# US 2009/0260490 A1 · Lockable torque-limiting driver and method

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- Number: US 2009/0260490 A1
- Document ID: US20090260490A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 12/174,864
- Filed: 2008-07-17
- Published: 2009-10-22
- Earliest claimed: 2005-04-26
- Assignees: California Torque Products
- Inventors: Brian James Cutler; Chalres Parkin Davis
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20090260490A1

## CPC

- B25B 23/1427: {by mechanical means}
- B25B: TOOLS OR BENCH DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, FOR FASTENING, CONNECTING, DISENGAGING, OR HOLDING

## Abstract

A lockable torque-limiting driver that includes, a body, a sleeve, a shaft carried by the body for rotation relative thereto and having a fastener-engaging tip at one end that projects from the body, a torque-limiting mechanism coupled to the shaft and housed within said body, a torque-adjusting mechanism within the body and coupled to the torque-limiting mechanism for adjusting the torque-limiting mechanism to a desired torque value, a torque-locking mechanism operably coupled with the torque-adjusting mechanism and the body or the sleeve for preventing movement of the torque-determining means and locking the settable torque-limiting driver at the desired torque value.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for locking a settable torque-limiting driver at a desired torque value comprising:
providing a torque-limiting mechanism coupled to a shaft and housed within a sleeve which is further housed within a body;
setting a torque-adjusting mechanism coupled to said torque-limiting mechanism; and,
engaging the torque-adjusting mechanism with a torque-locking mechanism wherein the torque-locking mechanism engages the torque-adjusting mechanism and the body.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the torque-adjusting mechanism comprises an adjustment plug.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein the torque-locking mechanism comprises a locking plate with an adjustment plug-engaging portion and a body-engaging portion.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3 wherein the torque-locking mechanism comprises a locking plate-engagement portion on said body.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4 wherein the torque-locking mechanism comprises said locking plate with said adjustment plug-engaging portion engaged with said adjustment plug and said body-engaging portion engaged with said locking plate-engagement portion on said body.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 wherein the adjustment plug has a generally annular elongated key structure and the locking plate has a generally keyway diamond structure.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 wherein the adjustment plug has a generally annular keyway structure and the locking plate has a generally key T-shaped structure.

### Claim 8

A method for locking a settable torque-limiting driver at a desired torque value comprising:
providing a torque-limiting mechanism coupled to a shaft and housed within a sleeve which is further housed within a body;
setting a torque-adjusting mechanism coupled to said torque-limiting mechanism; and,
engaging the torque-adjusting mechanism with a torque-locking mechanism wherein the torque-locking mechanism engages the torque-adjusting mechanism and the sleeve.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 wherein the torque-adjusting mechanism comprises an adjustment plug.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9 wherein the torque-locking mechanism comprises a locking plate with an adjustment plug-engaging portion and a sleeve-engaging portion.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10 wherein the torque-locking mechanism comprises a locking plate-engagement portion on said sleeve.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 wherein the torque-locking mechanism comprises said locking plate with said adjustment plug-engaging portion engaged with said adjustment plug and said body-engaging portion engaged with said locking plate-engagement portion on said sleeve.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12 wherein the adjustment plug has a generally annular keyway structure and the locking plate has a generally key gear-shaped structure.