LOCKABLE TORQUE-LIMITING DRIVER AND METHOD

• US 20060236826A1
• Filed: 04/14/2006
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brian James Cutler, Charles Parkin Davis
• Original Assignee: California Torque Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Davis, Charles Parkin, Cutler, Brian James
• Granted Patent: US 7,487,700 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 81/475
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 23/1427 by mechanical means

Abstract

A lockable torque-limiting driver that includes, a body, a sleeve, a shaft carried by the body for rotation relative thereto and having a fastener-engaging tip at one end that projects from the body, a torque-limiting mechanism coupled to the shaft and housed within said body, a torque-adjusting mechanism within the body and coupled to the torque-limiting mechanism for adjusting the torque-limiting mechanism to a desired torque value, a torque-locking mechanism operably coupled with the torque-adjusting mechanism and the body or the sleeve for preventing movement of the torque-determining means and locking the settable torque-limiting driver at the desired torque value.

Claims

1. A lockable torque-limiting driver comprising:

a body;

a sleeve carried by said body;

a shaft carried by said body for rotation relative thereto and having a fastener-engaging tip at one end that projects from the body;

torque-limiting means coupled to said shaft and housed within said body;

torque-adjusting means within said body and coupled to said torque-limiting means for adjusting the torque-limiting means to a desired torque value; and

,

torque-locking means operably coupled with said torque-adjusting means and said body for preventing movement of said torque-determining means and locking the settable torque-limiting driver at the desired torque value.

8. A lockable torque-limiting driver comprising:

a body;

a sleeve carried by said body;

a shaft carried by the body for rotation relative thereto and having a fastener-engaging tip at one end that projects from the body;

torque-limiting means coupled to said shaft and housed within said body;

torque-adjusting means within said body and coupled to said torque-limiting means for adjusting the torque-limiting means to a desired torque value; and

,

torque-locking means operably coupled with said torque-adjusting means and said sleeve for preventing movement of said torque-determining means and locking the settable torque-limiting driver at the desired torque value.

9. The lockable torque-limiting driver of claim 8 wherein the torque-adjusting means comprises an adjustment plug.

10. The lockable torque-limiting driver of claim 9 wherein the torque-locking means comprises a locking plate with an adjustment plug-engaging portion and a sleeve-engaging portion.

11. The lockable torque-limiting driver of claim 10 wherein the torque-locking means comprises a locking plate-engagement portion on said sleeve.

12. The lockable torque-limiting driver of claim 11 wherein the torque-locking means comprises said locking plate with said adjustment plug-engaging portion engaged with said adjustment plug and said body-engaging portion engaged with said locking plate-engagement portion on said sleeve.

2. The lockable torque-limiting driver of claim 1 wherein the torque-adjusting means comprises an adjustment plug.

3. The lockable torque-limiting driver of claim 2 wherein the torque-locking means comprises a locking plate with an adjustment plug-engaging portion and a body-engaging portion.

4. The lockable torque-limiting driver of claim 3 wherein the torque-locking means comprises a locking plate-engagement portion on said body.

5. The lockable torque-limiting driver of claim 4 wherein the torque-locking means comprises said locking plate with said adjustment plug-engaging portion engaged with said adjustment plug and said body-engaging portion engaged with said locking plate-engagement portion on said body.

6. The lockable torque-limiting driver of claim 5 wherein the adjustment plug has a generally annular elongated key structure and the locking plate has a generally keyway diamond structure.

7. The lockable torque-limiting driver of claim 5 wherein the adjustment plug has a generally annular keyway structure and the locking plate has a generally key T-shaped structure.

13. The lockable torque-limiting driver of claim 12 wherein the adjustment plug has a generally annular keyway structure and the locking plate has a generally key gear-shaped structure.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the torque-locking mechanism comprises a locking plate with an adjustment plug-engaging portion and a body-engaging portion.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the torque-locking mechanism comprises a locking plate-engagement portion on said body.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the torque-locking mechanism comprises said locking plate with said adjustment plug-engaging portion engaged with said adjustment plug and said body-engaging portion engaged with said locking plate-engagement portion on said body.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the adjustment plug has a generally annular elongated key structure and the locking plate has a generally keyway diamond structure.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the adjustment plug has a generally annular keyway structure and the locking plate has a generally key T-shaped structure.

12-1. A method for locking a settable torque-limiting driver at a desired torque value comprising:

providing a torque-limiting mechanism coupled to a shaft and housed within a sleeve which is further housed within a body;

setting a torque-adjusting mechanism coupled to said torque-limiting mechanism; and

,

engaging the torque-adjusting mechanism with a torque-locking mechanism wherein the torque-locking mechanism engages the torque-adjusting mechanism and the body.

13-2. The method of claim 12 wherein the torque-adjusting mechanism comprises an adjustment plug.

19. A method for locking a settable torque-limiting driver at a desired torque value comprising:

providing a torque-limiting mechanism coupled to a shaft and housed within a sleeve which is further housed within a body;

setting a torque-adjusting mechanism coupled to said torque-limiting mechanism; and

,

engaging the torque-adjusting mechanism with a torque-locking mechanism wherein the torque-locking mechanism engages the torque-adjusting mechanism and the sleeve.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the torque-adjusting mechanism comprises an adjustment plug.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the torque-locking mechanism comprises a locking plate with an adjustment plug-engaging portion and a sleeve-engaging portion.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the torque-locking mechanism comprises a locking plate-engagement portion on said sleeve.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the torque-locking mechanism comprises said locking plate with said adjustment plug-engaging portion engaged with said adjustment plug and said body-engaging portion engaged with said locking plate-engagement portion on said sleeve.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the adjustment plug has a generally annular keyway structure and the locking plate has a generally key gear-shaped structure.

25. A golf club weight attachment system comprising:

a golf club capable of being adjusted by securing screwably attachable weights in defined positions at a desired torque setting on said club; and

,

a lockable torque-limiting driver for securing said weights to said golf club at a defined torque setting wherein the driver comprises a body;

a sleeve carried by said body;

a shaft carried by said body for rotation relative thereto and having a weight-engaging tip at one end that projects from the body for screwably attaching said weights;

torque-limiting means coupled to said shaft and housed within said body;

torque-adjusting means within said body and coupled to said torque-limiting means for adjusting the torque-limiting means to the desired torque value; and

, torque-locking means operably coupled with said torque-adjusting means and said body or said sleeve for preventing movement of said torque-determining means and locking the settable torque-limiting driver at the desired torque value such that the weights are attached to the golf club at the desired torque value.