GB2246090A

GB2246090A - Nut turner

Info

Publication number: GB2246090A
Application number: GB9102871A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Albert Thomas Baker
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-04-28
Filing date: 1991-02-12
Publication date: 1992-01-22
Also published as: GB9013082D0; GB9102871D0; GB9009607D0; GB9011150D0

Abstract

The nut turner is designed to turn nuts on or off bolts at a much faster rate than conventional spanners, especially in confined spaces. It comprises a body into which is fitted a ratchet wheel 2 turned by a cord, cable or chain 4. A handle 7 or a lever (Fig. 4) is attached to one end of the cord, this is then alternatively pulled and released to turn the ratchet wheel. A direct drive is possible by eliminating the cord and the handle and having a second wheel connected with the ratchet wheel by means of a belt or chain (Fig. 2). A direct drive is also possible by using two or more geared wheels connected to a drive rod (Fig. 3). It may also be power driven by means of an electric motor. <IMAGE>

Description

NUT TUIMER, This invention relates to a nut turner.

Nuts and bolts are a very common method of fixing two or more parts together.

There are several types of spanner in existence that are designed to tighten or loosen the nuts, however there are times when due to restricted access it can take considerable time and effort to turn the nuts on or off the bolts, especially in confined spaces such as the engine compartment of a motor vehicle.

The nut turner is not designed to tighten or to loosen the nuts, this would be done with a conventional spanner, the nut turner is primarily designed to speed up the action of turning the nut on or off the bolt especially in confined spaces0 According to the present invention there is provided a nut turner that comprises a suitable body into which is fitted a ratchet wheel of appropriate dimensions, this ratchet wheel has through it a hole that fits the drive piece onto which will fit a socket spanner of the required size. The ratchet wheel may be grooved to accomodate a cord or cable, if chain was preferred the ratchet wheel would have to be made to fit the chain.The cord or cable is attached on one end to a spring or elastic that has been fixed to the body, the cord is then passed around the ratchet wheel a suitable number of times so that a good grip is achieved, it is then passed out through a tube or hole in the body and attached to a handle or knob.

Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows the nut turner with the body opened showing a ratchet wheel around which is passed a cord or cable, this cord is then attached to a spring or elastic on one end, it is then passed around the ratchet wheel a suitable number of times to eliminate the tendency to slip, the free end is then passed out through a tube or the body and attached to a handle or knob.

The cord or cable may be attached to the ratchet wheel at a suitable point along its length by any suitable fixing method, by doing this the cord or cable would need less turns around the ratchet wheel because the tendency to slip would be eliminated The cord or cable as used in Fig I may if preferred be in two parts whereby one part is attached to the spring and then directly onto the ratchet wheel, the second part is attached to the handle and then to the ratchet wheel. To obtain a different rotational direction the socket spanner is removed from one side of the nut turner and fitted onto the opposite side, this is the same method as used in some ratchet spanners.Alternatively the drive piece may be an integral part of the ratchet wheel and if preferred it can be on one side only, the forward and reverse motions of rotation would be achieved by the use of a lever or button that when set releases the ratchet wheel in one direction of rotation only, this method is very commonly used on ratchet spanners. The return spring could also be made as an integral part of the ratchet wheel and in this form it would be posible to manufacture the nut turner and a conventional ratchet spanner as a combination tool.

Figure 2 shows the nut turner with the body opened showing two wheels one mounted at each end, both wheels are encircled by a belt or chain. The wheel on the opposite end to which the socket spanner is fitted would normally be the drive wheel. In this form a ratchet wheel may or may not be used, if a ratchet wheel was not used the forward and reverse motion can be achieved by the use of a handle or spanner ( not shown ) on the drive wheel. In this form an electric motor could be fitted so that the nut turner would then be a power tool.

Figure 3 shows the nut turner with the body opened and the ratchet wheel as shown in Fig 1 replaced by a gear wheel, a second gear wheel attached to a rod is used to drive the first gear wheel. The rod is made so that it protrudes out from the end of the body of the nut turner. This rod may be made to accommodate a handle ( not shown ) so that the said rod can be turned in the required direction. The end of the rod may be made so that a spanner or similar tool would be used to turn it. This embodiment could very easily be power driven with a two way electric motor.

Figure 4 shows the nut turner whereby it is constructed with a lever type handle, this handle is alterately sqeezed and then released thereby turning the ratchet wheel.

Figuer 5 shows the nut turner in perspective with the components as previously described fully enclosed by the outer shell of the body.

Figure 1 referring to the drawing the nut turner comprises a body I and a ratchet wheel 2, in this ratchet wheel there is a hole 3 that is of a suitable shape and size to accommodate a standard lug onto which any size of socket spanner can be snapped. There is a cord or cable 4 that is attached to a spring 5, the spring 5 is fixed in a suitable position to the body 1. The cord or cable 4 is passed around the grooved periphery of the ratchet wheel 2 and then through the length of the tube 6 and finally attached to a handle or knob 7.

The handle 7 is pulled in the direction of the arrow 10 thereby turning the ratchet wheel 2, the pressure is then released and the spring 5 pulls the cord 4 and the ratchet wheel 2 in the opposite direction back to their original positions. Therefore by alternately pulling and releaseing the handle 7 the ratchet wheel 2 and therefore the socket spanner ( not shown ) are turned quickly. This means that the nut is turned on or off the thread of the bolt at a faster rate than by the use of conventional spanners especially when used in confined spaces.

Figure 2 referring to the drawing it shows an embodiment of the invention whereby the cord 4, the spring 5, the tube 6 and the handle 7 as shown in Fig I are eliminated, the body 1 is made to accommodate a second wheel 8, this wheel and the wheel 2 which may or may not be a ratchet wheel are connected by having a drive belt or chain 9 passed around them, the drive wheel 8 would be turned by any suitable method ( not shown ) thereby turning the wheel 2 thus achieving the same result as in Fig 1.

Figure 3 referring to the drawing shows an embodiment of the invention whereby the ratchet wheel 2 as shown in Fig 1 is replaced by a gear wheel 11 engaged with this is a second gear wheel 12 to which is attached a rod 13, this rod is made so that it protrudes from the end of the body 1. On the end of the rod 13 there may be fitted a handle 14, this is turned so that the nut is turned on or off the bolt as required. The end of the rod 13 may be made so that it could be turned by the use of a spanner or allen key (not shown ) or it could be fitted into the chuck of an electric drill.

In this form the nut turner could be fitted with an electric motor as an integral part of its construction thereby turning it into a ppwer tool.

Figure 4 shows a method of mamifacture "hereby the rotating motion of the ratchet wheel :2 is achieved by having a handle is that is made in two parts similar to the handles that are common on hand operated grease guns whereby one part is fixed and the other part is fixed by a pivot near one end 80 that it may be moved as required. The handle 15 may be used to operate the cord or cable 2 as used in Figure 1 or some form of connecting rod ( not shown ) that is suitable for the operation of the ratchet wheel may be used.

Claims

CLArE.

1. A nut turner comprising a suitable body into which is fitted a ratchet wheel of appropriate dimensions, this ratchet wheel has through it a hole into which fits the drive piece that is made to accomodate the well known socket spanner. The ratchet wheel may be grooved to accomodate a cord or cable, if chain was preferred the ratchet wheel would have to be made to fit the chain. The cord or cable is attached on one end to a spring or elastic that has been fixed to the body, the cord is then passed around the ratchet wheel a suitable number of times so that a good grip is achieved, it is then passed through a hollow tube or hole in the body and is then attached to a handle or knob.

2. A nut turner as in claim 1 wherein the cord or cable is attached to the ratchet wheel at a suitable point by a suitable method so that the said cord or cable will not slip.

3. A nut turner as in claims 1 and 2 wherein the cord or cable is in two parts, one part being attached to the spring and then to the ratchet wheel and the second part being attached to the handle and then to the ratchet wheel, this again will eliminate the tendency of the cord to slip.

4. A nut turner as in claims 1 - 3 wherein the socket spanner can be moved from one side to the other to alter the direction of rotation.

5. A nut turner as in claims 1 - 4 wherein the forward and reverse motions are achieved by altering the position of a knob or lever on the outside of the body as used in the well known ratchet spanner.

6. A nut turner as in claims 1 - 5 wherein the ratchet wheel has a return spring incorporated into its construction so that the spring or elastic as used in previous claims would be eliminated. In this form the cord would be fitted directly to the ratchet wheel.

7. A nut turner as in claims 1 - 6 wherein there are two wheels one of which is a drive wheel the other wheel may or may not be a ratchet wheel, these two wheels would be connected by some form of belt or chain so that they rotate together.

8. A nut turner as in previous claims wherein the drive piece is made as an integral part of the ratchet wheel, therefore the socket spanner would not have to be moved from one side to the other to alter the direction of rotation.

9. A nut turner as in previous claims wherein the ratchet wheel, the cord.

the spring and the handle are replaced by having a suitable number of geared wheels and a drive rod,

10. A nut turner as in previous claims wherein the rotation of the ratchet wheel is achieved by the use of a ratchet type handle.

11. A nut turner as in claims I - 10 wherein it is manufactured as a unit -with a ratchet spanner so that it is a combination tool.

12. A nut turner as in claims 1 - 11 wherein on a suitably manufactured nut turner there is fitted an electric motor so that it is then a power tool.

13. A nut turner as substantially described herein with reference to figures 1 - 5 of the accompanying drawings.