Adjustable length punch set assembly

An adjustable length punch assembly permitting the adjustment of its overall length without disassembly, the punch assembly comprising:

• (a) a punch driver having a hole formed axially therein, and containing at least one first detent stop;
• (b) a punch holder carried by the punch driver, the punch holder and punch driver each having mutually engageable threaded portions thereon permitting axial adjustment therebetween of one of the threaded portions with respect to the other, the punch holder having a cavity formed axially therein and aligned with the hole in the punch driver and having at least one second detent stop;
• (c) push button locking means having at least one detent, the push button locking means being positioned axially within the cavity in the punch holder and accessible through the hole in the punch driver with the at least one detent being engageable with the detent stops of the punch driver and punch holder, the push button locking means being axially movable between a first position in which the at least one detent engages the detent stops of both the punch driver and punch holder to prevent relative rotation therebetween, and a second position in which the at least one detent disengages one or the other of said detent stops to enable relative rotation of the punch holder with respect to the punch driver;
• and
• (d) biasing means for biasing the push button locking means into the first position.

An adjustable length punch assembly permitting length adjustment without disassembly thereof, the punch assembly comprising:

• (a) a punch driver having a hole formed axially therein and containing a plurality of first detent stops formed circumferentially about the hole;
• (b) a punch holder carried by the punch driver, the punch holder and punch driver each having mutually engageable threaded portions thereon permitting axial length adjustment by rotating the threaded portions with respect to each other, the punch holder having a cavity formed axially therein and aligned with the hole in the punch driver and having a plurality of second detent stops formed circumferentially about the cavity, wherein the number of the plurality of second detent stops is less than the number of the plurality of first detent stops, the number of the first detent stops being an integer multiple of the number of second detent stops, and the number of second detent stops being alignable with a like number of first detent stops by rotating the punch driver and punch holder;
• (c) a push button locking means having a plurality of detents corresponding in number and position to the plurality of second detent stops formed in the punch holder, the push button means being positioned axially within the cavity of the punch holder and accessible through the hole of the punch driver with the plurality of detents being engageable with a like number of detent stops of the punch driver and punch holder, the push button locking means being axially moveable between a first position in which the plurality of detents engages a like number of detent stops of both the punch driver and the punch holder to prevent axial movement therebetween, and a second position in which the plurality of detents disengages one or the other of said detent stops to enable axial movement of the punch holder with respect to the punch driver;
• (d) a spring positioned with the cavity formed axially in the punch holder, the spring urging the push button locking means into the first said position, and being depressible by an external force applied through the hole in the punch driver to the push button locking means thereby moving the push button means into the said second position.