Tools – Wrench – screwdriver – or driver therefor – Rigid jaws
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-17
2001-01-09
Scherbel, David A. (Department: 3723)
Tools
Wrench, screwdriver, or driver therefor
Rigid jaws
C081S438000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06170363
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to nut holding devices that are mounted to a ratcheting tool for holding a nut after loosening.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional socket of, e.g., a ratchet wrench cannot hold a nut received therein. More specifically, the nut will be left on the site after it has been loosened. Manual removal of the nut is required and inadvertent loss of the nut often occurs. This problem is aggravated when the nut is disposed in a deep hole.
FIGS. 23 and 24
of the drawings illustrate a conventional nut holding member
24
′ received in a socket
20
′. The inner periphery of the socket
20
′ includes two longitudinal grooves
221
′ and an annular groove
222
′ adjacent to an open end of the socket
20
′. The nut holding member
24
′ is substantially U-shaped having two limbs
241
′ received in the longitudinal grooves
221
, respectively. One of the limbs
241
′ includes two arcuate portions
242
′ for retaining a nut
25
′ (FIG.
25
). A distal end of the nut holding member
24
′ includes a retainer element
244
′ received in the annular groove
222
′ for retaining the nut
25
′ in the socket
20
′. Nevertheless, the holding effect of the nut holding member
24
′ is found unsatisfactory since the nut
25
′ is held at only two sides thereof by two limbs
241
′ (FIG.
25
). Thus, the nut
25
′ still tends to fall from the socket
20
′. In addition, the U-shaped configuration of the nut holding member
24
′ is apt to deform as a result of expansion and thus might be disengaged from the longitudinal grooves
221
′. As a result, positioning of the nut holding member
24
′ only relies upon the retainer element
244
′ in the annular groove
222
′ and thus is unreliable. This adversely affects the holding effect. If the holding force is designed to be relatively large for holding the nut, removal of the nut will be a problem after loosening of the nut. In actual use, the nut might be stuck deeply inside the socket such that the user has to remove the nut by tweezers or the like. Furthermore, it is difficult to machine the longitudinal grooves
221
′ and the annular groove
222
′ in the inner periphery of the socket
20
′, especially for those sockets
20
′ having an inner diameter smaller than 10 mm. A further drawback is that the nut holding member
24
′ cannot be applied to the currently available sockets without provision of the grooves
221
′ and
222
′. Therefore, a set of sockets containing all sizes must be manufactured so as to form the grooves
221
′ and
222
′. This results in an additional cost to the manufacturers and the users.
Applicant's U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/293,034 filed on Apr. 16, 1999 proposes nut holding devices to solve the above problems.
The present invention is intended to provide nut holding devices that may eject the nut after the nut is disengaged from the bolt.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, a nut holding device is provided to be mounted in a ratcheting tool (e.g., a socket) of the type including a compartment defined by a polygonal inner periphery, the nut holding device comprising:
a body adapted to be mounted in the compartment, the body including an upper side;
a holding means formed on the upper side of the body for holding a nut to be loosened;
a positioning means formed on the body to position the body in the compartment; and
means for biasing the nut to a level partially beyond the ratcheting tool.
The holding means includes a plurality of spaced elastic plates extended upward and inward from an outer periphery of the body. Each elastic plate includes a distal upper end that extends outward for guiding the nut into a holding space defined by the elastic plates. The distal end of each elastic plate extends to a level flush with an end face of the ratcheting tool. Each elastic plate includes a holding section from which the distal end of the elastic plate extends outward.
The polygonal inner periphery of the ratcheting tool includes a plurality of angular sections, and the positioning means includes a plurality of legs extended downward from an underside of the body. Each leg includes a column section that engages with an associated angular section of the polygonal inner periphery of the ratcheting tool when the nut holding device is received in the compartment of the ratcheting tool.
In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a combination of a nut holding device and a ratcheting tool (e.g., a socket) of the type including a compartment defined by a polygonal inner periphery for receiving the nut holding device. The polygonal inner periphery of the ratcheting tool includes two opposing faces each having an arcuate groove defined therein. The nut holding device comprises:
a body mounted in the compartment, the body including an upper side;
two diametrically disposed elastic plates extended upwardly and inwardly from the upper side of the holding means formed on the upper side of the body for holding a nut to be loosened, each said elastic plate being received in an associated said arcuate groove when the body is received in the compartment of the ratcheting tool;
a positioning means formed on the body to position the body in the compartment; and
means for biasing the nut to a level partially beyond the ratcheting tool.
The nut holding devices in accordance with the present invention may reliably hold a nut, and removal of the nut after loosening is easy. In addition, the nut to be loosened can be guided into the socket. Furthermore, the nut holding devices can be directly applied to currently available sockets.
Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4787278 (1988-11-01), Bononi
patent: 5724872 (1998-03-01), Shih
Kamrath Alan
Scherbel David A.
Shanley Daniel
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