Leatherman Tool Group, Inc.

Other

Timothy S Leatherman

Howard G Berg

Benjamin C Rivera

Reinhard Srajer

Philip C Gibson

A folding multipurpose tool including adjustable locking pliers with an over-center locking mechanism to retain the jaws in a gripping condition. The jaws of the locking pliers can be folded into the handles of the tool to produce a compact folded configuration. A latch mechanism in the tool handle retains a selected one of several folding tool bits or blades in an extended position for use and includes an abutment arrangement to prevent such a selected tool bit from being extended too far. A spring associated with a tool bit driving socket retains separate tool bits and resists inadvertent removal of an adjustment screw element of the locking pliers. Upon removal of the adjustment screw element, special bits, such as a corkscrew, can be screwed into the tool bit driving socket.

Multipurpose locking pliers

Blade latch lever for a multipurpose folding tool

Jaws for pliers

A locking mechanism for holding a selected blade or tool kit of a multi-purpose folding tool in an extended position. A base portion of each blade is mounted on a pivot pin mounted in a tool handle. The base portion includes a cam and a notch, and a spring included in the handle biases a flange against the cam and urges the flange into the notch to hold the selected blade in an extended position. The notch has a sharp lip and the flange is attached to the spring by a bend formed in a way leaving effectively a zero radius of curvature inside the bend. As a result, the lip of the notch and the inside corner surface of the bend defining the flange do not interact as cam and follower to urge the flange out from the notch, and a shorter flange and shallower notch are effective to lock the blade in position. A channel which receives and holds blades in a folded configuration of the tool has inside corners between sidewalls and a base, each corner having effectively a zero radius of curvature.

Folding tool with locking mechanism

Handles for a multipurpose folding tool

Folded multipurpose tool

A lock-back foldable tool includes a folding locking channel which nests outside of the channel-shaped handle of the tool. The locking channel fits closely over a spring, integral with the web of the channel-shaped handle, which bears against a cam surface on the base of the tool blade. When the blade is in extended position with respect to the handle, pivoting of the blade with respect to the handle will cause deflection of the spring. When the locking channel is selectively positioned over the spring, it prevents deflection of the spring, thereby locking the blade into extended position.

Lock-bar foldable tool

A foldable gripping tool has compound folding handle assemblies including channel shaped handles and handle extensions which may be folded into nested relationship with each other, and folded over the gripping jaws of the tool to enclose the jaws into a compact nested assembly. The handle extensions provide a broad smooth surface to be grasped and squeezed by the user's hand. The handle extensions include integral tools such as a can/bottle opener and screwdrivers. The tool also includes tool blades such as a knife blade and a screwdriver/file blade, independent of the handle extensions, which are also foldable into the channel shaped handles and handle extensions.

Foldable tool

Channel shaped handles are foldable over plier jaws for compact carrying and storage. Auxiliary parallel jaws are operable by the main jaws when desired. Locking means are provided, operable with both sets of jaws to maintain a strong grip on an object when the handles are released. The handles also contain other tools, some of which may be opened out to provide handle extensions for increasing the leverage on the pliers.

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Portland, OR, United States of America

Timothy S Leatherman