Patent Publication Number: US-2020282543-A1

Title: Socket Drive Assembly

Description:
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
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     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The disclosure and prior art relates to drive devices and more particularly pertains to a new drive device for rotating a fastener with 360.0 degrees of rotation. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a wrench that has a first end and a second end. A socket drive is coupled to the wrench and the socket drive extends along an axis that is oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the wrench. The socket drive includes a ⅜ inch drive and a ¼ inch drive for engaging either a ⅜ socket or a ¼ socket. A handle is removably coupled to the wrench and the handle is oriented to rotate about an axis is oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the wrench. In this way the handle facilitates the wrench to be rotated 360.0 degrees around a fastener that is loosened or tightened. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of a socket drive assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a right side view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4  of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  is a top perspective view on an alternative embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 8  thereof, a new drive device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 8 , the socket drive assembly  10  generally comprises a wrench  12  has a first end  14  and a second end  16  and the wrench  12  is elongated between the first  14  and second  16  ends. Additionally, the wrench  12  undulates between the first  14  and second  16  ends such that the first end  14  is offset from the second end  16  with respect to a longitudinal axis of the wrench  12 . The wrench  12  has a first portion  18  extending from the first end  14  toward the second end  16  and the wrench  12  has a second portion  20  extending from the second end  16  toward the first end  14 . The first portion  18  has a length of approximately 2.5 inches and the second portion  20  has a length of approximately 1.125 inches. 
     The wrench  12  has a top side  22 , a bottom side  24  and a first lateral side  26 . The first portion  18  has a first aperture  28  extending through the top  22  and bottom  24  sides, and the first aperture  28  is spaced from the first end  14 . The second portion  20  has a second aperture  30  extending through the top  22  and bottom  24  sides, and the second aperture  30  is spaced from the second end  16 . The first lateral side  26  has a well  32  extending therein and intersects the first aperture  28 . Moreover, the well  32  has a bounding surface  34  and the bounding surface  34  is threaded. 
     A socket drive  36  is coupled to the wrench  12  and the socket drive  36  extends along an axis that is oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the wrench  12 . The socket drive  36  includes a ⅜ inch drive  38  and a ¼ inch drive  40  for engaging either a ⅜ socket or a ¼ socket. The socket drive  36  extends through the first aperture  28  having the ⅜ inch drive  38  being spaced from the bottom side  24  of the wrench  12  and having the ¼ inch drive  40  being spaced from the top side  22  of the wrench  12 . A set screw  42  threadably engages the bounding surface  34  of the well  32  in the first lateral side  26  of the wrench  12 . The set screw  42  is tightened against the socket drive  36  for retaining the socket drive  36  in the first aperture  28 . 
     A handle  44  is removably coupled to the wrench  12  and the handle  44  is oriented to rotate about an axis that is oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the wrench  12 . In this way the handle  44  facilitates the wrench  12  to be rotated 360.0 degrees around a fastener that is loosened or tightened. The handle  44  comprises a cylinder  46  that has a top end  48 , a bottom end  50  and an outer surface  52  extending therebetween. 
     The cylinder  46  has an aperture  54  extending through the top  48  and bottom  50  ends. The aperture  54  in the cylinder  46  has a shoulder  56  therein and the shoulder  56  is centrally positioned between the top  48  and bottom  50  ends. Additionally, the bottom end  50  of the cylinder  46  is positionable on either the top side  22  of the wrench  12  or the bottom side  24  of the wrench  12  having the aperture  54  in the cylinder  46  being aligned with the second aperture  30  in the wrench  12 . In this way either the ⅜ inch drive  38  or the ¼ in drive can be inserted into a socket for turning a fastener. Moreover, the outer surface  52  of the cylinder  46  has a knurled portion  58  for enhancing gripping the cylinder  46 . 
     The handle  44  includes a bolt  60  that has a head  62  and a shaft  64 . The bolt  60  is extended downwardly through the aperture  54  in the cylinder  46  having the head  62  abutting the shoulder  56  and having the shaft  64  extending through the second aperture  30  in the wrench  12 . A nut  66  is provided for threadably engaging the shaft  64  of the bolt  60  and rotatably retaining the cylinder  46  on the wrench  12 . The outer surface  52  of the cylinder  46  is gripped for turning the wrench  12  thereby facilitating the cylinder  46  to rotate about an axis that is oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the wrench  12 . In this way the handle  44  can rotate about an axis that is oriented parallel to a rotational axis of a fastener is loosened or tightened with the wrench  12 . 
     In an alternative embodiment  68  as is most clearly shown in  FIG. 7 , the first aperture  28  may have a plurality of intersecting sides  70  such that the first aperture  28  has a rectangular shape. Additionally, the socket drive  36  may have a rectangular outer surface  72  to conform to the intersecting sides  70  of the first aperture  28 . In this way the socket drive  36  is inhibited from rotating in the first aperture  28  when the fastener is rotated. In an alternative embodiment  74  as is most clearly shown in  FIG. 8 , the socket drive  36  may comprise a ¼ inch or ⅜ inch drive  76  extending downwardly from the bottom side  24  of the wrench  12 . A direction switch  78  may be movably positioned on the top side  22  of the wrench  12  to adjust the direction of rotation for the ¼ inch or ⅜ inch drive  76 . 
     In use, the handle  44  is positioned on either of the top  22  or bottom  24  sides of the wrench  12  to facilitate either of the ⅜ inch drive  38  or the ¼ inch drive  40  to be inserted into a socket having the handle  44  extending upwardly from the wrench  12 . The handle  44  is gripped and the wrench  12  is rotated about the rotational axis of the fastener being loosened or tightened. Additionally, the wrench  12  can be rotated a full 360.0 degrees about the fastener. The handle  44  rotates about an axis that is parallel to the rotational axis of the fastener thereby enhancing ergonomic comfort for a user. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.