Elliptical lobed drive system

A fastener including a threaded shank and a driving head, said driving head having driving surfaces formed thereon, wherein said surfaces are comprised of a first series of elliptically curved surfaces and a second series of elliptically curved surfaces alternating with the elliptically curved surfaces of said first series, said first series of elliptically curved surfaces being convex while said second series of elliptically curved surfaces are concave, said adjacent elliptically curved surfaces of said first and second series merging generally tangentially, and each said elliptically curved surface of said first and second series being generated from a center point, with the center points of said first series conforming generally to the apexes of a regular hexagon, and with the minor axes of said elliptically curved surfaces being disposed generally along radial lines passing through said axis of the body, and the major axes of said elliptical curved surfaces being disposed generally transverse to said radial lines, and the center points of said second surfaces also conforming generally to the apexes of a regular hexagon, and all of said convexed elliptically curved surfaces of said first series being generated from ellipses of substantially the same dimensions, while all of said concaved elliptically curved surfaces of said second series are generated from ellipses of similar dimensions.

A drive tool comprising a body including a drive portion for engaging a fastener or the like in driving engagement, said drive portion having a first series of elliptically curved surfaces and a second series of elliptically curved surfaces formed thereon wherein said second series of elliptically curved surfaces alternates with the elliptically curved surfaces of said first series, said first series of elliptically curved surfaces being convexed while said second series of elliptically curved surfaces are concaved, and said adjacent surfaces of said first and second series merging generally tangentially, each said convexed elliptical curved surface of said first series being generated from a center point, with the center point of said first series of elliptically curved surfaces conforming generally to the apexes of a regular hexagon, and the elliptically curved surfaces of said second series also being generated from center points which conformed generally to the apexes of a regular hexagon, and with the minor axes of said elliptically curved surfaces being disposed generally along radial lines passing through said axis of the body, and the major axes of said elliptical curved surfaces being disposed generally transverse to said radial lines, and all of said elliptically curved surface portions of said first series being generated from ellipses of substantially similar configuration, while all of said elliptically curved surfaces of said second series are generated from ellipses of substantially similar dimensions.

An article of manufacture for use in a torque transmitting system or the fabrication of components for such a system, comprising a body including an axis, and a portion thereon being defined by a first series of elliptically curved surfaces and a second series of elliptically curved surfaces alternating with said first series of elliptically curved surfaces, said first series of elliptically curved surfaces being convexed, while the second series of elliptically curved surfaces alternating therewith being concaved with the adjacent surfaces of said first and second series merging generally tangentially, each said elliptically curved surface of said first and second series being generated from a central point, and with the minor axes of said elliptically curved surfaces being disposed generally along radial lines passing through said axis of the body, and the major axes of said elliptical curved surfaces being disposed generally transverse to said radial lines, with the central points of said first series of elliptically curved surfaces falling on a common circle, and the centers of said second series also falling on a common circle, with the elliptically curved surfaces of said first series of surfaces being generated from ellipses of substantially equal dimensions, and the elliptically curved surfaces of the second series also being generated from ellipses of substantially equal dimension.

An article of manufacture for use in a torque transmitting system or the fabrication of components for such a system, comprising a body including an axis and a portion thereon being defined by a first series of elliptically curved surfaces and a second series of elliptically curved surfaces, said first series of elliptically curved surfaces being convexed, while the second series of elliptically curved surfaces being concaved, with the adjacent surfaces of said first and second series merging generally tangentially, each said elliptically curved surface of said first and second series being generated from a central point, and all of said elliptically curved surfaces of said first series being generated from ellipses of substantially the same dimension, and all of said elliptical curved surfaces of said second series being generated from ellipses of the same dimension, and wherein the central points of said first series of elliptically curved surfaces and the central points of said second series of elliptically curved surfaces fall substantially along the circumference of a common circle whose center is at the axis of said body and with the minor axes of said elliptically curved surfaces being disposed generally along radial lines passing through said axis of the body, and the major axes of said elliptical curved surfaces being disposed generally transverse to said radial lines.