Abstract:
A grasping tool for obtaining a firm grasp on a nut or other fastener structure that may be deformed in size or shape by time and damage. The tool includes a series of elongated fingers arranged radially in a group and mounted for longitudinal movement in a sleeve. A nut or other fastener to be removed is placed between ends of the fingers extending from the sleeve. As the sleeve is moved toward the nut or other fastener the wall of the sleeve pushes the ends of the fingers inward, to grasp firmly the nut or other fastener to be removed. Various structures and methods may be used to move the sleeve over the fingers and to rotate the grasping tool once attached firmly to the nut or other structure to remove the nut or other structure.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/909,506, filed Apr. 2, 2007, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention pertains generally to tools, such as hand operated tools, and, more particularly to such tools used for removing fasteners such as bolts and nuts. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is common for a worker to be faced with a situation where a nut or other securing or fastening device that is to be removed has, over time, or due to exposure to corrosive elements, become rusted or otherwise too tightly affixed to a bolt or an underlying surface. The typical first approach to this situation is to attempt to use a conventional wrench, such as a socket, box, or adjustable wrench, to remove the rusted nut. This approach often fails, as rust or other corrosion that has formed on the nut often distorts the shape and size of the nut, thereby preventing proper seating of a conventional sized wrench on the nut. Furthermore, it is common for nuts exposed to environmental conditions to become corroded and deteriorate such that the edges of the nut become weak. When a conventional wrench is attempted to be used to remove such a nut, the edges of the nut may strip off, thereby preventing any further attempt to remove the nut with a conventional wrench. At this point, after the wrenches have failed to obtain an adequate grip about the nut, the worker may resort to using pliers to remove the nut. This typically results in further stripping of the edges of the nut, as it is very difficult to obtain adequate gripping force on the nut with pliers. Furthermore, access to the nut to be removed may be limited, thereby further preventing the use of pliers. 
     What is desired, therefore, is a device for removing nuts, bolts, and similar fasteners that may be used to obtain a sufficiently strong grip on a fastener such that a fastener that is fixed in place and distorted in size and shape by time and corrosion may be removed more readily. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a grasping tool for grasping and removing variously sized nuts and other securing devices. A grasping tool in accordance with the present invention provides substantially uniform pressure on all sides of an object to be removed (such as a nut) such that the applied pressure increases as increased rotational force is applied to the device. The substantially uniform pressure provided by a grasping tool in accordance with the present invention provides a secure grip on a nut sufficient to allow the nut to be removed readily without depending on the integrity of the side ridges of the nut. Thus, a grasping tool in accordance with the present invention facilitates the removal of nuts and similar securing devices which may be rusted, corroded, or otherwise deformed by the elements, or by the use of other tools to remove the securing device. 
     A grasping tool in accordance with the present invention includes a series of elongated fingers arranged radially in a group and mounted for longitudinal movement in a sleeve. A nut or other fastener to be removed is placed between ends of the fingers extending from the sleeve. As the sleeve is moved toward the nut or other fastener the wall of the sleeve pushes the ends of the fingers inward, to grasp firmly the nut or other fastener to be removed. Various structures and methods may be used to move the sleeve over the fingers and to rotate the grasping tool once attached firmly to the nut or other structure to remove the nut or other structure. 
     The objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention made in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustration of an exemplary first embodiment of a grasping tool in accordance with the present invention, showing fingers thereof in an open position and a socket lock thereof in an up position. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustration of the exemplary grasping tool in accordance with the present invention of  FIG. 1 , showing fingers thereof in a closed position the socket lock in a down position. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view illustration of the exemplary grasping tool in accordance with the present invention of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a side-by-side cross-section and side view of the exemplary grasping tool in accordance with the present invention of  FIG. 1 , showing fingers thereof in a closed position and the socket lock in a down position. 
         FIG. 5  is a side-by-side cross-section and side view of the exemplary grasping tool in accordance with the present invention of  FIG. 1 , showing fingers thereof in an open position and the socket lock in an up position. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view illustration of a second exemplary embodiment of a grasping tool in accordance with the present invention, showing fingers thereof in an open position. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view illustration of the exemplary grasping tool in accordance with the present invention of  FIG. 6 , showing fingers thereof in a closed position. 
         FIG. 8  is an exploded perspective view illustration of the exemplary grasping tool in accordance with the present invention of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 9  is a top and bottom cross-section and side view of the exemplary grasping tool in accordance with the present invention of  FIG. 6 , showing fingers thereof in a closed position. 
         FIG. 10  is a top and bottom cross-section and side view of the exemplary grasping tool in accordance with the present invention of  FIG. 6 , showing fingers thereof in an open position. 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view illustration of a third exemplary embodiment of a grasping tool in accordance with the present invention, showing fingers thereof in a closed position. 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view illustration of the exemplary grasping tool in accordance with the present invention of  FIG. 11 , showing fingers thereof in an open position. 
         FIG. 13  is a second perspective view illustration of the exemplary grasping tool in accordance with the present invention of  FIG. 11 , showing fingers thereof in a closed position. 
         FIG. 14  is a second perspective view illustration of the exemplary grasping tool in accordance with the present invention of  FIG. 11 , showing fingers thereof in an open position. 
         FIG. 15  is an exploded perspective view illustration of the exemplary grasping tool in accordance with the present invention of  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 16  is a cross-section view of the exemplary grasping tool in accordance with the present invention of  FIG. 11 , showing fingers thereof in a closed position. 
         FIG. 17  is a cross-section view of the exemplary grasping tool in accordance with the present invention of  FIG. 11 , showing fingers thereof in an open position. 
         FIG. 18  is a perspective view illustration of another exemplary embodiment of a grasping tool in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 19  is a side view illustration in partial cross-section of the exemplary grasping tool in accordance with the present invention of  FIG. 18 , showing fingers thereof in an open position. 
         FIG. 20  is a side view illustration in partial cross-section of the exemplary grasping tool in accordance with the present invention of  FIG. 18 , showing fingers thereof in a closed position. 
         FIG. 21  is a side view exploded view illustration of the exemplary grasping tool in accordance with the present invention of  FIG. 18 . 
         FIG. 22  is a view of the exemplary grasping tool in accordance with the present invention of  FIG. 18  as taken along the line  22 - 22  of  FIG. 20 , showing in more detail a finger assembly in a sleeve thereof. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawing figures, which illustrate various embodiments of the invention. It should be noted that similar elements and structures having the same functionality in the various illustrated embodiments will be referred to in the drawings using the same reference numerals. It should also be noted that all of the components illustrated in the drawing figures are not necessarily presented to scale, but are illustrated in a manner to facilitate illustration and understanding. Finally, dimensions are not provided for any of the components described and illustrated herein. It should be understood that a grasping tool in accordance with the present invention may be made in any convenient size, depending upon the size of the nuts or other fasteners to be removed using the tool. Unless otherwise noted, all of the components of a grasping tool in accordance with the present invention may be made and assembled using conventional manufacturing techniques and of any appropriate material, such as steel. 
     A first exemplary embodiment of a grasping tool  30  in accordance with the present invention is depicted in  FIGS. 1-5 .  FIGS. 1 and 5  show the grasping tool  30  in an open position, as it would be before engaging a nut.  FIGS. 2 and 4  show the grasping tool  30  in a closed position, as it would be after engaging a nut or other fastener type. 
     Various components of the grasping tool  30  are illustrated in the exploded perspective view of  FIG. 3 . These components include: a bolt  32  with a head portion  34  and a threaded portion  36 ; a series of fingers  38  that are bound together by a ring  40  forming a concentric unit; a sleeve  42  with an adjusting nut portion  44  formed on or secured to the top thereof, wherein the sleeve and adjusting nut have a passage  46  therethrough; a socket  48  configured to engage the adjusting nut  44  on top of the sleeve  42  and to receive an end piece  50 ; and an end piece  50  with a top portion  52  configured to accept a socket driver, and a bottom portion  54  that extends through the center of the socket  48 . The end piece  50  further includes a threaded passage  56  for engaging the threaded portion  36  of the bolt  32 . The fingers  38  each have an interior indentation  58  at the bottom thereof for extending around and grasping a nut or other fastener structure. The ring  40 , which fits into a groove  60  formed near the top on the exterior side of each finger  38 , is used to restrain the series of fingers  38  from separating from each other at their top portions. The fingers  38  may be uniform in width along the length thereof, or may be configured such that each finger  38  decreases in width as it approaches its top portion, a wider bottom portion would provide additional rotational torque. Each finger  32  has an indentation  62  on its interior side near the top portion for receiving a portion of the head  34  of the bolt  32 . 
     The fingers  32  are inserted into the sleeve  42  along with the ring  40  and the bolt  32 . The bolt head  34  is situated inside the series of fingers  38  and seated against the indentation  62  thereon. The threaded end  36  of the bolt  32  is inserted through the aperture  46  through the sleeve  42  and the adjusting nut  44  atop the sleeve  42 , and through the central aperture of the socket  48 , and is threaded into the end of the bottom portion  54  of the end piece  50 . The bolt head  34  thus engages each of the fingers  38  longitudinally, such that when the bolt  32  is threaded upwardly into the end piece  50  (by rotating the end piece  50  with a conventional socket driver while the socket  48  is disengaged from the adjusting nut  44 ), the fingers  38  will be pulled into the sleeve  42 , causing the bottom ends of the fingers  38  to push against the inside of the sleeve and close inward about a nut to be removed. This creates a relatively uniform pressure around the nut. 
     Once the nut is secured within the fingers  38 , the socket  48  is pushed down to engage the adjusting nut  44  and the end piece  50  simultaneously. Additional rotational force applied to the end piece  52  (e.g., by the socket driver) will rotate the entire grasping tool  30 , now firmly attached to the nut, resulting in the nut being turned. 
     After the nut has been removed, rotating the end piece  50  in the opposite direction will result in the bolt head  34  and fingers  38  being pushed downward, forcing the grasping portion  58  of the fingers  38  out of the sleeve  42  and apart, thereby releasing the nut. 
     Another exemplary embodiment of a grasping tool  70  in accordance with the present invention is depicted in  FIGS. 6-10 .  FIGS. 6 and 10  show this embodiment of the invention in the open position, as it would be to grasp onto a nut or other fastener to be removed.  FIGS. 7 and 9  show this embodiment of the invention in the closed position, as it would be when engaging a nut.  FIG. 8  shows an exploded view of the device  70  consisting of a bolt  32  that is fed through a series of fingers  38  that extend longitudinally downward. The fingers  38  are bound at the top by a ring  40  that partially sits inside a circular groove  60  formed around the perimeter of the fingers  38 . The fingers  38  collectively form a pocket in the inner portion to receive the head of the bolt. The bottom portion of each finger  38  has an indentation  58  on the interior side to accommodate a portion of a nut. The bolt  32  and the fingers  38  are inserted into the sleeve  42 , with the threaded end  36  of the bolt  32  exiting through the aperture  46  in the top of the sleeve and being received by an adjusting nut  72 . 
     To remove a nut (or another type of fastening device), the bottom portion of the fingers  38  are placed around the nut and the adjusting nut  72  atop the sleeve  42  is rotated, drawing the threaded bolt  32  upwards through the top portion of the sleeve  42 . As the bolt head  34  and engaged fingers  38  are pulled farther inside the sleeve  42 , the bottom portion of the fingers  38  move inward, thereby causing the fingers  38  to close in around the nut. Additional rotational force on the adjusting nut  72  will rotate the entire grasping tool  70  that is now secured to the nut, thereby also rotating the nut. 
     After the nut has been removed from its secured position, the nut is removed from the grasping tool  70  by loosening the adjusting nut  72 , thereby allowing the bolt head  34  and finger assembly  38  to slide downward from the sleeve  42 . As the fingers  38  exit the sleeve  42 , the bottom portion of the fingers  38  move apart, and the loosened nut may be removed from the grasping tool  70 . 
     A further embodiment of a grasping tool  80  in accordance with the present invention, using a different method of opening and closing the fingers, is illustrated in  FIGS. 11-17 . In this embodiment of the present invention, the grasping tool  80  the includes a sleeve  82  with a partially threaded bolt  84  affixed to and extending downward from the inside top portion thereof, and a cog shaped structure  86  with an aperture  88  in the center, where the cog structure  86  slides upon the shaft of the bolt  84 . Fingers  90  engage and substantially surround the cog  86 , such that as the fingers  90  move upwards inside the sleeve  82  the cog  86  guides them and keeps them uniform. A spring  92  may be located inside the sleeve  82  between the cog  86  and the top of the inside portion of the sleeve  42 . The spring  92  acts to push the cog  86  and fingers  90  downward outside the sleeve  82 , thereby pushing the fingers  90  apart to receive a fastening device such as a nut. To engage a nut, the fingers are  90  are placed about the nut and the sleeve  82  is pushed downward, this causes the fingers  90 , guided by the cog  86 , to move at least substantially inside the sleeve  42  resulting in pressure around the nut. An indentation  94  is located at the top of the sleeve  82  to accommodate a socket driver. When a socket drive is inserted and rotated, the sleeve  82  and the fingers  90  are rotated along with the nut. 
     A further exemplary embodiment  100  of the present invention, having additional desirable features, will now be described with reference to  FIGS. 18-22 . In this embodiment  100  of the invention a sleeve containing the fingers is operated by lever action to bring the ends of the fingers into tight contact with a nut or other fastener to be removed. This embodiment of the present invention may thus include a fastener grasping portion  102  and a lever actuation portion  104 . 
     The grasping portion  102  of this embodiment  100  of the present invention features a finger assembly  106 . The finger assembly  106  includes fingers  108  for grasping a nut, as described previously, as well as a finger support structure  110 . As illustrated best in  FIG. 22 , the finger support structure  110  includes a series of evenly spaced elongated longitudinal grooves  111  formed radially thereon. One elongated groove  111  is provided in the finger support structure  106  for each finger  108 . Each elongated groove  111  is formed only slightly larger in width than the width of each finger  108 . 
     The fingers  108  are positioned with respect to the support structure  110  so as to reside in the grooves  111 , with one finger  108  in each groove. The length of the fingers  108  is such that the ends of the fingers  108  that are to grasp a nut, bolt, or other fastener  112  (see  FIG. 18 ) extend beyond a lower end of the finger support structure  110 . The entire finger assembly  106  is then mounted in a sleeve  113 . As shown in  FIG. 22 , the interior wall of the sleeve  113  may take the form of a conventional twelve point socket. In this configuration, the finger support structure  110  may have a hexagonal cross section, with the points of the support structure  110  fitting in alternating grooves in the interior wall of the sleeve  113 . The elongated grooves  111  in the support structure  110  are formed midway between the points thereof, such that the fingers  108  mounted therein are disposed in the other alternating grooves in the interior wall of the sleeve  113 . As can be seen, the finger support structure  106  provides radial support for the fingers  108 , thereby preventing radial movement of the fingers  108  when the fingers  108  are grasping and turning a nut or other fastener  112  structure being removed. 
     The finger assembly  106  is mounted in the sleeve  113  in the manner described previously. A compression spring  114  may be provided, as described above, between the assembly  106  and the top of the sleeve  113 , to push the assembly  106  downward to facilitate removal of a nut from the grasp of the fingers  108 . 
     A threaded bolt  115  extends upward through the finger assembly  106  and through a hole in the top of the sleeve  111  and through a lever plate  116  attached at the top of the sleeve. The threaded end of the bolt  115  is attached to a cap piece  118  mounted at the top of the lever plate  116 . The cap piece  118  may have a conventional socket structure formed in the top thereof to facilitate the mounting of the lever portion  104  to the grasping portion  102 . Note that appropriate bearing structures  119  may be positioned at the top of the sleeve  113  in the grasping portion  102  to facilitate ratchet action when the grasping portion is rotated via the lever portion  104  to remove a nut, bolt, or other fastener  112  to which it is attached. 
     The lever portion  104  includes a pivot structure  120 . Operation of a locking plier like structure  122  about the pivot structure  120  operates a lever  124 , the end of which is adjacent to the lever plate  116 , to push the sleeve  113  forward toward the ends of the fingers  108 , thereby bringing the ends of the fingers  108  together to grasp firmly a bolt  112  or other structure to be removed. The locking structure locks the fingers  108  in this grasping position. The lever structure  104  may then be rotated to remove the nut, bolt, or other structure  112 . 
     It is contemplated that the aforementioned components may be sized to accommodate varying size nuts and other types of fasteners. A very large size for industrial applications is contemplated along with a very small and portable device for light duty applications. The grasping portion of the fingers may be configured to match the common indentations of a nut or they may be round or another shape configured to handle any particular type of securing device, such as a square nut, cap-nut or an elliptical fastener. Additionally, the fingers may have various cross-sectional shapes such as elliptical, round, or trapezoidal. 
     The end piece, which has been described and shown to receive a socket driver may also be configured to receive various other tools such as a screwdriver or other device configured to provide rotational force. The components described in the aforementioned invention would preferably be made of hardened steel, but may also be made of other suitable materials depending on the application and the particular needs; for example, for use in wet environments, the device may be made of aluminum or galvanized steel or have a corrosion resistant finish. Further, the spring used in the various embodiments may be of varying lengths and resilience, and may be used in any one of the embodiments. 
     It is noted that a grasping tool in accordance with the present invention is capable of grasping nuts and other fasteners over a continuous, but limited, range of sizes. Thus, a single grasping tool in accordance with the present invention may serve as universal socket for a range of fastener sizes. A few grasping tools in accordance with the present invention, each covering a different range of fastener sizes, may thus be used to replace two entire sets (one standard and one metric) of conventional socket wrench sockets. 
     It is understood that the invention is not confined to the particular construction and arrangement of parts herein illustrated and described, but embraces such modified forms thereof as come within the scope of the following claims.