APEX BRANDS, INC. Patent applications |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20160001435 | Positive Feed Tool with a Slip Clutch And A Method, to Prevent Jamming - Positive feed tools and methods of use that include a spindle with a distal end configured to receive a tool bit. The spindle is movable in a forward direction for the tool bit to act on a workpiece, and a retract direction to move the tool bit away from the workpiece. The spindle is configured to retract to a home position at which an air motor that drives the spindle is shut off. The feed tool includes a clutch to prevent jamming of the spindle at the home position in the event the air motor is not shut off at the proper time. | 01-07-2016 |
20150122520 | Tooling System with Visual Identification of Attached Component - A tooling system that includes a drive unit configured to provide rotational force to a tool member. The tool member is attached at a mount on the drive unit. A camera associated with the drive unit is aligned to capture a target on the tool member. The data is sent to a controller that identifies the tool member based on the target. The controller determines whether the tool member is correct for performing an operation on a work piece. If the tool member is correct, the controller may set one or more operating parameters on the drive unit. If the controller determines that the tool member is not correct, the drive unit is disabled. Further, a signal may be sent to inform an operator of the issue. | 05-07-2015 |
20150120041 | Tooling System with Electronic Signal Maintenance - Devices and methods for providing power to tools when the tools are not attached to a robotic device. The power source may be an energy storage device that is attached to a tool frame of a tool cluster. The power provides for the tools to be maintained in a ready state which expedites and/or eliminates the initiation process when the tools and the tool cluster are subsequently reattached to the robotic device. This reduces the time necessary for the tools to be used in the assembly process thereby increasing the efficiency of the tooling system. | 04-30-2015 |
20150013503 | LOCKING FLEX-HEAD RATCHET WRENCH - A ratcheting tool including a handle formed with an integral yoke at a first end and a tool head coupled to the yoke at a pivot. The tool head has a toothed hub facing rearwardly of the pivot and into the yoke. A locking spool is rotatably carried in the yoke adjacent the toothed hub. The locking spool has a first face, a second face, and a first tooth extending along both the first face and the second face and engaging the toothed hub. The locking spool is rotatable between a first position in which the first face is adjacent the toothed hub, thereby locking the tool head in a selected angular position with respect to the handle, and a second position in which the second face is adjacent the toothed hub such that the tool head is pivotable about the pivot. | 01-15-2015 |
20140345405 | Rsp-Gearing Insensitive to Axis Misalignment and Other Displacement and Methods of Producing Gears - A gearing arrangement that includes a gear and a pinion with intermeshing teeth. The gear includes a base pitch and the pinion includes a base pitch. The geometry of the tooth flanks of the gear and the pinion are constructed to accommodate various values of axis misalignment. The base pitch of the gear is always equal to the operating base pitch of the gear pair. Similarly, the base pitch of the pinion is always equal to the operating base pitch of the gear pair. Therefore, the base pitches of the gear and pinion are always equal to one another and to the operating base pitch. | 11-27-2014 |
20140326113 | RATCHETING DEVICE FOR AN ELECTRONIC TORQUE WRENCH - An electronic torque wrench including a wrench body, a wrench head configured to engage a workpiece, a first sensor producing a first output signal, that is proportional to an amount of torque being applied to the workpiece, a grip handle, a second sensor producing a second output signal that is proportional to an amount of rotation being applied to the workpiece, a user interface including an input device for inputting a preset torque value, and a processor for converting the first output signal into a current torque value, comparing the current torque value to the preset torque value, and converting the second output signal into a first angle value through which the workpiece has been rotated after the current torque value exceeds the preset torque value. | 11-06-2014 |
20140312757 | BOLSTER FOR A SAFETY CABINET - A cabinet including a receptacle having a floor, a front wall, a rear wall, and a pair of opposed sidewalls extending upwardly from the floor. A plurality of bolsters is attached to the floor, each bolster including a lower panel defining at least a first aperture having a longitudinal center axis, and a first and a second sidewall, each extending from the lower panel toward the floor, the first sidewall defining an acute angle with the lower panel and defining a first aperture disposed vertically above a corresponding first aperture of the lower panel. A leg is rotatably received within the first aperture so that rotation of the leg results in the leg moving axially with respect to the lower panel. | 10-23-2014 |
20140291325 | LOCK SYSTEM FOR A CONTAINER - A locking system includes a carrier member at least one locking member extending from the rod. The carrier member is movable between a first locked position in which the locking member engages a locking receptacle to maintain a container cover in a closed position and a second unlocked position in which the locking member disengages from the locking receptacle and the cover is movable between the closed and open position. The locking system includes a blocking member at a second end of the carrier member. The blocking member is movable between a first engaged position in which the rod abuts a portion of the blocking member and maintains the elongate rod in the first locked position and a second disengaged position in which the rod disengages from the blocking member and a biasing unit urges the rod in the second unlocked position. | 10-02-2014 |
20140284887 | SELF-TIGHTENING CHUCK WITH A RADIAL LOCK - A drill chuck including a spindle portion with a pusher bore, a spindle bore, an annular array of teeth, and an annular groove defined by the outer surface of the first end. A body is rotatably disposed about the spindle portion and includes a central bore, an annular groove defined by the central bore, and a pawl pivotably mounted to the body for selectively engaging the annular array of teeth. A jaw pusher includes a threaded post and a head, the threaded post being disposed in the pusher bore and configured for axial motion. A jaw guide is disposed on the first end of the body and includes a plurality of jaw slots. A plurality of jaws is slidably received in the corresponding jaw slots and slidably received by the head of the jaw pusher. A plurality of bearing balls is received between the annular groove of the spindle portion and the annular groove of the body. The annular groove of the spindle portion and the annular groove of the body form a continuous pair of bearing races for the plurality of bearing balls. | 09-25-2014 |
20140265164 | DRILL CHUCK - A chuck including a body having a tail section and a nose section defining an axial bore. A plurality of jaws are movably disposed with respect to the axial bore and a nut is in threaded engagement with the jaws. A sleeve engages the nut so that rotation of the sleeve moves the jaws. A first ring defines a plurality of teeth and a second ring is rotatable relative to the nut over a limited arc and defines at least one pawl. In a first state, the second ring is non-rotatable relative to the first ring in both the opening and closing directions, and in a second state the first and second rings are rotatable about the body, and the second ring is rotatable relative to the first ring in the closing direction. | 09-18-2014 |
20140265163 | LOCKING CHUCK - A chuck includes a body having a nose section with an axial bore and a plurality of passageways formed therein, and a plurality of jaws disposed in the passageways. A nut for driving the jaws is rotatably mounted about the body and a sleeve defining a first recess and a second recess is rotatable with respect to the nut between a first rotational position and a second rotational position. An array of locking teeth is fixed to the body and a pawl member with an engagement portion is non-rotatably fixed to the nut. The engagement portion is received in the second recess and engages the locking teeth when the sleeve is in the second rotational position, the engagement portion being compressed so that an amount of force is exerted on the nut in the closing direction by the engagement portion. | 09-18-2014 |
20140238711 | Positive Feed Tool with a Modular Architecture - Positive feed tools that include gear heads configured to be driven by a motor. The gear heads further include a pneumatic manifold that provides for access to input/output signals to add on additional components that include additional air logic functionality. The gear head includes first and second interface positions. Each interface is configured to receive either the motor for powering the gear head or an add-on component to provide additional functionality to the tool. | 08-28-2014 |
20140203525 | LOCKING CHUCK - A chuck including a body with a nose section defining an axial bore formed therein, a plurality of jaws movably disposed with respect to the body, and a sleeve rotatably mounted about the body so that rotation of the sleeve moves the jaws relative to the axial bore. A bearing has a first race, a second race, and at least one bearing element disposed therebetween, one of the first race and the second race defining a ratchet and the other defining a pawl biased toward the ratchet. A biasing element is disposed between the pawl and the sleeve. The biasing element exerts a biasing force on the pawl toward the ratchet and the ratchet and the pawl prevent the second race from rotating in the opening direction with respect to the first race when engaged. | 07-24-2014 |
20140083259 | Reversible Ratcheting Tool With Dual Pawls - A ratcheting tool includes a head and a handle, and a gear ring disposed in the head defining a first plurality of teeth defining a first arc having a first radius. A first pawl is disposed in the head and defines a front face, a rearward face, and a second plurality of teeth which defines a second arc having a second radius. A second pawl is disposed in the head and defines a front face, a rearward face, and a third plurality of teeth which defines a third arc having a third radius. When the first pawl and the second pawl are disposed with their rearward faces in vertical alignment and their longitudinal center axes are disposed in a common plane, the second arc of the first pawl is offset from the third arc of the second pawl in a direction parallel to the longitudinal center axes. | 03-27-2014 |
20140077463 | LOCKING CHUCK - A chuck including a body having a nose section with an axial bore formed therein, a plurality of jaws in communication with the axial bore, a sleeve rotatably mounted about the body in operative communication with the jaws, the sleeve defining an annular groove adjacent its rear perimeter, a rear cover defining an annular ridge that is received in the annular groove of the sleeve, and a bearing having a first race, a second race and at least one bearing element, wherein one of the first race and the second race defines a ratchet, wherein the other of the first race and the second race defines a pawl, the ratchet and the pawl are configured so that when the pawl engages the ratchet, the ratchet and pawl prevent the second race from rotating in the opening direction with respect to the first race. | 03-20-2014 |
20140026724 | HEX WRENCH TOOL HANDLE - A tool handle for releasably receiving a tool including a core portion having a base portion and a cylindrical shaft portion extending outwardly therefrom, the base portion including a first surface, a second surface, and an outer wall extending therebetween, the outer wall defining a first bore therein, and a grip portion rotatably disposed about the shaft portion of the core. The first bore is configured to releasably receive a first portion of the tool. | 01-30-2014 |
20130334777 | DRILL CHUCK - A chuck including a body having a tail section and a nose section defining an axial bore. A plurality of jaws are movably disposed with respect to the axial bore and a nut is in threaded engagement with the jaws. A sleeve engages the nut so that rotation of the sleeve moves the jaws. A first ring defines a plurality of teeth and a second ring is rotatable relative to the nut over a limited arc and defines at least one pawl. In a first state, the second ring is non-rotatable relative to the first ring in both the opening and closing directions, and in a second state the first and second rings are rotatable about the body, and the second ring is rotatable relative to the first ring in the closing direction. | 12-19-2013 |
20130263705 | LOCKABLE GRIP WRENCH - A wrench includes a locking mechanism that provides variable locking positions. The wrench has handles that are rotatably connected such that a closing motion of the handles allows the wrench to grip workpieces as desired by moving a plurality of jaw elements inward toward the workpiece. The locking mechanism advantageously allows the jaws and handles of the wrench to be locked precisely on any size workpiece within the working range of the wrench. Related methods are also described. | 10-10-2013 |
20130233867 | BOLSTER FOR CONSTRUCTION CONTAINER - A container adapted to be lifted by a forklift having a pair of prongs, including a receptacle having a floor, a front wall, a rear wall, and a pair of opposed sidewalls, wherein a front edge, a rear edge and side edges of the floor define a perimeter of the floor. A plurality of bolsters is attached to the floor such that each bolster is within the perimeter, each bolster including a lower panel and a pair of sidewalls extending upwardly to the floor and forming a first entry window configured to slidably receive one of the prongs of the forklift. Each bolster is positioned such that its first entry window is accessible from one of the opposed side edges of the floor, and the prongs of the forklift are slidably receivable between a pair of the bolsters from one of the front edge and the rear edge of the floor. | 09-12-2013 |
20130119063 | LOCK SYSTEM FOR A CONTAINER - A locking system includes a carrier member at least one locking member extending from the rod. The carrier member is movable between a first locked position in which the locking member engages a locking receptacle to maintain a container cover in a closed position and a second unlocked position in which the locking member disengages from the locking receptacle and the cover is movable between the closed and open position. The locking system includes a blocking member at a second end of the carrier member. The blocking member is movable between a first engaged position in which the rod abuts a portion of the blocking member and maintains the elongate rod in the first locked position and a second disengaged position in which the rod disengages from the blocking member and a biasing unit urges the rod in the second unlocked position. | 05-16-2013 |
20120260775 | FLEX-HEAD WRENCH - A wrench including a handle having a first yoke at a first end and a first plurality of tool heads coupled to the first yoke at a first pivot axis, at least a first tool head of the first plurality of tool heads having a drive cavity. Each tool head of the first plurality of tool heads is pivotable about the first pivot axis independently of the other tool heads of the first plurality of tool heads. | 10-18-2012 |
20120132042 | MECHANICAL TORQUE WRENCH WITH AN ELECTRONIC SENSOR AND DISPLAY DEVICE - A mechanical torque wrench for engaging a workpiece, the torque wrench including a wrench body, a wrench head pivotably secured to the wrench body at a pivot joint and including a workpiece engaging portion and a bar extending therefrom, a hand grip, a set spring, a block disposed between a rear face of the bar and the set spring, an adjustment assembly for selecting a preset torque value, a resistive element producing a first output signal, a sensor producing a second output signal, and a processor for converting the first output signal into the preset torque value and converting the second output signal into an applied torque value. The application of a peak applied torque value to the workpiece causes the wrench head to pivot relative to the wrench body. | 05-31-2012 |