U.S. patent number 3,724,561 [Application Number 05/178,919] was granted by the patent office on 1973-04-03 for multiple tool driving unit.
Invention is credited to Frederic Price Merrels.
United States Patent |
3,724,561 |
Merrels |
April 3, 1973 |
MULTIPLE TOOL DRIVING UNIT
Abstract
A compact multiple tool driving unit driven by a motor remote
from, but permanently attached to it, so that a minimum of distance
is required between it and the work to be performed. Alternatively,
a separate portable power transmitting unit may be used, having an
input connection allowing the unit to be driven by a portable hand
drill or the like. The unit possesses a plurality of output or tool
driving connections which are employed to drive drill bits,
screwdrivers and other similar tools. Because of its compact
construction, the device enables the user to perform a variety of
different operations in tight places where present tools cannot
operate, and also to perform a variety of different operations
without the necessity of stopping to change tools.
Inventors: |
Merrels; Frederic Price
(Bethesda, MD) |
Family
ID: |
22654433 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/178,919 |
Filed: |
September 9, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
173/50; 74/665Q;
74/15.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B25F
3/00 (20130101); Y10T 74/1914 (20150115) |
Current International
Class: |
B25F
3/00 (20060101); B25b 021/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;173/26,29,46,50,51,140
;279/1DC ;74/15.2,16,665GB,665Q |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Purser; Ernest R.
Claims
I claim:
1. A tool driving unit comprising a separable exterior casing
having opening means in plural walls thereof forming shaft
bearings, an internal anchor member enclosed within said casing and
having a shaft bore and coaxial bearing parts substantially at
right angles to the shaft bore, a rotary shaft in said shaft bore
of the anchor member including opposite end portions journaled
within a pair of said opening means forming shaft bearings, a first
mitre gear on said rotary shaft within said casing, a second mitre
gear within said casing in mesh with the first mitre gear and
having a journal connection with one bearing part of said anchor
member, a drive shaft connected with the second mitre gear and
journaled in another of said opening means and adapted to be
coupled with a rotary power driven element, a third mitre gear
within said casing in mesh with the first mitre gear, a shaft
carrying the third mitre gear and having a first end portion
journaled in another opening means of the casing and a second end
portion having a journal connection with the other bearing part of
said anchor member, the shafts of the first and third mitre gears
having end socket openings adapted to receive tool attachments
through said opening means of the casing.
2. The structure of claim 1, and said separable exterior casing
comprising a companion pair of casing sections having meeting
edges, and said opening means forming shaft bearings comprising
pairs of registering semi-circular recesses formed in said meeting
edges.
3. The structure of claim 2, and said exterior casing being
approximately cubical and said opening means formed in the walls of
the casing which are divided by the meeting edges and the axes of
the opening means lying in a common plane.
4. The structure of claim 1, and said internal anchor member
comprising a block-like member and said shaft bore extending
through opposite faces of the block-like member, said coaxial
bearing parts comprising a recess in one face of the block-like
member and a short bearing extension on an opposite face
thereof.
5. The structure of claim 4, and said first, second and third mitre
gears within the exterior casing disposed between three faces of
said anchor member and three adjacent walls of said approximately
cubical casing.
6. The structure of claim 5, and said opening means of the exterior
casing forming shaft bearings constituting stepped bores in walls
of the exterior casing, whereby shafts are journaled for rotation
in one step of a bore and held against axial movement by a second
step of the bore.
7. The structure of claim 1, and a flexible drive shaft coupled
with said drive shaft connected with the second mitre gear, said
flexible drive shaft extending to a remote power source.
8. The structure of claim 1, and said end socket openings are
polygonal socket openings adapted to receive similarly shaped tool
shanks releasably.
9. The structure of claim 8, and tool holding detent means in each
socket opening.
10. The structure of claim 1, and a set of attachment tools for use
with said driving unit having shanks removably engageable within
the socket openings.
11. The structure of claim 1, including a handle, one end of which
is attached to said exterior casing, an electric motor attached to
the opposite end of said handle and a variable speed on-off switch
on said handle and connected to said motor.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A variety of portable power-driven tools are known in the prior art
including some which make provision for driving different types of
tools or attachments from a single power-driven chuck or holder.
The commonly used electrically powered hand drill with a single
drive chuck and a variety of tool forms to be individually and
interchangeably driven by the chuck is a typical example of the
prior art.
There is a distinct need in the art for a power-driven portable
device or unit which will enable a user to employ a number of
different types of tools selectively without the need for
interrupting the operation of the power driving means and changing
the individual tool attachments. By means of the invention, a user
of the multiple tool driving unit may employ each of the tools
selectively and in any desired sequence to perform different
operations on wood or metal work without stopping the operation of
the other tools carried by the portable unit. In this way, much
time can be saved and the overall convenience of utilizing a number
of tool components is rendered much more convenient. Furthermore,
the compact size of the head of the unit permits work to be
performed in areas where present tools are unable to operate.
The invention consists of a portable power transmitting unit which
may either be driven by a remote motor and shaft permanently
attached to the unit or may be coupled through a flexible drive
shaft or the like with any convenient power source, such as a small
motor or hand drill. The unit has simultaneously driven output
connections for a variety of tools which may be individually
utilized in connection with work while the other tools continue to
be driven by the unit in non-active positions with respect to the
work.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent
during the course of the following detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES
FIG. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of a multiple tool
driving unit embodying the invention showing a separate, portable
power transmitting means.
FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing a multiple tool driving unit
with a permanently attached motor and handle.
FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the unit with one-half of a split
casing removed to show internal components.
FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the driving unit, partly in section
and partly broken away.
FIG. 4 is a top plan view, partly in section and partly broken
away.
FIG. 5 is an exploded side elevational view, partly in section, of
a gear transmission separated from the casing of the unit.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein like numerals
designate like parts throughout, the numerals 10 and 11 designate
two separable halves or sections of a block-like rectangular casing
constituting the body portion of the multi-tool portable driving
unit. The two casing sections are parted in the middle as indicated
at 12, and are rigidly and detachably secured together in assembled
relationship by screw 13 or the like. On the four sides of the
rectangular casing intersected by the parting line or edges 12,
each casing section is provided centrally with a semi-circular
stepped recess 14, which registers with a like recess in the
opposing casing section. This produces on the two-part assembled
casing four right angular intersecting axis stepped bores whose
axes lie in a common plane with the parting line 12. As will be
further described, these four bores or openings in the casing serve
as bearings for rotational parts of the apparatus and as access
openings for tool components, to be described.
The driving unit additionally comprises an internal mechanism
consisting of an anchor block 15 having a central through bore 16
between one pair of its end faces, a relatively shallow cylindrical
recess 17 in another face, and a short cylindrical extension 18
coaxial with the recess 17 on the side of the block opposite the
recess 17. The axis of the through bore 16 is perpendicular to the
common axis of recess 17 and extension 18. The anchor block 15 is
contained bodily inside of the two-part casing 10-11 when the
device is assembled.
A cylindrical shaft 19 having a first mitre gear 20 attached near
one end extends entirely through the bore 16 of block 15 and has
its opposite ends journaled within an opposing pair of the stepped
bores formed by the semi-circular recesses 14; see FIG. 2. The
opposite ends of the shaft 19 have non-circular and preferably
square socket openings 21 for tool attachments formed therein and
these socket openings are preferably provided with conventional
detent means 22 serving to hold the various tool attachments
therein releasably and securely. As best shown in FIG. 2, access to
the socket openings 21 is available through the bores in the casing
which support the shaft 19.
A second mitre gear 23 on a right angular axis with respect to the
gear 20 is disposed within the two-part casing at one side of the
anchor block 15, the first mitre gear 20 being below the block 15
in FIG. 2. The second mitre gear is attached securely to a drive
shaft 24 which is likewise journaled in one of the bores formed at
one side of the two-part casing. The gears 23 and 20 are arranged
in mesh, as shown. As shown in FIG. 5, the drive shaft 24 extends
only partly through the bore 25 of mitre gear 23, and the latter
telescopes over the extension 18 of the block 15, which forms a
bearing support for the gear 23 within the casing.
A third mitre gear 26 in mesh with the gear 20 is arranged on the
side of the block 15 opposite the gear 23 and within the outer
casing. This third mitre gear is secured to a short cylindrical
shaft 27 which projects axially for short distances on opposite
sides of the gear 26. One end of the shaft 27 is journaled and
supported in the recess 17 of the block 15 while its opposite end
is journaled and supported in the adjacent stepped bore of the
casing formed by the recesses 14. It may now be seen that the three
mitre gears and their shafts are all adequately supported and
journaled for free rotation on the internal block 15 and the
surrounding exterior two-part casing. The short shaft 27 has an
outer end non-circular and preferably square socket opening 28 for
another tool attachment, to be described. The socket opening 28 has
a tool holding detent means 29. It is now apparent that three
separate tool attachments can be simultaneously connected to the
driving unit while power is being applied to the unit.
The unit derives its power through the shaft 24 which may be
coupled through a conventional coupling 30 with a flexible drive
shaft 31 of any convenient length having a second coupling 32 at
its remote end connectable with the output rotary shaft of a power
source 33, such as a small stationary motor or a portable electric
hand drill or the like. Rotation of the drive shaft 24 by the means
above-described and shown in FIG. 1 causes simultaneous rotation of
the three mitre gears and the shaft means coupled therewith,
namely, the shafts 19 and 27.
FIG. 1A shows a preferred arrangement wherein the casing 10, 11 is
integral with a handle H provided with a variable speed on-off
switch S connected to an electric motor M. Appropriate drive means
such as that previously described and shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, for
example, connects the motor to the internal mechanism in the
casing.
Various tools may be driven by the unit in groups of three or in
pairs, or singly, if preferred. Examples of tool attachments are
shown in FIG. 1 including a screw-driver 34 and a wood boring tool
35. The various tools have square shanks 36 for socketing
engagement within the openings 21 and 28. The tools are readily
removable from the unit, interchangeable and replaceable. When
three different tools are driven simultaneously by the unit, it is
unnecessary for the user to cut off the power, stop and change
tools during the performance of various operations. The ready
portability of the compact unit renders it highly convenient and
versatile. It is completely safe since the gears are totally
enclosed in the two part casing. It is believed that the various
features and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those
skilled in the art without the necessity for further description
herein.
It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith
shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the
same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement
of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of
the invention or scope of the subjoined claims.
* * * * *