Socket holder with wedge retention and rotational release

A socket holder apparatus for holding a socket with a socket base, the socket holder apparatus comprising:

• a base;
• a pin extending from the base, the pin connected to the base at a proximal end and having a conical section with an increasing diameter at the distal end of the pin, the conical section having a reduced curvature side and an increased curvature side;
• a ball positioned against the conical section of the pin and adapted to move along the conical section from the proximal end to the distal end;
• a shell rotatably mounted on the pin and defining a ball slot adapted to allow the ball to controllably extend from the shell during movement along the conical section of the pin;
• wherein the pin, ball, and shell are adapted to extend into the socket base such that the ball wedges between the pin and the socket base to hold the socket on the apparatus, the shell adapted to rotate between a holding position and a release position, the ball slot further adapted to allow the ball to controllably rotate in relation to the pin between the reduced curvature section when the shell is in the release position and the increased curvature side when the shell is in the holding position;
• and
• a spring connected between the shell and the pin and adapted to bias the rotation of the shell to the holding position.