Patent ID: 6026717
Filing Date: 2000-02-22
Classification: B25B

Abstract:
A hand-held driving tool comprising an elongate handle defining a tool axis and being suitably shaped and dimensioned to be graspable within the hand of a user; a driver member mounted at one axial end of said handle and defining a driver axis generally co-axially aligned with said tool axis; and at least one permanent magnet on said handle, said at least one magnet being formed of a magnetized material having north and south poles defining a magnetic axis generally arranged on said handle to permit selective placement of a magnetizable element at at least one position along said magnetic axis at a predetermined distance from one of said poles to magnetize the element and placement of the element a distance greater than said predetermined distance from the other of said poles to demagnetize the element, said magnetic axis being either aligned with or offset from said driver axis, whereby a magnetizable element may be magnetized by positioning same adjacent to one of said poles and demagnetized by positioning the magnetizable element adjacent the other of said poles.