Nut starter

Claim 2

A nut starter tool adapted for starting a nut onto a threaded member wherein the nut has a threaded inner surface defining a substantially circular central opening extending therethrough between opposite end surfaces, said tool comprising an elongated body portion and a nut-gripping axial extension at a forward end thereof varying in cross-sectional size along its length and of a reduced cross-sectional size throughout with respect to that of said elongated body portion, said axial extension having a rounded leading end, and a shoulder portion between said body portion and said axial extension, said axial extension having a length substantially one-half the means diameter of said axial extension for insertion into the central opening of said nut and being adapted to frictionally engage a portion of the nut when inserted therein whereby the nut is releasably retained on said axial extension in a manner such that the nut can be started onto the threaded member by rotational movement of said body portion of said tool.

Claim 3

The tool of claim 1 wherein said axial extension has a forwardly convergent external surface throughout its length adapted to be wedged into said central opening.

Claim 4

The tool of claim 2 wherein said axial extension has a lateral dimension which is smaller than the lateral dimension of the body portion and has its leading end with a smaller lateral dimension than the central opening in the nut and its trailing end with a larger lateral dimension than the central opening in the nut.

Claim 5

The tool of claim 3 wherein said axial extension extends axially away from the body portion for a distance less than the thickness of the nut.

Claim 6

The tool of claim 2 wherein said extension is of octagonal cross-section.

Claim 7

The tool of claim 2 wherein said extension is of triangular cross-section.

Claim 8

The tool of claim 2 wherein the outer surface of the extension comprises a plurality of adjacent concave segments converging outwardly away from the body portion.

Claim 9

The tool of claim 2 wherein said extension is of circular cross-section.

Claim 10

A tool adapted for starting a nut onto a threaded member wherein the nut has a threaded inner surface defining a substantially circular central opening therein, said tool comprising an elongated body portion and a nut-gripping axial extension at a forward end thereof varying in cross-sectional size along its length and of reduced cross-sectional size with respect to that of said elongated body portion, and a shoulder portion between said body portion and said axial extension, said axial extension comprising a plurality of spaced resilient, axially extending segments which can be urged inwardly to exert an outward bias force against the interior surface of the nut when the leading end portion of said axial extension is inserted into the nut, and said axial extension being sized for insertion into the central opening of said nut for a distance substantially less than the thickness of the nut and being adapted to frictionally engage a portion of the threading on the inner surface of the nut whereby the nut is releasably retained on the extension in a manner such that the nut can be started onto the threaded member by rotational movement of the body portion of the tool.

Claim 11

A tool adapted for starting a nut onto a threaded member wherein the nut has a threaded inner surface defining a substantially circular central opening therein, said tool comprising an elongated body portion and a nut-gripping axial extension at a forward end thereof varying in cross-sectional size along its length and of reduced cross-sectional size with respect to that of said elongated body portion, and a shoulder portion between said body portion and said axial extension, said axial extension comprising a plurality of spaced resilient, axially extending segments which can be urged inwardly to exert an outward bias force against the interior surface of the nut when the leading end portion of said axial extension is inserted into the nut, and said axial extension being sized for insertion into the central opening of said nut for a distance substantially less than the thickness of the nut and being adapted to frictionally engage a portion of the threading on the inner surface of the nut whereby the nut is releasably retained on the extension in a manner such that the nut can be started onto the threaded member by rotational movement of the body portion of the tool.

Claim 12

The tool of claim 9 wherein the lateral dimension of said extension adjacent to its leading end is normally slightly greater than the diameter of the central opening in the nut and said segments have a cam surface on their leading ends whereby when a nut is pressed against the leading end of the extension with the central opening of the nut aligned with the extension, the inner surface of the nut will cam the segments inwardly so that the extension is inserted into the nut with the segments exerting a radially outward force on the inner surface of the nut frictionally retaining the nut on the extension.

Claim 13

The tool of claim 10 wherein each segment has a forwardly divergent outer surface.

Claim 14

The tool of claim 10 wherein said body portion comprises an elongated cylindrical shank and said segments extend axially away from the forward end thereof.

Claim 15

The tool of claim 12 wherein said segments extend forwardly away from the shank a distance which is less than the thickness of the nut.

Claim 16

The tool of claim 12 wherein a portion of the forward end of the shank from which the segments extend defines an abutment surface against which the nut can rest when retained by the tool.

Claim 17

The tool of claim 1 further including elongated support means, said support means having a socket on its leading end adapted to fit around the outer surface of the nut in driving engagement therewith whereby rotative movement of the socket will advance the nut along the threaded member, and an axial passage in said support means in which the body portion of the tool is adapted to be axially slidably received whereby said axial extension is adapted to frictionally engage the inner surface of a nut to enable the nut to be started onto the threaded member by rotative movement of the tool and the socket on the support means can be slid over the nut for driving engagement with the outer surface of the nut to drive the nut any desired distance onto the threaded member.

Claim 18

A tool for starting and driving a nut onto an externally threaded member, The nut having a threaded inner surface defining a central opening therethrough, said tool comprising in combination a nut starting portion and a nut driving portion, said nut starting portion comprising an elongated cylindrical rod and an axial extension from the forward end of the rod, a shoulder portion between the rod and said axial extension, said axial extension having at least a portion thereof sized for insertion into said central opening and being adapted to frictionally engage a portion of the threading on the inner surface of the nut, said axial extension being of a length substantially less than the thickness of the nut so that rotative movement of the nut starting portion will cause the nut to be initially threaded onto the threaded member when the nut is engaged with an exposed threaded end of the threaded member, said nut driving portion comprising an elongated substantially cylindrical hollow member, said hollow member having a socket on its forward end adapted to drivingly engage the outer surface of the nut, rotational control means between said rod and said hollow member for preventing relative rotational movement therebetween, the hollow member having a longitudinal passage of greater diameter than the diameter of said rod and adapted to receive the rod so that the rod is free to slide axially in said passage, said rod including limit stop means cooperating with said rotational control means to limit the axial movement of said rod with respect to said hollow member whereby the nut starting portion can be extended axially forwardly of said socket to initially start the nut onto the threaded member and can be retracted axially through the socket so that the nut driving portion is free to drive the nut any desired distance onto the threaded member.

Claim 19

A tool for starting and driving a nut onto an externally threaded member, The nut having a threaded inner surface defining a central opening therethrough, said tool comprising in combination a nut starting portion and a nut driving portion, said nut starting portion comprising an elongated cylindrical rod and an axial extension from the forward end of the rod, a shoulder portion between the rod and said axial extension, said axial extension having at least a portion thereof sized for insertion into said central opening and being adapted to frictionally engage a portion of the threading on the inner surface of the nut, said axial extension being of a length substantially less than the thickness of the nut so that rotative movement of the nut starting portion will cause the nut to be initially threaded onto the threaded member when the nut is engaged with an exposed threaded end of the threaded member, said nut driving portion comprising an elongated substantially cylindrical hollow member, said hollow member having a socket on its forward end adapted to drivingly engage the outer surface of the nut, rotational control means between said rod and said hollow member for preventing relative rotational movement therebetween, the hollow member having a longitudinal passage of greater diameter than the diameter of said rod and adapted to receive the rod so that the rod is free to slide axially in said passage, said rod including limit stop means cooperating with said rotational control means to limit the axial movement of said rod with respect to said hollow member whereby the nut starting portion can be extended axially forwardly of said socket to initially start the nut onto the threaded member and can be retracted axially through the socket so that the nut driving portion is free to drive the nut any desired distance onto the threaded member.

Claim 20

The tool of claim 16 wherein said axial extension of the elongated rod comprises a frusto-conical surface converging forwardly away from the end of the elongated rod.

Claim 21

The tool of claim 16 wherein said axial extension of the elongated rod comprises a plurality of spaced resilient segments which can be urged radially inwardly to exert an outward biasing force against the inner surface of the nut when the extension is inserted into the nut.