driven into place in the tool head. The tapers on the tongue hold the bushing longitudinally in place on the handle. Spacers having the double tapered shape and/or flexible shims are provided for expanding the bushing to adapt it to fit larger eyes and to accommodate manufacturing tolerances of the tool eye hole. The cross sections of the eye and bushing are ovate with the major axis of such oval shape perpendicular to a striking face on said head.

Abstract: A flexible core is provided for insertion in the handle receiving socket of a tool blade, such as a shovel. This flexible core provides compressive support inside the handle socket to prevent buckling or collapse of the socket when the socket is subjected to high bending stress.