Retaining ring assembly tools

Claim 1

A HAND TOOL FOR GRIPPING SPLIT SPRING RETAINING RINGS FROM WITHIN THE OPENING THEREOF AND THEREUPON ASSEMBLING SAID RINGS ON GROOVED SHAFTS AND LIKE CYLINDRICAL WORKPIECES COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, AN ELONGATED HANDLE MEMBER, COMPLEMENTAL AND DIAMETRICALLY TRANSLATABLE MEMBERS TOGETHER FORMING A RING GRIPPING AND SPREADING MANDREL, PARALLEL ARM MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID HANDLE MEMBER ADJACENT THEIR REARWARD ENDS AND EXTENDING FORWARDLY FROM SAID HANDLE AND MOUNTING SAID TIP MEMBERS AT THEIR RELATIVELY FORWARD ENDS IN GENERALLY RIGHT-ANGULAR AND MANDREL-FORMING RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO SAID HANDLE MEMBER, THE PIVOTAL CONNECTIONS OF SAID ARM MEANS TO HANDLE MEMBER PERMITTING LIMITED RELATIVE ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT OF THE HANDLE MEMBER WITH RESPECT TO SAID ARM MEANS, THE LENGTH OF SAID ARM MEANS AND THE LOCATIONS OF THEIR PIVOTAL CONNECTIONS TO THE HANDLE MEMBER BEING SUCH THAT ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT OF THE ARM MEANS IN UNISON WITH RESPECT TO THE HANDLE MEMBER IN ONE DIRECTION EFFECTS SWINGING MOVEMENT OF THE TIP MEMBERS IN MUTUALLY INTERSECTING ARCS AS EFFECTS TRANSLATORY MOVEMENT OF SAID MANDREL-FORMING TIP MEMBERS TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER BY AN AMOUNT SUCH THAT THE MANDREL HAS EFFECTIVE DIAMETER SLIGHTLY LESS THAN THAT OF THE OPENING OF A RING TO BE ASSEMBLED AND THAT SUBSEQUENT ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT OF THE HANDLE MEMBER IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION EFFECTS SWINGING MOVEMENT OF THE TIP MEMBERS IN MUTUALLY DIVERGING PATHS AS EFFECTS TRANSLATORY MOVEMENT OF SAID MANDREL-FORMING TIP MEMBERS AWAY FROM ONE ANOTHER BY AN AMOUNT SUCH THAT THE MANDREL HAS EFFECTIVE DIAMETER CORRESPONDING SUBSTANTIALLY TO THAT OF THE SHAFT ON WHICH SAID RING IS TO BE ASSEMBLED, AND MANDREL-TELESCOPING MEANS FIXEDLY MOUNTED ON A FORWARD EXTENSION OF SAID HANDLE MEMBER IN GENERAL AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID MANDREL AND BEING ADAPTED TO TELESCOPE OVER SAID MANDREL RESPONSIVE TO ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT OF SAID HANDLE WITH RESPECT TO THE ARM MEANS AS AFORESAID, THEREBY TO PUSH A RING WHICH HAS BEEN GRIPPED AND SPREAD BY SAID MANDREL AXIALLY THEREFROM AND THENCE OVER AN END OF THE SHAFT TO THE PLANE OF THE RING-SEATING GROOVE THEREOF.