Patent ID: 8678720

Claim:
A tapping attachment for a motor-driven tool, the tapping attachment comprising: (a) a housing, (b) a main shaft assembly adapted to retain a tap, the main shaft assembly comprising, (i) a main shaft that is coupled to the housing and capable of bi-directional axial rotation, (ii) a pair of discs fixedly mounted on the main shaft in a spaced apart relationship, and (iii) a pair of compression springs axially mounted on the main shaft, the pair of compression springs enabling the main shaft to be bi-directionally, axially displaced relative to the housing, and (c) a drive mechanism, the drive mechanism comprising, (i) a drive shaft rotatably coupled to the housing at an approximate right angle relative to the main shaft, the drive shaft being adapted to be releasably coupled to and rotatably driven by the motor-driven tool, and (ii) a drive wheel fixedly mounted on the drive shaft, the pair of compression springs returning the main shaft to a naturally biased position in which the drive wheel is aligned between the pair of discs in a spaced apart relationship relative thereto, (d) wherein the main shaft is capable of being selectively axially displaced in both a first direction such that the rotatable drive wheel engages one of the pair of discs and a second direction such that the rotatable drive wheel engages the other of the pair of discs, the drive wheel selectively engaging and rotatably driving each of the pair of discs in opposite directions so as to rotate the main shaft in either axial direction, with one of the pair of compression springs returning the main shaft to the naturally biased position when displaced in the first direction and the other of the pair of compression springs returning the main shaft to the naturally biased position when displaced in the second direction.