Abstract:
A wrench socket having a cylindrical body with a receptacle at one end opening exteriorly thereof to insertably receive a head or nut carried on a fastener. The sidewall of the receptacle is tapered inwardly from the open end to a bottom of the socket which defines the depth. The sidewall provides a straight wall entrance leading into the tapered sidewall portion. The angle of taper of the sidewall is sufficient to accommodate a particular range of sized and shaped fastener heads or nuts. Additionally, the opposite end of the body includes a detachable coupling with the end of a wrench so that the socket can be turned to loosen or tighten the fastener.

Description:
Priority claimed on Ser. No. 60/379,679 filed May 13, 2002. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to the field of hand tools, and more particularly to a novel releasable wrench socket having a tapered walled receptacle for insertably receiving a variety of sized fastener heads, and which further includes yieldable means for retaining the socket onto the wrench. 
   2. Brief Description of the Prior Art 
   In the past, it has been the conventional practice to produce wrench sockets which have a receptacle having stamped straight parallel sidewalls so that the distance between the sidewalls will accept only a particular sized metric or standard head dimension of a fastener. Generally, such conventional sockets are provided with six, eight, or twelve points. Therefore, a set of sockets are required in order to accommodate a full range of sizes. Particularly in the case of metric fastener heads, workmen sometimes attempt to employ non-metric receptacles on sockets to work metric heads on fasteners, which causes damage to both the socket and the fastener head. Because of the straight wall on the conventional sockets, only fastener heads of the same dimension are intended to fit within the receptacle of the socket and, in fact, only conformal receptacles and fastener heads can be mated particularly in size and shape. 
   Therefore, a long-standing need has existed to provide a universal-type of wrench socket which includes tapered inwardly diverging non-parallel sidewalls so as to accommodate insertion and engagement with a variety of sized and shaped fastener heads. The inventive wrench socket should hold nuts and bolts and be employed for any application requiring the nuts or bolts to be placed in difficult areas normally unreachable by the workman. The wrench socket should have the capability of releasably retaining bolts or nuts in the receptacle in addition to the ability to accommodate a variety of different bolt or nut sizes and shapes. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, the above problems and difficulties are avoided by the present invention which provides a novel wrench socket having a cylindrical body with a receptacle at one end opening exteriorly thereof in order to insertably receive a bolt head or nut carried on a fastener. The sidewall of the receptacle is tapered inwardly from the open end to a bottom of the socket which defines the depth thereof. The sidewall may provide a straight wall entrance leading into the tapered sidewall portion of the receptacle or the tapered sidewall may commence directly at the opening or entrance to the receptacle and terminate at the bottom. The angle of taper or slope of the sidewall is the design of the manufacturer but is intended to be sufficient to accommodate a particular range of sized and shaped fastener heads or nuts. Additionally, the opposite end of the body includes a means for detachably coupling with the end of a wrench so that the socket can be turned to loosen or tighten the fastener. Means are also provided for yieldably holding the fastener into the receptacle on the body, and such means may take the form of a resilient seal, a coil spring, or other snap-lock arrangement. Such arrangement is formed in the sidewall of the socket surrounding the tapered wall receptacle. 
   Therefore, it is among the primary objects of the present invention to provide a novel wrench socket that includes a tapered inward sidewall for receiving a variety of sized and shaped fastener heads or nuts. 
   Another object of the present invention is to provide a unitary wrench socket which is yieldably connected to a fastener wherein the fastener may be of different sizes and shapes. 
   Yet another object resides in providing a wrench socket with a tapered wall inclined from the opening of a receptacle to the bottom of the receptacle which will accommodate metric and non-metric or standard sizes and shapes. 
   Still a further object is to provide a wrench socket that is stronger than conventional or standard sockets because of a tapered inner sidewall which permits the construction of the socket to be thicker and which gives an advantage of overall strength. 
   Yet a further object resides in providing a wrench socket that can be used on any type of bolt or nut regardless of what material the bolt or nut is formed from. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood with reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded view, partly in cross-section, of the novel wrench socket incorporating the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a view similar to the view of  FIG. 1  illustrating engagement of a fastener with the tapered sidewall of the socket; 
       FIG. 3  is a transverse, cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention, incorporating a yieldable connector for releasably holding the fastener in the receptacle of a socket; 
       FIG. 4  is a top plan view of another embodiment incorporating a yieldable connector in the form of a coil spring; 
       FIG. 5  is a top plan view of still another embodiment of the invention illustrating a receptacle sidewall having a partial flat face and a partial tapered face; 
       FIG. 6  is a transverse, cross-sectional view of the socket shown in  FIG. 5  as taken in the direction of arrows  6 - 6  thereof; 
       FIG. 7  is a transverse, cross-sectional view of still another embodiment of the present inventive wrench socket; 
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view of another version of the present invention; 
       FIG. 9  is a transverse, cross-sectional view of the wrench socket version shown in  FIG. 8  as taken in the direction of arrows  9 - 9 ; and 
       FIG. 10 , is a perspective view of the cross-sectional view of the socket of  FIG. 6 . 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring now to  FIG. 1 , the novel wrench socket incorporating the present invention is illustrated in the general direction of arrow  10  which includes a cylindrical body  11  having a bottom  12  and an upwardly projecting sidewall  13  which defines a central receptacle or opening  14  intended to insertably receive a head  15  of a conventional fastener  16 . The receptacle  14  is defined by the inner surface of the sidewall  13  and it is of major significance that the sidewall inner surface be tapered downwardly from entrance  17  to the bottom  12  and the tapered inner sidewall is indicated by numeral  18 . The taper inner wall construction is useful for a variety of nut drives, such as impact sockets, deep sockets and 6, 8, or 12 point sockets. 
   The entrance  17  leading into the receptacle  14  may be of any geometrical shape or configuration such as square, hexagon, octagon or the like. In the present illustration, an example illustrates a six-sided or point entrance leading into the receptacle. Therefore, it can be seen that the inner wall  18  is divided into a plurality of flat surfaces such as indicated by flats  20  and  21 . The geometry of the head  15  of the fastener  16  is intended to match the geometry of the entrance  17  leading into the receptacle  14 . Also, the head  15  includes peripheral flats which enable insertion of the head into the receptacle. 
   An access opening  22  is provided in the bottom  12  and is open-ended so as to communicate with the receptacle  14 . The access opening is used to insertably receive a plunger or other implement to force the fastener  16  out of the receptacle at the end of a procedure. The opening  22  may be provided with an inner tapered sidewall as previously described, as shown in broken lines, so a single socket has two different sizes. One end may have a metric size, while the opposite end may have a standard size, as an example. Also, different sizes of metric or standard measures may be employed on the same socket. 
   Referring now in detail to  FIG. 2 , it can be seen that the head  15  of fastener  16  has been introduced into the receptacle  14  and has progressed downwardly until the edge of the head  15  engages with the tapered surface of the sidewall  18 . The fastener head  15  will only progress through the receptacle  14  until engagement with the sidewall occurs. At this time, rotation of the wrench or socket can be achieved to turn the fastener. It is to be understood that the socket  10  may be held on the end of a wrench or may be employed on the chuck of a drill-type turning device or the like. The means for turning the sockets do not form a part of the present invention. 
   Referring now in detail to  FIG. 3 , it can be seen that the body  13  of the socket  10  includes a yieldable O-ring identified by numeral  24 . A portion of the inner diameter of the ring projects into the receptacle  14  and acts as a seal and yieldable means for holding the fastener in position when the fastener head is inserted into the receptacle  14 . The O-ring  24  is mounted in a semi-circular groove  25  which is formed in the tapered surface  18  of the sidewall. Therefore, when the head  15  of the fastener  16  is inserted through the entrance  17  of the receptacle, engagement with the O-ring  24  will occur and the head will pass the O-ring into a deeper portion of the receptacle where engagement with the sidewall  18  takes place. 
   Referring now to  FIG. 4 , another version of retaining means for yieldably holding the head  15  of the fastener  16  in the receptacle resides in providing a groove  30  in the sidewall  13  which is then occupied by a spring  31 . A portion of the spring resides within the receptacle  14  and that portion of the spring is indicated by numeral  32  where the projection of the spring occurs at a point or corner where adjacent flats meet. As previously described, the receptacle is defined by downwardly tapered sidewalls. Both the O-ring  24  and the coil spring  31  serve to resiliently and releasably retain the fastener head in position during a socket turning procedure. 
   Referring now in detail to  FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  10 , another embodiment of the invention is illustrated wherein the receptacle  14  commences at entrance  17  with flat and non-tapered walls, such as wall  33 , followed adjacently by tapered walls, such as tapered wall  34 , continuing to the bottom  12  of the cylindrical body. As illustrated in  FIGS. 6 and 10 , the sidewall of the receptacle  14  may provide a straight wall  33  entrance leading into the tapered sidewall portion  34  of the receptacle  14  or the tapered sidewall  34  may commence directly at the opening or entrance to the receptacle and terminate at the bottom  12 . 
   In  FIG. 7 , a different version of wrench socket is illustrated which is of a two-component construction having a major body portion  35  on which a upper portion  36  is seated. The upper portion  36  includes a receptacle  14  which is similar to the receptacle disclosed and described with respect to  FIG. 6 . The entrance  17  leading into the upper portion has a flat wall  37  while tapered wall  38  terminates with the lower socket section  35 . 
   Referring now in detail to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , still another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the general direction of arrow  40  which includes a cylindrical body  41  having an internal receptacle  42  which is defined by an inner tapered wall, such as indicated by numeral  43 . The entrance  44  leading into the receptacle may be of any geometric configuration but is illustrated as being of a hexagon configuration. The tapered wall  43  includes a plurality of flats which are arranged in the hexagon geometry and which terminate at the bottom  45  of the body  41 . 
   The receptacle  42  includes an interference means, similar to the O-ring  24 , the coiled spring  30 , or any other usable means, in that the embodiment  40  includes a special retainer  46  which is circular and includes rounded periphery, as indicated by numeral  47 . The inner periphery includes a plurality of projections such as indicated by numerals  48  and the projections are arranged in fixed, spaced-apart relationship about the inner diameter of the ring  46 . Each of the respective projections projects through an opening in the body, such as an opening  50  shown in  FIG. 8 , wherein the projection  51  may be inserted therein so as to project into the receptacle  42 . Thus, the projections are in interference with the insertion of the head  15  of a fastener  16 . The composition of the ring  46  is similar to the composition of the O-ring  24  and the projections are compressible so as to be yieldable to the insertion and removal of the fastener head to and from the receptacle. 
   Therefore, it can be seen that the novel wrench socket of the present invention provides a receptacle which, in effect, grasps the head of a fastener and releasably retains of the fastener in the receptacle of the socket. The main feature of the invention is the inside tapered wall of the receptacle and it is to be particularly noted in all of the versions, the socket receptacle is tapered inwardly instead of stamped straight down as in conventional sockets. It is intended that the inventive socket will be available in all sizes, including metric and standard, and will include receptacle geometry which may have six, eight, or twelve points. The inventive socket is stronger than conventional sockets because the tapered inner wall for the receptacle will cause the outer wall to be slightly thicker. The uniqueness of the invention permits the inventive socket to be used on any type of bolt or head regardless of what the bolt is composed of. It is intended that the inventive socket will also have a chrome finish that will allow a user to identify the difference between the inventive socket and other standard or conventional sockets that are available. It is an object of the inventive socket to hold nuts and/or bolts in place in hard-to-get areas so as to avoid injuries to hands and arms. Use of the inventive wrench socket permits mechanics, or others who work on engines or applications requiring a wrench socket in difficult or tight workplaces, will especially have need for the inventive socket. The use of the inventive socket allows the user to work in tight places without injury or damage. Once the socket is set in place, the user can line it up with the head of the nut and begin tightening or loosening, whichever is required. 
   It is to be understood that the receptacle  14  is not “conical” but is in a flat, tapered plane. Prior disclosure, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,411 are related and limited to fastener engaging surfaces forming a conical segment in transverse, cross-sectional perpendicular to an axis of rotation. The shape of receptacle  14  may be of a variety of different geometric configurations but not including conical. 
   While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.