Abstract:
Radially spaced blades extending into grooves in the faces of a socket for socket wrenches. Each blade has a curved face facing a bolt head inserted into the socket and an opposite curved face against respective grooves in the bolt face. The blades engaging a hex-head of a bolt inserted into the socket. Applying torque to the socket against resistance from the bolt, urges the blades against their respective groove to secure the bolt head in the socket. The shaft of an Allen wrench is secured in the socket so that its head does not interfere with the head of a hex bolt inserted into the socket. When the Allen wrench is released from its recessed position, the Allen wrench can move upward toward the socket&#39;s open end where it can engage an Allen bolt head.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Field 
         [0002]    Tools especially sockets for use in socket wrenches for driving and holding screws, nuts and bolts with hex heads or Allen wrench heads. Any difference between screws, nuts and bolts generally is not important to this application. Therefore, this application refers to them as “bolts” except where the distinction may be necessary. 
         [0003]    2. General Background and State of the Art 
         [0004]    Standard socket wrenches usually have two major parts, a handle, which a user can grip, and a socket, which can attach to the handle. The handles&#39; ratcheting mechanism allows the socket to move freely in one direction while the socket remains fixed to the handle when the handle is rotated in the other direction. A switch changes the wrench between tightening and loosening modes. The handle also has a stud, which is inserted into a drive on the socket. Some socket wrenches drive their sockets from the outside of the socket such that the wrench acts on the outside of the base of sockets. 
         [0005]    The open end of the socket accepts bolts&#39; hex heads. The typical socket wrench accepts different size sockets, one size for each different size bolt head. Many sockets have six points to conform to bolts&#39; hex head. “Points” are the pointed corners between the faces although the corners often are filleted. Twelve-point sockets have 12 faces such that a common six-sided hex head can be positioned within the socket in one of 12 orientations, each 30° apart. The application refers to “hex heads,” but the term is intended to cover other unconventional polygonal shapes such as squares, pentagons and octagons. 
         [0006]    A common use for socket wrenches is driving and removing machine bolts into threaded holes and removing a nut from a bolt thread, but the wrenches also can drive and remove self-threading screws and bolts and wood screws respectively into non-threaded holes and wood. The application discusses bolts into threaded openings and nuts around threaded bolts with the understanding that self-threading screws and bolts and wood screws are included. 
         [0007]    When a user installs a bolt into a threaded opening, he or she puts the head into the socket by aligning the faces of the head with corresponding socket faces. The socket is sized to leave a small amount of space between the socket&#39;s inside and the outside of the proper hex bolts&#39; head to allow easy insertion of the bolt into the socket. However, the space that allows easy insertion also can allow the bolt to fall from the socket as the user tries to insert the bolt into a threaded opening, Likewise, when users remove a bolt from a threaded opening, they put the socket over the head. Then they turn the wrench counterclockwise until the bolt is unscrewed from its threaded opening. When the user pulls back of the socket wrench, the bolt often falls out of the socket. This may not occur if the socket or bolt is magnetic and the other part is iron. 
         [0008]    The problem with inserting or removing the bolt is more pronounced for vertical or nearly vertical openings because of gravity. In many applications such as vehicles and airplanes, when the bolt falls from the socket, it falls into difficult-to-reach locations. Retrieving the bolt wastes time, but leaving a dropped bolt near moving parts may be unsafe. 
         [0009]    Others have proposed solutions to this problem. Most involve mounting flat springs in the socket that are positioned along one or more faces or at the intersections of two faces. Inserting a bolt flexes the springs outward, and the restoring force from the springs holds the bolt head. Hu, U.S. Pat. No. 6,098,504 (2000) is an example as are U.S. Pat. No. 6,170,363 (2001) and U.S. Pat. No. 7,712,747 (2008), both to Hu. The springs remain out of contact with the inside face or groove of the socket until a bolt is inserted into the socket. These devices have the following drawbacks. When the socket applies high torque to the head, the springs may deform, which can cause the head to move relative to the springs. Further, only a small area of the spring contacts the bolt head and the socket when the springs bend from a bolt&#39;s force. This small area may be insufficient to prevent the bolt from jumping between faces especially when the springs deform. 
         [0010]    Some bolts have a round head and a hex-shaped opening in the head. The hex-shaped opening receives the head of an Allen wrench. In many instances, a person repairing a vehicle or performing another task must switch between driving bolts with a socket wrench and an Allen wrench. This may be cumbersome. Some Allen wrenches can be driven by a ratchet wrench, but it would be advantageous if the same socket could drive the same size hex and Allen bolts. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0011]    A fitting mounts in a socket of a socket wrench. The fitting has radially spaced blades extending into grooves in at least some of the socket faces. Each blade has a curved face facing a bolt head inserted into the socket and an opposite curved face against respective grooves in the bolt face. 
         [0012]    The shaft of an Allen wrench rests on a support in the socket. The Allen wrench is secured in a recessed position so that it does not interfere with a hex-head being inserted into the socket. The base of the Allen wrench extends into an opening in the socket. When the mechanism holding the Allen wrench is released from its recessed position, the Allen wrench can move upward toward the socket&#39;s open end where it can engage an Allen bolt head. The fitting for holding a hex head is out of the way of an Allen bolt so that Allen bolts may be driven with the Allen wrench in its recessed position. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the socket. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a partial sectional view of the socket in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is an exploded, sectional view of the socket in  FIG. 1   
           [0016]      FIGS. 4 and 5  are sectional views of the socket. In  FIG. 4 , the Allen wrench and component for positioning the Allen wrench is present; if is removed in  FIG. 5 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a plan view of a socket component, and  FIG. 7  is a cutaway perspective of the component. 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is a side view of the Allen wrench component. 
           [0019]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the Allen wrench component. 
           [0020]      FIG. 10  is a sectional view of the socket with a hex bolt within the socket. 
           [0021]      FIG. 11  is a cutaway perspective view of the socket with a hex bolt within the socket. 
           [0022]      FIG. 12  is sectional view of the socket with an Allen bolt within the socket. 
           [0023]      FIG. 13  is a cutaway perspective view of the socket with an Allen bolt within the socket. 
           [0024]      FIG. 14  is a perspective view of a bolt having an Allen wrench head in the component that holds bolt heads in the socket. 
           [0025]      FIG. 15  is a perspective view of a bolt having a hex head in the component that holds bolt heads in the socket. 
       
    
    
       [0026]    Reference numbers for components may not be used in every drawing figure, and insofar as the detailed description references one or more drawing figures, the application does not imply that the component is not visible in other figures. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0027]    Socket  10  ( FIG. 1  and others) attaches to a socket wrench (not shown). The socket has a cylindrical body  12  around two openings  14  and  20 . Sockets typically are available in different size to accommodate different sizes of bolts. In the United States, sockets are usually available in SAE sizes (fractions of an inch) and metric sizes. Opening  14  is commonly called the “drive.” Drives have four common sizes: ¼ in., ⅜ in., ½ in. and ¾ in., and they are square. The drive receives a square mating stud (not shown), which is part of the socket wrench. Studs usually have a ball urged outward to engage the drive, and some drives have a detent to receive the ball. The ball helps to hold the stud in the drive while the socket wrench is in use. 
         [0028]    Some socket wrenches have a center opening rather than a drive. The opening is connected to a ratchet mechanism. The bottom of sockets for this type of socket wrench has an outer profile for the center opening to engage. 
         [0029]    Opening  20  at the driving end of the socket  10  receives heads  16  or  17  of conventional bolts ( FIGS. 10-15 ). The threaded portions  18  of the bolts may be standard. The opening has faces  22  and points  24 . See  FIG. 5  where the flat sections and points are most visible. The faces may be generally flat or slightly curved, and the points are the pointed or filleted corners between the faces. The opening in  FIG. 5  has six faces and six points to receive a hex head. The horizontal cross-section of the socket is a hexagon (or other polygon if the socket has fewer or more than six faces). Thus, the inside of the socket can be considered a polygonal cylinder. The six flat sides of a hex bolt are aligned with the socket faces, and the bolt&#39;s corners are at the points. 
         [0030]    Face  22  includes a vertical groove  26 . In  FIG. 5  and other figures, each face has a groove, but having a groove for every face may be unnecessary. Ring  40  (best viewed in  FIGS. 6 ,  7  and  10 ) mounts on shoulder  42  formed on the inside of the socket. The ring includes a cylindrical base  44  and upright blades  46 . When the ring is positioned in the socket, the blades extend upward through grooves  26 .  FIG. 6  shows six blades, one for each groove, but even if the socket has six grooves, having fewer than six blades may be acceptable. 
         [0031]    Each upright blade  46  has two curved faces. Outside face  50  faces outward and is next to its respective groove  26 . Inside face  52  faces inward to contact a hex bolt head when the head is inserted into the socket. The blades&#39; inside faces may each have a shoulder  54 . When ring  40  mounts in the socket, the shoulder is positioned to act as a stop for hex bolt head  16  and holds the bolt head such that the entire head is within the socket. See  FIG. 10 , which shows surface  19  of the head aligned with the top of the socket. However, the shoulders could be positioned to allow the head to go further into the socket. 
         [0032]    When a user inserts bolt head  16  into the socket, the head contacts inside faces  52  of upright blade  46 . See  FIG. 7 . The blades apply sufficient force against the head to hold the head in the socket. When a user applies sufficient torque to the socket, the bolt head pushes against the blades so that the blades apply force against their respective groove  26 . See  FIG. 5 . Consequently, the force applied by inside face  52  of each blade to the bolt head increases. 
         [0033]    When using prior art flat blades between the bolt head and the socket face, torque on the socket and onto the bolt head tends to twist or deform the flat blades. That twisting can cause only a small region of the blade to engage the bolt head while another small region engages the inside of the socket. That smaller contact between the blade and the bolt head results in less force between them. Especially if the head has rounded corners, the socket may slip on the head. 
         [0034]    With curved faces  50  and  52  and for blade  46 , any force from bolt head  16  that is sufficient to twist the blade causes the contact point from the blade on the bolt to remain at or near the center of the blade and groove  26 . Therefore, the blade exerts more force on the bolt than a flat blade would exert. Accordingly, bolt heads rotate less if at all relative to the socket than bolt heads rotate with flat blades so that heads with rounded corners are less likely to jump to the next point. 
         [0035]    The socket also can drive Allen bolts. Allen wrench shaft  80  (best viewed in  FIGS. 2 ,  3 ,  8 ,  9 ,  12  and  13 ) mounts within socket  10 . The shaft includes shank  82  and head  84  ( FIGS. 8 and 9 ). The head is hex-shaped to engage corresponding hex openings in Allen bolts. 
         [0036]    Base  101  of fitting  100  may mount on shoulder  102  in socket  10  so that the fitting mounts inside opening  20  in the socket. See  FIGS. 3 ,  5 ,  10 ,  12  and  13 . Depending on the socket size, the fitting may be aligned with the shoulder. The fitting is a separate component in those figures, but it could be formed as an integral part of the inside of socket  10 . Inside  108  of the fitting has the same inside shape as the outside of the shank to prevent Allen wrench shaft  80  from rotating in socket  10 . The fitting has a pair of vertical side grooves  103 , only one of which is visible in  FIGS. 3 and 5 . Bottom slot  88  in shank  82  ( FIG. 8 ) receives peg  90 . Ends  92  of the peg ( FIG. 9 ) extend into the side grooves. The tops of the side grooves act as stops to prevent the Allen wrench shaft from falling from the top of the socket. 
         [0037]    Likewise, to prevent the Allen wrench shaft  80  from falling from the bottom of socket  10 , disk  86 , which extends around shank  82  below head  84  engages the top of hex fitting  109  when the Allen wrench shaft is pushed down. Though the drawings show a disk, one or more flanges or other projections can be used instead of a disk. 
         [0038]    Opposing bores  104  and  105  extend through the wall of the socket. The bores align with holes  106  and  107  through fitting  100 . Pins  110  and  112  extend into the bores, and they are secured in the positions shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  10 ,  11 ,  12  and  13 . Coil springs  114  and  116  or other resilient members also mount in the bores, and balls  118  and  120  mount on the inside of the springs. Shank  82  of Allen wrench shaft  80  has opposed detents  122  and  124  ( FIGS. 8 and 9 ). When the socket is being used to drive hex-head bolts, the balls project into the detents to secure the Allen wrench in its down ( FIGS. 10 and 11 ) position. Other detent engaging members could replace the balls. 
         [0039]    Pushing Allen wrench shaft  80  upward releases balls  118  and  120  from detents  122  and  124  to position hex head  84  where it can receive the hex opening in an Allen bolt. Head  17  of an Allen bolt may have a nominal thickness (top to bottom) greater than the nominal thickness of the head of a hex bolt. Accordingly, lower shoulder  56  instead of upper shoulder  54  of blades  46  supports the top of the Allen bolt head (the bottom when viewed in  FIGS. 12 and 13 ). This arrangement prevents the Allen wrench detents  122  and  124  from engaging balls  118  and  120 . Coil spring  126  may urge the shaft upward. At the same time, ends  92  and  93  of peg  90  contact the top of vertical groove  103 . As the figures show, the outside of the Allen bolt contacts upright blade  46 . Because the bolt applies an outward force against the blade, the blade secures the Allen bolt in the socket. After using the socket for driving Allen bolts, users can push down on the Allen wrench until the balls engage detents  122  and  124 . In that position of the Allen wrench, users can use the socket for driving hex bolts 
         [0040]    An advantage of having the heads of Allen bolts positioned as shown in  FIGS. 12 and 13  occurs when driving the bolts into a counter bore hole. Because the bolt head is secured by blades  46  ring component  40 , the bolt can be screwed safely in a counter bore hole. As the bolt is screwed into the hole, the top of the socket contacts the area around the bore. Continuing to turn the socket releases the bolt from the blades while spring coil  126  pushes Allen wrench  80  up and against the hex opening of the bolt into the counter bore hole. 
         [0041]    The description is illustrative and not limiting and is by way of example only. Although this application shows and describes examples, those having ordinary skill in the art will find it apparent that changes, modifications or alterations may be made. Many of the examples involve specific combinations of method acts or system elements, but those acts and those elements may be combined in other ways to accomplish the same objectives. With regard to flowcharts, additional and fewer steps may be taken, and the steps as shown may be combined or further refined to achieve the methods described. Acts, elements and features discussed only in connection with one embodiment are not intended to be excluded from a similar role in other embodiments. 
         [0042]    Words such as “top,” “bottom,” “upper” and “lower” refer to the orientation of components in the drawing. “Plurality” means two or more. A “set” of items may include one or more of such items. The terms “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” and the like in the written description or the claims are open-ended, i.e., each means, “including but not limited to.” Only the transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of” are closed or semi-closed transitional phrases with respect to claims. The ordinal terms such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., in the claims to modify a claim element do not by themselves connote any priority, precedence, or order of one claim element over another or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed. Instead, they are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim element having a certain name from another element having a same name (but for use of the ordinal term). Alternatives such as “or” include any combination of the listed items.