Firefighter's ax

{
  "publication_number": "US11370135B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Firefighter's ax",
  "abstract": "A combination tandem cutting ax head and adz is disclosed that is adapted to firefighting. The ax may include a front end that is divided between a concave portion and a flat section. The concavity creates edges for cutting through surfaces, while the flat section functions to hinder the ax head from becoming wedged in the material. An adz may be provided in which the fulcrum is raised above the head and located between the handle and the adz edge, which increases the lever arm.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A head for an ax, the head comprising: A handle section including a structure, the structure defining a central axis and configured to accommodate a handle extending from the handle section in a first direction parallel to the central axis; a blade section extending from the handle section and terminating with a work piece engaging face, the face including: a flat section, and a grooved section including a groove between a first edge and a second edge, wherein: the flat section defines a first plane, the first edge and the second edge of the grooved section define a second plane, the second plane is at an angle with respect to the first plane such that the grooved section extends further away from the handle section than the flat section; and an adz section attached to the handle section and extending away from the handle section and the blade section, the adz section terminating in a third edge at a right angle with respect to the first edge and the second edge, the adz section also extending opposite the first direction such that at least part of the adz section extends beyond both the handle section and the blade section.",
    "2. The head of claim 1, wherein a length of the flat section is at least ten percent of a length of the grooved section and no greater than fifty percent of the length of the grooved section.",
    "3. The head of claim 1, wherein: a cross-section of the groove between the first edge and the second edge is one of: rounded, or v-shaped; and either or both the first edge and the second edge are one of: flat, blunt, or sharp.",
    "4. A head for a hand tool, the head comprising: a first section having a first thickness and a structure, the structure defining a central axis and configured to accommodate a handle extending from the head in a first direction parallel to the central axis; and a second section extending from the first section and terminating with a face at an end of the second section distal to the first section, the face including: a flat section, and a grooved section including a concavity between a first edge and a second edge, wherein the first edge and second edge define a second axis midway between the first edge and second edge and parallel to the first edge and second edge such that the second axis intersects the central axis.",
    "5. The head of claim 4 further comprising: a third section attached to the first section and extending away from the first section and the second section, the third section terminating in a third edge that is not parallel to the first edge and the second edge, the third section also extending in a second direction opposite the first direction such that at least part of the third section extends beyond both the first section and the second section in the second direction.",
    "6. The head of claim 5, wherein the third edge is skew in relation to the first edge and the second edge and central axis.",
    "7. The head of claim 4, wherein the flat section defines a first plane and the first edge and the second edge of the grooved section define a second plane and the first plane is at an angle with respect to the second plane.",
    "8. The head of claim 7, wherein the first plane is parallel to the first direction and the second plane is angled with respect, to the first plane such that the grooved section extends further from the first section than the flat section.",
    "9. The head of claim 8, wherein a length of the flat section is at least ten percent of a length of the grooved section and no greater than fifty percent of the length of the grooved section.",
    "10. The head of claim 4, wherein: a cross-section of the concavity between the first edge and the second edge and perpendicular to the second axis is one of: rounded, or v-shaped; and either or both the first edge and the second edge are one of: flat, blunt, or sharp.",
    "11. A hand tool comprising: a head; and a handle, the head including: a first section having a first thickness and including a structure, the structure defining a central axis, and a second section extending from the first section and terminating with a face at an end of the second section distal to the first section, the face including: a flat section, and a grooved section having a concavity between a first edge and a second edge, the first edge and second edge defining a second axis midway between the first edge and second edge and parallel to the first edge and second edge such that the second axis intersects the central axis; and the handle extending from the structure of the first section in a first direction parallel to the central axis.",
    "12. The hand tool of claim 11 further comprising: a third section attached to the first section and extending away from the first section and the second section, the third section terminating in a third edge that is not parallel to the first edge and the second edge, the third section also extending in a second direction opposite the first direction such that at least part of the third section extends beyond both the first section and the second section in the second direction.",
    "13. The hand tool of claim 12, wherein the third edge is skew in relation to the first edge and the second edge and central axis.",
    "14. The hand tool of claim 11, wherein the flat section defines a first plane and the first edge and the second edge of the grooved section define a second plane and the first plane is at an angle with respect to the second plane.",
    "15. The hand tool of claim 14, wherein the first plane is parallel to the first direction and the second plane is angled with respect to the first plane such that the grooved section extends further from the first section than the flat section.",
    "16. The hand tool of claim 15, wherein a length of the flat section is at least ten percent of a length of the grooved section and no greater than fifty percent of the length of the grooved section.",
    "17. The hand tool of claim 11, wherein: a cross-section of the concavity between the first edge and the second edge and perpendicular to the second axis is one of: rounded, or v-shaped; and either or both the first edge and the second edge are one of: flat, blunt, or sharp."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The subject matter relates to the field of hand tools, and more particularly to hand tools used to gain entry in emergency situations.\n\nFirefighters constantly save people, animals, and possessions from uncontrollable fires that tear down man-made objects and structures. With objects like buildings, cars, busses, boats, trains, elevators, structures, and the like, there exists the possibility that they may catch fire and trap people, animals, and possessions inside. Every instance in which a person or animal is trapped in a man-made enclosure that is on fire is unique. Every such instance is unique because every place where a fire occurs is unique based on the type of enclosure, the integrity or composition of the enclosure, the placement of the enclosure, the altitude of the enclosure, the nature of the enclosure, etc. Since every instance is different, firefighters are constantly faced with new obstacles in their path to reach and save people, animals, and possessions. These obstacles include the man-made objects and the structural changes that have developed over the years in the construction of those objects.\n\nHistorically, such things were constructed from a limited group of materials. For example, buildings were made of brick or wood, cars were made of metal, and boats were made of wood or metal. With this limited selection of materials there was no significant need to change the embodiment of the traditional firefighter ax or adz because the application for which firefighter axes and adzes were used tended to fall within a limited range of circumstances and against a limited group of materials.",
  "cpc": [
    "B26B 23/00",
    "A62B 3/005"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B26B 23/00"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Stephen Harrison"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2019-11-13",
  "publication_date": "2022-06-28",
  "grant_date": "2022-06-28",
  "priority_date": "2018-11-13",
  "application_number": "US-201916682910-A",
  "family_id": "70551638",
  "cited_by_count": 1,
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}