Driving tool with dual-position handle and locking means therefor

This invention relates to a driving tool having a dual-position handle for turning screws, nuts, bolts and the like. In the first of the two operating positions, the handle is locked in longitudinal alignment with a drive shaft for fast operation substantially in the manner of a common, ordinary screwdriver or nutdriver for as long as the work piece is relatively easy to turn. When the turning operation becomes more difficult as the work piece is progressively tightened and a means for applying additional torque would be desirable and of considerable advantage, such as during the last tightening turns, the handle may be unlocked and pivoted from its first operating position to a second operating position whereby it intersects the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft by as much as a 90-degree angle, thereby providing a means whereby the amount of torque that can be applied is substantially increased. Such increased torque would also be extremely advantageous in breaking loose certain work pieces, such as screws or nuts that have become rusted in place and resist removal with an ordinary screwdriver or nutdriver.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to hand tools in general, and more particularly to a 
driving tool having a dual-positioned handle for turning screws, nuts, 
bolts, and the like. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
In the hand tool field, the use of screwdrivers and nutdrivers is well 
known to the art. However, there is an inherent problem with both of these 
types of tools in that they are limited in the amount of torque, or 
turning power that can be applied with the handles being integral with 
their driving shafts and in axial alignment therewith. There are also 
T-handled driving tools that provide additional driving power, but they 
are much slower and more tedious to turn than the ordinary driving tools 
mentioned above. There have been attempts in the past to resolve the two 
problems mentioned, one of these being the patent to Bartlett, U.S. Pat. 
No. 428,662 of May 27, 1890. While solving the torque problem by providing 
a pivoting handle, the Bartlett device created new ones. The center 
portion of the handle was enlarged to accommodate the locking mechanism 
used and the lump would be quite uncomfortable in the hand during a 
turning operation. In addition, a pin projects outward from the middle 
portion of the handle which would be even more uncomfortable to the 
operator when gripping the handle. Applicant's tool, on the other hand, 
has all of the locking mechanisms contained within the handle with no 
lumps, pins, or other projections that would affect the operator's grip on 
the handle, and there are no pins, latches, or other such means necessary 
to lock and unlock the tool. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention resides in a driving tool having a handle that is 
pivotable to two driving positions, the first position being wherein the 
handle and driving shaft are in axial alignment and the handle may be 
locked in that position. The second position being wherein the handle is 
perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft in a T-handle fashion 
and the handle may also be locked in that position. The driving shaft is 
pivotably attached to the handle and is disposed in a bore that extends 
longitudinally partly through the handle. An open channel runs partly up 
one side of the handle and opens into the bore, and the shaft is pivoted 
through this channel to either of the driving positions. Means are 
provided so that the shaft may be pushed a short distance into the handle 
in order to engage the locking devices in both driving positions. 
Normally, the T-handle position would be used only in those cases where an 
extra tight fit is desired, or to loosen a fitting that is too tight to 
release in the axial alignment position of the handle and shaft. This 
occurs often when the fitting has become frozen or rusted in place and 
additional turning power is needed to free it. 
Four preferred embodiments of this invention will be illustrated, described 
more fully hereinafter, and claimed in the appended claims. 
It is, therefore a primary object of this invention to provide a driving 
tool for screws, nuts, bolts and the like that can be easily and quickly 
spun in the manner of ordinary driving tools with fixed handles, but which 
may be switched from a straight-handle to a T-handled driver to gain 
additional torque. 
A second object of the invention is to provide a locking means whereby the 
handle and driving shaft may be locked firmly and securely in a first 
driving position wherein the handle is in axial alignment with the 
longitudinal axis of said driving shaft. 
A third object of the invention is to provide a means whereby said handle 
may be unlocked from the first driving position and pivoted to a second 
driving position wherein the handle is perpendicular to the longitudinal 
axis of the shaft and locked in that position. 
A fourth object of my invention is to provide such a tool as is described 
above that is simple in construction, has a minimum of parts, and will be 
economical to manufacture. 
Other objects and advantages will appear in the combination of the 
elements, arrangement of the parts, and particular features of 
construction which will be pointed out more fully hereinafter and 
disclosed in the accompanying drawings, wherein the preferred embodiments 
of the invention are presented. 
It will be understood that the connector means and accessory attachments 
illustrated in the drawings are shown as examples only and are not 
necessarily limited to those shown, but may be of any type found to be 
suitable and useful. Such means are well known to the art and therefore do 
not form a part of the inventive concept presented herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
In describing my invention as illustrated in the drawings, refer to FIG. 1 
where a handle 20 is attached to one end of a driving shaft 21 by a pivot 
pin 22 in a small bore 23 extending laterally through said handle 20. The 
other end of the shaft has a connector means for receiving accessory 
attachments such as the one shown in FIG. 9. Handle 20 has a first 
cylindrical bore 24 extending inwardly along its longitudinal axis for a 
distance of approximately two-thirds of its length. There is also an open 
channel 25 having parallel walls extending upward from the lower end of 
handle 20 for better than one-half of its length, the channel 25 opening 
into one side of bore 24. The inner end of channel 25 is enclosed by a 
wall 26. An extension 37 of bore 24 goes beyond wall 26. Disposed within 
bore 24 is the inner end 60 of shaft 21. The shaft 21 has a narrow portion 
composed of flat surfaces 27 and 28 on the upper portion thereof. Said 
flat surfaces permitting shaft 21 to pivot outward through channel 25 on 
pin 22. Cylindrical portion 38, although not shown in all of the Figures 
where sectional views are used, is present in all of the embodiments of 
this invention. 
In the first preferred embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 
and 6, shaft 21 has an oblong slot 32 in its inner end 60, said slot being 
disposed along the longitudinal axis of the shaft 21. Slot 32 has tapered 
sidewalls 33 and 34 which converge toward each other from the slot's upper 
end 35 to its lower end 36. Pin 22 is disposed through said slot and has a 
diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of its upper end 35. When 
shaft 21 is pushed upward into bore extension 37, pin 22 will slide 
downward in slot 32 and converging walls 33 and 34 will close in on pin 
22, causing a friction engagement between the walls 33 and 34 and pin 22. 
At the same time, the wider or cylindrical portion 38 on the lower part of 
the shaft will move upward into first bore 24 for a short distance, 
preventing shaft 21 from pivoting laterally through the channel 25, as is 
shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and providing a second means for maintaining a 
rigid unity between handle 20 and shaft 21 in substantially axial 
alignment with each other in the first driving position. The flat surfaces 
27 and 28 of the shaft 21 form a narrow portion of the shaft 21 which will 
pass through the channel 25 when the shaft 21 is pull outward from handle 
20 a short distance to allow the handle 20 to pivot between its first and 
second positions. In order to be able to lock the handle and shaft in the 
second driving position, a short lateral second bore or opening 39 is 
disposed in the wall of the handle 20 capable of receiving the inner end 
60 of driving shaft 21. Handle 20 is pivoted to a perpendicular or 
T-handle position and shaft 21 is pushed inward to where its inner end 60 
enters second bore opening 39. This movement of the shaft causes sidewalls 
33 and 34 to converge on pin 22 and lock the handle 20 and shaft 21 in the 
second driving position. 
In the second preferred embodiment of the tool shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, 
driving shaft 21a has an oblong slot 32a containing sidewalls 33a and 34a 
in parallel alignment through which pin 22a is pivotably disposed. Shaft 
21a has a small recess or groove 40a best seen in FIG. 8, on its inner 
side 41a. A second small recess or groove 42a is disposed on the extreme 
inner end of shaft 21a. A spring-biased ball detent 43a is disposed in an 
aperture 44a in the wall of the handle 20a and is positioned laterally 
opposite pin 22a. When shaft 21a is pushed into the handle, ball detent 
43a comes into contact with recess or groove 40a and pushes the shaft 21a 
against pin 22a and also against wall 45a of bore extension 37a, locking 
the shaft between the pin 22a and wall 45a in axial alignment with the 
handle in the first driving position. To obtain the second driving 
position, the shaft 21a is pulled out from the handle 20a, releasing the 
ball detent 43a from the recess or groove 40a, and the handle 20a is 
pivoted to the T-handle position which automatically brings ball detent 
43a into contact with recess or groove 42a in the end of the shaft and 
locks the handle and shaft in the second driving position. As in the first 
embodiment, cylindrical portion 38, although not shown, is present in the 
embodiment in FIGS. 7 and 8 of the drawings as stated previously herein. 
In the third preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in FIGS. 11 and 
12, shaft 21b has an oblong slot 32b disposed in its inner end 60b with 
pin 22b pivotably inserted therein. Slot 32b is acutely angled so that 
when pin 22b is in its upper end, handle 20b and shaft 21b are in axial 
alignment with each other, but when the shaft is pushed upward into the 
handle, pin 22b will slide to the lower end of slot 32b and shift the 
driving shaft 21b out of its axially aligned position. This action will 
cause side 41b of the shaft to come in contact with wall 46b of first bore 
24b, locking the handle and shaft in the first driving position. To obtain 
the second driving position, shaft 21b is pulled outward from handle 20b 
to unlock the handle 20b from the shaft 21b, and the handle 20b is pivoted 
to a perpendicular or T-handle position in relation to driving shaft 21b. 
Shaft 21b is then pushed into the handle to where it enters the lateral 
second bore 39b and its sidewall 41b contacts wall 47b of the bore 39b as 
a result of the angled slot 32b and locks the handle 20b and shaft 21b 
between pin 22b and the inner wall of bore 39b, locking said shaft and 
handle in the second driving position. Cylindrical portion 38, although 
not shown in the drawings for this embodiment, is present and performs the 
same function as it does in the first and second preferred embodiments. 
In the fourth preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in FIGS. 13 
and 14, slot 32c is the same as that used in the second preferred 
embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 8. However, the locking means in this embodiment 
consists of a tapered section 48c on the lower cylindrical portion of 
shaft 21c. When shaft 21c is pushed upward into handle 20c, the tapered 
section 48c comes into contact with the lower end of bore 24c where it 
exits from handle 20c, locking said handle 20c and shaft 21c in the first 
driving position. To lock the handle 20c and shaft 21c in the second 
driving position, the inner end 60c of shaft 21c is tapered at 49c and 
50c. When the shaft is pushed inward, its inner end 60c enters into 
lateral bore 39c whose diameter is smaller than the width of shaft 21c, 
causing tapered walls 49c and 50c to come into frictional contact with the 
wall of lateral bore or opening 39c, thereby locking the handle and shaft 
together in the second position.