Patent Publication Number: US-6698319-B2

Title: Tool retaining device for retaining various tools

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a tool retaining device, and more particularly to a tool retaining device for retaining or coupling various tool members to power driving tool and to be changeably driven by the power driving tool. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Typical tools or tool members are required to be attached to or coupled to the power driving tools and to be driven by the power driving tools, without various kinds of tool retaining devices. However, the typical tool retaining devices each may only be used for attaching a single tool or tool member to the power driving tools. The typical tool retaining devices may not be used for changeably securing or attaching different or various kinds of tools or tool members to the power driving tools. 
     The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional tool retaining devices. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a tool retaining device for retaining or coupling various tool members to power driving tool and to be changeably driven by the power driving tool. 
     In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a tool retaining device comprising a shaft including a first end having a socket opening formed therein, a first tool member attached to the socket opening of the shaft, a bucket including a first end secured to the shaft and including a bore formed therein, and including a second end, the first tool member being received in the bore of the second end of the bucket, a casing slidably received in the second end of the bucket, and including a magnetic member engaged therein, and including an orifice formed therein for slidably receiving the first tool member, the first tool member being slidably engaged through the magnetic member and the casing and extendible outward of the casing, and means for biasing the casing away from the bucket. 
     The bucket includes a peripheral flange extended radially inward from the second end thereof, the casing includes a peripheral rib extended radially outward therefrom for engaging with the peripheral flange of the bucket and for limiting a movement of the casing relative to the bucket and for preventing the casing from being disengaged from the bucket. 
     The shaft includes a second magnetic member engaged in the socket opening thereof for retaining the first tool member to the shaft. 
     The shaft includes an outer thread formed thereon, the bucket includes an inner thread threaded with the outer thread of the shaft, and a lock nut threaded onto the shaft and engaged with the bucket for locking the bucket to the shaft. 
     A barrel is further provided, a shank includes two ends selectively engaged in the barrel and includes the shaft extended from a first end thereof, and means for detachably securing the shank to the barrel. 
     The shank includes an outer peripheral recess formed therein, the detachably securing means includes a ball slidably received in the barrel, and means for forcing the ball to engage with the outer peripheral recess of the shank. 
     The forcing means includes a ferrule slidably engaged onto the barrel and engageable with the ball for forcing the ball to engage into the barrel and to engage with the outer peripheral recess of the shank. 
     A device is further provided for biasing the ferrule to engage with the ball and to force the ball to engage with the shank. 
     The shank includes a second end having a conduit extended thereon, the conduit includes an orifice formed therein, the tool retaining device further includes a second tool member engaged in the orifice of the conduit for being attached to the shank. 
     The shank includes a second magnetic member engaged in the conduit for retaining the second tool member to the shank. 
     A device is further provided for detachably securing the second tool member to the conduit, and includes a spring catch having a tongue slidably received in and engaged through the conduit, and means for forcing the tongue to engage with the second tool member. 
     The forcing means includes a sleeve slidably engaged onto the conduit and engageable with the spring catch for forcing the tongue to engage into the conduit and to engage with the second tool member. 
     The sleeve includes an actuator engageable with the spring catch for forcing the tongue to engage into the conduit and to engage with the second tool member. 
     A device may further be provided for biasing the actuator of the sleeve to engage with the tongue and to force the tongue to engage with the second tool member. 
     Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of a detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view taken along lines  1 — 1  of FIG. 2, illustrating a tool retaining device in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along lines  2 — 2  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial cross sectional view illustrating the operation of the tool retaining device; and 
     FIGS. 4,  5 ,  6 ,  7  are enlarged partial cross sectional views similar to FIG. 3, illustrating the operation of the tool retaining device. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, a tool retaining device in accordance with the present invention is generally indicated with a reference numeral “ 10 ” and comprises a duct  11  secured or extended from one end of a barrel  12  and having a bore  110  formed therein for receiving tools or tool member  292 , such as the drilling member  292 , and having one end  111  for coupling to the power driving tools and to be driven by the power driving tools. The barrel  12  includes a chamber  13  formed therein, and includes a peripheral rib or stop  121  extended radially outward from the other end thereof. 
     A shank  20  includes two ends selectively engageable into the barrel  12 , and includes one or more peripheral recesses  21  formed in the middle portion thereof. A ball  15  is engaged in the other end of the barrel  12  for selectively engaging into the peripheral recess  21  of the shank  20  and for detachably securing the shank  20  to the barrel  12 . A ferrule  14  is slidably engaged onto the other end of the barrel  12 , and engageable with the ball  15  for forcing the ball  15  into the peripheral recess  21  of the shank  20  and for detachably securing the shank  20  to the barrel  12 . The ferrule  14  includes a bore  140  and a peripheral shoulder  141  formed therein for engaging with the peripheral stop  121  of the barrel  12  and for limiting the sliding movement of the ferrule  14  relative to the barrel  12 . A spring  16  is engaged in the ferrule  14  and engaged with a peripheral rib  142  of the ferrule  14  for biasing the ferrule  14  to engage with the peripheral stop  121  of the barrel  12  and for forcing the ferrule  14  to engage the ball  15  into the peripheral recess  21  of the shank  20  and for detachably securing the shank  20  to the barrel  12 . 
     In order to remove the shank  20  from the barrel  12 , it is only required to move the ferrule  14  relative to the barrel  12  against the spring  16 , until the ball  15  is received in the bore  140  of the ferrule  14 . The ball  15  may thus be disengaged from peripheral recess  21  of the shank  20  such that the shank  20  may be detached and disengaged from the barrel  12 . The shank  20  may be changed to engage different ends into the chamber  13  of the barrel  12 , and to have the required tool members extended outward of the barrel  12 . The other shanks  20  may also be changeably and selectively attached to the barrel  12  for attaching the other tool members to the barrel  12 . 
     The shank  20  includes a conduit  22  extended from one end thereof and having an orifice  222  formed therein for receiving the tools or tool members  292 , such as the drilling members  292 , and includes a cavity  220  formed therein for receiving such as a magnetic attracting member  224  therein for attracting and securing the tool member  292  in the conduit  22 . The conduit  22  includes a peripheral flange  221  extended radially outward from one end thereof, closer to the root portion thereof or closer to the conduit  22 . A spring catch  28  includes a tongue  281  engaged through the conduit  22  and engaged into the orifice  222  of the conduit  22  for selectively engaging into the peripheral recess or depression  293  of the tool member  292  and for detachably securing the tool member  292  to the conduit  22 . 
     A sleeve  29  is slidably engaged onto the conduit  22  and includes an actuator  290  engageable with the tongue  281  of the spring catch  28  for forcing the tongue  281  of the spring catch  28  into the tool member  292  and for detachably securing tool member  292  to the conduit  22 . The sleeve  29  includes a peripheral flange  294  for engaging with the peripheral flange  221  of the conduit  22  and for limiting the sliding movement of the sleeve  29  relative to the conduit  22 . A spring  291  is engaged between sleeve  29  and the peripheral flange  221  for biasing the actuator  290  to engage with the spring catch  28  and to engage the tongue  281  of the spring catch  28  into the tool member  292  for detachably securing the tool member  292  to the conduit  22 . 
     In order to remove the tool member  292  from the conduit  22 , it is only required to move the sleeve  29  relative to the conduit  22  against the spring  291 , until the tongue  281  of the spring catch  28  is disengaged from the tool member  292  such that the tool member  292  may be detached and disengaged from the conduit  22 . The tool member  292  may be changed to engage different ends into the conduit  22 , or may be changed with the other tool members. 
     The shank  20  includes a shaft  23  extended from the other end thereof and having an outer thread  230  formed and provided on the outer peripheral portion thereof. A bucket  25  includes an inner thread  251  for threading onto the outer thread  230  of the shaft  23 . A lock nut  24  is also threaded to the outer thread  230  of the shaft  23  and engaged with the bucket  25  for locking the bucket  25  to the shaft  23 . The bucket  25  includes a bore  252  formed therein, and includes a peripheral flange  253  extended radially inward of the bore  252  thereof and extended from the free end thereof. The shaft  23  includes a free end having a socket opening  26  formed therein for receiving the tool members or the tool bits  30  to be driven by the shank  20 , and includes a magnet or magnetic member  261  engaged therein for attracting and securing the tool bit  30  to the shaft  23 . 
     A casing  40  is slidably received in the bore  252  of the bucket  25  and includes a peripheral rib  41  extended radially outward from one end thereof for engaging with the peripheral flange  253  of the bucket  25  and for limiting the movement of the casing  40  relative to the bucket  25 , and for preventing the casing  40  from being disengaged from the bucket  25 . A spring  27  is engaged with the casing  40  for biasing the casing  40  outward of the bucket  25 . A magnet  42  and a gasket  43  are engaged in the casing  40 , and an orifice  401  is formed in the casing  40  and/or in the magnet  42 , and/or in the gasket  43  for receiving the tool bit  30  and for allowing the tool bit  30  to be moved inward and outward of the casing  40  (FIGS.  3 - 7 ). As shown in FIG. 5, the casing  40  may be forced inward of the bucket  25  against the spring  27  when the casing  40  is engaged onto an object  60  and when the bucket  25  is forced toward the object  60 . 
     In operation, as shown in FIGS. 3-7, the bucket  25  may be rotated and adjusted relative to the shaft  23  for receiving the tool bits  30  of different or various lengths. The tool bits  30  may be stably attracted and retained in the casing  40  and the shaft  23  with the magnets  42 ,  261 . The casing  40  includes an engaging surface  44  formed in the bottom or free end thereof for stably receiving the fasteners  50  of flat surfaces or curved surfaces. The tool bit  30  may be slightly moved outward of the casing  40  by engaging the casing  40  against the object  60  and by forcing the bucket  25  toward the object  60 . The fastener  50  may thus be deeply engaged into a depression  61  of the object  60  (FIG.  5 ), or may be flatly engaged into the object  60  (FIG.  6 ). As shown in FIG. 7, the tool bit  30  may includes a cavity  311  formed therein for receiving a head  71  of a bolt  70  which has a peripheral panel  72  for engaging with the casing  40 . 
     Accordingly, the tool retaining device in accordance with the present invention may be used for retaining or coupling various tool members to power driving tool and to be changeably driven by the power driving tool. 
     Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.