Abstract:
An essentially complete screwdriver set or tool bit drive set is encompassed in a single hand tool with an ergonomic handle. Upwards of 26 different tool bit drives in combination with multiple hex nut drives are readily interchangeably used in the hand tool. The ergonomic handle is of partible molded clear plastic so that diverse color-coded tool bit drives are readily recognized and retrieved.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates to hand tools. This invention relates to a hand tool which is a combination screwdriver and socket driver.  
         BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART  
         [0002]    The hand tool art traditionally manufactured tool sets, such as screwdriver sets and socket wrench sets. These sets were comprised of multiple hand tools to accomplish different tool bit drive functions as well as to accomplish differently sized similar tool bit drive functions. Prior art commercial screwdriver sets would, typically, include from eight (8) to twenty-two (22) screwdrivers. Commercial socket wrench sets and tool bit drive sets required specialized mounting and storage for the large pluralities of socket drives and tool bit drives.  
           [0003]    The art desired multiple tool bit drive combination tools to reduce the mounting and storage requirements. Rocca, U.S. Pat. No. 4,448,097 granted May 15, 1994, disclosed a complex multiple piece construction which provided a total of six (6) tool bit drive functions and two (2) nut driver means functions. Kozak, U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,775 granted Sep. 19, 1995, disclosed a multiple tool bit drive function of complex housing design. These complex designs provided limited multiple drive functionality.  
           [0004]    One prior art combination screwdriver and socket driver is shown in attached FIG. 1. Prior art tool  10  is formed of a conventional handle  11  having at its proximate end  15 , a well  12  for loosely holding up to six single-ended hexagonal body bit drives  13  (typical). A handle cap  14  is screwed onto the proximate end of  15  handle  11  to hold the loosely stowed bit drives  13  in well  12 . A hexagonal shank or shaft  18  is fixedly held in handle  11  at handle distal end  19 . A plurality of three double-ended socket drives  20 ,  21  and  28  are formed with hexagonal through holes  22 ,  23  and  24 , respectively, so as to be slidably non-rotatably received on shank  18 . The most distally disposed socket drive end  25  is available for socket drive use in turning handle  11 . In the screwdriver operational mode (FIG. 1), one of the bit drives  13  is slidably non-rotatably received in the hexagonal socket through hole  24  for torque transmission. The flat end  26  of the operably disposed bit drive  13  abuts end  29  of shank  18 . The FIG. 1 tool is generally a 6-in-1 screwdriver and a 6-in-1 socket driver, or at most, a 12-in-1 tool.  
           [0005]    The FIG. 1 prior art tool has existed for many years but with limited commercial acceptance. The art desired a significantly more versatile screwdriver and socket driver combination. The present invention addresses that need and provides a 50-in-1 screwdriver and socket driver combination hand tool.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The hand tool is a combination multiple drive screwdriver and socket driver. A plurality of 3 double-ended socket drives are slidably non-rotatably nested on the shank of the screwdriver, whereby the most distally disposed socket drive end is operable with turning the screwdriver handle. The handle is ergonomically designed with a plurality of contiguous parallel cylindrical compartments. The handle is of regular polygonal cross-section, preferably square, with an elongated cylindrical compartment disposed at each corner, and a large diameter centrally disposed elongated cylindrical compartment is contiguous with the corner compartments. In a square handle there are then four corner compartments and one contiguous central compartment. Each compartment is sized to slidably receive two bit drives, with each bit drive having a body and oppositely disposed tool bits. One additional double-ended bit drive is operably disposed at the distal end of the shank. Eleven double-ended bit drives are contained in the one tool. A removable handle cap is provided which is frictionally held to the proximate end of the handle. The handle cap is provided with a centrally disposed metal insert for slidably non-rotatably receiving one of the eleven double-ended bit drives for handle cap awl driver use. The combination hand tool is a 22-in-1 screwdriver, a 22-in-1 handle cap awl driver and a 6-in-1 socket driver, or in total, a 50-in-1 tool. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is a partial sectional, partial exploded view of the Prior Art screwdriver and socket driver tool;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2 is a partial sectional, partial fragmentary view of the combination screwdriver and socket driver tool of the present invention shown in the screwdriver operational mode;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 3 is a partial side view of the tool as shown in FIG. 2;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 4 is a partial side view of the tool as in FIG. 3 but arranged in a reversed socket drive operational mode;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the tool of FIG. 2;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line  6 - 6  of FIG. 2; and  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line  7 - 7  of FIG. 2. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]    Referring to FIGS.  2 - 7 , there is shown the present combination screwdriver and socket driver tool  30 . Tool  30  has a clear or transparent plastic handle  31  of generally square cross section. Four equal diameter elongated cylindrical compartments  32  are disposed at the proximate end  33  of handle  31  and extend distally. Each compartment  32  is disposed adjacent a respective corner  34  of the handle, as best shown in FIG. 5. A central compartment  35  of larger diameter than the corner compartments  32  is provided for purposes hereinafter appearing. The handle  31  is configured and the compartments  32  and  35  are disposed and contiguous so as to provide an ergonomic design for maximum bit drive storage, as is more fully described in applicants&#39; U.S. Pat. No. 5,819,612, granted Oct. 13, 1998, which disclosure is incorporated herein by reference thereto.  
         [0015]    Handle cap  40  is of generally square cross-section and is frictionally slidably received on proximate end  33  of handle  31  as at  41  to form a smooth conforming outer surface or structure. Cap  40  is formed with central hexagonal recess  42  for fixedly receiving hexagonal metal sleeve  43 , for purposes hereinafter appearing.  
         [0016]    A plurality of double-ended bit drives  45  are provided, with each bit drive  45  having a hexagonal body portion and oppositely disposed tool bits  46 . Each tool bit  46  may be of any desired configuration and differently sized. Useful tool bit  46  configurations are for, by way of example, Philips head, slot head, square head, and like known tool element uses.  
         [0017]    Handle  31 , at its distal end, is formed with a central hexagonal hole  48  for fixedly receiving proximate end  49  of hexagonal shaft or shank  50 . Shank  50  extends to shank distal end  51 . A set of three double-ended socket drives  53 ,  54  and  55  are formed with common hexagonal axial through holes  56 ,  57  and  58 , respectively, so as to be slidably non-rotatably received on shank  50 . The socket drives  53 ,  54  and  55  may be disposed in various nested arrangements so that the most distal drive end, e.g.  60  in FIG. 5 and  59  in FIG. 4, is operably disposed (i.e. without any bit drive  45  disposed at the shank distal end). With the turning of handle  31 , torque is transmitted though shank  50  to the socket drives. When a selected bit drive  45  is slidably non-rotatably received in the most distally disposed socket drive end, the distal end tool bit  46 , as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, is operably disposed for selected screwdriver use.  
         [0018]    The handle cap sleeve  43  is sized to slidably non-rotatably receive a selected bit drive  45  (FIG. 2) so that with removal of cap  40 , cap  40  with selected bit drive  45  in place functions as an awl or awl driver.  
         [0019]    Two additional bit drives  45  can also be slidably received and stowed in each handle corner compartment. Two bit drives  45  can be stowed in the handle central compartment. One additional bit drive (not shown) can be disposed at the distal end of central compartment with the bit drive received in cap sleeve  43 . In total, 10 bit drives can be stowed in the handle and handle cap. Additionally, a bit drive  45  can be received at shank distal end as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In this manner of construction, 11 double-ended bit drives are provided so that there is 22-in-1 screwdriver functionality and 22-in-1 awl driver functionality. The present hand tool also provides three double-ended socket drives for 6-in-1 socket driver functionality. In total, hand tool  30  is a 22-in-1 screwdriver, a 22-in-1 awl drive and a 6-in-1 socket driver, or a 50-in-1 tool.  
         [0020]    Each bit drive  45  is provided with a spring loaded ball of conventional design so that the bit drive is held axially in place when inserted into the handle cap sleeve  43  or the most distally disposed socket end.  
         [0021]    The bit drives of the present invention have a hardness range of from about 53 to about 57 C scale, and are made from an alloy steel having properties of desired strength and toughness, as well as requisite flexibility. A more preferred hardness range, on the other hand, is from about 54 to about 55 Rockwell C scale, using an oil-hardening alloy spring steel having relatively higher amounts of silicon and manganese than other plain carbon tools or alloy tool steels. Hand gripping portion is generally constructed from molded clear plastic, such as a polycarbonate or the like.  
         [0022]    While only a few, preferred embodiments of the invention have been described hereinabove, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the embodiment may be modified and altered without departing from the central spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the preferred embodiment described hereinabove is to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims, rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced herein.