US3657812A - Retractible tool holder - Google Patents

United States Patent Lee 1 Apr. 25, 1972 [54] RETRACTIBLE TOOL HOLDER 2,722,914 11 1955 Aversa ..401/112 x [72] Inventor: Dennls D. Lee, Oskaloosa, Iowa Primary Emminer Andrew R. has: [73] Assignee: G & L Industries, Inc., Oskaloosa, Iowa Arsistant Examiner-Michael Koczo, Jr. [22] Filed: Sept. 28, 1970 Attorney-Rudolph L. Lowell [211 App]. No.: 76,153 [57] ABSTRACT The tool holder is of a pencil type and includes a barrel or [52] US. Cl ..30/l62, 145/64, 401/1 12 ter member in which is slidably carried a support or inner [5 e "B26b m mber is connected in an end to end relation a too] [58] F1eld of Search ..30/ 162, 164.9, 335; 401/109, member for movement of the too] member to extended and 401/1

I

12; 145/64 50 C; 7/15; 287/58 CT retracted positions relative to one end of the barrel member.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the holder as seen along the

line

22 of FIG. 1 showing a tool member used for cutting purposes;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The tool holder of this invention, indicated generally as 10, in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a tubular barrel or outer member 11 and an elongated tubular support or

inner member

12 which is telescopically received for slidable movement within the barrel member 11. The support member has a closed

rear end section

13 projected outwardly from the rear end of the barrel or holder member 11 and an

open front end

14 to which is releasably attached an

elongated tool member

16. The barrel 11 includes a

main body

22 and a head or

front piece

23 of a conical shape that is threadably secured to the

front end

24 of the

body member

22 so as to constitute a forward extension thereof.

The tool member 16 (FIG. 2) is formed of a small diameter rod material that is integrally formed with a flat rear end section 17 (FIGS. 2 and 5) and a

forward knife section

18. The

flat end

17 is received in a screw driver relation within a

groove

19 that is provided in a

plug

21 assembled in a press fit within the forward end of the

support member

12. The

head piece

23 has a longitudinally extended

bore

26 in axial alignment with the

body member

22 formed with a rear or

inner portion

27 of an enlarged diameter relative to its

front portion

28. From its rear

flat end

17 the

tool member

16 extends through the bore

rear portion

27 for guidable sliding engagement within the

front bore portion

28. A

coil spring

29 mounted about the

tool member

16 has its respective ends in abutting engagement with the

flat end

17 of the tool member and a

shoulder

31 formed at a junction of the

bore portions

27 and 28. The

spring

29 functions to continuously bias the

tool member

16 toward its retracted position shown in FIG. 2 along with holding the

rear end portion

17 of the tool member in releasable connection with the

support member

12. It is thus seen that the

tool member

16 and the

support member

12 are axially aligned in an end to end relation longitudinally of the barrel member 11 for movement as a unit relative to the barrel member.

Movement of the

support member

12 longitudinally of the barrel member 11 to positions defining the retracted and extended positions of the

tool member

16 is provided by means including a linearly extendible and retractible latch mechanism 32 (FIGS. 2 and 4) which extends transversely of and through the

tool holder

10. The barrel member 11 has a pair of diametrically

opposite openings

33 and 34 with the opening 33 being of a larger diameter than the opening 34. Corresponding to and opposite the

openings

33 and 34 are a pair of

slots

36 and 37, respectively, that are fonned in the

support member

12, with the

slot

37 being of a shorter length than the

slot

36. The

latch mechanism

32 includes a button or

locking member

38 of a tubular shape having a shank section 39 and an enlarged

section

41. The

locking member

38 is slidably supported about the

stem portion

42 of a

guide member

43. A head member integrally formed with the

stem section

42 includes a

circular bearing section

46 and a pin section 47.

As best appears in FIG. 4, when the pin section 47 is located within the

opening

34, the

bearing section

46 is positioned within the

slot

37 with the

stem section

42 directed in axial alignment towards the

opening

33. The

locking member

38 is mounted about the

stem section

42 with the shank 39 thereof projected outwardly of the tool holder through the

slot

36 and opening 33 so that the enlarged

portion

41 is within the

tubular support member

12 for slidable engagement on the inner peripheral wall thereof to opposite sides of the

slot

36. A

coil spring

48 within the

locking member

38 is held in compression between the closed-end of the

locking member

38 and the terminal end of the

stem

42 so as to continuously bias the locking member in a direction outwardly from the tool holder.

As thus far described it is seen that the

bearing section

46 is positioned within the

slot

37 in engagement with opposite sides of the slot. With the pin section 47 anchored within the

opening

34, the bearing section functions to hold the

support member

12 against rotational movement relative to the barrel member 11. This function of the

bearing section

46 is complemented by a similar action of the shank 39 of the

locking member

38 relative to the side walls of

slot

36.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the rear end of the

slot

36 is formed with an enlarged

circular recess

49 of a size and shape corresponding to the

opening

33 in the barrel member 11. On depressing the

rear section

13 of the

support member

12 to move the

tool member

16 to an operative extended position projected forwardly from the

head piece

23, the

recess

49 is moved into axial alignment with the

opening

33 shown in dotted lines in FIG. 4. When this aligned position of the

openings

33 and 49 takes place the enlarged

section

41 of the

latching mechanism

32 is automatically moved into such aligned openings whereby to positively lock the

support member

12 against further longitudinal movement relative to the barrel member 11 in the fully extended position of the

tool member

16. To maintain the enlarged

section

41 of the

locking member

38 from being moved by the

spring

48 completely out of the

holder

10 there is provided a

stop plate

50 that is secured to the outer surface of the barrel member 11 and has an

opening

51 of a size to receive only the shank 39 of the

locking member

38. The enlarged

section

41 is thus retained within the

openings

33 and 48 by the abutting engagement thereof with the underside of the

stop plate

50.

As clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and S, the

stop plate

50 is formed as part of a

pocket clip member

52 wherein the

plate

50 is of a semicircular shape in transverse section providing for its being arranged in clamping engagement about the barrel member 11. The

clip member

52 is secured to the barrel member by a

screw

53 threadable through the barrel member and into the

slot

36.

On depressing the

button member

38 from its dotted line position shown in FIG. 4 to its full line position shown in the same figure, the enlarged

section

41 of the

locking member

38 is moved out of the

openings

33 and 49 to permit movement of the

tool member

16 to its inoperative position by the action of the

spring

29. This inoperative position is defined by the engagement of the

bearing section

46 with the

end

54 of the slot 37 (FIGS. 2 and 4). With the

screw

53 extended through the

slot

36 such inoperative position is also defined by the engagement of the screw with the

end

56 of the

slot

36. It is thus seen that either or both the

screw

56 or the

latch mechanism

32 can be used in conjunction with

corresponding slots

36 and 37 to define the inoperative or retracted position of the

tool member

16.

The

latch mechanism

32 is assembled within the tool holder prior to the assembly therewith of the

tool member

16 so as to remove the action of the

spring

29 from the

support member

12. With the

support member

12 thus freely movable, it is manipulated relative to the barrel member 11 to position the

slots

36 and 37 transversely opposite the

openings

33 and 34 with the enlarged

opening

49 in axial alignment with the

openings

33 and 34. With the

clip member

52 removed, the

latch mechanism

32 is thus freely movable transversely of the tool holder to locate the pin section 47 within the

opening

34 with the

locking member

38 extended outwardly from the

opening

33. The

clip member

52 is then secured to the barrel member 11 by the

screw

53 to maintain this assembly relation.

The

tool member

16 is assembled by insertion thereof within the front end of the barrel member 11 to locate the

flat end

17 within the

groove

19 of the

plug

21. The

spring

29 is then mounted about the

tool member

16 after which the

head piece

23 is threadably secured to the forward end of the barrel member 1 1.

In FIG. 6 the

tool holder

10 is shown in assembly relation with a tool member 16a adapted to be used for metal scribing purposes. The tool member 160 is of a rod construction provided at its

rear end section

57 with an adjustable shoulder 58, illustrated as a split washer, adapted to be selectively located within axially spaced

grooves

59 formed in the

rear end section

57 of the tool member 16a. In assembly the

section

57 is inserted within the

plug

21 until the shoulder 58 abuts the front surface of the plug. The assembly of the tool member 160 within the barrel member 11 is then completed in all respects the same as the assembly of the

tool member

16. The selective adjustment of the shoulder 58 compensates for the wear of the scribe point 61.