Abstract:
A wrench with interchangeable, pivotal, rotatable tool pieces on at least one end. A snap-on tool piece, preferably a wrench, fits into a pivotal end piece which is pivotably held to an extension arm by a toothed pin in toothed apertures. The extension arm is pivotably attached to a rotating shaft by toothed pins. There may be another pivotable snapon connection for a tool piece at the opposite end of the shaft. As an alternative, the tool piece fits into a pivotable end piece which is positioned at the end of a pivotably segmented shaft which fits inside the casing and handle of the tool. The location of the tool piece in relation to the handle may be easily set and secured. The multiplicity of possible tool pieces and positions makes this tool highly versatile and capable of reaching into hard-to-reach areas. Thus, bolts in car motors may be reached without having to partially dismantle the motor.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention is in the field of extendible hand tools which have interchangeable heads and pivoting shafts and are capable of adjustment in the position of the heads. The tools of this invention may have a handle at one end and a tool head at the other or they may be adapted to have a tool head at each end. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     The prior art is aware of tools having one or more of the above features. 
     Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 2,978,938 to Nalley describes a wrench having a handle with a telescoping sleeve for extension, a pivotable attachment between the upper and lower sections of the sleeve, and a pivotable attachment between the wrench head and the wrench handle. When the pivoting mechanisms are used, pivoting of the head and lower part of the handle is possible only along one plane (right or left as viewed in FIG.  2 ). Therefore, a full range of motion is not possible. While it is taught that the wrench handle is moveable in the sleeve for extension and retraction of the handle, no teaching is given as to how this is performed with the handle being held firmly in the desired position. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,608 to Shieh discloses a ratchet wrench with an adjustable angle between the head and the body. The wrench head pivots around a bolt and is held in the desired position by teeth in the extension of the head contacting gear teeth in the handle. In spite of the complexity of the device and need for small parts of complex shapes, the head may be made to pivot up and down as seen in FIG. 1 but cannot be made to pivot from side to side. Thus, the Shieh device has limited utility when used in hard-to-reach areas. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,737 to Raber discloses a hand tool, generically, and a ratchet wrench, particularly. The handle, containing a detent, fits into a sleeve provided with a plurality of spaced holes, thus allowing for easy extension and retraction of the handle. Extension and retraction may be achieved only when the detent is in line with a hole in the sleeve and thus the handle cannot be extended to every length which may be desired by the user. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,263 to Kwaka discloses a wrench which has a handle, a box wrench head fixed to one end of the handle, and a socket wrench head (with or without a ratchet mechanism) pivotally attached to the other end. The pivot mechanism is made up of a pin penetrating a lug protruding from the handle. The movement of the wrench head is frictionally restrained by the interaction of the several component members. Thus, this pivoting mechanism provides for only an up-and-down motion and does not provide for a side-to-side range of motion. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,740 to Ernst discloses a hand tool having a pivotal head attached to the shaft by a pin through holes in the head and a clevis in the shaft. The tool is rotatable about its axis. While the head may be made to pivot up and down, no provision is made to provide for a side-to-side pivot. Also, only a single pivoting point is present so that nuts or bolts which are hard to access may be unreachable with this tool. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,668 to Davis discloses a wrench with a plurality of pivotable links to enable access to areas which are hard to reach. This tool provides great side-to-side flexibility and is useful for those situations where a plurality of turns do not have to be made to access the nut or bolt. This tool does not provide for vertical flexibility, and thus finds little use in those circumstances where both vertical and horizontal bends must be made to reach hard-to-access nuts and bolts. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,331,869 to Webb discloses a wrench with interchangeable heads and a provision for pivoting the head up or down. No provision for side-to-side pivoting is made. Thus, while this tool finds limited improvement over non-pivoting wrenches, it leaves unmet the need to provide a fully flexible tool which can reach hard-to-access nuts and bolts. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,899 to Twomblow discloses an extendible wrench which provides a pivotable head. The head can pivot up or down, but lacks the ability to pivot from side to side. Thus, access to hard-to-reach nuts and bolts is limited. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,223 to Lin discloses a head having interchangeable tool pieces and a shaft which may be extended. No provision is made for pivoting the head of this tool. Thus, access to hard-to-reach areas is not provided for. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention seeks to provide a turning hand tool with interchangeable tool pieces which avoids the disadvantages of the prior art tools while providing a tool which can gain access to hard-to-reach areas. In accomplishing these desired results, a plurality of pivotable parts is provided as well a tool piece which may be easily arranged in the horizontal or vertical position. 
     The tool of the present invention contains at least one tool piece which may comprise any common type of tuning tool, such as wrench, socket driver, or screw driver. 
     The tool piece pivots about an attachment clip by means of a locking trigger pin. The pin has alternating areas of toothed surfaces and smooth surfaces. Likewise, the inner surfaces of the apertures through the sides of the attachment clip and the protrusion of the tool head have alternating areas of toothed surfaces and smooth surfaces. When these toothed surfaces are not aligned, the tool head may pivot freely about the attachment clip. When these toothed surfaces are aligned, the tool head is grasped firmly by the attachment clip and slippage is prevented. 
     The attachment clip has a proximal protrusion which easily connects and disconnects with a pivotal end piece having an opening which has the same shape as the corresponding protrusion in the attachment clip. 
     The ability of the attachment clip and the pivotal end piece to have their relative positions changed allows the tool piece to pivot either horizontally or vertically, and a fill 180° range of motion is possible in either position. 
     In a first embodiment of this invention, the pivotal end piece is pivotally connected to the distal end of the extending arm by means of a locking trigger pin. 
     The proximal end of the extending arm is pivotally attached by a locking trigger pin to the distal end of the shaft. 
     The proximal end of the shaft ends at an opening which is the same size and shape as the opening in the pivotal end piece. This opening allows for the easy connection and disconnection of a second tool piece so that the position of the second tool piece may be varied relative to the shaft. 
     An outer cover is rotatably attached to the proximal end of the shaft. An inner unattached cover having a shoulder fits between the shaft and the outer cover. 
     When the inner cover is moved to its proximal position, the shoulder of the inner cover abuts with the distal end of the outer cover. In this position, the extending arm is exposed and may be positioned as desired by the user. Also, in this position, a turning force exerted on the outer cover causes the shaft to turn. 
     When the inner cover is moved to its distal position, the extending arm is covered and is held in a straight line by the inner cover. In this position, a turning force on the outer cover causes the shaft to turn. 
     If desired, the inner cover may be completely removed. 
     In a second embodiment of this invention, the tool contains a tool piece which is the same as the tool piece of the first embodiment. The tool piece is held by a pivotal end piece in the same manner as the first embodiment. 
     The pivotal end piece is pivotally connected by means of a locking trigger pin to the distal portion of the shaft in the same manner as the pivotal end piece is attached to the extending arm in the first embodiment. 
     The distal shaft portion is pivotally connected to the proximal shaft portion by means of a locking trigger pin. 
     The shaft portions are non-circular in shape and are preferably square in cross-section. The shaft portions fit into like-shaped bores in a casing and are fixed or released by a holding mechanism, preferably a set screw threaded through the casing. 
     The casing is permanently attached to a handle. In this way a turning force may be applied to the handle to transfer a turning force to the tool head or the handle may act as a lever to turn the tool head in any of its extended or pivoted positions. The handle contains an extension of the casing bore for holding the shaft. 
     As can been seen, both embodiments provide for ease of operation, flexibility, and access to hard-to-reach areas. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is an elevational perspective view of a tool of the first embodiment of this invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the distal end of a tool of this invention showing the extending arm. 
     FIG. 3 is an elevational view showing the attachment of the tool piece to the pivotal end piece showing the ability of the position of the tool piece in relation to the pivotal end piece to be changed. 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the tool body of the first embodiment of this invention. 
     FIG. 5 is an elevational view showing the tool piece in a pivoted relationship to the pivotal end piece. 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged view, partly in cross-section, showing the details of the locking trigger pin and its relationship to the apertures. 
     FIG. 7 is cross-sectional view of the abutment of a notch and a protrusion showing an aperture. 
     FIG. 8 is an enlarged plan view of FIG. 7 showing teeth within the aperture. 
     FIG. 9 is an engaged view partly in cross-section, of the abutment of a notch and a protrusion showing a locking trigger pin in place. 
     FIG. 10 is an enlarged elevational view of a locking trigger pin. 
     FIG. 11 is an elevational perspective view of a tool of the second embodiment of this invention. 
     FIG. 12 is an elevational perspective view of a tool of the second embodiment of this invention with the distal portion of the shaft extended showing pivotal possibilities. 
     FIG. 13 is an elevational perspective view of a portion of a tool of the second embodiment of this invention with the proximal and distal portions of the shaft extended showing additional pivotal possibilities. 
     FIG. 14 is a schematic view of the tool body of the second embodiment of this invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention contains two major embodiments. In the first embodiment there is a tool body  2  containing distal  4  and proximal  5  openings for receiving turning tool pieces  6  at each of the distal  8  and proximal  10  ends of the tool body  2 . In the second embodiment there is a tool body  12  containing a distal opening  4  for receiving a tool pieces  6  at only one end. 
     The tool piece  6  can be understood with reference to FIGS. 3-10. 
     The tool piece  6  is comprised of a tool head  14  and a connecting clip  16 . The tool head  14  may comprise any conventional turning tool part  18 , such as ratchet wrench, box wrench, socket wrench, Allen wrench, or screwdriver. The tool head  14  comprises a distal turning tool part  18 , a central body  20  and a proximal protrusion  22 . The protrusion  22  may be of any conventional regular shape, although a square cross-section is preferred. The protrusion  22  contains a circular aperture  24  which passes through the protrusion  22  parallel to the proximal end  26  thereof. The aperture  24  contains alternating toothed  28  and smooth  30  sections. The edges of the protrusion  22  parallel to the aperture  24  are rounded to allow for free movement relative to the connecting clip  16 . 
     The connecting clip  16  contains a clevis  32  forming a notch  34  and two sides  36  at the distal end  38  thereof, which clevis  32  has a circular aperture  40  through each side  36  thereof. Each aperture  40  having an inner wall  42  containing teeth  44 . A locking trigger pin  46  attaches the tool head  14  to the connecting clip  16  by fitting through the provided apertures  24   40 . 
     The locking trigger pin  46  contains a holding clip  48  fixedly attached to the shaft  50  of the pin  46 , a round shaft  50  containing a plurality of toothed sections  52  and having a diameter nearly equal to that of the apertures  24   40 , a head  54 , and a tension spring  56  which tends to push the head  54  away from the sides  36  of the clevis  32 . When the locking trigger pin  46  is in place and the tool head  14  is in a fixed position, teeth  52  of the locking trigger pin  46  line up with teeth  28   44  in the apertures  24   40 . When the head  54  of the locking trigger pin  46  is depressed, the sections of the shaft  50  having teeth  52  are pushed away from the sections of the apertures  24   40  which have teeth  28   44 , allowing the protrusion  22  to easily pivot in the notch  34 . When the head  54  of the locking trigger pin  46  is released, toothed sections  52  of the shaft  50  are brought back into contact with corresponding toothed sections  28   44  on the inner walls  42  of the apertures  24   40  in the sides  36  of the clevis  32  and in the protrusion  22 . The protrusion  22  is thus grasped firmly in the notch  34  and pivoting is prevented. Other, conventional, holding rods may be used for the purpose of connecting the several sections of the tool of this invention. Such holding rods have a round crosssection to allow for free pivoting while anchoring in place can be accomplished by frictional connection between a square notch and a square protrusion. 
     The connecting clip  16  contains a proximal protrusion  58  of any conventional regular cross-section containing straight sides  60 , although a square cross-section is preferred. One side  60  of the protrusion  58  contains a spring-tensioned ball  62  which allows quick and easy removal of the protrusion  58  from the appropriate opening  4  while maintaining sufficient pressure against the side of the opening  4  as to avoid accidental loss of the tool piece  6 . 
     The above-described tool piece  6  is identical for all openings  4  of this invention and will be referred to throughout this specification simply as the tool piece  6 . 
     Reference is made to FIGS. 1-10 to understand the first embodiment of this invention. In the first embodiment, the tool  64  comprises a tool body  2  and the above-described tool piece  6 . The tool body  2  comprises a pivotal end piece  66  containing a distal first opening  4  for receiving the tool piece  6 , at least one extending arm  70 , a shaft  72  ending in a proximal second opening  5  for a second tool piece  6 , a proximal end piece  74 , an outer cover  76 , and an inner cover  78 . 
     The pivotal end piece  66  contains a distal opening  4  of the same shape as the protrusion  58  of the connecting clip  16 . The pivotal end piece  66  contains a proximal clevis  80  containing sides  82  having circular apertures  84  therethrough which apertures  84  have teeth  86  on the inner walls  88 . 
     Through quick, easy connection and disconnection between the tool piece  6  and the pivotal end piece  66 , the tool piece  6  may be adjusted so as to have a horizontal or vertical positioning relative to the remainder of the tool  64 . Thus, the tool piece  6  may pivot along the same plane as the remaining pivots or it may pivot along a plane 90° thereto when the cross-sections of the protrusion  22  and corresponding opening  4  are square. Other angles are possible when the protrusion  22  and opening  4  have other configurations, e.g., hexagon. This flexibility gives the tool  64  of the present invention its ability to be useful in hard-to-reach areas. 
     The pivotal end piece  66  contains a proximal clevis  80  containing sides  82  having circular apertures  84  therethrough. The pivotal end piece  66  is attached to the distal rounded end  90  of the extending arm  70  by a previously-described locking trigger pin  46  passing through these apertures  84  and an aperture  92  containing a plurality of toothed sections  94  through the extending arm  70  near the distal end  90  thereof The distal end  90  of the extending arm  70  is rounded for easy movement in connection with the pivotal end piece  66 . 
     The extending arm  70  may be of any cross-sectional configuration, but for ease in manufacturing, a square cross-section is preferred. 
     The proximal end  96  of the extending arm  70  is rounded so as to provide ease of movement relative to the shaft  72 . The proximal end  96  of the extending arm  70  forms a clevis  98  having sides  100  and a notch  102 . The sides  100  have apertures  104  therethrough near the proximal end  96 . The proximal end  96  of the extending arm  70  is pivotally attached to a protrusion  106  on the distal end  108  of the shaft  72  by means of a locking trigger pin  46  in the manner previously described. The extending arm  70  allows for a variety of positions of the tool piece  6  relative to the shaft  72  and also provides leverage capable of supplying increased force to nuts, bolts, screws, etc. 
     The shaft  72 , preferably circular in cross-section, has a distal end  108  and a proximal end  110 . The distal end  108  ends in a protrusion  106  which fits into the proximal clevis  98  of the extending arm  70 . 
     The outer cover  76  has a proximal end  114  and a distal end  116  and is circular in cross-section. The shaft  72  is connected to the outer cover  76  by means of a set screw  117  near the proximal end  110  of the shaft. There is a proximal end piece  74  which is positioned between the shaft  72  and the outer cover  76 . This proximal end piece  74  presents a second, proximal opening  5  which has the same size and shape as the opening  4  of the pivotal end piece  66 . This opening  5  is suitable for holding a connecting clip  16  of a second tool piece  6 . 
     The inner cover  78  has a proximal end  126  and a distal end  128 . It, too, is circular in cross-section having a diameter slightly less than that of the outer cover  76 . The inner cover  78  has a shoulder  130  having the same cross-section as the outer cover  76 . Thus, the inner cover  78  may slide between a proximal, retracted position and a distal, extended position. 
     When the inner cover  78  is in the proximal position, the extending arm  70  is exposed and the extending arm  70  may be pivoted to any desired position, allowing the tool head  14  to reach hard-to-access areas. When the inner cover  78  is in the proximal position, the shoulder  130  of the inner cover  78  may be held and a turning force on the outer cover  76  results in a turning of the shaft  72 . 
     When the inner cover  78  is in the distal position, the extending arm  70  is covered and is in line with the shaft  72 . The shoulder  130  of the inner cover  78  may be held and a turning force applied to the outer cover  76 . This results in a turning of the shaft  72 . 
     With reference to FIGS. 6-14, the second embodiment of the invention will now be described. 
     The tool  132  of the second embodiment comprises the tool piece  134  and a body  12  comprising a pivotal end piece  138 , a segmented pivoting shaft  140 , a casing  142 , and a handle  144 . 
     The tool piece  134  is the same as that which has been previously described. 
     The pivotal end piece  138  is the same as the pivotal end piece  66  of the first embodiment. 
     The pivotal end piece  138  is attached to the distal end  146  of a shaft  140  in the same fashion as previously described in the first embodiment for attaching the pivotal end piece  66  to the extending arm  70 . The shaft  140  has a rounded distal end  146  to allow free movement between the shaft  140  and the pivotal end piece  138 . The shaft  140  has a proximal portion  148  and a distal portion  150 . These two portions  148   150  are connected by means of a clevis  152  on a first portion ( 148  or  150 ), a protrusion  154  on a second portion ( 148  or  150 ), and a locking trigger pin  46  extending through apertures  24   40  passing therethrough in the manner previously described. 
     The segmented shaft  140  fits into a like-shaped bore  158  in the casing  142 . The shaft  140  may be in a fully retracted proximal position or a fully extended distal position or any place between these two positions. A set screw  160  positioned on the casing  142  may be easily adjusted to tighten and hold the shaft  140  in the desired position or loosened to allow the shaft  140  to be moved. 
     The proximal end  162  of the casing  142  abuts with the distal end  164  of the handle  144 . The handle  144  has a hollow bore  166  having the shape of the shaft  140  so that the proximal end  156  of the shaft  140  may extend to a point just distal to the proximal end  168  of the handle  144 . In this way, full use of the length of the tool  132  is made in providing a shaft  140  with a plurality of segments  148   150  which can extend beyond the distal end  170  of the casing  142 . This extension ability is of assistance in reaching nuts and bolts in hard-to-access areas. 
     Although the invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it is to be clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example, and is not to be taken by way of limitation. For example, it is apparent that the positioning of devises and protrusions may be switched at will. The spirit and scope of the present invention are to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims.