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:
Sep. 29, 1998
Filed:
Sep. 26, 1996
Jeffrey H Hoff, Kenosha, WI (US);
Frank Mikic, deceased, late of Lake Geneva, WI (US);
Mark Eberhage, legal representative, Greenfield, WI (US);
Snap-On Technologies, Inc., Lincolnshire, IL (US);
Abstract
A socket drive tool includes an elongated shaft having a coupling structure for coupling to a socket. The coupling structure includes a detent ball disposed in a detent recess and moveable between retaining and releasing positions relative to the socket. The shaft has a cavity therein communicating with the detent recess. A tubular sleeve having a sleeve cam surface is disposed coaxially about the shaft for movement between a retaining condition and a releasing condition. A rod is moveable axially between retaining and releasing conditions, being spring-biased to the latter. The rod has within the cavity a first cam surface engageable with the detent ball and a second cam surface engageable with a transfer ball which is, in turn, engageable with the sleeve cam surface. When the sleeve is in the retaining condition, the sleeve cam surface causes the transfer ball and rod to hold the detent ball in its retaining position, and when the sleeve is in the releasing condition it causes the transfer ball and the rod to permit movement of the detent ball to its releasing position.