Electromagnetic pick up tool with built-in light

Claim 2

Portable apparatus for locating and retrieving magnetically attractable objects from otherwise inaccessible locations comprising: a hand-held unit; at least one battery internally carried by said unit to provide a source of electrical current; an incandescent light bulb carried internally by said unit; a first switch means carried by said unit for selectively applying electrical current from said at least one battery to said light bulb; a flexible member having two ends, one end being connected to said unit adjacent said light bulb; a flexible light conduit carried internally of said flexible member for conveying light from said light bulb through the length of said flexible member to exit the second end of said flexible member; an electromagnet carried by the second end of said flexible member radially outward of said conduit, said electromagnet having a cross-sectional configuration which approximates the cross-sectional configuration of said flexible member and a sharply curtailed lateral magnetic flux field whereby the electromagnet is not attracted laterally to magnetically attractable objects; and a second switch means carried by said unit for selectively applying electrical current from said at least one battery to said electromagnet.

Claim 3

The portable apparatus of claim 1: wherein said light conduit comprises a plurality of optical fibers disposed centrally of said flexible member; and wherein said electromagnet comprises a generally cylindrical electromagnet having axial polarization in response to the application of electrical current from said at least one battery.

Claim 4

The portable apparatus of claim 2 wherein: said second switch means includes a contact type switch spring biased toward a current interrupting position.

Claim 5

Portable apparatus for locating and retrieving magnetically attractable objects from otherwise inaccessible locations comprising: a hand-held unit; a pair of batteries internally carried by said unit to provide a source of electrical current; a light bulb internally carried by said unit; switch means carried by said unit for selectively connecting electrical current from said batteries to said light bUlb; a reflector carried internally by said unit and disposed adjacent said light bulb to reflect light from said light bulb; a slender hollow flexible member having two ends, one end being attached to said unit adjacent said light bulb; a plurality of optical fibers carried within said flexible member for conveying light from said light bulb and reflected light from said reflector through said flexible member to the second end thereof; a cylindrical, axially polarizable electromagnet having a generally cylindrical housing of ferrous metal surrounding a coil of wire, being carried by the second end of said flexible member and having a cross-sectional configuration approximating the cross-sectional configuration of said flexible member; and a spring-biased contact switch carried by said unit for selectively energizing said cylindrical electromagnet by selectively supplying electrical current from said batteries to said cylindrical electromagnet, said spring-biased switch being spring biased toward an electrical current interrupting position.

Claim 6

Portable apparatus for locating and retrieving magnetically attractable objects from otherwise inaccessible locations comprising: a hand-held unit; a pair of batteries internally carried by said unit to provide a source of electrical current; a light bulb internally carried by said unit; switch means carried by said unit for selectively connecting electrical current from said batteries to said light bUlb; a reflector carried internally by said unit and disposed adjacent said light bulb to reflect light from said light bulb; a slender hollow flexible member having two ends, one end being attached to said unit adjacent said light bulb; a plurality of optical fibers carried within said flexible member for conveying light from said light bulb and reflected light from said reflector through said flexible member to the second end thereof; a cylindrical, axially polarizable electromagnet having a generally cylindrical housing of ferrous metal surrounding a coil of wire, being carried by the second end of said flexible member and having a cross-sectional configuration approximating the cross-sectional configuration of said flexible member; and a spring-biased contact switch carried by said unit for selectively energizing said cylindrical electromagnet by selectively supplying electrical current from said batteries to said cylindrical electromagnet, said spring-biased switch being spring biased toward an electrical current interrupting position.

Claim 7

Portable apparatus for locating and retrieving magnetically attractable objects from otherwise inaccessible locations comprising: a hand-held unit; a source of electrical current internally carried by said unit; a light source internally carried by said unit; a slender flexible member having two ends, one end connected to said unit adjacent said light source; a flexible light conduit carried by said flexible member for conveying light from said light source to the second end of said flexible member; axially polarizable electromagnetic means for concentrating a magnetic flux field at an end of the electromagnetic means while substantially eliminating a magnetic flux field radially thereof, said electromagnetic means being carried by the second end of said flexible member and having a cross-sectional configuration substantially similar to the cross-sectional configuration of said flexible member; and switch means for selectively connecting electrical current from said current source to said light source and to said electromagnetic means, said switch means carried by said unit.

Claim 8

Portable apparatus for locating and retrieving magnetically attractable objects from otherwise inaccessible locations comprising: a hand-held unit; a source of electrical current internally carried by said unit; a light source internally carried by said unit; a slender flexible member having two ends, one end connected to said unit adjacent said light source; a flexible light conduit carried by said flexible member for conveying light from said light source to the second end of said flexible member; axially polarizable electromagnetic means for concentrating a magnetic flux field at an end of the electromagnetic means while substantially eliminating a magnetic flux field radially thereof, said electromagnetic means being carried by the second end of said flexible member and having a cross-sectional configuration substantially similar to the cross-sectional configuration of said flexible member; and switch means for selectively connecting electrical current from said current source to said light source and to said electromagnetic means, said switch means carried by said unit.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 5: wherein said electromagnetic means comprises a generally cylindrical electromagnet.

Claim 10

The portable apparatus of claim 6 wherein said electromagnetic means comprises: a non-ferrous pole piece; a coil of wire carried radially outwardly by said pole piece; and a generally cylindrical housing of ferrous metal which carries said coil and said pole piece internally thereof, said housing being connected to the second end of said flexible member.

Claim 11

The portable apparatus of claim 7: wherein said pole piece includes a coaxial opening longitudinally therethrough which supportingly receives an end of said flexible light conduit.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 5: wherein said switch means includes a first switch for connecting electrical current from said current source to said light source and a second switch for connecting electrical current from said current source to said electromagnetic means; and wherein said first and second switches are mounted on said unit to be operable by one hand of an operator.

Claim 13

Portable apparatus for locating and retrieving magnetically attractable objects from otherwise inaccessible locations comprising: a hand-held unit; a source of electrical current carried within said unit; a light source carried within said unit; a shielded flexible light conduit attached at one end to said unit adjacent said light source and having a second end remote from said unit whereby light is transmitted through said conduit from said light source to said remote end; electromagnetic means for generating an axial magnetic flux field while sharply restricting the associated radial flux field whereby radial attraction of the electromagnetic means is curtailed, said electromagnetic meaNs being disposed radially outwardly of said remote end of said flexible member, and having a slender configuration; and switch means for selectively connecting electrical current from said current source to said light source and to said electromagnetic means, said switch means being operable from said unit and carried thereby.

Claim 14

Portable apparatus for locating and retrieving magnetically attractable objects from otherwise inaccessible locations comprising: a hand-held unit; a source of electrical current carried within said unit; a light source carried within said unit; a shielded flexible light conduit attached at one end to said unit adjacent said light source and having a second end remote from said unit whereby light is transmitted through said conduit from said light source to said remote end; electromagnetic means for generating an axial magnetic flux field while sharply restricting the associated radial flux field whereby radial attraction of the electromagnetic means is curtailed, said electromagnetic meaNs being disposed radially outwardly of said remote end of said flexible member, and having a slender configuration; and switch means for selectively connecting electrical current from said current source to said light source and to said electromagnetic means, said switch means being operable from said unit and carried thereby.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said electromagnetic means comprises: a non-ferrous pole piece disposed radially outwardly of said remote end of said light conduit; a coil of wire carried radially outwardly by said pole piece; and a generally cylindrical housing of ferrous metal disposed radially outwardly of said coil.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 11: wherein said switch means includes a first switch for connecting electrical current from said current source to said light source and a second switch for connecting electrical current from said current source to said electromagnetic means; and wherein said first and second switches are mounted on said unit to be operable by one hand of an operator.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 10: wherein flexible means for retention of a desired configuration shields the flexible light conduit, said flexible means extending from said hand-held unit to said electromagnetic means.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 10: wherein an electrically conductive flexible conduit means for providing one electrical connection between the hand-held unit and the electromagnetic means shields the flexible light conduit so that only a single wire extends therebetween to effect energization of the electromagnetic means.

Claim 19

Portable apparatus for locating and retrieving magnetically attractable objects from otherwise inaccessible locations comprising: a hand-held unit; source means for providing a source of electrical current, being carried internally by the hand-held unit; a light source carried internally of the hand-held unit and selectively connectable with the source means; a hollow electrically conductive flexible member tending to retain a manipulated configuration and having two ends, one end being connected to the hand-held unit adjacent the light source; a flexible light conduit positioned within the flexible member and extending between the two ends thereof for conveying light from the light source to the other end of the flexible member; a non-ferrous pole piece surrounding the flexible light conduit at the second end of the flexible member; a coil of wire carried radially outwardly by the pole piece, the coil of wire being selectively connectable with the current source; and a ferrous housing surrounding the coil of wire and carried by the other end of the flexible member whereby the flexible member may be manipulated to a desired configuration to reach a magnetically attractable object that is illuminated by light emanating from the light conduit within the pole piece such that a magnetically attractable object may be attracted to the pole piece by selective energization of the coil while the ferrous housing confines a magnetic force field to the end of the pole piece thus substantially eliminating lateral attraction to other magnetically attractive objects.

Claim 20

Portable apparatus for locating and retrieving magnetically attractable objects from otherwise inaccessible locations comprising: a hand-held unit; source means for providing a source of electrical current, being carried internally by the hand-held unit; a light source carried internally of the hand-held unit and selectively connectable with the source means; a hollow electrically conductive flexible member tending to retain a manipulated configuration and having two ends, one end being connected to the hand-held unit adjacent the light source; a flexible light conduit positioned within the flexible member and extending between the two ends thereof for conveying light from the light source to the other end of the flexible member; a non-ferrous pole piece surrounding the flexible light conduit at the second end of the flexible member; a coil of wire carried radially outwardly by the pole piece, the coil of wire being selectively connectable with the current source; and a ferrous housing surrounding the coil of wire and carried by the other end of the flexible member whereby the flexible member may be manipulated to a desired configuration to reach a magnetically attractable object that is illuminated by light emanating from the light conduit within the pole piece such that a magnetically attractable object may be attracted to the pole piece by selective energization of the coil while the ferrous housing confines a magnetic force field to the end of the pole piece thus substantially eliminating lateral attraction to other magnetically attractive objects.