US3712352A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Depth adjusters and interchangeable locators for screwdrivers
Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp
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Filing: 1971-05-06
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Granted: 1973-01-23
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Expires: 1991-05-06
Abstract
Abstract A depth adjuster made of injection molded plastic parts has a bit housing which screws onto the projecting externally threaded nose on the gear housing of a standard electric powered hand tool provided with a positive pressure engaged clutch. The bit housing has a bore to accommodate the clutch chuck and the shank of a bit for a screw head. The bore passes through an extending neck on the bit housing which is externally threaded and provided with an outwardly facing shoulder having locking tabs. Onto this neck is threaded a locator assembly of a type designed for a particular application. This assembly has three parts which are snapped into place and remain assembled even when disconnected from the bit housing. These parts consist of (1) a locking collar with locking slots which engage with the locking tabs, (2) a locator sleeve which has limited axial movement and a non-rotative movement with respect to the locking collar, and (3) a compression spring which axially urges the locking collar rearwardly toward the outer extreme of its limited motion with respect to the locator sleeve.
Inventors
- 👤 G Lafferty
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 19:02
CPC Classifications
B; B25; B25B; B25B23/00; B25B23/0064
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
155 words
A depth adjuster adapted for mounting on an electric powered hand tool, said tool having a positive pressure engaged clutch including a clutch chuck for receiving a bit, and a gear housing having an externally threaded neck, said adjuster comprising: a. a bit housing threadedly mounted on the neck of the tool, said bit housing having spaced locking tabs and an adjusting thread; and b. a locator assembly consisting of (1) a locking collar with spaced locking slots into which said locking tabs fit, (2) a locator sleeve carried by said locking collar and having limited axial movement and non-rotative movement with respect thereto, said locator sleeve having an adjusting thread engaged with the adjusting thread on said bit housing, and (3) a compression spring acting directly between said locking collar and said locator sleeve to move said locator sleeve to the outer limit of its limited axial movement with respect to said locator sleeve.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
155 words
A depth adjuster adapted for mounting on an electric powered hand tool, said tool having a positive pressure engaged clutch including a clutch chuck for receiving a bit, and a gear housing having an externally threaded neck, said adjuster comprising: a. a bit housing threadedly mounted on the neck of the tool, said bit housing having spaced locking tabs and an adjusting thread; and b. a locator assembly consisting of (1) a locking collar with spaced locking slots into which said locking tabs fit, (2) a locator sleeve carried by said locking collar and having limited axial movement and non-rotative movement with respect thereto, said locator sleeve having an adjusting thread engaged with the adjusting thread on said bit housing, and (3) a compression spring acting directly between said locking collar and said locator sleeve to move said locator sleeve to the outer limit of its limited axial movement with respect to said locator sleeve.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
50 words
A depth adjuster as defined in claim 1 wherein the limited axial movement of said locking collar relative to said locator sleeve is accomplished by connecting means including a resilient member on one which snaps into engagement with an abutment on the other of said locking collar or locator sleeve.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
A depth adjuster as defined in claim 2 wherein said connecting means prevents disassembly of the locator assembly without destruction of connecting means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
A depth adjuster as defined in claim 1 wherein said bit housing, said locking collar and said locator sleeve are plastic parts formed by injection molding of plastic identified as molybdenum-disulfide filled nylon.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
71 words
A depth adjuster as defined in claim 4 wherein: a. said locking means consists of locking tabs projecting from a forwardly facing surface on the bit housings; and b. said locking means on said bit housing consists of spaced locking slots in an inner flange into which said locking tabs fit when aligned to prevent relative rotation between said bit housing and said locking collar to maintain the required depth adjustment.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
68 words
A depth adjuster as defined in claim 5 wherein: a. said locking collar has an internal bore in which said compression spring is contained and an inturned flange at the outer end of said bore with angularly spaced slots; and b. said locator sleeve has angularly spaced lands slidable in said slots to permit relative axial movement between said collar and said sleeve while preventing relative rotation therebetween.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
124 words
A depth adjuster as defined in claim 6 wherein: a. said adjusting threads are at a pitch of 16 threads per inch; b. said bit housing has angularly spaced lands having a reference marking visibly mounted thereon; c. said lands on said locator sleeve have a reference marking visibly mounted thereon; and d. said tabs and slots being angularly spaced with relation to said pitch so that the operator may change the depth adjustment by two sixty-fourths inch by rotating said locator sleeve so that a reference marking on said sleeve is moved into alignment with a reference marking on said bit housing spaced two lands from the reference marking on said bit housing with which reference marking on said sleeve was initially aligned.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-01-23 | 1976-07-24 | 1977-01-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-01-23 | 1980-07-24 | 1981-01-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-01-23 | 1984-07-24 | 1985-01-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |