Safety Strap

Abstract

A safety strap is secured to a hand tool or other object by a rubber sleeve stretched and mounted on a removable hollow core. The rubber sleeve mounted on the removable core is placed over the hand tool and the safety strap, such that the strap is between the sleeve and hand tool. The removable hollow core is then destructed and the rubber sleeve is released from the core and allowed to constrict onto the hand tool and safety strap, thereby anchoring the safety strap to the hand tool.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for attaching a safety strap to a hand tool comprising:
 a hand tool having an exterior diameter and a weight;   a safety strap adjacent to a portion of the hand tool;   a removable hollow core having a length and defining a volume and having an interior diameter and an exterior diameter, the interior diameter of the hollow core being greater than the exterior diameter of the hand tool;   an elastic sleeve having a length between 3 and 6 inches, a relaxed interior diameter, a stretched interior diameter, and a relaxed exterior diameter, wherein the difference between the relaxed exterior diameter and the relaxed interior diameter define a wall width between 0.165 and 0.185 inches, the relaxed interior diameter being less than the exterior diameter of the handle, and the stretched interior diameter of the elastic sleeve being greater than the exterior diameter of the removable hollow core; and,   wherein the elastic sleeve is mounted on the removable hollow core, and the removable hollow core is configured to be removed while the portion of the hand tool with the adjacent safety strap are within the volume of the removable hollow core, and wherein the ratio of the length of the elastic sleeve in inches to the hand tool weight in pounds is between 0.4 and 0.6.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the ratio of the relaxed interior diameter of the elastic sleeve in inches to the exterior diameter of the handle in inches is less than 0.7 but greater than 0.3. 
     
     
         3 . A method of applying a safety strap to a handle comprising:
 stretching an elastic sleeve with a length between 3 and 6 inches onto a hollow removable core;   placing a safety strap that is longer than the elastic sleeve adjacent a portion of a hand tool;   inserting the portion of the hand tool with the adjacent strap into the hollow removable core;   removing the hollow removable core and allowing the elastic sleeve to contract onto the handle and strap.   
     
     
         4 . A system for attaching a strap to an object comprising:
 an object having an exterior diameter and a weight;   a safety strap with a length placed adjacent to a portion of the object;   a removable hollow core having a length and defining a volume and having an interior diameter and an exterior diameter, the interior diameter of the removable hollow core being greater than the exterior diameter of the object;   an elastic sleeve having a length that is between 3 and 6 inches and shorter than the length of the safety strap and the length of the removable hollow core, a relaxed interior diameter, a stretched interior diameter, and a relaxed exterior diameter, wherein the difference between the relaxed exterior diameter and the relaxed interior diameter define a wall width, the relaxed interior diameter being less than the exterior diameter of the handle, and the stretched interior diameter of the elastic sleeve being greater than the exterior diameter of the removable hollow core; and,   wherein the elastic sleeve is mounted on the removable hollow core, and the removable hollow core is configured to be removed while the portion of the object with the adjacent safety strap are within the volume of the removable hollow core, and wherein the ratio of the length of the elastic sleeve in inches to the object weight in pounds is between 0.4 and 0.6.   
     
     
         5 . A kit to attach a safety strap to the handle of a hand tool, comprising:
 a rubber sleeve configurable to a length between 3 and 6 inches, the rubber sleeve being stretchably mounted on a removable hollow core, the removable hollow core defining a volume and having an exterior diameter, an interior diameter, and a length which is greater than the length of the rubber sleeve;   the rubber sleeve having a relaxed interior diameter and a relaxed exterior diameter, the difference between the relaxed interior diameter and the relaxed exterior diameter is between 0.165 and 0.185 inches, and the relaxed interior diameter of the rubber sleeve is 3 to 4 times smaller than the exterior diameter of the removable hollow core upon which the rubber sleeve is stretchably mounted, and wherein the ratio of the length of the elastic sleeve in inches to the weight in pounds of the hand tool to which a safety strap is to be attached is between 0.4 and 0.6, and having a wall width;   a safety strap with a length greater than the length of the removeable hollow core, the safety strap is configured on one end to attach to a user of a hand tool; and,   wherein the ratio of relaxed interior diameter of the rubber sleeve to the exterior diameter of a hand tool to which the safety strap is to be secured, is less than 0.7 but greater than 0.3.   
     
     
         6 . A system for attaching a safety strap to a hand tool comprising:
 a hand tool having an exterior diameter and a weight;   a removable hollow core having a length and defining a volume and having an interior diameter and an exterior diameter, the interior diameter of the hollow core being greater than the exterior diameter of the hand tool;   an elastic sleeve having, a relaxed interior diameter, a stretched interior diameter, and a relaxed exterior diameter, wherein the difference between the relaxed exterior diameter and the relaxed interior diameter define a wall width, the relaxed interior diameter being less than the exterior diameter of the handle, and the stretched interior diameter of the elastic sleeve being greater than the exterior diameter of the removable hollow core;   a safety strap with a length greater than the length of the removeable hollow core, the safety strap configured on one end to attach to a user of a hand tool ;and,   wherein the elastic sleeve is mounted on the removable hollow core, and the removable hollow core is configured to be removed while the portion of the hand tool with the adjacent safety strap are within the volume of the removable hollow core, and wherein the ratio of relaxed interior diameter of the rubber sleeve to the exterior diameter of a tool to which the safety strap is to be secured, is less than 0.7 but greater than 0.3.