Snap-on Tools Corporation

Philip M Anthony, Iii

Edward S Wahoski

Michael A Norris

John E Fuhreck

Gerald J Smolinski

A power tool with a two-part housing has a drive motor with a pinion gear on the motor shaft. A plastic cylindrical ring gear is fixed to the motor in coaxial surrounding relationship with the pinion gear and has attachment lugs which fit between the two parts of the tool housing and are fixedly secured to each. A plastic gear carrier frame is insert molded on a splined end of a metal output shaft and is receivable within the ring gear and has radial slots for respectively receiving pins which respectively rotatably mount three planet gears in meshing engagement with the pinion gear and the ring gear. The carrier frame has a hollow stub shaft portion which receives the pinion gear therethrough, the stub shaft portion having an elastomeric O-ring seated in a circumferential groove therein for press-fitting a ball bearing thereon, the ball bearing being in turn press-fitted in a seat in the ring gear to support the planet gear assembly.

Power tool plastic gear train

A cordless electric device has a main body portion extending along an axis and a handle portion extending at an obtuse angle with respect to the axis, the handle portion receiving therein along a second axis a battery pack. The device has a two-part housing, with the parts respectively defining the front and rear of the body and handle portions. The front housing part has latching shoulders respectively disposed on the opposite sides thereof, with each defining a first latching surface disposed substantially parallel to the first axis, while the battery pack has two identical latching members respectively disposed on opposite sides thereof and each resiliently displaceable between latching and release positions, each latching member having two second latching surfaces thereon in a V-shaped configuration, so that one of said second latching surfaces on each of said latching members is disposed substantially parallel to the first axis for engagement with the first latching surface of the corresponding latching shoulder to latch the battery back in place on the device. The latching members are interchangeable and molding of the forward housing part is facilitated.

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Lindenhurst, IL, United States of America

Philip M Anthony, Iii