US5129293A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Torque control mechanism for wrenches and the like
Assignee: Precision Instruments Inc
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Filing: 1991-06-10
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Granted: 1992-07-14
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Expires: 2011-06-10
Abstract
Abstract A torque control mechanism for wrenches and the like in which a pivot block has one end rockably engaging a force tranmsission member, an axially movable plunger has one end rockably opposing a second end of the pivot block, a ball screw carried by the plunger has a control ball element engaging the second end of the pivot block, a balance cam carried by the plunger provides seat for a coiled compression spring having its opposite end engaged by an antifriction device permitting the spring to turn for adjustment purposes, a rotatably adjustable transfer screw engages the antifriction device and is threaded through a stop adjusting nut mounted in the distal end portion of tubular housing for the mechanism. The distal end portion of the transfer screw is secured in an end cap fixed within a distal end of a handle mounted on the housing; and the components of the mechanism provide a continuous passage therethrough for respective adjustment wrenches to be applied from the handle end of the tool to respectively the ball screw, a ball screw lock screw, and to said balance cam.
Inventors
- 👤 John K. Larson
- 👤 Talmage O. Green
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 07:25
CPC Classifications
B; B25; B25B; B25B23/00; B25B23/14; B25B23/142; B25B23/1422; B25B23/1427
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
322 words
A torque control mechanism for wrenches and the like and having a drive head connected to one end of a force transmission member which is attached adjacent to said one end to a proximal end of an elongate tubular housing, and comprising: a pivot block having one end rockably engaging a second end of said force transmission member; an axially moveable plunger having one end rockably opposing a second end of said pivot block; a ball screw axially threadedly adjustable in a throughbore in said plunger and having pivot controlling ball means for projecting into engagement in a complementary socket in said second end of said pivot block; balance cam means cooperatively related to a second end of said plunger for controlling balanced release values between clockwise and counterclockwise torque valuations; coiled compression biasing spring means seated at one end on said balance cam means for applying biasing thrust toward said plunger; antifriction means for compression engagement of a second end of said spring means; rotatably adjustable transfer screw means having an end engaging said antifriction means for controlling the thrust load of said spring means; a stop adjusting nut mounted in the distal end portion of said tubular housing and having said transfer screw means threaded therethrough; an end cap fixed within a distal end of a handle mounted about a distal end portion of said tubular housing and having said transfer screw means threaded therethrough; said transfer screw means having wrench engageable means for rotatably adjusting said transfer screw means axially in said stop adjusting nut for effecting said adjusting of the thrust load of said biasing spring means; and said transfer screw means, said antifriction means, said spring means, and said balance cam means providing continuous passage therethrough for access from the distal end of the handle by an adjustment wrench to said ball screw for controlling projection distance of said pivot controlling ball means relative to said plunger.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
322 words
A torque control mechanism for wrenches and the like and having a drive head connected to one end of a force transmission member which is attached adjacent to said one end to a proximal end of an elongate tubular housing, and comprising: a pivot block having one end rockably engaging a second end of said force transmission member; an axially moveable plunger having one end rockably opposing a second end of said pivot block; a ball screw axially threadedly adjustable in a throughbore in said plunger and having pivot controlling ball means for projecting into engagement in a complementary socket in said second end of said pivot block; balance cam means cooperatively related to a second end of said plunger for controlling balanced release values between clockwise and counterclockwise torque valuations; coiled compression biasing spring means seated at one end on said balance cam means for applying biasing thrust toward said plunger; antifriction means for compression engagement of a second end of said spring means; rotatably adjustable transfer screw means having an end engaging said antifriction means for controlling the thrust load of said spring means; a stop adjusting nut mounted in the distal end portion of said tubular housing and having said transfer screw means threaded therethrough; an end cap fixed within a distal end of a handle mounted about a distal end portion of said tubular housing and having said transfer screw means threaded therethrough; said transfer screw means having wrench engageable means for rotatably adjusting said transfer screw means axially in said stop adjusting nut for effecting said adjusting of the thrust load of said biasing spring means; and said transfer screw means, said antifriction means, said spring means, and said balance cam means providing continuous passage therethrough for access from the distal end of the handle by an adjustment wrench to said ball screw for controlling projection distance of said pivot controlling ball means relative to said plunger.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
71 words
A torque control mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said tubular housing has at an intermediate area thereon an increment adjustment scale, a thimble cooperatively related to said scale encircling said housing, a locking ring encircling said housing and assembled with said thimble, a lock ring engageable with said locking ring retainer, and a tubular handle mounted about a distal end portion of said housing and attached to said lock ring.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
A torque control mechanism according to claim 1, including lock screw means threaded in said throughbore in said plunger for locking the ball screw in selected adjusted positions in said plunger.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
109 words
A torque control mechanism for wrenches and the like and having a drive head connected to one end of a force transmission member which is attached adjacent to said one end to a proximal end of an elongate tubular housing, and comprising: a pivot block having one end rockably engaging a second end of said force transmission member; an axially moveable plunger having one end rockably opposing a second end of said pivot block; and a ball screw axially threadedly adjustable in a throughbore in said plunger and having pivot controlling ball means for projecting into engagement in a complementary socket in said second end of said pivot block.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
109 words
A torque control mechanism for wrenches and the like and having a drive head connected to one end of a force transmission member which is attached adjacent to said one end to a proximal end of an elongate tubular housing, and comprising: a pivot block having one end rockably engaging a second end of said force transmission member; an axially moveable plunger having one end rockably opposing a second end of said pivot block; and a ball screw axially threadedly adjustable in a throughbore in said plunger and having pivot controlling ball means for projecting into engagement in a complementary socket in said second end of said pivot block.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
A mechanism according to claim 4, including a lock screw threaded in said throughbore for locking said ball screw in selected adjusted positions.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
A torque control mechanism according to claim 5, including means for effecting threaded adjustments of said ball screw and said lock screw in said plunger.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
119 words
A torque control mechanism for wrenches and the like and having a drive head connected to one end of a force transmission member which is attached adjacent to said one end to a proximal end of an elongate tubular housing, and comprising: a pivot block having one end rockably engaging a second end of said force transmission member; an axially moveable plunger having one end rockably opposing a second end of said pivot block; balance cam means cooperatively related to a second end of said plunger for controlling balanced release values between clockwise and counterclockwise torque valuations; and coiled compression biasing spring means seated at one end on said balance cam means for applying biasing thrust toward said plunger.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
119 words
A torque control mechanism for wrenches and the like and having a drive head connected to one end of a force transmission member which is attached adjacent to said one end to a proximal end of an elongate tubular housing, and comprising: a pivot block having one end rockably engaging a second end of said force transmission member; an axially moveable plunger having one end rockably opposing a second end of said pivot block; balance cam means cooperatively related to a second end of said plunger for controlling balanced release values between clockwise and counterclockwise torque valuations; and coiled compression biasing spring means seated at one end on said balance cam means for applying biasing thrust toward said plunger.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
59 words
A torque control mechanism according to claim 7, wherein said plunger has a stem rotatably engaged within a complementary bore in said balance cam means, and said bore is eccentric to the axis of said stem so that by rotating the balance cam means, a balance between clockwise and counterclockwise adjustment can be effected for the torque control mechanism.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
62 words
A torque control mechanism according to claim 8, wherein said one end of said spring means is in frictional co-rotatable engagement with said cam means, antifriction means for compression engagement of a second end of said spring means, and rotatably adjustable transfer screw means having an end engaging said antifriction means and operable for adjusting the thrust load of said spring means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
159 words
A torque control mechanism for wrenches and the like and having a drive head connected to one end of a force transmission member which is attached adjacent to said one end to a proximal end of an elongate tubular housing, and comprising: a pivot block having one end rockably engaging a second end of said force transmission member; an axially moveable plunger assembly having one end rockably opposing a second end of said pivot block; coiled compression biasing spring means seated at one end in frictional engagement with said plunger assembly and thrusting theretoward; antifriction means for compression engagement of a second end of said spring means; a rotatably adjustable transfer screw having an end engaging said antifriction means; a stop adjusting nut mounted in a distal end portion of said tubular housing and having said transfer screw means threaded therethrough; and means for retaining said transfer screw means in fixed adjusted positions relative to said stop adjusting nut.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
159 words
A torque control mechanism for wrenches and the like and having a drive head connected to one end of a force transmission member which is attached adjacent to said one end to a proximal end of an elongate tubular housing, and comprising: a pivot block having one end rockably engaging a second end of said force transmission member; an axially moveable plunger assembly having one end rockably opposing a second end of said pivot block; coiled compression biasing spring means seated at one end in frictional engagement with said plunger assembly and thrusting theretoward; antifriction means for compression engagement of a second end of said spring means; a rotatably adjustable transfer screw having an end engaging said antifriction means; a stop adjusting nut mounted in a distal end portion of said tubular housing and having said transfer screw means threaded therethrough; and means for retaining said transfer screw means in fixed adjusted positions relative to said stop adjusting nut.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
48 words
A torque control mechanism according to claim 10, wherein said means for retaining said transfer screw in adjusted positions comprises an end cap fixed within a distal end of a handle mounted about a distal end portion of said tubular housing and having said transfer screw threaded therethrough.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
53 words
A torque control mechanism according to claim 11, wherein said transfer screw means includes wrench engageable means for rotatably adjusting the transfer screw means axially for adjusting the thrust load of the biasing spring means, and said end cap has means for effecting locking of said transfer screw means in the end cap.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
165 words
A torque control mechanism for wrenches and the like and having a drive head connected to one end of a force transmission member which is attached adjacent to said one end to a proximal end of an elongate tubular housing, and comprising: a pivot block having one end rockably engaging a second end of said force transmission member; an axially moveable plunger having one end rockably opposing a second end of said pivot block; a ball screw axially threadedly adjustable in a throughbore in said plunger and having pivot controlling ball means for projecting into engagement in a complementary socket in said second end of said pivot block; biasing spring means for applying axial biasing thrust toward said plunger; means for adjusting the biasing thrust of said biasing means; and said biasing spring means and said thrust adjusting means providing continuous passage therethrough for access by an adjustment wrench to said ball screw for controlling projection of said pivot ball means relative to said plunger.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
165 words
A torque control mechanism for wrenches and the like and having a drive head connected to one end of a force transmission member which is attached adjacent to said one end to a proximal end of an elongate tubular housing, and comprising: a pivot block having one end rockably engaging a second end of said force transmission member; an axially moveable plunger having one end rockably opposing a second end of said pivot block; a ball screw axially threadedly adjustable in a throughbore in said plunger and having pivot controlling ball means for projecting into engagement in a complementary socket in said second end of said pivot block; biasing spring means for applying axial biasing thrust toward said plunger; means for adjusting the biasing thrust of said biasing means; and said biasing spring means and said thrust adjusting means providing continuous passage therethrough for access by an adjustment wrench to said ball screw for controlling projection of said pivot ball means relative to said plunger.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
17 words
A torque control mechanism according to claim 13, including means for effecting linearity adjustment of said plunger.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
37 words
A torque control mechanism according to claim 14, wherein said means for effecting clockwise and counterclockwise balance adjustment comprises a balance cam means mounted on said plunger and providing a thrust seat for said biasing spring means.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
41 words
A torque control mechanism according to claim 15, wherein said thrust seat retains said biasing spring means frictionally, and antifriction biasing thrust means engaging an opposite end of said biasing spring means for permitting adjustment rotation of said biasing spring means.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
27 words
A torque control mechanism according to claim 16, including a transfer screw thrusting toward said antifriction means, and means for effecting thrust adjustments of said transfer screw.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
18 words
A torque control mechanism according to claim 17, including means for locking said transfer screw in adjusted positions.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
21 words
A torque control mechanism according to claim 18, wherein said locking means includes a control handle mounted on said tubular housing.
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) | 1995-07-14 | 1996-01-13 | 1996-07-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-07-14 | 2000-01-13 | 2000-07-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-07-14 | 2004-01-13 | 2004-07-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |