Patent ID: 7387479

Claim:
A quick-release tool holder for rotary tools, comprising: (a) a first portion, including means for attaching a first end of said first portion to a driven member of said rotary tool that includes a threaded connection; (b) a second portion and wherein said first portion includes a master member and a slide that is concentrically disposed over said master member; means for detachably-attaching said second portion to said first portion, wherein said means for detachably-attaching said second portion to said first portion operates by the urging of a user of said concentric slide of said first portion along a center longitudinal axis of said first portion toward said rotary tool an amount sufficient to permit an attachment of said second portion to said first portion to occur and wherein said urging of said concentric slide occurs without a need for any rotation about said center longitudinal axis of said slide with respect to said master member; wherein said master member includes a larger diameter upper portion and a smaller diameter lower portion and a spring that is disposed over a portion of said lower portion and wherein said master member includes a plurality of openings that pass through said lower portion and wherein each of said openings permits a ball to pass into a corresponding one of said openings a predetermined distance and wherein said ball is not able to pass all the way through said corresponding one of said openings, and wherein said slide is adapted to be urged in a direction generally toward said rotary power tool an amount sufficient to compress a portion of said spring, and wherein said slide includes a taper and wherein when said slide is urged sufficiently far toward said rotary power tool, said balls are adapted to be urged maximally out of each of said openings an amount sufficient to permit an upper conical taper of said second portion to enter into a bottom of said master member until said upper conical taper bears against an inside taper of said master member; and including means for transmitting torque from said driven member of said rotary tool to said first portion and to said second portion.