CA2076227A1 - Driver bit holding strap or band of one piece rubber or soft plastic construction (bit band) - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract A holding device designed specifically to hold screw driving bits for drills andother tools. As these driver bits are almost exclusively of a 1/4 inch diameter round or hexagonal shaft construction, this holder is designed to hold only these types of bits. The advantage of developing a holder that can accommodate only the most common driver bit format is that it allows the holder to be manufactured of a one-piece construction. This one piece construction provides the following combination of benefits never before available:
- Assembly free mass production capabilities;
- Use of one of five low cost manufacturing methods that can produce the product from rubber or plastic, in one step. These three methods are injection molding, compression molding die-stamping, extruding and laser cutting.
- A multi-bit holding product which can be manufactured for under a dollar and retailed for under three dollars. This is an important feature for a successful after-market bit holding device, but especially important if the device is to besuccessful as a unit in which bit sets could be retailed in. While current drillindexes lack important features such as sturdiness and reliability their cost isonly in the order of a few cents.
Though not essential to the functioning of the BIT BAND, this patent identifies a new technology that will optimize the operation of this unit and ofany rubber unit designed to grip and release shafts and to provide temporary storage of said shafts. This technology is a specific profile of hole that optimizes grip properties on driver-bit shafts (or other types of shafts) while still allowing easy removal. The specific hole profile is "hour-glass" shaped and shall be referred to here after as Hour-Glass Profile (HGP).
9 Claims, 3 drawing sheets

Description

2 ~7~227 Speelfleatlon Fleld of Inventlon This invention relates to the need for a driver-bit storage system among owners and operators of drills, power tools, and especially for the increasing 5 market of drills featuring cordless operation, variable speed reversibility and -~ clutch mechanisms. The recent proliferation of these innovations in the drill market have made drills into ideal screw driving tools. Some manufacturers are molding up to two bit holders into the bodies of their drill housings.
However, with four or five sizes available in each of the most common screw 10 driver formats (Robertson, Phillips, SloUed, and Torx integral holders offer insufiicient storage. The BIT BAND can provide storage space for between 10 and 20 driver-bits (of any length) per strap. The design of the BIT BAND
will not allow bits to accidentally fall out of the strap. The BIT BAND is unbreakable and actually protects a drill housing from impacts.
BIT BAND can also be marketed as a means of selling screw drive bits. Tha only holders currently sold with driver bits consist of round plastic indexes with a rotating clear plastic portion that permits one bit to be accessed at a time. These indexes consistently shatter upon being dropped or otherwise 20 impacted. The result is a thorough distribution of all bits contained about aIarge radius, accompanied by intense user-anxiety and audible expressions thereof .
BIT BAND is virtually unbrsakable and invulnerable to any impact. BIT BAND
25 will not release bits due to impact or vibration.

Speelfleatlon - Patent Seareh & Produets Improved Upon or Replaeed 30 I conducted a patent search of all drill accessory holding devices that can attach drill accessofies directly to the drill housings.
1) Plastle Drlver Blt Indexes. As mentioned above, several plastic rotating drill 35 indexes currently exist which are sold together with screw driver bits. BIT
BAND provides a smaller, more por[able, unbreakable alternative to these devices. The BIT BAND design offers the unique option of being manufacturable of a one piece construction. Tw,o piece construction is ; common to currently available index devices. BIT BAND will not release bits - 40 upon impact. BIT BAND provides the additional advantage of being easily - attachable to drills, other power tools, toolboxes, tool belts and other devices associated with power tool usage. BIT BAND provides an excellent marketing opportunity for driver bit manufacturers to offer customers an alternative to : .
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their current bit indexes, an alternative that is superior in many functional ways including unbreakability, portability and reliability.
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5 2) US Patent # 4,093,396 of Sven Holger Wildigs, June 6, 1978 describes a plastic clip that would attach to the drill housing and clasp some portion of a T'-shaped chuck key. While the BIT BAND could theoretically hold the shaft of an "L" - shaped chuck key that had a 1/4 inch diameter shaft the 10 technology is significantly different. BIT BAND would hold the shaft by having it slid into a nubber sleeve or socket, not snapped into a plastic clip.
Chuck keys are quickly becoming an obsolete technology in any event, due to the success of keyless chucks in the market place. Therefore I feel that US
patent #4093396 should have no bearing on my application for a patent for 1 5 BIT BAND.
3) - US Patent # 4,477,213 of James W Nelson, October 16, 1984 describes a "chuck key holder for a power tool". It's form is that of an elastic hand-grip 2û end-cap with a hole for the shaft of a chuck key. This end-cap is closed at the bottom end except for holes for electrical cord or pneumatic hose and exhaust. The device could not provide universal fit, it is designed to hold onlyone type of chuck key, and could store no driver bits. The only similarity that this technology bears to the BIT BAND is that it is made of an elastic material 25 (though it is not a strap) and takes advantage of the frictional properties of an elastic material to gfip a shaft (though not a driver bit shafl). Therefore Ifeel that US patent #4,477,213 should have no bearing on my application for a patent for BIT BAND.

4) US Patent # 2,824,651 of W. B. Davis, filed October 1953, describes a cord mounted drill bit caWy. The device is comprised of a relatively thick disk of resilient material with appropriately sized holes to accommodate a range of drill 35 bit sizes. Mr. Davis recognizes the ability of holes in resilienl mater~als to provide for easy insertion and retention of shaft diameters which are approximately the same diameter as the holes.
As his device is designed for the drill bits to be inserted and removed from 40 one direction only, he also suggests a constant taper of the holes from top to bottom.
This does differ from the design and purpose of BIT BAND's optional HGP or double tapered hole. The single taper hole would likely make removal of the 4 2~7fi227 bits more difficult, especially so since the sharp end of a drill bit must be grasped for removal. BIT BAND's optional HGP holes allow bits to be inserted from behind, pushed through and remove~ from the other side. This is an important consideration as many driver bits are small and are usually pointed or tapered on the business end. Optional HGP holes also improve the performance of thinner bit holding sockets.
The relatively thick construction of US Patent # 2,824,651 and also Bruce Hibbard's US Patent # 4,797,040 have other disadvantages. Neither of the aforementioned inventions could accommodate the very common 3/4 inch lengths of screw driver bits and still provide for easy removai. Though somewhat cumbersome tand perhaps a little unsafe given that sharp drill bits would in effect be mounted on a pendulum), Mr. Davis did design a workable drill mounted accessory caddy which predates most other attempts. Though expired, the existence of Mr. Davis's patent does, I feel, limit the scope ot claims of later drill accessory caddy patents.

5) US Patent # 4,954,026 of Donald W. Zurwelle, September 4, 1990 describes 20 a "screw driver bit and chuck key retainer" (Uretainer''). The device is designed as an integral part of a drill housing. The device is best molded into a drill housing at the time of manufacture and no other means of temporary or permanent after-market attachment is specified. The invention is not an after-market device as it must be manufactured into a drill on the production line.
25 The number of bits held is limited to two or three of a predetermined length.Also, the method of fastening involves clipping a bit or chuck key into a slot.
Comparatively, BIT BAND technology calls for the inserting of the bit into a hole or contoured hole. The band format of BIT BAND is unlike that of Uretainer'. The band format of BIT BAND offers universal fit capacity, and bit 30 marketing advantages far beyond the scope of Uretainer. Therefore I feel that US patent #4,954,026 should have no bearing on my application for a ; patent for BIT BAND.

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35 6) US Patent # 4,508,221 of David V Olson, April 2 1985, describes a drill b.it and chuck key caddy who's construction consisted of a flat piece of flexible material having several parallel spaced, elongate~ pockets formed in a corrugated manner. One claim suggests that the device could fasten to a drill 40 by peel-and-stick adhesive.
This was a clever drill bit and accessory holding device which could theoretically also hold screw driver bits if the pockets were made of an appropriate size. However the size and format of the device would likely 2Q~22~

interfere with the cooling vents on many dr~lls and could likely not provide a universal fit. The construction would also require several steps of specialized manufacturing processes.
Though they are both drill accessory caddies, made from a flexible elastic material, BIT BAND differs from patent #4,508,221 in the approach to providing retention of drill accessories. BIT BAND~s approach yields a product that is narrow enough to attach to any drill without interfering with cooling ports. BIT BAND's approach allows the device to provide universal fit and attach by means of adhesive, elastic strap, or strap and fastener. The design of BIT BAND allows for economical one-step manufacturing using conventional, inexpensive manufacturing processes. The BIT BAND approach is to use simple, narrow elastic sockets to provide bit retention.
7) US Patent # 4,652,001 of Gordon Rathbun, March 24, 1987 and US Patent # 4,986,554, of Gordon Rathbun describe chuck key tether cords that bear no other resemblance to BIT BAND other than the facts that they attach to a drill and are of an elastic material.

8) US Patent # 4,797,040 of D. Kelbel, May 23, 1972 describes~a strap-on drill device that holds a bubble-leveling device to the housing of the drill.
Though the patent does not lay specific claim to a strap means of attaching a tool caddy to a dnll housing, this strap approach predates later device patents who's claims migm be interpreted as laying claim to a strap approach.
9) US Patent # 4,579,356 of Woodrow W. Welborn, April 1, 198~, describes a two piece chuck key holder that straps to a drill housing by means of an elastic band. The means of shaft retenUon is also provided by the elastic band ~ which squeezes the shaft into a grove in the second piece of the device.
'. 35 This device represents a simple but clever means of attachment of a drill accessory device ~o a drill housing. The means of shaft retention is also simpleand clever, but would not function well with straight qriver bit shafts as compared to "L" or "T" shaped chuck keys which are longer and provide more grip.
Though the patent does not lay specific claim to a strap means of attaching a tool caddy to a drill housing, this strap approach predates later device patentswho's claims might be interpreted as laying claim to a strap approach.

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6 207~27 10) US Patent # 4,797,040 of Bruce A. Hibbard, January 10, 1989 describes a strap-on drill paraphernalia holding system (DPHS). The device specifies a complex multi-diaphragm Drill Bit Holding Cylinder as the means of providing temporary retention of drill accessories. A detailed discussion of this patent will follow in order to reveal two issues. Firstly, that the technology of BIT
BAND does not overlap with the patentable features of DPHS. Secondly to demonstrate that the technology of BIT BAND represents many instances of inventive ingenuity that avoid and/or overcome problems faced by DPHS and all other pfior attempts at drill accessory caddies.
10 a) Patentable Features - US Patent # 4,797,040 and Prlor Patents The multi-diaphragm, Drill Bit Holding Cylinder technology of DPHS is unique among drill tool caddies however, the concept of tool caddies for drill accessories is not unique. This can be seen in each of the patents discussed - above.
Patent #'s 3,664,754 and 4,57g,365 also show that a strap approach to drill tool caddies is not unique and can even be considered an obvious approach.
10 b) Patentable Features - US Patent # 4,797,040 and Prlor Patents There are some similarities in application and purpose between DPHS and my own BIT BAND. However there are also significant diflerences in purpose, function, technology, design, manufacturability, and effectiveness. These differences demonstrate the inventive ingenuity that took place ` independently of knowledge of any previously patented devices. These . differences are described in detail below:

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i) Purposè/ Functlon/ Technology DPHS attempts to provide storage for a wide variety,of shaft diameters. BIT
BAND offers storage only to 1/4 inch shaft diameter accessories.

This represents a leap forward in technology for BIT BAND as it recognizes the standardization that exists among screw driver bits and applies this information to yield a product which is far more economical to tool-up for and manufacture. It is worth noting that DPHS has never been manufactured in

7 2~7~227 the three years that it has been patented. BIT BAND can be looled-up for approximately $1000 and produced for under one dollar per unit with one of three simple manufacturing technologies: injection molding compression molding, die stamping or extruding. In either case only one die would be 5 required for either process.
ii) D~slgn and Manufacturablllty DPHS retains drill accessories with "Dfill Bit Holding Cylinders" (cylinders).
10 These cylinders are of at least a 6 piece constnuction including at least four diaphragm units contained within an assembled cylinder. Each diaphragm unit is complex having beveled and tapered ribs. Each assembled cylinder (also referred to as a sleeve) is fastened to the elasticNelcro strap component via a dovetail groove . It is unlikely that the dovetail groove method of attaching 15 the cylinders to the strap could function reliably or even function at all around the curved shape of a drill housing. Given that drill bits would have to be pressed into the cylinders and removed with equal force the most likely result of these forces would be the releasing of the cylinder from the dovetail track on the strap.
A DPHS with only 5 cylinders would have a total of 70 cylinder sub-paAs plus a three part Velcro and elastic strap. A product as complex as DPHS
could not be manufactured economically enough~to yield a reasonable retail price. Further more, it could never be an economical alternative to the bit 25 index cases currently in use.
BIT BAND's bit holding mechanism is very different in technology and purpose trom the Drill Bit Holding Cylinders of DPHS.
30 BIT BAND retains driver bits in molded, extruded,or punched holes. These holes may or may not have an HGP hole. The HGP hole technology would optimize easy insertion, gfipping and removal of bits into/from the hole. HGP
holes can be injection molded into the strap or if die stamped, they would result naturally from the nubber die stamping process.
BIT BAND has only one part which can be molded, stamped, extnuded or laser cut in one piece and in one step. Only one tool needs to be produced for manufactufing BIT BAND. No assembly is necessay other than packaging and cartoning. After tooling, BIT BAND can be manufactured for as little as 40 $0.15 (fifleen cents) or less per unit before packaging.
- BIT BAND is simple and inexpensive enough to replace the plastic drill indexes currently sold with screw dfiver-bit sets.

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8 2~7~227 With respect to purpose, BIT BAND Bit sockets are designed to provide simple, economical retention of only 1/4 inch driver bits. DPHS~s Drill Bit Holding Cylinders are designed to retain a wide variety of sha~t diameter.
However the complexity of the design prevents the invention from becoming 5 a viable product.

iii) Fastenlng Technology 10 The DPHS patent specifies Velcro as a fastening device in drawings, text and in its three claims.
BIT BAND does not require the use of Velcro. This eliminates the additional per unit cost of Velcro. Velcro is also vulnerable to oil, solvents and ultraviolet 15 radiation. The all rubber construction of BIT BAND is highly resistant to all of these elements.
Though Hibbard makes specific claim to the use of Velcro in his DPHS it is unlikely that such a claim is valid. The use of Velcro to fasten two ends of a 20 strap together is likely the most typical application of Velcro technology.
. The BIT BAND design allows it to function more effectively in a variety of forms which require no fastening mechanisms. The diameter of drill housings varies almost exclusively between 9.5 and 12 inches. The properties of a 25 rubber strap designed with the proper combination of thicknesses and detail `- permit a strap of approximately 8 inches to stretch to fit, and firmly grip virtually any hand drill of past, current or expected future production. My prototyping activities confirm that this fixed length elastic band fastening msthod functions effectively.

This design and technobgy is entirely unique to the BIT BAND. This design and technology makes the BIT BAND the first economical and manufacturable band or strap capable of holding driver bits. This one piece construction is another of the inventive feature that differentiates BIT BAND from any prior 35 attempt to produce a drill bit holding device.
While producing BIT BAND as a closed strap or band of fixed length is likely the most efficient and effective means of producing,the product, for various reasons it could be produced as an open strap with any of a multitude of 40 fastening systems currently available. This would not constitute a product outside the scope of this patent, only a variation upon it. The BIT BAND
design does however provide the unique option of allowing one piece construction, including fastening system.

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10 c) Summary of dlstinctlon between US Patent # 4,797,040 and BIT BAND
I feel that there is sufficient evidence of inventive ingenuity and leaps in technology that significantly distinguish BIT BAND from US Patent #
4,797,040.
These include:
- a design which permits one piece constnuction - design parameters that intentionally limit the product to accept only 1/4 inchshaft diameters. This, in order to provide optimal retention properties for the long-standing standard of driver-bit format.
- Optional Hour-Glass Profile (HGP) holes to optimize bit insertion, retention and release BIT BAND was developed prior to any patent searching activities and independently of any knowledge of US Patent # 4,797,040 (DPHS). The above comparisons were developed after product development and after patent search to illustrate that these are two distinct inventions, both worthy of their own patents.

11) US Patent # 5,056,661 of Alfred Balzano, October 15, 1991 desoribes tool caddy plate that fastens to a drill housing with either an adhesive layer, a strap wdh a (Velcro-type) hook-and-pile fastener, or a Velcro type patch. The means for retaining the shafts of small tools including screw-driver bits consists of resilient plastic prongs which allow bits to snap into place.
Optionally, the prongs would be magnetically lined to improve tool retention.
This again is a clever tool caddy, but one which suffers from a number of problems that BIT BAND has overcome or avoided:
- Plastic prongs are far more vulnerable to breakage if the device is driven against a hard surface by the force of a falling drill;
- Prongs do not have the same vibration absorbing properties as does a rubber socket. Prongs will release bits if they become hooked on a projecting surface. Rubber sockets will only release bits to a.slow pulling force of a longer duration than could be generated by any accidental impact or snagging;
- Magnetic liners would add greatly to the cost of manufacturing such a device;

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- The dimensions of the rectangular tool caddy suggested by Patent #
5,056,661 would definitely interfere with the cooling vents on many drills and would be too large for many drills.
5 BIT BAND uses a much different approach to bit retention that yields superior properties. The format of BIT BAND also oflers Universal FIT. Also, the one piece construction of BIT BAND offers reduced manufacturing costs.
I believe the technology of BIT BAND does not overlap with that of US
10 Patent # 5,056,661 and that BIT BAND falls well outside of the claims made by US Patent # 5,056,661.

Speciflcation - Inventive Idea Though 1/4 inch hexagonal shaft driver bits have been in use for at least a decade, and though their use in combination with variable speed reversible drills has been common practice for almost as long, no effective means of transporting the diverse variety of screw driver-bits on the housing of a drill 20 has been suggested or manufactured to date. I specifically set out to solve this problem. I s1arted out with two or three simple critena in mind. The device had to grip a number of 1/4 inch screw driver bits and it had to attach temporarily or permanently to the housing of any drill without interfering in ~he operation of the drill. Initially I tried punching holes in adhesive backed 25 neoprene rubber. This material tore too easily and lost its ability to retainscrew driver bits. From this experience I did however learn the value of an Hour-Glass Profile (HGP) hole with respect to easy insertion, good retention and easy removal of driver bits.
30 HGP holes occur naturally when punching holes in rubber. This occurs because the rubber is displaced most at the middle of the depth of the punched hole during the stroke of the punch or die.
I switched materials to solid density neoprene nubber. Though stretchy, this 35 material was too stiff to use adhesive with around a curved drill housing. Tosolve this problem I decided that a strap around approach would work best with this more rugged material. This rubber lasted and retained its gripping properties. I struggled with numerous possible, fastening mechanisms including buckles, Fastex, D-rings, S-hooks and Velcro. Each of these 40 methods would require considerable assembly cost and compromise the capacity of the product. While handling a 1/8 inch strip of the same neoprene that I had been working with in 1/2 inch thicknesses, I realized that the material might stretch enough to adapt to the variety of drill diameters that I
had already measured as part of my earlier product development efforts. A

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1 1 2~7~27 quick nJbber stretching exercise confirmed that a neoprene strap ot 3/16 to 1/4 inch diameter and approximately 8 inch length depending on strap thickness, would stretch to snugly fit virtually any drill housing.
While working on my earlier prototypes, which consisted of a 1/2" x 1/2' strap of neoprene with holes punched in it, I encountered the problem of holes distorting as the strap was stretched around a drill housing. This distortion happened as a result of adjacent material tugging on the holes. I developed a solution to this problem too. By isolating the sidewalls of the holes from the rest of the band, the distortion was reduced to an insignificant level. I testedthis by glueing a several shorter pieces of neoprene tubing to a neoprene strap. The gluing was only done on one tangent to the tube surfaces. The tubes did not distort when the strap was stretched either straight or in a circle.
I then integrated the solution to the distortion problem with my findings about the ability of 3/16" to 1/4" neoprene strap to form a universal snug fit around the majority of drill housings. Combined with HGP holes, a preliminary working product had been developed. Further refinements to form would finalize the product. For example a rippled stretching detail could be added to one portion of the strap to: aid universal fit; reduce distortion; improve consumer perception. Other fastening techniques may still be considered to maximize production efficiency, improve consumer perception, increase the range of products that BIT BAND may attach to, or improve the ease of attaching and detaching BIT BAND.
- To be worthy of a patent an inventor must show that his product is inventive.
That a small stroke of inventive genius was required to overcome difficulties and problems of previous practices or proposals. Many instances of these . 30 criteria have been demonstrated through comparisons to existing products and proposals and also by the above description of the stages of development and problem solving for this product.
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Specifica110n - Preferred Operatlon and Usage The optimal usage of this product would be to store screw driver driver bits - on the housing of a drill. The product could be sold as an after-market item with or without driver bi1s included. If sold with bit !ncluded the benefits of the product would compliment the utility and marketability of the driver-bits 40 relative to driver-bits sold in plastic index containers or sold without a container or holder.

. ' '. -' 1 2 2~7~227 In applying the BIT BAND to any drill, care should be taken not to block the cooling vents that are present on drill housings. Such placement is easily accomplished. Instructions to this effect should be included in the packaging.
Speclflcatlon - Alternatlve Usage BIT BAND need not necessarily be attached to a drill housing, it could be carried loosely in a toolbox, strapped to a tool box, tool belt, or other associated device. BIT BAND could be hooked on a ladder, a protruding 10 board or nail at a work site, or hung on a workshop tool board.
Modifications to the BIT BAND could be made to yield a product that would ba suitable for storing other power tool accessories, or accessories for larger machine tools. However, the market for these types of tools is far more 15 limited and more design problems with respect to safety are presented by bits with sharp cutting edges.
Brlef Descrlptlon of the Drawlngs 20 The accompanying drawings which are incorporated in, and constitute part of this specification, illustrate one embodiment of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the Invention.
FIG 1 is a front elevation view of BIT BAND before being stretched around a 25 dfill motor housing, but viewed from the same direction as if one were to view the invention stretched around a drill motor housing while looking directly at the front of the drill chuck.
FIG 2 is a side elevation of BIT BAND.
FIG 3 is a cross-sectional view of BIT BAND along section line A.
FIG 4 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevation of one bit socket.
35 FIG 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view of one bit socket.

FIG 6 is a front elevation of what the device would l,ook like when stretched around a drill motor housing.
FIG 7 is a side elevation view of what the device would look like when stretched around a drill motor housing, lower handle and/or battery pack.

1 3 2~7~7 FIG 8 is a cross sectional side view of a screw driver bit being inserted, retained and removed from a bit socket.
FIG 9 - FIG 12 portray alternate forms of BIT BAND that employ the same technology as BIT BAND.
FIG 9 portrays an alternate form of BIT BAND with a fastening device instead of a one piece construction. Also, the form of the bit sockets resemble slices of 1/4 inch tubing instead of the capsule-like shape in FIG 1 through FIG 8.
FIG 10 portrays an aHernate form of BIT BAND which could fasten to other devices such as a cordless screw driver. In this case the fastening mechanism could be a Velcro strip, or double sided tape.
FIG 11 portrays an alternate form of BIT BAND consisting of segments or - rows of segments of BIT BAND that might be adhered to a drill housing or fastened removably with a two-part fastening device such as Velcro tape as an intermediary between BIT BAND segment(s) and drill housing.
-. j FIG 12 is another version of the FIG 11 variation. In this case the form of the product is that of a simple block with I~GP holes. The reason for this is that if the device does not have to bend around a drill housing, there is no need for the separation of bit sockets. The separation of bit sockets is only necessary to prevent the distortion that would otherwise result from being stretched and bent around a drill housing.
Descrlption of the Preferred Embodlments ; 30 The preferred embodiments are illustrated in FIGS 1~3, with further detail thereof being shown in FIGS 4-5. FIGS 6-7 demonstrate the preferred , application of the device.
The preferred embodiment is a one piece injection molded rubber or soft plastic part. The features of this one piece construction include a number of bit sockets 5 protruding from a circular band 6 having circumference of approximately 8 inches (depending on material and cross sectional thicknesses). The preferred cross sectional shape, of the band would be rectangular with a width dimension of approximately 1/2 inch and height dimensions ranging approximately between 3/16 and 1/14 inches. A BIT
BAND device of approximately 8 inches diameter would accommodate approximately 15 bit sockets 5. Bit Sockets 5 are comprised of a tubular wall 1, and preferably a double tapered or Hour-Glass Profile (HGP) hole 4. The HGP hole 4 would preferably have diameters that tapered from extremity hole ' .

1 4 2~7~7 diameters 2 to central hole diameter 3. Extremity hole diameter~b~
approximately 0.25 inches and central hole diameter 3 would be approxi 0.20 inches.
5 With respect to the HGP hole shape 4, it is important to note that this is an optional feature that does not strictly define the scope of the BIT BAND
device. My testing has shown that an HGP hole 4 will provide near optimal bit insertion, retention and removal properties. The same device with a slraight hole (simple cylindrical) profile would work less effectively but might10 perform adequately. The same device with a straiyht hole profile would not constitute an invention outside the scope of this patent. A straight hole profile would be the likely result of using a rubber extruding process to manufacture BIT BAND. HGP holes 4 would result from die stamping and could easily be molded into an injection molding or compression molding die.
15 A more complex hole profile might also perform successfully but would requirea die of higher complexity. As HGP holes perform extremely well, a more complex hole profile is unnecessary and would not constitute an invention outside the scope of this patent.
20 The preferred embodiment of this invention may include a stretching detail 7 along a portion of the band 6. The stretch detail 7 may serve to increase the range of the device and further reduce any stretch distortion which might occur throughout the rest of the device.

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Claims (9)

Claims The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows.

1 a bit holding device that provides storage exclusively to 1/4 inch diameter shaft drill accessories and provides a universal fit to all drills or like tools. Said device may be fitted to many portions of a drill including motor housing, handle, or battery. A device that is roughly band shaped with a number of sockets to facilitate the easy insertion, retention and removal of 1/4 screw driver bits.

2 a device as in claim 1 where the construction is of one piece rubber or soft plastic resulting in a bit holding device that is unbreakable from impact and provides additional protection from impact to the tool housing.

3 a device as in claim 1 where the construction is a closed band having no fastening mechanism other than the elastic and frictional properties of the rubber like material from which the product is formed, and where the elastic material stretches to fit a range of drill sizes and fixes itself to these drillhousings by elastic and frictional properties.

4 a device as in claim 1 and 2 where the device has been manufactured of a multi-part construction where the device performs the same function and the device or its elements conform to similar physical dimensions.

6 a device as in claim 1 and 2 where the device has been manufactured of an open band or strap construction together with one of a multitude of available or possible fastening.

6 a device as in claim 1 and 2 where the embodiment of the device is essentially equivalent to an open segment or several rows of open segments of the band described in claim 1 and 2 such that the device could be adhered permanently or fastened temporarily to the housing of a drill. Said device could be a block of rubber with roughly 1/4 diameter holes of straight, Hour Glass Profile (HGP), or complex profile where the method of inserting retaining and removing 1/4 inch driver-bits is equivalent to the device described in claims 1 and 2. Said device could be a simple block if it did not have to bend around a drill housing as the separation of bit sockets is only necessary to prevent the distortion that would otherwise occur from the stretching and bending that must occur around a drill housing.

7 a device as in claim 1 and 2 where HGP holes provide the means of screw driver bit insertion, retention and removal.

8 a device as in claim 1 and 2 where the bit holding device is of rubber, foam rubber, elastic material or soft plastic construction and in which simple holes punched, cut or cast into the material constitute the means for retaining the bits

9 a device as in claim 8, but where no attempt is made to facilitate attachment to a power tool, where the intention is only to provide an unbreakable bit retention device for the sole purpose of retailing screw driver-bit sets.