US3610343A — Nut runner having torque responsive gearshift

Claim 1

Independent Claim 246 words

A nut runner or like tool having a housing, a working spindle, a pressure fluid driven motor for driving said working spindle, inlet and outlet ports in said motor, a fluid supply passage in said housing for connecting said inlet port to a pressure fluid conduit, a two-speed reductioN gear mechanism interconnected between the motor and the working spindle, and a pressure fluid circuit for sensing the drive fluid pressure at a sensing point upstream of said outlet port and arranged for initiating and causing shifting of the gear mechanism from operating with a lower reduction ratio to operating with a higher reduction ratio when a predetermined rise in pressure is attained at said sensing point, and a pressure fluid actuated piston for effecting said shifting of said gear mechanism, said gear mechanism including at least one set of planetary gears constantly interconnected between said motor and said working spindle for reducing the speed of the latter, and an additional set of planetary gears comprising a driven sun wheel, a driving planet carrier, planet gears, and a ring gear, said ring gear having a first position in which it is rotatable and locks said planet carrier and planet gears against relative rotation, and a second position in which it is locked against rotation and permits the planet gears to rotate with respect to the planet carrier, said pressure fluid actuated piston being arranged for shifting said ring gear from said first position to said second position.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 246 words

A nut runner or like tool having a housing, a working spindle, a pressure fluid driven motor for driving said working spindle, inlet and outlet ports in said motor, a fluid supply passage in said housing for connecting said inlet port to a pressure fluid conduit, a two-speed reductioN gear mechanism interconnected between the motor and the working spindle, and a pressure fluid circuit for sensing the drive fluid pressure at a sensing point upstream of said outlet port and arranged for initiating and causing shifting of the gear mechanism from operating with a lower reduction ratio to operating with a higher reduction ratio when a predetermined rise in pressure is attained at said sensing point, and a pressure fluid actuated piston for effecting said shifting of said gear mechanism, said gear mechanism including at least one set of planetary gears constantly interconnected between said motor and said working spindle for reducing the speed of the latter, and an additional set of planetary gears comprising a driven sun wheel, a driving planet carrier, planet gears, and a ring gear, said ring gear having a first position in which it is rotatable and locks said planet carrier and planet gears against relative rotation, and a second position in which it is locked against rotation and permits the planet gears to rotate with respect to the planet carrier, said pressure fluid actuated piston being arranged for shifting said ring gear from said first position to said second position.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 53 words

A tool according to claim 1 in which the piston element is of annular form and disposed around the ring gear, which is axially fixed to the piston element but rotatable relative thereto, said piston element being spring biased towards a position in which it holds the ring gear in said first position.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 43 words

A tool according to claim 1 in which the motor is a sliding vane motor and the pressure fluid circuit is connected to an orifice in the working cylinder of the motor for sensing the drive pressure therein acting directly on the vanes.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 42 words

A tool according to claim 3 in which the orifice is disposed within the sector of the working cylinder bounded by the closing edge of the air inlet port and half the angular distance to the opening edge of the air outlet.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 23 words

A tool according to claim 1 in which said pressure fluid circuit includes a direct connection between the sensing point and the piston.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 38 words

A tool according to claim 5 in which a valve is provided effective to close said direct connection between the sensing point and the piston and simultaneously connect a passage from an external fluid supply to the piston.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 30 words

A tool according to claim 1 in which a shutoff valve is arranged to shut off said supply passage for a short interval during the shifting of the gear mechanism.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 43 words

A tool according to claim 1 in which the motor is a sliding vane motor and the pressure fluid circuit is connected to an orifice in the working cylinder of the motor for sensing the drive pressure therein acting directly on the vanes.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 220 words

A nut runner or like tool having a housing, a working spindle, a pressure fluid driven motor for driving said working spindle, inlet and outlet ports in said motor, a fluid supply passage in said housing for connecting said inlet port to a pressure fluid conduit, a two-speed reduction gear mechanism interconnected between the motor and the working spindle, and a pressure fluid circuit for sensing the drive fluid pressure at a sensing point upstream of said outlet port and having control means arranged therein for causing shifting of the gear mechanism from operating with a lower reduction ratio to operating with a higher reduction ratio when a predetermined rise in pressure is attained at said sensing point, and a pressure fluid actuated piston in said circuit for effecting said shifting of the gear mechanism, said control means comprising a pilot valve having a valving body, a passage for supplying fluid from the fluid supply passage to said pilot valve, an actuating passage from the pilot valve to the piston, and a sensing passage from said sensing point to the pilot valve for fluid actuated controlling of the pilot valve, said pilot valve having an open position for permitting flow from said passage between the fluid supply passage and the pilot valve to said actuating passage, and a closed position.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 220 words

A nut runner or like tool having a housing, a working spindle, a pressure fluid driven motor for driving said working spindle, inlet and outlet ports in said motor, a fluid supply passage in said housing for connecting said inlet port to a pressure fluid conduit, a two-speed reduction gear mechanism interconnected between the motor and the working spindle, and a pressure fluid circuit for sensing the drive fluid pressure at a sensing point upstream of said outlet port and having control means arranged therein for causing shifting of the gear mechanism from operating with a lower reduction ratio to operating with a higher reduction ratio when a predetermined rise in pressure is attained at said sensing point, and a pressure fluid actuated piston in said circuit for effecting said shifting of the gear mechanism, said control means comprising a pilot valve having a valving body, a passage for supplying fluid from the fluid supply passage to said pilot valve, an actuating passage from the pilot valve to the piston, and a sensing passage from said sensing point to the pilot valve for fluid actuated controlling of the pilot valve, said pilot valve having an open position for permitting flow from said passage between the fluid supply passage and the pilot valve to said actuating passage, and a closed position.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 67 words

A tool according to claim 9 in which the valving body of the pilot valve is continuously biased towards its closed position and arranged to be urged towards its open position by the fluid in said sensing passage acting on a first piston surface of the valving body and also by the fluid in said actuating passage acting on a second piston surface of the valving body.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 37 words

A tool according to claim 10 in which the valving body is constantly biased towards closed position by means of a spring and by drive pressure fluid acting on a third piston surface of the valving body.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 37 words

A tool according to claim 7 in which a shutoff valve is arranged to shut off the supply passage for supplying fluid to the motor during a short interval in connection with shifting of the gear mechanism.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 103 words

A tool according to claim 12 in which said shutoff valve comprises a valving spool disposed crosswise through the supply passage for supplying fluid to the motor, said valving spool having two positions in which the supply connection is held open, and one position between the open positions in which the supply connection is shut off, the valving spool being continuously biased towards one of the open positions and provided for being urged to the other open position by the action of pressure fluid from said actuating passage acting on a piston surface of the valving spool when said actuating passage is pressurized.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 124 words

A nut runner or like tool having a housing, a working spindle, a pressure fluid driven motor for driving said working spindle, inlet and outlet ports in said motor, a source of pressure fluid, a fluid supply connection in said housing for normally supplying pressure fluid from said source to said motor inlet port, a two-speed reduction gear mechanism interconnected between the motor and the working spindle, means operated by pressure fluid diverted from said motor inlet port for shifting the gear mechanism from operating with one reduction ratio to operating with another reduction ratio, and a shutoff valve arranged to completely shut off said pressure fluid supply from said motor inlet port during a short interval during which said gear mechanism is shifted.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 124 words

A nut runner or like tool having a housing, a working spindle, a pressure fluid driven motor for driving said working spindle, inlet and outlet ports in said motor, a source of pressure fluid, a fluid supply connection in said housing for normally supplying pressure fluid from said source to said motor inlet port, a two-speed reduction gear mechanism interconnected between the motor and the working spindle, means operated by pressure fluid diverted from said motor inlet port for shifting the gear mechanism from operating with one reduction ratio to operating with another reduction ratio, and a shutoff valve arranged to completely shut off said pressure fluid supply from said motor inlet port during a short interval during which said gear mechanism is shifted.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 93 words

A tool according to claim 14 in which said shutoff valve comprises a valving spool disposed crosswise through the supply connection for supplying fluid to the motor, said valving spool having two positions in which said supply connection is held open, and a position intermediate said open positions in which said supply connection is shut off, the valving spool being continuously biased towards one of the open positions and arranged to also be urged to the other momentarily via said intermediate position by the action of pressure fluid acting on the valving spool.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 36 words

A tool according to claim 15 in which an adjustable means is provided upstream of said piston surface of said valving spool for timing the actuation thereof in relation to the actuation of said valving spool.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1974-10-04	1975-04-05	1975-10-05	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1978-10-04	1979-04-05	1979-10-05	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1982-10-04	1983-04-05	1983-10-05	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Nut runner having torque responsive gearshift

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