Rotary power tool clutch mechanism

Claim 2

A rotary impact tool comprising, in combination; a housing, a motor mounted in said housing; an output shaft mounted on said housing for rotation and including an impact-receiving jaw generally radially disposed on its periphery; an elongated impact element; a cage member driven by said motor and mounting said impact element adjacent to the output shaft in the vicinity of the impact-receiving jaw with its axis parallel to the axis of the output shaft and radially displaced therefrom to rotate in an orbitlike path about the output shaft; a ringlike hammer member surrounding the orbit of said impact element; means mounting said hammer member in said housing for rotary motion essentially in unison with said impact element but being capable of limited relative rotary motion in respect thereto; and cam means periodically actuated by the output shaft to move said hammer member forward ahead of the cage member to cause said impact element to move radially inward into the path of said impact-receiving jaw in position to contact said impactreceiving jaw and transmit an impact blow from said hammer member transversely through said impact element to said impactreceiving jaw.

Claim 3

A rotary impact tool comprising, in combination; a housing, a motor mounted in said housing; an output shaft mounted on said housing for rotation and including an impact receiving jaw and a cam shoulder each radially disposed on its periphery; a generally cylindrical roller impact element; a cage member driven by said motor mounting said roller impact element adjacent to the impact-receiving jaw with its axis parallel to the axis of the output shaft and radially displaced therefrom to rotate in an orbit about the output shaft; a ringlike hammer member surrounding the orbit of said roller impact element, means mounting said hammer member in said housing for rotary motion essentially in unison with said roller impact element but being capable of limited relative motion in respect thereto; and cam means periodically actuated by said cam shoulder on said output shaft to move said hammer forward ahead of the cage member to cause said impact element to move radially inward to contact said impact-receiving jaw and transmit an impact blow from said hammer member transversely through said impact element to said impact-receiving jaw.

Claim 4

A rotary impact tool comprising, in combination; a housing, a motor mounted in said housing; an output shaft mounted on said housing for rotation and including an impact receiving jaw and a cam shoulder each radially disposed on its periphery; a generally cylindrical roller impact element; a cage member driven by said motor mounting said roller impact element adjacent to the impact-receiving jaw with its axis parallel to the axis of the output shaft and radially displaced therefrom to rotate in an orbit about the output shaft; a ringlike hammer member surrounding the orbit of said roller impact element, means mounting said hammer member in said housing for rotary motion essentially in unison with said roller impact element but being capable of limited relative motion in respect thereto; and cam means periodically actuated by said cam shoulder on said output shaft to move said hammer forward ahead of the cage member to cause said impact element to move radially inward to contact said impact-receiving jaw and transmit an impact blow from said hammer member transversely through said impact element to said impact-receiving jaw.

Claim 5

A rotary impact tool, comprising, in combination; a housing; a motor having a motor drive shaft mounted in said housing; a centrally located output shaft including an impact-receiving jaw and a cam shoulder; means rotatably mounting said output shaft in said housing; a cage member having slot means therein; means mounting said cage member around said output shaft at the location of said impact-receiving jaw; means connecting said motor drive shaft to said cage member to rotate said cage member as said motor and motor drive shaft rotate; a ringlike hammer member having longitudinal groove means in its bore; means coaxially mounting said hammer around said cage member and said output shaft for rotation with and in respect to said cage member and said output shaft; a generally cylindrical roller impact element mounted in said slot means in said cage member and extending radially through said slot means from said output shaft into said groove in said hammer member and with its axis parallel to the axis of said output shaft, the roller impact element allowing limited relative rotary motion between said cage member and said hammer member; and cam means actuated by said cam shoulder on said output shaft for periodically during rotation causing said hammer member to rotate forward ahead of said cage member thereby to force said roller impact element radially inward into the annular path of said impact-receiving jaw to deliver an impact blow from said hammer member through said roller impact element to said impact-receiving jaw.

Claim 6

A rotary impact tool, comprising, in combination; a housing; a motor having a motor drive shaft mounted in said housing; a centrally located output shaft including an impact-receiving jaw and a cam shoulder; means rotatably mounting said output shaft in said housing; a cage member having slot means therein; means mounting said cage member around said output shaft at the location of said impact-receiving jaw; means connecting said motor drive shaft to said cage member to rotate said cage member as said motor and motor drive shaft rotate; a ringlike hammer member having longitudinal groove means in its bore; means coaxially mounting said hammer around said cage member and said output shaft for rotation with and in respect to said cage member and said output shaft; a generally cylindrical roller impact element mounted in said slot means in said cage member and extending radially through said slot means from said output shaft into said groove in said hammer member and with its axis parallel to the axis of said output shaft, the roller impact element allowing limited relative rotary motion between said cage member and said hammer member; and cam means actuated by said cam shoulder on said output shaft for periodically during rotation causing said hammer member to rotate forward ahead of said cage member thereby to force said roller impact element radially inward into the annular path of said impact-receiving jaw to deliver an impact blow from said hammer member through said roller impact element to said impact-receiving jaw.

Claim 7

A rotary impact tool as set forth in claim 3, further characterized by said cam means comprising a second generally cylindrical cam roller element mounted in a second slot in said cage member and extending radially through said slot from said output shaft into said groove in said hammer member and with its axis parallel to the axis of said output shaft; said cam roller element being actuated by said cam shoulder during forward operation of said tool; and during reverse operation of said tool, said cam roller element operating as the roller impact element.

Claim 8

A rotary impact tool comprising, in combination: a housing, a motor mounted in said housing; a centrally located output shaft having an impact-receiving jaw and a cam shoulder radially disposed on its periphery; means rotatably mounting said output shaft to said housing; a ringlike cage member driven by said motor surrounding said impact-receiving jaw and journaled on said output shaft, said cage member having two slots through its wall; two roller elements, one mounted in each of said two slots in said cage member with their axes parallel to the axis of the output shaft but displaced radially therefrom, the diameters of said roller elements being such that they extend radially beyond the periphery of said cage member; and a ringlike hammer member surrounding said cage member and journaled thereon, said hammer member having two axially extending grooves in its bore to loosely accommodate the portions of said roller elements beyond the periphery of said cage member causing said cage member and said hammer member to rotate essentially in unison but allowing limited relative rotary motion therebetween, said two axially extending grooves being spaced and shaped so that as the first roller is forced outwardly by the cam shoulder into one groove in the hammer member the second roller is forced inwardly by the hammer member into the path of the impact-receiving jaw to transmit an impact blow from said hammer member through said second roller element to said impact-receiving jaw.

Claim 9

A rotary impact tool comprising, in combination: a housing, a motor mounted in said housing; a centrally located output shaft having an impact-receiving jaw and a cam shoulder radially disposed on its periphery; means rotatably mounting said output shaft to said housing; a ringlike cage member driven by said motor surrounding said impact-receiving jaw and journaled on said output shaft, said cage member having two slots through its wall; two roller elements, one mounted in each of said two slots in said cage member with their axes parallel to the axis of the output shaft but displaced radially therefrom, the diameters of said roller elements being such that they extend radially beyond the periphery of said cage member; and a ringlike hammer member surrounding said cage member and journaled thereon, said hammer member having two axially extending grooves in its bore to loosely accommodate the portions of said roller elements beyond the periphery of said cage member causing said cage member and said hammer member to rotate essentially in unison but allowing limited relative rotary motion therebetween, said two axially extending grooves being spaced and shaped so that as the first roller is forced outwardly by the cam shoulder into one groove in the hammer member the second roller is forced inwardly by the hammer member into the path of the impact-receiving jaw to transmit an impact blow from said hammer member through said second roller element to said impact-receiving jaw.

Claim 10

A rotary impact tool comprising, in combination: a housing, a motor mounted in said housing; a centrally located output shaft hAving an impact-receiving jaw radially disposed on its periphery; means rotatably mounting said output shaft to said housing; a slotted cage member journaled on said output shaft and surrounding said impact-receiving jaw; a driving connection from said motor to said cage member; a grooved ringlike hammer member surrounding said cage member and journaled thereon; an impact element carried in the slot in said cage member and extending into the groove in said hammer member allowing limited relative rotary motion between the cage member and the hammer member, said groove being shaped so that motion of said hammer member ahead of said cage member forces said impact element into the annular path of said impact-receiving jaw to transmit an impact blow from said hammer member through said impact element to said impact-receiving jaw; and cam means actuated by said output shaft periodically to cause said relative motion of said hammer member ahead of said cage member.

Claim 11

A rotary impact tool comprising, in combination: a housing, a motor mounted in said housing; a centrally located output shaft hAving an impact-receiving jaw radially disposed on its periphery; means rotatably mounting said output shaft to said housing; a slotted cage member journaled on said output shaft and surrounding said impact-receiving jaw; a driving connection from said motor to said cage member; a grooved ringlike hammer member surrounding said cage member and journaled thereon; an impact element carried in the slot in said cage member and extending into the groove in said hammer member allowing limited relative rotary motion between the cage member and the hammer member, said groove being shaped so that motion of said hammer member ahead of said cage member forces said impact element into the annular path of said impact-receiving jaw to transmit an impact blow from said hammer member through said impact element to said impact-receiving jaw; and cam means actuated by said output shaft periodically to cause said relative motion of said hammer member ahead of said cage member.

Claim 12

A rotary impact tool as set forth in claim 6, further characterized by said output shaft including a cam shoulder radially disposed on its periphery, and by said cam shoulder-forming part of said cam means for periodically causing said motion of the hammer member ahead of said cage member.