Snap ring tool

Claim 1

FOR USE WITH SNAP RING HAVING APERTURED EARS AT THE OPEN ENDS, A UNIVERSAL TOOL ADAPTED FOR USE WITH EITHER EXTERNAL OR INTERNAL SNAP RINGS, SAID TOOL COMPRISING: A HANDLE, AN ELONGATED CYLINDRICAL SHAFT FIXED TO SAID HANDLE AND EXTENDING FORWARDLY THEREFROM, THE FORWARD END OF SAID SHAFT BEING THREADED EXTERNALLY; A NUT ON THE THREADED PORTION OF SAID SHAFT, SAID NUT HAVING A STUD EXTENDING THEREFROM IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSE TO THE AXIS OF SAID SHAFT; A PAIR OF OPPOSING LEVER ARMS EACH HAVING AN INTERMEDIATE APERTURE FOR PIVOTALLY MOUNTING SAID LEVERS ON SAID STUD; A COLLAR MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT ABOVE THE HANDLE AND ROTATABLE RELATIVE TO SAID SHAFT; MEANS RESTRAINING AXIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID COLLAR RELATIVE TO SAID SHAFT; A PAIR OF LINKS EACH HAVING ONE END PIVOTALLY SECURED TO THE REARWARD END OF ONE OF SAID LEVER ARMS AND THE OTHER END PIVOTALLY SECURED TO SAID COLLAR; AND OPPOSING JAWS AT THE FORWARD END OF SAID LEVER ARM, EACH JAW BEING PROVIDED WITH A POINT HAVING AN ELONGATED SHANK TERMINATING AT THE FORWARD END IN A TIP HAVING A CROSS SECTION SMALLER THAN THE CROSS SECTION OF SAID SHANK.