Tool blade

Abstract

A blade for a lifting tool, the tool used to remove material off a support surface. The blade has a generally quadratic shape with front and rear edges joined by sides, a top surface, and a bottom surface. The bottom surface has a front section and a rear section, the front section extending rearwardly from the front edge of the blade while angling slightly away from the top surface, and the rear section extending forwardly from the back edge of the blade while angling slightly away from the top surface. The front and rear sections join to define a ridge located generally midway between the front and back edges of the blade, the ridge extending across the blade and parallel to the front edge. The blade can be rocked about the ridge to rest on either of the back or front bottom sections. When rocked forward to rest on its front bottom section, it can easily be slid under material on a support surface. Then, when rocked back to rest on its back section, it can slightly lever up the material, breaking it away from the support surface. The blade can then be pivoted about either edge to complete removal of the material. Fastener receiving slots can extend inwardly from the front edge.

1 . A blade for a lifting tool having front and rear edges joined by sides, a top surface, and a bottom surface; at least the front edge being thin; the bottom surface bent to have a front, bottom surface section and a rear, bottom surface section; the front, bottom surface section extending rearwardly from the front edge of the blade while angling slightly away from the top surface, and the rear, bottom surface section extending forwardly from the rear edge; the front and rear bottom surface sections joining to define a ridge located in the middle three-fifths of the blade between the front and rear edges of the blade, the ridge at the thickest portion of the blade and extending across the blade and parallel to the front edge.  
   
   
       2 . A blade as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the rear edge is thin; the top surface is straight; the front, bottom surface section is straight; and the rear, bottom surface section is straight and angles upwardly from the ridge toward the top surface.  
   
   
       3 . A blade as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the rear edge is thin; the top surface is slightly bent with a straight, front, top surface section and a straight, rear, top surface section that angles slightly away from the plane containing the front, top surface section and toward the rear, bottom surface section.  
   
   
       4 . A blade for a roofing tool having front and rear edges joined by sides, a straight top surface, and a bottom surface; the front and rear edges being thin; the bottom surface having a front, bottom surface section, an intermediate, bottom surface section and a rear, bottom surface section; the front, bottom surface section extending rearwardly from the front edge of the blade toward the intermediate, bottom surface section while angling slightly away from the top surface; the front and intermediate bottom surface sections joining to define a front ridge located in the middle three-fifths of the blade between the front and rear edges of the blade; the rear, bottom surface section extending forwardly from the rear edge toward the intermediate, bottom surface section and angling slightly away from the top surface; the rear and intermediate bottom surface sections joining to form a rear ridge parallel to the front ridge and the back edge.  
   
   
       5 . A blade as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the front and rear bottom surface sections diverge from the top surface, from the front and rear edges respectively, by an angle ranging between 2° and 6°.  
   
   
       6 . A blade as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the front and rear bottom surface sections diverge from the top surface, from the front and rear edges respectively, by an angle ranging between 2° and 6°.  
   
   
       7 . A blade as claimed in  claim 4  wherein the front and rear bottom surface sections diverge from the top surface, from the front and rear edges respectively, by an angle ranging between 2° and 6°.  
   
   
       8 . A blade as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the blade has a thickness of about one sixteenth of an inch at the front and rear edges, and a thickness at the ridge of between two sixteenths and five sixteenths of an inch.  
   
   
       9 . A blade as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the blade has a thickness of about one sixteenth of an inch at the front and rear edges, and a thickness at the ridge of between two sixteenths and five sixteenths of an inch.  
   
   
       10 . A blade as claimed in  claim 4  wherein the blade has a thickness of about one sixteenth of an inch at the front and rear edges, and a thickness at the front ridge of between two sixteenths and five sixteenths of an inch.  
   
   
       11 . A blade as claimed in  claim 2  including a set of fastener receiving slots extending rearwardly from the front edge of the blade to define teeth between the slots, each tooth having a relatively short front portion that tapers to the front of the tooth to a rounded point and a relatively long body portion with parallel sides, each tooth tapering in thickness toward the front edge.  
   
   
       12 . A blade as claimed in  claim 3  including a set of fastener receiving slots extending rearwardly from the front edge of the blade to define teeth between the slots, each tooth having a relatively short front portion that tapers to the front of the tooth to a rounded point and a relatively long body portion with parallel sides, each tooth tapering in thickness toward the front edge.  
   
   
       13 . A blade as claimed in  claim 4  including a set of fastener receiving slots extending rearwardly from the front edge of the blade to define teeth between the slots, each tooth having a relatively short front portion that tapers to the front of the tooth to a rounded point and a relatively long body portion with parallel sides, each tooth tapering in thickness toward the front edge.  
   
   
       14 . A blade as claimed in  claim 2  including a set of fastener receiving slots extending rearwardly from the front edge of the blade to define teeth between the slots; each tooth having a relatively short front portion that tapers to the front of the tooth to a rounded point; an intermediate tapered portion extending rearwardly from the front portion, the intermediate portion slightly longer than the front portion and not tapered from back to front as much as the front portion; and a rear portion with parallel sides, the rear portion longer than the intermediate portion.  
   
   
       15 . A blade as claimed in  claim 3  including a set of fastener receiving slots extending rearwardly from the front edge of the blade to define teeth between the slots; each tooth having a relatively short front portion that tapers to the front of the tooth to a rounded point; an intermediate tapered portion extending rearwardly from the front portion, the intermediate portion slightly longer than the front portion and not tapered from back to front as much as the front portion; and a rear portion with parallel sides, the rear portion longer than the intermediate portion.  
   
   
       16 . A blade as claimed in  claim 14  wherein the sides of the front portion of the tooth diverge from each other from the point of the tooth at an angle ranging between eighty and one hundred degrees.  
   
   
       17 . A blade as claimed in  claim 15  wherein the sides of the front portion of the tooth diverge from each other from the point of the tooth at an angle ranging between eighty and one hundred degrees.  
   
   
       18 . A blade as claimed in  claim 2  including a trapping slot in at least one side of the blade, the slot extending inwardly and forwardly toward the front edge of the blade and sized to receive the shank of a fastener, the side of the trapping slot nearest the rear edge of the blade rounded at the mouth of the slot to make entry of the fastener shank into the slot easier.  
   
   
       19 . A blade as claimed in  claim 3  including a trapping slot in at least one side of the blade, the slot extending inwardly and forwardly toward the front edge of the blade and sized to receive the shank of a fastener, the side of the trapping slot nearest the rear edge of the blade rounded at the mouth of the slot to make entry of the fastener shank into the slot easier.  
   
   
       20 . A blade as claimed in  claim 11  including a second set of fastener receiving slots extending forwardly from the back edge of the blade, the second set of slots sized to receive fasteners with shanks of a different size than the shanks of fasteners received by the set of slots in the front edge.  
   
   
       21 . A blade as claimed in  claim 12  including a second set of fastener receiving slots extending forwardly from the back edge of the blade, the second set of slots sized to receive fasteners with shanks of a different size than the shanks of fasteners received by the set of slots in the front edge.  
   
   
       22 . A blade as claimed in  claim 13  including a second set of fastener receiving slots extending forwardly from the back edge of the blade, the second set of slots sized to receive fasteners with shanks of a different size than the shanks of fasteners received by the set of slots in the front edge.  
   
   
       23 . A blade as claimed in  claim 11  including a strengthening ridge formed in the blade, the front of the ridge located between a position just encroaching on the teeth and one half inch behind the teeth, the ridge extending across the width of the blade and above the top surface of the blade.  
   
   
       24 . A blade as claimed in  claim 12  including a strengthening ridge formed in the blade, the front of the ridge located between a position just encroaching on the teeth and one half inch behind the teeth, the ridge extending across the width of the blade and above the top surface of the blade.  
   
   
       25 . A blade as claimed in  claim 13  including a strengthening ridge formed in the blade, the front of the ridge located between a position just encroaching on the teeth and one half inch behind the teeth, the ridge extending across the width of the blade and above the top surface of the blade.  
   
   
       26 . A blade as claimed in  claim 11  including a handle socket on the top of the blade in about the middle extending upwardly and rearwardly, and a gusset on the top of the blade; the gusset extending from the top of the blade, in front of the socket, to the lower front portion of the socket near the blade and fastened to both the blade and the socket, the top of the gusset angled upwardly from the top of the blade to the socket.  
   
   
       27 . A blade as claimed in  claim 12  including a handle socket on the top of the blade in about the middle extending upwardly and rearwardly, and a gusset on the top of the blade; the gusset extending from the top of the blade, in front of the socket, to the lower front portion of the socket near the blade and fastened to both the blade and the socket, the top of the gusset angled upwardly from the top of the blade to the socket.  
   
   
       28 . A blade as claimed in  claim 13  including a handle socket on the top of the blade in about the middle extending upwardly and rearwardly, and a gusset on the top of the blade; the gusset extending from the top of the blade, in front of the socket, to the lower front portion of the socket near the blade and fastened to both the blade and the socket, the top of the gusset angled upwardly from the top of the blade to the socket.  
   
   
       29 . A blade for a roofing tool having front and back edges, the front portion of the blade tapered to the front edge; the blade having slots extending inwardly from at the front edge to form outwardly extending teeth; each slot defined by adjacent teeth and having an outer section that tapers inwardly from an outer mouth to collect and direct a fastener into the slot; the slot having an intermediate section following the outer section that tapers inwardly to a lesser degree than the outer section and the slot having an inner section following the intermediate section and of generally uniform width to receive the shanks of fasteners.  
   
   
       30 . A blade as claimed in  claim 29  wherein the sides of the outer section of the slot converge toward each other from the mouth of the slot at an angle ranging between eighty and one hundred degrees.  
   
   
       31 . A blade as claimed in  claim 29  including a trapping slot in at least one side of the blade, the slot extending inwardly and forwardly toward the front edge of the blade and sized to receive the shank of a fastener, the side of the trapping slot nearest the rear edge of the blade rounded at the mouth of the slot to make entry of the fastener shank into the slot easier.  
   
   
       32 . A blade as claimed in  claim 29  including a strengthening ridge formed in the blade, the front of the ridge located between a position just encroaching on the teeth and one half inch behind the teeth, the ridge extending across the width of the blade and above the top surface of the blade.  
   
   
       33 . A blade for a lifting tool having front and back edges, the front portion of the blade tapered to the front edge; the blade having slots extending inwardly from the front edge to form forwardly extending teeth; and a strengthening ridge formed in the blade, the front of the ridge located between a position just encroaching on the teeth and one half inch behind the teeth, the ridge extending across the width of the blade and above the top of the blade.  
   
   
       34 . A blade as claimed in  claim 33  including a trapping slot in at least one side of the blade, the slot extending inwardly and forwardly toward the front edge of the blade and sized to receive the shank of a fastener, the side of the trapping slot nearest the rear edge of the blade rounded at the mouth of the slot to make entry of the fastener shank into the slot easier.  
   
   
       35 . A blade for a lifting tool having front and rear edges, the front and rear portions of the blade being tapered toward the front and rear edges respectively; the blade having a first set of slots extending rearwardly from the front edge to form a first set of front teeth which extend forwardly, the first set of slots sized to receive the shanks of one size of fastener, a second set of slots extending forwardly from the rear edge to form a second set of rear teeth which extend rearwardly, the second set of slots sized to receive the shanks of a second size of fastener.  
   
   
       36 . A blade as claimed in  claim 35  including a strengthening ridge formed in the blade, the front of the ridge located between a position just encroaching on the front teeth and one half inch behind the front teeth, the ridge extending across the width of the blade and above the top of the blade.  
   
   
       37 . A blade as claimed in  claim 35  including a trapping slot in at least one side of the blade, the slot extending inwardly and forwardly toward the front edge of the blade and sized to receive the shank of a fastener, the side of the trapping slot nearest the rear edge of the blade rounded at the mouth of the slot to make entry of the fastener shank into the slot easier.  
   
   
       38 . A blade for a lifting tool, the blade having front and back edges; the front portion of the blade being tapered toward the front edge; slots extending rearwardly from the front edge to form a set of teeth extending forwardly; a handle socket extending upwardly and rearwardly away from the front edge from about the center of the blade; a gusset on the top of the blade; the gusset extending from the top of the blade, in front of the socket and behind the teeth, to the front portion of the socket and fastened to both the blade and the socket, the top of the gusset angled upwardly from the top of the blade to the socket.  
   
   
       39 . A blade as claimed in  claim 38  including a strengthening ridge formed in the blade just behind the teeth and in front of the gusset, the front of the ridge located between a position just encroaching on the front teeth and one half inch behind the front teeth, the ridge extending across the width of the blade, the ridge above the top surface of the blade.  
   
   
       40 . A roofing tool having a blade, the blade having front and back edges and the front portion of the blade tapering toward the front edge; the blade having slots extending inwardly from the front edge to form forwardly extending teeth; a handle, the handle having a relatively short front portion joined by a first bend to a relatively long grip portion, the grip portion joined by a second bend to a relatively short spacer portion; the front portion of the handle attached to about the center of the blade and extending upwardly and rearwardly from the blade at a first angle; the grip portion of the handle extending upwardly and rearwardly from the blade at a second angle to the blade which is substantially less than the first angle; the spacer portion of the handle extending at about a right angle to the grip portion and acting to space the grip portion from a surface the tool is working on when the tool is laid on the surface.  
   
   
       41 . A tool as claimed in  claim 40  including a strengthening ridge formed in the blade just behind the front teeth, the front of the ridge located between a position just encroaching on the front teeth and one half inch behind the front teeth, the ridge extending across the width of the blade, the ridge above the top surface of the blade.  
   
   
       42 . A tool as claimed in  claim 40  including a gusset on the top of the blade, the gusset extending from the top of the blade, in front of the handle to the front portion of the handle near the blade and fastened to both the blade and the front handle portion, the top of the gusset angled upwardly.  
   
   
       43 . A tool as claimed in  claim 40  including an impact member on the front portion of the handle extending transversely to the front portion.