| United States Patent | 3,815,211 |
| Acord, IV | June 11, 1974 |
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING AND TIGHTENING NUT-TYPE FASTENERS OR
THE LIKE
Abstract
An improved method and apparatus for tightening and removing nut-type fasteners or the like wherein a guide member, having a geared surface, is positioned so that the geared surface surrounds the fastener and a torque wrench apparatus is connected to the fastener and to the geared surface for rotatingly tightening or removing the fastener, the torque wrench apparatus basically comprising: a socket head removably engageable with the fastener, a drive member having gear teeth formed about a portion thereof, a connecting bar connecting the socket head and the drive member in a predetermined spaced relationship, the drive member being journally supported via the connecting bar; and a drive assembly connectable with the drive member for rotatingly driving the drive member, the drive member moving along the geared surface of the guide member and rotatingly tightening or removing the fastener via the interconnecting connecting bar as the drive member is rotatingly driven via the drive assembly. In one aspect, the method and the apparatus of the present invention are particularly useful for removing and tightening the gland nut connecting a flywheel to a crankshaft of an automobile engine.
| Inventors: | Acord, IV; John C. (Oklahoma City, OK) |
| Appl. No.: | 05/316,106 |
| Filed: | December 18, 1972 |
| Current U.S. Class: | 29/426.5 ; 81/56; 81/57.3 |
| Current International Class: | B25B 17/00 (20060101); B23p 019/02 () |
| Field of Search: | 81/56,57.3,57.14,57.32,57.36,57.46,53,54,121R 29/258,259,261,262,263,264,265,266,427,260 |
| 2243948 | June 1941 | Eyrick |
| 2478935 | August 1949 | Moritz et al. |
| 2541772 | February 1951 | Lockard |
| 2586185 | February 1952 | Stuwe |
| 2630731 | March 1953 | Imboden |
| 3066559 | December 1962 | Harvel |
Assistant Examiner: Duzan; James R.
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
I claim:
1. A torque wrench apparatus for tightening and removing fasteners such as nuts or the like by rotating the fasteners to be removed about a fastener turning axis, wherein a geared surface is disposed about the fastener and spaced a predetermined distance therefrom, the torque wrench apparatus comprising:
a socket head, having an upper and a lower end, a fastener engaging surface formed in the lower end thereof removably and securedly engageable with a fastener in one position of the socket head;
a connecting bar, having opposite end portions, the socket head connectable to one end portion of the connecting bar for turning about a socket head turning axis;
a drive member, having an upper and a lower end portion and a plurality of gear teeth formed on the lower end portion of the drive member meshingly engageable with the geared surface in one position, a portion of the drive member journally connected to the end portion of the connecting bar, opposite the end portion connected to the socket head, for rotation about a drive member turning axis; and
means connectable with a portion of the drive member rotating the drive member in a connected position and in a driving position thereof, the drive member moving along the gear surface via the meshing engagement therebetween and rotating the socket head via the interconnecting connecting bar connected to the socket head and the drive member.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the socket head and the drive member are each connected to the connecting bar in one position for turning the socket head about the socket head turning axis substantially aligned with the fastener turning axis of the fastener to be removed.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the socket head and the drive member are each connected to the connecting bar in one position for turning the socket head about the socket head turning axis substantially parallel with the drive member turning axis, the connecting bar spacing the socket head turning axis a predetermined distance from the drive member turning axis substantially corresponding to the predetermined distance between the fastener and the geared surface.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the socket head includes an opening formed through a portion of the upper end thereof; and wherein the connecting bar includes a protrusion formed on the end thereof connectable to the socket head, the protrusion extending a distance from the connecting bar and being insertable through a portion of the opening formed in the upper end of the socket head removably and lockingly interconnecting the socket head and the connecting bar.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 defined further to include: a housing, having an upper end and a lower end and an opening extending therethrough intersecting the upper and the lower ends thereof, secured to the end portion of the connecting bar opposite the end portion connectable to the socket head; and wherein the drive member is defined further to include: a shaft, having an upper end portion and a lower end portion, journally disposed through the opening in the housing; a gear member connected to the lower end portion of the shaft forming the drive member gear teeth; and a drive head connected to the upper end portion of the shaft; and wherein the means rotating the drive member is defined further as being connectable to the drive head.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the gear member forms an engaging surface engaging the lower end of the housing limiting the movement of the drive member in an upwardly axial direction in the housing; and wherein the drive member is defined further to include: locking member means removably connectable to the upper end portion of the shaft forming an engaging surface engaging the upper end of the housing limiting the movement of the drive member in a downwardly axial direction in the housing.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the drive head is defined further as being insertable through the opening in the housing in a removed position of the locking member means.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the lower end of the socket head is disposed in a plane spaced a distance below the planar disposition of the lowermost end portion of the drive member in a connected position of the socket head, the drive member and the connecting bar.
9. A torque wrench apparatus for tightening and removing fasteners such as nuts or the like by rotating the fasteners to be removed about a fastener turning axis, wherein a geared surface is disposed about the fastener and spaced a predetermined distance therefrom, the torque wrench apparatus comprising:
a socket head, having an upper and a lower end, a fastener engaging surface formed in the lower end thereof removably and securedly engageable with a fastener in one position of the socket head;
a connecting bar, having opposite end portions, the socket head connectable to one end portion of the connecting bar for turning about a socket head turning axis; and
a drive member, having an upper and a lower end portion and a plurality of gear teeth formed on the lower end portion of the drive member meshingly engageable with the geared surface in one position, a portion of the drive member journally connected to the end portion of the connecting bar, opposite the end portion connected to the socket head, for rotation about a drive member turning axis, the drive member moving along the geared surface via the meshing engagement therebetween and rotating the socket head via the interconnecting connecting bar connected to the socket head and the drive member.
10. A method for tightening and removing the gland nut securing a flywheel, having a geared surface formed about the outer periphery thereof, to one end of a crankshaft or the like, the method comprising the steps of:
securing a socket head to the gland nut;
engaging the geared surface of the flywheel via a gear member connected to the socket head, the gear member meshingly engaging the geared surface; and
rotating the gear member to drive the gear member along the geared surface of the flywheel for rotating the socket head via the connection between the socket head and the gear member in one direction tightening the gland nut and in one other direction removing the gland nut.
11. The method of claim 10 defined further to include the steps of:
rotating the gear member via a torque indicating wrench, having torque indicating indicia thereon; and
determining the torque on the gland nut via the torque indication indicia of the torque indicating wrench.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to improvements in methods and apparatus for removing and tightening fasteners and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for removing and tightening fasteners such as nuts or the like wherein the socket head is rotatingly driven via geared elements.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In the past there have been various wrenches and torque wrenches constructed for removing nut-like fastener elements and some of the fastener removing apparatus of the past have included gear-operated elements. The U.S. Pat., No. 2,478,935, issued to Moritz, disclosed a gear-operated wrench having an arm which was held secure while a second arm was utilized to drive gear elements connected to a socket for loosening and tightening a nut via turning the socket. The U.S. Pat. Nos. 456,830, issued to Martin; 545,969, issued to McCoy; 641,782, issued to Costlan; 754,831, issued to Abolt; and 2,630,731, issued to Imboden, each disclosed a type of gear-operated socket wrench wherein the gears were an integral part of the wrench and functioned primarily to translate the motion applied to a part of the wrench for driving a socket head.
The U.S. Pat. No. 2,243,948, issued to Eyrick, disclosed a wrench for removing nut-like fasteners from a dual wheel type of structure wherein a portion of the wrench engaged and secured some of the nuts for turning while another portion of the wrench unscrewed a second set of nuts. The U.S. Pat. Nos. 611,540 and 766,273, issued to Whitaker and Lorang, respectively, each disclosed a tire nut tightening machine and the U.S. Pat. No. 616,272, issued to Stigen, disclosed a gear-wrench for tightening and removing the nuts from a thrashing-machine-cylinder teeth. One other related device was disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 620,657, issued to Kernek.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus for removing and tightening fasteners such as nuts or the like in a faster, more efficient and more economical manner.
One other object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for removing and tightening fasteners such as nuts or the like which is economical in construction and operation.
A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus for removing and tightening the gland nut connecting a flywheel to a crankshaft in a faster, more economical, more efficient and safer manner.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved method for removing and tightening fasteners such as nuts or the like which is more efficient and more economical.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved method for tightening and removing gland nuts connecting a flywheel to a crankshaft in a faster, more efficient and more economical manner.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be evident from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a torque wrench apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a partial sectional, partial elevational view of the torque wrench apparatus of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a bottom elevational view of the torque wrench apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2.
FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the torque wrench apparatus of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 connected in an assembled position for removing and tightening the gland nut of a flywheel, showing the drive assembly connected to the drive member of the torque wrench apparatus for rotatingly driving the drive member of the torque wrench apparatus in a manner tightening and removing the gland nut.
FIG. 5 is a diagrammatical, side elevational view showing the apparatus of the present invention connected in an assembled position to a flywheel secured to a crankshaft (partially shown) via a gland nut, the apparatus of the present invention being connected for removing and tightening the gland nut.
FIG. 6 is a partial sectional, partial elevational view of the flywheel connected to a crankshaft (partially shown) via a gland nut, the torque wrench apparatus being connected to the flywheel and the gland nut for removing and tightening the gland nut.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to the drawings in general, and to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 in particular, shown therein and designated by the general reference numeral 10, is a torque wrench apparatus for tightening and removing fasteners, such as nuts or the like, for example, constructed in accordance with the present invention. The torque wrench apparatus 10 basically includes: a socket head 12 removably engageable with a fastener; a drive member 14 for rotatingly driving the socket head 12 to remove and tighten the fastener; and a connecting bar 16 interconnecting the drive member 14 and the socket head 12, in a manner to be described in greater detail below.
The socket head 12 has an upper end 18 and a lower end 20. An opening 22, as shown more clearly in FIG. 3, is formed through a central portion of the lower end 20 and extends a distance axially upwardly through the socket head 22 (shown more clearly in FIG. 6). A fastener engaging surface 24 is formed about the inner peripheral surface formed by the opening 22 for lockingly engaging the outer peripheral surface of a fastener such as a nut or the like, in a manner well-known in the art.
As shown more clearly in FIGS. 2 and 6, an opening 26 is formed through a central portion of the upper end 18 of the socket head 12, the opening 26 also intersecting the opening 22, in one form, as shown in FIG. 6. The opening 26 is square-shaped and constructed to lockingly receive a portion of a square-shaped protrusion 28 formed on the connecting bar 16, the connecting bar 16 being lockingly and removably connectable to the socket head 12 via the protrusion 28 extending through a portion of the opening 26 in the socket head 12, in an assembled position of the torque wrench apparatus 10.
The connecting bar 16 has opposite end portions 30 and 32 and an upper surface 34 and a lower surface 36. The protrusion 28 is, more particularly, formed on the lower surface 36 of the connecting bar 16, generally near the end portion 30 thereof, the protrusion 28 extending a distance generally perpendicularly from the lower surface 36, as shown more clearly in FIGS. 2 and 6. The opening 26 in the socket head 12 and the protrusion 28 formed on the connecting bar 16 each cooperate to define a socket head turning axis 38 in a connected position of the socket head 12 and the connecting bar 16, as shown more clearly in FIG. 2.
A housing 40 is secured to the end portion 32 of the connecting bar 16, the housing 40 forming an integral part of the connecting bar 16, in one embodiment of the invention. The housing 40 is basically tubular shaped and extends transversely to the connecting bar 16, the connecting bar 16 being, more particularly, secured to a central portion of one side of the housing 40.
The housing 40 has an upper end 42 and a lower end 44, an opening 46 being formed through the housing 40, intersecting the upper and the lower ends 42 and 44 thereof, as shown more clearly in FIG. 2. The opening 46 through the housing 40 is sized to journally receive a portion of the drive member 14 and to journally and rotatingly support the drive member 14 in an assembled position of the torque wrench apparatus 10, in a manner to be described in greater detail below.
The drive member 14 includes a cylindrically shaped shaft 48, having an upper end portion 50 and a lower end portion 52, a portion of the shaft 48 generally between the upper and the lower end portions 50 and 52 being rotatingly and journally disposed through the opening 46 of the housing 40.
A gear member 54 is secured to the lower end portion 52 of the shaft 48, a plurality of gear teeth 56 being formed on and extending about the outer periphery of the gear member 54. The gear member 54, including the gear teeth 56 formed thereon, has a diameter 58 which is larger than a diameter 60 formed by the opening 46 through the housing 40, the gear member diameter 58 being also larger than a diameter 62 formed by the outer periphery of the shaft 48. The gear teeth 56 of the gear member 54 thus extend a distance radially outwardly beyond the outer peripheral surface formed by the shaft member 48 forming an upwardly facing ledge 64 extending a distance radially outwardly from the shaft 48 generally near the lower end 52 thereof.
In an assembled position of the drive member 14 and the housing 40 to the connecting bar 16, the shaft 48 is journally disposed in the opening 46 and positioned therein such that the gear member 54 is disposed generally below the lower end 44 of the housing 40. Since the gear member diameter 58 is larger than the diameters 60 and 62 and since the gear member 54 is positioned below the lower end 44 of the housing 40, the lower end 44 of the housing 40 engages the upwardly facing ledge 64 formed by the gear member 54 thereby limiting the movement of the drive member 14 in an axially upwardly direction 66 through the opening 46 of the housing 40 and positioning the drive member 14 in the housing 40 in a predetermined assembled position in one direction, for reasons which will be made more apparent below.
As shown more clearly in FIGS. 1 and 2, a tapered surface 68 is formed on the upper end portion 50 of the drive member 14, the tapered surface 68 being tapered inwardly and forming a smaller diameter head portion generally at the uppermost end of the shaft 48. A drive head 70 is securedly connected to the uppermost end portion formed by the tapered surface 68 at the upper end portion 50 of the shaft 48, the drive head 70 having a plurality of engaging surfaces 72 formed about the outer periphery thereof forming a nut-like shaped element removably engageable with a drive assembly for drivingly rotating the drive member 14 within the housing 40, in a manner and for reasons which will be described in greater detail below.
The shaft 48 has a sufficient axial length such that, in an assembled position of the drive member 14 in the housing 40, the upper end portion 50 and the drive head 70 of the drive member 14 each extend a distance axially upwardly beyond the upper end 42 of the housing 40. A portion of a lock member 74 is disposed through an aperture 76 of the shaft 48, the aperture 76 extending transversely through the shaft 48 generally near the upper end portion 50 thereof and being positioned above the upper end 42 of the housing 40 in an assembled position of the drive member 14 in the housing 40. A portion of the lock member 74 extends radially outwardly from the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 48 from each end of the aperture 76, each portion of the lock member 74 extending from the shaft 48 providing an engaging surface 78 engageable with portions of the upper end 42 of the housing 40 limiting the movement of the drive member 14 in an axially downwardly direction 80 positioning the drive member 14 in an assembled position in the housing 40 in one direction (only one of the engaging surfaces 78 being shown in FIG. 1).
The lock member 74 is, more particularly, removably disposable through the aperture 76 such that the drive member can be quickly and easily inserted in an assembled position through the aperture 76, the lock member 74 being of a cotter pin type of construction, for example. The drive head 70 has a diameter 81 formed via the outer periphery thereof and sized to be smaller than the gear member diameter 58, the housing opening diameter 60 and the shaft diameter 62. More particularly, the diameter 81 of the drive head 70 is sized such that the drive head 70 is insertable through the opening 46 formed through the housing 40. In this manner, the drive member 14 can be removed and replaced or repaired by simply removing the lock member 74 and sliding the shaft 48 in an axially downwardly direction 80, the shaft 48 and the gear member 54 and the drive head 70 being removably disengaged from the connecting bar 16.
The drive member 14 is thus journally and rotatingly supported within the opening 46 of the housing 40, the lock member 74 positioning the drive member 14 in one direction and the gear member 54 positioning the drive member 14 in an opposite direction. The housing 40 is positioned on the connecting bar 16 and the opening 46 through the housing 40 is positioned such that the drive member 14 is rotatable within the opening 46 of the housing 40 about a drive member turning axis 82. The drive member turning axis 82 is substantially parallel with the socket head turning axis 38 and spaced a predetermined distance 84 therefrom via the rigid interconnection therebetween provided via the connecting bar 16.
As shown more clearly in FIGS. 2 and 6, the lower end 20 of the socket head 12 is disposed in a plane spaced a distance 86 below the planar disposition of the lowermost end portion of the drive member 14 formed via the lower end of the gear member 54. In this manner, the torque wrench apparatus 10 can be utilized for removing and tightening fasteners disposed in a plane generally below the planar disposition of the geared surface meshingly engaging the gear teeth 56 of the gear member 54, which is particularly useful in removing the gland nut securing a flywheel to a gear shaft, in a manner to be described in greater detail below. It should also be noted that, since the socket head 12 is removably connected to the connecting bar 16, various socket heads are connectable to the connecting bar 16 and useable in cooperation with the drive member 14 for removing fasteners wherein the connected socket head has various predetermined openings 26 and disposed in various predetermined planar dispositions with respect to the lowermost end portion of the drive member 14 formed via the gear member 54, thereby positioning the apparatus of the present invention to be used in various operations.
In one assembled, operational embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus includes a torque indicating wrench 90, shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The torque indicating wrench 90 includes one end portion 92 which is removably and drivingly connectable to the drive head 70 of the drive member 14 and, in one form, can be of the ratchet-type of construction. A handle 94 is formed on the end of the torque indicating wrench 90, opposite the end portion 92 drivingly connectable to the drive head 70, the end portion 92 and the handle 94 being interconnected via an elongated rod 96 extending therebetween. The torque indicating wrench 90 also includes a pointer rod 98 connected on one end thereof to the end portion 92, the opposite end of the pointer rod 98 being disposed in indicating proximity with respect to a plurality of torque indicating indicia 100 inscribed on a plate 102 secured to the rod 96, generally near the handle 94.
During the operation of the apparatus of the present invention, the end portion 92 of the torque indicating wrench 90 is drivingly and removably connected to the drive head 70 of the drive member 14 and the operator rotates the torque indicating wrench 90 in rotating directions 104 or 106 to drivingly rotate the drive member 14 about the drive member turning axis 82, the torque indicating wrench 90 being rotated in one direction 104 or 106 to tighten the fastener and rotated in the opposite direction 104 or 106 to remove the fastener. As the torque indicating wrench 90 drivingly rotates the drive member 14, the pointer rod 98 is moved into indicating proximity with predetermined torque indicating indicia 100 to indicate the torque (expressed in foot-pounds) required to rotate the drive member 14, thereby indicating the torque required to rotate the fastener to be tightened or removed. Torque indicating wrenches having end portions removably connectable to nut-shaped members and pointer rods moving into indicating proximity with respect to torque indicating indicia to indicate the torque required to rotate the member engaged via the torque indicating wrench such as the torque indicating wrench 90 are well-known in the art and commercially available, a detailed description of the construction and operation thereof not being required herein.
The apparatus of the present invention, in one aspect, includes a geared surface 110, as shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, disposed about the fastener to be tightened or removed, the geared surface 110 having a plurality of gear teeth 114 formed thereon. The gear teeth 114 of the geared surface 110 are meshingly engageable with the gear teeth 56 of the gear member 54 and cooperate therewith to form a guide surface guiding the moement of the drive member 14 generally along the geared surface 110 in a predetermined path about the fastener to be tightened or removed, for reasons and in a manner to be made more apparent below.
The geared surface 110 is formed about the fastener to be tightened or removed, as generally mentioned before, and, in a preferred form, is spaced a radial distance 116 from a fastener turning axis 118, the geared surface 110 extending circularly about the fastener, as shown more clearly in FIGS. 4 and 6. In an assembled position of the apparatus of the present invention, the torque wrench apparatus 10 is positioned such that the gear teeth 56 of the gear member 54 meshingly engage the gear teeth 114 of the geared surface 110 and the socket head 12 is positioned such that the fastener engaging surface 24 formed in the opening 22 thereof drivingly and lockingly engages the fastener to be removed or tightened such as the gastener 120, shown in FIG. 6, for example. In this operative position of the apparatus of the present invention, the fastener turning axis 118 is substantially aligned with the socket head turning axis 38 so that the rotation of the socket head 12 about the socket head turning axis 38 rotatingly drives the fastener 120 to remove or tighten the fastener 120 depending on the direction of rotational movement of the socket head 12 about the socket head turning axis 38.
In one preferred application, the apparatus of the present invention is utilized to remove a particular fastener 120; that is, the gland nut 120 which is threadedly secured to one end of a crankshaft 124, the gland nut 120 securing a flywheel 126 to the threaded end of the crankshaft 124, as shown more clearly in FIG. 4. In this embodiment of the invention, the geared surface 110 is formed about the outer periphery 128 of the flywheel 126. More particularly, the crankshaft 124 and the flywheel 126, shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, constitute the arrangement and interconnection of the automobile crankshaft and flywheel presently utilized in the construction of a Volkswagen type of automobile, for example, the gland nut 120 being disposed in a recess 129 formed in the flywheel 126. Although the present invention has been found particularly useful in tightening and removing gland nuts utilized in a Volkswagen engine construction to secure the flywheel to the crankshaft, it is to be expressly understood that the invention as described and claimed herein is not limited to this particular application, this particular application of the present invention being illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification for the purpose of clarity of description and to describe one preferred operational embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention.
In the past, to remove the gland nut securing the flywheel to the crankshaft of a Volkswagen engine construction or the like, it has been necessary to first remove the clutch pressure plate and clutch disc, the operator preferably marking the relationship between the flywheel and the crankshaft during the removal operation. A spacial retainer has then been required to hold the flywheel in position while the gland nut and spring washer were removed. In this particular application the gland nut was generally torqued to 217 foot-pounds and a breaker bar type of torque wrench was required for removing and tightening the gland nut. In those instances where a special flywheel retainer was not obtainable, an angle iron type of breaker bar was bolted between two of the clutch bolt holes, such as the clutch bolt holes 130 (only some of the clutch bolt holes 130 being shown in FIG. 4, for example), the angle iron being 4 feet long and 2 by 4 inches in cross-section, in one recommended operational form.
To tighten the gland nut, the breaker bar was utilized in cooperation with a conventional socket wrench, the breaker bar being held to securedly position the flywheel while the socket wrench was rotated to removingly turn the gland nut. A range extender was also utilized in cooperation with the torque wrench and angle bar for tightening the gland nut to a predetermined torque. The range extender was then secured about the gland nut and included a bar extending radially from the gland nut having one end adapted for connection to a conventional, commercially available 150 foot-pound torque wrench, such as the torque indicating wrench 90, shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawings. This operation generally required special tooling and, in most instances, required two operators, one holding the breaker bar while the other rotated the socket wrench or torque wrench during the removal or tightening, respectively, of the flywheel gland nut. Further, in those instances when the crankshaft and flywheel were removed from the automobile engine and placed upon a work bench or the like, the removing or tightening of the gland nut utilizing the breaker bar and socket wrench or torque wrench combinations was even more unmanageable. The apparatus of the present invention and particularly the torque wrench apparatus 10 are constructed such that the gland nut 120 can be quickly, easily and efficiently removed or tightened by a single operator in an assembled position of the crankshaft and flywheel in the automobile engine or in a removed position of the crankshaft and flywheel, thereby providing a safer, more economical, more efficient and faster method for removing and tightening the gland nut securing the flywheel to one end of the crankshaft.
In utilizing the apparatus of the present invention to remove the gland nut 120 securing the flywheel 126 to one end of the crankshaft 124 (the crankshaft 124 being partially shown in FIGS. 5 and 6), the socket head 12 is first positioned over the gland nut 120 such that the gland nut 120 is disposed within the opening 22 and lockingly engaged via the fastener engaging surface 24 formed therein, as shown more clearly in FIG. 6. The protrusion 28 formed on the connecting bar 16 is then lockingly disposed within the opening 26 formed in the upper end 18 of the socket head 12, thereby positioning the gear teeth 56 of the gear member 54 in meshing engagement with the gear teeth 114 of the geared surface 110.
In this position of the torque wrench apparatus 10, as shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, the end portion 92 of the torque indicating wrench 90 is lockingly disposed or connected to the drive head 70 of the drive member 14 and the torque indicating wrench 90 is rotated in a direction 104 or 106 to remove or tighten the gland nut 120. More particularly, when the torque indicating wrench 90 is moved in the direction 104, the drive member 14 is rotated in a direction 132, thereby drivingly rotating the gear member 54 connected thereto in a rotating direction 132 about the drive member turning axis 52. As the gear member 54 is rotated in the direction 132, the gear teeth 56 of the gear member 54 drivingly and meshingly engage the gear teeth 114 of the geared surface 110 moving the gear member 56 and drive member 14 along the path defined via the geared surface 110 in a general direction 134. As the gear member 134 is moved along the geared surface 110 in the general direction 134, the connecting bar 34 is also driven in a general direction 134, thereby drivingly rotating the socket head 12 in a general direction 134 about the socket head turning axis 38 and rotating the fastener or gland nut 120 in the general direction 134 via the engagement between the socket head 12 and the fastener 120.
By the same token, when the torque indicating wrench 90 is rotated in the general direction 106, the drive member 14 is rotated in a general direction 136, opposite the direction 132, about the drive member turning axis 82. As the drive member 14 is rotated in a general direction 136 about the drive member turning axis 82, the drive member 14 is moved in a general direction 138, generally opposite the direction 134, along the geared surface 110 via the meshing engagement between the gear teeth 56 of the gear member 54 and the gear teeth 114 of the geared surface 110. As the drive member 14 is driven in a general direction 138, the socket head 12 is rotated in a general direction 138 via the interconnection between the socket head 12 and the drive member 14 via the connecting bar 16, thereby drivingly rotating the fastener or gland nut 120 in a general direction 138 about the fastener turning axis 118.
The torque required to turn the drive member 14 is determined via the pointer rod 98 in cooperation with the torque indicating indicia 100. The torque required to rotate the drive member 14 about the drive member turning axis 82 is less than and related to the torque required to turn the gland nut or fastener 120.
Utilizing the apparatus of the present invention for removing the gland nut 120 connecting the flywheel 126 to the crankshaft 124, as generally mentioned before with respect to a Volkswagen type of engine construction, it has been found that a torque of 14 foot-pounds required to turn the drive member 14 about the drive member turning axis 82 corresponds to a torque of 217 foot-pounds required to turn the gland nut 120, and a torque of 34 foot-pounds required to turn the drive member 14 about the drive member turning axis 82 corresponds to a torque of 500 foot-pounds required to turn the gland nut or fastener 120 about the fastener turning axis 118. The present invention thus not only provides a faster, more economical and safer manner for removing the gland nut 120; but, also permits the gland nut to be torqued utilizing a relatively inexpensive torque indicating wrench construction, such as the torque indicating wrench 90 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, since the actual torque required to be applied and indicated by the torque indicating wrench is in the range of 14 foot-pounds to 34 foot-pounds, for example.
Changes may be made in the construction and the operation of the various components and assemblies of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the following claims.
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