WO1991010539A1

WO1991010539A1 - Nut runner tooling

Info

Publication number: WO1991010539A1
Application number: PCT/AU1991/000024
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kenneth Roy Wildbur
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-01-22
Filing date: 1991-01-22
Publication date: 1991-07-25
Anticipated expiration: 1992-07-22

Abstract

There is provided a nut runner tool of the type having a rotatable shaft (10) adapted to be rotated from one of its ends (11) and having at its other end (12) a nut-engagement assembly (13). The nut-engagement assembly (13) includes a first gear (33) rotated by the shaft (10) and a second gear (34) rotated by said first gear (33) and having an aperture or recess (39) to accommodate a nut to be rotated, the second gear (34) being offset from the shaft (10) to facilitate visually locating same relative to said nut. The aperture (39) is preferably continuous like a ring-spanner so that engagement of the nut by the second gear (34) can be viewed in the direction along the shaft (10) towards the nut. The shaft (10) is preferably rotatable within a casing (19) extending from the nut-engagement assembly (13) to an adaptor housing (27) so that the shaft (10) can be drivably but releasably connected to a power source such as a hand drill (21).

Description

NUT RUNNER TOOLING TECHNICAL FIELD THIS INVENTION relates to nut runner tooling, being apparatus for use in attaching and/or removing nuts from threaded fasteners.

BACKGROUND ART

Tools having^' rotatable/counter-rotatable shafts are used for assembling or undoing pre-loosened nuts much faster than could otherwise be achieved. Such tools are called "nut runners", a typical use being found in the rapid changing of motor vehicle wheels, using a tool operated by compressed air. Basically, such a nut runner has a rotatable shaft adapted 'to be rotated from one of its ends and having at its other end a nut-engagement assembly. The shaft may be actuated by other means, such as manually or electromechanically as well as by air power as aforementioned. In a convenient form, the shaft of the tool may be coupled to a hand-held power drill, for example. While nut runner tools of the aforementioned type have proved very useful, I have found that the current styles have a number of deficiencies, particularly so far as lack of compactness is concerned, and a need for greater efficiency in the nut-engagement features. In particular, there is a need for an efficient tool of this general type for the assembly/disassembly of radial aircraft engines where currently much time is wasted struggling to undo hundreds of fingertight, pre-loosened nuts in locations which are difficult to reach, such as cylinder base nuts as later illustrated further.

Accordingly, my invention has been devised with the object of overcoming or alleviating some or all of the disadvantages currently experienced, and it has for its principal object the provision of a nut runner tool which may be easily placed operatively and used in many instances in which difficulty would have been encountered in the past, while at the same time being of improved efficiency in operation. Another object of the invention is to provide such improvements in a nut runner tool as will lead to its being able to be designed in a more compact form than previously, available, particularly so far as the nut- engagement assembly is concerned. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the descriptions set out later herein. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention resides broadly, according to one aspect, in a nut runner tool of the type having a rotatable shaft adapted to be rotated from one of its ends and having at its other end a nut-engagement assembly, characterized in that the nut-engagement assembly includes a first gear rotated by the shaft and a second gear rotated by said first gear and having an aperture or recess to accommodate a nut to be rotated, the second gear being offset from the shaft to facilitate visually locating same relative to said nut. While this would embrace the use of a closed-end socket to constitute the recess, it is preferred that a continuous aperture be provided after the manner of a ring- spanner so that engagement of the nut by the second gear can be viewed in the direction along the shaft towards said nut.

The invention according to another aspect resides in a nut runner tool including an elongate casing; actuator connector means at one end of the casing; a nut-engagement assembly at the other end of the casing, and a drive shaft mounted rotatably in the casing and extending from end to end thereof, the shaft end at said one end of the casing being adapted to be connected drivably when said actuator connector means is coupled to a source of power for effecting rotation, said nut-engagement assembly including a gear housing in which two gears are mounted rotatably in meshing relationship, one of said two gears being a first or driving gear rotatable by the drive shaft at said other end of the casing, the other or second gear being a driven gear having on its axis of rotation an aperture shaped to accommodate a nut to be rotated therewith when said driven gear is rotated by the driving gear upon rotation of the shaft, the second or driven gear being offset from the shaft to facilitate visually locating same relative to said nut, said aperture being axially continuous to enable engagement of the nut by the second gear to be viewed in the direction along the shaft towards said nut.

For the purpose of this aspect of the invention, the shaft may consist of two longitudinal sections interconnected end-to-end in unaligned relationship by a universal joint, the sections being rotatable in unison in respective portions of the elongate casing which is correspondingly bent adjacent the universal joint. It is also preferred that the second gear be closely rotatable in a bore of the gear housing and restrained against axial movement in the bore by apertured cover means. In this way, the components around the second gear can be designed so that a very compact assembly is achieved. The nut runner tools according to the various aspects of the invention may use a source of power which is manually operated, or alternatively air driven, or suitably electromechanically operated. In one instance, the tool is available with an adaptor housing at the drivable end of the shaft so that it can be coupled to a hand-held, trigger operated, electric drill commercially obtainable as a rechargeable, cordless, electric drill mechanism. Other features of the invention will be clear from the following descriptions. BEST METHOD OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:-

Fig. 1 shows in half-sectional elevation a nut runner tool according to the invention, fitted to a power source in the form of a hand-held, cordless, rechargeable, electric drill;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of components at the left hand end of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of components at the bend in the casing in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 shows in exploded perspective view the components of the nut-engagement assembly in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 shows the application of the nut runner tool to crankcase nuts of an aircraft engine, and

Fig. 6 shows in greater detail the pertinent components illustrated in Fig. 5 when a nut is being removed by the nut runner tool.

The nut runner tool shown in the drawings has a rotatable shaft 10 adapted to be rotated from one of its ends 11 and having at its other end 12 a nut-engagement assembly 13. In this case, the shaft 10 consists of two longitudinal sections 14 and 15 interconnected end-to-end in unaligned relationship by a universal joint 16 utilising a ball-end Allen-key connector of known type, as illustrated in detail in Fig. 3. The two shaft sections 14 and 15 are rotatable in .unison in respective casing portions 17 and 18 of the main elongate casing 19 which is correspondingly bent at 20 adjacent the universal joint 16. The end 11 of the shaft is adapted to be connected drivably to a power source which in this case is a hand drill 21 such as one sold under the trade mark "RYOBI" as a standard drill having the features of being cordless and rechargeable, with adjustable torque settings, of the type usable as a reversible screwdriver, with a ratchet action available. The hand drill 10 has a hand grip 22 and actuating trigger 23 whereby the standard chuck 24 transmits rotary motion to the shaft end 11 to which it is releasably attached in standard manner. It will be seen from Fig. 1 that the casing end 25 is secured within an end cap 26 which in turn is secured within an adaptor housing 27 connected to the hand drill 21 by a clamp 28. The adaptor housing 27 is suitably made of a low-heating material such as that sold under the trade mark "DELRIN" or another suitable plastic or aluminium substance.

The casing 19 is suitably of one-piece stainless steel and has its other end 29 (remote from the hand drill 21) welded at 30 to an apertured cover plate 31 of a gear housing 32 for a first or driving gear 33 and a driven gear 34, the gears being spur gears in this instance in peripherally meshing relationship as major components of the nut-engagement assembly 13. The driving gear 33 is closely rotatable in a recess 35 of the body portion 36 of the gear housing and is rotated by the shaft end 11 through another universal joint 37 similar to the universal joint 16 through the intermediary of a drive socket 38. It will be clear from Fig. 4 that the driven gear 34 has a continuous axial aperture 39 of hexagonal shape to accommodate a nut, and it is closely rotatable in a bore 40 while restrained against axial movement by a lip 41 of the body portion 36 and the apertured cover plate 31.

In use, the parts are assembled as described to form the complete tool shown in Fig. 1, and this may be used as apparent from Figs. 5 and 6 which show the crankcase 4^'2 ^"and engine cylinders 43, each containing a piston, one of which is shown at 44 in Fig. 6. Nuts 45 are used on numerous threaded fasteners 46, locknuts 47 also being shown. Fig. 6 shows a nut being removed, and it will be noted that the nut-engagement assembly 13 is very compact for use in restricted ■areas. Improved visual observation in the direction along the shaft 10 and casing 19 towards the nut is afforded by the offset relationship of the driven gear 34 to the casing, as well as the fact that the nut can be seen through the aperture 39 as opposed to the use of a^' socket-type recess. Greater ease and efficiency will be attained in using the tool because the non-linear shaft and casing give better access to nuts in difficult-to-reach positions.

While nut runner tools as described and illustrated will therefore be found effective in achieving the objects for which the invention has been devised, it will be understood by persons skilled in the art that many modifications of constructional detail and design may be made, some examples of which have been hereinbefore enumerated, without departing from the broad scope and ambit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A nut runner tool of the type having a rotatable shaft adapted to be rotated from one of its ends and having at its other end a nut-engagement assembly, characterized in that the nut-engagement assembly includes a first gear rotated by the shaft and a second gear rotated by said first gear and having an aperture or recess to accommodate a nut to be rotated, the second gear being offset from the shaft to facilitate visually locating same relative to said nut.

2. A nut runner tool of the type having a rotatable shaft adapted to be rotated from one of its ends and having at its other end a nut-engagement assembly, characterized in that the nut-engagement assembly includes a first gear rotated by the shaft and a second gear rotated by said first gear and having a continuous aperture to accommodate a nut to be rotated, the second gear being offset from the shaft to facilitate visually locating same relative to said nut and so that the continuous aperture enables engagement of the nut by the second gear to be viewed in the direction along the shaft towards said nut.

3. A nut runner tool including an elongate casing; actuator connector means at one end of the casing; a nut-engagement assembly at the other end of the casing, and a drive shaft mounted rotatably in the casing and extending from end to end thereof, the shaft end at said one end of the casing being adapted to be connected drivably when said actuator connector means is coupled to a source of power for effecting rotation,

_said nut-engagement assembly including a gear housing in which two gears are mounted rotatably in meshing relationship, one of said two gears being a first or driving gear rotatable by ^' the drive shaft at said other end of the casing, the other or second gear being a driven gear having on its axis of rotation an aperture shaped to accommodate a nut to be rotated therewith when said driven gear is rotated by the driving gear upon rotation of the shaft, the second or driven gear being offset from the shaft to facilitate visually locating same relative to said nut, said aperture being axially continuous to enable engagement of the nut by the second gear to be viewed in the direction along the shaft towards said nut.

4. A nut runner tool according to Claim 3 wherein the shaft includes two longitudinal sections interconnected end-to-end in unaligned relationship by a universal joint, the sections being rotatable in unison in respective portions of the elongate casing which is correspondingly bent adjacent said universal joint.

5. A nut runner tool according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said first and second gears are two peripherally meshing spur gear wheels.

6. A nut runner tool according to either of Claims 1 or 2, wherein the second gear is closely rotatable in a bore of a gear housing forming part of said nut-engagement assembly, and said second gear is restrained against axial movement in said bore by apertured cover means to constitute a compact assembly.

7. A nut runner tool according to either of Claims 3 or 4, wherein the second gear is closely rotatable in a bore of said gear housing and is restrained against axial movement in said bore by apertured cover means to constitute a compact assembly.

8. A nut runner tool according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said source of power is either manually operated, or air driven, or electromechanically operated.

9. A nut runner tool according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the source of power is a rechargeable, cordless, hand-held electric drill mechanism.

10. A nut runner tool substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.