Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
  • B25B—TOOLS OR BENCH DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, FOR FASTENING, CONNECTING, DISENGAGING OR HOLDING
  • B25B13/00—Spanners; Wrenches
  • B25B13/10—Spanners; Wrenches with adjustable jaws
  • B25B13/102—Spanners; Wrenches with adjustable jaws composed of a plurality of sockets slidable in each other

Definitions

• the present invention relates to socket wrenches and in particular to the sockets forming part of such socket wrenches .
• a wrench in the form of a socketed head having a hollow end to fit over a multi- sided head of a nut or bolt, generally a hexagonally sided nut or bolt.
• the socket may be permanently attached to an actuating handle in which case generally only one size or at most only two sizes of sockets may be provided, or there is provided a plurality of removable socket heads or as they are more generally called sockets.
• the latter type of wrench namely one comprising a handle and a plurality of removable sockets is the more commonly provided type of socket wrench since the latter is more versatile allowing a plurality of sizes of nut or bolt to be handled by the one set of sockets.
• a set of sockets is commonly used to include not just the socket heads or sockets per se, but also the combination of the socket heads and the actuating handle, which actuating handle in turn often comprises a rod having pivotally mounted on one end thereof a square sectioned male spud, each individual socket having on the end opposite to its hexagonally formed portion a square sectioned hole or more properly socket adapted to receive the socket.
• a further minor problem is when one wishes to use more than one size of socket one is forced to carry on one's person possible sizes of sockets so that they may be available when required.
• the invention provides a socket for a socket wrench of the type comprising an actuating handle carrying the socket characterised in that the socket is a multi-part socket of at least two nesting individual sockets, an inner socket being movable axially inwards relative to the next outer socket to expose said outer socket for use.
• each nesting socket engages resiliently the other nesting socket or sockets, to require positive disengagement and reinforcement thus preventing the sockets from falling in and out of engagement by providing a force fit of an inner socket within the outer socket.
• One way of achieving this is to provide on each socket a spring on the outer surface thereof to engage on the inner surface of the next outermost socket.
• Various forms of springs may be provided such as are often seen conventionally in socket sets being resiliently mounted ball bearings or the like, indeed anything which provides a resistance against relative movement is sufficient.
• the springs when used vary in strength decreasing from the outermost socket to the innermost socket of the set to ensure when the innermost socket is pushed inwards within the other socket, that the other socket it will not carry the outermost sockets with it.
• each of the nesting sockets is biased outwardly, preferably by means of a spring.
• each movable socket may be connected to a rear of the outermost socket by means of a helical spring thus providing in the central portion of the outer socket a nest of helical springs each of which biases a corresponding socket outwardly or alternatively they may be biased in a cascade effect.
• restraining means in the form of a stop are provided to prevent a nesting socket fully withdrawing from its surrounding sockets. The advantage of this is that it is then impossible to lose the sockets of the set.
• each socket is bevelled inwardly. Further, each successively smaller socket in a nest will be slightly recessed with respect to an adjacent larger socket.
• a socket comprising two separate sets of sockets axially spaced apart within an elongate body member and an adaptor for engaging over each end of the body member, the adaptor terminating in an actuating handle engaging socket.
• the advantage of this is that pushing a socket or sockets from one end into the other end will naturally push out the socket or sockets from the other end.
• a further advantage in having sockets at both ends is that in addition to providing a versatile range of sockets it is also possible to provide for example metric and imperial sized sockets in the one set which is exceptionally advantageous. For example, having fourteen sockets from 6mm to 32mm means that while fitting fourteen sizes exactly you are only 1mm out on the intermediate sizes. The same will apply to imperial sizes.
• each external surface surrounding the end portion is regular sided to form a male portion to engage a female socketed portion of a handle or an adaptor for mounting on the handle. This, it will be appreciated is advantageous, because it means that an easy connection between a handle and the body portion may be achieved.
• the body portion itself has each end portion in the form of a socket thus utilising the body member itself as a socket.
• the handle is a two- part handle comprising a rod having pivotally mounted on one end thereof a square sectioned male spud and a hollow adapter sleeve, one end of which is socketed to engage the external surface of a set of nesting sockets and the other end of which is socketed to receive the male spud.
• the innermost socket of a set of sockets is dimensioned to receive the spud of the handle. In this way it is even more versatile than could be possibly envisaged in that it is now possible to provide in effect a socket that can be used with any conventional actuator handle.
• One of the particular advantages of the present invention is that where a wide range of sizes of sockets are required, they can be relatively easily provided.
• the invention also provides a socket wrench of the type comprising a socket having a hollow end to fit over a multi-sided nut or bolt and an actuating handle, characterised in that the hollow end is provided with a plurality of pins which are movable between an extended position and a depressed position.
• Fig. 1 is an partially exploded perspective view of a socket with part of a socket wrench
• Fig. 2 is a partially cut-away view of portion of an individual socket of Fig. 1;
• Figs. 3(a), 3(b) and 3(c) illustrates the socket of Fig. 1 in use
• Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate the socket also in use
• Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an assembled socket wrench according to the invention.
• Fig. 7 is an exploded perspective view of another socket and part of an actuating handle according to the invention.
• Fig. 8 is an exploded view of a still further socket and part of an actuating handle according to the invention.
• Fig. 9 is a sectional view through another socket according to the invention.
• a socket for a socket wrench the socket being indicated generally by the reference numeral 1 comprising two sets of sockets indicated by the reference numeral 2, including a hollow adapter 3 and portion of an actuating handle 4.
• the actuating handle 4 may house a ratchet mechanism as is common and is of generally conventional construction and the sockets according to the invention are for use with such handles which is obvious unless otherwise stated.
• the two separate sets of sockets 2 are housed within a hollow body member 10 having two opposed end portions 11 on either side of a hollow central portion 12. Each end portion 11 itself forms a hollow socket and has a hexagonal outer surface 13. A plurality of individual nesting sockets 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 are provided in each end portion 11.
• the individual socket 15 is the innermost socket and the individual socket 20 is the outermost socket. While the innermost socket 15 is an inner socket with respect to the next individual socket 16 in which it nests and the socket 16 therefore forms with respect to the innermost socket 15 an outer socket, the outer socket 16 in turn becomes an inner socket with respect of the next outer socket 17 which is therefore an outer socket with respect to the inner socket 16. It will be noted that only one set 2 of sockets is illustrated.
• Each socket 15-20 carries a spring 21, not all of which are shown.
• the spring 21 forms a force-fit between an inner and outer socket.
• Each socket 15 to 20 inclusive nests inside its next outer socket, thus as stated above the socket 15 nests inside the socket 16, the socket 16 nests inside the socket 17, and so on.
• Each socket is provided with a stop 22 which engages in a slot 23 in its next outer socket.
• the stops 22 and slots 23 thus provide restraining means preventing full withdrawal in an axially outwards direction. Not all of these stops 22 or slots 23 are illustrated. It will be noted that each spring 21 engages a recess 24 in its next adjacent socket.
• the adapter 3 comprises a hexagonally socketed hollow head 30 terminating in a square sectioned end hole 31 which is adapted to engage a square section spud 32 which is pivotally mounted by a pin 33 on the handle 4 only portion of which is shown. It will be appreciated in use that the adapter 3 and handle 4 may engage the hexagonal outer surface 13 to rotate the socket wrench 1 as illustrated in Fig. 6.
• socket wrench 1 may then be used. This is particularly illustrated in Fig. 3. Referring now specifically to Fig. 3 there is illustrated the socket being offered up to three different sizes of bolt 35(a), 35(b) and 35(c) having different sizes of hexagonal head 36(a), 36(b) and 36(c) respectively. It will be seen how the different sizes of individual socket are required and may be used.
• FIG. 7 there is illustrated an alternative construction of socket indicated generally by the reference numeral 40 having a hollow body member 41 having a cylindrical outer surface carrying a plurality of open slots 42 for engagement with axially arranged radial ribs 43 within an adaptor 44 which in turn has a square hole 45 for engagement with a spud 46 mounted on an actuating handle 4.
• socket 50 for carrying only one set of sockets
• socket 50 comprises a hollow cylindrical body member 51 within which are housed individual sockets (not shown).
• the body member 51 terminate in a square hole 52 for engagement with an elongated square sectioned rod 53 carrying a conventional spring biased locating ball bearing 54 and which body member 51 is mounted on the actuating handle 4.
• the rod 53 is longer than the conventional spud as is normally used. In use the rod 53 can be pushed inwards so that the spring loaded ball bearing 54 comes out of engagement of whatever depression located in and the rod 53 will push all the individual sockets within the hollow body member 51 out to the flush position. Then the rod 53 can be withdrawn until it takes up the normal position within the square hole 52 and the wrench is operating as before. This is a particularly suitable way of constructing a socket which only contains one set of individual sockets .
• FIG. 9 there is illustrated a still further construction of socket according to the invention indicated generally by the reference numeral 60 carrying four individual sockets, namely sockets 61,62,63 and 64.
• the outermost socket 61 has a hexagonal outer and inner surface and has an end plate 65 housing a square sectioned hole 66 for reception of a conventional square sectioned spud on an actuating handle.
• Mounted within the outermost socket 61 and bearing against the end plate 65 are three sets of concentrically arranged helical springs 67,68 and 69 respectively.
• the helical spring 67 bears against the socket 62.
• the helical spring 68 bears against the socket 63 and the helical spring 69 bears against the innermost socket 64.
• each socket is so arranged that in the extended position the end face of an inner socket lies behind the end face of an outer socket.
• the innermost socket 64 lies behind its outer socket 63 which in turn lies behind its outer socket 62 and the latter socket 62 lies behind the outermost socket 61.
• each socket 61,62,63,64 has an outer surface 70 cut away adjacent its inner bore 71 to provide a smooth lead-in engagement surface. This will facilitate the mounting of individual sockets.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Details Of Spanners, Wrenches, And Screw Drivers And Accessories (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

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ID=11041311

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Country Status (4)

Cited By (1)

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• 1997
  • 1997-11-21 WO PCT/IE1997/000079 patent/WO1998022262A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1997-11-21 DE DE69714603T patent/DE69714603D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1997-11-21 EP EP97947845A patent/EP0939686B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1997-11-21 AU AU54077/98A patent/AU5407798A/en not_active Abandoned

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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