Tools – Wrench – screwdriver – or driver therefor – Handle clutched to head
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-22
2001-07-31
Smith, James G. (Department: 3723)
Tools
Wrench, screwdriver, or driver therefor
Handle clutched to head
C081S063100, C081S059100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06267027
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an instant engagement, bearing-type clutch, particularly well suited for use with a wrench.
2. The Background Art
Various types of fasteners are used to attach two or more members together. A bolt and nut combination is one type of well known fastener. The bolt includes a male threaded end configured to engage a female threaded nut.
The driving end of the bolt, or the head, and the nut are provided with bodies of standard size and shape. The most common shape is a hexagon, or six-sided body. Other shapes are available, including a square. The head may also be provided with a hole or bore of standard size and shape. Such shapes include various stars with straight and curved sides and various polygons. In addition, such heads and nuts are provided in English and metric size ranges, such as ⅛ in., {fraction (3/16)} in., ¼ in., {fraction (5/16)} in., ⅜ in., etc., or 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm, etc.
Special tools are configured to engage and drive either the head of the bolt and/or the nut. For example, a wrench typically has an open-ended jaw and a closed-ended jaw. The ends are sized and configured to mate with the bolt head or nut. Thus, wrenches typically have apertures formed in the ends with various polygonal shapes, or stars with various numbers of points. In addition, the wrenches are usually provided in sets having numerous wrenches each having jaws configured to mate with a particularly sized bolt head or nut. By engaging the bolt head or nut with the appropriate wrench, the bolt or nut may be rotated clockwise or counterclockwise in order to tighten or loosen the fastener, respectively.
One problem with the above described wrenches is that they often must be continually disengaged and re-engaged with the nut or bolt. Often, a fastener is placed adjacent another member or located in a limited space. Because the wrench has an elongated body, it may be turned only a fraction of the necessary rotation before any further rotation is impeded. Thus, the wrench must be disengaged from the head, rotated back to the starting point, re-engaged with the head, rotated until again impeded, and the process repeated until the fastener is either loosened or tightened. In addition, if the head is located where only a small rotation is possible, the wrench must also be turned over after disengaging because the handle extends at an angle from the end of the wrench. Furthermore, if the space is extremely tight, the wrench may be rendered useless because there is insufficient space in which the wrench may turn the head.
A ratchet wrench is very popular and solves many of the above identified problems with the standard wrench. The ratchet wrench has a ratchet mechanism which allows a handle of the wrench to rotate freely in one direction, but engage a driver coupled to a head of the ratchet wrench in the opposite direction. This allows the ratchet wrench to engage a head, and rotate back and forth, tightening or loosening the fastener without having to disengage the wrench from the head. The typical ratchet wrench has an elongated body with a head adapted to receive sockets of various sizes and shapes. Thus, sockets usually are provided in sets with one or more ratchet wrenches. The ratchet wrench typically has a set of teeth formed on a driver portion and a pawl which engage in one direction.
One problem with the ratchet wrench is the finite increments the wrench may be rotated backwards. Conventional ratchet wrenches have a finite number of engagement points and are therefore limited in the degree they may be rotated backwards by the number of the teeth. For example, if there are 60 teeth, the ratchet wrench is limited to 6 degree increments when rotating backwards before another tooth can be engaged. If the head of the bolt is located in a tight space, it may not be possible to rotate the ratchet wrench a full 6 degrees. Thus, the wrench will not be able to rotate back more than the 6 degrees to engage the next tooth, rendering the wrench useless.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It has been recognized that it would be advantageous to develop a wrench with an infinite number of engagement points, or a wrench that instantly engages despite the amount of backwards rotation. It also has been recognized that it would be advantageous to develop such a wrench capable of operation in both directions, or a reversible wrench. It also has been recognized that it would be advantageous to develop a reversible clutch capable of instantaneous engagement and with infinite increments in the reverse direction.
The invention provides a wrench device having a bearing clutch device. The device includes a primary body with a primary wall, and a secondary body movably coupled to the primary body, with a secondary wall generally opposing the primary wall. A first tapering space is formed between the primary and secondary bodies, or primary and secondary walls, which advantageously includes larger and smaller tapering sections.
A first set of bearings is disposed in the first tapering space, which advantageously includes larger and smaller bearings movably disposed in the respective larger and smaller tapering sections. The bearings are movable between a free location, and a binding location, in which the larger and smaller bearings advantageously form two points of engagement between the primary and secondary bodies at the tapering space.
The larger and smaller bearings (i) fixedly engage the primary and secondary bodies in a first fixed relationship with the primary body in a first relative position, responsive to rotational movement of the primary body in a first rotational direction, (ii) disengage the primary and secondary bodies, responsive to an amount of rotational movement of the primary body in a second rotational direction, and (iii) fixedly re-engage the primary and secondary bodies in a second fixed relationship with the primary body in a second relative position, responsive to rotational movement of the primary body in the first rotational direction and regardless of the amount of rotational movement of the primary body in the second rotational direction.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the device may include displacement means for displacing the larger and smaller bearings from the binding location to the free location. The displacement means may include a pivot member pivotally coupled to the primary body, and at least one member connected to the pivot member and extending into the tapering space. Pivoting the pivot member in a first pivot direction causes the member to contact and dislodge the larger and smaller bearings. The member may include a swivel link and a pusher member pivotally disposed on the end of the swivel link.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the device may include biasing means disposed between the primary and secondary bodies for biasing the larger and smaller bearings towards the respective larger and smaller tapering spaces, and thus towards the binding location.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the bearing clutch device may be bi-directional. The device may include at least first and second tapering spaces tapering in opposite directions, and each having at least two different size tapering sections, including a larger tapering section and a smaller tapering section.
At least first and second sets of bearings are each movably disposed in one of the at least two tapering spaces. Each bearing set includes a larger bearing and a smaller bearing movably disposed in the respective larger and smaller tapering sections.
The displacement means may selectively displace one of the first and second sets of bearings from the binding location to the free location, to prevent the displaced set of bearings from binding. Thus, displacement of the first set of bearings from the first tapering space allows the primary body to rotate independently with respect to the secondary body in a second rotational
Smith James G.
Thorpe North & Western L.L.P.
Wilson Lee
LandOfFree
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