Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a locking
adapter for interconnecting a drivable element, such as a
ratchet socket, to a drive tool, such as a ratchet wrench
or electric drive tool, and particularly to a Tocking
adapter which automatically connects to the drive tool
and the drivable element, in any position, and capab7e of
being quickly disconnected therefrom.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Locking joints, extensions or adapters for
interconnecting a drive shank to a drivable element, such
as a socket, are well known in the art. For example,
such devices are disclosed and illustrated in U.S. Patent
No. 4,4809511, issued November 6, 1984, and U.S. Patent
No.4,571,113, issued February 18, 1986. However, such
devices do not provide for the adapter to automatically
connect both the drivable element and the drive tool.
Another disadvantage of such prior art is that usually
the shank of the drivable element can only be fitted in
the connecting cavity of the adapter device by position-
ing it in a precise position. Usually these shanks have
a ball bearing or pin extending from a wall thereof and
this ball or pin must be aligned with a cavity formed in
the side wall of the connecting cavity of the adapter
device. It is therefore necessary to see the cavity to
determine how to position the shank of the drivable
element.
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Another disadvantage of prior ar-t adapters is
that often it is necessary to retract a locking element
before the connecting shank of the adapter is secured
within a socket cavity. This is the case for example in
U.S. Patent 4,480,511, referred to hereinabove. Also,
such adapters do not have automatic locking cavities to
secure them to drive tools and it is often necessary to
interconnect these devices by lock pins retained by
O-rings, which are difficult and time-consuming to
install and may also fail under stress.
A still further disadvantage of known prior art
adapter devices of this type is that the devices them-
selves are not suitable for actuation by the fingers of
the user, due primarily to their geometrical configura-
tion and construction. Still further, these adapters are
usually constructed for use with a particular drive tool
and are not adaptable to other type drive tools such as
torque wrenches, impact wrenches, air ratchets, universal
drives, Flexible extensions, etc.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a feature of the present invention to
provide an improved adapter device for interconnecting a
drivable element to a drive means and which substantially
overcomes all of the above-mentioned disadvantages of the
prior art.
Anotner feature of the present invention is to
provide an improved adapter device for interconnecting a
drivable element to a drive means and which device is
automatically connectable to both the drivable element
and the drive means and is easily disconnectable there-
from.
Another feature of the presen-t invention is to
provide an improved adapter device for in-terconnecting a
drivable element to a drive means and wherein the device has
the universal feature of being connectable to either the
drivable element or the drive means, in any position.
Another feature of the present invention is to
provide an improved adapter device for interconnecting a
variety of drivable elements to a variety of drive tools
wi-thout having to modify the adapter device.
Another feature of the present invention is to
provide an improved adapter device for interconnecting a
drivable element to a drive means and which is easy to use
and can be connected or disconnected without having to have
visibility of this operation.
Another feature of the present invention is to
provide an improved adapter device for interconnecting a
drivable element to a drive means and wherein there is
provi,ded a thurnb drive to ease removing and starting the
threading of fasteners such as nuts and bolts.
According to the above features, from a broad
aspect, the present invention provides an adapter device for
interconnecting a drivable element to a dri,ve means. The
device comprises a body having a connecting shank protruding
therefrom. The shank has automatic lock means for automatic
locking engagement of the shank on a flat wall of a cavity
of a drivable element when positioned therein at any
orientation. The lock means has a roller bearing with an
outer circular wall displaceable in a bearing cavity formed
in a flat wall of the shank. The bearing cavity has a flat
angulated roller guide wall on which the roller bearing is
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displaced to position the roller bearing -to an engaging and
disengaglng position. Biasing means is provided to normally
bias the roller bearing to the engaging position. The
biasing means has a spring biased linkage connected to the
roller bearing. The spring biased linkage has a guide link
rod to which is secured the roller bearing~ A finger
engaging member is displaceably supported about a portion of
the body. A fastener interconnects the guided link rod to
the finger engaging member. A spring urges -the finger
engaging member towards the shank to urge the roller bearing
to the engaging position. The body has a locking cavity to
connect the body to the drive means to impart an axial
rotation motion to the connecting shank. The locking cavity
is located in an end of the body opposed to the connecting
shank and axially aligned therewith. Connecting means is
provided in the locking cavity for au-tomatic locking
engagement with a drive shank of the drive means positioned
in the locking cavity at any orientation. The lock means of
the connecting shank and the connecting means of the locking
cavity are connected to a respective disconnect means for
disengagement of the lock means and connecting means.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A preferred embodiment of the present invention
will now be described with reference to the example thereof
as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which~
FIG. 1 is a side view of the adapter device of
the present invention;
FIG. 2 is another side view from the right side
of Fig. l;
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FIG. 3 is a rear view of the adapter device
showing the position or the connecting cavity;
FIG. 4 is a partly fragmented and partly
sectioned side view of the adap-ter device of the present
invention; and
FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the
adapter device of the present invention as connec-table to a
socket and a socket wrench.
DESCRIPTION OF THB PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings r and more
particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 5, there is shown generally
at 10, the adapter device of the present invention for
interconnecting a drivable element, a drive socket 9, to a
drive means, herein a ratchet wrench 8 (see Fig. 6). The
adapter device 10 comprises a body 11 having a connecting
shank 12 protruding from the body. The connecting shank 12
has an automatic lock means 13 for locking engagement of the
shank 12 within the cavity, such as 9', of the
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A
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drivable socket element 9. In the opposite wall or end
14 of the adapter 10 there is provided a locking cavity
15 to connect the adapter device to a drive means, such
as the drive shank ~' of the ratchet wrench 8, as shown
in Fig. 6, whereby to impart rotation to the connecting
shank 12 and hence the socket 9.
The automatic lock means 13 is provided with a
roller bearing 16 which is displaceable in a bearing
cavity 17 formed in a flat wall 18 oF the shank 12. The
bearing cavity 17 is provided with an angulated roller
guide wall 19 on which the roller bearing 16 is displaced
whereby to position the roller bearing to an engaging
position, such as shown at A in Fig. 4, to a disengaged
position, such as shown at B in Fig. 4. Biasing means is
provided to normally bias the roller bearing 13 to the
engaging position A.
As shown more clearly in Fig. 4, the biasing
means comprises a spring-biased linkage which is
connected to the roller bearing and consisting of a
roller support rod 21 connected to a guided link rod 22.
The guided link rod 22 is secured to an annular ring 23
via a connecting pin 24. The annular ring 23 is dis-
placeably supported about a cylindrical portion 11' of
the body 11 and concentrically with the shank 12. A
helical spring 25 is located on the underside 23' of the
annular ring 23 and urges the annular ring 23 toward the
shank whereby to maintain the roller bearing 13 at the
engaging position A, as shown in Fig. 4.
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As seen more clearly in Figs~ 2 and 4~ the
roller bearing 16 is constituted by two roller wheels 16'
each having a uniform outer circumferential face. The
roller wheels are supported on a common axle 26 extending
through a guide slot 27 provided adjacent a free end of
the roller bearing support rod 21. Each of the roller
wheels 16' is disposed on the respective side of the rod
21. The bearing support rod extends through a slot 28 in
the roller guide wall 19.
As shown clearly in Fig. 4, the angulated
roller guide wall 19 is inclined with respect to the
longitudinal axis 29 of the connecting shank 12 and
spacPd inwardly of the plane 30 of the flat wall 18. The
roller bearing when at its engaging position has a-
circumferential portion extending outwardly of the plane
30 of the flat wall 18 whereby to automatically lock
within a socket cavity such as cavity 9' when positioned
therein. When the free end of the connecting shank 12 is
positioned within the socket cavity 9' the bearing wheel
16 will move inwardly of its cavity 17 and be squeezed
between the guide wall 19 and a side wall of the cavity
9', whereby to wedge the connecting shank 12 within the
socket cavity. This is done automatically simply by
inserting the connecting shank 12 within the cavity 9'.
In order to release the wedging effect of the bearing
roller 16, it is only necessary to pull back on the
annular ring 23 in the direction of arrow 31 (see Fig. 2)
whereby to retract the guided link rod 22 in the
direction of arrow 32 thereby causing the roller support
rod 21 to also move the roller bearing towards position B
wherein the roller bearing is now located inside the
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plane 30 of the flat wall 18. Accordingly, the wedging
effect is now removed and the socket 9 would simply fall
from the shank by its gravitational weight or the socket
is simply removed by hand by pulling on it if the shank
is pointed at a position above the horizontal.
As shown in Fig. 4, the roller guide wall l9 is
inwardly inclined from a free end at 33 of the connecting
shank and spaced inward1y therefrom. The guide wall is
preferably inclined at an angle from the longitudinal
axis 29 of the shank and this angle is preferably in
the range of 13 to 14 with respect to the longitudinal
axis 29 or the wall 18'. These angles have been found to
be the most suitable to prevent slippage or to prevent
making the connection too secure and hard to release.
In the end wall 14 there is provided the
connecting means or locking cavity 15 whereby to secure
the adapter device lO to a drive, such as the ratchet
wrench 8. As previously described, the locking cavity 15
is located in the end wall 14 of the body ll. This
cavity is of square cross-section and provided with guide
channels 15' to accommodate the guide pin or ball 8" of
the ratchet shank 8', in any position.
A further roller bearing 40 is disposed within
a roller bearing cavity 41 formed within an inner flat
side wall 42 of the cavity 15. This further roller bear-
ing is also displaceable on an angulated bearing guide
wall 43 and operates in the same manner as previously
described with reference to roller bearing 16. This
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further roller bearing is also biased or urged to an
engaging position, whereby to automatically engage with a
drive shank, such as shank 8' of wrench 8, when posi-
tioned in the locking cavity 15.
A disconnect annular ring 44 is also displace-
ably supported about a connecting end portion 11" of the
body 11 and concentrically with the locking cavity 15. A
roller bearing support linkage 45 interconnects the dis-
connect annular ring 44 to the roller bearing 40. The
same helical spring 25 also urges the disconnect annular
ring 44 in the direction of the end wall 14. The helical
âpring 25 iâ retained captive between the disconnect
annular ring 44 and the previously described annular ring
23 asâociated with the shank roller bearing 13.
Briefly, the linkage mechanism 45 comprises a
guided link rod 46 to which is secured a disconnect
annular ring 44 and a bearing support rod 47 which iâ
secured to the roller bearing 40. This roller bearing 40
is of the same construction as the previously described
roller bearing 16 and will not again be described in
detail. It iâ also connected to the bearing support rod
in a similar manner for displacement. Also, the
angulated roller guide wall 43 is also disposed at the
same angle as the guide walls associated with the cavity
provided in the shank, this angle being relative to the
longitudinal axis or the side wall 42 of the locking
cavity 15.
As shown in Fig. 4, the concentric displacement
of the annular ring 44 is limited by a guide screw 48
extending through the ring 44 and into a guide or secur-
ing cavity 49. Similarly, the connecting pin 24
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associated with the annular ring 23 is also movable
within a guide cavity 50 located within an inner portion
of the shank 12 and also limits the travel of the annular
ring 23. Accordingly, the spring 25 may be retained in a
compressed state between both rings~
Another feature of the present invention is
that the construction of the adapter device makes it easy
to assembly and disassemble and to repair. These annular
rings 23 and 44 also have their outer surfaces knurled
whereby to provide positive finger engagement and prevent
slipping when engaged. These rings can conveniently be
utilized to initiate the rotation of a screw or bolt
engaged by the socket, such as socket 9, before the
drive tool, such as 8, is applied to effect the final
tightening or to remove a screw or bolt after the initial
untightening is effected by a drive tool.
It can be seen that with the roller bearing
automatic lock means 13 and 40, the connecting shank 12
and the locking cavity 15 can be engaged, respectively,
by simply inserting the shank 12 in a socket cavity 9' or
inserting the connecting shank 8' of a drive tool such as
the ratchet 8 into the locking cavity 15. The shank 12
may have bevelled corners 12' to facilitate insertion in
sockets such as at 9. Usually, the socket cavities are
provided with a cavity 9" to receive therein the guide
pin or ball 8" of the ratchet shank 8' to effect locking
engagement. ~ith the roller bearing of the present
invention the shank can be placed at any position within
the socket cavity and will engage therewith. This is
also similarly so with respect to the locking cavity.
Accordingly, the adapter device of the present invention
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can be utilized in total darkness and this is
particularly useful when, for example, a mechanic is
working under a vehicle or under the hood of a vehicle in
an area not visible to him and the work is effected
simply by feeling the location of bolts, the ratchet
shank and socket cavities only.
It is within the ambit of the present invention
to cover any obvious modifications of the example of the
preferred embodiment described herein, provided such
modifications fall within the scope of the appended
claims. For example, the adapter of the present inven-
tion may be utilized to connect percussion tools to driv-
able elements such as chiselling bits, etc. Also, the
drive tool can be an air ratchet, impact wrench, torque
wrench, etc. Thus, it can be seen that the adapter
device of the present invention may have a variety of
applications and is almost a universal type adapter and
can be constructed of various sizes, depending on its
application. Also, the adapter of the present invention
can connect to socket cavities or drive shanks which may
be loosely fitted in view of the automatic locking action
of the roller bearing. Thus, it can accommodate sockets
and drive shanks with tolerances up to 40/1,000 of an
inch play.
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