Tools – Wrench – screwdriver – or driver therefor – Rigid jaws
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-25
2001-10-16
Hail, III, Joseph J. (Department: 3723)
Tools
Wrench, screwdriver, or driver therefor
Rigid jaws
C081S013000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06302000
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improvements in the tool described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,507,172, and in particular to a nut and bolt starter consisting of a wire having a diameter of 0.070 or less, a handle at one end of the shaft, and a nut or bolt head engaging element formed by an appropriately shaped loop at the other end of the shaft, the loop terminating in a unshaped section.
In addition, the invention relates to a modular tool system that includes a common handle to which can be fitted tools of the above type with different loop diameters and is shapes, as well as sockets or bits corresponding to those of a conventional socket wrench.
2. Description of Related Art
The tool disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,507,172 provides a convenient way to handle nuts and bolts in situations where there is not enough space to permit the mechanic to hold a nut or bolt while its complementary bolt or nut is threaded into position from the opposite side of the members being joined.
As disclosed in the above-cited patent and illustrated in
FIG. 1
, the tool includes a shaft
1
made of steel spring wire having a diameter of 0.090 inches and a handle
2
at one end, the wire terminating at the other end in a loop
3
having a diameter slightly smaller that the diameter of a nut or bolt
4
to be held by the loop. When the loop
3
is expanded slightly, the shape of the loop is such that the nut or bolt
4
is gripped sufficiently tightly by the loop to permit the loop to hold the nut or bolt as it is moved into a desired position opposite the bolt or nut
5
to be threaded into or onto the nut or bolt
4
. The tool described in the above-cited patent has the advantage of simple construction and yet is extremely useful because of its ability to position nuts and bolts in spaces that are completely inaccessible to conventional wrenches, and that are far smaller than the human hand. Nevertheless, the inventor of the present invention, who is also the inventor of the tool described in the previous patent, has observed to disadvantages of the prior tool. The first is that the prior tool cannot be used to access areas where there is significant curvature, because of the relative stiffness of the 0.090 inch spring wire used in its construction. The second is that the tip of the loop end of the shaft of the prior tool is reversely bent in on itself by a 360° angle to form a second loop
6
, which is said to obviously prevent inadvertently hooking other parts during use, but which turns out to complicate manufacture of the tool because it makes it impossible to manufacture the tool on a kick press.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly a first objective of the invention to provide a tool for the convenient handling of nuts and bolts when the nuts and bolts are to be held in cramped or crowded spaces, and which is capable of extending into curved passages or around obstacles.
It is a second objective of the invention to provide a tool of the type having a flexible shaft that ends in a loop, and yet that can be manufactured on a kick press without the need for special tooling.
It is a third objective of the invention to provide a modular tool system that includes a handle capable of accommodating tools of the above type having different diameters and head shapes, and in addition sockets or other hand tool drivers, bits, or heads.
These objectives are accomplished, in accordance with the principles of a preferred embodiment of the invention by providing a tool of the above-described type that includes a shaft made of steel spring wire having a diameter of less than 0.070 inches and a handle at one end, the wire terminating at the other end in a loop having a diameter slightly smaller that the diameter of a nut or bolt to be held by the loop, the loop being shaped so that, when a nut or bolt is fitted into the loop, the loop will grip the nut or bolt with sufficient force to hold it as it is brought into a desired position.
The inventor has found that by using a wire of less than 0.070 inches, and preferably 0.063 or 0.060 inches, the shaft will have sufficient flexibility to enable the tool to fit into curved as well as linear spaces, while still holding a nut or bolt securely.
Preferably the end of the loop terminates in a hook or U-shape, permitting the tool to easily be formed on a kick press without the need for special tooling and greatly simplifying manufacture of the tool.
In addition, the handle of the tool is preferably formed with a central passage into which the end of the shaft is fitted and secured by an easily removable fastening element such as an Allen screw. As a result, tools having different diameters or differently shaped loops, or even socket drivers, bits, or other tool heads may be fitted into the handle, resulting in an extremely versatile modular tool system. To facilitate identification of the various tools, the shafts of the tools may be color coded.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2372930 (1945-04-01), Bovee
patent: 2722148 (1955-11-01), Woyton
patent: 2796101 (1957-06-01), Hasemann et al.
patent: 3507172 (1970-04-01), Smith
patent: 3706154 (1972-12-01), Luebbers et al.
patent: 4356852 (1982-11-01), Smith
patent: 4566357 (1986-01-01), Carossino
patent: 5642647 (1997-07-01), Peruski
Bacon & Thomas
Hail III Joseph J.
Thomas David B.
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