Wrench extension and socket coupler

In combination for providing a quick coupling by a user to, and a decoupling by the user from, a socket with a cavity having a particular configuration and extending in a substantially axial direction and defining a detent at one position in the cavity,

• an extension shaft having the particular configuration at one end for mating disposition in the cavity with the socket and having a fixed disposition relative to the socket in the particular direction during a coupling of the shaft to the socket and a decoupling of the shaft from the socket,
• a first lateral passageway in the shaft at a position where the shaft has the particular configuration, the first lateral passageway extending at one end to a position external to the shaft,
• a latch disposed in the first lateral passageway for disposition in one position in the detent in the socket cavity,
• a second lateral passageway in the shaft, the second lateral passageway being displaced from the socket with the shaft in mating relationship with the cavity in the socket, the second lateral passageway extending at one end to a position external to the shaft and communicating directly with the atmosphere,
• an internal passageway disposed in the shaft in the substantially axial direction in communication with the first and second lateral passageways, and
• coupling means disposed in the internal passageway in co-operative relationship with the latch and depressible means and movable substantially axially in the internal passageway, the movement of the coupling means occurring in accordance with the depression or release of depressible means,
• the depressible means being disposed in the second lateral passageway, the depressible means being disposed for direct manual contact by the user and being directly engaged by the user for manual depression by the user from a position external of the shaft to move in the second lateral passageway from an undepressed position to a depressed position,
• the depressible means including means for cooperating with a portion of the coupling means when the depressible means is depressed, enabling disposition of the latch toward the internal passageway for coupling and decoupling the socket.

In combination for providing a quick coupling by a user to, and a decoupling by the user from, a socket with a cavity having a particular configuration and extending in a substantially axial direction and defining a detent at one position in the cavity,

• an extension shaft configured at one end to be disposed in the cavity and to mate with the socket when disposed in the cavity, the extension shaft having a fixed disposition relative to the socket in the substantially axial direction during a coupling to the socket and a decoupling from the socket,
• a first passageway disposed in the shaft at a position for disposition within the cavity in the socket when the shaft mates with the socket, the first passageway extending from a position external to the shaft,
• a latch disposed within the first passageway,
• a second passageway disposed in the shaft at a position displaced on the shaft from the first passageway for disposition outside of the cavity in the socket when the shaft mates with the socket, the second passageway extending in substantially the same direction as the first passageway, the second passageway extending from a position external to the shaft and communicating directly with the atmosphere,
• an internal passageway disposed within the shaft in the substantially axial direction and communicating with the first and second passageways, and
• coupling means variably disposed in the particular direction within the internal passageway in co-operative relationship with the latch and depressible means and movable substantially axially within the internal passageway,
• the depressible means being disposed within the second passageway at a position communicating directly with the atmosphere for direct contact by the user from a position external to the shaft and for manual depression by the user,
• the depressible means including means for cooperating with a portion of the coupling means when said depressible means is depressed, enabling disposition of the latch toward the internal passageway for coupling and decoupling the shaft.

In combination for providing a quick coupling by a user to, and a decoupling by the user from, a socket with a cavity having a particular configuration and extending in a substantially axial direction and defining a detent at one position in the cavity,

• an extension shaft extending in the substantially axial direction and having the particular configuration at one end for mating with the socket when the shaft is inserted into the cavity, the extension having a fixed disposition relative to the socket during a coupling to the socket and a decoupling from the socket,
• a first passageway extending, in a direction transverse to the substantially axial direction, from a position external to the shaft at a position within the cavity with the shaft and the cavity in the mating relationship,
• a second passageway extending in the transverse direction from a position external to the shaft at a position out of the cavity with the shaft and the socket in the mating relationship, the second passageway being exposed directly to the atmosphere and communicating directly with the atmosphere,
• a latch disposed in the first passageway,
• the first passageway being constructed to retain the latch in the first passageway,
• actuatable means disposed in the second passageway and extending externally from the second passageway to the atmosphere for direct contact by the user to provide for the manual actuation by the user from an undepressed position to a depressed position,
• a third passageway disposed within the shaft in communicating relationship with the first and second passageways,
• a member disposed in one of the passageways for biasing the actuatable means to the undepressed position in the second passageway,
• coupling means disposed in the third passageway in cooperative relationship with the latch and the actuable means and variably positioned substantially axially in the third passageway,
• the latch being disposed relative to the detent to be engaged by the detent with the actuable means in the undepressed position, the latch being disposed in the first passageway without any constraint against movement along the first passageway other than that provided by the coupling means and the biasing member,
• the actuatable means including means for cooperating with a portion of the coupling means when the actuatable means is actuated, enabling disposition of the latch toward the third passageway for coupling and decoupling the socket.