The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 02, 1994
Filed:
Dec. 10, 1991
Bernhard Palm, Brookfield, WI (US);
Other;
Abstract
Each end of the cross bore in the end of the driver or extension is coined to capture the balls in the cross bore. The combined diameters of the balls are equal to the distance between the opposed flat faces of the driver end. One of the faces has a groove in which the lock tab or key is received. The key is part of the control means which includes annular spring seat captured inside the sleeve mounted on the driver. The compressed spring inside the sleeve biases the seat and key to the left so the key overlies the balls. The spring force acts to rock the tab against the ball to project the other ball from the driver end into locking engagement with a recess in the socket. When the projecting ball is pushed into the cross bore as the socket is being mounted the other ball is pushed out of the bore to raise the tab to be engaged by the socket. This causes the tab and seat to be moved to compress the spring. The tab and the seat can move with and with respect to the sleeve. The sleeve is preferably cylindrical with a washer fixed on the shoulder at the rear end of the sleeve by crimping the sleeve. The tapered sleeve construction is more difficult to produce.