GB2289006A - Setting tool - Google Patents

Abstract

A setting tool (2) for mounting fixings 32 into a surface 36 includes a housing (4) shaped (14, 16) to form a channel so that separation of jaws (6, 8) is only possible linearly. Movement of a handle (18) of the tool (2) causes a pivoting lever mechanism (20, 22, 18, Fig 2) to slidably move a component (10, Fig 2) within the housing (4). This component (10, Fig 2) forms one of the jaws (6) and thus linear separation of the jaws (6, 8) occurs. <IMAGE>

Description

SETTING TOOL The present invention relates to setting tools comprising: a housing containing a pair ofjaws, the jaws of the pair being movable relative to one another; and actuating means coupled to at least one of the jaws of the pair for controlling their relative movement.

Setting tools of the known kind are used to mount fixings into hollow walls fonned of friable material such as chipboard. Use of the tool is as follows: firstly a hole is formed in the wall right through the solid part thereof. Then a fixing is passed through this hole. The fixing has a head which cannot pass through the hole and a shank which passes through the hole and protrudes into the hollow part of the wall.

In order to mount the fixing to the wall such that removal thereof is not possible, the setting tool is used. The pair ofjaws of the tool are placed between the head and the shank of the fixing. Then the actuating means is manually operated to cause a relative movement of the jaws. This relative movement causes the head of the fixing to be pulled back out of the hole whilst preventing the shank from similar movement. In this case, then, the shank of the fixing defonns as the head is pulled out of the hole because the head is coupled to the shank, generally to the end of the shank remote from the head.

This delonnation then renders the shank of such a shape that it cannot fit through the hole and is thus rigidly mounted into the hole in the wall.

A problem which can exist with the known type of setting tool, however, is that unless the jaws move apart in a linear manner, then the head, whilst being pulled out of the hole, may also twist away from the axis of the hole. This can result in the fixing ultimately being mounted at an angle to the wall. Also, one jaw may lose its grip on the head, and so frustrate successful setting of the fixing.

Solutions have been proposed to the above problem, one of which is to permit the jaws to travel only linearly by providing tracks cut out of the housing material and placing pins through one of the jaws so that the pin moves along the tracks and thus, effectively, controls the direction of movement of the jaw.

The above solution, whilst being effective, is relatively expensive due to manufacturing costs associated with forming tracks in the housing and mounting pins to the jaws and the tracks.

It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a setting tool which is more economical to manufacture than the known types and which obviates the possibility of fixings being mounted obliquely to the wall.

According to the present invention there is provided a setting tool of the known type characterised in that the housing is shaped to provide a channel such that only linear relative movement of the jaws of the pair within the channel is possible.

Thus by using the shape of the housing itself as a means to control the linear relative movement of the jaws, then the need for expensive track fonnation in the housing and pin connections between these tracks and the jaws is obviated. The shape of the housing so needed may be achieved by moulding techniques thus not only providing cheaper manufacturing costs, but also enabling simpler manufacturing techlliques.

Preferably during such relative movement between the jaws of the pair, the orientation of each of the jaws of the pair relative to the other jaw does not change. In this manner any twisting of the head of the fixing is avoided, and also any likelihood of one jaw losing its grip on the fixing is reduced.

Advantageously the actuating means is a manually operable handle coupled to only one of the jaws of the pair. Additionally the other jaw of the pair may be fixedly coupled to the housing, and a fiuther handle fixed to the housing.

It is desirable that the manually operable handle is coupled only to the said one of the jaws of the pair by a pivoting lever mechanism.

This pivoting lever mechanism may include a biassing spring for urging the jaws of the pair together.

The present invention will now be explained, by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 illustrates a schematic, partially cut away view of a setting tool in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 shows schematically a longitudinal section of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows schematically a longitudinal section of the tool of Figure 1 in the setting position; Figure 4 illustrates a perspective view of the tool of Figure 1; Figure 5 illustrates schematically a tool ready to set a fixing, and; Figure 6 illustrates schematically a tool having set a fixing to a wall.

Referring to Figures 1-4 a setting tool in accordance with the present invention is shown generally as 2. The tool comprises a housing 4 formed from moulded metal, that is to say, from sheet metal moulded to shape by cutting and bending. The housing 4 contains a pair ofjaws 6,8. In this example one of the jaws 6 is formed from the housing 4 itself and the other jaw 8 is formed from a separate metal component 10 within the housing 4.

The housing 4 is arranged to have a projection 12 which acts as a handle when the tool 2 is to be used. For comfort of use, the handle 12 may be surrounded or coated by a plastics or rubber material which a user may find easier to grip than metal.

The metal component 10 which forms jaw 6 is slidably movable within the housing 4. An upper portion 14 and a lower portion 16 of the housing 4 are folded over. (As shown most clearly, for the upper portion 14, in Figure 4). Although only the upper portion is shown in the Figures, the lower portion 16 is formed in an identical manner.

The folding ofthe housing 4 at portions 14 and 16 is such that the housing is then shaped to form a channel within which component 10 may move in a first direction and so that only limited movement of component 10 (and, therefore relative movement between the jaws 6 and 8) is possible. This limited movement is a linear movement left-right as shown in Figure 3.

The means by which this linear relative movement of the jaws 6 and 8 may be obtained is explained below.

An actuating means, here a handle 18 is coupled to the housing 4 manually operable via a pivot 20. As the handle 18 is urged in the direction of the large arrow shown in Figure 2, then a curved face 22 of the handle 18 urges an abutting face 24 of the component 10 to the right thus moving jaw 6 away from jaw 8. This can be seen from Figure 3. This is the operation necessary to mount the fixing (32, shown in Figures 5 and 6) into a wall 36 as discussed hereabove.

In order to return the handle 18 to the position shown in Figure 2, i.e. in order to bring the jaws 6 and 8 together again so that a further setting operation may be undertaken, the pivoting lever mechanism 20,22,18 described above includes a biassing spring 26 which urges the handle 18 in the opposite direction to the large arrow shown in Figure 2. This has the effect of forcing a front face 28 of the handle 18 into contact with an abutment 30 of the component 10 and thus urging the component 10 to the left as shown in Figure 2 and thus moving the jaw 6 towards jaw 8. This is the "rest" position of the tool 2.

It will be understood, particularly from Figures 2 and 3 that with the embodiment described above and use of the pivoting lever mechanism 20,22,18 in which the movement of handle 18 causes curved face 22 to abut face 24, that the orientation of the component 10 within the housing 4 does not alter along the length of travel of component 10. This in turn means that the orientation of the jaws 6 and 8 to each other does not change. As shown in these Figures both jaws 6 and 8 remain vertically oriented throughout the travel of component 10. Although this need not necessarily be the case, the advantage gained by such an arrangement is that the head of the fixing 32 will not be twisted during the setting operation, or, more likely, dropped by the jaw 8.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that there is no compulsion for the handle 12 to be formed from the housing 4. It could equally be a separate item attached to the housing 4. Equally, the jaw 8 need not be formed from the housing 4. In this case, an operating means could easily be arranged to move both jaws rather than only jaw 6 as in the above example.

It will be appreciated that by shaping the housing 4 to create a channel within which the component 10 and thus jaw 6 may move only linearly with respect to jaw 8, then manufacture of a tool in accordance with the present invention may be achieved with, essentially, only three components, namely: housing 4, component 10 and the handle 18. Moreover, only one rivet, forming the pivot axis 20, providing the fulcrum for spring 26, holding the two halves of the folded metal housing 4, and providing further linear giuidance means for the component 10, is required. Such linear guidance means is a slot (not shown) in the component 10 and through which the rivet 20 passes.

For completeness, Figure 5 shows a tool 2 in the "rest" position with a fixing 32 between jaws 6 and 8 ready for setting.

Figure 6 shows the fixing 32 having been set into a hole 34 in a wall 36.

It will be seen that the bottom of handle 18 carries a clip 38 which may be placed over handle 12 when the tool 2 is in the rest position to facilitate portability of the tool 2.

Claims (9)

1. A setting tool comprising: a housing containing a pair ofjaws, the jaws of the pair being movable within the housing relative to one another; and actuating means coupled to at least one of the jaws of the pair for controlling their relative movement, the tool characterised in that the housing is shaped to provide a channel such that only linear relative movement of the jaws of the pair within the channel is possible.

2. A setting tool according to claim 1 wherein, during any such relative movement, the orientation of each of the jaws of other pair relative to the other jaw does not change.

3. A setting tool according to either claim 2 or claim 2 wherein the actuating means is a manually operable handle coupled to only one of the jaws of the pair.

4. A setting tool according to claim 3 wherein the other jaw of the pair is fixedly coupled to the housing, and a further handle is fixed to the housing.

5. A setting tool according to either claim 3 or claim 4 wherein the manually operable handle is coupled only to the said one of the jaws of the pair by a pivoting lever mechanism.

6. A setting tool according to claim 5 wherein the pivoting lever mechanism includes a biassing spring for urging the jaws of the pair together.

7. A setting tool according to claim 4 wherein the other jaw of the pair is fonned from the housing.

8. A setting tool comprising: a housing formed from a single sheet of metal folded to define a channel and a first handle of the tool, a first jaw being formed at one end of said channel; a component slidably received in said channel and having a second jaw facing said first jaw; and, actuating means providing a second handle of the tool pivoted in said housing and being coupled to said component to move said component along said channel on pivoting of said actuating means; said pivot comprising a fastening which is the only fastening holding all the components of the tool together.

9. A setting tool substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.