Abstract:
An adaptor to mate with a hand tool such as a folding multipurpose tool to make use of the multipurpose tool as a handle to turn tool bits of various sizes, such as screwdrivers or small socket wrenches. The adaptor includes a drive plate which mates with the hand tool, and a tool bit-engaging member attached to the drive plate and movable angularly between various positions, with a latch to keep the tool bit-engaging member in a selected position. A pair of arms of the drive plate engage the sides of the jaws of one type of multipurpose tool to locate the adaptor as required with respect to the multipurpose tool.

Description:
[0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/459,742, filed Dec. 10, 1999, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/785,525, filed Jan. 17, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,080. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to hand tools, and in particular to an adaptor for use with pliers or multipurpose hand tools to turn screwdriver bits, small socket wrenches, and the like.  
           [0003]    It is well known to use a single handle to drive a selected one of a set of screwdriver bits or wrenches of various sizes, to save the cost of having several handles. It is also often desirable thus to minimize the weight and number of tools used or carried. Adaptors intended to be gripped by drill chucks are also available to receive such bits. Some multipurpose hand tools previously available have also included drive members for driving small socket wrenches. Some of these drives, while useful, add undesirably to the size of the multipurpose tools of which they are part, making the multipurpose tools less convenient to carry.  
           [0004]    Folding multipurpose tools are disclosed, for example, in Leatherman U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,238,862, and 4,888,869. Many generally similar tools are available.  
           [0005]    Most such multipurpose tools do not include more than two or three sizes of straight screwdriver blades and one or two sizes of Phillips screwdrivers. Such multipurpose tools do not usually include any socket wrench drives, and thus they are not readily useful to drive many of the various different types or sizes of screwdriver bits and socket wrenches available. However, it would be advantageous to be able to drive such screwdriver bits, socket wrenches or other small tools using an available multipurpose tool as a drive handle. This would be particularly advantageous to avoid carrying several special drive handles where it is important to minimize the weight of tools carried, as in bicycle touring.  
           [0006]    Depending on the space available around a screw, bolt, or nut it may be necessary or desirable for a socket or screwdriver to be adjustable optionally to be aligned with a handle or to extend at an angle to one side. While some adaptors have been available previously to enable screwdrivers or small socket wrenches to be driven by a folding multipurpose tool, these arrangements have not been strong enough, or have been limited to axially aligned engagement with a screwdriver included in a multipurpose tool, or have been otherwise limited in their usefulness.  
           [0007]    What is needed, then, is a suitably strong adaptor by which various small tool bits, screwdrivers, or sockets can be driven, using another hand tool as a handle for the adaptor, and with which such tool bits can be aligned at selected angles with respect to the hand tool. Preferably, such an adaptor could be used with multipurpose tools such as those which are already well known and widely available and would be small enough to be carried conveniently.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    The present invention overcomes the aforementioned shortcomings of the prior art and supplies an answer to the need for a small and easily used, but strong, adaptor to enable various tool bits to be driven by a single hand tool. As used herein a tool bit means a screwdriver bit or a small wrench socket, or a similar tool which may be one of a set of such tools of several sizes, all of which can be driven in rotation when mated with a suitable drive member. An adaptor according to the present invention includes a drive plate having a driven end and a driving end, with a tool bit-engaging member attached to the drive plate near its driving end. A pair of generally parallel arms are included at the driven end of the drive plate and are available to engage or be engaged by a hand tool which is to be used as a handle for the adaptor.  
           [0009]    In one embodiment of the present invention the tool bit-engaging member includes a hexagonal socket of an appropriate size for receiving the shanks of interchangeable screwdriver bits and other tool bits of the same size.  
           [0010]    In a preferred embodiment of the invention the tool bit-engaging member is able to pivot with respect to the drive plate, between an in-line orientation and an offset or angled position.  
           [0011]    Another aspect of the invention is a locking mechanism provided to hold the tool bit-engaging member in an in-line orientation or in a selected angled orientation with respect to the drive plate when the adaptor is being used. In one such locking mechanism a spring-loaded tooth engages a selected notch on the drive plate, while a collar surrounding the body of the tool bit-engaging member keeps the tooth aligned and is useful to disengage the tooth from a notch.  
           [0012]    Preferably, the driven end of the drive plate includes a projection arranged to engage a handle of a multipurpose tool to keep the adaptor securely mated with the multipurpose tool.  
           [0013]    In one embodiment of the invention, the parallel arms defined on the driven end of the adaptor drive plate are arranged to fit snugly along opposite sides of a pair of jaws of a multipurpose tool with which the adaptor is mated.  
           [0014]    A feature of one embodiment of the invention is a stiffener portion of the drive plate that increases the amount of torque that can be transmitted to a tool bit in an offset or angled position.  
           [0015]    The foregoing and other objectives, features, and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.  
         BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tool bit drive adaptor according to the present invention, together with a portion of a tool bit.  
           [0017]    [0017]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tool bit drive adaptor shown in FIG. 1 in place between the handles of a folding multipurpose tool.  
           [0018]    [0018]FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the folding multipurpose tool and tool bit drive adaptor shown in FIG. 2, with the handles and jaws of the folding multipurpose tool partially separated from each other.  
           [0019]    [0019]FIG. 4 is a side elevational view, at an enlarged scale, of the tool bit drive adaptor shown in FIG. 3, together with a portion of the folding multipurpose tool, shown partially cut away.  
           [0020]    [0020]FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the tool bit drive adaptor and portion of a multipurpose tool shown in FIG. 4.  
           [0021]    [0021]FIG. 6 is a view of the tool bit drive adaptor and portion of a multipurpose tool shown in FIG. 4, rotated 180° about a longitudinal axis of the tool bit drive adaptor to show the opposite side from that shown in FIG. 4.  
           [0022]    [0022]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the tool bit drive adaptor shown in FIG. 1, together with a folding multipurpose tool of a somewhat larger size than the multipurpose tool shown in FIG. 2.  
           [0023]    [0023]FIG. 8 is a view similar to that of FIG. 4, showing the position of the tool bit drive adaptor relative to the positions of the handles and jaws of the multipurpose tool shown in FIG. 7.  
           [0024]    [0024]FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view of the tool bit drive adaptor, together with a portion of the multipurpose tool shown in FIG. 7.  
           [0025]    [0025]FIG. 10 is a view similar to that of FIG. 6, showing the tool bit drive adaptor of the invention together with the multipurpose tool shown in FIG. 7.  
           [0026]    [0026]FIG. 11 is a sectional view of a portion of the tool bit drive adaptor shown in FIGS.  1 - 10 , taken along line  11 - 11  of FIG. 1.  
           [0027]    [0027]FIG. 12 is a view of the collar and locking member of the tool bit drive adaptor shown in FIGS.  1 - 11 , taken in the direction of line  12 - 12  of FIG. 1.  
           [0028]    [0028]FIG. 13 is a detail, at an enlarged scale, of the collar and locking member shown in FIG. 11.  
           [0029]    [0029]FIG. 14 is a view similar to FIG. 11, but showing the corresponding portion of a tool bit drive adaptor which is an alternative embodiment of the present invention.  
           [0030]    [0030]FIG. 15 is a view similar to FIG. 14, showing the portion of a tool bit drive adaptor shown in FIG. 14 with its tool bit-engaging member in a locking position with respect to the adaptor drive plate.  
           [0031]    [0031]FIG. 16 is a section view taken along line  16 - 16  of FIG. 15. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0032]    Referring to FIGS.  1 - 6  of the drawings which form a part of the disclosure herein, a tool bit drive adaptor  20  includes a tool bit-engaging member  22  attached to a driving end  23  of a drive plate  24 . A hexagonal socket  26  is defined in an outer, or driving, end of the tool bit-engaging member  22  to receive a hexagonal end or base  28  of a tool bit which may be a screwdriver or a wrench belonging to a set of similar screwdrivers or wrenches all having bases of a size to fit the socket  26 , so that a single handle may be used to drive any of the screwdrivers or wrenches.  
         [0033]    Within the socket  26 , a circular spring  30  is located within a radial groove deep enough to allow the circular spring  30  to expand to permit the base  28  of the screwdriver or other tool bit to enter into the socket  26 , after which the elastic grip of the spring  30  helps to retain the base  28  within the socket  26 .  
         [0034]    The drive plate  24  includes a pair of substantially parallel fork arms  32  and  34 , located at a driven end  36  of the drive plate  24  and defining a jaw-receiving throat  39  between them. A hole  35  is provided in the fork arm  32  to receive a lanyard to keep the adaptor  20  handy. The drive plate  24  is formed as by stamping or pressing an appropriately shaped unitary blank cut from a sheet of metal such as steel of an appropriate thickness, for example 0.094 inch. A retaining tab  38  is bent to extend generally perpendicularly upward from the fork arm  32 , and a portion of the drive plate  24  is bent similarly upward to form a stiffener  40  extending along the length of the drive plate  24  including the fork arm  34 . The stiffener  40  may have a width  41  of about 0.25 inch, for example. Provision of the stiffener  40  adds significantly to the ability of the adaptor  20  to transmit torque to a tool bit without damage to or failure of the drive plate  24 , particularly when the tool bit-engaging member is in an angled position rather than in line with the length of the drive plate  24 .  
         [0035]    As may best be seen in FIGS. 1, 5, and  6 , an outer end portion of the fork arm  34  is offset slightly out of the principal plane  37  of the drive plate  24  to act as a spacer  41  having an upper, or spacer surface  42  whose function will be explained presently. A pair of spacer bumps  44  are also provided in the drive plate  24  near its driving end  23 , extending upward away from its bottom surface  61 , and may be formed by stamping or coining the blank as a part of the process of manufacturing the drive plate  24 .  
         [0036]    As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the adaptor  20  is used with a multipurpose folding tool such as a Leatherman® Pocket Survival Tool™  46  which includes a pair of folding handles  48 ,  50  of sheet metal channel construction. The tool  46  also includes a pair of interconnected jaws  52  and  54  each having a respective base  56 ,  58  about which one of the handles  48 ,  50  can rotate, between a folded position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and an extended position (not shown) in which the handles  48 ,  50  extend from the bases  56 ,  58  for operation of the jaws  52 ,  54 . An inner surface  60  of the fork arm  34  extends closely alongside the pivotally interconnected portions of the jaws  52 ,  54  of the Leatherman® Pocket Survival Tool™  46 , and inner surfaces  62  and  66  extend closely alongside portions of the opposite side of the pivotally interconnected portions of the jaws  52 ,  54 , visible in FIG. 3. Opposed marginal surfaces  55  of the handles  48  and  50  also rest upon opposite faces  59  and  61  of the drive plate  24 , in contact therewith adjacent the throat  39 . The spacer portion  41  extends alongside the handle  48 , and the marginal surfaces  55  of the handles  48 ,  50  rest upon or close to the opposite faces  59  and  61  of the drive plate  24  along both of the legs  32  and  34 . At the same time, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the retaining tab  38  extends within the handle  48 , whose shape includes an inward jog defining an angled face  64 , so that the retaining tab  38  prevents the drive plate  24  from being withdrawn from its position between the handles  48 ,  50 , and bases  56 ,  58  of jaws  52 ,  54 , while the throat  39  defined between the fork arms  32  and  34  rests against the pivotally interconnected portions of the jaws  52 ,  54 . The location of the drive plate  24  is thus precisely established with respect to the jaws  52 ,  54  and the handles  48  and  50 .  
         [0037]    Referring next to FIGS. 7, 8,  9 , and  10 , a larger multipurpose tool  70 , such as a Leatherman® Super Tool™, has a pair of handles  72  and  74  of sheet metal channel construction and a pair of pivotally interconnected jaws  76  and  78 , each having a base  80 ,  82  about which a respective one of the handles  72 ,  74  can rotate between a folded position as shown in FIG. 7 and an extended position (not shown). The drive plate  24  of the adaptor fits around the jaws  76  and  78  between their bases  80 ,  82  and between the handles  72  and  74  in much the same way in which it fits around the jaws  52  and  54  in the multipurpose tool  46  as described above, but since the handles  72  and  74  are wider and longer than the handles  48  and  50 , they extend over a greater portion of the drive plate  24 , as may be seen in FIGS. 7, 8,  9 , and  10 . An angled face portion  84  on each side of each handle  72  and  74  interconnects a wider portion  86  of each handle with a narrower portion  88 , where the respective jaw  76  or  78  is located. The retaining tab  38  extends upward within the handle  72  in position to contact the inner side of the angled portion  84  to retain the drive plate  24  in place with respect to the handle  72 . The narrower portion  88  of each of the handles  72 ,  74  extends beyond the angled portion  84  on each side, and the inwardly facing margins  90  of the narrower portion  88  of the handle  72  rest against the spacer bumps  44 , while a part of the margin  92  of the wider portion  86  of the handle  72  rests against the spacer surface  42 , as shown best in FIG. 10.  
         [0038]    At the same time, the corresponding margins  90  and  92  of the other or bottom handle  74  extend closely parallel with the bottom surface  61  of the drive plate  24 , and the base  82  of the jaw  78 , adjacent the pivotally interconnected portions of the jaws  76 ,  78 , presses against the bottom surface  61  of the drive plate  24  adjacent the throat  39 . The bottom surface  61  thus acts as a spacer in opposition to the spacer surface  42  and spacer bumps  44 . The margin  92  of the handle  72  also presses against the spacer surface  42 , counterbalancing the forces of the margins  90  against the spacer bumps  44  and keeping the handle  72  parallel with the principal plane  37  of the drive plate  24  and with the bottom handle  74 . Pressure on the handle  74  thus squeezes the base  82  of the jaw  78  against the bottom surface  61 , while pressure against the upper handle  72  presses its margins  90 ,  92  against the spacer bumps  44  and spacer surface  42 , so that a firm grip squeezing the handles  72  and  74  together holds the drive plate  24  firmly between the handles  72  and  74  to provide a solid interconnection of the multipurpose tool  70  to the adaptor  20 .  
         [0039]    With the handles  72  and  74  so located the inner surface  60  of the fork arm  34  rests snugly alongside the pivotally interconnected portions of the jaws  76  and  78 , while the inner surfaces  62  and  66  of the fork arm  32  rest snugly along the pivotally interconnected portions of the jaws  76  and  78  on the opposite side of the multipurpose tool  70 .  
         [0040]    Referring now also to FIG. 11, the tool bit-engaging member  22  has a body that is generally cylindrical in shape and includes a base portion  100  having a top leg  102  and a bottom leg  104 , defining between them a slot  105  which snugly receives the driving end portion  23  of the drive plate  24 . The tool bit-engaging member  22  is attached to the drive plate  24  by an attachment screw  106  that extends through a hole defined in the bottom leg  104  and a pivot hole  108  defined in the drive plate  24 , and is engaged in a threaded bore  110  defined in the top leg  102 . The tool bit-engaging member  22  is thus able to be pivoted about the axis  111  of the screw  106  with respect to the drive plate  24 , between an in-line position as shown in FIG. 1 and a position in which the tool bit-engaging member  22  extends away from such an in-line position at an angle  112 .  
         [0041]    The tool bit-engaging member  22  is ordinarily kept located in the in-line position, or in either of a pair of optional offset-angled positions A, B shown in FIG. 11, by a locking device incorporated in the adaptor  20 . Three notches  118 ,  120 ,  122  are defined in the outer margin of the drive plate  24 , at positions separated from one another by angles of 45° about the central axis  111  of the screw  106 , as may be seen best in FIG. 11. When the tool bit-engaging member  22  is aligned with the drive plate  24  in the in-line position previously mentioned, or in either of the angularly offset positions, A, B, a locking tooth  124  is matingly engaged in the notch  118 ,  120  or  122 . The locking tooth  124  is part of a T-shaped locking member  126  which is located in the slot  105  defined between the top leg  102  and bottom leg  104 , with the ends of the arms  128  of the T extending outward beyond the slot  105  and captured between an outer wall  130  of a collar  132  and a ring  134  fitting tightly within the collar  132 , against the outer wall  130 . The collar  132  thus keeps the locking member  126  between the legs  102  and  104 . The collar  132  may be knurled, as shown at  137 , to make it easy to grip.  
         [0042]    The collar  132  and ring  134  as a unit are slidably disposed about the tool bit-engaging member  22 , but are prevented from moving with respect to one another or with respect to the locking member  126 , as by the margin of the outer wall  130  being crimped inward against the ring  134  at  136 , as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, so that the ends of the arms  128  are caught between the ring  134  and the collar  132 , and the collar  132  is not free to rotate about the tool bit-engaging member  22 . For a more secure grip on the ends of the arms  128  the collar  132  could also be punched inward as shown at  138 . A helical spring  140  is disposed within a longitudinal bore located between the legs  102 ,  104  and extends centrally along the tool bit-engaging member  22 , as shown in FIG. 11, to urge the locking member  126 , and with it the collar  132  and its associated ring  134 , toward the screw  106 . The spring  140  thus urges the locking tooth  124  into engagement with a respective one of the notches  118 ,  120 ,  122  when the tool bit-engaging member  22  is located at a corresponding angle  112  with respect to the drive plate  24 . Preventing the collar  132  from rotating with respect to the tool bit-engaging member  22  makes it easier to push the collar  132  longitudinally along the tool bit-engaging member  22  to disengage the locking tooth  124  from one of the notches  118 ,  120  or  122 .  
         [0043]    In a tool bit drive adaptor  150  which is an alternative embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 14, 15, and  16 , a drive plate  152  includes a locking body  154 , which may be a raised bump formed in the drive plate  152  by appropriate means, similar to formation of the spacer bumps  44 . A pivot hole  156  extends through the drive plate  152  and is elongated, allowing the screw  106  in the tool bit-engaging member  22  to move longitudinally along the drive plate  152  in response to axial pressure in the direction indicated by the arrow  158  shown in FIG. 15.  
         [0044]    A ball  160  is located within the bore  142  in the tool bit-engaging member  22 , in contact with the outer end  162  of a spring  140 , which urges the ball  160  toward the margin of the drive plate  152 . Substantially semicircular detent notches  164 ,  166 , and  168  are defined by the margin of the drive plate  152 , in an in-line position, a 45° offset angle position, and a 90° offset angle position with respect to a central axis of rotation  170  located at an outer end of the pivot hole  156 . The combination of the spring  140 , the ball  160 , and the detent notches  164 ,  166 , and  168  permits the tool bit-engaging member  22  to be pivoted with respect to the drive plate  152  in much the same way as it can be pivoted with respect to the drive plate  24  described previously. At each of the positions established by the detent notches  164 ,  166 ,  168 , the ball  160  is urged into the respective notch by the spring  140 , tending to retain the tool bit-engaging member  22  in that position of rotation with respect to the axis  170 .  
         [0045]    Furthermore, when the tool bit-engaging member  22  is in the in-line position shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, it can be moved axially toward the drive plate  152 , thus moving the screw  106  within the pivot hole  156  while compressing the spring  140 . As this occurs a receptacle in the form of a channel or groove portion  172  (partially defining the bore  142 ) defined in the top leg  102  of the base portion  100  of the tool bit-engaging member  22 , passes over and receives the locking body  154  as indicated in FIGS. 15 and 16. With the locking body  154  thus located within the channel portion  172 , as shown in FIG. 16, the locking body  154  cooperates with the spring-loaded detent ball  160  in the detent notch  164  and with the screw  106  located within the pivot hole  156  to prevent the tool bit-engaging member  22  from pivoting with respect to the drive plate  152 , thus effectively preventing the tool bit-engaging member  22  from moving out of alignment with the drive plate  152  when the tool bit drive adaptor  150  is in use and sufficient axial pressure is applied through a tool bit to overcome the force of the spring  140 .  
         [0046]    The terms and expressions which have been employed in the foregoing specification are used therein as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims which follow.