US3306639A - Extensible torque rod - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 28, 1%? c. s. LYON EXTENSIBLE TORQUE ROD Filed Oct. 2, 1964 m U S R E T S F. H C

United States Patent 3,306,639 7 V EXTENSIBLE TORQUE Roi) Chester S. Lyon, 1108 Leadville, Boise, Idaho 83706 Filed Oct. 2, 1964, Ser. No. 401,040 3 Claims. Cl. 287-58) This invention relates to extensible torque rods of the type used for driving socket wrenches and the like devices. It is an improvement over my prior Patent No. 2,893,765, of July 7, 1959, entitled, Extensible Torque Rod.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an extensible torque rod of extremely rugged characteristics comprising a pair of telescoping members Which can be adjusted to any one of a number of selected over-all lengths and locked in adjusted position.

More particularly, it is intended now to provide a hexagonal rod telescopingly engaging in a tube having a hexagonal interior whereby relative rotation of the rod and tube is prevented. The rod is to be provided along one flat face with a series of transverse grooves, and around the periphery of the tube, which is preferably round, there is to be a longitudinally slidable sleeve carrying a spring-pressed roller which engages through a sleeve aperture into one of the transverse notches in the rod, in order to lock the rod and tube together. When it is desired to unlock the rod and tube so that they may be longitudinally adjusted, the sleeve is moved longitudinally along the tube so as to free the roller from its engagement with the rod notch. The improvement over the device disclosed in my prior patent resides in increased strength and durability, and in manufacturing advantages.

These and other objects will be apparent from the following specification and drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of my extensible torque rod;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing the parts in perspective;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross section along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1 showing the sleeve and roller in locking position;

FIG. 4 is a transverse corss section along theline 4--4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross section similar to FIG. 3, but showing the sleeve and roller in unlocking position.

Referring now to the drawing in which like reference numerals denote similar elements, theextensible torque rod 2 consists of atube 4 in which telescopically engages ahex rod 6. Tube 4 has on its free end a non-round surface 8 adapted to be driven by a wrench or similar driving element andhex rod 6 has on its free end a springbiased ball 10 and anon-round driving surface 12 for receiving a socket or like device adapted to be driven by atorque rod 2. Hexrod 6 has a series oftransverse grooves 14 spaced along one flat face16 thereof and atube 4 has ahexagonal interior 18 which closely surroundshex rod 6 so as to prevent relative rotation betweentube 4 androd 6.

Longitudinally slidable around the exterior oftube 4 is aknurled sleeve 20 whose lengthwise movements are limited bysplit rings 22 and 24 engaging inannular grooves 26 in the surface oftube 4. Sleeve 20 has a diamond-shape opening 28 through which engages a W-shape bend 30 of aspring strip 32 whoseends 34 fit through and are held by raisedstraps 36 onsleeve 20. Engaged beneath the central portion of W-shape bend 30 is aroller 38 slightly shorter in length than the transverse width of diamond-shape opening 28 which, in locking position, fits through anaperture 40 intube 4 and engages a select one ofnotches 14 inhex rod 6. Part of the material at the outer surface oftube 4 is cut away to provide aledge 42 for purposes described hereinbelow,

In operation, when it is desired to adjust the length oftorque rod 2,sleeve 20 is slid lengthwise to its FIG. 5 position, thereby Withdrawingroller 38 from thetransverse notch 14 onhex rod 6 in which it had previously been engaged and, instead,lodging roller 38 onledge 42 on the exterior ofsleeve 4. In the FIG. 5 position of the parts,hex rod 6 is free to slide intube 4 to the desired lengthwise position. When it is desired to locktube 4 andhex rod 6 in lengthwise adjusted position,sleeve 20 is slid forwardly alongrod 4 to its position in FIGS. 3 and 4, whereuponroller 38 snaps into one oftransverse grooves 14. It will be noted thatring 24 limits the sliding ofsleeve 20 in one direction beyond the position in whichroller 38 engages throughaperture 40, andring 22 limits the sliding ofsleeve 20 in the other direction beyond the position in whichroller 38 lies at the end of ledge 42. In event one oftransverse grooves 14 does not happen to be immediately belowaperture 40 at thetime sleeve 20 is slid forwardly to its locking position,rod 6 andtube 4 are telescoped in one direction or the other until atransverse groove 14 comes beneathroller 38, whereuponroller 38 steps into the transverse groove.

The invention is not limited to the details of the structure described and shown herein, but is intended to cover all substitutions, modifications and equivalents within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. An extensible torque rod comprising: a rod member of polygonal cross-section having a series of longitudinally-spaced transverse grooves along one flat face thereof, a tube member having an interior of polygonal cross-section complementary with the rod member and telescopically engaging thereover in non-rotative rela tionship therewith, said members having surfaces on free ends thereof adapted respectively to engage driving and driven tools, said tube member having an aperture therethrough and having the material adjacent a side of said aperture which is disposed towards one end of said tube cut-away whereby to provide a ledge, a longitudinally slidable sleeve disposed around said tube in the region of said aperture, said sleeve having an opening therethrough and being longitudinally slidable on said tube between two positions, in the first of which positions said opening overlies said aperture and in the second of said positions said opening overlies said ledge, a spring strip having its length disposed axially on the exterior of said sleeve, means securing the ends of said spring strip to said sleeve, said strip having a substantially W-shape bend intermediate the ends thereof extending downwardly through the opening in said sleeve, and a roller engaged beneath said bend, said roller being biased by said spring strip to snap into one of the transverse grooves in the rod when said sleeve is in said first position and to ride up upon said ledge when said sleeve is moved to said second position.

2. The combination claimed in claim 1, and means on said tube member for limiting the longitudinal sliding movement of said sleeve thereon between said first and second positions.

3. The combination claimed in claim 1, said opening being substantially diamond-shaped and being slightly longer in the circumferential direction of the sleeve than the length of the roller.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,893,765 7/1959 Lyon 287-58 2,963,930 12/1960 Clothier et al. 81-177 CARL W. TOMLIN, Primary Examiner.

THOMAS F. CALLAGHAN, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. AN EXTENSIBLE TORQUE ROD COMPRISING: A ROD MEMBER OF POLYGONAL CROSS-SECTION HAVING A SERIES OF LONGITUDINALLY-SPACED TRANSVERSE GROOVES ALONG ONE FLAT FACE THEREOF, A TUBE MEMBER HAVING AN INTERIOR OF POLYGONAL CROSS-SECTION COMPLEMENTARY WITH THE ROD MEMBER AND TELESCOPICALLY ENGAGING THEREOVER IN NON-ROTATIVE RELATIONSHIP THEREWITH, SAID MEMBERS HAVING SURFACES ON FREE ENDS THEREOF ADAPTED RESPECTIVELY TO ENGAGE DRIVING AND DRIVEN TOOLS, SAID TUBE MEMBER HAVING AN APERTURE THERETHROUGH AND HAVING THE MATERIAL ADJACENT A SIDE OF SAID APERTURE WHICH IS DISPOSED TOWARDS ONE END OF SAID TUBE CUT-AWAY WHEREBY TO PROVIDE A LEDGE, A LONGITUDINALLY SLIDABLE SLEEVE DISPOSED AROUND SAID TUBE IN THE REGION OF SAID APERTURE, SAID SLEEVE HAVING AN OPENING THERETHROUGH AND BEING LONGITUDINALLY SLIDABLE ON SAID TUBE BETWEEN

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