Abstract:
A tool for quickly removing or replacing threaded fasteners such as nuts or bolts has a spool-like body with an axial bore. A socket in the bore is dimensioned to engage a fastener. A flexible member can be wrapped around a circumferential channel in the body. A user can loosen or tighten A fastener by wrapping the flexible member around the channel and pulling on a pull ring on the free end of the flexible member. The tool is particularly well adapted to removing or tightening nuts or bolts in constricted spaces such are encountered when repairing automotive engines or other machinery. The tool is simple and inexpensive to manufacture. The tool may be provided in a kit having several tools for turning fasteners of several standard sizes.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a tool for loosening or tightening fastener heads, such as nuts, bolts or the like in confined spaces. The tool includes a drive socket. A user can rotate the drive socket by pulling on a flexible member wound around a drum. 
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     When repairing automobiles, machinery or other equipment, a mechanic will often encounter fasteners which are in awkward confined locations. Removing or installing such fasteners can be very tedious because in constricted locations there is often not enough room to swing the handle of a conventional wrench through more than a very short stroke. As a result, a mechanic needs to engage the conventional wrench with the nut, push the wrench handle to turn the fastener through a few degrees, disengage the wrench, re-engage the wrench in a different orientation and repeat the process until the fastener has been removed or tightened, as the case may be. This is not only tedious but exposes the mechanic to the risk of skinned knuckles. 
     For some specific applications, such as the bolts on automotive distributor assemblies, there are commercially available wrenches having handles which are bent into a shape which allows the wrench to reach into the confined space while one end of the wrench handle is conveniently accessible to a user. These wrenches have the disadvantage that they are customized for specific applications. They are not generally useful. 
     A search of the prior art has located some tools which are designed to speed up the installation or removal of fasteners. These tools generally take the form of a conventional square drive ratchet wrench to which various sockets may be attached. The square drive can be caused to rotate rapidly about its axis to turn an attached socket without moving the wrench handle. Typically the square drive is caused to turn by means of a flexible member which can be pulled. U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,306,553; 4,541,309; 4,592,254; 2,733,745; 4,099,430; and 4,407,175 are examples of such prior art. 
     The above-noted tools are not well adapted for use in confined spaces. In such spaces they retain many of the disadvantages of conventional wrenches which they seek to replace. First, because they are designed to hold sockets which are to be fitted over top of a fastener head, these tools require significant clearance over the top of the fastener head before they can be used. There is often limited clearance over the top of fastener heads in confined spaces. Second, these tools are generally quite bulky. Third, all of these tools have handles. It can be difficult to maneuver a handled tool into some confined areas. 
     A further disadvantage of the tools described above is that a person using the tool must simultaneously hold the tool handle and pull on a flexible member, such as a cord, or the like to turn the socket. In a confined space this could be very awkward. 
     There is a long standing and continuing need for a tool which can be used to quickly turn the head of a fastener in a confined space so that the fastener may be easily removed or installed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention provides tools which may be used to thread fasteners, such as nuts or bolts on or off. The tools are particularly well adapted for use in confined spaces. In one embodiment the invention provides a tool for tightening and loosening fasteners. The tool comprises a body having a bore extending axially therethrough. The body has a generally cylindrical outer surface and an inner surface. A socket is provided in the bore and a circumferential channel on the outer surface. a flexible member has one end attached to the body, a free end and a length capable of being wrapped more than once around the outer surface of the body within the circumferential channel. When the socket is engaged with a rotatable fastener with the flexible member wrapped around the body the fastener can be turned by pulling on the free end of the flexible member. 
     In preferred embodiments channel is defined between a pair of circumferential flanges. Most preferably one of the circumferential flanges comprises a notched circumferential edge. a hand grip is preferably attached to the free end of the flexible member. 
     In specific embodiments the socket comprises a twelve point socket, and a six point socket. Several tools according to the invention with sockets dimensioned to fit fasteners of different sizes may be provided in a kit. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     In drawings which illustrate a currently preferred embodiment of the invention, but which should not be construed as restricting the spirit or scope of the invention in any way, 
     FIG. 1A is a top, plan cut-away view of a conventional prior art wrench being employed to engage a nut in a constricted space highlighting the significantly reduced range of motion and the subsequent reduction in ease and efficiency of use; 
     FIG. 1B is an elevational view of the stud shown in FIG. 1A; 
     FIG. 2 is a top, isometric view of a tool according to this invention engaged on a nut to be removed; 
     FIG. 3 is an elevational cross sectional view on the lines  3 — 3  of the tool of FIG. 2 in a constricted space while it is engaged with a nut; 
     FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the tool of FIG. 2 in a constricted space while it is employed over a nut. 
     FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a first alternative embodiment of the tool which has a  6  point socket; 
     FIG. 6 is a top, plan view of a second alternative embodiment of the tool which has a rectangular configuration socket; 
     FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a third alternative embodiment of the tool wherein the socket is on a replaceable insert; and, 
     FIG. 8 is a top plan cut away view of a tool according to the invention being used to remove a nut from the stud shown in FIGS.  1 A and  1 B. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIGS. 1A and 1B show a nut  10  threaded onto a stud  12 . Stud  12  is located near some obstructions  16 . It can be seen that removing nut  10  from stud  12  with a conventional open-ended wrench  18  can be very tedious. Handle  19  of wrench  18  can be moved through an angle θ of only a few degrees, between the two positions shown respectively in solid and dashed outline, without hitting obstructions  16 . As shown in FIG. 1B, obstruction  16  overlies stud  12  and thereby prevents the easy use of a socket wrench to turn nut  10 . While the example of FIGS. 1A and 1B is somewhat contrived there are many cases where it becomes necessary to turn a fastener located in a similarly constricted location. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates a tool  20  which may be used to spin a fastener, such as nut  10  or a bolt (not shown) on or off. Tool  20  has a generally cylindrical body  23 . A bore  25  (FIG. 3) extends axially through body  23 . Body  23  has a generally cylindrical outer surface  27 . Preferably outer surface  27  and bore  25  are concentric and are each symmetrical about a central axis A. A channel  29  is formed in outer surface  27 . In the embodiment of FIG. 2, channel  29  is defined between two circumferential protrusions or “flanges”  50 ,  51 . 
     Bore  25  has an inner surface  30 . Inner surface  30  defines a socket  34  for engaging a fastener drive head, such as a nut or the head of a bolt or the like. In the preferred embodiment of FIG. 2, inner surface  30  has twelve generally triangular ribs  32  which project inwardly from inner surface  30  to form socket  34 . Ribs  32  provide a standard twelve-point socket  34 . In general, socket  34  can engage two or more sides of nut  10 . The twelve-point socket  34  of FIG. 2 can engage with sides of a hexagonal drive head, such as nut  10 . 
     A flexible member  70 , such as a cable, strap or the like is attached to body  23  such that the cable has one free end  72 . A grasping handle, such as a pull ring  73  is preferably provided on free end  72 . Flexible member  70  may be wrapped around outer surface  27  of body  23  in channel  29 . 
     The use of tool  20  will now be clear to anyone skilled in the art. If the fastener in question is tight, the fastener is first loosened in a conventional manner, for example, by using a conventional open-ended wrench. Tool  20  is not designed to provide enough torque to break loose a tight fastener or to finally tighten a fastener. Because tool  20  is not required to bear such torques during normal operation it is not necessary for socket  34  to be made of especially strong materials. Body  23 , including socket  34  may, for example, be made from a suitable high impact plastic. 
     Flexible member  70  is first wrapped around body  23  as described above. Body  23  is then placed over the fastener in question (for example, nut  10 ) with socket  34  engaging the fastener. After tool  20  has been engaged with the fastener, as in FIG. 3, the free end  72  of cable  70  can be pulled. Pulling on flexible member  70  in the direction of arrow  76  causes tool  20  to rotate around its central axis A in the sense indicated by arrow  77 . Because nut  10  is engaged with socket  34 , nut  10  rotates with body  23 . 
     Flexible member  70  is preferably long enough to wrap at least several times around channel  29 . This makes it possible for a fastener such as nut  10  to be turned through several complete revolutions before it is necessary to wrap flexible member  70  around channel  29  again. Most preferably flexible member  70  is long enough that it can be wrapped around channel  29  at least 5 to 10 times. Flexible member  70  should not be too long or too thin. A long thin flexible member  70  would be prone to becoming tangled if tool  20  is not carefully stored. 
     Preferably socket  34  is dimensioned to fit snugly on a standard-sized fastener. A tight fit between the socket  34  and nut  10  helps to ensure that socket  34  will stay engaged with nut  10  as nut  10  rotates and moves along stud  12 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 the dimension D of a tool  20  can be much smaller than the equivalent dimension of a standard ratchet wrench equipped with a socket. Tool  20  can therefore be slipped into small spaces, such as gap G of FIG. 1B which extends between the top end of stud  12  and obstruction  16 . FIG. 8 shows tool  20  being used to turn the nut  10  of FIG.  1 A. U.P. Dimension D is preferably about the same as the thinkness of a nut. U.P. 
     A feature of tool  20  is that channel  29  is radially directly outward from socket  34 . As a result, when a user pulls on flexible member  70 , tool  20  does not tend to be pulled off of nut  10  (or another fastener engaged by socket  34 ). In other words, tool  20  does not tend to tilt relative to axis A as flexible member  70  is pulled. It is unnecessary to provide a handle or other stabilizing means to hold body  23  as tool  20  is used. This makes it possible to make a tool  20  which is simpler, less expensive to make and less bulky than the prior art wrenches described above. 
     Normal ratcheting socket wrenches have a limited depth. Such wrenches therefore cannot be used to turn nuts which are threaded onto very long studs. The ends of the studs would prevent the sockets from reaching the nuts. Tool  20  has a through bore  25 . Consequently tool  20  can be used to turn nuts on studs of any length. 
     Notches or serrations  40  (FIG. 2) may be provided around the periphery of one or both of flanges  50 ,  51 . A user can push on notches  40  with a suitable implement, such as the end of a screwdriver, to help to turn tool  20  if the fastener being turned (e.g. nut  10 ) sticks while it is being turned. 
     As should be apparent from the above description, many variations and modifications may be made to tool  20  without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. By way of example only, tool  20  may be made from various materials. Body  23  of tool  20 , including socket  34  and channel  29  may, for example be molded as a single unitary part of a suitable plastic or a suitable metal alloy. Socket  34  may take various forms. For example, FIG. 5 shows a tool  20  having a socket  34 A which has a six point (hexagonal) configuration. FIG. 6 shows a tool  20  having a socket  34 B which comprises a pair of parallel opposed flat surfaces  80  which extend along the entire length of bore  25  and are equidistant from axis A. Tool  20  may be provided with sockets  34  dimensioned to fit other shapes of fastener, such as square fasteners. 
     Socket  34  may be provided on a removable insert  84  (FIG.  7 ). Insert  84  may be detachably and non-rotatably received within a bore  85  in any suitable way. For example, insert  84  and bore  85  may be non-round in section or insert  84  may comprise one or more projections which engage corresponding recesses in bore  85 . This permits a single body  23  to be fitted with any one of a set of several different interchangeable inserts  84 . Each insert  84  may have a differently sized socket  34 . 
     Tool  20  may be manufactured and made available as a kit comprising several tools  20  each having a socket  34  dimensioned to fit a different standard sized fastener. The kit may comprise tools  20  having sockets  34  shaped to fit different types of fastener. For example, a kit including tools  20  having sockets  34  sized to fit hexagonal nuts or bolts of sizes ½ inch, {fraction (9/16)} inch, ⅝ inch, and ¾ inch would cover a large proportion of the fasteners typically encountered in repairing machinery made in the United States. Tools  20  could also be provided in a kit in sizes for the most commonly encountered metric fasteners. For example, such a kit could include tools  20  with sockets  34  dimensioned to fit hexagonal nuts or bolts of sizes 10 mm, 11 mm, 12 mm, 13 mm and 14 mm. 
     The outer surface  27  of body  23  is generally cylindrical. Outer surface  27  does not need to be circular but could be faceted or could comprise a number of longitudinal ribs or the like. All that is necessary is that flexible member should be able to wrap around body  23  in channel  29  in such a manner that the parts of flexible member in channel  29  which bear against outer surface  27  are more or less equidistant from axis A. 
     Flexible member  70  may comprise cable, cord, a strap, or any other strong flexible element capable of being wound around channel  29  and pulled to turn body  23  as described above. The length of flexible member  70  may be varied as described above. 
     The diameter of body  23  may be varied. Increasing the diameter of body  23  makes it possible to deliver greater torque to a fastener at the expense of greater bulk and the need to pull more of flexible member  70  to turn body  23  through a given number of revolutions. 
     In light of the foregoing, the scope of the invention is to be construed in accordance with the substance defined by the following claims.