CA2213940A1

CA2213940A1 - High torque handle

Info

Publication number: CA2213940A1
Application number: CA 2213940
Authority: CA
Inventors: Jake Wadsworth
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Jore Corp
Priority date: 1996-08-20
Filing date: 1997-08-20
Publication date: 1998-02-20
Also published as: AU3516897A; JPH10193277A; EP0829330A1

Abstract

A screwdriver-type tool has a handle with a longitudinal recess therein. An elongated arm is pivotably attached to the handle so that in a retracted position thereof it resides completely within the recess, and in an operating position thereof it extends laterally or radially from the handle. A rotative force can be applied to the arm near the outer end so as to rotate the tool to tighten or loosen a fastener. A tool handle so-equipped is capable of applying torque to a fastener that is greater than the torque that can be applied by a standard screwdriver-type tool.

Description

The present invention relates to screwdriver-type tools in general, and to a high-torque handle for such a tool in particular.
BACRGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Screwdriver-type tools include screwdrivers, nut drivers, and multi-tool drivers. These tools typically have an elongated handle portion and a shaft portion extending from one end of the handle. The shaft portion may in turn terminate at a screwdriver end, at a hexagonal end adapted to receive a socket thereon for driving a nut, or at a hexagonal bore adapted to receive a tool such as a screwdriver bit. In each case the tool is rotated in order to rotate a fastener such as a screw, nut or bolt. The torque that can be applied is dependent on the strength of ~5 the person rotating the tool as he holds it in his hand.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is well-established that torque is dependent on the distance at which a turning force is applied relative to the axis of rotation. Greater torque is obtA;nAhle if the distance at which the rotative force is applied can be increased. It is difficult to increase the torque applied to a screwdriver-type tool without, for example, gripping the handle thereof with pliers and applying the rotative force at the outer end of the pliers.
The present invention overcomes these problems by providing an auxiliary arm for the handle of a screwdriver-type tool, which arm is pivotable between a rest position in which it resides within a longitll~;n~l rece~ of the tool's handle, and an operating po~ition in which it extend~
laterally of the handle. In the operating position of the arm a rotative force can be applied to the radially outer end thereof ~o as to increa~e the torque that can be applied by the tool to a fastener, either to tighten or loosen the fa~tener. When the arm i8 in it~ retracted position the ~crewdriver-type tool can be used in a normal manner.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In order that the invention may be clearly under~tood and readily carried into effect, a preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:
Fig. 1 i~ an elevational view of the high-torque handle of the pre~ent invention;
Fig. 2 i8 a left ~ide view of the high-torque handle shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 iB a ~imilar view of the high-torque handle a~ shown in Fig. 1 with a hand grip retracted and with parts broken away;

Fig. 4 is a left hand view of the high-torque handle shown in Fig. 3i Fig. 5 is a right hand view of the high-torque handle shown in Fig. 3;
Fig. 6 i6 a cross-sectional view of the hand grip t~ken along the line 6-6 in Fig. l;
Fig. 7 i~ a cross-~ectional view of a tool holder and tool taken along the line 7-7 in Fig. 1 and with all the handle parts removed;
Fig. 8 is a second embodiment of a tool holder ~hown in Flg.
1 and Fig. 7 with all the handle parts removed;
Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the second embodiment taken along the line 9-9 in Fig. 8; and Fig. 10 is a right hand view of the tool holder shown in Fig. 8.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREF~RRED EMBODIMENT

A preferred em~odiment of a high-torque handle 10 i9 shown in Fig. 1. Handle 10 at one end has a bore 14 with a tool holder 12 rigidly held within the bore 14. As seen in Fig. 3, tool holder 12 has ridges 16 raised from the circumference adjacent one end and sized slightly larger than bore 14 so that tool holder 12 can be held rigidly with handle lO. As ~hown in Figs.
1 and 2, a Phillips head screw driver tool 18 may be held with tool holder 12. As best seen in Fig. 5, additional hexagonal bores l9 are offset from ~ore 14 ~o as to hold spare hexagonal tools 18 whenever the spare tools are not in use.
Adjacent the opposite end of handle 10, a rotatable hand grip 20 rotates about a ,sprLng pin 22, which is sized to maintain the qrip 20 in any desired rotated position. Hand grip 20 can be extended for additional leverage when rotating the handle lO, or retracted into a recess 24 in the handle. At the bottom of recess 24, ledges 26 extend along handle 10 beneath hand grip 20 whenever the hand grip is retracted. Ledges 26 act as a stop for hand grip 20 as the hand grip rotates into handle 10 whenever hand grip 20 i8 retracted. Recess 24 is also sized in length so as to permit easy access for a finger to engage lip 28 so as to lift the hand grip from the handle and extend the hand grip whenever desired.
Tool holder 12 at one end has a hexagonal opening 30 for accepting a tool 18. As shown in Fig. 7, adjacent the bottom of hexagonal opening 30 is a magnet 32 for holding tool 18 within opening 30 in the preferred embodiment.
An alternate embodiment of tool holder 12 is shown in Fig.

8. Adjacent one end are ridges 16 sized to be ~lightly larger than bore 14 in handle 10 so that the tool holder can be held rigidly within the handle. At the other end of tool holder 12, a moveable sleeve 34 can lock or unlock a ball 36. Ball 36 is used to lock another tool 18 within hexagonal opening 30. This locking mechanism is the ~ame as that shown in Figs. 4A and 4B in U.S. Patent No. 5,470,180 to Jore and further described in the specification of the patent cited.
While the fundamental novel features of the invention have been shown and described, it should be understood that various substitutions, modifications and variations may be made by those ~killed in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, all such modifications or vari~tions are included in the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A high torque tool handle comprising:
a handle having a longitudinal axis and further having a tool end and a distal end;
the handle including an elongate recess aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the handle;
an elongate gripping member sized to be received within the recess and positioned therein;
a pin means positioned in the recess adjacent the distal end of the handle and connected to a corresponding end of the gripping member for pivotally connecting the gripping member to the handle whereby the gripping member may be pivoted about one end of the gripping member out of the recess to an extended position.

2. The high torque tool handle according to claim 1 wherein the pin means further includes frictional means for frictionally maintaining the gripping device at a desired extended position.

3. The high torque handle according to Claim 1 in combination with a tool holder connected to the tool end of the handle, the tool holder comprising a shaft having a tool receiving opening at one end thereof, a sleeve slidably mounted on the shaft, a ball detent mounted on the shaft adjacent the tool receiving opening and moveable from a position outside the opening to a position inside the opening to hold a tool received by the tool receiving opening, the sleeve cooperating with the ball detent to move the ball detent from the outside position to the inside position when the sleeve slides over the ball detent.