Abstract:
A sliding sleeve or collar which is cylindrical and has an elongated guide or channel fluidly connecting the outer annular wall with the inner annular wall of the sleeve is disclosed. A connector having at least one open end and an elongated slot with a floor and a pin guide through the floor is further disclosed. The pin guide is open to the inside of the connector. Between the sleeve and the slot is a pin having a pin head visible through the elongated guide and two opposing spring arms of a size and shape to fit in said slot, and a pin body which movable fits in side pin guide.
Abstract:
An industrial long handled tool component system is provided having interchangeable tool heads, connectors, handles and grips. The novel connector system provides a polygonal locking bar concentric with a round outer reinforcing collar both engaged by a material connector insert and separated by plastic isolations seals. The novel connector promotes connection integrity and prevents joint movement. An alternate embodiment provides a connector system without the collar to save weight and manufacturing cost.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for coupling an attachable tool to a handle comprising a coupler device fixedly attached to the handle and having a locking structure moveable between locking and release conditions and being carried by a coupler body having an inner wall defining a cavity that is accessible via a cavity dimensioned and shaped to receive the attachable tool and having a first locking member for cooperative abutting engagement with the attachable tool to temporarily move the locking structure to its release condition when the attachment shaft is inserted into the cavity and a second locking member for cooperative engagement with the locking structure when the attachment shaft is inserted substantially into the cavity and the locking structure is moved to the locking position to inhibit removal of the attachment shaft from the cavity.
Abstract:
Embodiments of the invention relate to a tool having a working head that is pivotally adjustable relative to an elongated shaft. The working head of the tool can be almost any type of tool including gardening tools (hoes, rakes, shovels, etc.) and cleaning tools (mops, brooms, squeegies, etc.). Embodiments of the invention can include an elongated shaft and a pivot arm, which is pivotally connected to one end of the shaft. Embodiments of the invention provide apparatus for allowing a user to pivotally adjust the angular orientation of the pivot arm relative to the elongated shaft, and also for substantially locking the pivot arm in place once the desired orientation is achieved. The pivoting tool according to the invention can pivot about 90 degrees in either direction from a central location in which the pivot arm is substantially aligned with the shaft.
Abstract:
A hand manipulated implement including an implement head, a handle and a connector rigidly connecting the handle to the implement head. The connector includes a plug which is inserted into the handle and which includes an exposed end for inserting into a collet base defined on the implement head. The connector plug and collet base each include an aperture wherein the apertures of the plug and base are aligned by ribs cooperating with grooves and slots at the lower ends of the plug and collet base. A clip is inserted through the aligned apertures to thereby hold the handle against longitudinal movement relative to the collet base. In addition, a collet is formed at an upper end of the collet base for frictionally engaging the handle and thereby further limiting movement of the handle relative to the implement head.
Abstract:
A surgical screwdriver for inserting bone screws in bone tunnels in ligament reconstruction has, in a preferred embodiment, a cannulated flexible shaft portion. The flexible shaft portion is formed by a plurality of linkage members disposed in series. Each linkage member is joined to an adjacent linkage member so as to permit adjacent linkage members to be pivotally movable with respect to one another about a pivot axis. The screwdriver is used in methods of arthroscopic cruciate ligament reconstruction including the steps of introducing the screwdriver along a guide wire through a portal that is offset from the longitudinal axis of a bone tunnel and driving an interference screw mounted on the driver in the bone tunnel to fixate a bone block in the bone tunnel.
Abstract:
A graft preparation table including a bone block drill guide and a suturing station. The bone block drill guide has a central tunnel and first and second parallel tunnels intersecting opposite sides of the central tunnel and parallel to the central tunnel. A bone plug is longitudinally inserted into the central column so that parallel grooves may be formed in the bone plug by drilling through the first and second parallel tunnels. The suturing station includes a tensioning track and a pair of suture blocks separated along the track. Each suture block includes a chamber for accommodating a bone plug and suture openings on opposite sides of the suture block. The distance between the suture blocks on the tensioning track may be adjusted to achieve the desired tension on the ligament replacement looped about the bone plugs. A stop pin is inserted into each suture block to hold the bone plug in its respective chamber. A needle carrying a suture is inserted through a suturing opening to attach the ligament replacement to the bone plug. The needle pierces the ligament replacement and the bone plug and exits through the suturing opening on the opposite side. Suturing is conducted with the ligament replacement under tension.
Abstract:
In broadest terms, the present invention is a hand tool, the tool having: (1) a handle portion; and (2) an elongated head portion attached to the handle portion and having a plurality of substantially parallel flexible rubber strips distending from said head portion. It is preferred that the head portion have a substantially straight flexible rubber portion having a plurality of substantially parallel flexible rubber strips distending from said flexible rubber portion. The head portion and flexible rubber strips most preferably being in the form of a single piece of rubber which may be made by cutting a series of slots into a single piece of rubber as described more fully herein. It is also preferred that the flexible rubber strips be rectangular in shape.
Abstract:
A femoral guide for precisely positioning a guide wire on a bone surface of the femur includes a body having a lumen for receiving a guide wire and a tongue protruding from the body for engaging an edge or reference point on the bone surface with the tongue being spaced a predetermined distance from a longitudinal axis of the lumen. The lumen includes an opening allowing a guide wire extending through the lumen to contact the bone surface at a location spaced from the edge substantially the predetermined distance with the tongue engaging the edge. A stylus on the body can be driven into the bone to secure and stabilize the femoral guide prior to driving the guide wire into the bone through the lumen. With the guide wire driven into the bone, a bone tunnel can be formed substantially concentrically or coaxially along the guide wire such that a longitudinal axis of the bone tunnel will be disposed from the edge substantially the predetermined distance. Methods of precisely forming bone tunnels include the steps of engaging an edge of a bone surface with a tongue of the femoral guide, inserting a guide wire through a lumen of the femoral guide, driving the guide wire into the bone through the lumen and forming a bone tunnel in the bone along the guide wire such that a longitudinal axis of the bone tunnel will be disposed from the edge engaged by the tongue a distance substantially equal to the distance that the tongue is disposed from a longitudinal axis of the lumen.
Abstract:
The universal replacement handle of this invention may be used with a variety of tools such as shovels having a handle-receiving socket. The handle comprises a handle member having a tool coupling section at one end thereof and a hand-grasping section extending outwardly from the tool coupling section. The tool coupling section includes a plurality of socket adaptors effective to cause the handle to fit the handle-receiving sockets of a variety of shovels selected from the group consisting of a handle back shovel with a shoulder, a Razorback.RTM. open back shovel, a lock socket shovel, a solid socket closedback shovel with a shoulder, and a solid shank closedback shovel without a shoulder. The tool coupling section includes first and second adaptor mounting sections for carrying respective first and second adaptor mechanisms having removable segments designed to adapt the handle to a particular handle-receiving socket.