Patent ID: 8020631

Claim:
A pneumatic tool comprising: a housing; an output member supported by the housing for rotational movement relative to the housing about a longitudinal output axis; an air motor disposed in the housing and operatively connected to the output member for driving the output member in either a reverse direction or a forward direction; air passaging in the housing for delivering pressurized air to the air motor, the air passaging having an inlet; a plunger slidable along a plunger axis for selectively opening and closing the inlet of the air passaging to selectively introduce pressurized air into the air passaging; a valve comprising a valve component disposed within the air passaging, the valve component being selectively rotatable about a rotational axis extending generally parallel to the plunger axis between a forward-driving position, in which the valve component directs pressurized air entering the passaging through inlet to the air motor to drive the motor in the forward direction, and a reverse-driving position, in which the valve component directs pressurized air entering the passaging through the inlet to the air motor to drive the motor in the reverse direction; an actuator supported by the housing and adapted to translate along a generally linear actuating axis extending lateral to the output axis as the valve rotates between the forward-driving position and the reverse-driving position; and a connection system interconnecting the actuator and the valve, the connection system adapted to convert the translational movement of the actuator along the linear actuating axis into angular movement of the valve component about the rotational axis to selectively rotate the valve component between the forward-driving position and the reverse-driving position, the connection system comprising connector elements engaged for generally conjoint movement in a first, linear direction and for relative sliding movement in a second, linear direction generally perpendicular to the first direction.