Fastening device and method of use thereof

摘要

Disclosed herein are different embodiments of a fastening device. In particular, various embodiments of a fastening device are described herein for enabling fasteners of different types (e.g. shape and/or size, etc.) to be fastened using a common input drive. For example, different embodiments of the herein described fastening device comprise two or more output sockets in attending to the fastening of different fastener types, which output sockets are selectable in one example by reorienting the fastening device via activation of the input drive.

主权项

1. An apparatus for use with an input drive in fastening threaded fasteners of different types, comprising:
an input hub for operative engagement with the input drive; two opposed fastening arms extending radially outwardly from and fixed relative to said input hub, each fastening arm comprising a fastening output socket rotatably mounted at a distance from said input hub for cooperative engagement with threaded fasteners of a respective type, and a drive mechanism for operatively coupling said fastening output socket to said input drive via said input hub such that, upon engagement with said input hub, activation of said input drive reorients the apparatus by rotating the fastening arms relative to the input hub; and a blocking mechanism configured to block the continued rotation of the fastening arms at a selected orientation for one of the fastening arms to operate a corresponding fastening output socket, wherein said blocking mechanism comprises a locking mechanism to lock the apparatus in said selected orientation, and said locking mechanism includes one or more structural indentations fixedly disposed relative to said fastening arms for mating engagement with one or more corresponding deployable structures fixedly disposed relative to the input drive.