Combination hand-tool

• US 4,241,773 A
• Filed: 02/16/1979
• Issued: 12/30/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Patrice Personnat
• Original Assignee: Patrice Personnat
• Inventors: Personnat, Patrice
• Primary Examiner(s): Simpson, Othell M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zatarga, J. T.
• Application Number:
  US06/012,768
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 145/63, 145/62, 206/372, 206/373, 206/379
• US Class Current: 81/177.4
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 1/00 Combination or multi-purpose hand tools associations of tools for different working operations with one portable power-drive means B25F3/00; combined stapling and punching tools B25C5/0214
• CPC Class Codes: B25G 1/085 for screwdrivers, wrenches or spanners

Abstract

A combination hand-tool, namely a pocket tool comprising a set of screwdriver blades contained in compartments in a handle forming a magazine therefor, having a cover-forming plate rotatably mounted about the axis of said handle and provided with an aperture capable of registering with anyone of the compartments and having a means for restraining its rotation and a means for locking in translation any tool extracted from its compartment, each tool having a shank of the same shape as each compartment and a notch for cooperating with the edge of said aperture, the cross-section of said aperture being smaller than that of any tool-element shank, whereby a tool element is selected, partially extracted from its compartment and locked with respect to said handle, the loss of any tool element being prevented.

Claims

1. A combination hand-tool comprising

a handle forming a magazine,

tool elements contained in said handle,

said handle being of generally cylindrical shape having lower and upper ends and including

longitudinal compartments of non-circular cross-section formed around the axis of said handle and opening toward said upper end,

first and second cover-forming plates forming an upper plate and an intermediate plate respectively and mounted for rotation about the axis of said handle at said upper end of said handle,

each of said plates having an aperture therein,

said aperture of said intermediate plate located to register with any one of said compartments,

said aperture of said upper plate having a portion capable of moving into a position coaxial with any one of said compartments and an adjoining portion of smaller diameter,

means to step the rotation of said cover-forming plates to permit said aperture of said intermediate plate to register with each of said compartments,

each of said tool elements including

a shank of substantially the same shape as each of said compartments and of greater cross-section in at least some part than said aperture of said upper plate,

a groove in each of said tool elements located to receive said adjoining portion of smaller diameter of said aperture of said upper plate,

means to hold each of said tool elements extracted from its compartment in the extracted position by holding said adjoining portion of smaller diameter in said groove of said tool element,

whereby said upper plate is held relative to said intermediate plate by said means to hold said extracted tool elements.

2. The combination hand-tool of claim 1, further characterized by

said means to step the rotation including

a raised crown portion at said upper end of said handle having notches therein,

pawl means on said intermediate plate cooperating with said notches when said plates are rotated to register said aperture of said intermediate plate with one of said compartments.

3. The combination hand-tool of claim 1, further characterized by

said means to hold said extracted tool elements including

a spring having two arms of which one of said arms engages said upper plate and the other of said arms engages said intermediate plate.

4. A combination hand-tool comprising

a handle forming a magazine,

tool elements contained in said handle,

said handle being of generally cylindrical shape having lower and upper ends and including

longitudinal compartments of non-circular cross-section formed around the axis of said handle and opening toward said upper end,

first and second cover-forming plates forming an upper plate and an intermediate plate respectively and mounted for rotation about the axis of said handle at said upper end of said handle,

each of said plates having an aperture therein,

said aperture of said intermediate plate located to register with any one of said compartments,

said aperture of said upper plate having a portion capable of moving into a position coaxial with any one of said compartments and an adjoining portion of smaller diameter,

a raised crown portion at said upper end of said handle having notches therein,

pawl means on said intermediate plate cooperating with said notches when said plates are rotated to register said aperture of said intermediate plate with one of said compartments,

a spring having two arms of which one of said arms engages said upper plate and the other of said arms engages said intermediate plate,

each of said tool elements including

a shank of substantially the same shape as each of said compartments and of greater cross-section in at least some part than said aperture of said upper plate,

a groove in each of said tool elements located to receive said adjoining portion of smaller diameter of said aperture of said upper plate to hold such tool element with the action of said spring in a position extracted from its compartment.