Abstract:
The present invention provides a tool for tightening or releasing a nut engaged on a screw-threaded shank. The tool comprises: a socket arrangement comprising a socket for engaging the nut; an extension member adapted to engage the socket arrangement such that a torque applied to the extension piece is transferred to the socket for tightening or releasing the nut; and a location sleeve on the extension member, the location sleeve overlapping the extension member and the socket arrangement, when engaged therewith, so as to hold the extension member to the socket arrangement.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a tool for tightening or releasing a nut engaged on a screw-threaded shank, particularly, though not exclusively, back nuts on taps for baths, basins, sinks and the like. 
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]    There may be many occasions when it is required to tighten or release a nut engaged on a screw-threaded shank, and in many cases access to the nut is restricted. For example, when fixing a tap to a basin, bath, sink or the like, an externally threaded hollow shank at the lower end of the tap is received through an opening in the basin etc. and a back nut is then engaged on the threaded shank. The back nut is tightened (for example, using a box spanner or similar tool) until the back nut tightly engages the underside of the basin, thereby securing the tap in place. Although conventional tools may be generally satisfactory for tightening new back nuts or for undoing recently installed nuts, it can be difficult to undo nuts installed a long time ago, and any other nuts, which are very tight. Multi-part tools are known, where a socket is used to engage the nut and then an extension piece is used to engage the socket so that a torque may be applied to the extension piece to tighten or release the nut. A problem with such tools is that it can be very difficult to locate the socket onto the nut and then locate the extension piece to engage the socket, when this has to be performed in a location with restricted access, like under a kitchen sink. 
         [0003]    The present invention has been conceived with the foregoing in mind. 
       SUMMARY  
       [0004]    According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a tool for tightening or releasing a nut engaged on a screwthreaded shank. The tool comprises: a socket arrangement comprising a socket for engaging the nut; an extension member adapted to engage the socket arrangement such that a torque applied to the extension piece is transferred to the socket for tightening or releasing the nut; and a location sleeve on the extension member, the location sleeve overlapping the extension member and the socket arrangement, when engaged therewith, so as to hold the extension member to the socket arrangement 
         [0005]    It is an advantage, in use of the tool, that the sleeve can be used to help locate the extension member on the socket arrangement, and subsequently be moved so as to hold the tool components, leaving the operator&#39;s hands free for turning the tool. 
         [0006]    In embodiments of the invention, the location sleeve is moveable along the extension member from a withdrawn position to a holding position in which the location sleeve overlaps the extension member and the socket arrangement. Alternatively, the location sleeve may be fixed in a holding position on the extension member. The location sleeve may be fixed in the holding position by means of engagement between a reduced diameter portion and a recess in the extension member. 
         [0007]    In embodiments of the invention, the extension member comprises a cylindrical form having an outer diameter substantially the same as that of a surface of the socket arrangement, the location sleeve having an annular form with an inner diameter complementary to said outer diameter. The location sleeve may comprise a flared portion to assist location when engaging the extension member with the adapter piece. Preferably, the location sleeve is formed of a resilient plastics material. The plastics material may comprise any suitably resilient or flexible material, for example polyvinyl chloride (PVC). 
         [0008]    It is an advantage that, because such plastics materials allow a degree of resilient deformation, the sleeve can be sized to fit tightly around the extension member, while the resilience of the material provides a frictional gripping action to hold the tool components together. 
         [0009]    In embodiments of the invention, the socket arrangement comprises an adapter piece having a threaded bore for engaging the shank thread, wherein the socket is supported on the adapter so as to be free to rotate relative thereto. The extension member may be adapted to engage the adapter piece and/or the socket member such that rotation of the extension piece can be used either to rotate just the adapter piece or to rotate the adapter piece and the socket. The extension member may have a first end form for engaging the adapter piece such that rotation of the extension member is effective to rotate the adapter to screw it along said shank without rotating the socket, and a second end form for engaging the adapter piece together with the socket such that rotation of the extension member is effective to rotate both the adapter piece and the socket. The adapter piece may be adapted to support any one of a plurality of socket members sized to engage different nut sizes. 
         [0010]    The tool may further comprise a driver piece adapted to engage an end of the extension member remote from the engagement with the adapter piece. The driver piece may comprise a hexagonal form for receiving a tool such as a spanner to apply torque to the tool. The tool may further comprise a second location sleeve on the extension member overlapping the extension member and the driver piece, when engaged therewith, so as to hold the extension member to the driver piece. The extension member may have a cylindrical or tubular form with an outer diameter substantially the same as that of a surface of the driver piece, the second location sleeve having an annular form with an inner diameter complementary to said outer diameter. The second location sleeve may comprise a flared portion to assist location when engaging the extension member with the driver piece. The second location sleeve is preferably formed of a resilient flexible plastics material, preferably PVC or suitably flexible material. 
         [0011]    According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a tool for tightening or releasing a nut engaged on a screw-threaded shank. The tool comprises: a socket for engaging the nut; an adapter piece having a threaded bore for engaging the shank thread, wherein the socket is supported on the adapter piece so as to be free to rotate relative thereto; and an extension member adapted to allow engagement in one configuration with only the adapter piece and in another configuration with the adapter piece and the socket member, such that rotation of the extension piece can be used to rotate either just the adapter piece or the adapter piece and the socket for tightening or releasing the nut. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  shows an assembly of a nut wrench tool. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  shows a socket arrangement forming part of the tool of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  shows an extension member forming part of the tool of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  shows a driver piece forming part of the tool of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  shows location sleeves for use on the tool of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0017]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a nut wrench  10  is made up of an assembly of parts including a socket arrangement formed of a socket  12  supported on an adapter  14 , a tubular extension member  16  and a driver piece  18 . The nut wrench is particularly useful in tightening or releasing back nuts on taps of basins, baths, sinks or the like, as will be described in more detail below. 
         [0018]      FIG. 2  shows the socket arrangement. The socket  12  includes hexagonal socket faces  20  for engaging the flats of a hexagonal headed nut (not shown). It will be appreciated that different shapes of socket could be provided to suit different shaped nut heads. The socket  12  has an inner bore (not shown) and a supporting cylindrical surface  22  of the adapter  14  extends a predetermined length inside the inner bore. Accordingly, the socket  12  is supported by the adapter  14 , but is free to rotate around it. The adapter  14  has a plurality of lugs  26  (three are shown in this embodiment) at the end protruding externally of the socket  14 . The lugs  26  have outer surfaces that lie on a cylinder having substantially the same diameter as the socket  12 . The socket  12  has a plurality (three in the illustrated embodiment) of legs  28  of corresponding size to the lugs  26 . In the position of the socket  12  shown in  FIG. 2 , the legs  28  are aligned with the lugs  26  to provide three recesses in the outer cylindrical surface. However, it will be appreciated that in a different angular position of the socket  12  on the adapter  14 , the legs  28  will not be aligned with the lugs  26 . 
         [0019]    In some embodiments, the adapter piece  14  may be free to slide axially into or out of the socket  12 . In such embodiments, the socket may be one of a set of sockets of different size or shape that are interchangeable to suit a variety of nut sizes or types. 
         [0020]    In another embodiment, the adapter piece  14  and the socket  12  are joined to form a single component socket arrangement. The adapter piece  14  has an end  30  that is swaged after it has been inserted into the socket during an initial assembly process. The swaged end  30  is flared outwards so as to radially overlap an annular surface in the socket  12 . This means that the socket  12  is still free to rotate relative to the adapter  14 , but the two components cannot be separated axially. 
         [0021]      FIG. 3  shows the extension member  16 , which is formed as a tubular component. The inner diameter of the tube wall corresponds to the diameter of the supporting cylindrical surface  22  of the adapter piece  14 , while the outer diameter of the tube wall corresponds to that of the outer surface of the lugs  26  and the outer diameter of the socket  12 . 
         [0022]    The extension member  16  has a first end  32  and a second end  34 . The first end  32  includes a plurality (three in the illustrated embodiment) of relatively short axially extending portions of tube wall, or first end legs  36 , defining a plurality of cut-outs between the legs. The first end legs  36  and cut-outs are of a size that corresponds with the lugs of the adapter piece  14 , so that when the first end  32  of the extension member  16  is offered up to and axially aligned with the socket arrangement, the first end legs  36  engage in the recesses between the lugs  26 , while the lugs  26  engage in the cut-outs. However, the legs  36  are not long enough to engage in the recesses between the legs  28  of the socket  12 . 
         [0023]    The second end  34  of the extension member  16  includes a similarly arranged set of relatively long axially extending portions or second end legs  38 . The second end legs  38  are longer than the first end legs so that, when the second end  34  of the extension member  16  is coupled to the socket arrangement, the second end legs  38  can engage both the lugs  26  of the adapter piece  14  and the legs  28  of the socket  12 . It will be appreciated that because it is the ends  32 ,  34  of the extension member  16  that engage the socket arrangement, the entire length of the extension member does not need not be of a uniform diameter or wall thickness. 
         [0024]    The extension member  16  also includes a diametrically opposed pairs of holes  40  for receiving a tommy bar, which can be used for exerting a torque to the extension member to turn the socket arrangement. In addition, the extension member  16  of  FIG. 3  shows a pair of circumferential recesses grooves  41   a,    41   b.  the function of these will be described further below. 
         [0025]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , the driver piece  18  has the form of a relatively short tubular section with an outer cylindrical surface  42  of corresponding size to the tube of the extension member  16  in  FIGS. 1 and 3 . One end of the driver piece has a set of driver legs  44  arranged in the same manner as the first end legs  26  of the extension member  16 . These driver legs  44  may be used to engage the first or second end legs of the extension member  16 . Extending axially from the other end of the driver piece  18  is a hexagonal bar  46  that can be used with a spanner or similar tool to provide a torque to rotate the driver piece  18 . 
         [0026]    Referring again to  FIG. 1 , in use to release a back nut engaged on a threaded shank (not shown), the socket arrangement of  FIG. 2  is first placed over the end of the shank such that the screw threads  24  engage the threads on the shank, and so that the socket is oriented towards the back nut. Once engaged on the shank, the first end  32  of the extension member  16  is offered up so as to engage the socket arrangement with the shorter first end legs  36  sliding into the recesses between the lugs  26  of the adapter piece  14 . The assembly can then be used to screw the adapter piece onto the shank by rotating the extension member  16  by hand, or with the aid of a tommy bar inserted in the holes  40 , if required. 
         [0027]    Once the adapter piece has been screwed far enough, the socket  12  reaches the back nut and the hexagonal socket faces  20  can engage onto the hexagonal flats of the back nut. The extension member  16  can be disengaged from the adapter piece and removed. The socket arrangement—adapter piece  14  and socket  12  will remain in position because the adapter piece is threaded onto the shank. Now the socket  12  and the adapter piece  14  are aligned such that the lugs  26  are in line with the legs  28 . The extension member  16  is turned around and the second end  34  is offered up so as to engage the socket arrangement with the longer, second end legs  36  sliding into the recesses between the lugs  26  of the adapter piece  14  and the legs  28  of the socket  12 . 
         [0028]    The driver piece  18  is then inserted onto the end of the extension member  16  such that the driver legs  44  engage in the recesses between the first end legs  36 . The entire assembly can then be used to release the back nut by applying torque to the driver piece  18 , with the aid of a spanner on the hexagonal bar  46 . 
         [0029]    It will be appreciated that the same procedure can be used to tighten a back nut, just by applying the torque in the opposite, tightening direction. 
         [0030]    Especially in awkward and restricted spaces, it may be difficult for the operator to locate, and maintain engagement between, the extension member  16  and the socket arrangement, as well as the driver piece  18  and the extension member  16 .  FIG. 5  shows how this problem is overcome. In  FIG. 5 , the tool assembly  10  of  FIG. 1  is shown in broken lines, with the same reference numerals being used for the tool components. Surrounding the tubular form of the tool  10  are a first sleeve  50  and a second sleeve  52 . Each of these sleeves has a straight tubular portion  54   a,    54   b  and a flared portion  56   a,    56   b.  As shown in  FIG. 5 , the first sleeve  50  is mounted towards an upper end of the extension member  16 , such that the flared portion  56   a  extends towards the socket  12 , while the second sleeve  52  is mounted towards a lower end of the extension member  16 , such that the flared portion  56   b  extends towards the driver piece  18 . 
         [0031]    Each of the first and second sleeves  50 ,  52  is formed of a plastics material that permits a degree of resilient deformation, such as PVC. The tubular portions  54   a,    54   b  of the sleeves  50 ,  52 , have an internal diameter that forms an interference fit with the outer diameter of the extension member  16  (and the corresponding diameters of the other components of the tool  10 ), such that the sleeves  50 ,  52  have to be urged onto the tool  10 . Once in position around the extension member  16 , the sleeves  50 ,  52  can be moved axially along the extension member  16  by the application of sufficient force to overcome the friction caused by the interference fit and the resilience of the plastics material. 
         [0032]    In use, when the extension member  18  is first offered up to the socket arrangement, the first sleeve  50  is positioned at the first end  32  of the extension member  16 , such that the flared portion  56   a  extends over the first end legs  36 . The flared portion  56   a  of the first sleeve  50  can be used to provide a guide or lead-in to help locate the first end legs  36  so that they engage with the lugs  26  on the adapter piece  14 . Once engaged, the first sleeve  50  is then pushed upwards until the tubular portion  54   a  overlaps the lugs  26 . In that position, the frictional forces of the first sleeve  50  grip both the extension member  16  and the adapter piece  14 , holding the two parts together and leaving the operator&#39;s hands free to rotate the tool. 
         [0033]    A similar approach is used when the extension member  16  is turned around to apply torque to the socket  12 . Here the second sleeve  52  is used to help locate the second end  34  of the extension member  16  onto the socket and to hold the parts together. In this case the first sleeve  50  may also be used to help locate and to hold the driver piece  18  onto the other end of the extension member  16 . 
         [0034]    Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 5 , in an alternative arrangement, the sleeves  50 ,  52 , may be in a fixed position on the extension member  16 . The grooves  41   a,    41   b  shown in  FIG. 3  form a locating position for the sleeves  50 ,  52 . Each sleeve  50 ,  52  is first formed with a closed end (at the un-flared end), for example in a dip moulding operation. The closed ends are then punched out to make both ends open. The punched out end hole has a diameter that is smaller than the inside diameter of the rest of the parallel section of the sleeve moulding. The punched out ends then each engage in a respective one of the circumferential grooves  41   a,    41   b  formed in the outside of the extension member  16 .