US1392796A - Screwdriver attachment - Google Patents

Description

P. REINHALTER.

SCRIEWDRIVER ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. I4. 1919- l$2 796 IPAIGHIAII {Tat A, 1921 Inventor Attorneys STATES earner castes.

SCREWDRIVER ATTACHMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 4, 19211.

Application filed January 14, 1919. Serial No. 271,107.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, PETER REINHALTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wilkes-Barre, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful. Screwdriver Attachment, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention appertains to a screw holding attachment for screw drlvers, and aims to provide a novel and improved appliance of that nature.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a simple and inexpensive attachment of unique construction, which will be applicable to the shanks of various screw drivers, within practical limits, and which may be slid to and from the bit or blade of the screw driver to bring the attachment into and out of operative position, the attachment having means cooperable with the bit or blade of the screw driver for holding the head of a screw.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an attachment of the nature indicated, which will be of such construction as to grip the shank of the screw driver in an effective manner, to hold the attachment against sliding accidentally, although the attachment may be readily slid by the hand to and from the bit, and will hold itself in position to cooperate with the bit for bold in a screw upon the tip of the bit.

ith the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be apparent as the nature of the invcrfrion is better understood, the present invention resides in the peculiarly constructed attachment hereinafter described in detail, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention has. been illustrated in its preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of a screw driver, illustrating the improved attachment applied thereto and in inoperative position.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmental side elevation of the free portion of the screw driver shank, illustrating the attachment slid to cooperative position with the bit.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional detail taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

The present attachment embodies a cliplike member including an elongied body 1,

which is curved transversely, and which is bowed or curved longitudinally. The body 1 is provided intermediate its ends, with side or lateral curved fingers 2, which are adapted to snap over and yieldably engage the shank or stem 3 of a screw driver, it being understood, at the outset, that the present attachment may be constructed in various sizes so as to be applicable to various screw drivers within the intended ranges.

The end portions 4 and 5 of the body 1 are arranged to frictionally engage the shank 3 of the screw driver, whereby when the free ends of the spring retaining fingers 2 are engaged astride the shank 3, the intermediate portion of the body will be spaced fromthe shank, and the fingers 2 will tend to draw the intermediate portion of the body 1 toward the shank, to thus cause the end portions 4 and 5 of the body to tightly grip the shank, to hold the attachment at any position to which it is slid.

The end portion 5 of the body 1, which is adapted to be disposed nearest the free end of the screw driver shank 3, is provided with an angular fiat tongue 6. The tongue 6 is arranged at an obtuse angle relative to the end portion 5 of the clip body 1, and is flexible or resilient so as to be coiiperable with one flat side of the wedge-like bit or blade? of the screw driver shank 3.

In use, the present attachment may be readily applied to and removed from the shank 3 of a screw driver, by snapping the complementing or opposed retaining fingers 2 over or out of engagement with the shank 3. When the clip attachment is applied to the screw driver shank, the retaining fingers 2 engaging the shank, will hold the end portions 4 and 5 of the body 1 frictionally against the shank 3, to ordinarily revent the longitudinal sliding movement 0 the attachment unless forcibly slid by hand. As seen in Fig. 1, the attachment may ordinarily be slid upwardly on the shank 3 to any point desired, to render the attachment inoperative, and at the same time, the attachment will not appreciably encumber the shank of the screw driver. The tongue 6 normally diverges away from the shank 3, but may flex to and from the axis of the shank.

To bring the attachment into use, forcooperation with the bit 7 of the screw driver shank, the body 1 is slid over the butt or basal end of the bit or blade 7, as seen in Fig. 2, whereby the end portion Set the body 1' will slide over one side or face of the bit 7 to bring the screw-retaining tongue 6 into cooperation with the free end of the bit 7. The attachment will be held at this position in the same manner as above described, with the free ends of the tongue 6 and bit 7 flush. Then, by flexing or bending the tongue 6 toward or against the corresponding side or face of the bit 7, the free end of the tongue 6 may be engaged within the slot or kerf of a screw, which will cause the head of the screw to be effectively held upon the tip of the bit 7. In this manner, the tongue 6 en gaging within the slot or nick of the screw head, the tongue 6 having a tendency to swin away from the bit 7, to thereby cause the Free ends of the bit 7 and tongue 6 to grip the opposite sides of the nick of the screw head, will enable the screw to be readily started into the object, without difiiculty.

After the screw has been started into the object, the screw-holding attachment may be slid upwardly upon the shank 3 to an inop erative or idle position, to thus enable the bit or blade 7 to be employed in the usual manner without interference. Due to the peculiar construction of the clip attachment, the same will firmly grip the shank 3 in any position to which the attachment is slid, and furthermore, the attachment may be readily applied to and removed from the shanks of various screw drivers within the intended limits of the particular attachment. The present attachment embodies no rivets or other attaching means and requires no changes'in the screw driver construction.

The clip attachment may be readily stamped from a sheet metal blank, and will be very inexpensive to produce. The other advantages of the present device will be obvious from the foregoing, taken in connection with the drawing, without further comment being necessary.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is A screw driver attachment including an elongated body having side spring fingers spaced apart at their free ends to snap over the shank of a screw driver and frictionally hold the body in any position to which it is slid, the body having a resilient angular tongue at one end of the same conformation as the bit of the screw driver and said body being bowed in opposite directions from the fingers to engage the tapered shank of a screw driver at spaced points and the tongue extending outwardly from the lower point of engagement of the body with the shank of the screw driver and adapted to cooperate with the bit of the screw driver to engage within the slot or niche of a screw.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature.

PETER REINHALTER.

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