Tongs

Octo S_s 1935» h. alberg 2,010.,356

TONGS

Filed Sept. 30, 1933

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Patented Oct. 8, 1935

2,016,356

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,016,356 TONGS Henry Alberg, Millstadt, III. Application September 30, 1933, Serial No. 691,681

Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in tongs and particularly to a pair of tongs for handling fire logs and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide im5 proved tongs to facilitate the handling of fire logs and obviate burning and soiling of the hands incident to placing said logs in a fire-place.

A further object is to provide tongs with means to effectively grip a log or other object and pre¹⁰ ^Uting, and which is not cumbersome to handle and is of simple and inexpensive construction.

Another object is to provide a device, for handling irregularly shaped objects, embodying 15 a pair of co-acting gripping jaws, said jaws being· arranged to provide a long gripping or bearing surface thus insuring a positive grip which may be easily maintained.

The foregoing and such other objects of the 20 invention as will appear hereinafter as the description proceeds, will be more readily understood from a perusal of the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved fire log tongs.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of the tongs, showing a modified form of construction.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig 2 30 showing another modification.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the improved tongs, showing another modified locking means thereon.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein the 35 improved tongs are illustrated, a pair of arms or levers IQ are provided with angularly off-set extensions 11 at one end, arranged in cross relation and pivotally connected together at 12 These off-set extensions terminate in substan40 tially parallel hand loops 13. The arms or levers 10 preferably are fashioned from suitable strips of material, and their ends opposed to the hand loops 13 are slit longitudinally, as at 14, to provide diverging inwardly curved jaws 15. The in45 wardly disposed free ends of the jaws 15 are each provided with an inwardly upwardly turned lip 16 to afford log engaging means adapted to grip a fire log, or other similarly shaped object

To prevent tilting or displacement of ’ a log 50 when gripped between the jaws 15, suitable laterally extending ears 17 are provided, one on each arm 10, adjacent the junction of the diverging jaws 15 with the lever arms 10. The ears 17 preferably are arranged on the same side of 55 the tongs, as shown.

(Cl. 294—118)

A suitable slide lock or loop 18 is slidably mounted on the arms 10 for locking the tongs while gripping an object. The movement of said loop in the direction of the jaws 15 preferably is limited by enlargements 19 one formed on each κ arm 10 adjacent ears 17. The lock 18 preferably is provided with a suitable loop or eyelet 21 to enable the grasping and moving of the lock without burning or soiling the hands while depositing a log in the fire-place.

The lock 18 may be dispensed with and a locking device, such as shown in Fig. 2, may be employed. This lock preferably comprises an arm pivoted at 23 to one of the arms 10 of the tongs and is provided with a slot 24 adjacent its is free end. The upper edge of the slot 24 is serrated as at 25 for co-operative engagement with a pin 26, carried on the other arm 10 of the tongs.

By securing a suitable spring 27 on the loop 18 _9nsuch as is shown in Fig. 3, yieldable means may be provided to prevent free movement of the lock along arms ID. This spring may be of any applicable type, such as that shown, wherein the curved ends 28 thereof yieldingly engage the respective inner edges of the arms 10 to frictionally hold member 18 against displacement.

In Fig. 4, movement of the lock 18 towards the jaw and of tne tongs is limited by enlargements 29 on the arms 10. With this construction the qn lock can at no time move into close proximity to the log carried in the jaws.

Although exemplary forms of the device have been shown in the accompanying drawing and described in detail in the foregoing specification it κ is to be readily understood that the improved tongs may embody certain modifications in detail structure without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims