Screwdriver attachment

A screwdriver attachment for use on a typical screwdriver having a handle, a shaft, and driving bit, comprising:

• a grasper mounted generally co-axially around the shaft of said screwdriver, said grasper having an upper guide ferrule circumscribing said shaft and a lower guide ferrule circumscribing said shaft, said ferrules being connected by a pair of opposing guide ferrule supports, said grasper also comprising a plurality of fingers mounted to and extending away from the lower guide ferrule in the direction opposite the upper guide ferrule;
• a first magnetic shaft collar with set screw, mounted around said shaft and adjacent said upper guide ferrule, said set screw being tightened against the shaft so as to retain said collar on said shaft;
• and
• a second opposing magnetic shaft collar retained within said grasper and mounted between said first collar and said lower guide ferrule, said collars being oriented to repel one another so that they are capable of urging said upper guide ferrule against said first collar.

A method of using a screwdriver attachment on a screwdriver shaft, said screwdriver also having a handle and a tip, for aligning and retaining a screw to be driven, said attachment comprising a grasper with upper and lower guide ferrules connected by guide ferrule supports and a plurality of flexible fingers extending from the lower guide ferrule and having detents at the distal ends thereof, a collar with set screw therethrough, and a compression spring, said method comprising the steps of:

• mounting the grasper on the screwdriver shaft by tightening the set screw through the collar adjacent the upper guide ferrule, and positioning the spring between the collar and the lower guide ferrule, with the upper guide ferrule toward the screwdriver handle and the lower guide ferrule toward the screwdriver tip;
• pressing the screw to be driven within the detents of the grasper by temporarily forcing apart the detents of the flexible fingers to accommodate the passage of the screw head;
• placing the screw in contact with the surface to be driven in the location desired;
• axially rotating the screwdriver so as to advance the screw into the surface;
• and
• driving the screw home by providing enough axial force to urge the screw head beyond the detents and into the desired seated position.

A method of using a screwdriver attachment on a screwdriver shaft, said screwdriver also having a handle and a tip, for removing an installed screw of the type having a screwhead with kerf, said attachment comprising a grasper with upper and lower guide ferrules connected by guide ferrule supports and a plurality of flexible fingers extending from the lower guide ferrule and having detents at the distal ends thereof, a collar with set screw therethrough, and a compression spring, said method comprising the steps of:

• mounting the grasper on the screwdriver shaft by tightening the set screw through the collar adjacent the upper guide ferrule, and positioning the spring between the collar and the lower guide ferrule, with the upper guide ferrule toward the screwdriver handle and the lower guide ferrule toward the screwdriver tip;
• placing the grasper adjacent the screw head with the detents of the flexible fingers proximate the driven surface and the screwdriver tip fitted within the kerf of the screwhead;
• axially rotating the screwdriver so as to retract the screwhead beyond the detents and retract the screw into the grasper;
• and
• removing the screw from the grasper.