US2023693A - Flexible tool - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 10, 1935.

L. B. MILLER 2,023,693

FLEXIBLE TOOL Filed April 3, 1935 INVENTOR.

Leo/z B/Yiller BY ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 10, 1935 PATENT OFFICE I FLEXIBLE- 'roon Leon B. Miller, New York, N -Y.

Applicationliprll 3, 1935, Serial No. 14,454

4 Claims.

- This invention relates to flexible tools similar to those described in my co-pending application, Serial No. 758,455, filed December 20th, 1934.

The prime object of this invention is to provide a tool, such as a screw driver, socket wrench,

drill, reamer, or the like, with a flexible connection between the handle end and the work-engaging end which permits the operation of the latter end while the handle end is disposed either in alignment with said work-engaging end or at any desired angle thereto.

Another object of this invention is to so construct the flexible connection between the ends of the tool as to not only permit the working of the device while being flexed, but which will resist any torsional action in either bent or straight position, and which will, when not in use, assume its normal straight-line position between the tool ends.

Another. object of this invention is to provide within a tool a connector consisting of more than two nested or laminated layers of closely and steeply wound coils in which the direction of winding of one coil is opposite to the direction of the next adjacent coil, and in which the material from which the coils are wound increases in size from within to without.

With the foregoing. and still further objects in view, this invention will be more clearly understood from the following description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, forming part of my disclosure, but which drawing is not intended to limit my invention to the actual showing.

In the drawing, Figure 1 illustrates a typical construction of a screw driver, partly in section, and equipped with a flexible connector between the handle end and the work-engaging end of the tool.

Figure 2 illustrates an enlarged cross-section through one form of my flexible connector, such as may be taken on lines 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 illustrates a similar cross-section through a connector of a different construction.

Figure 4 illustrates a screw driver bit of a modified form from that shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 illustrates a socket wrench attachable to the connector.

Figure 6 illustrates an adapter, which may be used instead of a screw driver bit and may be attached in the same manner to the flexible connector, and

Figure '7 shows a modified construction of a flexible screw driver preparatory to its assembly.

Referring now to the figures, numeral H) denotes the handle end of my device, such as used in screw drivers or similar tools and which is preferably equipped at H with a ratchet arrangement to permit its operation in either a righthand or left-hand direction, or to prevent it from 5 moving in either direction. Below'the ratchet arrangement, there is provided a receiving socket l2, into which is passed the upper end of my flexible connector and which is brazed or soldered within the socket, as indicated at l3. At the 10 lower end of the connector, there will be observed the work-engaging end of my tool, also illustrating a socket member I4, in which the connector end is soldered or brazed in at I5. The workengaging end in Figure 1 consists of a screw 15 driver bit It, extending from an enlargement l1, above which is located a cup I8 with the knurled outer surface, and the lower end of which l9 engages a suitable groove 20. .Cup l8 serves for holding the screw driver end in position with 20 reference to the work when the latter engages a screw or bolt, while handle end l0 may be operated from any desired direction.

The flexible connector consists of an innermost coil 2|, formed by winding two relatively thin, 25 resilient, steel wires at a certain pitch in one direction. Surrounding innermost coil 2| and in intimate contact therewith is the next coil 22, made from three somewhat heavier, resilient, steel wires, and wound in opposite direction to 3 the winding of coil 2|.

Surrounding'coil 22 is a third coil 23, consisting of four resilient wires of heavier gage than those employed in coil 22, and wound in opposite direction to the windings of the latter coil. 35

Finally, there is an outer helix 24 of .still heavier gage, surrounding coil 23 and consisting of four wires wound in opposite direction to the wires of coil 23. The arrangement of the coils and the number of wires employed in each of the 40 coils may be clearly seen from Figure 2, and a similar arrangement of a flexible connector is shown in cross-section in Figure 3, where instead of four laminations of coils, six laminations are employed, and where the inner coil consists of 45 two wires, the next adjacent of three wires, the third of four wires, the fourth of four wires, the fifth of five wires, and the outer coil of seven wires. Both illustrations (Figures 2 and 3) are shown without a mandrel, but it is obvious that in order to facilitate the winding of the innermost coil and for the purpose of giving the connector more rigidity, a wire mandrel may be placed into the center of the connector.

The purpose of constructing the flexible con- 6.

V with a collar or thimble nector in the manner stated above becomes quite obvious when it is considered that the tool may be twisted in either a right-hand or left-hand direction and must transfer such movements from the handle tothe screw driver bit without any lost motion and without destruction to the connector. For this reason, the coils nested within one another are wound in opposite, directionsto one another so that when the strain is in one direction, tending to unwindone of the coils, the next adjacent coil will counteract such force since it will be, so to speak, woundtighter, thereby preventing the unwinding of the first mentioned coil. It is to bepconsidered that the ends of the connector are immovably set within the sockets of the handle end and work-engaging end so that the ends of all coils are fused together, which fact prevents unwinding or otherwise dismembering of the individual coils. It will be also noted that in order to provide the required flexibility of the connecting member, the innermost coil is made of relatively thin wires, and only two wirers are employed to form the coil. Therefore, the pitch of the innermost coil 4 is considerably less than the pitch of the outermost coil, which is made of heavier wire and in which four wires are used. The gradual increase in thickness from within to without and the employment of a smaller number of wires in the inner coils and a larger number of wires at the outer coils, and therefore the increased pitch of the coils'from within to without, all tends to supply the necessary flexibility and the torsional resistance of the connector.

In Figure 1, the'work-engaging end is provided It, by means of which the tool end may be held in proper position relative to the work which it engages, but such provision is not absolutely required, as shown in Figure 4, where a screw driver tool end 25 is illustrated, provided with a socket or depression 29, adapted to accommodate the lower end of the flexible connector.

Another work-engaging end is shown in Figure 5 in the form of a socket mem'ber'il, also provided with a connector engaging end 29.

Still another work-engaging member is shown in Figure 6 consisting of a socket end 29, provided with a connector engaging end 99. The socket end is preferably equipped with a set screw 3|, passing through an annular enlargement 92, which set screw is adapted to engage a tool, such as 'a drill. screw driver bit, reamer or socket wrench, which may be inserted into socket mem- 1 vention, particularly including various modiflca- 55 bgr 29, and immovably held therein.

Figure '7 illustrates a modified construction of my screw driver in its dis-assembled state, showing each of its constituent parts preparatory to being set together. There is-again shown a handle member 39, terminating in ahollow socket 94, which latter is adapted to receive the upper end of a flexible connector 35. It will be observed that this connector is provided with a. mandrel 36, which is permitted to remain within the central coil of this connector.

Beneath the lower end of the connector, there is shown a modified assembly of a work-engaging construction which consists of aconneotor receiving member 31, provided with a socket for accommodating the lower end of the connector. The lower portion of member 31 is shaped conically, as indicated at 39, and terminates in another hollow socket portion 99.. This socket is adapted in receive the upper end 49 of a screw driver bit In engagement with the conical surface 99 'and with the top surface of socket member 81,

is an outer, preferably knurled ferrule 42, adapted to freely rotate relative to the socket member. It serves the same purpose as ferrule II, de- 5 scribed in connection with Figure 1.

In the modification of Figure '1, it will be observed that sockets 34 and 31 are relatively narrow and correspond with their inner diameters to the outer diameter of the connecting mem- 10 her 35. This construction is intended to provide a different connection between socket extensions 34 and 31 and the flexible connector 35, in that these socket portions are intended to be shrunkonover the flexible connector.

The attachment of screw driver bit 4 I, by means of its extension 40, within socket I9 is preferably made by compressing the body of socket 39 against the flat surfaces'of extension 49, al-

though any other manner of attachment may be employed.

In the foregoing description, I am speaking 'of -flexible connectors consisting of more than two laminae of coils, in which two adjacent coils are wound in opposite direction to one another. Coils made of relatively heavy gage wire, such as shown in Figure 2, do not require that the mandrel, employed for forming the innermost coil, be retained within that coil, whereas, connectors made of. relatively light gage wire coils preferably retain the mandrel within the innermost coil. In such event, the mandrel has a tendency of straightening out the connector, after release from a bent position, to assume its normal, straight position.

I have found during experiments conducted 85 with the construction of different connectors, that at least three internested coils must be employcd in order to produce the desired effects of flexibility and resistance to torsion. However, the most advantageous effects were achieved by employing connectorsmade of double coils, or multiples thereof, in which each double coil, one of the coils is wound in one direction while the other coil is wound in the opposite direction. Thus, I preferably employ either four, six, eight, or ten coils, etc., and the more coils I use, the greater number of wires I employ for each coil. Obviously, the number of wires change the pitches of the coils, and I so form my connectors that the innermost coils of less number of wires are also of lesser gage, andas I buildup the coils from within to without, both the sizes and numbers of the wires are increased.

While I have shown specific forms of my intions of the connector, as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3 and '7, with or without a mandrel at their center, and while I have'shown such flexible connectors to be of undetermined length and diameter, it is self-understood that such connectors may be made of any length or any diameter as may be required for the purposes for which the tool is employed, and that the various details of constructions illustrated may be changed and improved, as well as the manner of intercon- 55 necting the different parts, and I therefore reserve for myself the right to make changes and improvements in my invention, without departing from the broad scope thereof, as set forth in the annexed claims.

I claim:

1. In a flexible tool, handle and work-engaging members, a flexible element connecting them and consisting of a plurality of laminated coils of multiple, resilient wires, increasing in wire crosssection, number of wires and coil pitch from within to without, and alternating as to the direction of windings, all coil termini at both ends of said element being fused together for preventing their unravelling, said handle and work-engaging members provided with means for accommodating the fused ends of said element, and means for securely holding the element ends within said accommodating means.

2. In a flexible tool, as set forth in claim 1, said work-engaging member provided with means for directing, and for holding said member in engagement with the work, while the tool is being operated.

3. A flexible screw driver, comprising in combination, a handle member, a screw driver bit member, both members provided with sockets, a flexible connector immovably held at its ends within said sockets and consisting of at least four internested coils made of multiple, resilient wires, each coil having a uniform, substantially cylindrical shape throughout its entire length, the coils increasing in wire size, wire numbers and pitch from within to without, and being wound alternately in opposite directions, all coil termini at both ends of said flexible connector, held within said sockets, being fused together for preventing the unravelling of the coils.

4. In a flexible screw driver, a handle member, provided with a connector-receiving socket, a work-engaging mechanism provided with a freely operative collar, a connector-receiving socket, bit-engaging means and a bit secured within the latter, a flexible connector fixedly secured with its ends against movement within the connectorreceiving sockets of said handle member and said mechanism, said connector comprising a plurality of coil laminae, alternating as to the directions of their windings, each coil consisting of a plu- 15 rality of wires, the cross-section of the wires, their number and the pitch of the coils increasing from within to without, said coils being substantially cylindrical in shape over their entire length,

the termini of all coils at both ends of said con- 20 nector being fused together for preventing them from unravelling.

LEON B. MILLER,

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