Screwdriver replacement bit assembly

A driver to drive a screw having a selected maximum diameter, the driver comprising:

• rotatable screwdriver means comprising:
• elongate mandrel means having in one end thereof axially extending socket means with replaceable, screw engaging bit means axially slidably removably received in the socket means for rotation with the socket means;
• guideway means to guide a screw coaxially therein, the guideway means having a diameter equal to or marginally greater than the maximum diameter of the screw to assist in coaxially locating and guiding the screw therein;
• the mandrel means and bit means reciprocally axially movable in the guideway means for engaging and driving a screw through the guideway means into a workpiece;
• resiliently deformable means removably retaining the bit means in the socket means;
• the resiliently deformable means carried by and removable with the bit means;
• the socket means having end stop shoulders at an axially innermost end thereof;
• the bit means having axially directed innermost end surfaces which engage the end stop shoulders to limit axial sliding of the bit means into the socket means;
• slot means extending radially inwardly into the mandrel means from an opening on one side of the mandrel means;
• the slot means located axially inwardly from the socket means and opening axially into the socket means through the end stop shoulder such that, when the bit means is received in the socket means, the bit means end surfaces are exposed and open to the slot means;
• axially directed socket engagement surfaces provided on the mandrel means within the slot means;
• the socket engagement surfaces juxtapositioned relatively to the bit means end surfaces when the bit means is received in the socket means to be directly axially opposed to the bit means end surfaces;
• separate bit removing lever means having two ends with a first end adapted for simultaneous engagement of both the bit means end surfaces and socket engagement surfaces whereby manual pivoting of the other, second end of the lever means with the socket engagement surfaces as a fulcrum applies axially directed forces to the bit means end surfaces sufficient to remove the bit means;
• the first end of the lever means adapted to be removably received within the slot means.

A screwdriver having:

• elongate mandrel means having in one end thereof axially extending socket means;
• removable, screw engaging bit means axially slidably received in the socket means for rotation with the socket means;
• the bit means retained in the socket means against removal under axially directed forces less than a required force;
• the socket means having end stop shoulders at an axially innermost end thereof;
• the bit means having axially directed innermost end surfaces which engage the end stop shoulders to limit axial sliding of the bit means into the socket means;
• slot means extending radially inwardly into the mandrel means from an opening on one side of the mandrel means;
• the slot means located axially inwardly from the socket means and opening axially into the socket means through the end stop shoulder such that, when the bit means is received in the socket means, the bit means end surfaces are exposed and open to the slot means;
• axially directed socket engagement surfaces provided on the mandrel means within the slot means;
• the socket engagement surfaces juxtapositioned relatively to the bit means end surfaces when the bit means is received in the socket means to be directly axially opposed to the bit means end surfaces;
• separate bit removing lever means having two ends with a first end adapted for simultaneous engagement of both the bit means end surfaces and socket engagement surfaces whereby manual pivoting of the other, second end of the lever means with the socket engagement surfaces as a fulcrum applies axially directed forces to the bit means end surfaces sufficient to remove the bit means;
• the first end of the lever means adapted to be removably received within the slot means.