Apparatus for ejecting nuts from sockets and a method of installation in a socket

In a preferred embodiment, a nut ejecting apparatus for a wrench socket of the type including a generally elongate, hollow, cylindrical body portion having axially aligned nut receiving and shank receiving chambers defined at opposite ends thereof with an intermediate chamber axially aligned with and joining said nut receiving and shank receiving chambers, the nut receiving chamber being dimensioned to receive therein a threaded nut and the shank receiving chamber being dimensioned to receive therein a shank of a wrench, the intermediate chamber being cross-sectionally coextensive with the nut receiving chamber and being hexagonal in cross-section, the nut ejecting apparatus comprising: a first plug to be disposed in the intermediate chamber near the shank receiving chamber and to be positionally fixed therein; a second plug to be disposed in the intermediate chamber and axially moveable back and forth therein and into the nut receiving chamber; the first and second plugs having hexagonally shaped head portions to engage the hexagonal cross-section of the intermediate chamber; and a spring attached to and extending between the first and second plugs to bias the second plug into the nut receiving chamber so as to eject a nut therefrom.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to tools generally and, more particularly, 
but not by way of limitation, to a novel apparatus for ejecting nuts from 
wrench sockets and a method for installing such apparatus in existing 
wrench sockets. 
2. Background Art. 
A common problem with using wrench sockets to remove threaded nuts from 
threaded studs and other threaded members is that the nuts often become 
stuck in the socket during the removal process. This is especially true 
when an impact wrench is being used, due to the high forces involved. 
A number of attempts have been made to provide devices for ejecting such 
nuts. 
U.S. Pat. No. 1,607,421, issued Nov. 16, 1926, to Work, describes a 
magazine wrench having a brace attached to one end of an elongate 
magazine. At the working end of the magazine there is a retainer to keep 
loose nuts in the magazine from falling out of the working end. A spring 
extending interiorly of the magazine has one end soldered or otherwise 
attached to the brace end of the wrench and to a follower at the other end 
thereof. When the retainer at the working end is released, the nuts are 
expelled from the magazine. 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,301,945, issued Nov. 17, 1942, to Green, describes a socket 
wrench having a magazine in the handle for the storage of sockets and 
having leaf springs in the sockets thereof for retaining therein 
screw-bolts. 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,488,894, issued Nov. 22, 1949, to Barrett, describes a 
socket wrench with a nut ejector. The socket of the wrench has 
conventional shank receiving and nut receiving portions at opposite ends 
thereof. Intermediate the shank and nut receiving portions is an axially 
extending chamber into which a cage is pressed. A spring biased plunger 
axially moveable within the cage ejects nuts from the nut receiving 
portion. 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,493,398, issued Jan. 3, 1950, to Fricke, describes a 
magazine-type lug nut wrench similar in pertinent respects to the '421 
patent above. 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,651,229, issued Sep. 8, 1953, to Lenz, describes a combined 
socket wrench and nut ejector in which a plunger, extending into a nut 
receiving portion of the body, and a shank portion are joined by an 
intermediate stem, all arranged for axial movement within an elongate body 
member. A coil spring disposed around the stem is compressed between a 
stop in the body and the inner end of the shank portion so as to urge the 
plunger into the body member. When a nut is unscrewed and is stuck in the 
nut receiving portion of the body, the body is manually pulled toward the 
shank end and the plunger ejects the nut from the body. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,657, issued Aug. 20, 1985, to Farris, describes a 
socket wrench with a nut ejector, the socket being based on a conventional 
socket and having shank receiving and nut receiving portions at opposite 
ends thereof with an intermediate bore extending therebetween. A hollow 
sleeve is fitted within the bore for axial movement with respect thereto 
and a necked nut ejector formed as an extension of the sleeve is 
extendable into the nut receiving portion. An internally circumferential 
groove is cut into the intermediate bore near the nut receiving portion 
into which groove is installed a C-shaped retainer to prevent the sleeve 
from exiting the bore. A helical spring disposed internally of the sleeve 
and extending between the shank portion of the socket and a shoulder 
formed at the internal end of the necked nut ejector biases the nut 
ejector into the nut receiving portion to eject nuts therefrom. 
None of the above ejecting devices can be easily retrofitted to existing 
wrench sockets. All of the above devices, except the last, require 
specially manufactured sockets and the last device requires a specially 
manufactured socket to the extent that an internal groove must be cut on 
an engine lathe and some sort of fixture must be used to assist the 
difficult maneuver of assembling the device and inserting the C-shaped 
retainer. All are relatively expensive to provide. 
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a 
nut ejecting apparatus which can easily be easily installed in existing 
wrench sockets. 
It is a further object of the invention to provide such a nut ejecting 
apparatus which is simple and inexpensive to provide. 
Other objects of the present invention, as well as particular features, 
elements, and advantages thereof, will be elucidated in, or be apparent 
from, the following description and the accompanying drawing figures. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention achieves the above objects, among others, by 
providing, in a preferred embodiment, a nut ejecting apparatus for a 
wrench socket of the type including a generally elongate, hollow, 
cylindrical body portion having axially aligned nut receiving and shank 
receiving chambers defined at opposite ends thereof with an intermediate 
chamber axially aligned with and joining said nut receiving and shank 
receiving chambers, said nut receiving chamber being dimensioned to 
receive therein a threaded nut and said shank receiving chamber being 
dimensioned to receive therein a shank of a wrench, said intermediate 
chamber being cross-sectionally coextensive with said nut receiving 
chamber and being hexagonal in cross-section, said nut ejecting apparatus 
comprising: a first plug to be disposed in said intermediate chamber near 
said shank receiving chamber and to be positionally fixed therein; a 
second plug to be disposed in said intermediate chamber and axially 
moveable back and forth therein and into said nut receiving chamber; said 
first and second plugs having hexagonally shaped head portions to engage 
said hexagonal cross-section of said intermediate chamber; and a spring 
attached to and extending between said first and second plugs to bias said 
second plug into said nut receiving chamber so as to eject a nut 
therefrom.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Reference should now be made to the drawing figures, on which similar or 
identical elements are given consistent identifying numerals throughout 
the various figures thereof, and on which parenthetical references to 
figure numbers direct the reader to the view(s) on which the element(s) 
being described is (are) best seen, although the element(s) may be seen 
also on other views. 
Reference should now be made to FIG. 1 wherein are illustrated the elements 
of a nut ejector apparatus of the present invention, generally indicated 
by the reference numeral 10. Nut ejector apparatus 10 includes two plugs, 
generally indicated by the reference numerals 12 and 14, having 
hexagonally shaped head portions 16 and 18, respectively, and cylindrical 
stem portions 20 and 22, respectively, formed as axial extensions of the 
head portions, with the distal ends of the stem portions axially aligned 
in spaced apart facing relationship. 
A helical spring 30 is disposed between plugs 12 and 14 and is dimensioned 
such that stem portions 20 and 22 may be inserted in the ends of the 
spring and frictionally retained therein. 
A cylindrical channel 40 is defined through plug 12 orthogonally to the 
major axis thereof and sized to accept therein a roll pin 42. 
Referring now to FIG. 2, there is illustrated the elements of nut ejecting 
apparatus 10 illustrated on FIG. 1 assembled and inserted in a 
conventional wrench socket, generally indicated by the reference numeral 
50. Socket 50 includes a generally elongate cylindrical body portion 52 
having a nut receiving chamber 54 and a shank receiving chamber 56 defined 
therein at opposite ends thereof, with an intermediate chamber 58 therein 
joining the nut receiving and shank receiving chambers. 
Nut receiving chamber 54 is hexagonal in cross-section and is dimensioned 
to receive therein a threaded nut 70 which is threaded on a threaded stud 
72. Shank receiving chamber 56 is dimensioned to receive therein a square 
shank 80 of a wrench 82 which, in this case, may be assumed to be an 
impact wrench. Intermediate chamber 58 is cross-sectionally coextensive 
with nut receiving chamber 54 and is also hexagonal in cross-section. 
Plug 12 is fixedly disposed in intermediate chamber 58 by means of roll pin 
42 having been inserted through channels 90 and 92, drilled through 
opposite portions of the wall of body 52, and inserted through coaxially 
aligned channel 40 (FIG. 1) defined through head 16 of plug 12. 
To assemble apparatus 10 in socket 50, the assembler forces stems 20 and 22 
of plugs 12 and 14 (FIG. 1) into the ends of spring 30, drills channels 90 
and 92 through the walls of body 52 (FIG. 2) of the existing socket 50, 
inserts the plugs attached with spring 30 into intermediate chamber 58, 
and inserts roll pin 42 through through channels 90, 40, and 92 to secure 
apparatus 10 in the intermediate chamber. 
Referring to FIG. 2, it will be understood that the head of plug 14 is 
dimensioned to engage and axially move back and forth in intermediate 
chamber 58 and into nut receiving chamber 54. Spring 30 biases plug 14 
into the latter position to eject nut 70 from nut receiving chamber 54 
should it become stuck therein. The frictional engagement of spring 30 
with stems 20 and 22 (FIG. 1) prevents plug 14 from falling out of socket 
50. Having the head of plug 12 also dimensioned to engage and axially move 
within in intermediate chamber 12 maintains the relative radial 
orientation of the plug with body 52 during the installation of apparatus 
10 in socket 50. 
The elements of apparatus 10 may be easily and economically formed of any 
conventional suitable materials by conventional means. A range of sizes 
may be furnished installing in a similar range of sizes of existing 
sockets. The elements of apparatus 10 may be furnished as shown on FIG. 1 
or may be furnished already assembled in socket 50 (FIG. 2). 
It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those 
elucidated in, or made apparent from, the preceding description, are 
efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above 
construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is 
intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown on 
the accompanying drawing figures shall be interpreted as illustrative only 
and not in a limiting sense. 
It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover 
all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described 
and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of 
language, might be said to fall therebetween.