Patent Publication Number: US-7219581-B2

Title: Adjustment tool

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
     The present invention relates to hand tools, and more specifically to an adjustment tool for adjusting rotatable elements such as nuts, bolts and the like. 
     Hand tools are commonly used to assemble and or adjust apparatus, for example reflector antennas. Fine adjustments to the antenna(s) orientation with respect to a target signal consume a significant portion of time required during antenna installation and or performance optimization. Typically these adjustments are made local to the antenna, which may be mounted in environmentally exposed locations such as the roof or exterior wall(s) of a building or atop a radio tower. 
     Common tools such as box and or ratchet wrenches may be used, however because they are not retained upon the nut or bolt under adjustment, these tools represent a significant drop hazard. Also, individual ratchet wrench sockets may unexpectedly separate from the ratchet handle. 
     During final fine adjustment, only a portion of a rotation and or a specific number of rotations may be desired. Where adjustments are made, for example, in a narrowing range scheme it is desirable to have a clear indication of the magnitude of the previous adjustment to be able to exactly repeat a multiple of it, in either direction. Various prior rotation indication/recordation schemes are complicated when the tool(s) must be either held in place by the user or removed and then reattached after each adjustment, complicating return of the tool to the exact same orientation so that, for example, fractions of a single rotation may be reliably applied and or repeated. 
     Competition within the tool industry has focused attention upon ease of use, improved safety characteristics, accuracy and reliability. Factors of commercial success also include reduction of manufacturing, materials and assembly costs. 
     Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide an adjustment tool that overcomes deficiencies in such prior art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with a general description of the invention given above, and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric schematic angled side exterior view, of a first embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an angled isometric view of the first embodiment with the bubble ring cover and a 45 degree section of the body, bubble ring base, gasket, collet and spring finger ring removed for clarity. 
         FIG. 3  is an isometric exploded side view of the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is an isometric angled end view, of the collet of the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is an isometric angled end view, of the spring finger ring of the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  is an isometric angled side view, of the bubble ring base of the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 7  is an isometric schematic angled side exterior view of a second embodiment. 
         FIG. 8  is an exploded view of the second embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
     The invention is described with respect to  FIGS. 1-8  in two exemplary embodiments. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , a first exemplary embodiment of the invention has a body  2  with exterior gripping surfaces  4  adapted for a secure grip by a typical users hand. A bore  6  between a first end  8  and a second end  10  of the body  2  carries a shaft  12 . The shaft  12  has a spring finger ring  14  with a plurality of spring finger(s)  16  coupled to a tool end  18 . The spring finger(s)  16  spread outward into contact with the inner surface  20  of a collet  22  coupled to the first end  8  of the body  2 . 
     A spring  24  seated between an internal shoulder  26  of the body  2  and an external shoulder  28  proximate an actuator end  30  of the shaft  12  biases the shaft  12  toward the second end  10  of the body  2  thereby retracting the spring finger(s)  16  to a closed position. 
     As best shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5  the body  2 , collet  22  and spring finger ring  14  are adapted to key together such that rotation of the body  2  is transmitted to a, for example, octagonal gripping surface  32  collectively formed by an inner face  34  of each of the spring finger(s)  16 . The collet  22  may be keyed to the body  2 , for example, by an interference fit between a plurality of ridge(s)  36  and a corresponding surface of the body  2 . Another key, now between the spring finger(s)  16  and the collet  22 , is formed by inward projecting tab(s)  40  of the collet  22  inner face  34  that mate with corresponding groove(s)  42  formed in an outer surface  44  of the spring finger(s)  16 . The groove(s)  42  are preferably formed parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tool, thereby the spring finger(s)  16  have a range of longitudinal movement according to the position of the shaft  12  within the bore  6 , without loosing the key function. Because of the keying between the spring finger(s)  16  and collet  22 , the coupling between the spring finger ring  14  and the shaft  12  may be simplified, such as an interference fit between an inward projecting lip  46  of the spring finger ring  14  that mates with a corresponding annular groove  48  proximate the shaft  12  tool end  18 . 
     The gripping surface  32  may be opened or closed by alternately pushing and releasing the actuator end  30  of the shaft  12  to compress the spring  24  between the shaft  12  and the body  2 . Because of the interaction between the normally spread apart spring finger(s)  16  and the restriction created by the inner surface  20  of the collet  22 , moving the spring finger(s)  16  out of or back into the collet  22  alternates the gripping surface  32  formed by the spring finger(s)  16  between a spread and closed position. Thereby, a desired nut or bolt may be easily placed within the gripping surface  32  and then securely held in place when the spring  24  is allowed to push the shaft  12  back towards the second end  10  of the body  2 , retracting the spring finger(s)  16  and closing the gripping surface  32  around the target. Depending upon the selected spring  24  characteristics, when in the closed position, the tool may be reliably held upon the desired target nut or bolt without further support from the user, for example as the user checks the results of the current adjustment. 
     In addition to providing spring material for the spring finger(s)  16  steady state outward spread, the extension of the spring finger(s)  16  from the spring finger ring  14  forms a central cavity into which a bolt end may pass without bottoming against the tool while the tool is adjusting a nut upon the bolt. 
     The tool may be enhanced for easy one hand operation by including two or more finger lug(s)  52  among the gripping surface(s)  4  of body  2 . As best shown in  FIG. 1 , the finger lug(s)  52  are preferably arranged so that a users fingers held against the finger lug(s)  52  protruding from the body  2  are situated to oppose action of the users thumb against the actuator end  30  of the shaft  12 , as in a typical hypodermic syringe. For the purposes of this description, a syringe action is defined as the common thumb and finger grip/motion used to administer an injection via a hypodermic syringe as the syringe plunger is pressed by the thumb against two or more fingers latched around supports extending from the syringe body. 
     Rotation indication may be incorporated into the tool by adding a bubble ring  54  with graduated indicia  56 . A channel  58  within the bubble ring  54  is partially filled with first material, for example a liquid and the remainder with a second material of a lower density such as a gas that appears through a viewing portion of the bubble ring  54  as a bubble. As the tool is rotated, the bubble moves past the various graduated indicia  56  providing a visual indication of how much rotation has been applied. As best shown in  FIG. 6 , the bubble ring may be formed with a spiral bubble channel  58  formed in a bubble ring base  60  to allow cumulative indication of multiple rotations. A translucent bubble ring sleeve  62  is then fitted over the bubble ring base  60  to create an enclosed space for the liquid and bubble. 
     The bubble ring  54  may be rotatably mounted upon an outer ring surface  64  of the body  2 , retained for example by a gasket  66  having a lip edge  68  that, depending upon the lateral placement of the gasket  66 , for example along an outer diameter  70  of the collet  22 , provides a variable level of friction so that the bubble ring  54  does not spin freely but is still manually rotatable about the outer ring surface  64  of the body  2 . Thereby, the tool may be mounted upon a desired nut and or bolt head and the bubble ring  54  manually rotated about the body  2  to indicate a zero position before rotation of the body  2  and corresponding nut and or bolt head begins. 
     One skilled in the art will appreciate that applying the keying between the spring finger(s)  16  and the collet  22  allows the majority of other tool components to be inexpensively manufactured, for example by injection molding using any of a range of plastics, acrylics and or resins, resulting in a relatively light high precision tool having a competitive manufacturing cost. 
     To minimize drop hazard, the tool may be fitted with a loose retaining ring  72  around an annular retainer groove  74  formed in the body  2  that operates as a tether point to couple the tool to the user. Because the retaining ring  72  is rotatable about the body  2  but otherwise retained upon the body  2 , the tool may be used without interference from the attached tether. 
     A second embodiment, like elements similarly notated, relying upon the basic principles of the invention is shown for example in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . In the second embodiment, the bubble ring  54  is demonstrated as an enclosed single annular channel coupled to the body  2  by mounting upon an outside surface of the collet  22 . The shaft  12  is coupled to the spring finger(s)  16  in a single integral component to which a separate actuator end  50  forming the external shoulder  28  is coupled, for example, via a screw. 
     Although the invention has been demonstrated with respect to the a configuration adapted for use with the common octagonal machine nut and or bolt heads such as an M8 nut, one skilled in the art will appreciate that further embodiments of the invention may include a range of different gripping surface(s)  32  cooperatively formed by the respective desired number of spring finger  16  inner surface(s)  20 , for mating with, for example, non symmetrical and or proprietary actuator end, nut and or bolt head configurations. 
     The invention provides a hand tool optimized for precise adjustment in specific increments, operable if desired by a single hand with the optional convenience of leaving the tool attached to the desired adjusting point between adjustments. The self retaining feature of the invention also enhances the safety of the tool and operator when used in a drop hazard environment. 
     The precision adjustment indication features of the tool also simplify the design and manufacture requirements of the apparatus under adjustment, eliminating the prior requirement of incorporating environmentally durable precision dial gauges and or pointing elements from the apparatus at each desired adjustment location. 
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                   
               
               
                 Table of Parts 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
            
               
                 2 
                 body 
               
               
                 4 
                 exterior gripping surface 
               
               
                 6 
                 bore 
               
               
                 8 
                 first end 
               
               
                 10 
                 second end 
               
               
                 12 
                 shaft 
               
               
                 14 
                 spring finger ring 
               
               
                 16 
                 spring finger 
               
               
                 18 
                 tool end 
               
               
                 20 
                 inner surface 
               
               
                 22 
                 collet 
               
               
                 24 
                 spring 
               
               
                 26 
                 internal shoulder 
               
               
                 28 
                 external shoulder 
               
               
                 30 
                 actuator end 
               
               
                 32 
                 gripping surface 
               
               
                 34 
                 inner face 
               
               
                 36 
                 ridge 
               
               
                 40 
                 tab 
               
               
                 42 
                 groove 
               
               
                 44 
                 outer surface 
               
               
                 46 
                 inward projecting lip 
               
               
                 48 
                 annular groove 
               
               
                 50 
                 actuator end 
               
               
                 52 
                 finger lug 
               
               
                 54 
                 bubble ring 
               
               
                 56 
                 graduated indicia 
               
               
                 58 
                 channel 
               
               
                 60 
                 bubble ring base 
               
               
                 62 
                 bubble ring sleeve 
               
               
                 64 
                 outer ring surface 
               
               
                 66 
                 gasket 
               
               
                 68 
                 lip edge 
               
               
                 70 
                 outer diameter 
               
               
                 72 
                 retaining ring 
               
               
                 74 
                 retaining groove 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     Where in the foregoing description reference has been made to ratios, integers or components having known equivalents then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth. 
     While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of the embodiments thereof, and while the embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus, methods, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departure from the spirit or scope of applicant&#39;s general inventive concept. Further, it is to be appreciated that improvements and/or modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention as defined by the following claims.