US 5,288,181 AGranted

Rethreading tool

OwnerDonald L. Pinkstoninventor

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Abstract

A rethreading tool (10) for reconditioning and rethreading the threads (62) of a stud (60) is described. The tool includes a moveable jaw (26) having an extension (26A) pivotably mounted into a slot 24 of a fixed jaw (16). The extension and a first portion (16A) of the fixed jaw form a cam surface (40) which is activated by a cam nut (56) to move the moveable jaw toward the fixed jaw after positioning of the tool around the stud. Upon closing, the jaws form a complete circular opening (42) which contains a complete circular thread die (48) formed from a first thread die (22) in the fixed jaw and a second thread die (46) in the moveable jaw. In use, the tool is placed over the threads of the stud and the jaws are moved into the closed position such that the complete thread die is adjacent the threads of the stud. The tool is then rotated off of the stud.

Claims32

Dependent claims

A rethreading tool for a threaded member, which comprises:

(a) a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end spaced apart along a longitudinal axis of the shaft;
(b) a cam actuating means mounted around the shaft along the longitudinal axis of the shaft;
(c) a fixed jaw having a first portion and a second portion wherein the first portion is provided on the distal end of the shaft and the second portion extends outward from the first portion away from the distal end of the shaft, the fixed jaw having a part of an opening extending from the first portion and through the second portion so as to be along and around the longitudinal axis of the shaft;
(d) a moveable jaw pivotally mounted on the first portion of the fixed jaw having a part of an opening along and around the longitudinal axis of the shaft that mates together with the part of the opening of the second portion of the fixed jaw to provide a complete opening around the longitudinal axis when the fixed jaw and the moveable jaw are mated together, wherein the moveable jaw has a cam surface adjacent to where the moveable jaw is pivotally mounted to the fixed jaw which is oriented towards the proximal end of the shaft and away from the distal end of the shaft so that the cam surface is engageable by the cam actuating means to bring the moveable jaw together with the fixed jaw;
and
(e) thread dies mounted in the part of the opening of the fixed jaw and the part of the opening of the moveable jaw around the longitudinal axis of the shaft so that the dies rethread the threaded member when the fixed jaw and the moveable jaw are mated together to form the complete opening and the tool can be rotated on the threaded member.

3 more elements

A rethreading tool for a threaded member which comprises:

(a) a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end spaced apart along a longitudinal axis of the shaft with threads along the shaft;
(b) a rotatable member with internal threads mounted on the threads of the shaft;
(c) a fixed jaw having a first portion and a second portion wherein the first portion is provided on the distal end of the shaft and the second portion extends outward from the first portion away from the distal end of the shaft, the fixed jaw having a part of an opening extending from the first portion and through the second portion so as to be along and around the longitudinal axis of the shaft;
(d) a moveable jaw pivotally mounted on the first portion of the fixed jaw having a part of an opening along and around the longitudinal axis of the shaft that mates together with the part of the opening of the second portion of the fixed jaw to provide a complete opening around the longitudinal axis of the shaft when the fixed jaw and the moveable jaw are mated together, wherein the moveable jaw has a cam surface adjacent to where the moveable jaw is pivotally mounted to the fixed jaw which is oriented towards the proximal end of the shaft and away from the distal end of the shaft so that the cam surface is engageable by the rotatable member to bring the moveable jaw together with the fixed jaw;
and
(e) thread dies mounted in the part of the opening of the fixed jaw and the part of the opening of the moveable jaw around the longitudinal axis of the shaft so that the dies rethread the threaded member when the fixed jaw and the moveable jaw are mated together to form the complete opening and the tool can be rotated on the threaded member.

3 more elements

A rethreading tool for a threaded member which comprises:

(a) a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end spaced apart along a longitudinal axis of the shaft and with threads along the shaft and with an enlarged portion providing a part of a fixed jaw at the distal end of the shaft having a part of an opening along and around the longitudinal axis;
(b) a rotatable member with internal threads mounted on the threads on the shaft;
(c) a moveable jaw pivotally mounted on the shaft with a part of an opening which mates together with the part of an opening of the enlarged portion of the shaft to provide a complete opening around the longitudinal axis when the jaws and enlarged portion are mated together, wherein the moveable jaw has a cam surface adjacent to where the jaw is pivotally mounted which is oriented towards the proximal end of the shaft and away from the enlarged portion of the shaft so that the cam portion is engageable by the rotatable member to bring the moveable jaw together with the enlarged portion;
(d) thread dies mounted in the part of the opening of the enlarged portion of the shaft and the part of the opening of the moveable jaw around the longitudinal axis of the shaft so that the dies rethread the threaded member when the enlarged portion of the shaft and moveable jaw are mated together to form the complete opening and the tool can be rotated on the threaded member;
and
(e) resilient means mounted in the part of the openings of the moveable jaw and enlarged portion of the shaft which bias the moveable jaw away from the enlarged portion of the shaft when the rotatable member is disengaged from the cam portion.

3 more elements

A method for rethreading the threads of a threaded member, which comprises:

(a) a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end spaced apart along a longitudinal axis of the shaft;
a cam actuating means mounted around the shaft along the longitudinal axis of the shaft;
a fixed jaw having a first portion and a second portion wherein the first portion is provided on the distal end of the shaft and the second portion extends outward from the first portion away from the distal end of the shaft, the fixed jaw having a part of an opening extending from the first portion and through the second portion so as to be along and around the longitudinal axis of the shaft;
a moveable jaw pivotally mounted on the first portion of the fixed jaw having a part of an opening along and around the longitudinal axis of the shaft that mates together with the part of the opening of the second portion of the fixed jaw to provide a complete opening around the longitudinal axis when the fixed jaw and the moveable jaw are mated together, wherein the moveable jaw has a cam surface adjacent to where the moveable jaw is pivotally mounted to the first jaw which is oriented towards the proximal end of the shaft and away from the distal end of the shaft so that the cam surface is engageable by the cam means to bring the moveable jaw together with the fixed jaw;
and thread dies mounted in the part of the opening of the fixed jaw and the part of the opening of the moveable jaw around the longitudinal axis of the shaft so that the dies rethread the threaded member when the fixed jaw and the moveable jaw are mated together to form the complete opening;
(b) mounting the rethreading tool on the threaded member;
(c) rotating the cam means toward the cam surface of the moveable jaw to position the complete opening formed by the fixed jaw and the moveable jaw and the thread dies around the threaded member;
and
(d) rotating the rethreading tool around the threaded member to rethread the threads of the threaded member.

6 more elements

A method for reconditioning and rethreading the threads of a threaded member, which comprises:

(a) providing a rethreading tool including a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end spaced apart along a longitudinal axis of the shaft with threads along the shaft;
a rotatable member with internal threads mounted on the threads of the shaft;
a fixed jaw having a first portion and a second portion wherein the first portion is provided on the distal end of the shaft and the second portion extends outward from the first portion away from the distal end of the shaft, the fixed jaw having a part of an opening extending from the first portion and through the second portion so as to be along and around the longitudinal axis of the shaft;
a moveable jaw pivotally mounted on the first portion of the fixed jaw having a part of an opening along and around the longitudinal axis of the shaft that mates together with the part of the opening of the second portion of the fixed jaw to provide a complete opening around the longitudinal axis when the fixed jaw and the moveable jaw are mated together, wherein the moveable jaw has a cam surface adjacent to where the moveable jaw is pivotally mounted to the fixed jaw which is oriented towards the proximal end of the shaft and away from the distal end of the shaft so that the cam surface is engageable by the rotatable member to bring the moveable jaw together with the fixed jaw;
and thread dies mounted in the part of the opening of the fixed jaw and the part of the opening of the moveable jaw around the longitudinal axis of the shaft so that the dies rethread the threaded member when the fixed jaw and the moveable jaw are mated together to form the complete opening;
(b) mounting the rethreading tool on the threaded member;
(c) rotating the rotatable member toward the cam surface of the moveable jaw to position the complete opening formed by the fixed jaw and the moveable jaw and the thread dies around the threaded member;
and
(d) rotating the rethreading tool around the threaded member to rethread the threads of the threaded member.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.