Screw driver having capped handle with rotable cap

Claim 1

A tool comprising: A. an elongate cylindrical handle with an axial through bore and having a first end zone and a second end zone, said handle being sized to fit the hand of a user, B. a shaft having a first end zone, a second end zone and an intermediate zone, said intermediate zone being between the end zones, and said second end zone comprising a working end of the tool, C. means to fix the intermediate zone of the shaft in the bore of the handle for rotation of said handle and said shaft as a unit about the longitudinal centerline of the handle and shaft, D. said first end zone extending from said handle, E. an end cap on said extending first end zone including means to captivate said end cap on said extending end zone in a fixed axial position in which it is rotatable on said first end zone and means rotatably journalling said end cap on said first end zone, F. said end cap having a bearing therewithin with an axial face facing said handle and said handle having a bearing therewithin with an axial face facing said end cap and ball bearing means captivated between said bearing faces; G. said means to cativate said end cap on said extending shaft portion comprising a headed end on the first end zone of said shaft, said headed end being of a larger diameter than the remainder of the shaft and defining an axially facing abutment shoulder when viewed from the working end of the tool and a flat bearing surface when viewed from the end cap end of the tool, said end cap bearing having an axial bore for accommodating said first end zone of said shaft and being shaped with two end portions of larger diameter than the middle portion, one large diameter portion defining said axial face facing said handle, the other opposite large diameter portion having a cylindrical recess surrounding said headed end of said shaft, the bottom of the recess defining a shoulder for bearing against said abutment shoulder of said headed end of said shaft, an end plate between said end cap and said headed end of said shaft and bearing against said flat bearing surface of said headed end, and pin means fixing said end plate to the said other opposite large diameter portion of said end cap bearing, the end cap filling in the area between the two larger diameter end portions of the end cap bearing and being held to said bearing by said pin means.