US1412688A - Tool holder - Google Patents

Description

I. L. LAYTON AND E. T. HOPKINS.

TOOL HOLDER. APPLICATION man on. 21. 1920.

Patented Apr. 11, 1922.

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anv'ewtow v \QK JAMES L. LAYTON AND EVAN T. HOPKINS, .OF TACOMA, WASHINGTON.

moor. Romania.

aliases.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. ill, M922.

Application filed October 21, 1920. Serial No. 418,400.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, JAMES L. LAYTON and EVAN T. HOPKINS, citizens of the United States, residing at Tacoma, in the county of Pierce and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tool Holders; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improved tool holder which is especially, although not necessarily, designed for holding socket wrenches.

@ne object of the invention is to generally improve upon devices of this class by producing one of extreme simplicity which embodies novel friction roller grip means for engaging the shank of a socket wrench or the like, this construction of holder permitting any number of different sizes of socket wrenches to be effectively held by it, the novel gripping means enabling thesocket wrench to be quickly and easily inserted and removed from the holder.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool. holder of extreme simplicity and durability, yet highly cilicient and comparatively inexpensive to the manufacturer and the user.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and 1n which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure l is an elevational view, with parts broken away and shown in section to clearly illustrate the construction of the device.

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken on the plane of the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, a socket wrench being shown in dotted lines to indicate the manner in which the holder cooperates therewith.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional View of the roller retaining ring.

Figure 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4-. of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, wherein the preferred embodiment of'our invention is clearly illustrated, the numeral 1 designates a shank or handle which is provided at one of its ends with a head 2 of ring-like formation having a plurality of closely spaced tapered sockets 3 formed in its inner periphery, these sockets xtending transversely across the entire width of the head. Seated in each of the sockets is a gripping roller 4 which is of a length approximately equal to the socket and is of a diameter to extend beyond the inner periphery of the head so as to permit it to frictionally engage the tool. T o guide and partially retain the rollers in position and movable with these rollers 1s a retaining ring 5 provided with inwardly tapering slots through and beyond which the friction rollers project. Careful examination of this retaining ring will dis close the fact that it is of a width slightly greater than the width of said head. For the purpose of retaining the ring 5 in place and giving the holder an extremely neat appearance, we provide a pair of spaced plates 6 of ring-like form, one plate being CllSPOSGCl on each side of the head and secured in position by suitable fasteners such as screws 7. The inner faces of the plates 6 are recessed as indicated at 8 for reception of the extended portions of the retaining ring 5.

As before intimated, our improved tool holder is especially designed for holding socket Wrenchespne of these socket wrenches being shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2,to illustrate the manner in which my device coacts therewith. lVith the particular construction and arrangement shown, the socket wrench must necessarily be provided with a cylindrical shank which will be passed through the central opening in the head in the manner disclosed, and the handle gripped and the holder rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow. By rotating the device in this direction, the friction gripping rollers will be moved toward the shallow ends of the sockets and will bind on the shank of the socket wrench as is obvious. In practice, it will probably be necessary to use socket wrenches which all have the same size shanks. At this point, we

wish to call attention to the fact that theretaining ring 5 could be thickened and provided with a non-circular portion to adapt the device for use with tools having non-circular shanks;

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that we have devised an extremely advantageous and effective tool holder which will permit the use of any number of different sizes of socket wrenches. it is to be noted that the particular gripping rollers and sockets in which they move insure that all of the rollers will simultaneously effectively grip the shank of the tool and will thus prevent accidental displacement of'the tool from the holder. Not only this, the device is effective since it 1s possibleto easily and readily disassemble the parts thereof for repairing and cleaning, and due to its extreme simplicity, it is veryinexpensiv e to manufacturer Since probably the best results may be obtainedfromthe construction and arrangei ment herein shown, this construction and arrangement is ta en as the preferred embodiment of my'invention. However, we wish it to be understood that various minor changes in the shape, vsize, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Vi e claim l. A tool holder comprising a body including a shank havinga ring-like head at its outer end, said head having a plurality of closely spaced tapered sockets or recesses extending transversely and entirely across its inner periphery, a plurality of friction .gripping rollers of a length approximately equal. to the sockets and of a diameter to extend beyond' the inner periphery of the head even when. in the deepest portions of said. recesses, a retaining ring provided with slots through and beyond which the rollers Furthermore, V

extend, and face plates secured on opposite sides of said head to hold the rollers and retaining ring in place;

2.. A tool holder comprising a body including a shank having a ring-like head at its outer end, said head having flat faces and being formed on its inner periphery with a ring-like face plates detachably connected to the flat faces of said head, said plates being of a width to extend beyond the'inner periphery of said head, the inner periphery of said. face plates belng substantially flush with the inner surface of said ring, and said face plates being formed on their inner sides -with grooves into which said, ring extends,

whereby said face plates serve to retain the rollers and ring in place and permit free relative movement of these parts to obtain the desired grip on the Work. 7

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands.

J Aivins L. LAYTON. EVAN r. HOPKINS.

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