A shameless rip-off

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We've ALL been there right? You have a need and you have the ability to make what someone else produces in a business and hell, maybe even has a patent on it, BUT with hardly a sniff you just go ahead and shamelessly rip-off someone elses idea because, jeez you got all this s__t laying around, anyway, to make said 'idea-theft' item out of. What else can a guy do?So, I'm demoing some decking from a building as it was given for free and is treated lumber, a necessary material for decks here in the damp Alaska and I have a deck in need of repairs. After doing about half of it, pulling galv. gun nails right through the boards half the time, and sweating way too much using conventional gear - three kinds of bars - I looked into a better way. Immediately I found several devices designed for this very purpose but one struck me the most as it was similar to what I had fantasized about during the toil. Helpfully, they had a nice jpeg of a drawing showing the side view; into the CAD software it went whence I drew over it, scaled it and printed out a pattern that was transferred to masonite so I could chalk around it to cut. I changed the original design to fit what I had on hand and in little time made the tool. 1/4" A361-1/2" SCD 80 pipe1" X 1" sq. bar cold rolled1-1/2" sq. tube .190" wallWorked so well that I gave myself an attaboy. The only pertinent detail is to polish the lifting surfaces to decrease friction. 3 -1/4" wide to go over the occasional double joist.
Reply:nice. as for patent infringement i wouldn't lose any sleep over it.i.u.o.e. # 15queens, ny and sunny fla
Reply:My understanding is it's hard to prove patent infringement unless you start selling the item.Tiger Sales:  AHP Distributor    www.tigersalesco.comAHP200x; AHP 160ST; MM350P,  Spoolmatic 30A; Everlast PowerTig 185; Thermal Dynamics 60i plasma.  For Sale:  Cobra Mig 250 w/ Push-pull gun.  Lincoln Wirematic 250
Reply:Originally Posted by soutthpawMy understanding is it's hard to prove patent infringement unless you start selling the item.
Reply:Damm that's pretty clever to save them boards. Nice "your version" of it. I like it. Pidge
Reply:A patent is only worth the money you're ready to spend to defend it. your lever bar is available in several version of  pallet boards remover. you can't patent the wheel, sleep well over what you did.  As  for the bionic wrench, i bought one, left it home as it is useless to unscrew  any bolts coming to my way, too bulky , way too much clearance needed around bolt or nut,  waste of money to me.
Reply:I like it. I know what I'm making my Dad for Christmas this year. I searched for "pallet buster" but didn't find the one you copied. What search query did you use? I built something similar years ago for removing lath and plaster, an L shape with a chunk of angle welded in the corner. Nothing fancy. I built the first one to speed up production.  Bust a strip down the middle of the wall... insert the lever and strip 12" at a time. A couple guys could strip an entire room in minutes. When my wife and I watch the home renovation shows and they are removing lath and plaster with a hammer... my wife always says I would patent my lath remover. Edit: Is that the one they call deck wrecker? I like your design with the pipe a lot more. Maybe you should patent your design. Last edited by forhire; 03-08-2015 at 01:19 AM.
Reply:I think this is the patent. Interesting read because similar pallet busters have been around forever. Some of the claims like... spaced to clear double joist... are kinda thin. Others, like the radius heel are lacking from the current production design. About the only thing of substance is the horn shape. Fun read. Remember, the patent system grants exclusive commercial market time in exchange for full disclosure in the hopes to move ideas forward by making them available to all. Reading patents always get me thinking of new and improved stuff.https://www.google.com/patents/US6644627
Reply:Nice. That's one of the nicer ones I've seen. I'll have to keep that in mind for the future..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:I have made similar with scrap square tube long before the internet.Millermatic 252millermatic 175miller 300 Thunderboltlincoln ranger 250smith torcheslots of bfh'sIf it dont fit get a bigger hammer
Reply:Very nice! I like heavy duty.tagged deck board remover"Where's Stick man????????" - 7A749"SHHHHHH!! I sent him over to snag that MIC-4 while tbone wasn't looking!" - duaneb55"I have bought a few of Tbone's things unlike Stick-Man who helps himself" - TozziWelding"Stick-man"
Reply:About 10 years ago I bought the original one (Deck Buster or Wrecker, if I recall correctly).  Worked like a dream on my 10x53 elevated deck.  Could not have made it myself then.30+ yrs Army Infantry & Field Artillery, 25 yrs agoMiller 350LX Tig Runner TA 210, spool gunLincoln 250/250 IdealArcESAB PCM 500i PlasmaKazoo 30"  vert BSKazoo 9x16 horiz BSClausing 12x24 lathe20T Air Press
Reply:A lot of items will say Patent Pending and people think that means it's patented. It doesn't. It's kind of scare tactic so people won't copy it. At most it could mean they are in the process waiting to see if they can obtain a patent but I think some places put Patent Pending on a product and never had any intention on paying the huge $$$ to patent it. I don't know of any law against it because it isn't actually saying anything is/was done. For your own use you can copy anything.
Reply:Years ago dad built one similar to this.  However he used harrow teeth for the part that goes under the board.  A simple piece of pipe between & a hand lever from an old implement completed the deal.Worked pretty good.  I had the privilege of removing all the rusted nails out of those 1x12 boards.  We did reuse a lot of the old flooring & siding from a couple houses & barns we tore down.  What we built is still standing 40 some odd years later.MarkI haven't always been a nurse........Craftsman 12"x36" LatheEnco G-30B MillHobart Handler 175Lincoln WeldandPower 225 AC/DC G-7 CV/CCAdd a Foot Pedal to a Harbor Freight Chicago Electric 165A DC TIG PapaLion's Gate Build
Reply:You !@#$%^&*()_+ You stole my invention! A year ago a carpenter friend came to me, ha had a customer who wanted her pressure treated decking removed, and replaced with plastic stuff. He wanted to salvage the old to use elsewhere. I used 3 pieces of 2" square tube, and one piece of pipe to build your tool. I cheated and put a threaded coupling a foot from the "foot", and added a handle of schedule 40 aluminum conduit to control weight.An optimist is usually wrong, and when the unexpected happens is unprepared. A pessimist is usually right, when wrong, is delighted, and well prepared.
Reply:Don't worry about your deck board remover and any patents.  You made it for your personal use.  Heck, the Chinese copy stuff from here all the time, totally disregarding any actual patents and market them back to us.  They reverse engineer everything they can get their hands on.
Reply:Thanks for the post. Sure wish I'd had one of those last summer when I was stripping a huge deck with a three foot pry bar.-- Paul S
Reply:Hey, that thing is bad arse! Helluva way to make quick work out of those deck boards! patent shmatent..-Niche
Reply:Originally Posted by forhireI think this is the patent. Interesting read because similar pallet busters have been around forever. Some of the claims like... spaced to clear double joist... are kinda thin. Others, like the radius heel are lacking from the current production design. About the only thing of substance is the horn shape. Fun read. Remember, the patent system grants exclusive commercial market time in exchange for full disclosure in the hopes to move ideas forward by making them available to all. Reading patents always get me thinking of new and improved stuff.https://www.google.com/patents/US6644627
Reply:YofishGood job . . . 'I hate wood - I have never failed to get it to burn'.Opus
Reply:I like it. I was wondering about a couple flexible pads at the end of the fulcrum to keep even pressure across the width of the board to reduce breakage. I've been fighting an old hog barn with rusty nails too so I just might be making another version of this.250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:Just zip it up... like this. I know what I'm doing tomorrow. Enjoy.  Attached Filespuller_claw.zip (23.3 KB, 90 views)
Reply:Originally Posted by forhireJust zip it up... like this. I know what I'm doing tomorrow. Enjoy.
Reply:Originally Posted by Mick120You can upload pdf's.....I did it the other day.Valid file extensions: bmp doc gif jpe jpeg jpg pdf png psd txt zip.
Reply:Originally Posted by whtbaronI like it. I was wondering about a couple flexible pads at the end of the fulcrum to keep even pressure across the width of the board to reduce breakage. I've been fighting an old hog barn with rusty nails too so I just might be making another version of this.Originally Posted by Yofishforhire, thank you. So, I assume you used a vector tracing function? What CAD program are you using?
Reply:I love it.  Will it also be useful for prying my kids away from the TV haha.Miller Bobcat 250Miller Maxstar 140strLongevity 140 migSnapon Muscle Mig/tigHypertherm Powermax 30
Reply:Originally Posted by forhireI traced it using Inkscape (Path, Trace Bitmap), saved it as EPS and then used pstoedit to make a DXF. Inkscape can save as DXF "natively" but pstoedit creates the tracing as a closed path which I prefer and generally works better. I then imported into Geomagic Design (Alibre) and cleaned it up and exported the DWG. My plasma cutting software can to tracings at work... but this is how I normally do it as I prefer to sketch at home. What CAD program are you using?
Reply:you wont be the first to copy one..if you search "pallet ripping bar" theres fifty makes out there..
Reply:A sign of a good design is the number of people that want to copy it. case in point, the fact that I'll be making one as well. lol.There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:The Patent Police are grabbing their M4's and heading for their MRAP vehicle.  The commercial version of this is called the Duckbill Deck Wrecker."USMCPOP" First-born son: KIA  Iraq 1/26/05Syncrowave 250 w/ Coolmate 3Dialarc 250, Idealarc 250SP-175 +Firepower TIG 160S (gave the TA 161 STL to the son)Lincwelder AC180C (1952)Victor & Smith O/A torchesMiller spot welder
Reply:Patents only prevent you from selling something commercially. If you copy something and use it for your own purposes you've got nothing to worry about.There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:I never copy anything around here!12v battery, jumper cables, and a 6013.I only have a facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/pages/VPT/244788508917829
Reply:Originally Posted by VPTI never copy anything around here!
Reply:Originally Posted by whtbaronI like it. I was wondering about a couple flexible pads at the end of the fulcrum to keep even pressure across the width of the board to reduce breakage. I've been fighting an old hog barn with rusty nails too so I just might be making another version of this.
Reply:Articulated pry tools  ..."USMCPOP" First-born son: KIA  Iraq 1/26/05Syncrowave 250 w/ Coolmate 3Dialarc 250, Idealarc 250SP-175 +Firepower TIG 160S (gave the TA 161 STL to the son)Lincwelder AC180C (1952)Victor & Smith O/A torchesMiller spot welder
Reply:I am going to rip that off from you now. Thanks.
Reply:Originally Posted by OldendumArticulated pry tools  ...
Reply:Originally Posted by YofishNot only that but on an Atlas no less! Wonderful! I've got a 12 X 36 myself.