Hand-held turbine power tool

A method of controlling the rotational speed of a turbine tool, comprising:

• providing an impeller supported for rotation about an axis and comprising:
• a central chamber;
• at least one primary nozzle oriented to urge said impeller in a first direction when fluid is expelled therethrough;
• and
• at least one secondary nozzle oriented to urge said impeller in a second direction, opposite said first direction, when fluid is expelled therethrough;
• routing drive fluid through said at least one primary nozzle and blocking flow through said at least one secondary nozzle when a speed control member is disposed in said chamber, said speed control member resiliently deformable to control the amount of fluid expelled via said at least one primary nozzle in response to changes in rotational speed of said impeller when disposed in said chamber;
• routing drive fluid through both said at least one primary nozzle and said at least one secondary nozzle when said speed control member is not present in said chamber;
• wherein, given a fixed available drive fluid supply rate, a maximum rotation speed of said impeller is a first value with said speed control member disposed in said chamber and a second value with said speed control member not disposed in said chamber, said first value being more than said second value.

A turbine tool, comprising:

• a housing adapted for hand operation;
• a fluid supply hose coupled to said housing;
• a fluid driven impeller disposed within said housing and supported for rotation;
• said housing having a first portion and a second portion rotatably coupled to said first portion, rotation of said second portion relative to said first portion throttling the supply of motive fluid to said impeller;
• said second portion comprising one or more exhaust ports, said housing and said impeller cooperating to form a fluid flow path having said one or more exhaust ports downstream of said impeller;
• wherein motive fluid entering said housing and causing rotation of said impeller is exhausted from said housing via said exhaust ports.

A turbine tool, comprising:

• a housing and a sleeve coupled to said housing;
• a fluid driven impeller shaft disposed in said sleeve and said housing;
• said shaft supported for rotation by at least a first bearing and a second bearing, said first bearing disposed internal to said housing, said a second bearing attached to said shaft in spaced relation to said first bearing and abutting said sleeve;
• a first resiliently compressible material disposed between said first bearing and said second bearing, and axially between said first bearing and said housing;
• wherein an axial preload on said first and second bearings may be adjusted by adjusting said sleeve relative to said housing, thereby adjusting a compression of said first resiliently compressible material.

A turbine tool, comprising:

• a housing and a sleeve coupled to said housing;
• a rotatable impeller having:
• a central chamber with a fluid inlet;
• at least one primary nozzle oriented to urge said impeller to rotate in a first direction when fluid is expelled therethrough;
• at least one secondary nozzle oriented to urge said impeller to rotate in a second direction, opposite said first direction, when fluid is expelled therethrough;
• and
• a shaft disposed in said sleeve and said housing;
• a speed control member resiliently deformable when disposed in said chamber to control the amount of fluid expelled via said at least one primary nozzle in response to changes in rotational speed of said impeller;
• wherein drive fluid supply to said at least one secondary nozzle is generally blocked when said speed control member is present in said chamber, but generally open when said speed control member is not present in said chamber;
• said shaft supported for rotation by at least a first bearing and a second bearing, said first bearing disposed internal to said housing, said second bearing attached to said shaft in spaced relation to said first bearing and abutting said sleeve;
• a first resiliently compressible material disposed between said first bearing and said second bearing, and axially between said first bearing and said housing;
• wherein an axial preload on said first and second bearings may be adjusted by adjusting an amount of extension of said sleeve relative to said housing, thereby adjusting a compression of said first resiliently compressible material.