Abstract: A socket drive tool has an elongated shaft defining a coupling body at one end thereof with a square drive lug having a detent ball disposed in a recess therein and projecting from a face thereof. A link pin reciprocates in the body and has a cam surface at one end thereof engageable with the ball, the pin being spring biased to a condition holding the ball in a retaining position projecting from the recess, and movable against the spring bias to a releasing condition permitting the ball to retract into the recess. An opening in the body is generally oblong in transverse cross section and tapers from a wide outer end to a narrow inner end, and then tapers back out again a short distance from the narrow inner end. The link pin has formed diametrically therethrough a reverse tapered aperture which tapers from a narrow end near the wide end of the opening to an oblong wide end near the inner end of the opening.

Abstract: A wrenching member includes at least two spaced-apart and substantially oppositely facing drive surfaces, each of which has a roughened region and an unroughened region thereon, with the roughened region being disposed adjacent to one end of one of the drive surfaces and adjacent to the other end of the other drive surface so as to afford a differential driving arrangement which exerts a greater frictional wrenching force in one direction than in the opposite direction.

Abstract: A socket drive tool includes an elongated shaft having a coupling structure for coupling to a socket. The coupling structure includes a detent ball disposed in a detent recess and moveable between retaining and releasing positions relative to the socket. The shaft has a cavity therein communicating with the detent recess. A tubular sleeve having a sleeve cam surface is disposed coaxially about the shaft for movement between a retaining condition and a releasing condition. A rod is moveable axially between retaining and releasing conditions, being spring-biased to the latter. The rod has within the cavity a first cam surface engageable with the detent ball and a second cam surface engageable with a transfer ball which is, in turn, engageable with the sleeve cam surface.

Abstract: A hand tool has an elongated shank with a handle at one end and a bit holder at the other end, the bit holder including a cylindrical body having a distal end surface and an axis, the body having an axial bore formed in the end surface of non-circular transverse cross section and terminating at an inner end surface. A neodymium permanent magnet is freely received in the bore and retained against the inner end surface by a thin circular retainer, formed of metal or plastic, which is interference-fitted in the bore. Both flat, disk-like and concave, bowl-shaped retainers are disclosed. A shock-absorbing cushion may be disposed between the magnet and the inner end surface of the bore. A bit formed of magnetizable material is mateably received in a socket portion of the bore and retained in place by the magnet. The portion of the bore receiving the magnet may have a different cross section from the socket portion. The magnet may be disposed in an encapsulation which interference fits in the bore.

Abstract: A hand tool has an elongated shank with a handle at one end and a bit holder at the other end, the bit holder including a cylindrical body having a distal end surface and an axis, the body having an axial bore formed in the end surface of non-circular transverse cross section and terminating at an inner end surface. A neodymium permanent magnet is freely received in the bore and retained against the inner end surface by a thin circular retainer, formed of metal or plastic, which is interference-fitted in the bore. Both flat, disk-like and concave, bowl-shaped retainers are disclosed. A shock-absorbing cushion may be disposed between the magnet and the inner end surface of the bore. A bit formed of magnetizable material is mateably received in a socket portion of the bore and retained in place by the magnet. The portion of the bore receiving the magnet may have a different cross section from the socket portion. The magnet may be disposed in an encapsulation which interference fits in the bore.

Abstract: A speed wrench has a short jaw and a long jaw interconnected by a throat, the jaws respectively having short and long driving surfaces which are generally parallel but which may be very slightly inclined with respect to each other. The throat has a generally flat surface portion adjacent to the short driving surface and inclined at an angle of at least 120.degree. thereto and connected thereto by an arcuate recess in the short jaw. This generally flat surface portion may be slightly convex having a radius greater than twice the distance between the driving surfaces. The remainder of the throat is arcuate and is shaped and dimensioned so that it will not contact a fastener engaged with the driving surfaces. Open-end wrench and adjustable wrench versions are disclosed, and in the former the support surface portion of the throat has a length approximately one-half the side dimension of an associated fastener. In the adjustable wrench version, at least the long driving surface may be serrated.

Abstract: A carrier system is provided for attachment to a vehicle having a pair of tubular trailer hitches mounted thereon. The carrier system comprises a pair of spaced, deflectable articulated tubular support assemblies, each having a first open end and a second open end each of the first ends being adapted for telescopic engagement with one of the trailer hitches. A cargo carrier is removably attached and solely supported from the vehicle by the support assemblies, the cargo carrier having a base provided with a pair of guide channels formed thereon. The support assemblies are receivable in the guide channels and the cargo carrier is slidably disposed along and extends over a portion of the support assemblies between the first and second ends.

Abstract: A driver is designed for coaxial and non-coaxial driving of a fastener with a lobed drive recess. The driver has a part spherical drive head connected by a neck to the drive end of a shank coaxially therewith, the outer surface of the head defining circumferentially alternating lobes and valleys extending longitudinally in planes containing the driver axis. The head is shaped such that its longitudinal cross section in one of the planes through a valley defines a central part-spherical portion and frustoconical end portions substantially tangent to the central portion respectively at its opposite ends. The head is further shaped so that, in its transverse cross section, each of the lobes has a leading flank and a trailing flank shaped and dimensioned that the flanks do not define undercuts which would make molding of the driver difficult.

Abstract: An improved high torque driving tool has a blade with an arcuately convex end surface having a radius of curvature which is greater than the width of the blade and greater than the radius of curvature of the driving slot in an associated fastener. The blade may be provided with a conical tip which projects axially from the end surface and has a base diameter substantially equal to the thickness of the blade at the end surface, the tip being receivable in a conical recess and the driving slot of the associated fastener.

Abstract: An improved high torque driving tool has a blade with an arcuately convex end surface having a radius of curvature which is greater than the width of the blade and greater than the radius of curvature of the driving slot in an associated fastener. The blade may be provided with a conical tip protects axially from the end surface and has a base diameter substantially equal to the thickness of the blade at the end surface, the tip being receivable in a conical recess and the driving slot of the associated fastener.

Abstract: A polygonal bit is frictionally retained in a mating socket opening of a drive socket by the provision of recesses in the flat surfaces of the bit, the formation of each recess creating a raised ridge of material displaced from the recess and projecting from the flat surface around the perimeter of the recess for frictional engagement with the corresponding drive surface of the drive socket. Recesses may be formed in flat surfaces on opposite sides of the bit, with one or two recesses being formed in each such surface. Various shapes of recess are disclosed.

Abstract: A pivotal hand tool includes first and second lever members which intersect and have aligned openings therethrough in which is received a pivot pin having an enlarged head at one end adjacent to one of the lever members and having the other end thereof welded to the other lever member or to a flat washer which bears against the other lever member. The head and the flat washer may be received in complementary recesses in the lever members. A frustoconical washer may be disposed beneath the head of the pivot pin for resiliently urging the lever members together.

Abstract: The open-end wrenching head includes two jaws and a throat interconnecting the jaws. The jaws include planar jaw driving surfaces each with a roughened region thereon adjacent to the throat and an unroughened region adjacent to the outermost end of the jaw driving surface, each of the roughened and unroughened regions being constructed and arranged to engage a portion of a selected side of a fastener. The throat may include either an arcuate surface or two planar throat driving surfaces. Each of the roughened regions has a coefficient of friction substantially greater than that of the unroughened regions and may be formed by deposition of an abrasive material by any of a number of processes or by deformation of the jaw driving surface by any of a number of processes.

Abstract: The open-end wrenching head includes two jaws and a throat interconnecting the jaws. The jaws include planar jaw driving surfaces each with at least one serrated region thereon constructed and arranged to engage a portion of a selected side of a fastener. The throat may include either an arcuate surface or two planar throat driving surfaces having serrated regions thereon. Each of the serrated regions on the driving surfaces may include symmetrical or asymmetrical grooves. The plane of these grooves may be parallel to the driving surfaces or at an angle of about 1.degree. to 3.degree..

Abstract: The one-piece, open-end wrenching head includes two substantially equal-length jaws with a throat recess therebetween. The jaws respectively include driving surfaces spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the across-flats dimension of an associated hexagonal fastener, with each driving surface having a length no greater than the length of one of the flat sides of the associated fastener and having a serrated region thereon. The distance from the deepest part of the throat to an imaginary line connecting the distal ends of the jaws is approximately 0.86 times the across-flats dimension of the fastener.

Abstract: A hair cutting guide is comprised of a plurality of spaced-apart segments, each of which is formed of a pair of legs having longitudinal axes disposed along intersecting planes such that each segment is generally triangular in cross-section. The guide includes a connecting spine or the like for linking the segments along their top portion to produce a unitary structure having a predetermined height measured from the top surface between the segments along a line perpendicular to a plane defined by the distal ends of the legs in the segments.

Abstract: A clip-like, resilient wire stub retainer and handle opening spring adapted for secure positioning on the pivoting joint area of a wire cutting pliers having a pair of cutting edges extends along a first cutting edge of the pliers in an overlapping manner so as to engage and retain a severed wire stub portion in contact with a second cutting edge of the pliers until the pliers are released in preventing the wire stub from being projected away from the pliers. The resilient clip-like retainer/spring biases the pliers to the open configuration and includes a sheath-like covering on the wire engaging portion thereof to enhance its wire retention characteristics.

Abstract: A hand tool has an elongated shank with a handle at one end and a bit holder at the other end, the bit holder including a cylindrical body having a distal end surface and an axis, the body having an axial bore formed in the end surface of non-circular transverse cross section and terminating at an inner end surface. A neodymium permanent magnet is freely received in the bore and retained against the inner end surface by a thin circular retainer, formed of metal or plastic, which is interference-fitted in the bore. Both flat, disk-like and concave, bowl-shaped retainers are disclosed. A shock-absorbing cushion may be disposed between the magnet and the inner end surface of the bore. A bit formed of magnetizable material is mateably received in a socket portion of the bore and retained in place by the magnet. The portion of the bore receiving the magnet may have a different cross section from the socket portion. The magnet may be disposed in an encapsulation which interference fits in the bore.

Abstract: A hand tool has an elongated shank with a handle at one end and a bit holder at the other end, the bit holder including a cylindrical body having a distal end surface and an axis, the body having an axial bore formed in the end surface of non-circular transverse cross section and terminating at an inner end surface. A neodymium permanent magnet is freely received in the bore and retained against the inner end surface by a thin circular retainer, formed of metal or plastic, which is interference-fitted in the bore. Both flat, disk-like and concave, bowl-shaped retainers are disclosed. A shock-absorbing cushion may be disposed between the magnet and the inner end surface of the bore. A bit formed of magnetizable material is mateably received in a socket portion of the bore and retained in place by the magnet. The portion of the bore receiving the magnet may have a different cross section from the socket portion. The magnet may be disposed in an encapsulation which interference fits in the bore.