Landing gear axle nut safety socket

1. A socket for tightening a nut on an axle, the socket comprising:

a socket body having a first end and a second end, said first end of said socket body having a rotatable gear hub, and said second end configured to accommodate said nut;

a socket body insert fixed substantially within said socket body and having a gear sleeve positioned substantially therein;

a trigger movable between a triggered position and a non-triggered position, said trigger configured to move to said triggered position when a distance between said axle and said nut is different than a predetermined trigger distance;

a trigger spring between said socket body insert and said trigger, said trigger spring biasing said trigger toward said second end, said trigger configured to compress said trigger spring towards said first end in said triggered position and configured to decrease compression on said trigger spring in said non-triggered position;

a reset pin operably connected to said trigger to reset said trigger from said triggered position to said non-triggered position when depressed toward said first end;

a reset spring between said reset pin and said gear hub, said reset spring biasing said reset pin towards said second end; and

a carrier between said gear sleeve and said trigger, said carrier retaining a plurality of ball bearings movable between said trigger and said reset pin, said ball bearings configured to lock said trigger when positioned in said trigger and lock said reset pin when positioned in said reset pin.

2. The socket of claim 1 ,

wherein said trigger moves to said triggered position when said trigger is moved towards said trigger spring,

wherein when said trigger is in said triggered position, said gear sleeve disengages said gear hub, said gear hub turns freely, and

wherein when said trigger is in said non-triggered position, said gear sleeve engages said gear hub, said socket body turns with said gear hub and said gear sleeve.

3. The socket of claim 1 , further comprising a trigger retainer that retains said trigger to said socket body.

4. The socket of claim 1 , wherein said trigger has a trigger ball groove disposed on a surface of said trigger.

5. The socket of claim 4 , wherein said reset pin has a reset pin ball groove disposed on a surface of said reset pin.

6. The socket of claim 5 , wherein said ball bearings move from said reset pin bearing groove into said trigger bearing groove when said trigger moves to said triggered position.

7. The socket of claim 5 , wherein said ball bearings move from said trigger bearing groove into said reset pin bearing groove when said trigger moves to said non-triggered position.

8. The socket of claim 1 , wherein said trigger distance is adjustable.

9. The socket of claim 1 , further comprising:

at least one first retaining ring configured to retain said gear sleeve to said reset pin;

at least one second retaining ring configured to retain said gear hub to said socket insert; and

a third plurality of retaining rings configured to retain said socket body insert to said carrier.

10. The socket of claim 9 , further comprising a calibration shim between said third plurality of retaining rings.

11. The socket of claim 10 , wherein said thickness of said calibration shim is adjusted to a shape of said carrier.

12. The socket of claim 10 , wherein reset pin is disposed in said center of said socket body.

13. A method for tightening a nut on a landing gear of an aircraft, the method comprising:

providing a socket having (i) a socket body having a first end and a second end, said first end of said socket body having a rotatable gear hub, and said second end configured to accommodate said nut; (ii) socket body insert fixed substantially within said socket body and having a gear sleeve positioned substantially therein; (iii) a trigger movable between a triggered position and a non-triggered position, said trigger configured to move to said triggered position when a distance between said axle and said nut is different than a predetermined trigger distance; (iv) a trigger spring between said socket body insert and said trigger, said trigger spring biasing said trigger toward said second end, said trigger configured to compress said trigger spring towards said first end in said triggered position and configured to decrease compression on said trigger spring in said non-triggered position; (v) a reset pin operably connected to said trigger to reset said trigger from said triggered position to said non-triggered position when depressed toward said first end; (vi) a reset spring between said reset pin and said gear hub, said reset spring biasing said reset pin towards said second end; and (vii) a carrier between said gear sleeve and said trigger, said carrier retaining a plurality of ball bearings movable between said trigger and said reset pin, said ball bearings configured to lock said trigger when positioned in said trigger and lock said reset pin when positioned in said reset pin;

accommodating said nut in said first end of said socket body; and

tightening said nut by rotating said gear hub when said trigger is in said non-triggered position.

14. The method for tightening a nut on a landing gear of an aircraft of claim 13 , further comprising:

uninstalling said socket body from said nut when said trigger is in said triggered position.

15. The method for tightening a nut on a landing gear of an aircraft of claim 14 , further comprising:

identifying and installing a missing part; and

depressing said reset pin to move said trigger to said non-triggered position.

16. The method for tightening a nut on a landing gear of an aircraft of claim 13 ,

wherein said trigger moves to said triggered position when said trigger is moved towards said trigger spring,

wherein when said trigger is in said triggered position, said gear sleeve disengages said gear hub, said gear hub turns freely, and

wherein when said trigger is in said non-triggered position, said gear sleeve engages said gear hub, said socket body turns with said gear hub and said gear sleeve.

17. The method for tightening a nut on a landing gear of an aircraft of claim 13 , wherein said trigger has a trigger ball groove disposed on a surface of said trigger.

18. The method for tightening a nut on a landing gear of an aircraft of claim 13 , wherein said reset pin has a reset pin ball groove disposed on a surface of said reset pin.

19. The method for tightening a nut on a landing gear of an aircraft of claim 18 , wherein said ball bearings move from said reset pin bearing groove into said trigger bearing groove when said trigger moves to said triggered position.

20. The method for tightening a nut on a landing gear of an aircraft of claim 18 , wherein said ball bearings move from said trigger bearing groove into said reset pin bearing groove when said trigger moves to said non-triggered position.

21. The method for tightening a nut on a landing gear of an aircraft of claim 13 , wherein said trigger distance is adjustable.

22. The method for tightening a nut on a landing gear of an aircraft of claim 13 , wherein said socket further comprising:

at least one first retaining ring configured to retain said gear sleeve to said reset pin;

at least one second retaining ring configured to retain said gear hub to said socket insert; and

a third plurality of retaining rings configured to retain said socket body insert to said carrier.

23. The method for tightening a nut on a landing gear of an aircraft of claim 13 , wherein said socket further comprising a calibration shim between said third plurality of retaining rings.

24. The method for tightening a nut on a landing gear of an aircraft of claim 23 , wherein said thickness of said calibration shim is adjusted to a shape of said carrier.

25. The socket of claim 1 , further comprising a clutch between said socket body and said gear hub, said clutch permitting only uni-directional rotation.