Offset Vise Tool for Hard-to-Reach Bolt Turning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vise tools struggle with efficiently gripping and turning bolts in difficult-to-reach positions, particularly when the bolt size is unknown or the space is constrained.
Innovation Solution
A vise tool with a handle assembly and jaw assembly connected by an offsetting shaft assembly, allowing the jaws to rotate in a plane parallel to and offset from the handle plane, enabling versatile gripping and turning of bolts of various sizes in confined spaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional vise tools are used to grip bolts in difficult-to-reach positions, then the bolt can be gripped and turned, but the tool cannot access confined spaces or bolts of various sizes efficiently
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an offset between the plane of the handles and the plane of the jaws, allowing the jaws to rotate in a plane parallel to and offset from the handle plane. This dimensional offset enables the tool to access confined spaces and difficult-to-reach bolt positions that would be inaccessible to traditional colinear vise tools, thereby improving adaptability without proportionally increasing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates a movable jaw that can be adjusted to different positions along the tool axis, enabling the jaws to adapt to various bolt sizes. This dynamic adjustment capability allows the same tool to grip different diameter bolts effectively, enhancing versatility while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure through modular design
2Adaptability or versatility
If the vise tool is designed with fixed jaws for a specific bolt size, then the structure is simple, but it cannot accommodate different bolt sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The movable jaw design allows operators to quickly adjust the jaw position to match different bolt diameters. The adjustment mechanism is integrated into the tool body, requiring minimal steps to reconfigure for different bolt sizes, thereby maintaining ease of operation while significantly improving adaptability across various bolt dimensions
3Adaptability or versatility
If the handle assembly and jaw assembly are in the same plane, then the tool structure is simple, but it cannot access confined spaces
Solution Approach 1:
By offsetting the jaw assembly plane from the handle assembly plane, the tool creates a compact profile that can navigate confined spaces. The offsetting shaft assembly, while adding structural elements, uses a parallel plane configuration that maintains mechanical efficiency while enabling access to tight areas where colinear tools would not fit
Solution Approach 2:
The offsetting shaft assembly acts as an intermediary mechanism that transmits force from the handles to the jaws while accommodating the dimensional offset. This intermediary structure enables the tool to bridge the gap between the handle plane and jaw plane, providing access to confined spaces without requiring complex articulated mechanisms
Data Source
AI summary
A vise tool with an offset shaft assembly. The vise tool allows for the turning of hard-to-reach bolts and other items, using a traditional vise grip handle. The handle has a socket having two parts—an inner part which turns an inner shaft and an outer part which turns an outer shaft. The handle, rather than adjusting two jaws, adjusts the position of the inner part and outer part of the sockets. Jaws are located in the same plane as the handle, but offset by the length of the offset shaft. The vise tool locks in place due to an over-center arrangement with a spring, as with standard vise grips. Various lengths of shafts and types of jaws may be used.