Patent ID: 8453540

Claim:
An apparatus for changing a light bulb, comprising: an elongate tube having a distal end, a proximal end, defining an interior longitudinal cavity and having a longitudinal axis; an elongate drive shaft positioned therein the longitudinal cavity; a drive handle positioned at the proximal end of the elongate tube, operatively connected to the drive shaft; a drive housing positioned at the distal end of the elongate tube defining a drive cavity therein, the drive housing having a first face and a opposed second face, wherein the first face is closer to the drive handle than the second face, and wherein the drive housing defines a receptacle aperture extending therethrough the first face and the second face; a drive gear positioned therein the drive housing and operatively connected to the drive shaft; a driven gear operatively connected to the drive gear; and a light receptacle operatively selectively coupled to the driven gear and extending therefrom the receptacle aperture, the light receptacle configured to engage an exterior portion of the light bulb, wherein the light receptacle is moveable from a first position in which the light receptacle extends from the first face, to a second position in which the light receptacle extends from the second face; wherein, rotation of the drive handle causes the drive gear to rotate substantially along the longitudinal axis of the elongate tube, which in turn, causes the driven gear to rotate, which in turn, causes the light receptacle to rotate, whereby the light bulb is rotated into or out of engagement with a socket, depending upon the direction of rotation.