Drive socket

{
  "publication_number": "US6240813B1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B1",
  "title": "Drive socket",
  "abstract": "A method of making a recess in a drive socket and the like includes forming a groove to extend along a face of an elongated drive opening in a metal workpiece from one end of its drive opening, moving material from the surface of the groove to increase its depth from its outer end along only a portion of its length and gathering the material so moved from the groove surface to form a ledge between ends of the groove, whereby a recess is defined by the groove extending beyond the ledge. In addition, a female drive device for socket wrenches and the like is disclosed having an elongated drive opening, a groove longitudinally extending from one end of the drive opening along a face of the drive opening, and a ledge between ends of the groove. The ledge protrudes radially inwardly such that a recess is defined by the groove extending beyond the ledge for retaining a male drive member.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A female drive device for hand, power and impact wrenches and comprising a metal socket having a drive opening with a first face extending inwardly from adjacent one end of the drive opening, and a groove extending longitudinally along at least a portion of the length of the first face of the opening, the groove having first and second opposite ends and a ledge disposed intermediate said first and second opposite ends, the ledge protruding radially inwardly from the groove and defining an elongated lead-in groove portion longitudinally extending between the first groove end and the ledge and a recess groove portion between the ledge and the second groove end, whereby a recess is defined by the recess groove portion extending beyond the ledge for retaining a male drive member, the lead-in groove portion being of greater depth than the recess groove portion.",
    "2. The drive device of claim 1 wherein each of the groove portions is of arcuate cross section.",
    "3. The drive device of claim 1 wherein each of the groove portions is symmetrically aligned in the face of the opening.",
    "4. The drive device of claim 1 wherein the socket is of generally cylindrical shape, wherein the drive opening is coaxially aligned within the socket and is of square cross section, wherein said first face of the drive opening is one of four identical flat faces extending longitudinally inwardly from adjacent the one end of the drive opening, wherein said groove extending longitudinally along at least a portion of the length of said first face of the opening is one of four identical grooves respectively formed in the four identical flat faces extending longitudinally inwardly from adjacent the one end of the drive opening, and wherein a ledge protrudes radially inwardly between ends of each groove, the ledge of each groove being in axially aligned relation with the ledges of the other grooves.",
    "5. The drive device of claim 4 wherein the grooves extend from the one end of the drive opening, and wherein the lead-in groove portions are of identical depth and length and are symmetrically located in their respective face of the drive opening.",
    "6. The drive device of claim 5 wherein the recess groove portions are of identical size, shape and axial location in their respective face of the drive opening, and wherein the lead-in groove portion of each groove is of greater depth than its recess groove portion.",
    "7. A female drive device for hand, power and impact wrenches and comprising a cylindrical metal socket having an elongated drive opening of square cross section axially aligned within the socket, the drive opening having four identical flat faces extending longitudinally inwardly from one end of the drive opening, each face of the drive opening having a groove longitudinally extending from the one end of the drive opening along at least a portion of the length of the face, the grooves of the drive opening being of identical length and symmetrically aligned in their respective face of the drive opening, and each groove having a ledge protruding radially inwardly intermediate ends of each groove in each face, each ledge being located between ends of its respective groove and defining an elongated lead-in groove portion and a recess groove portion on opposite sides of each ledge, each ledge being in axially aligned relation with the ledges of the other grooves, whereby recesses defined by recess groove portions extending beyond the ledges to ends of the grooves are of identical size, shape and axial location and are symmetrically aligned in their respective faces of the drive opening, the recess groove portions each being of identical depth, and the lead-in groove portions each being of an identical depth greater than the depth of the recess groove portions.",
    "8. The drive device of claim 1 wherein the ledge has an axial length between the lead-in and recess groove portions less than the axial length of the lead-in groove portion."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "This invention generally relates to drive sockets and drive socket forming processes and particularly concerns female drives having retention recesses for hand, power and impact wrenches and the like and an improved method of forming such drives.\n\nVarious processes have been used in the past in forming socket wrenches, extension bars, adapters and the like. These devices such as the socket wrench itself are standard devices, well known in the art. A conventional square drive socket is provided at one end of the socket wrench and is releasably attachable to a drive tang of a handle unit for a ratchet, for example. A fastener socket is coaxially formed at an opposite end of the wrench. The fastener socket is commonly serrated or of hexagonal cross-section. A through-hole may extend between the coaxially aligned sockets. The through-hole serves to provide clearance, for example, for a shank of a bolt on which a hex nut is threadably engaged with the nut received within the hex fastener socket. For a quality product, such socket wrenches are formed of alloy steel. Standard screw machines conventionally have been used in the manufacture of such wrenches which normally require several sequential machining operations.\n\nDrive socket openings for such wrenches commonly have a recess for receiving a spring-operated ball, for example, in a tang of a drive handle for retaining the socket wrench and handle attachment in driving engagement.",
  "cpc": [
    "B21K 5/16"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B21K 5/16"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Hand Tool Design Corp"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Jackie L. Hyatt"
  ],
  "filing_date": "1999-07-07",
  "publication_date": "2001-06-05",
  "grant_date": "2001-06-05",
  "priority_date": "1999-07-07",
  "application_number": "US-34677699-A",
  "family_id": "23361001",
  "cited_by_count": 43,
  "citations": [
    "US2027922A",
    "US2896985A",
    "US3073192A",
    "US4291568A",
    "US4328720A",
    "US4594874A",
    "US4993289A",
    "US5101695A",
    "US5910197A",
    "WO2001003866A1"
  ]
}