# US 10,864,618 B2 · Fastener driver > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,864,618 B2 - Document ID: US10864618B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/615,639 - Filed: 2017-06-06 - Published: 2018-12-06 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2017-06-06 - Assignees: Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Joshua Michael Schnitzler; Donald Conrad Branson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10864618B2 ## CPC - B25B 15/004: {characterised by cross-section} - B25G 1/005: {for screwdrivers, wrenches or spanners with additional levers, e.g. for increasing torque} - B25B 23/105: {the gripping device being an integral part of the driving bit} - B25G 3/28: comprising wedges, keys, or like expanding means - F16B 23/0007: {characterised by the shape of the recess or the protrusion engaging the tool (F16B23/0069 and F16B23/0076 take precedence)} - F16B 23/0038: {substantially prismatic with up to six edges, e.g. triangular, square, pentagonal, Allen-type cross-sections} - B25B: TOOLS OR BENCH DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, FOR FASTENING, CONNECTING, DISENGAGING, OR HOLDING - B25G: HANDLES FOR HAND IMPLEMENTS (attaching the blades or the like to handles of hand tools for soil working A01B1/22; handles of hand implements for harvesting A01D1/14; handles integral with brushware A46B) - F16B: DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING (couplings for transmitting rotation F16D) ## Abstract A driver for non-magnetic gripping of a socketed fastener head. The driver includes a shank and two cantilever beams. Each cantilever beam has an end and a basal segment adjacent the shank opposite the end. The driver also includes a gap defined by the two cantilever beams in resting positions. The gap extends between the two cantilever beams from an open end toward the shank. The ends of the two cantilever beams are configured to bend into the gap from the resting positions. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A driver for gripping a socketed fastener head, the driver comprising: a shank; two spaced-apart cantilever beams extending from the shank and defining a longitudinal gap between them, each cantilever beam having an end and a basal segment adjacent the shank; a sliding shim positioned in the gap; and a track of protrusions extending inside the gap and defining cradles therebetween for receipt of the sliding shim and incremental movement of the sliding shim with respect to the track of protrusions and along the gap, wherein the cantilever beams are configured to narrow the gap between the ends when transitioning from resting positions to assembled positions. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The driver of claim 1, wherein the socketed fastener head presents a top surface and a socket is formed in and below the top surface that presents a first substantially vertical surface and a second substantially vertical surface across the socket from the first substantially vertical surface, the driver comprising an outward-facing surface on the end of each of the two cantilever beams, the outward-facing surfaces being oriented, when assembled to the socketed fastener head, to apply forces outward on the first and second substantially vertical surfaces in response to the bending of the two cantilever beams from the resting positions. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The driver of claim 1, wherein the ends of the cantilever beams each present a cross-section having the shape of an isosceles trapezoid. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The driver of claim 1, wherein the ends of the cantilever beams each present a cross-section having a rectangular shape. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The driver of claim 1, wherein each end of the two cantilever beams includes a tip and a substantially orthogonal outward-facing surface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The driver of claim 2, wherein the two ends are configured to abut one another when assembled to the fastener. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The driver of claim 2, wherein the driver is configured such that at least a portion of the gap between the ends remains when the driver is assembled to the socketed fastener head. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The driver of claim 1, wherein each end of the two cantilever beams includes a tip, an outward-facing surface, and an angled entry surface between the tip and the outward facing surface configured to facilitate insertion of the driver into the socketed fastener head. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The driver of claim 1, wherein the gap defined by the two cantilever beams in resting positions narrows as it extends from the shank toward the ends. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The driver of claim 1, wherein the sliding shim includes fins positioned on opposite sides of the gap. ### Claim 11 A driver for gripping a socketed fastener head, the driver comprising: a shank; two spaced-apart cantilever beams extending from the shank and defining a longitudinal gap between them, each cantilever beam having a basal segment adjacent the shank and an end terminating at a tip; a sliding shim positioned in the gap; and a track of protrusions extending inside the gap and defining cradles therebetween for receipt of the sliding shim, wherein the sliding shim and cantilever beams are configured such that moving the sliding shim toward the tips, when the driver is assembled to the socketed fastener head, causes the sliding shim to incrementally traverse the track of protrusions and causes the ends to apply outward pressure on the socketed fastener head. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The driver of claim 11, wherein the socketed fastener head presents a top surface and a socket is formed in and below the top surface that presents a first substantially vertical surface and a second substantially vertical surface across the socket from the first substantially vertical surface, the driver comprising an outward-facing surface on the end of each of the two cantilever beams, the outward-facing surfaces being oriented, when assembled to the socketed fastener head, to apply forces outward on the first and second substantially vertical surfaces in response to movement of the sliding shim toward the tips. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The driver of claim 11, wherein the gap defined by the two cantilever beams in resting positions narrows as it extends from the shank toward the open end. ### Claim 14 A method for installing a fastener having a socketed head presenting a top surface and a socket formed in and below the top surface, the method comprising: providing a driver having two cantilever beams, each cantilever beam including an outward-facing surface; aligning the driver with a socket of the socketed fastener head; applying a force to a shank of the driver generally in the direction of the socketed fastener head causing the cantilever beams to move toward one another to permit at least partial insertion into the socket; applying a force to a sliding shim in a gap between the cantilever beams generally in the direction of the socketed fastener head to press the sliding shim in a translational movement over a protrusion of a track of protrusions extending inside the gap, thereby applying a pressure on the socket; and settling the sliding shim in a cradle between the protrusion and a next-adjacent protrusion of the track of protrusions. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, comprising torqueing the driver to install the socketed fastener in a receiving surface followed by applying a force to the sliding shim generally in a direction opposite the socketed fastener head to at least partially reduce the pressure applied by the cantilever beams on the socket. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the force in the direction opposite the socketed fastener head moves the sliding shim out of the cradle, over the protrusion and away from the next-adjacent protrusion.