GB2521205A

GB2521205A - Tool driver

Info

Publication number: GB2521205A
Application number: GB1322073.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ching-Shu Huang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-12-13
Filing date: 2013-12-13
Publication date: 2015-06-17
Also published as: GB201322073D0; GB2521279A

Abstract

A tool driver includes a main body (1) provided with an upper cover (11) having its lower side secured with a sleeve chamber (10) for mounting and positioning a sleeve (2) therein. The sleeve (2) has its inner wall disposed with a plurality of recesses (23) for receiving an upper ratchet wheel (4), which is engaged with a lower ratchet wheel (5) and has an upper side set thereon with a compression spring (6). Thus, a user can turn an adjusting member (7) with fingers, and it is unnecessary to use other tools to accurately adjust the combined state between the adjusting member (7) and the sleeve (2), determining the pressure that the compression spring (6) presses on both the upper ratchet wheel (4) and the lower ratchet wheel (5). Also be able to adjust and restrict the locking torque of the locking stem (3) of the tool driver. When the torque has exceeded the value present, the tool drivers main body and sleeve can rotate continuously whilst the locking stem does not.

Description

TOOL DRIVER

This invention relates to a tool driver, particularly to one provided with a sleeve having its upper edge formed with a plurality of positioning serrations to be correspondingly operated with the F positioning projections of an adjusting member. Thus, the adjustment member can be turned by a user's fingers to change the pressure with which a compression spring presses both an upper ratchet wheel and a lower ratchet wheel to decide engagement conditions between the upper and the lower ratchet wheels for deciding the Iocking torque of a locking stem.

A first conventional torque-limiting driver, as disclosed in a US patent No. 7,487,700B2, titled "LOCKABLE TORQUE-LIMITING DRIVER AND METHOD", is to have an adjustment plug combined with a locking plate, and an adjuster can turn around the locking plate together with the adjustment plug with fingers to change and adjust combination between the adjustment plug and a sleeve for carrying out adjustment of torque. After finishing adjustment, the torque can be fixed by having the serrations of the body engaging-portion of the locking plate meshed with a pair of prongs of the sleeve.

The defect of the conventional torque-limiting driver is that disassembling action has to be carried out if an assembler wants to adjust the torque of the driver, while its advantage is that improper adjustment of locking torque can be avoided and it is possible to attain consistency of locking torque.

A second conventional torque-limiting driver, as disclosed in a US patent No. 5,397,269, titled "TORQUE LIMITING CLUTCH AND ITS USES", is to have a closure block firmly locked at an inner side of the end of a housing. Thus, the locking torque of a driven member can be decided by adjusting the closure block to be secured in the main body of the housing. A third conventional torque-limiting driver, as disclosed in a US patent No. 4,238,978, titled "TORQUE WRENCH" has an adjusting screw set at a lower side of the main body of a housing. Thus, the locking torque of a socket tool can be changed by adjustment of the adjusting screw.

The second and the third conventional torque-limiting drivers are seen most frequently on the market and their locking torque can be freely adjusted by a user, without a need to disassemble the driver.

An objective of at least preferred embodiments of the present invention is to offer a tool driver which is capable of having the torque of the tool driver adjusted quickly with a user's fingers, without it being necessary to employ any tool. In preferred embodiments a user is able to quickly know the torque adjusted conditions by the sounds given out during adjustment so that the user can timely stop adjusting work, without a need to test the torque adjusting extent repeatedly.

Viewed from one aspect the present invention comprises a tool driver comprising: a main body formed with a sleeve chamber for receiving a sleeve therein, said sleeve chamber provided with first engaging means to combine said sleeve chamber with an upper cover, said sleeve chamber disposed with a plurality of recessed grooves for lengthwise combination projections of said sleeve to be respectively engaged therewith and positioned stably therein, said main body provided with said upper cover, said upper cover having a combination groove for receiving said sleeve chamber, said upper cover provided with second engaging means to be respectively engaged with said first engaging means of said sleeve chamber; said sleeve formed with a plurality of projecting edges, said projecting edges respectively fitted in said recessed grooves of said sleeve chamber, said sleeve having an inner wall provided with a plurality of recesses for lengthwise combination projections of an upper ratchet wheel to be respectively engaged therein, said sleeve provided with female threads at an inner wall to be threadably combined with an adjusting member, said sleeve having an upper side disposed with a plurality of positioning serrations for matching with said adjusting member to be operated together, said sleeve formed with a member chamber for receiving a lower ratchet wheel, said upper ratchet wheel, a compression spring and said adjusting member therein; a locking stem formed with a non-circular stem portion, said stem portion cut with a recess for clasping a C-shaped retainer therein, said locking stem provided with a locking end; said upper ratchet wheel disposed with a central through insert hole for said locking stem to be inserted therethrough, said upper ratchet wheel provided with a plurality of lengthwise combination projections to be respectively fitted in said recesses of said sleeve, said upper ratchet wheel having a lower end disposed with one-way serrations to be engaged with one-way serrations of said lower ratchet wheel; said lower ratchet wheel disposed with a through insert hole in the center for said locking stem to be inserted therethrough, said lower ratchet wheel having a lower side formed with a comparatively large circumference provided thereon with one-way serrations, said one-way serrations of said lower ratchet wheel meshed with said one-way serrations of said upper ratchet wheel; said compression spring positioned between an upper side of said upper ratchet wheel and said adjusting member for said locking stem to be inserted therethrough, said compression spring producing a force to press engagement of said upper ratchet wheel and said lower ratchet wheel for adjusting locking torque; and said adjusting member provided with threads to be threadably combined with said female threads of said sleeve, said adjusting member disposed with a central through insert hole for said locking stem to be inserted therethrough, said adjusting member having an upper side disposed with extension portions having an outer side formed with a positioning projection, said extension portions provided to be turned by a user's fingers for rotating said adjusting member.

In accordance with at least preferred embodiments, the tool driver of this invention has the topside of a sleeve provided with a plurality of positioning serrations to be correspondingly operated with the positioning projections of an adjusting member. The adjusting member can be turned by a user's fingers to change the pressure with which a compression spring presses both an upper ratchet wheel and a lower ratchet wheel for deciding the engagement state between the upper and the lower ratchet wheels and further decide the locking torque of a locking stem.

The sleeve of the tool driver has its inner wall disposed with a plurality of recessed grooves to be respectively fitted with the P lengthwise combination projections of the upper ratchet wheel (longitudinally extending projections which combine the upper ratchet wheel with the sleeve while allowing axial movement), F letting the upper ratchet wheel be operated together with the sleeve.

The sleeve is further formed with female threads to be screwed with the male threads of the adjusting member so that the adjusting member can be adjusted and positioned for attaining an effect of limiting locking torque.

Tn at least preferred embodiments the sleeve of the tool driver has its topside provided with a plurality of positioning serrations to be combined with the positioning projections of the adjusting member to enable the adjusting member to be turned and adjusted by a user's fingers but restricted not to rotate reversely. Preferably when turning around the adjusting member, the positioning projections of the adjusting member are actuated to move on the positioning serrations of the sleeve and produce sounds by which a user is able to know a preset torque limiting extent, without a need to employ any tool and is able to quickly and accurately adjust the is locking torque of the tool driver.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a partial exploded perspective view of a tool driver in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is another partial exploded perspective view of the tool driver of the illustrated embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 3 is an upper view of the tool driver of the illustrated embodiment; Fig. 4 is a cross-section view of the line A-A in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a third partial exploded perspective view of the tool driver of the illustrated embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 6 is an upper view of an adjusting member in the illustrated embodiment; Fig. 7 is a cross-section view of the line B-B in Fig. 6; and Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the tool driver of the illustrated embodiment of the present invention.

A preferred embodiment of a tool driver in accordance with the present invention, as shown in Figs. 1-4, includes a main body 1, a sleeve 2, a locking stem 3, an upper ratchet wheel 4, a lower ratchet wheel 5, a compression spring 6 and an adjusting member 7 as main components combined together.

The main body 1 is provided with a sleeve chamber 10 formed with an upper large opening 100 and a lower small opening 101 for matching with the shape of the sleeve 2. The upper large opening of the sleeve chamber 10 has its annular wall disposed with a plurality of lengthwise recesses 102 for the projecting edges 20 at the side wall of the sleeve 2 to be respectively fitted therein for combining the sleeve chamber 10 together with the sleeve 2. The sleeve chamber 10 has two opposite side walls respectively provided with an engage member 103 to be correspondingly operated with an upper cover 11. The upper cover 11 of the main body 1 is formed with a combination groove 110 for setting and positioning the sleeve chamber 10, and the inner wall of the combination groove 110 is disposed with two opposite engage grooves 111 for the two engage members 103 of the sleeve chamber to be respectively engaged therein to have the upper cover 11 and the sleeve chamber 10 completely combined together.

The sleeve 2, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5, has an outer wall provided with a plurality of lengthwise projecting edges 20 to be respectively fixed in the lengthwise recesses 102 of the sleeve chamber 10 for combining the sleeve 2 together with the sleeve chamber 10. The sleeve 2 is formed with a comparatively large upper opening 21 and a comparatively small lower opening 22 for other members to be mounted or inserted therein. The sleeve 2 has its inner wall formed with a plurality of lengthwise recesses 23 for the lengthwise combination projections 41 of the upper ratchet wheel 4 to be respectively engaged with to enable the upper ratchet wheel 4 and the sleeve 2 to be operated together. The sleeve 2 further has its inner wall provided with female threads 24 to be screwed and locked with the adjusting member 7 for restricting the locking torque of the tool driver. Furthermore, the sleeve 2 has its topside disposed with a plurality of positioning serrations 25 respectively formed with an upright face 250 and a slanting face 25 1, with a top section plane 252 formed between the upright face 250 and the slanting face 251, so that the positioning serrations 25 of the sleeve 2 can be correspondingly operated with the positioning projections 73 of the adjusting member 7 conveniently. The sleeve 2 is also provided with a member chamber 26, as shown in Fig. 4, for receiving the upper ratchet wheel 4, the lower ratchet wheel 5, the compression spring 6 and the adjusting member 7 therein.

The locking stem 3, as shown in Fig. 4 and 5, is formed with a hexagonal stem portion 30 having a C-shaped retaining recess 31 for a C-shaped retainer 32 to be clasped therein for restrictedly H positioning the upper ratchet wheel 4, the lower ratchet wheel 5, and the compression spring 6. The locking stem 3 is formed with a lower locking end 33, which can be blade-shaped, cross-shaped, hexagonal-shaped or star-shaped.

The upper ratchet wheel 4, as shown in figs. 4 and 5, is bored with a through insert hole 40 in the center for the locking stem 3 to be inserted therethrough and has its outer wall disposed with a plurality of lengthwise combination projections 41 to be respectively fitted in the recesses 23 at the inner wall of the sleeve 2, letting the upper ratchet wheel 4 be restricted by the sleeve 2 and be impossible to rotate. The upper ratchet wheel 4 has its lower end provided with one-way serrations 42 for matching with the operation of the lower ratchet wheel 5.

The lower ratchet wheel 5, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, is bored with a hexagonal through insert hole 50 for the hexagonal stem portion 30 of the locking stem 3 to be inserted therethrough for firmly combining the lower ratchet wheel 5 together with the stem portion 30 of the locking stem 3, letting the lower ratchet wheel 5 be operated together with the locking stem 3. The lower ratchet wheel is 5 is formed with a comparatively large circumference 51 having its upper surface disposed with one-way serrations 52 to be meshed with the one-way serrations 42 of the upper ratchet wheel 4. Under a normal operating condition of locking torque, the one-way serrations 52 of the lower ratchet wheel 5 will be completely meshed with the one-way serrations 42 of the upper ratchet wheel 4, and when a user operates this tool driver in accordance with a torque value preset, the main body 1, the sleeve 2 and all the other members will be driven to rotate at the same time for carrying out locking work.

The compression spring 6, as shown in figs. 4 and 5, is installed between the upper side of the upper ratchet wheel 4 and the adjusting member 7 for the locking stem 3 to be inserted therethrough.

The adjusting member 7 as shown in Figs. 5-7, is formed with male threads 70 to be threadably combined with the female threads 24 of the sleeve 2 so that the size of torque can be changed by regulating the combination position of the adjusting member 7 with the sleeve 2. The adjusting member 7 is bored with a central through insert hole 71 for the locking stem 3 to be inserted therethrough and has its topside provided with two curved extension portions 72 respectively having an outer side bent downward to form a positioning projection 73 with an arcuate end 730 so that the positioning projection 73 of the adjusting member 7 can be operated together with the positioning serrations 25 of the sleeve 2. Thus, a user can easily turn around the adjusting member 7 with fingers to change the force with which the adjusting member 7 presses the compression spring 6 for deciding the pressure that the compression spring 6 presses on both the upper ratchet wheel 4 and the lower ratchet wheel S and further deciding the strength of the torque.

To assemble foresaid members together, referring to Figs. 4, 5 and 8, firstly, have the C-shaped retainer 32 clasped in the C-shaped retaining recess 31 of the locking stem 3 and have the lower ratchet wheel 5, the upper ratchet wheel 4 and the compression spring 6 orderly fitted on the upper portion of the locking stem 3 and then set all the foresaid members in the member chamber 26 of the sleeve 2.

Next, have the combination projections 41 of the upper ratchet wheel 4 respectively engaged with the inner recesses 23 of the sleeve 2, letting the upper ratchet wheel 4 be restricted by the sleeve 2 and actuated to operate together with the sleeve 2 and then, have the adjusting member 7 threadably combined together with the sleeve 2. Thus, a user is able to rotate the adjusting member 7 by turning the extension portions 72 of the adjusting member 7 with fingers and at this time, the positioning projections 73 of the adjusting member 7 will be actuated to move on the positioning serrations 25 of the sleeve 2 and give out sounds by which the user is able to know a torque limiting extent preset, without a need to employ any external tool and is able to carry out torque adjustment quickly and accurately. Lastly, have the foresaid members combined together with the main body 1 and the upper cover 11 covered on the topside of the main body 1 to finish assembly of the tool driver and meanwhile adjust the torque properly.

When employing the tool driver of this invention to adjust the inner screw of a golf club head, as shown in Fig. 4, a user can turn the tool driver within a desired range of torque and have the locking stem 3 locking the screw of the golf club head. But, when the torque of the tool driver is adjusted to an extent exceeding a torque value preset, the upper ratchet wheel 4 will produce a moving-up force to squeeze the compression spring 6, letting the upper ratchet wheel 4 disengaged from the lower ratchet wheel 5 and thus, the lower ratchet wheel 5 and the locking stem 3 will be disconnected from the driving power of the upper ratchet wheel 4. In this case, even if the user turns around the tool driver to drive the main body 1 and the sleeve 2 to rotate continuously, the locking stem 3 will be kept in a non-rotation condition, able to protect the locked screw of the golf club head and avoid influencing ball striking equilibrium of the golf club head.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be made therein and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications that may fall within the scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A tool driver comprising: a main body formed with a sleeve chamber for receiving a sleeve therein, said sleeve chamber provided with first engaging means to combine said sleeve chamber with an upper cover, said sleeve chamber disposed with a plurality of recessed grooves for lengthwise combination projections of said sleeve to be respectively engaged therewith and positioned stably therein, said main body provided with said upper cover, said upper cover having a combination groove for receiving said sleeve chamber, said upper cover provided with second engaging means to be respectively engaged with said first engaging means of said sleeve chamber; said sleeve formed with a plurality of projecting edges, said projecting edges respectively fitted in said recessed grooves of said sleeve chamber, said sleeve having an inner wall provided with a plurality of recesses for lengthwise combination projections of an upper ratchet wheel to be respectively engaged therein, said sleeve provided with female threads at an inner wall to be threadably combined with an adjusting member, said sleeve having an upper side disposed with a plurality of positioning serrations for matching with said adjusting member to be operated together, said sleeve formed with a member chamber for receiving a lower ratchet wheel, said upper ratchet wheel, a compression spring and said adjusting member therein; a locking stem formed with a non-circuJar stem portion, said stem portion cut with a recess for clasping a C-shaped retainer therein, said locking stem provided with a locking end; said upper ratchet wheel disposed with a central through insert hole for said locking stem to be inserted therethrough, said upper ratchet wheel provided with a plurality of lengthwise combination projections to be respectively fitted in said recesses of said sleeve, said upper ratchet wheel having a lower end disposed with one-way serration to be engaged with one-way serrations of said lower ratchet wheel; said lower ratchet wheel disposed with a through insert hole in the center for said locking stem to be inserted therethrough, said lower ratchet wheel having a lower side formed with a comparatively large circumference provided thereon with one-way serrations, said one-way serrations of said lower ratchet wheel meshed with said one-way serrations of said upper ratchet wheel; said compression spring positioned between an upper side of said upper ratchet wheel and said adjusting member for said locking stem to be inserted therethrough, said compression spring producing a force to press engagement of said upper ratchet wheel and said lower ratchet wheel for adjusting locking torque; and said adjusting member provided with threads to be threadably combined with said female threads of said sleeve, said adjusting member disposed with a central through insert hole for said locking stem to be inserted therethrough, said adjusting member having an upper side disposed with extension portions having an outer side formed with a positioning projection, said extension portions provided to be turned by a user's fingers for rotating said adjusting member.
2. The tool driver as claimed in Claim I, wherein said first engaging means with which the sleeve chamber is provided comprises engage members and the second engaging means with which the upper cover is provided comprises engage grooves to be respectively engaged with said engage members.
3. The tool driver as claimed in Claim I, wherein said main body has two sides respectively formed with an extension portion with a combination hole and said main body is provided with said upper cover having an inner side disposed with combination studs to be respectively combined with said combination holes of said main body for combining said upper cover together with said main body.
4. The tool driver as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said rn positioning serrations of said sleeve are respectively formed with an upright face and a slanting face, and a top plane section is formed between said upright face and said slanting face.
5. The tool driver as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein said positioning projections of said adjusting member are each formed with an arcuate end.
6. The tool driver as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said positioning projections of said adjusting member are actuated to move on said positioning serrations of said sleeve and give out sounds by which a user is able to know the torque is adjusted to a desired value.
7. A tool driver substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.