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:
Nov. 12, 1996
Filed:
Feb. 13, 1995
Bruce A Thames, Cypress, TX (US);
Robert A Pennison, Bellville, TX (US);
GPX Corp., Las Vegas, NV (US);
Abstract
A gear shifting power tool (10) includes a rotatably-driven, torque-responsive, gear shift device (30). Rotatably-driven, torque-responsive, gear shift device (30) may include drive spindle (38), plunger (54) positioned within drive spindle (38). Drive spindle (38) has first hole pair (44) and second hole pair (46) in which first ball pair (48) and second ball pair (50) contact plunger (54). Drive clutch member (32) is drivably engaged to drive spindle (38) through ball screw arrangement (64). Drive clutch member (32) disengages from driven clutch member (34) in response to a resistive torque overcoming torque spring (40). Inertial device (62) forces first ball pair (48) into one end of plunger (54) which forces plunger (54) towards reset spring (60). Plunger (54) forces second ball pair (46) into inner axial groove (36) of drive clutch member (32) and prevents drive clutch member (32) from engaging driven clutch member (34) until all rotation ceases.