Patent Abstract:
A hand-held tool protection device includes a handle sized and configured to be grasped by an operator. A neck portion extends outwardly from the handle in a direction of a elongated axis of the handle. A swivel assembly is connected to the neck portion. The swivel assembly includes a body having a top, a bottom and a sidewall. The body is connected to the neck portion at the sidewall of the body. An opening extends through the body and intersects the top and the bottom of the body. A pivotable rod member is slidably and pivotably received in the opening extending through the body to provide a pivot axis. A tool element holding assembly is connected to the pivotable rod member such that the tool element holding assembly pivots therewith about the pivot axis. The tool element holding assembly includes a support assembly configured for receiving a tool such that the tool may be rotated about a tool rotation axis.

Full Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present specification generally relates to tool protection devices for hand-guided rotating tools. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In the manufacturing of automobiles on an assembly line, there are many repetitive process steps. Some of the process steps are performed manually using a variety of tools. When products are manually assembled, it may be somewhat difficult to accurately align the various tools for machining or fastening processes. Incorrect alignment of tools during machining or fastening processes can result in a variety of conditions, such as cross-threading. In many instances, an automobile must be taken off-line and repaired if a cross-threading condition occurs, which causes delay in vehicle production. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one embodiment, a hand-held tool protection device includes a handle sized and configured to be grasped by an operator. A neck portion extends outwardly from the handle in a direction of a elongated axis of the handle. A swivel assembly is connected to the neck portion. The swivel assembly includes a body having a top, a bottom and a sidewall. The body is connected to the neck portion at the sidewall of the body. An opening extends through the body and intersects the top and the bottom of the body. A pivotable rod member is slidably and pivotably received in the opening extending through the body to provide a pivot axis. A tool element holding assembly is connected to the pivotable rod member such that the tool element holding assembly pivots therewith about the pivot axis. The tool element holding assembly includes a support assembly configured for receiving a tool such that the tool may be rotated about a tool rotation axis. 
     In another embodiment, a hand-held tool protection device includes a tubular housing body that is graspable by an operator having a first end bore, a second end bore and an interconnecting bore extending between the first end bore and the second end bore. A tool assembly extends from the first end bore, through the interconnecting bore and into the second end bore. The tool assembly includes a tool comprising a tool holder located at the first end bore, a spring located between the tool holder and the interconnecting bore and a tap portion located at the second end bore. The spring biases the tool toward a retracted position. 
     In another embodiment, a hand-held tap protection device includes a handle sized and configured to be grasped by an operator. A neck portion extends outwardly from the handle in a direction of an elongated axis of the handle. A swivel assembly is connected to the neck portion. The swivel assembly includes pivot structure having a pivot axis. A tool element holding assembly is connected to the pivot structure such that the tool element holding assembly pivots therewith. The tool element holding assembly includes a support assembly configured for receiving a tap such that the tap may be rotated about a tool rotation axis. 
     These and additional features provided by the embodiments described herein will be more fully understood in view of the following detailed description, in conjunction with the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The embodiments set forth in the drawings are illustrative and exemplary in nature and not intended to limit the subject matter defined by the claims. The following detailed description of the illustrative embodiments can be understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings, where like structure is indicated with like reference numerals and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of a tool protection device according to one or more embodiments described herein; 
         FIG. 2  is a section view of a swivel assembly for use with the tool protection device of  FIG. 1  according to one or more embodiments described herein; 
         FIG. 3  is another section view of the swivel assembly of  FIG. 2  according to one or more embodiments described herein; 
         FIG. 4  is a top, partial view of the tool protection device of  FIG. 1  according to one or more embodiments described herein; 
         FIG. 5  is a section view of a support assembly for use with the tool protection device of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates another embodiment of a tool protection assembly according to one or more embodiments described herein; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a section view of the tool protection assembly of  FIG. 6  according to one or more embodiments described herein; 
         FIG. 8  illustrates the tool protection assembly of  FIG. 6  in a disengaged configuration according to one or more embodiments described herein; and 
         FIG. 9  illustrates the tool protection assembly of  FIG. 6  in an engaged configuration according to one or more embodiments described herein. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Embodiments described herein generally relate to tool protection devices for insulating an operator from a rotating tool element. The tool protection devices may be hand-held and used as the operator manually guides the tool element to a work location while the tool element is not rotating. The tool protection devices may also be used as the tool element rotates during operation, which can inhibit contact between the rotating tool element and the operator. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an exemplary embodiment of a hand-held tool protection device  10  includes a handle portion  12  including a handle  14 , a neck portion  16 , a swivel assembly  18  and a tool element holding assembly  20 . The handle  14  is sized and configured to allow the operator to grasp and hold the tool protection device  10  and is connected to the swivel assembly  18  by the neck portion  16 . In the illustrated embodiment, the neck portion  16  is formed by a relatively straight rod  22  having a threaded portion  24  and a smooth portion  26 . In other embodiments, the rod  22  may have a shape other than straight, such as including one or more bends or curved portions. The neck portion  16  may have a cross-section dimension that is less than the handle  14 , however, other configurations are contemplated. 
     The swivel assembly  18  is threadably connected to the threaded portion  24  of the rod  22 . In other embodiments, the swivel assembly  18  may be connected to the rod  22  using any other suitable connection, such as by welding, adhesive, etc. Referring also to  FIG. 2 , the swivel assembly  18  includes a body  28  including a connector arm  30  for connecting the swivel assembly  18  to the rod  22  and a bore  32  extending vertically through the body  28  and substantially perpendicular to the connector arm  30  that is sized to slidably receive a vertically oriented swivel attachment assembly  34 . The swivel attachment assembly  34  includes a rod member  36  that is slidably and rotatably received in the bore  32  and a vertical arm attachment  38  that is located at an attachment end  40  of the rod member  36 . A latch pin  42  (e.g., a fastener) is located at an upper end  44  of the rod member  36 . The latch pin  42  extends outwardly from and substantially transverse to the rod member  36 . A spring  46  or other suitable biasing member is located about the rod member  36  and between an upper surface  48  of the vertical arm attachment  38  and a bottom surface  50  of the body  28 . The spring  46  is used to bias the swivel attachment assembly  34  toward the illustrated latched position. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the swivel attachment assembly  34  can be moved (e.g., manually) in the direction of arrow  52  toward an unlatched position. In the unlatched position, the latch pin  42  is located above adjacent rotation limiting elements  54  and  56  that extend outwardly above a valley surface  58  between the two rotation limiting elements  54  and  56 . In this unlatched position as shown by  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the swivel attachment assembly  34  can be rotated (e.g., 25 degrees or more, such as 45 degrees or more, such as 90 degrees or more, such as 180 degrees) to a second latched position above valley surface  60 . In some embodiments, there may be three or more discrete latched positions. For example,  FIG. 4  shows three different and discrete latched positions that are located at valley surfaces  58 ,  60  and  65 . Operation of the tool protection device will be described in greater detail below. 
     Referring back to  FIG. 1 , the tool element holding assembly  20  includes a vertically oriented rod  62  that extends substantially parallel to the rod member  36  and downwardly below the swivel assembly  18 . A first end of the rod  62  is received within the vertical arm attachment  38 . The rod  62  may be affixed to the swivel assembly  18  using any suitable means, such as adhesive, threads, welding, etc. Connected near an opposite end  70  of the rod  62  is a tool holding assembly  64 . The tool holding assembly  64  includes a support assembly  66  and a horizontally oriented connecting rod  68  that extends substantially perpendicular to the rod  62  and offsets the support structure  66  from the rod  62  in a direction transverse the length of the rod  62 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the support assembly  66  includes a tubular body  72  defining a sidewall  73  of the support assembly  66 . The support assembly  66  may include a bearing adapter  74  that is sized to rotatably receive a rotating shaft of the tool  76 . In some embodiments, the bearing adapter  74  may include a tubular body  78  having an inner diameter  80  and an outer diameter  82 . The outer diameter  82  may be sized to fit in the tubular body  72 , while the inner diameter  80  may be sized to fit around a shaft  84  of the tool  76 . In some embodiments, the inner diameter  80  may be a dimension that is smaller than a cross-sectional dimension of a tap holder portion  86  and a threaded portion  88  of the tool  76 . This arrangement can prevent unintended removal of the tool  76  from the bearing adapter  74  during use. When the tool protection device  10  is used with a tap as the tool  76 , it may be referred to as a tap protection device. While the inner diameter  80  and the outer diameter  82  are illustrated as being substantially constant, the diameters  80  and  82  may vary along the length of the bearing adapter  74 . Additionally the inner diameter of the support assembly  66  may vary to mate with the outer diameter  82  of the bearing adapter  74 . In some embodiments, the bearing adapter  74  may be split into two or more pieces (e.g., along lines  90  and  92  to facilitate locating the tool  76  within the bearing adapter  74 . Once the tool  76  is located in the bearing adapter  74 , the tool  76  and bearing adapter  74  may be placed within the tubular body  72 . In some embodiments, set screws  94  and  96  may be provided to fasten and fix the bearing adapter  74  within the tubular body  72  such that the tool  76  can rotate relative to the bearing adapter  74  and the tubular body  72 . 
     Referring back to  FIG. 1 , once the tool  76  and bearing adapter  74  are received by the tubular body  72  of the support assembly  66 , the handle  14  may be used to position the tool  76  at a desired location (e.g., at a hole to be tapped, for example, on a vehicle). Once positioned, the handle  14  extends substantially orthogonal to a tapping axis A that is defined by the axis of rotation of the tool  76 . As can be seen, the tapping axis A is also offset laterally from a swivel axis S that is defined by the swivel assembly  18 . In some instances, a manual tapping device may be connected to the tool  76  at the tap holder portion  86 , which is used to rotate the tool  76 . In other instances, a power-operated tapping device may be connected to the tool  76  at the tap holder portion  86 , which is used to rotate the tool  76 . 
     While the above tool protection device  10  is a somewhat offset configuration (i.e., the gripping location is offset from the tapping axis A),  FIG. 6  illustrates another embodiment of a tool protection device  100  having a somewhat in-line configuration where the gripping location is about the tapping axis. Referring to  FIG. 6 , the tool protection device  100  generally includes a housing body  102  and a tool assembly  104  slidably and rotatably received in the housing body  102 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , in one exemplary embodiment, the housing body  102  includes a first end bore  106 , a second end bore  108  and an interconnecting bore  110  that connects the first and second end bores  106  and  108 . In the illustrated embodiment, the first end bore  106  has a diameter D 1  that is greater than diameters D 2  and D 3  of the second end bore  106  and the interconnecting bore  110 , respectively. D 3  of the interconnecting bore  110  may have the smallest dimension. 
     The tool assembly  104  generally includes a tool  112 , a tool holder  114  and a tap portion  116  that is separated from the tool holder  114  by an elongated shaft  118 . The tool holder  114  may be releasably connected to the elongated shaft  118 , for example, using a threaded connection. A spring  120  or other biasing member is located beneath the tool holder  114  and a washer  122  is located above the tap portion  116 . 
     To assemble the tool protection device  100 , the tool holder  114  may be removed from the elongated shaft  118 . The washer  122  may then be received over the elongated shaft  118  such that the washer  122  rests against the tap portion  116 . The washer  122  may have an inner diameter that is less than a maximum width of the tap portion  116  yet greater than a width of the elongated shaft  118 . The outer diameter of the washer  122  may be larger than D 3  of the interconnecting bore  110 . An end opposite the tap portion  116  may then be received by the second end bore  108 , the interconnecting bore  110  and then into the first end bore  106 . The spring  120  may then be slid over the elongated shaft  118 . The spring  120  may have a maximum width that is greater than D 3  of the interconnecting bore  110  such that the spring can rest against a seating surface  124  of the first end bore  106 . The tool holder  114  may then be connected to the elongated shaft  118 , as illustrated, thereby completing assembly of the tool protection device  100 . 
     In some embodiments, the tool protection device  100  may be used with an elevated tapping machine  130  that is suspended on a overhead fixture, for example. When the tool protection device  100  is used with a tap, it may be referred to as a tap protection device. As shown in  FIG. 8 , the tap portion  116  is retracted within the housing body  102  when the tapping machine  130  is disengaged from the tool  112 . Referring to  FIG. 9 , when the tapping machine  130  engages the tool holder  114 , the tap portion  116  may be extended below the housing body  102  for a tapping operation. The bias provided by the spring  120  biases the tool  112  toward the retracted position once the tapping machine  130  is disengaged from the tool  112 . 
     The above-described tool protection devices can be used in guiding the tapping tool to the area being tapped and can be used to isolate the operator&#39;s hands and clothing from the rotating tool during use. The tool protection devices may be formed of any suitable material such as plastics and/or metals and using any suitable process such as molding, machining, etc. Use of the tool protection devices may reduce instances of misalignment during a tapping process, which can reduce instances cross-threading and resulting manufacturing delays. 
     While particular embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it should be understood that various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed subject matter. Moreover, although various aspects of the claimed subject matter have been described herein, such aspects need not be utilized in combination. It is therefore intended that the appended claims cover all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Technology Classification (CPC): 8