Adjustable socket

An adjustable socket with a number of selectable socket size openings available, including

• a drive member,
• an indexing member coupled to the drive member, said indexing member having a series of teeth,
• an axially moveable drive core positioned within the drive member and interactive with the indexing member,
• said drive core being manually rotatable to different positions corresponding to the selected socket size openings,
• on the drive core a series of teeth and a cam surface with guide elements,
• a plurality of jaw members mounted to the drive member to move laterally between fixed lateral positions upon rotation of the drive core, each fixed lateral position corresponding to a selected socket size opening,
• each jaw member having a cam follower that engages one of the guide elements in the cam surface,
• with said drive core in a first axial position being enabled to be rotated, thereby causing the jaw members to move laterally to a selected socket size, and in a second axial position said teeth of the drive core and the teeth of the indexing collar being interlocked to maintain the selected socket size.

An adjustable socket with a number of selectable socket size openings available, including

• a cylindrical, hallow drive member having a longitudinal axis, a top end closed at least partially by a wall with a plurality of slots therein, and an open bottom end,
• a ring shaped indexing collar positioned within the drive member near said bottom end, said indexing collar having a central opening with an inner circular surface with a series of teeth thereon,
• an axially moveable drive core positioned beneath the closed wall of the drive member that is manually rotatable to different positions corresponding to the selected socket size openings, and having a lower wall portion extending into the central opening of the indexing collar and a head portion that fits snugly within the drive member, said head portion having a cam surface with guide elements, said cam surface being substantially at a right angle to the longitudinal axis,
• said lower wall portion of the drive core having a series of teeth adapted to disengage the teeth on the inner circular surface when the drive core is in a first axial position and to engage the teeth on the inner circular surface when the drive core is in a second axial position,
• a plurality of jaw members mounted to the top end of the drive member to move laterally between fixed lateral positions upon rotation of the drive core, each fixed lateral position corresponding to a selected socket size opening,
• each jaw member having a cam follower extending therefrom that engages one of the guide elements in the cam surface,
• with said drive core in the first axial position being enabled to be rotated, thereby causing the jaw members to move laterally to a selected socket size, and in the second axial position said teeth of the drive core and the teeth of the indexing collar being interlocked to maintain the selected socket size, and
• a spring member that normally forces the drive core and the indexing collar into the second position where the teeth of the drive core and the teeth of the indexing collar engage.