Patent ID: 7011001

Claim:
A torque device for applying torque to a rotatable member, comprising: a housing; an inner ring assembly defining a torque axis upon which torque is to be applied, said inner ring assembly including at least one pin eccentrically disposed relative to said torque axis and an engaging structure coaxially disposed relative said torque axis for engaging said rotatable member; said housing rotatably accepting said inner ring assembly to permit rotation about said torque axis; a movable member disposed in said housing to move along a travel path to come into and out of engagement with said at least one pin when said inner ring assembly rotates relative said housing to rotate said a least one pin along a circumferential path of travel about said torque axis and relative to said housing; said movable member having a slanted face slanted relative to a tangent to an intersection of said circumferential path of travel of said at least one pin and the travel path of said movable member thereof such that continued rotation in a first direction of said inner ring assembly, relative to said housing, engages said slanted face with said at least one pin and urges said movable member outward relative to said torque axis to a disengagement point where said slanted face moves out of engagement with said at least one pin; and an adjustable biasing device for biasing said movable member toward said at least one pin such that said inner ring assembly applies a predetermined level of torque to said rotatable member at said point of disengagement.