Socket retainer for thin-wall drive member

A wrench assembly for receiving a socket to rotate a fastener, comprising:

• a handle having a head at one end thereof;
• a drive member rotatably mounted on said head and engaged therewith to rotate together as a unit in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction about an axis of rotation for transmitting torque while allowing relative rotation in the opposite direction;
• said drive member having an inner socket receiving portion and a coaxial outer socket receiving portion defining a drive portion of non-circular cross section configured to slidably receive a socket on either said inner or said outer socket receiving portion;
• and
• an elongated slot having top and bottom ends formed transversely in the wall of said drive portion, said elongated slot having opposed projections at the top and bottom ends of said slot adjacent said inner socket receiving portion and opposed projections at the top and bottom ends of said slot adjacent said outer socket receiving portion;
• and
• retaining spring means mounted in said elongated slot and having top and bottom ends secured between opposed projections at the top and bottom ends, respectively, of said slot, and said spring means having an intermediate portion with at least two protrusions, at least one of which is resiliently biased to protrude into said inner socket receiving portion, and at least one of which is resiliently biased to protrude outward from said outer socket receiving portion to frictionally engage and retain a socket on either said inner or said outer socket receiving portion when slidably received thereon.

A socket retainer assembly for a thin-wall drive portion of a wrench, said assembly produced by a process for installing resilient socket retaining means in the drive portion of a drive member of a wrench having an inner and outer socket receiving portion, said process comprising the steps of:

• (a) forming an elongated slot having top and bottom ends transversely in the wall of said drive portion;
• (b) creating opposed projections at the top and bottom ends of said slot adjacent the inner socket receiving portion;
• (c) placing resilient retaining spring means in said elongated slot, said retaining spring means having top and bottom ends which are engaged against said opposed projections, and an intermediate portion with at least two protrusions, at least one protrusion protruding laterally with respect to each socket receiving portion;
• and
• (d) securing said top and bottom ends of said retaining spring means in place such that at least one of said protrusions is resiliently biased to protrude laterally inward with respect to said inner socket receiving portion and at least one other of said protrusions is resiliently biased to protrude laterally outward with respect to said outer socket receiving portion in order to frictionally engage and retain a socket when slidably received thereon.

A socket retainer assembly for a thin-wall drive portion of the drive member of a wrench, said drive member having an inner socket receiving portion and a coaxial outer socket receiving portion defining a drive portion of non-circular cross section configured to slidably receive a socket on either said inner or said outer socket receiving portion, said socket retainer assembly being produced by a process comprising the steps of:

• (a) forming an elongated slot having top and bottom ends transversely in the wall of said drive portion;
• (b) creating opposed projections at the top and bottom ends of said slot adjacent the inner socket receiving portion;
• (c) installing resilient retaining spring means in said elongated slot, said retaining spring means having top and bottom ends which are engaged against said opposed projections, and an intermediate portion with at least two protrusions, at least one protrusion protruding laterally with respect to each socket receiving portion;
• and
• (d) deforming the outside edge of said slot against said top and bottom ends of said spring means such that at least one of said protrusions is resiliently biased to protrude into said inner socket receiving portion, and at least one other one of said protrusions is resiliently biased to protrude outward from said outer socket receiving portion to frictionally engage and retain a socket on either said inner or said outer socket receiving portion when slidably received thereon.