«2 United States Patent Lindsay S006S08315B1 US 6,508,315 BL Jan, 21, 2003 (10) Patent No. 4s) Date of Patent: (58) SMALL IMPACT POWER TOOL. (76) Inventor: Steven James Lindsay, 3714 W. Cedar Hills Dr, Keamey, NE (US) 68845 (7). Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the ttm ofthis is extended or adjusted under 35 2. 154(b) by 41 day. Appl. No.: 09876434 Filed: Jun. 7, 2001 nc B2sD 9/14 US. Cl ATMS; 173/132; 173/200; 173206 173206, 207, 169, 13, 132, 200, 12 (50) References Cited USS. PATENT DOCUMENTS 3393755 A 7/1968 Glaser eta ‘Nox0586 A 6197 Philips 4410.338 A * 11/1983. Nelson tl. 75169 ASmDRD4 A > 1985 Dole eta 178206 469912 A 911987 Glaser 4903784 A 211900 Glaser 5.200417 A 4/1983 Glaser SaW0Ina A 911905 Philips 5515990 A 5/1986 Glaser SAUIA3 A 9/1908 Philips 021514 A {5085 850 A 6.095.256 A 22000 Murray 7/2000 Philips 82000 Lindy OTHER PUI CATIONS Author: Gleado Cooperation, Title: “GRS Tools 901 Hand. piece” (Owner’s Manual), Date: Mar. 2001, Published: in USA, Pertinent page is p. 3 containing « parts list and exploded drawing. Pertinent part numbers on p. 3 are (004-407 (anvil), 002-548 (O-Ring) ‘Owner's manual tiled: “Air Graver Instructions", published by Danville Engineering, Ine. publish date: Before May 14, 1996, Copy of photograph taken of disassemble “Air Graver" ‘made by Danville Engineering, Ie. Copy of cover and p. 165 of catalog titled “1995 1996 Brownell” published by Brownell Ine. 1995 * cited by examiner Primary Examiner—Scot A. Smith on ABSTRACT AA handheld pneumatic impact tool for use in fine hand working operations ineludes a mechanisen for adjusting impacting characteristics of the device that is conveniently located and adjusted by the user The mechanism includes an annular band protruding around the outside diameter of the body of the impact oo! that may be tured for adjusting the piston stoke length and speed at which impacts occur. 15 Cha 4 Drawing SheetsU.S. Patent Jan, 21, 2003 Sheet 1 of 4 US 6,508,315 BIU.S. Patent Jan, 21, 2003 Sheet 2 of 4 US 6,508,315 BIU.S. Patent Jan, 21, 2003 Sheet 3 of 4 US 6,508,315 BIU.S. Patent Jan. 21, 2003 Sheet 4 of 4 US 6,508,315 BLUS 6,508,315 BI 1 L IMPACT POWER TOOL smal BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION—Field of Invention ‘The present invention relates to impact power tools and, ‘mote particulary, to an improved hand-held impact power ‘ool fo delicate hand engraving and stone setting inthe hand engraving and jewelry fields BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION— Description of Prioe Art ‘An impact power tool is known from my earlier US. Pat No. 6,095,256, to Lindsay, which may be used for engraving, carving and delicate stone setting operations. ‘Although the known impact power fool mentioned above provides improved control of delicate hand-working opera~ tions aot previously available, it would be desirable 10 provide an impact tool with feature that will provide greater ease of use. A known embodiment disclosed in my earlier US. Pat, No. 6,095,256, to Lindsay, uses a feature 0 adjust the impacting characteristics of the tool. This Feature is beneficial to users, however modifying this impacting adjustment takes valuable time from the jeweler or engraver, as two setscrews need to be loosened ipefore the user can begin to adjust the tool, The feature utilized the end of sorew for the impact location within the bore of the tool. ‘When the user adjusts this serew and thus the location of impacts, it allows the piston to enter ino the front chamber Jetting more or less exhaust be released. It allowed more or less air pressure sored inthe rear chamber to passthrough the piston othe font chamber and to the atmosphere. When mote air pressure was relieved from the reae chamber the piston was allowed to make a longer return stroke and thus. harder impacts in the forward stroke, If this feature could adjust a floating tol holder or anvil witha rotating baceel on the outside ofthe handpiece it would make the impact tool mote user friendly Floating tool bolders aad anvils ia hand beld impact power {0018 are not HOW. U.S. Pal, Nos, 6,085,850, 5,803, TS3, 5,449,044, and 4,030,556, allt Phillips, uilize rubber ‘o-ring’ to float an anvil that attaches a tool holder. US. at. No. 6,021,574, co Murray ullizes rubber o-ring to float ‘tool holder. Owner's manual titled GRS Tools 901 Hand: piece written by Glendo Cooperation, page 3, depicts an Jmpac tool using o-rings to Hloat an anvil. O-ings used in these configurations will return the tool bolder or amv oils original location after each impaet or blow of the piston, ‘What is needed to construct a more user friendly length of stroke adjustment than what is depicted in my earlier impact fool US. Pat. No. 6,095,256 iS a way for the user © ‘manually, yet quickly, adjust the anvil and/or tool holder and thus aller the impacting location, OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION, In my earlier invention U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,256, an impact tool was depicted with a manual adjusting length and speed of piston sitoke mechanism. The present invention includes 4 more convenient mechanism to adjust this length and Speed of piston sroke. The mechanism includes a rotating bareel protruding around tbe outside diameter ofthe body of the impact power tool that may be turned for adjusts Aoating tol-bolder. Ths will alter the distance between the anmular ring witha the bore and the impact location of the 2 piston. Adjusting how far the piston enters into the front ‘chamber of the handpiece will deermine how much pressure in the tear chamber is relieved om each piston forward stoke. The amount of pressure relived at tbe end of the forward stroke will determine the length ofthe return piston stroke and this the overall power of the impacting tol. A rolating bareel around the outside of the tool will provide 4 {ool that is more versatile an easily altered by the user to his fr her liking. nisalso an object of this invention to provide a simpliied ‘mechanism to adjust the stroke length that is inexpensive to ‘manufacture and assemble BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING: Embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to attached drawing figures, wherein FIG. isa perspective view of hand-held impaet power tool constricted in accordance wit the present inveatir FIG. 2s sectional view taken along 2—2 of FIG. 1, but with the handle and end eap removed FIG. 3 is the same view as FIG. 1, differing in thatthe piston i occupying a forward position: FIG, 4 is the same view as FIG. 1, differing in thatthe length of stoke rotating barrel is adjusted to the shortest siroke and the piston is occupying & forward position; FIG. 5 is the same view as FIG. 4, differing in thatthe piston i occupying 4 rearward position; FIG, 6 is the same view as FIG. 1, differing in thatthe length of stoke rotating barrel is adjusted to the longest siroke and the piston is occupying a forward position; FIG, 7 is the same view as FIG. 6, differing in thatthe piston is occupying a rearward position; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT. ‘An impact handpiece 10, is illstated in FIG. 1 that inchides a body 56 with an outside diameter and inside diameter. A tool holder 72 is provided witha locking screw 16 that is used 10 tighten a tooltip (wot shown) securely within the tool bole 12. An o-ring 14 is provided within the fool holder hole 12 that will permit tooltips to be inserted and removed quickly and yet provide some friction to prevent the tooltip fom falling out ifthe user does not wish fo use locking serew 16. This will permit tooltips to be ‘changed more rapidly than by utilizing locking serew 16. ‘Tool holder base 70 has a mating inside diameter that provides a pres to ool tip holder 72. Between tool bolder "72 and tool holder base 70 is an o-ring 18. This o-ring 18 provides a method for rotating barrel 20 be held onto tool holder 72 ane! tool holder base 70 and yet let the rotating barcel 20 rotate axially around tool holder 72 and tool holder base 70. The outside diameter of one end of tool holder base ‘Wis a sie that will permit ito slide easily within the inside diameter of body $6. Mating threads 26 ate provided on the front end of the outside diameter of body 86 and on the inside diameter of rotating barrel 20. A slot 28 runing axially on the outside diameter of tool holder base 70 is provided so that indexing serew 22 protruding through the body 56 may index and keep tool holder base 70 and tool holder 72 from rotating within the inside diameter of the body 86, Access bold 24 is provided though cotating barsel 20 for the purpose of access to indexing setew 22 “The impact handpiece 10 also includes within the inside diameter ofthe body 56 an annular shoulder 60 that is fixed in position and accommodates a two-step piston $4 that canUS 6,508,315 BI 3 move axially within the body inside diameter. The piston together withthe annular shoulder divides the cavity into the following three chambers ahead chamber 28 defined by the tool holder end face 68, fand one side of the annular shoulder 60. This head ‘chamber constantly communicates wi tbe atmosphere through exhaust ports 62 and 30; 4 central chamber 58 defined by the piston step end face ‘3S and one side of the annular shoulder 60, The central ‘chamber constantly communicates with a compressed air source through intake port 32; «rear chamber 46 detfined by the rear piston face $3 and «handle end eap 50, Depending on the position ofthe piston relative to the body, this rear chamber periodi= cally communicates with the compressed air through passage 36, piston port 34, and intake port 32, or with the atmosphece through passage 36, piston port 34 and exhaust ports 62 and 30, A handle 42 is comfortably shaped o fit into the palm of the hand and to provide bottom clearance as the tool used lover the work, The handle 42 is permanently fixed onto an end eap $0, The end cap 80 attaches over the body 56 with An airtight seal, The attachment method ince pins 40 and 448 that are permanently fixed onto and protruding slightly int the inside diameter of the end cap 80. Two slots 38 and 52 are provided on the body $6. These two slots are the \widh of pins 40 and 48 providing sliding fit. These slots run from the handle end ofthe body $6 a distance and then folate a distance around the diameter, Slots 38 and $2 are illustrated in FIG. 2, Note: handle 42, end cap 50, and pi 440 an 48 have been removed from the illustrated sectional view in FIG. 2. To attach the haralle 42 and end cap $0, users line up pins 40 and 48 with slots 38 and §2, the handle is pushed 09 and turned, End cap 80 i drawn on ighly against sting 44 creating an air seal. Operation ‘During operation the air pressure tothe impact handpiece is varied and controlled by the user witha foot contcal valve (oot shown inthe ilusrations). This foot conto is adjust~ able and influences air low ranges from zero to potenti flow from a supply source of pressurized sir such as an air compressor, This foot contrl valve includes an inlet port that is communication with the supply source of pressurized air and also includes an outlet port that is communication with (referring to FIG. 1) impact handpiece 10 through intake port 32 ‘The hand-held pneumatic impact power tool operates as follows. Referring to FIG. 1, when compeessed sir intto- duced to the intake port 32 and piston $4 is in « position illustrated in FIG. 1, compressed air will il the central ‘chamber 88 and also the rear chamber 46 via pision port M4 and passage 36, The air pressure in the central chamber will atiempl to push the piston further tothe rear of the internal wily by pressing agains the piston step end face 38, but the air pressuze in the ear chamber 46 will attempt to push the piston inthe opposite direction toward the froat of the cavity by pressing against the rear piston face $8, Because the sirace area of the rear pision face 3 is greater than the surface area of piston step end face 3§, the piston will shift toward the front of the ewvity until the front piston face 64 collides with tool holder end face 68, thus delivering an impact. While the piston was traveling toward the tool holder end face 68, piston port 34 for a short time was aligned with anaular shoulder 60 and the compressed air from the central chamber was then shutoff to piston port 34 and thus to the ear chamber 46. With continuing movement ofthe piston toward the tool holder end face 68, piston port 4 34 became in communication with fead chamiber 28 per filling the ar pressure tht was built up in the eer chamber 446 10 be released into the atmosphere through passage 36 in the pisioa, 1o the head chamber 28, and finally out exaust ports 62 and 30. With the piston inthe front most position ‘ow illustrated in FIG. 3 and the aie pressure released out of the wear chamber 46, the air pressure inthe central chamber '58 pressing against the piston step ead face 38 and together with an impacting recoil will shift the piston back to the rearward position illustrated in F1G. 1. With he piston inthis rearward position, piston port M4 is now back in communi- cation with central chamber 88 and air pressure from intake port 32. The air pressure will again buildin rear chamber 46 through passage 36 and the process is repeated, thus oscil- lating the piston, ‘An jdling ready-state ofthe impact handpiece is similar to what is described above except the piston oscillates with & very short mavement stoke and without the froat piston ace 64 colliding o impacting with the tool holler end face 68. This idling state can be achieved with very short movement strokes because piston port 34 isthe same wih asthe annular shoulder 60. With this configuration the piston port Mf can move a very short distance to either side From ligament with the annular shoulder 60 for receiving and exhausting sullicient air pressure to oscillate the piston. The air pressure and airflow requiced for this idling oscillation are very low. “The impacting characteristics of the impact handpiece ean be altered by the jeweler or engraver by adjusting the rotating barrel 20, When the user tus the rotating baeret 20 the ool holder base 70 and tool holder 72 are slid along the axis of the handpiece. With indexing serew 22 protruding through the body’ S6 sad into slot 25 located on tool holder base 70 the tool holder base 70 and tool bolder 72 are prevented rom rotating with the barel, although tool holder base 70 and tool holder 72 may slide axially in and out within the permitting length range of slot 25. Moving the Tocation of tool holder end Face 68 in tis way will move the location of where the piston impacts tool hokler end face 68. In this way it is possible to adjust the speed that the piston impacts occur and the length of the return strokes, which will allot the overall impact poser range of the handpiece. Referring to FIG, 6, by adjusting rotating bareel 20 and thus the tool older end face 68 frontward (away from handle 42) and having piston 54 in its front mest position (i.e. making an impact), the piston port 34 opening will be positioned fucter into head chamber 28 ereating a larger passage for air pressure in the rear chamber 46 to escape into the atmo- Sphere. Lowering as much pressure as possible in the rear chamber 46 with the piston in this position allows the piston to travel further back in the retum stroke (FIG. 7). Longer return stokes ave helpful in delivering harder impact strokes since the piston has more time to accelerate to a greater velocity during the impact stroke. In addition these longer impact stokes take more time to eyele, thus the sirokes per ‘minute slow down when adjusting the rotating barrel 20 in the dircetion just deseribed. Referring to FIG. 4, when rotating barrel 20 is adjusted in the opposite direction than just deseribed so that tool bolder end face 68 i moved rearward (lowards handle 42) and having piston $4 in its front most position (ie. making an impact), piston port 34 will now be positioned not as far into head chamber 28, creating a smaller passage Tor air pressure in the rear chamber 46 to escape into the atmosphere. Since not as much air pressure ean escape from rear chamber 46, the return stoke of the piston will not retura as far into rear chamber 46 (FIG. 8). This effect will give the tool shorterUS 6,508,315 BI 5 and less hard impacts over all air pressure ranges and the piston Will in addition oscillate faster when impacting. Being able to adjust the tool holler end face 68 by simply turoing cotatiog barrel 20 and thus altering the overall impact power range together with the impact speed of the tool makes the feature user friendly, Jewelers and engravers ean easily and quickly adjust this feature (o thei work requitements. FIGS. I and 3 illustrate the tool set at a medium stroke length. FIGS. 4 and § illustrate the toolset ata short stoke length, FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate the toolset at a Tong stroke length ing 18 is used to fasten the too] holder together with rotating barcel 20 but o-ring 18 has an added benefit of permitting the tol holder to float within the resilient range ff the o-ring material. That i, ths o-ring is elastomeric and provides isolation that suspends or floats the tool bolder Jongitudinaly a distance during a piston impact and returns to iis original position herween impacts. ‘This additional benclit of o-ring 14 will edhe vibration to the body 86 and thus vibration to the users’ hand during operation. CONCLUSION, RAMIFICATIONS, AND SCOPE Accordingly, the reader will see that the hand-held pau matic impact tool provides a unique feature for helping the jeweler or engraver carry out his work more easily and ‘quickly. The iavention has advantages in that it provides an easily adjusted mechanism for users to adjust the length of piston stroke and impact speed of hand-held impact power fool, The mechanism provides a rotating barel protruding around the outside diameter of the body’ of the power tool that may be turned for adjusting the impact location, the porting and therefore the impacting characteristics of the impacting piston. Although the invention has been described with reference to the illusirated preferred embodiment, it is noted th equivalents may be employed and substitutions made herein ‘without departing from the scope ofthe invention as recited in the claims. For example One or more intake ports 32, piston ports 34, exhaust ports 62 and 30, sescrews 16 o¢ 22, or slots 22 may be substituted ‘over the numberof those illustrated in the preferred embod ‘An equivalent may be employed by eliminating the rotat- ing barrel 20 and attaching in its place a slide that does not tise threads but that is used by pushing it longitudinally along the handpiece axis. This slide may be a band totally around the diameter ofthe body, partially around the body, fr just @ protrusion in one place om the body. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be deter- mined not by’ the embodiments ilusrated, but by the appended claims and theie legal equivalents. Telaim: 1. A hand-held pncumatie impuet power tool for use in hand working operations for use with a supply of pressur- ied ir, comprising: ‘body containing a bore aod having fest and second ends, the bore having a central longitudinal axis; a piston received within said bore and being shifable relative to the body along the loogitudinal axis; 2 tool tip holder reacived said bore and being shiftable relative to said body along the longitudinal axis of stid bodys an oscillation means by which said piston will oscillate ‘under the action of said supply of pressurized air 2 piston impacting location within said bodys 6 an adjustable element protruding from said body; when said adjustable element is adjusted it will cause said tooltip holder and said piston impacting location to ‘move along the longitudinal axis of said body within sald bore. 2, Ahand-held poeumatic impact power too as recited in claim 1, whesein said adjustable element i ia the form of an Aanaulae ring around said body and having a central longi- tudinal axis extending in a parallel direction with the central longitudinal axis of sid body, suid adjustable clement being rolalable around iis own longitudinal axis and around said body. 3. Aband-held poeumatic impact power tool as recite! in claim 1, further comprising: 4 support means for providing frietion-it engagement between a tooltip and said tool tip bolder sufficient to retain the tooltip and yet to permil manual removal of the tool 4.Aband-held poeumatic impact power tool as recite! in claim 4, further comprising: 4 handle containing & receiving-recess extending in a direction parallel wit the central longitudioal axis of said bores and ‘a handle-ttachment means to permit manual removal and insalling of said handle, said handle-attachment means. includes more than one pin positioned a distance into suid receiving-reeess, sid bandle-alachment means ‘Includes more than one groove on the outside diameter of said second end and running from said second end for a distance and in a diretion substantially parallel with the ceniral longitudinal axis of said body and then changes direction and rotates around the central longi tudinal axis of said body a distance, ‘5. A hand-held poeumatic impact power tool For use in hand working operations for use with a supply of pressuce ied sir, comprising: body containing a bore and having first and second ends, the bore having a central longitudinal axis, 4 piston received within said bore and being shilable relative to the body along the longitudinal axis; ‘an impacting location within the longitudinal axis of said bores an adjustable clement protruding from said body, that ‘when adjusted will alter said impacting location of said piston within suid body; an oscillation means by which said piston will osillate under the action of said supply of pressurized air; and 4 footoperated flow control valve including an inet port, in communication with said supply of pressurized air and an outlet por, sid footoperated How control valve js movable between an off position in which the airflow is zero and a umber of on positions in which the air ow ranges from zero tothe pressure of said supply of pressurized air. 6. Aband-held poeumatic impact power tool as eecited in claim , further comprising: an annular band located around said body aad having 3 ‘votral longitudinal axis extending in a parallel direc- tion with the central longitudinal axis of sid body, said annular band being rotatable around its own Jongitu- inal axis and around said body 7.Aband-held pocumatic impact power tool as recited in claim §, further comprisin an anvil received within said bore atthe first end of the body.US 6,508,315 BI 7 '8.A.band-held poeumatic impact power tool as recited in claim §, further comprising: an anvil received within said bore at the first end of the bool, saicl anvil including a recess extending in a direction substantially parallel withthe central longi- tudinal axis of said bore so as to define «receptacle in the anv 4 support mesns for providing frition-it engagement between a tooltip and said anvil sufficient retain the ‘ol ip in said receptacle and to permit manual removal ofthe tooltip. 9, Abband-held pacumatie impact power tool as recited in claim §, further comprising: handle containing « reoviving-recess extending in a direction parallel wit the central longitudinal axis of said bore; and a handle-attachment means to permit anal removal and installing of said handle, said handle-attachment means. includes more than one pin positioned a distance into said receiving-recess, stid banlle-atlachment means includes more than one groove on tbe outside diameter of said second end and running trom said second end for a distance and in a dietion substantially parallel with the central longitudinal axis of said body and then changes direction and rotates around the central longi tudiaal axis of said body. 10. A handheld pocumatic impact power tool as recited in claim 8, wherein said adjustable element isin the form of fan annular ring around said body and having a cent longitudinal axis extending in a parallel direction with the ceniral longitudinal axis of said body, said adjustable ele~ iment being rotatable around its own longitudinal axis and around said bod. |L, A hand-held paeumatic impact power tool for use in delicate hand working operations for use with a supply of pressurized air, comprising: body containing a bore and having frst and second ends, said bore having 2 evottal longitudinal axis; a piston received within said bore and being shifable relative to the body along the longitudinal axis; an oscillaion means by whieh said piston will oscillate under the action of ssid supply of pressurized sir 4 foot-operated flow contro valve including an inlet port in communication with said supply of pressurized air and an outlet por, said feot-operated flow contol valve js movable between an off positon in which the ar flow is zero and a number of on positions in which the air ow ranges from zera tothe pressure of said supply of pressurized air, 8 an annular band located around said body and having 3 ‘central longitudinal axis extending in a parallel dire: tion with the central longitudinal axis of said bods, said annular band being rotatable around its own Jongitu- dinal axis and around said body, an adjustable impact location that when adjusted will ‘move the impact location longitudinally along the axis of said body, said adjustable impact location and ssid annular band in ‘communication with each other in such a way that when said anaular band is rotated it will adjust sid impact location 12, A hand-held pocumatic impact power tool as recited in claim 11, further comprising ‘an anvil received within said bore atthe fist end of the body, said! anvil including. a recess extending in direction substantially parallel withthe central long tudinal axis of said bore so as to define «receptacle in the anvil; 4 support means for providing frition-fit engagement between a tooltip and said anvil suicien o retain the ‘oo ip in said receptacle and to permit manual removsl ‘of the tooltip. 13, A hand-held pacumatic impact power tool as recited inclaim 11, further comprising: an anvil received within said bore 14, A handheld pocumatic impact power tool as recited in claim 13, further comprising: said anvil being sbiftable along the longitudinal axis of said body; and ‘when said annular band is otated will cause said anvil to ‘move along the fongitudinal axis of sd bore 41S. A hand-held pneumatic impact power tool as recited in claim 11, further comprising: 4 handle containing & receiving-recess extending in 4 Glirection parallel withthe central longitudinal axis of sid bore; and ‘a handle-attachment means to permit manual removal and insalling of said handle, said handle-attachment means includes more than one pin positioned a distance into sald receiving-eeess, std andle-attachment means. Jncludes more than one groove on the outside diameter of said second end and cunning Irom said second end Toe a distance and in a dition substantially parallel with the central longitudinal axis of said body and then cchanges direction and rotates around the central long tudinal axis of sil body.