Speed wrench adapter
United States Patent 11 1 Evans et al. 1 1 Apr. 8, 1975 1 1 SPEED WRENCH ADAPTER 3.029.673 4/1962 Goosey 81/185 3.802 02 4 I974 B t 8 8! I77 A [76] Inventors: James P. Evans, 3233 SW 23 SL; 3 eng Son C n- T 1037 SW 34 5 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS both of Oklahoma City, Okla. 171.321 11/1921 United Kingdom 1. 81/185 73l 15 444.355 3/1936 United Kingdom Bl/IZI R [22] F&#39;lcd: 1973 Primary Examiner-Al Lawrence Smith [21] App]. No.: 334,027 Assistant E.\&#39;aminer.lames G. Smith 1521 0.5. c1 81/185; 81/177 A I57] ABSTRACT 1511 lm. c1 .x. 825d 13/58 adapter Pe&#39;mmmg a Wrench Configured engage 1581 Field of Search 81/177 A, 185, DIG. 11. given Size give&#34; configured fuming member 31/121 R. 121 A, 12] B be used to engage a smaller size rotatable device, the  
  adapter having a longitudinal axis and having an exter- 5 References Cited nal configuration concentric with the axis configured UNITED STATES PATENTS to receive the wrench whereby the adapter may be rotated, and having a recess therein concentric with the ii i33 a f 81/12 R X axis, the surface of the recess being configured to slid- 898 36 7i195g dnol iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii &#34;g&#39; &#39;i&#39; g q ably and nonrotatably engage the rotatable device 3027.790 4/1962 Wagner 1. 81/121 R 6 Claims, 13 Drawing Figures SPEED WRENCH ADAPTER BACKGROUND. SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION Most hand wrenches utilized for rotating nuts. bolts 5 ploy an end wrench to rotate two different size memand so forth are ofthree general types. First is the open end wrench consisting of two parallel jaws having paralleled surfaces which engage the member to be rotated. The second is a box end wrench providing an opening. the handle extending therefrom, the opening being configured to engage the rotatable device. The third general type of wrench is the adjustable wrench having jaws of varying widths which may be adjusted to engage a nut. There are a great many varieties and other minor wrenches but by and large these three types of hand wrenches are those which are most frequently employed by the mechanic, craftsman. assembly line operator. or others engaged in mechanical work.  
  Most mechanics have a tool set which includes a large number of wrenches. generally of a variety of types. Since there is such a wide variety of sizes and shapes of rotatable devices this means that the average mechanic must have a large number of wrenches. In addition. in the United States at the present time the vast majority of rotatable devices are dimensioned in inches. A trend has started towards the use of the metric system which means that an increasingly large percentage of nuts, bolts and other mechanical rotatable devices will be of the metric sizes. This means that mechanics will be required to have twice the number of wrenches previously required.  
  This invention provides a means whereby an adapter can be used with a wrench to increase the range of sizes to which the wrench can be employed. The adapter thereby enables the use of a wrench, for instance, sized for devices in inches to be employed on devices sized in terms of the metric measurement system. As a further example, this invention permits a wrench of capacity of three-fourths inch. that is, designed to engage a nut. bolt or the like wherein the width across parallel sides is three-fourth inch, to be utilized for a plurality of sizes of devices having smaller dimensions. Thus a complete set of tools usable to rotate devices may be made up of a comparatively few number of wrenches with adapters enabling the wrenches to be used on a large number of different size devices.  
 It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an adapter permitting a wrench configured to engage a given size rotatable device to be used to engage a smaller size rotatable device.  
  Another object of this invention is to provide an adapter permitting the use of an open end wrench or box end wrench to drive a wrench socket.  
  These general objects. as well as more specific objects will be fulfilled in the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the attached drawings.  
 DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS FIG. I is an elevational view of one embodiment of the invention particularly adapted for use in applying an end wrench for the rotation of a socket. the socket being shown in dotted outline as appliedto rotate a bolt employed to hold two elements together, the bolt and secured elements being also shown in dotted outline.  
 bers.  
  FIGS. 4A and 4B are cross-sectional views taken along the lines 4A4A and 4B4B respectively of FIG. 4.  
  FIG. 5 is an elevational view of an additional alternate embodiment of the invention.  
  FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 5A5A of FIG. 5.  
  FIG. 6 is a top view of an additional alternate embodiment of the invention showing the invention in elementary form and specifically showing the arrange ment wherein the adapter may be employed such that a wrench design for a hexagonal fitting may be employed to rotate a smaller size square cross-sectional member.  
  FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 6A6A of FIG. 6.  
  FIG. 7 is a top view of an embodiment as shown in FIG. 6 but showing the adapter designed such that a wrench for use on a hexagonal member may be employed to rotate a smaller size. five sided member.  
  FIG. 8 is an isometric view of the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7 but showing the adapter designed such that a wrench employed for rotating a hexagonal member may be utilized to rotate a smaller size l2 point member. such as 12 point nuts and bolts as frequently employed in the aircraft industry.  
  FIG 9 is a top view of the embodiment of FIG. 6 showing the arrangement wherein the adapter may be employed for rotation of an octagonal member by means of a wrench normally employed for rotation of a hexagonal member.  
 DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to the drawings and first to FIGS. 6 and 6A, the most elementary embodiment of the invention is shown. The adapter illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 6A permits a wrench configured to engage a given size and given configured rotatable device, such as in the illustrated embodiment a hexagonal device to be used to engage a different size rotatable device, in this case a square cross-sectionally configured device. The adapter I0 is an integral member having a longitudinal axis indicated by the numeral 12 in FIG. 6A. The member has an external configuration 14 concentric about axis I2 configured to receive a wrench. As previously indicated in the illustrated arrangement the external configuration 14 is adapted to receive a wrench designed for use on hexagonal members. Thus. the adapter illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 6A is specifically configured so that a ratcheting wrench such as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,620,107. issued Nov. 16, I971, entitled, Speed Wrench. may be employed.  
  While the adapter of FIGS. 6 and 6A is particularly advantageous when used with ratcheting wrenches of the type illustrated in the above US. patent, it can be seen that the adapter member can be utilized for any type of normal end wrench such as an open end wrench, a box end wrench, or socket wrench. The adapter I0 has a recess 16 therein. In the illustrated arrangement the recess 16 extends as an opening through the member. The recess 16 has a configuration concentric with axis 12 configured to slidably and nonrotatably engage a rotatable device. In the arrangement illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 6A the configuration of recess 16 is square. Thus the adapter illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 6A is designed so that anyone having a wrench, such as a ratcheting type wrench described in US. Pat. No. 3,620,107, configured to engage a hexagonal member may with the aid of adapter 10, utilize the wrench for rotating a square member.  
  FIG. 7 shows the arrangement wherein the adapter It] has a hexagonal external configuration 14 as shown in FIG. 6 but having a recess 16A of a five sided arrangement, thus the adapter of FIG. 7 may be employed to adapt a wrench designed for a hexagonal member to rotate a five sided member.  
  FIG. 8 is an isometric view of the member 10 having a hexagonal external configuration 14 and an internal recess configuration 16B ofthe 12 point design to conform to the 12 point nuts and bolt frequently employed in the aircraft industry.  
  FIG. 9 shows the arrangement wherein the configuration of the recess 16C is octagonal.  
  It can be seen that the combination of external configurations l4 and internal configurations 16 may vary in great variety. Thus by means of a series of adapters 10 one wrench may be employed to engage a large number of different sized and shaped rotatable members. Since an adapter 10 is a relatively small item compared to a wrench it can be seen that a wrench or a few wrenches, combined with a large number of adapters compose a tool set of exceedingly wide range but yet of small weight. size and economy.  
  FIGS. 4, 4A and 4B show an improved alternate em bodiment of the invention. In this embodiment the adapter 10A is slightly longer parallel the axis 12 than the embodiment of FIG. 6. The adapter 10A of FIG. 4 has an external configuration 14 of a hexagonal shape the same as in FIG. 6. However, the arrangement of 10A includes a first recess 16D at one end of the member and a recess 16E of different size at the other end of the member. Thus the adapter 10A of FIG. 4 may be employed to engage two separate size rotational members. That is. a wrench designed to engage the external configuration 14 may be utilized with the adapter of FIG. 4 to rotate a member having a configuration slidably and nonrotatably received by the recess 16D and a different member slidably and nonrotatably received by the recess 16E. While both of the internal recesses 16D and 16E are shown in the illustration of FIGS. 4, 4A and 48 as hexagonal. it can be seen that they may be square. octagonal, twelve point or any other size and may be of combinations of configurations in the same member.  
  An additional improvement of the arrangement of FIG. 4 includes the use of a collar 18. The collar 18 is integrally formed with the member I and is of em larged diameter and is positioned intermediate the ends ofthe member. The collar 18 forms a rest for a wrench. The collar is particularly useful when a ratcheting type wrench is employed to rotate the adapter A, making it easy for the user to rest the wrench on the collar 18 as the wrench is ratcheted on the adapter.  
  FIGS. 5 and 5A show an additional alternate embodiment. The arrangement of FIG. 5 is similar to that of FIG. 4 except that there are two integrally formed enlarged diameter collars 18A and 18B parallel to and spaced apart from each other. In this arrangement a wrench may be placed on the adapter 10B between the collars 18A and 18B to facilitate the rotation of the adapter and thereby any member to which the adapter is attached.  
  FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show an additional alternate arrangement of the adapter. This adapter indicated generally by the numeral 20 is specifically intended for use with a typical socket indicated in dotted outline by the numeral 22. Sockets 22 are commonly employed wrench devices and include a recess 22 at the lower end having a configuration, such as hexagonal in the illustrated arrangement, for engaging a rotatable member, such as the head of a bolt 24 shown in dotted outline. The upper end of the socket 22 includes a square cross-sectioned recess 228 which normally receives the shank of a tool for the rotation thereof, the tool including an integral handle. The tool having the square portion which is normally received in the recess 22B may employ a pivoted handle or a ratcheting handle. Bolt 24 may be employed in a typical arrangement such as for securing a part 26A to a part 268, such parts along with the bolt 24 and socket 22 being shown in dotted outline since they do not form a part of the invention but merely illustrate an environment in which the invention functions. The bolt 34 is shown positioned in a recess 26C, thus a normal end wrench could not engage the bolt 24. Socket 22 is easily affixed to the head of bolt 24 and this invention provides a small adapter which will permit an end wrench, including a ratcheting end wrench, to be used to rotate the socket 22. The adapter 20 includes an integral member having a first end portion 20A having a square cross-sectional configuration to slidably and nonrotatably engage the square crosssectional recess 228 in socket 22. The adapter 20 further includes an integral wrench receiving portion 208 at the upper end having a hexagonal cross-sectional configuration. The third portion of the adapter 20 is an integral collar portion 20C of enlarged diameter to function as a rest for a wrench applied on the portion 20B to augment the rotation of the member 20, particularly when rotated by a ratcheting wrench of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,620,107, as aboveidentified.  
  The adapters described fulfill the objects set forth at the beginning of the description and provide means whereby wrenches may be employed to engage a variety of different size and different configured rotational members at a substantial saving in weight, space and cost compared to normal tool sets.  
  While the invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity it is manifest that many changes may be made in the details of construction and the arrangement of components without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. It is understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments set forth herein by way of exemplifying the invention, but the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the attached claim or claims, including the full range of equivalency to which each element or step thereof is entitled What is claimed is:  
  1. An adapter permitting a wrench configured to engage a given size and given configured rotatable device to be used to engage a smaller sized rotatable device comprising:  
 an integral member having a longitudinal axis, having a symmetrical external configuration concentric with said axis configured to receive a wrench whereby the member may be rotated, and having a recess in each end therein each concentric with said axis, the surface of one recess being configured to slidably and nonrotatably engage a rotat- 5 able device of a first configuration and the other recess being configured to nonrotatably engage a rotatable member of a second configuration, including a first and a second integral enlarged diameter portion each formed on the exterior of said member intermediate the ends thereof, each enlarged diameter portion being concentric with said member axis and each being of short length measured parallel the member axis, the enlarged diameter portions being spaced apart from each other and adaptable to receive a wrench therebetween, the external configuration of the integral member being the same throughout the length thereof except for the enlarged diameter portions.  
  2. An adapter according to claim 1 wherein said member external configuration is hexagonal and, at least one of said internal configurations is square.  
  3. An adapter according to claim 1 wherein said member external configuration is hexagonal and at least one of said internal configurations is also hexagonal.  
  4. An adapter according to claim 1 wherein said member external configuration is hexagonal and at least one of said internal configurations is quintagonal.  
  5. An adapter according to claim 1 wherein said member external configuration is hexagonal and at least one of said internal configurations is octagonalv 6. An adapter according to claim 1 wherein said member external configuration is hexagonal and at least one of said internal configurations is twelve sided l