Patent ID: 7992468

Claim:
A spinner tool comprising: a shaft having a first end configured to engage a rotation-imparting device to allow the shaft to be rotated around a longitudinal axis of the shaft; said shaft having a second end with surfaces forming a non-circular cross-section in a plane perpendicular to said longitudinal axis; two parallel plates carried by said shaft and extending in respective planes perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, each plate having a central opening therein through which said shaft proceeds and rotates, and each plate having a periphery and a plurality of slots therein, each of said slots proceeding exclusively radially between a first slot end next to said central opening and a second slot end next to said periphery; a plurality of cylindrical gripper elements disposed around said second end of said shaft, each mounted to and between said plates for radial movement relative to said longitudinal axis by pins respectively riding in said slots; said surfaces of said second end of said shaft respectively coming into direct contact with each of said cylindrical gripper elements upon rotation of said shaft to push said cylindrical gripper elements exclusively radially outwardly from said longitudinal axis between said plates; and each of said cylindrical gripper elements having a size in a plane perpendicular to said longitudinal axis that causes each of said cylindrical gripper elements to be within the respective peripheries of said plates when said shaft is in a first rotational position, due to said pins being respectively located adjacent said first slot ends and to project beyond the respective peripheries of said plates when said shaft is rotated to a second rotational position due to said pins being respectively located adjacent said second slot ends.