US2788689A

US2788689A - Device for loosening and removing nuts overtight upon or adhering by corrosion to screwed members

Info

Publication number: US2788689A
Application number: US509009A
Authority: US
Inventors: Potter Richard Plews; Melville David Forsyth Shanks
Original assignee: Inv S & Patents Lt Pty
Current assignee: Inv S & Patents Lt Pty; Inventions & Patents Ltd Pty
Priority date: 1954-05-24
Filing date: 1955-05-17
Publication date: 1957-04-16
Anticipated expiration: 1974-04-16

Description

April 16, 1957 p POTTER ETAL 2,788,689

DEVICE FOR LOOSENING AND REMOVING NUTS OVERTIGHT UPON OR ADHERING BY CORROSION TO SCREWED MEMBERS Filed May 17, 1955 *r gamma; H

:niiiiii iiii INVENTORS RICHARD P. POTTER 8- DAVID F. s. MELVILLE 2,788,689 Patented Apr. 16, 1957 DEVICE FOR LOOSENING AND REMOVING NUTS OVERTIGHT UPON OR ADHERING BY CORRO- SION T SCREWED MEMBERS Richard Plews Potter, Kew, Victoria, and David Forsyth Shanks Melville, South Yarra, Victoria, Australia, as signors to Inventions & Patents Proprietary Limited, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Application May 17, 1955, Serial No. 509,009 Claims priority, application Australia May 24, 1954 8 Claims. (Cl. 81-523) This invention relates to a device for loosening and removing threaded fastening elements such as nuts, studs, setscrews and the li :e, which are over-tight upon or have become adherent by corrosion to complementary threaded elements and cannot be removed by the use of spanners or wrenches in the normal way.

It is customary in practice to loosen or endeavour to loosen an overtight or firmly adhering nut, by striking a spanner applied to the nut or by the use of a punch or the like applied to the corners of the nut and struck with a hammer. Such methods even if effective are not satisfactory in that the spanner or the nut or both are apt to be damaged.

Now the principal object of this invention is to provide a simple, efficient and durable device which is convenient and easy to use, very effective for loosening an overtight or adhering nut or the like, and can be manufactured at relatively low cost.

In achieving the above stated principal object and according to the broadest concept of the invention, a device for loosening nuts overtight upon or adhering by c0rrosion to threaded members, comprises a nut-loosening member engageable with a nut, an impulse member mounted upon and angularly movable about the nutloosening member, an abutment on the nut-loosening member, a striking element on the impulse member normally engaging the abutment, and resilient means connecting the nut-loosening member and the impulse member and retaining the latter in a normal position determined by engagement of the striking element with the abutment, whereby upon angular movement of the impulse member the striking element is separated from the abutment and the resilient means energised and upon release the impulse member is impulsively returned by the energised resilient means to the normal position to cause the striking element to strike the abutment and thereby actuate the nut-loosening member.

In a more specific construction a device for loosening and removing overtight or rusty adhering nuts comprises a socketcd shaft engageable at one end with a nut, a handgrip at the opposite end of the socketed shaft, a sleeve rotatably mounted upon the socketed shaft, a manually operable arm extending radially from the sleeve, an abutment member secured in and projecting from the socketed shaft, a striking member carried by the sleeve and normally engaging the abutment member, and at least one spring connecting the socketed shaft and the sleeve and retaining the latter and the manually operable arm in a normal position determined by engagement of the striking member with the abutment member.

In using this more specific device, the sleeve is angularly rotated upon the socketed shaft by the manually operable arm to move the striking member apart from the abutment and simultaneously energise the spring.

Upon release, the manually operable arm and sleeve are impulsively returned by the energised spring to the normal position to cause the striking member to strike the abutment and apply shock to the socketed shaft to loosen the nut.

The socketed shaft may be formed at each end to re ceive either a nut-engaging socket or a handgrip, and the nut-engaging socket and the handgrip may be positioned at required ends for loosening a nut having either a right or left hand thread. Moreover, by applying the nutengaging socket and the handgrip to appropriate ends the socketed shaft nuts having right or left hand threads may be tightened as will be readily understood The invention will be more clearly understood from the description of the illustrative device for loosening and removing corroded nuts depicted in the accompanying drawings.

in these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the illustrative device as assembled for removal of a corroded nut or the like.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the illustrative device with certain parts removed.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the detachable handgrip of the device shown separately.

Fig. 4 is a View in perspective of a nubengaging socket shown separately.

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of an. extension piece connectable with a nut-engaging socket and engageable with the illustrative device.

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the open. end of the nutengaging socket shown in Fig. 4, shown. on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 7 is a partly longitudinal section and side elevation of the device shown in engagement With a nut to be loosened and removed,

Fig. 8 is a transverse section on the line 8-8in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a transverse section similar to Fig. 8 but showing certain parts in difierent positions.

Referring to these drawings in more detail, the numeral 5 designates the shaft of the device having an axial hole or bore 6 at each end.

Each axial hole comprises a square socket portion or mouth 7 to receive the square shank it of a nut-engaging socket 9, and with a cylindrical extension 16 engageable by the shank 11 of a handgrip l2.

Rotatably mounted upon the shaft 5 at or about the midlength thereof is a sleeve or collar 13 having an integral radial bored socket 14 which is internally threaded for threaded engagement of an arm 15 to which is secured a manually operable handle 16, whereby the sleeve 13 may be rotated upon the shaft 5 for a purpose hereinafter described.

Formed centrally in the interior of the sleeve i3 is a peripheral channel or groove 17 into which projects the tapered end 18 of a screw 1? which is screwed into the internally threaded socket 14.

Fixed diametrically in the shaft 5 is a pin 20 which projects at the opposite ends into the channel 17 and by engagement therewith retains the sleeve 13 in the midlength position on the shaft 5. The pin 201 is fitted tightly in a diametrical aperture 21 in the shaft 5 and is inserted into the aperture through the axially bored socket 314. A hole 22 is provided in the sleeve 13 in alignment with socket 14, and the pin 20 upon insertion of an appropriate tool or punch through the hole 22 may be driven from the aperture 21 outwardly through the socket 14 for replacement as and when required.

The projecting ends 23 of the pin 21 are appropriately tapered for engagement by the tapered end 18 of the screw 19, see Fig. 8.

Mounted upon the shaft 5 and positioned on opposite sides of the sleeve 13 are torsion springs 24, one end of each spring being bent to form an eye 25 whereby the spring is secured by a setscrew 25a to the shaft 5 and the opposite end extended to comprise an arm 26 hav- I In use, and assuming that a nut 28 fast upon a stud 29, see Fig. 7, is to be loosened and the device is operated as follows:

A nut-engaging socket 9 of appropriate dimension to fit the nut 23 is detachably connected to the shaft 5 by insertion of the shank 8 in the socket 7, the socket 9 being retained in engagement by resilient pressure of a ball 30 urged upon a side of the socket 7 by a spring 31 in a recess in the shank 8.

The shank 11 of the handgrip 12 is inserted in the cylindrical extension of the axial bore at the opposite end of the shaft 57 Upon the device being thus assembled and connected to the nut 28, the operator grasps the handgrip 12 with one hand and the handle 16 with the other.

Holding the device by the handgrip 12 with the shaft 5 substantially in alignment with the axis of the nut 28 and stud 29, movement of the handle 16 and arm angularly moves the sleeve 13 about the shaft 5 in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 8, the shaft being held stationary by engagement of the socket 9 with the tight nut 28.

As the handle is thus moved, the end 18 of the screw 19 is angularly separated from the normal contact position with the end 23 of the pin 20, and the springs 24 are further energised.

Upon the sleeve 13 being angularly moved to a sufficient extent about the shaft 5, and the tapered end 18 of the screw 19 correspondingly separated from the tapered end 23 of the pin 20, the operator releases the handle 16, whereupon the energised springs 24 instantly return the arm 15 and sleeve 13 to the normal position, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 9.

The quick return of the sleeve 13 to the normal position by the springs 24 efiiects violent impact of the tapered end 18 upon the tapered end 23 of the pin 20, the resultant shock being transmitted through the shaft 5 and socket 9 to the nut 28 which is thereby loosened and may be unscrewed by further rotation of the handle 16 in the loosening direction.

It will'be evident that the projecting end 18 of the screw 19 comprises a striking element or member which upon return of the arm 15 and sleeve 13 to the normal position strikes forcibly upon the projecting end 23 forming a stop or abutment.

5 comprising a nut-loosening member engageable with a nut, an impulse member mounted upon and angularly movable about the nut-loosening member, an abutment on the nut-loosening member, a striking element on the impulse member normally engaging the abutment, and resilient means connecting the nut-loosening member and the impulse member and retaining the latter in a normal position determined by engagement of the striking element with the abutment, whereby upon angular movement of the impulse member the striking element is separated from the abutment and the resilient means energised and upon release the impulse member is im pulsively returned by the energised resilient means to the normal position to cause the striking element to strike the abutment and thereby actuate the nut-loosening member.

2. A device for loosening and removing nuts overtight upon or adhering by corrosion to screwed members, comprising a socketed shaft engageable at one end with a nut, a handgrip at the opposite end of the socketed shaft, a sleeve rotatably mounted upon the socketed shaft, a manually operable arm extending radially from the sleeve, an abutment member secured in and projecting from the socketed shaft, a striking member carried by the sleeve and normally engaging the abutment member, and at least one spring connecting the socketed shaft and the sleeve and retaining the sleeve and the manually operable arm in a normal position determined by engagement of the striking member with the abutment member, whereby upon angular rotational movement of the sleeve by the manually operable arm the striking member is moved apart from the abutment member and the spring is energised and upon release the manually operable arm As a result an implusive force or blow is transmitted J.

from the rapidly moving and relatively heavy handle 16 and arm 15 to the shaft 5 and thereby to the nut 28 which being gripped on all sides or faces by the nutengaging socket 9 is loosened without damage.

The illustrative device is shown in Figs. 8 and 9, as it would be used to loosen a nut having a right hand thread, but by transferring the nut-engaging socket 9 and handgrip 12 to the respective opposite ends of the shaft 5, the device may be used to tighten a nut having a right hand thread or to loosen a nut having a left hand thread i as will be readily understood.

It will be apparent that a range of nut-engaging sockets suitable for nuts of various sizes and having shanks 8 of standard size may be used with the device, and that relatively inaccessible nuts may be loosened by the provision of an extension piece 32 having a shank 8 at one end and a socket 7 at the opposite as illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

We claim:

and sleeve are impulsively returned by the energised spring to the normal position to effect impact of the striking member with the abutment and thereby apply shock to the socketed shaft.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein one end of the socketed shaft is formed to interchangeably hold nutengaging sockets of various sizes and the opposite end is formed to hold a handgrip.

4. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sleeve is positioned at substantially the midlength of the socketed shaft and is provided at each end with an axial bore having a mouth formed to interchangeably lit the standard shanks of nut-engaging sockets of various sizes and with an inward extension to receive a hand grip, whereby nuts having either right or left hand threads may be loosened or tightened.

5. A device as claimed in claim 2, having in the sleeve an internal peripheral groove, a diametrically disposed pin projecting from the socketed shaft into the peripheral groove and retaining the sleeve upon said shaft, abutment members comprising the projecting ends of the diametrically disposed pin, and a screwsecured in the sleeve and projecting inwardly'into the peripheral. groove and comprising the striking member.

6. A device as claimed in claim 2, having a pair of springs positioned respectively on opposite sides of the sleeve, each spring secured at one end to the socketed shaft and at the opposite end to the manually operable arm.

7. A device as claimed in claim 2, having helical springs of torsion type disposed on opposite sides of the sleeve with the convolutions coiled about the socketed shaft, an eye on one end of each spring, a fastening extending through and securing the eye to the socketed shaft, and

a hooked arm extending from the opposite end of each 1. A device for loosening and removing nuts overtight upon or adhering by corrosion to screwed members,

spring and engaging the manually operable arm.

8. A device as claimed in claim 2, having a handle of heavy material secured to the manually operable arm whereby the momentum of the latter in, the return movement and the impact of the striking member upon the abutment member are increased.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Douglass July 6, 1937 Robinson Sept. 23, 1941 Pervier May 12, 1942 Aron et a1. Feb. 29, 1944 6 Craven Sept. 28, 1948 Hambin Sept. 4, 1951 Disser Aug. 26, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Dec. 5, 1951