Ultra-light pneumatic leaf expanding shaft

An expansible shaft having an outer profile, said shaft comprising:

• an inner body having a longitudinal axis and at least one first coupling, each said at least one first coupling being at least one pair of spaced apart longitudinally extending hook elements, each pair defining longitudinally extending walls of a longitudinally extending channel therebetween;
• at least two leaf elements being movably coupled to said at least one first coupling of said inner body by means of at least one second coupling, each said at least one second coupling being at least one pair of spaced apart longitudinally extending hook elements complementary to and cooperating with said spaced apart longitudinally extending hook elements of said at least one first coupling to limit radial movement of said at least two leaf elements relative to said inner body, said at least two leaf elements together substantially forming said outer profile of said expansible shaft;
• and
• at least one thrusting element being operatively disposed in each longitudinally extending channel and between said at least two leaf elements and said inner body to move said leaf elements radially outwards relative to said longitudinal axis to increase an outer perimeter of said shaft when in a first configuration and allow said at least two leaf elements to move radially inwards relative to said longitudinal axis to decrease said outer perimeter of said shaft when in a second configuration.

A generally cylindrical expansible shaft having an outer profile, said shaft comprising:

• an inner body having a longitudinal axis and at least one first coupling, each said at least one first coupling being at least one pair of longitudinally extending hook elements;
• at least two leaf elements being movably coupled to said at least one first coupling of said inner body by means of at least one second coupling, each said at least one second coupling being at least one pair of longitudinally extending hook elements complementary to and cooperating with said longitudinally extending hook elements of said at least one first coupling to limit radial movement of said at least two leaf elements relative to said inner body, said at least two leaf elements together substantially forming said outer profile of said expansible shaft;
• at least one thrusting element being operatively disposed between each said at least two leaf elements and said inner body to move said leaf elements radially outwards relative to said longitudinal axis to increase an outer perimeter of said shaft when in a first configuration and allow said at least two leaf elements to move radially inwards relative to said longitudinal axis to decrease said outer perimeter of said shaft when in a second configuration;
• and
• at least one spring disposed between said inner body and said at least two leaf elements to resiliently bias radially inward said at least two leaf elements, said at least one spring being disposed between said at least one first and second couplings.

An expansible shaft having an outer profile, said shaft comprising:

• a generally cylindrical inner body having a longitudinal axis and at least one first coupling, each said at least one first coupling being at least one pair of longitudinally extending hook elements;
• at least two arcuate leaf elements being movably coupled to said at least one first coupling of said inner body by means of at least one second coupling, each said at least one second coupling being at least one pair of longitudinally extending hook elements complementary to and cooperating with said longitudinally extending hook elements of said at least one first coupling to limit radial movement of said at least two arcuate leaf elements relative to said generally cylindrical inner body, said at least two arcuate leaf elements together substantially forming said outer profile of said generally cylindrical expansible shaft;
• at least one thrusting element being operatively disposed between each said at least two arcuate leaf elements and said inner body to move said at least two arcuate leaf elements radially outwards relative to said longitudinal axis to increase an outer diameter of said shaft when in a first configuration and allow said at least two arcuate leaf elements to move radially inwards relative to said longitudinal axis to decrease said outer diameter of said shaft when in a second configuration;
• and
• at least one spring disposed between said inner body and said at least two arcuate leaf elements to resiliently bias radially inwards said at least two arcuate leaf elements, said at least one spring being disposed between said at least one first and second couplings.