GB2443171A

GB2443171A - A device for coupling a socket spanner to a power drive source

Info

Publication number: GB2443171A
Application number: GB0702099A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stephen John Mason
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-10-25
Filing date: 2007-02-05
Publication date: 2008-04-30
Also published as: GB0621220D0; GB0702099D0

Abstract

A device for coupling a socket spanner to a power drive source, comprises a rigid shaft 101 surrounded by a sleeve 106 within which the shaft can rotate, one end 102 of the shaft being adapted to be connected to a socket spanner and the other end 104 of the shaft being adapted to be connected to the power drive source. A radially projecting collar 107 may be provided at at least one end of the sleeve. The end of the shaft to be connected to the power source may include a length of integrally formed flexible drive shafting (301, fig 3). The outer surface of the sleeve may be provided with ribs or knurling to facilitate holding.

Description

SOCKET DRIVE COUPLING DEVICE

The present invention relates to a device for enabling hand tools which are adapted to be attached releasably to a hand-operated driver unit to be connected to a power drive source and, more specifically, to those hand tools known as socket spanners.

Socket spanners arc hollow cylindrical objects the inside surfaces of which are adapted to fit over appropriately sized nuts or bolt heads so that the nuts or bolts can be tightened or loosened. A particular type of socket spanner has one end closed with an axial hole of square cross-section formed in the closure, the hole being adapted to receive a confonning square-sectioned termination of a drive device, so as to form a hermaphrodite coupling between the socket spanner and the drive device. Conventionally, the io components of the hermaphrodite couplings are standardized in a limited number of sizes which are related to the sizes of the socket spanners and to the torques which it is anticipated will be transmitted through the socket spanners. Although such socket spanners can be purchased separately, normally they arc assembled into sets encompassing differing sizes and screw-thread denominations. The sets of socket spanners usually include also drive units of related sizes. The sets of socket spanners also may include other fastener-turning devices which are adapted to fit into recesses or slots of differing cross-sections formed in the fastenings. These other fastener-turning devices may include appropriately sized square section holes in their bases so that they too can be used with the above-mentioned drive devices, in which case the term socket spanner is to be considered to apply to these fastener-turning devices also.

It is known to provide motor units with the male components of hermaphrodite couplings so that socket spanners can be driven directly by the motor units and it is known also to provide flexible drive units which terminate at one end in a chuck to receive a drill and at the other end in a projection which is adapted to be held in a chuck which forms part of a power drive unit such as an electric or pneumatic powered drill. It is known also to provide flexible drive hafts at least one end of *hich terminates in the male component of an hermaphrodite coupling which may be used to drive a socket spanner. However, with the first type of socket spaIuer pwer drive, system,. the.proximity of the. motor unit to the socket spanner may-be a disadvantage. The second type of power drive device is intended for use with devices such as drills and wire brushes and normally is not intended to transmit appreciable levels of torque and in any case could only be used with ocket spanners by including an intermediate adaptor. The third type of tool power drive system is intended for use with socket spanners, but suffers from the disadvantage that the outer surface of the shaft rotates, so that it can only be held loosely by an operative, so compromising the degree of accuracy and force with which the socket spanner can be held against a nut or bolt head to be rotated by the socket spanner.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a coupling device by means of which socket spanners of the type described above can be connected to a power drive source.

According to the present invention there is provided a coupling device for enabling a socket spanner as described above or other square-drive hand tool to be connected to a power drive source, comprising a rigid shaft one end of which terminates in one component of an hermaphrodite coupling the other component of which is incorporated in the said socket spanner or other square-drive hand tool, the other end of the shaft being adapted to be connected to the power drive source and a sleeve surrounding the said shaft the shaft being rotatable within the said sleeve; Preferably the sleeve includes a radially projecting collar at least at the end to whith a socket spanner is attached so as to reduce the risk, of an operative's hand. coming. into contact with a rotating socket spanner.ora power drive, unit connected.to the shaft.

The end of the shaft which is adapted to be connected to the power drive source may include a length of flexible drive shafting integral'therewith.

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-Figure 1 shows a side view of a first embodiment of the invention and Figure 2 shows a side view of a second embodiment oftheinvention and Figure 3 shows a side view of a third embodiment of the invention.

Referring to Figure 1, a coupling device 100 for enibling a socket spanner (not shown in the drawing) to be attached to a power drive source (also not shown in the frawing) consists of a rigid shaft 101 of cylindrical cross-section one end 102 of which terminates in a region 103 of square cross-section and the other end 104 of which terminates in a region 105 of hexagonal cross-section. Surrounding the shaft 101 is a sleeve 106. The sleeve 106 is provided with a radially projecting.collarl 07.at the end nearer to the end 102 of the shaft lOt so as to prevent an operative's, hand holding the coupling device 100 from coming into contact with a socket spanner attached to the squared end 102 of the shaft 101. if so desired, a siinilarcollar can be provided at he other end of the sleevel06.

The sleeve 106 is made to be a working fit on the shaft 101 so tha.t the shaft 101 can rotate readily within the sleeve 106. If so desired, a bearing, or bearings, can be interposed between the sleeve 106 and theshaft 101 to facilitate the rotation of the shaft 101 within the sleeve 106. The sleeve 106 is retained in position on the shaft 101 by a circlip 108 which fits.into a groove 109 formed in the shaft 101 towards the end 102 of the shaft 101 and an abutment ilOon the shaft 101 towards theend 104 of theshaft 101.

Alternatively, a second cireip can be used instead of the abutment 110 to retain and locate the sleeve 106 on the shaft 101. The outer surface 111 ofthe sleeve 106 can be provided with longitudinal ribs or knurling to facilitate the holding of the sleeve 106.

The square-sectioned region 103 of the end 102 of the shaft 101 is provided with a spring-loaded ball 112 so as to facilitate the retention of a socket spanner thereon antI can be of any of the standard socket spanner drive sections. A suitable size for the hexagonal- sectioned region 105 ofthe end 104 of the shaftiOl is 8 mm.

V

Figure 2 shows a side view of a second embodiment of the invention. Those features which are common to the first and second embodiments of the invention have the same reference numerals. Refrmng to Figure 2, in this embodiment of the invention, the end 104 of the shaft 101 terminates in a recess 201 adapted to receive a squared end of a flexible drive shaft 202, or an intermediate rigid extension bar (not shown in Figure 2).

Again, the recess 202 can be such as to receive any of the standard square drive sections which are used in conjunction with socket spanners.

Figure 3 shows a side view of a third embodiment of the invention. Again, those features which are conunon to the first and third embodiments of the invention have the same reference numerals. Referring to Figure 3, a flexible drive shaft 301 is integral with the shaft 101 of the coupling device 100.

Claims

1. A device for enabling a socket spanner as hereinbefore described or other square-drive hand tool to be coupled to a power drive source, comprising a rigid shaft one end of which terminates in one component of an hermaphrodite coupling the other component of which is incorporated in the said socket spanner or other square-diive handtool, the other end ofthe shaftbeing adapted to beconnectedto the power drive source and a sleeve surrounding the shaft, the shaft being rotatable within the said sleeve.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the sleeve is provided with a radially projecting collar at least at one end thereof.

3. A device according to claim I or claim 2 wherein the end of the shaft which is adapted to be connected to the power drive source includes a length of flexible drive shafting integral therewith.

4. A device for enabling a socket spanner as hereinbefore described or other square-drive hand tool to be connected to a power drive source substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawings