Interlocking screw and screwdriver

Claim 1

A mating screw and screwdriver combination with interlocking features for releasably coupling the screwdriver to a head of the mating screw to facilitate driving the mating screw into a workpiece, the mating screw and screwdriver comprising: a handle; a blade on the handle, the blade having an outer extremity opposite the handle; engagement means on the outer extremity of the blade for releasably engaging a complimentary surface provided in the head of the mating screw, the engagement means including a flange on the outer extremity of the blade which seats beneath a downwardly facing shoulder provided in the complimentary surface of the head of the mating screw, the mating screw being provided with a planar end surface having a peripheral border; and a coupling means associated with the handle for exerting an axially directed force on the screw once the engagement means are engaged to thereby positively couple the screwdriver and mating screw, wherein the coupling means includes a sliding sleeve which circumscribes the blade, the sliding sleeve being slidable between a set position in which the sleeve exerts an axially directed force on the screw and a retracted position, the sliding sleeve having a cylindrical end face which contacts the planar end surface of the mating screw within the peripheral border thereof to exert said axially directed force.