Hand Tool Design Corporation

Vincent L Profeta

Kenneth Taggart

An impact universal joint has a socket which receives a swivel head. A flat leaf spring with dependent members is connected to the upper face of the socket. The swivel head is substantially a sphere with spaced-apart lugs formed around a circumference of the sphere. Axially connected to the sphere is a body having an opening distal from the sphere. The opening receives a power driver. The socket has a cavity formed therein which cooperates with the spherical swivel head. The cavity has a plurality of spaced-apart channels formed therein dividing the cavity into respective segments. Each channel of the cavity receives a respective lug of the swivel head. Each lug has an outer face which is curved to cooperate with the outer wall of the respective channel. Each lug further has a pair of opposite driving faces which are convex to allow the spherical swivel head to swivel within the socket without binding. The driving faces of the lugs direct forces onto the walls of the respective channel within the socket to produce rotation of the socket. The socket has an opening/drive formed in the end of the socket opposite to the cavity. The dependent members of the leaf spring contact the sphere on the swivel head and are disposed juxtapositioned to the respective segments of the cavity between the channels in the cavity. The spring retains the swivel head within the socket and provides a low level load to hold the swivel head in any position.

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Newbury, OH, United States of America

Vincent L Profeta