Tool for remotely installing and torquing tie rod nut with limited vertical access

A tool for remotely torquing a nut having limited vertical access, comprising:

• a pole adaptor for coupling to an end of a handling pole;
• a drive shaft operatively coupled to said pole adaptor so that said drive shaft is rotated in response to rotation of said pole adaptor in a torquing mode;
• a nut driver for coupling to the nut to be torqued;
• a driven shaft operatively coupled to said nut driver so that said nut driver is rotated in response to rotation of said driven shaft;
• a drive system for converting rotation of said drive shaft into rotation of said driven shaft, wherein an axis of rotation of said drive shaft and an axis of rotation of said driven shaft are parallel but not coaxial, wherein said drive system comprises a first sprocket wheel mounted on said drive shaft, a second sprocket wheel mounted on said driven shaft and a chain coupled to said first and second sprocket wheels;
• first and second bearings for rotatably supporting said drive shaft;
• a first bracket supporting said first and second bearings;
• third and fourth bearings for rotatably supporting said driven shaft;
• a second bracket supporting said third and fourth bearings;
• a stud having a threaded shaft engaged in a threaded hole in one of said first and second brackets, and having an unthreaded shaft engaged in an unthreaded hole in the other of said first and second brackets, whereby said first and second brackets are mutually translatable in a direction parallel to an axis of said stud, said stud axis being perpendicular to the axes of rotation of said drive shaft and said driven shaft;
• and
• a fastener for coupling said first bracket to said second bracket.

A tool for remotely torquing a nut having limited vertical access, comprising:

• a pole adaptor for coupling to an end of a handling pole;
• a drive shaft operatively coupled to said pole adaptor so that said drive shaft is rotated in response to rotation of said pole adaptor in a torquing mode;
• a nut driver for coulping to the nut to be torqued;
• a driven shaft operatively coupled to said nut driver so that said nut driver is rotated in response to rotation of said driven shaft;
• and
• a drive system for converting rotation of said drive shaft into rotation of said driven shaft, wherein an axis of rotation of said drive shaft and an axis of rotation of said driven shaft are parallel but not coaxial,
• wherein said nut driver has a plurality of parallel projections arranged to slide and fit inside a corresponding plurality of parallel unthreaded holes in the nut, and first and second screws which engage corresponding first and second threaded holes in the nut.

A tool for remotely torquing a nut having limited vertical access, comprising:

• a pole adaptor for coupling to an end of a handling pole;
• an extension member coupled to said adaptor for rotation therewith;
• a drive shaft coupled to said extension member for rotation therewith;
• a nut driver for coupling to the nut to be torqued;
• a driven shaft coupled to said nut driver so that said nut driver is rotated in response to rotation of said driven shaft;
• a first bearing for rotatably supporting said drive shaft;
• a second bearing for rotatably supporting said driven shaft;
• a sleeve bearing for rotatably and slidably supporting said extension member;
• a support assembly for supporting said first and second bearings and said sleeve bearing, wherein an axis of rotation of said drive shaft and an axis of rotation of said driven shaft are parallel but not coaxial, and an axis of rotation of said sleeve bearing is coaxial with said axis of rotation of said drive shaft;
• a drive system for converting rotation of said drive shaft into rotation of said driven shaft;
• and
• means for coupling said extension member to said drive shaft so that said extension member can translate axially relative to said drive shaft between upper and lower axial positions.

A tool for remotely torquing a nut, comprising:

• a pole adaptor for coupling to an end of a handling pole;
• and
• a nut driver coupled to said pole adaptor so that said nut driver rotates in response to rotation of said pole adaptor,
• wherein said nut driver comprises a plurality of unthreaded pins secured in a respective plurality of bores, and first and second screws having respective unthreaded portions slidably arranged in first and second unthreaded throughholes respectively.