Patent Publication Number: US-10328554-B2

Title: Cleanable reversible socket and driver

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to hand tools for driving fasteners or hex head screws into work pieces, and more particularly, to a cleanable reversible socket and driver tool combination. 
     Hex head screws may be self-tapping and are commonly used in sheet metal, and metal and plastic part assemblies to secure pieces together. Often many screws are used at one time. Socket drivers have traditionally been used to drive the screws into the work piece. Socket drivers may be of a one piece construction requiring multiple drivers when different sized hex head screws are used. Ratchet drivers have also been used to drive hex head screws into work pieces. Sockets mounted on shanks, that can be fastened into a chuck of a handle held battery operated drill, are also commonly used. Hex head bolts are also commonly used with threaded holes, nuts and/or self-locking nuts in assembly work and also require some form socket driver. 
     Because it is common to drive many hex screws in one operation, speeding up the assembly process has been desirable. Magnets have placed into the sockets or the driver/socket combination has been magnetized to hold the screws in the socket. The operator simply places a hex head screw into the socket and the magnetism holds the screw in place just prior to and during driving of the screw into the work piece. Expectedly, screw shavings and metal waste are commonly associated with the driving process, especially with shelf-tapping screws. The magnet or magnetized socket literally sucks up and holds the shavings till the socket eventually become plugged and the hex head will not properly fit into the socket requiring that the screwing operation be stopped and the socket must be suitably cleaned such as with an air compressor to blow the shavings and metal debris out of and away from the socket cavity. 
     There is a need for a cleanable reversible socket and driver tool that permits easy cleaning of the socket of metal debris and that the socket is reversible to permit presentation of another sized socket without actually changing of the currently used socket, and the socket being releasably interlockable with the drive shaft. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A cleanable reversible socket and driver for a hex head fastener having a driver shank with a hex shaped shaft, or otherwise splined, having a tool mounting end and a socket mounting end and a collar therebetween. A cleanable reversible socket is provided having a hex, or otherwise splined, passage therethrough rotationally lockable with the similarly shaped driver shank shaft. The socket is removably, nonrotatably mountable onto the driver shank shaft at the socket mounting end up to the collar having two different sized hex socket ends. A magnet on the socket mounting end of the driver shank is to be located at a bottom of one of the two hex socket ends when the socket is mounted on the driver shank to hold the hex head fastener in one of the socket ends. 
     A principal object and advantage to the present invention is that the socket is reversible for use with one of two sizes without the need to replace the socket. 
     Another object and advantage to the present invention is that the socket is readily removable from the driver shank with magnet for easy pass through unclogging and cleaning while the magnet end of the driver shank is simply brushed off and then the socket and driver are reassembled. 
     Another object and advantage to the present invention is that the socket is releasably interlockable onto the driver shaft. 
     Another object and advantage to the present invention is that the drive end of the drive shank is magnetized or has a magnet to hold a hex screw or fastener for easy positioning on the work piece to be fastened. 
     Another object and advantage to the present invention is that the driver shank will work with a grippable handle of a driver tool that receives shanks and hold them in place for driving operation with a ratchet, or a chuck of a hand held battery operated drill. 
     Another object and advantage to the present invention is that the driver shank may be of variable lengths depending on the particular operation of driving fasteners. 
     Another object and advantage to the present invention is that a biased detent or spring loaded retaining ball is located near the socket mounting end on the driver shank and a cooperating groove is located in the inside passage of the socket to releasably positionally lock the socket onto the drive shank. 
     Another object and advantage to the present invention is that the invention may have any of a variety of releasable positionable lock arrangements reversibly on the drive shank or inside the cleanable removable socket. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded elevational view of the cleanable reversible socket and driver invention assembly including a fastener and a hand tool, partially broken away; 
         FIG. 2  is a vertical cross sectional view of the drive shank; 
         FIG. 3  is a vertical cross sectional view of the cleanable reversible socket; 
         FIG. 4  is a vertical cross sectional view of the assembled cleanable reversible socket and driver invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a vertical cross sectional view of the assembled cleanable reversible socket and driver invention with the socket reversed from its position shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a cross sectional view along lines  8 - 8  of  FIG. 7  of the third embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a cross sectional view along lines  10 - 10  of  FIG. 9  of the fourth embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of the invention; and 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a sixth embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED SPECIFICATION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 3 , the cleanable reversible socket and driver  10  for a hand tool may be seen and appreciated. The socket and driver  10  includes a drive shank  12  that will fit on to a multipurpose driver handle  17  with spring loaded retaining balls. The drive shank  12  will also removably receive and hold a socket or drive sleeve  32 . 
     More particularly, the drive shank  12  may be of various lengths depending on its particular use. The shank  12  has a hex shaped shaft  14 . Other spline configurations are possible. At the tool mounting end  18  is located an intermediate annular channel  16  that may be gripped and held by the spring loaded retaining balls  17 . 5  of the driver handle  17 . Intermediate of the hex shaft  14  or drive shank  12  is an annular collar  20 . Forward of and adjacent to the collar  20  is raised stop ring  22 , both of which will be appreciated later. Adjacent to the socket drive end  24  is located spring loaded retaining ball or detent  28 . At the drive end  24  is imbedded magnet  26 . 
     The cleanable removable socket or drive sleeve  32  has a round exterior  36  and an internal through passage  38  which is hex shaped to engageably match the hex shaped drive shank  12  and shaft  14 . Other spline configurations are possible. By this arrangement, the tool handle  17  may transmit rotational torque to the shaft  14 , shank  12  and ultimately to the socket or drive sleeve  32  for turning in an hex screw or fastener  44  into a work piece. 
     The socket  32  has first and second internal hex ends  40 ,  42 . The smaller hex end  40  is of equal size or larger than the hex size of the hex shaped shaft  14  and the socket drive end  24 . The larger hex end  42  is of a larger size than the hex size of the hex shaped shaft  14  and the socket drive end  24 . The hex sizes of the shaft and hex ends may vary, such as, from ¼, ⅜, 7/16 or 5/16 inch. Within internal passage  38  are located first and second internal grooves or channels  46 ,  48  for axial locking of the spring loaded retaining ball or detent  28  on shank  12  depending on which side, first or second socket ends  40 ,  42  are to be used. 
     The assembly and operation of the cleanable reversible socket and driver  10  with hand tool  17  may now be appreciated and understood, particularly in  FIGS. 1, 4 and 5 . The drive shank  12  is grasped and the tool mounting end is fed into the receptacle end of the hand tool  17  until the annular channel  16  snaps into engagement with the spring loaded retaining balls  17 . 5 . Next the desired size of socket  32 , such as internal hex end ⅜ inch  42 , is selected. The opposite hex end  40  (¼ inch) is fed onto hex shaped shaft  14  until the spring loaded retaining ball or detent  28  on shaft  14  is engaged with second internal groove or channel  48  which will axially lock the socket  32  onto the shaft  14  as the outer surface of hex end  40  (¼ inch) will abut against the raised stop collar  22 . The handle  17  may be replace with the tightening chuck of a drill or a ratchet tool. 
     Now the cleanable reversible socket and driver  10  may be used by an operator. The ⅜ inch hex head of a hex screw  44  or bolt or other fastener is lined up with the ⅜ inch hex end  42  of the socket  32 . The magnet  26  at the base of hex end  42  will suck up and draw in the ⅜ inch hex head of the fastener  44  and hold it thereat. The operator simply points the fastener  44  into the work piece and transmits the rotation torque to secure the fastener into the work piece. After many, many uses of the ⅜ inch hex end  42 , the socket hex end  42  becomes clogged with filings, shavings and metal particles to the point where the fastener has difficulty in fitting into the ⅜ inch hex end  42 . 
     When the hex end  42  becomes clogged, the operator may simply pull the socket  32  off the hex shaped shaft  14  by overcoming the grip of the detent  28  in groove  48 . Because the socket is not magnetized, the debris may simply be blown out (with a large breath) of the socket  32  through internal passage  38  or tapping the socket  32  on a hard surface. The magnet end  24  of the shaft may simply be wiped off with a rag to remove the particles. 
     Thereafter the socket  32  may be reassembled onto the shaft  14  or reversed to present the ¼ inch socket hex end  40  for use by the operator. Other socket  32  sizes may be contemplated for use. all that is necessary is that the hex shaped shaft  14  of the drive shank  12  be of a size compatible with the hex shaped internal passage  38  or the socket  32  to guarantee compatible rotational torque being transmitted through the parts. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , a second embodiment of the drive shank  112  may be viewed that is similar to drive shank  12  and shaft  14  of the first embodiment. Shank or shaft  112  has an annular collar or socket stop  120 . Next to the collar  120  is fixed a ring magnet  128  that hold the cleanable removable socket  130  in place. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , a third embodiment of the drive shank  136  may be viewed that is similar to drive shank  12  and shaft  14  of the first embodiment. Shank or shaft  136  has an annular collar or socket stop  138 . A socket drive end  140  has an annular channel  142  with an expansion ring  144  seated therein. The cleanable socket  146  has an interior annular channel  148  that releasably engages the expansion ring  144  to hold the socket  146  in its drive position. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 9 and 10 , a fourth embodiment of the drive shank  152  may be viewed that is similar to drive shank  12  and shaft  14  of the first embodiment. Shank or shaft  152  has an annular collar or socket stop  154 . A socket drive end  156  has an annular channel  158 . The cleanable socket  160  has an exterior annular channel  162  wherein is seated an expansion ring  166  which has radial fingers  168 . Fingers  168  engage the annular channel  158  to hold the socket  146  in its drive position. 
     Referring to  FIG. 11 , a fifth embodiment of the drive shank  172  may be viewed that is similar to drive shank  12  and shaft  14  of the first embodiment. Shank or shaft  172  has an annular collar or socket stop  174 . A socket drive end  176  has an annular channel  178  with an elastomeric and compressible O-ring  144  seated therein. The cleanable socket  146  may or may not have an interior annular channel that releasably engages the compressible O-ring  144  to hold the socket  146  in its drive position by frictional grip. 
     Referring to  FIG. 12 , a sixth embodiment of the drive shank  190  may be viewed that is similar to drive shank  12  and shaft  14  of the first embodiment. Shank or shaft  190  has an annular collar or socket stop  192 . A socket drive end  194  has an annular channel  196 . The cleanable socket  198  has an exterior threaded passageway  200  wherein is threadably seated a threadable spring-ball plunger  202  which releasable engages the annular channel  196  to hold the socket  190  in its drive position. 
     The above description and FIGS. are for illustrative purposes only. The true scope of this invention is defined by the following claims.