GB2585117A

GB2585117A - Nut running tool

Info

Publication number: GB2585117A
Application number: GB2002045.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Elsworth Hargreaves
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2019-02-15
Filing date: 2019-02-15
Publication date: 2020-12-30
Also published as: GB201902119D0; EP3698922A1; GB202002045D0; GB2585117A8

Abstract

The tool 22 is for driving a nut (18, Figure 6) along a threaded member 16 e.g. a rod or a bolt. The tool includes a rotatable member 26 configured for attachment to, and rotation by, a rotary power tool 20 such as a powered nut driver. The rotatable member comprises an inner portion (28, Figure 4) which includes a connecting member 26, 30 for connecting to the rotary power tool. An outer portion 24 includes an outer surface which is deformable on engagement with the nut being driven along the threaded member. The outer portion may be made from an elastomeric material such as natural rubber or synthetic rubber. A magnetic means may be used for aiding the attachment of the tool to the rotary power tool. The rotatable member may be at least twice the thickness of the nut. A kit of parts includes the tool and one or two elongate hollow shafts, each of a different length.

Description

Nut Running Tool

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a tool for axially driving nuts over elongated threaded rods.

Background to the Invention

Nut drivers are useful for securing fasteners such as nuts to threaded rods and bolts. Frequently a nut needs to be secured to an elongate threaded rod, often in overhead applications such as during the installation of ducting. This can be done by manually turning the nut on the rod. Alternatively, tools exist for driving nuts over elongated rods, for example as described in US2011/0048175, this tool comprises a hollow shank nut driver as illustrated in Figures la, 1b, lc which permits nuts to be driven down a long threaded rod to the limit of the shank as shown in Figure 2. Sometimes the location of the fastener may be unsuitable for using such a tool, or the length of the rod renders the tool unsuitable and the job must be completed by hand, which is both tedious and time consuming, and also tiring for the operator, particularly when the work is being done overhead.

It would be desirable to provide a tool which can be used to quickly and easily drive nuts along threaded rods or bolts, particularly in inaccessible areas.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a tool for driving a nut along a threaded member comprising a rotatable member configured for attachment to, and rotation by, a rotary power tool, wherein the rotatable member comprises an inner portion including a connecting member for connecting to a powered nut driver, and an outer portion, wherein the outer portion includes an outer surface which is deformable on engagement with the nut being driven along the threaded member.

Typically, the threaded member is a rod or a bolt.

Preferably, the outer portion of the rotatable member is fabricated from an elastomeric material. The elastomeric material may be a natural rubber or a synthetic rubber. Preferably, the elastomeric material has a shore A hardness of between 35 and 95.

The outer portion of the rotatable member must be deformable and yet sufficiently stiff to an extent that permits the transmission of sufficient torque to the nut to cause the nut to rotate on the threads and move along the threaded element.

The tool may further comprise magnetic means for aiding the attachment of the tool to a rotary power tool. The magnetic means may comprise at least one magnet located in or adjacent the connecting member.

The rotatory power tool may be a powered nut driver.

Preferably, the rotatable member has a thickness and the nut being driven has a thickness and the thickness of the rotatable member is greater than the thickness of the nut. More preferably, the thickness of the rotatable member is at least twice the thickness of the nut.

Preferably, the thickness of the rotatable member is at least 25mm.

Preferably, the connecting member is a nut shaped to be received by a socket on a powered nut driver. The connecting member may be a hex nut.

Preferably, the tool includes a threaded member depending from the inner portion and the connecting member is removably attachable to the threaded member. Different sizes of connecting member may then be attached to the threaded member of the tool.

Preferably, the tool further comprises an elongate hollow shaft having proximate and distal ends, the proximate end of the hollow shaft including a drive shank for attachment to, and rotation by, a rotary power tool, and the distal end having a socket shaped to receive the connecting member of the rotatable member. Preferably, the elongate hollow shaft has a diameter of at least 15mm. Preferably, the elongate hollow shaft is at least 500mm in length.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a kit of parts comprising at least one tool as hereinbefore defined, and at least one elongate hollow shaft having proximate and distal ends, the proximate end of the at least one elongate hollow shaft including a drive shank for attachment to, and rotation by, a rotary power tool, and the distal end having a socket shaped to receive the connecting member of the rotatable member.

Preferably, the at least one hollow shaft is at least 500mm in length.

Preferably, the kit of parts as hereinbefore defined comprises at least two tools and at least two elongate hollow shafts, wherein the connecting member of each tool comprises a hex nut of a different size.

Alternatively, the kit of parts as hereinbefore defined may comprise at least one tool and at least two connecting members, wherein each connecting member is independently attachable to the at least one tool and each connecting member comprises a hex nut of a different size.

The kit of parts may comprise at least two elongate hollow shafts each of a different length.

The tool of the invention allows nuts to be quickly and easily driven along threaded rods or bolts, particularly in areas which are unsuitable for use of prior art hollow shank nut drivers.

Brief Description of the Drawings

In the Drawings, which illustrate preferred embodiments of the nut running tool of the invention and the prior art: Figure la illustrates a side view of a hollow shank nut driver according to the prior art; Figure 1 b illustrates an end view of the drive shank end of the prior art hollow shank nut driver of Figure 1 a; Figure lc illustrates an end view of the nut socket end of the prior art hollow shank nut driver of Figure 1 a; Figure 2 illustrates a cross section through the prior art hollow shank nut driver of Figure la, in use.

Figure 3a illustrates a perspective view of a nut running tool according to the invention; Figure 3b illustrates a side view of the nut running tool of Figure 3a; Figure 4 illustrates a perspective view of an alternative nut running tool according to the invention; Figure 5 illustrates a side view of an alternative nut running tool according to the invention; Figure 6 illustrates the nut running tool of the invention in use, in conjunction with the hollow shank nut driver of Figure la; and Figure 7 illustrates the nut running tool of the invention in use, the tool connected directly to a power tool.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments

Referring now to the Figures, Figures 3a and 3b illustrate a nut running tool 22 in the form of a rotatable wheel 24 attached to a hex nut 26. The wheel 24 is made from a deformable material, such as an elastomeric material. In this example the wheel 24 is made of rubber. The hex nut 26 is shaped and sized to be received in a complementary socket of a powered nut driver, or to be received in a complementary socket of an attachment to a powered nut driver. The hex nut 26 may be rotated by a nut driver, causing the wheel 24 to rotate.

As shown in Figure 4, the tool 22 may comprise a first part, inner portion 28, which includes a threaded rod 30 depending therefrom. The hex nut 26 is threaded onto the rod 30 to attach it to the inner portion 28 of the tool 22. The inner portion 28 of the tool is covered by an outer, peripheral portion 32 which comprises a deformable material such as an elastomeric material.

As shown in Figure 5, the tool may include a magnet or series of magnets 36 located in between the hex nut 26 and a connector nut 38 on the threaded rod 30. The provision of a magnet or magnets 36 aids with the attachment of the tool to a powered nut driver. Alternatively, the hex nut 26 may be fabricated from or include a magnetic material.

Figures 6 and 7 illustrate the nut running tool 22 in use, being used to run a nut 18 along an elongate threaded rod 16. In Figure 6 the nut running tool 22 is shown connected to an elongate hollow shank nut driver 10 (shown in more detail in Figure 1 a), which in turn is connected to a powered nut driver in the form of a power drill 20. The elongate hollow shank nut driver 10, is used to extend the reach of the tool 10. As shown in Figure 7, the tool 22 could alternatively be connected directly to a drill 20 using a nut driver attachment 34, without the extension shaft 10 if the additional reach is not required. As illustrated in Figure 1a, the elongate hollow shaft 10 comprises a square drive connector 12 at one end, for connection with the drill 20, and a formed socket connector 14 at the other end, shaped to receive the hex nut 26 of the tool 22. In this example the hollow shaft has a diameter of approximately 20mm, and a length of approximately 600mm. At least the outer periphery of the tool 22 comprises a material which is deformable on engagement with the nut 18 being driven. Friction between the nut 18 and the outer surface of the wheel 24, 32 causes the nut 18 to spin along the threaded rod 16. Preferably, as shown in the drawings, the depth of the nut 18 being run along the rod (A, Figure 6) is less than the depth of the wheel 24 (B, Figure 3b). The use of an elongate, tubular hollow shank nut driver 10 to drive the tool 22 results in a much more stable rotating tool compared with connected of the tool 22 directly to the drill via an elongate rod of a diameter insertable into the chuck of a light weight battery powered drill 20. Whilst, the tool is not limited to use with a battery operated drill, such a drill is the type that would be most used for the operation of running a nut along a threaded rod.

The nut running tool 22 may be provided with different sized hex nuts 26. The hex nut 26 of the tool 22 is typically either a 13mm hex nut or a 17mm hex nut, but of course other sizes of hex nut are possible. It is envisaged that an operator may first use an elongate hollow shank nut driver 10, attached to the drill 20 to run the nut 18 along the threaded rod 16, with the threaded rod 26 extending into the hollow shank 10, as shown in Figure 2, so the formed socket connector 14 on the hollow shank nut driver 10 is sized to receive the nut 18 being driven. The hollow shank nut driver 10 cannot drive the nut 18 along the threaded rod 16 further than the length of the shank 10. To further move the nut 18, a nut running tool 22 with a correspondingly sized hex nut 26 may then be connected to the hollow shank nut driver 10 once it has been withdrawn from the threaded rod 16. The nut running tool 22 is then used to spin the nut 18 further along the rod 16. A number of elongate hollow shank nut drivers 10 of different lengths may be provided.

Claims

Claims 1. A tool for driving a nut along a threaded member comprising a rotatable member configured for attachment to, and rotation by, a rotary power tool, wherein the rotatable member comprises an inner portion including a connecting member for connecting to a rotary power tool, and an outer portion, wherein the outer portion includes an outer surface which is deformable on engagement with the nut being driven along the threaded member.
2. A tool according to Claim 1, wherein the outer portion of the rotatable member is fabricated from an elastomeric material.
3. A tool according to Claim 2, wherein the elastomeric material is natural rubber or synthetic rubber.
4. A tool according to Claim 2, wherein the elastomeric material has a shore A hardness of between 35 and 95.
5. A tool according to any preceding claim, further comprising magnetic means for aiding the attachment of the tool to a rotary power tool.
6. A tool according to claim 5, wherein the magnetic means comprises at least one magnet located in or adjacent the connecting member.
7. A tool according to any preceding claim, wherein the rotatory power tool is a powered nut driver.
8. A tool according to any preceding claim, wherein the rotatable member has a thickness and the nut being driven has a thickness and the thickness of the rotatable member is greater than the thickness of the nut.
9. A tool according to Claim 8, wherein the thickness of the rotatable member is at least twice the thickness of the nut.
10. A tool according to Claim 8 or 9, wherein the thickness of the rotatable member is at least 25mm.
11. A tool according to any preceding claim, wherein the connecting member is a nut shaped to be received by a socket on a powered nut driver.
12. A tool according to any preceding claim, wherein the tool includes a threaded member depending from the inner portion and the connecting member is removably attachable to the threaded member.
13. A tool according to any preceding claim, further comprising an elongate hollow shaft having proximate and distal ends, the proximate end of the hollow shaft including a drive shank for attachment to, and rotation by, a rotary power tool, and the distal end having a socket shaped to receive the connecting member of the rotatable member.
14. A tool according to Claim 13 wherein the elongate hollow shaft has a diameter of at least 15mm.
15. A tool according to Claim 13 or 14, wherein the elongate hollow shaft is at least 500mm in length.
16. A kit of parts comprising at least one tool according to any of Claims 1 to 15 and at least one elongate hollow shaft having proximate and distal ends, the proximate end of the at least one elongate hollow shaft including a drive shank for attachment to, and rotation by, a rotary power tool, and the distal end having a socket shaped to receive the connecting member of the rotatable member.
17. A kit of parts according to Claim 16, wherein the at least one elongate hollow shaft is at least 500mm in length.
18. A kit of parts according to Claim 16 or 17, comprising at least two tools according to any of Claims 1 to 15, and at least two elongate hollow shafts, wherein the connecting member of each tool comprises a hex nut of a different size.
19. A kit of parts according to Claim 16 or 17, comprising at least one tool according to any of Claims 1 to 15, and at least two connecting members, wherein each connecting member is independently attachable to the at least one tool and each connecting member comprises a hex nut of a different size.
20. A kit of parts according to any of Claims 16 to 19, comprising at least two elongate hollow shafts, each of a different length.