Portable hand tool for holding a needle cap while inserting a syringe needle into the cap

Claim 1

A portable hand tool for use in holding an elongate needle receiving tubular cap, having a closed base end held by the tool and an exposed open end, so that a syringe needle can be safely inserted into the cap comprising: a. a pair of interfitting, elongate, longitudinally extending co-extensive levers having remote front and rear ends, one of the levers having side wall portions receiving the other lever, the said other lever having side wall portions which are lapped by the side wall portions of said one lever; b. the levers being configured to have confronting jaw portions at their front ends with abutting planar, longitudinal surfaces having mating, semi-cylindrical openings therein forming a socket with an axis for receiving said cap axially between said jaws, and rear ends which are spaced apart when the said jaw surfaces are in abutting relation; and c. laterally extending pivot structure connecting the lapped side wall portions of the levers interjacent said front and rear ends; d. spring means cooperable with said pivot structure to normally bias said jaw portions to a pivoted position in which the said jaw surfaces abut and a needle cap may be clamped in said socket; e. one of said jaw portions being cut away laterally perpendicularly to the axis of said socket to define a notch and the other jaw portion having a laterally extending protruding ledge extending into said notch perpendicularly to said socket to fully underlie said socket and prevent a needle from axially passing through the cap and tool and injuring someone.