Tool for removing retaining rings and the like

Claim 1

A TOOL FOR REMOVING SPLIT RINGS FROM SHAFTS INCLUDING, IN COMBINATION, A RELATIVELY FLAT RECTANGULARLY SHAPED GUIDE BAR HAVING A NOTCH IN ONE END THEREOF FORMING A PAIR OF NON-YIELDING LEGS SPACED APART SUFFICIENTLY TO STRADDLE CLOSELY A SHAFT IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO A SPLIT RING THEREON; A SPRING MEMBER HAVING ONE END THEREOF RIGIDLY SECURED TO THE GUIDE BAR AT A LOCATION REMOTE TO THE NOTCHED, END THEREOF AND HAVING OPPOSITE END THEREOF PROXIMATE TO THE NOTCHED END OF THE GUIDE BAR AND UNSECURED THERETO, SAID SPRING MEMBER HAVING AN ELONGATED SLOT THEREIN DIVERGING IN WIDTH IN THE DIRECTION OF THE UNSECURED END OF THE SPRING MEMBER AND OPENING THEREOUT TO FORM A PAIR OF ARMS CAPABLE OF BEING RESISTINGLY SPREAD APART FROM ONE ANOTHER; SAID PAIR OF ARMS BEING SO DIMENSIONALLY SHAPED THAT THEIR OUTER ENDS TERMINATE WITH RELATIVELY POINTED TIPS WITHIN THE AREA EMBRACED BY THE NOTCH OF THE GUIDE BAR AND SHORT OF THE ENDS OF THE PACED LEGS OF THE GUIDE BAR; SAID GUIDE BAR HAVING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SLOT REGISTERING WITH THE SLOT OF THE SPRING MEMBER; AND AN ELEMENT EXTENDING THROUGH THE REGISTERING SLOTS OF THE GUIDE BAR AND THE SPRING MEMBER AND ADAPTED TO BE RELEASABLY LOCKED AT SELECTED POSITIONS IN THE SLOT OF THE GUIDE BAR, SAID ELEMENT BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH THE CONFRONTING EDGES OF SAID PAIR OF ARMS AND OPERABLE WHEN ADJUSTED IN THE SLOT OF THE GUDE BAR TO VARY THE SPACING OF THE POINTED TIPS OF THE ARMS FROM ONE ANOTHER TO ACCOMMODATE SPLIT RINGS OF DIFFERENT DIMENSIONS, THE POINTED TIPS OF SAID PAIR OF ARMS BEING OPERABLE UPON MOVEMENT OF THE TOOL TOWARD THE SHAFT TO SPREAD THE SEPARATED ENDS OF THE SPLIT RING APART SUFFICIENTLY TO REMOVE THE RING FROM THE SHAFT.