Tool for Attaching and Detaching Spring Clip From Shaft

Mechanical power transmission elements, such as gears, pulleys, wheels, etc., are frequently mounted on a shaft and must be restrained from sliding off the shaft by means of a retainer clip mounted in a circumferential groove on the shaft. The clip is usually a ring from which a portion has been removed. The remaining portion of the ring can be sprung apart slightly to slide it over a circular shaft which has an outside diameter closely approaching the inside diameter of the ring. The difficulty with attaching such a ring is the awkwardness of holding the ring, usually with pliers, while giving the ring a sharp tap with a hammer to spring apart the ends of the clip and get the clip to slide into place. In detaching the ring a forked instrument is placed against the ends of the ring and a tap with a hammer is required to remove the clip, which frequently flies off the shaft so rapidly in an unpredictable direction that it is lost. There clearly has been a need for a simple system for detaching and attaching such clips.

It is an object of this invention to provide a tool for attaching or detaching a split ring spring clip from a shaft. It is another object to provide a manual tool for such purposes. Still other objects will be apparent from the more detailed description which follows.

This invention relates to a tool for assembling or disassembling a split ring spring clip from a shaft comprising two cooperating opposing jaws; the first jaw including a first seat means for receiving the shaft, and the second jaw having a movable head indexed to two operating positions; the first position providing prong means for engaging the free ends of the clip and the second position providing a second seat means for engaging the clip with the free ends of the clip facing outwardly for assembly to the shaft, and means for moving the jaws together.

In a specific embodiment the tool of this invention includes a pair of pivotal handles, like a pair of pliers and the movable head is indexable by means of a spring biased ball that engages either of two recesses to cause the rotatable head to be in one or another operating position. In another embodiment, the first seat means is a semicylindrical seat with a slot in the seat to accommodate the split ring when in place on the shaft, and includes a small receptacle beneath the seat means to catch the ring when detached from the shaft.

The novel features believed to be characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the tool in the form of pliers in accord with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the tool of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial plan view of the jaws of the tool of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the fixed jaw of the tool of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged front elevational view of the other jaw of the tool of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged partial side view illustrating the operation of the tool in detaching a spring clip from a shaft;

FIG. 7 is a front view of the tool depicted in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a partial side view illustrating the operation of the tool in attaching a spring clip to a shaft; and

FIG. 9 is a front view of the tool depicted in FIG. 8.

This invention is illustrated in a preferred embodiment in FIGS. 1 and 2. In this embodiment the tool is shown as a pair of pliers having first and second handles 10 and 11 connected to first and second jaws 12 and 13 through pivot 14. By squeezing handles 10 and 11 together, jaws 12 and 13 move toward each other. Spring 15 attached to handles 10 and 11 serves the purpose of pushing handles 10 and 11 apart when the tool is not in use, and thereby opens jaws 12 and 13.

First jaw 12 includes a semicylindrical seat 16 which is designed to receive the shaft from which a split ring retainer clip is to be removed. Behind seat 16 is a small receptacle 17 to catch the clip when it is sprung loose from the shaft. Detailed views in FIGS. 6-9 show the relationship of the tool to a shaft 38 and a split ring retainer clip 17.

Second jaw 13 includes a rotatable head 18 which is pivoted around pin 19 and can be indexed to either of two positions by the action of a spring biased ball 22 being caught by either of two recesses 23 (only one being visible in FIG. 1). The first position for head 18 is that shown in FIG. 1 wherein end portion 20 is used to detach the split ring retainer clip from the shaft onto which it is clamped. The second position is taken when head 18 is rotated 180.degree. from that shown in FIG. 1 so that end portion 21 faces jaw 12 and shaft seat 16. In this second position a split ring retainer clip is held by end portion 21 while it is forced onto the shaft to serve its purpose of retaining a power transmission element, such as a gear, pulley, wheel, or the like, on the shaft.

In FIGS. 3-5 there are enlarged views of jaws 12 and 13 to show the details of the tool of the invention. As seen best in FIG. 5 jaw 13 is shown as a bifurcated member with two parallel arms 35 separated by space 36. Rotatable head 18 is a generally rectangular plate movable through space 36 and rotating about pin 19 which passes through head 18 and both of arms 35. Pin 19 is held in place by enlarged head 42 on one end and a retainer ring 26 on the other end. In order for head 18 to fit snugly between arms 35 without wobbling when it is in use, washers may be employed between the surfaces of head 18 and arms 35, bosses may be machined on head 18 or arms 35, or other well known machine engineering elements or features may be used. Head 18 has two ends 20 and 21 that may be optionally positioned to perform their separate functions. End portion 20 is employed to remove a retainer clip from a shaft and end portion 21 is employed to attach such a retainer clip to the shaft. These two positions are capable of being indexed by feel when rotating head 18 about pivot pin 19. A spring loaded ball 22 is mounted on one of arms 35 and two circular recesses 23 are formed in head 18, such that a recess is available to be engaged with ball 22 when head 18 is rotated 180.degree.. The seating of ball 22 in a recess 23 can be felt as a vibration, permitting the operator to be sure of the proper positioning of head 18 with visual inspection. In the view of FIG. 3, end portion 20 is in the operating position and ball 22 is seated in one of recesses 23. When end portion 21 is to be used, head 18 is rotated manually through 180.degree. so that the other of recesses 23 is under ball 22. The view of head 18 in broken lines 30 shows head 18 rotated 90.degree. from the position in solid lines in FIG. 3.

End portion 20 has two prongs 24 separated by a generally semicircular notch 25. Prongs 24 are spaced apart sufficiently to engage the ends of the split ring retainer clip clamped on a shaft. The size and shape of notch 25 is such that it will slide over the shaft while prongs 24 are disengaging the clip from the shaft. It can be seen in FIG. 4 that shaft seat 16 is made with a central slot or opening 31 and with receptacle 17 behind seat 16. As jaws 12 and 13 close on each other forcing the split ring retainer clip off the shaft, the clip will spring away from the shaft with great speed. The clip is positioned in slot 31 and when it springs away from the shaft it will be caught by receptacle 17.

End portion 21 also has two prongs 27 separated by a generally semicircular notch 28 containing a groove 29 extending generally from one to the other of prongs 27. This end portion 21 is employed when assembling a split ring retainer clip onto a shaft. The clip is seated in groove 29 with the free ends of the clip facing outward to engage the shaft as jaw 13 is closed upon jaw 12.

In FIGS. 6 and 7 the manner in which the tool of this invention operates to remove a split ring retainer clip 37 from a shaft 38 is illustrated. Shaft 38 has a circumferential groove 41 to receive a split ring retainer clip 37 which prevents clip 37 as well as any machine element, such as gear 40, from sliding off shaft 38. Clip 37 is clamped onto shaft 38 by reason of the inherent springiness of clip 37. Ends 39 are spaced apart linearly less than the diameter of groove 41, thus requiring that ends 39 be forced outwardly to remove clip 37 from shaft 38 or to attach clip 37 to shaft 38. FIGS. 6 and 7 show the removal of clip 37 from shaft 38. Head 18 is rotated so that end portion 20 faces jaw 12 with shaft seat 16 and receptacle 17 rigidly affixed thereto. In this instance jaw 12 should preferably be below end portion 20 so that when clip 37 is removed from shaft 38 it will fall into receptacle 17. As end portion 20 descends toward shaft 38 and clip 37 with ends 39 facing upwardly, prongs 24 will contact ends 39 and notch 25 will slide through groove 41 without obstruction. Clip 37 will enter slot 31 while shaft 38 rests on seat 16. Eventually as jaws 12 and 13 close more on each other, prongs 24 will push downwardly on ends 39 causing them to spring apart as they move past the diameter of groove 41, and then spring back toward each causing clip 37 to be forcibly discharged from shaft 38. Receptacle 17 will catch clip 37 so it may be used again.

In FIGS. 8 and 9 there is shown the manner in which this tool attaches spring clip 37 onto shaft 38. In this instance the orientation of jaws 12 and 13 is reversed from that shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Here jaw 13 is below jaw 12. End portion 21 of head 18 is moved into operating position facing jaw 12 above, and shaft 38 is between jaws 12 and 13. Split ring retainer clip 37 is positioned in groove 29 of semicircular notch 28 with ends 39 facing upwardly. As jaws 12 and 13 are closed upon each other ends 39 will enter groove 41 and will be caused to spring apart to pass over the diameter of groove 41. When ends 39 pass over the diameter of groove 41 they will spring toward each other clamping clip 37 onto groove 41 of shaft 38. Preferably, end portion 21 of head 18 is magnetized so that split ring retainer clip 37 may be secured thereto during the operation of attaching clip 37 to shaft 38. With end portion 21 magnetized, jaw 13 may be oriented to be above or below shaft 38 while attaching clip 37 thereto.

There are other methods than those shown for attaching rotating head 18 to jaw 13 and indexing it to take two positions. For example, jaw 13 need not be bifurcated, and head 18 may be attached to one side or the other of jaw 13 and rotated by a ratchet device to any selected position. Also, head 18 may be L-shaped requiring only a 90.degree. rotation to change between the two indexed positions. Still other mechanical actions and elements can be employed to provide the necessary movements and positions for the proper functioning of this invention.

The invention has been described mainly as a hand tool in the form of pliers to move jaws 12 and 13 together. It is to be understood that other means for moving jaws 12 and 13 together may be used, e.g., the jaws can be mounted on a press with one jaw on the bed and the other on the movable platen. Alternatively, the two jaws could be mounted on two faces of a clamp which is opened and closed by screw means, lever action, or any other device for closing two jaws onto each other.

While the invention has been described with respect to certain specific embodiments, it will be appreciated that many modifications and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is intended, therefore, by the appended claims to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.