IP Library Granted Patent US 10,328,554
Granted Patent B2
US 10,328,554 · App. 15/798,444 · Granted Jun 25, 2019

Cleanable reversible socket and driver

Inventors: Greg Thomas Todd (Clear Lake, MN); Dennis Glenn Geurts (Paynesville, MN); Lucas Daniel Runke (Hutchinson, MN)
Assignee: Malco Products, Inc.
B25B13/466B25B13/06B25B23/0035B25B23/12B25B23/16
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,328,554
App. No.
15/798,444
Granted
Jun 25, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A cleanable reversible socket and driver for a hex head fastener having a driver shank with a hex shaped shaft, or otherwise splined, having a tool mounting end and a socket mounting end and a collar therebetween. A cleanable reversible socket is provided having a hex, or otherwise splined, passage therethrough rotationally lockable with the similarly shaped driver shank shaft. The socket is removably, nonrotatably mountable onto the driver shank shaft at the socket mounting end up to the collar having two different sized hex socket ends. A magnet on the socket mounting end of the driver shank is to be located at a bottom of one of the two hex socket ends when the socket is mounted on the driver shank to hold the hex head fastener in one of the socket ends.

Claims (20)

1. A cleanable reversible socket and driver for a hex head fastener, comprising:

(a) a driver shank with a hex shaped shaft having a tool mounting end and a socket mounting end and a collar therebetween; and

(b) a cleanable reversible socket having a hex passage therethrough rotationally lockable with the driver shank hex shaped shaft, the socket being removably, nonrotatably mountable onto the driver shank shaft at the socket mounting end up to the collar having two different sized hex socket ends, wherein the shaft mounting end and the socket are releasably interlocked together by one of the following locking mechanisms chosen from a group comprising: a biased detent and a groove, a biased retaining ball and an annular channel, a ring magnet, an expansion ring and a annular channel, and an elastomeric ring.

2. The socket and driver of claim 1 , further comprising a tool with a handle securable to the mounting end of the driver shank to impart rotational force to the shank and socket.

3. A cleanable reversible socket and driver for a hex head fastener, comprising:

(a) a driver shank with a hex shaped shaft having a tool mounting end and a socket mounting end and a collar therebetween;

(b) a cleanable reversible socket having a hex passage therethrough rotationally lockable with the driver shank hex shaped shaft, the socket being removably, nonrotatably mountable onto the driver shank shaft at the socket mounting end up to the collar having two different sized hex socket ends, wherein the shaft mounting end and the socket are releasably interlocked together by one of the following locking mechanisms chosen from a group comprising: a biased detent and a groove, a biased retaining ball and an annular channel, a ring magnet, an expansion ring and a annular channel, and an elastomeric ring; and

(c) a magnet on the socket mounting end of the driver shank to be located at a bottom of one of the two hex sockets when the socket is mounted on the driver shank to hold the hex head fastener in one of the socket ends.

4. A cleanable reversible socket and driver for a hex head fastener, comprising:

(a) a driver shank with a hex shaped shaft having a tool mounting end and a socket mounting end and a collar therebetween;

(b) a cleanable reversible socket having a hex passage therethrough rotationally lockable with the driver shank hex shaped shaft, the socket being removably, nonrotatably mountable onto the driver shank shaft at the socket mounting end up to the collar having two different sized hex socket ends;

(c) a magnet on the socket mounting end of the driver shank to be located at a bottom of one of the two hex sockets when the socket is mounted on the driver shank to hold the hex head fastener in one of the socket ends; and

(d) wherein the shaft mounting end and the socket are releasably interlocked together by one of the following locking mechanisms chosen from a group comprising: a biased detent and a groove, a biased retaining ball and an annular channel, a ring magnet, an expansion ring and a annular channel, and an elastomeric ring.

5. The socket and driver of claim 4 , further comprising a biased detent near the socket mounting end of the driver shank and a cooperating groove in the inside passage of the socket to releasably positionally lock the socket onto the drive shank.

6. The socket and driver of claim 4 , further comprising a second groove in the inside passage of the socket to releasably positionally lock the socket when reversed onto the drive shank.

7. The socket and driver of claim 4 wherein one of the two different sized hex socket ends and the passage are of equal sizes and the other of the two different sized hex socket ends is larger than the size of the hex passage.

8. A cleanable reversible socket and driver for a hex head fastener, comprising:

(a) a driver shank with a shaft having a tool mounting end and a shaped socket mounting end and a collar therebetween; and

(b) a cleanable reversible socket having a passage therethrough having a shape of the shaft shaped socket mounting end as to be rotationally lockable with the driver shank shaped shaft wherein the shaft mounting end and the socket are releasably interlocked together by one of the following locking mechanisms chosen from a group comprising: a biased detent and a groove, a biased retaining ball and an annular channel, a ring magnet, an expansion ring and a annular channel, and an elastomeric ring, the socket being removably, nonrotatably mountable onto the driver shank shaft at the socket mounting end up to the collar having two different sized hex socket ends.

9. The socket and driver of claim 8 , wherein the shaped socket mounting end and the socket passage are of a hex shape or otherwised splined.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 5, 2024
From: MALCO PRODUCTS, SBC
To: MALCO TOOLS, INC.
Reel/Frame 066740/0196 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 11, 2019
From: MALCO PRODUCTS, INC.
To: MALCO PRODUCTS, SBC
Reel/Frame 049429/0372 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 8, 2018
From: TODD, GREG THOMAS; GEURTS, DENNIS GLENN; RUNKE, LUCAS DANIEL
To: MALCO PRODUCTS, INC.
Reel/Frame 045019/0834 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation In Part 15067776 · Mar 11, 2016
Provisional Application 62298196 · Feb 22, 2016
Related Publication 20180104797A1 · Apr 19, 2018
Related Publication 20190091840A9 · Mar 28, 2019
Cited By (8)
US 1,094,491 US 12,251,794 US 12,337,449 US 12,434,360 US 12,459,087 US 12,515,302 US 12,611,755 US 12,691,552