Patent Application
20220395913
Screws, bolts and lug nuts are expected to be securely and tightly fastened to hold parts of or objects together. In most instances, when these bolts and objects are left in the environment, they get rusted or might become worn out due to the elements or continued use. In other instances, bolts are not accessible from the shank side or even such bolts are loose enough to just be spinning without any grip for unscrewing. In yet some instances, such bolts have on the other end, materials formed on them such as foam or poured insulation, thus preventing access to shank side or any facility to unscrew the bolt or nut. Other fasteners that have in a manner been screwed in without access to the other end, may present a situation wherein unscrewing for any use whatsoever.
Some bolts with shanks are initially fabricated as fasteners for applications and sheeting that may serve the initial fastening purpose only for that desired fastening to be changed or needing to be modified for alternative or modified use. What is common in these instances is a bolt or nut having a shank that is inaccessible for a clamp or some sort of grip that would allow for unscrewing or removal. It is also applicable for bolts and nuts that are not easy to remove, either because they are worn out or even too tight because of rust or the environment.
As shown in the foregoing, a tool such as drill bit guide that secures the bolt while it is drilled would be suitable to remove bolts with shanks in unreachable positions and that would be useful to remove worn out bolts, and the like, is needed and useful for workers and artisans. Such a product is disclosed herein.
In one embodiment, the present invention provides a drill bit guide having a handle or grip portion that incorporates a hollow guide suitable for a drill bit on one end and a socket on the second end wherein the socket end fits onto a nut with a bolt head. The use of the drill bit on the nut is centered by the use of the guide and in operation separated the bolt head from a shank portion of the nut.
The drill bit usable in the present invention is preferably used in combination with the guide such that the bit end centers on the bolt head and operating the drill serves to separate the head of the bolt from the shank. The hollow and socket portion of the drill bit guide may preferably be removable and exchangeable as the nut size may demand or in the alternative be fabricated for different nut sizes.
The drill bit guide of the present invention may preferably be fabricated from mild or hardened alloy steel to provide the sturdiness needed for use in construction, or other industrial settings.
In an embodiment of the present invention, a drill bit guide suitable for the removal of bolts, nuts and fasteners that are accessible from the nut end but without such access to the shank end. Also, nuts and bolts that may be too loose that addressing them for removal by unscrewing may not be practical. Those familiar in the art would typically utilize the overly intensive method of punching out the bolt in the center with a chisel and drilling a pilot hole followed by a hole that is a bit larger or wider in diameter than the shank of the bolt. Such process separates the bolt head from the shank but ends up with a larger hole, implying a reusable larger bolt for a replacement. In some instances, such holes may be abandoned, and new ones drilled out to meet the size of readily available bolts.
The time and energy to chisel out a bolt head and drill or punch through such shanks with the likelihood of creating larger diameter holes make for hard to remove bolts and may end up creating holes that need to be patched up to reduce the impact of the environment in rust and water damage prevention. Where these substrates are held together by fasteners, the routinized process for unscrewing or removing the bolts may include using a vice grip to clamp the shank end of the bolt, just to aid the unscrewing process. Where such fasteners are not tight or are loose, the process might include sheering off the bolt head or grinding up the ends to free the shank from the bolt or nut head. It is reasonable therefore to foresee and imagine difficulties in cutting off the bolt-hear; if grinders are used, the likelihood of fires or some unplanned sparks generating flames.
Referring to
This embodiment may vitiate the need to create a bigger hole where the nut and bolt were used, prevents undue waste for substrates or plate surfaces that may have been condemned, provides access to the reverse side of such plates, saves time in the process of removing the bolt and nut, all in a clean process. The dangers of sparks and fires are mitigated by the use of the tool of the present disclosure.
The combination of the drill with a drill bit, and the drill bit guide of the present invention provides a product for use in removing or unscrewing a nut with a bolt head and shank portion. The process of separating a nut with a bolt head from the shank portion includes inserting the drill having a drill bit into the hollow and open portion of the drill bit guide further enough for an open end of the drill bit end to contact the bolt head of the nut and drilling that bolt head to cause is to separate from the shank of the nut. The practicality of this use is preferably shown when access to the shank portion is not feasible or the nut is loose.
In some combination to remove the bolt from the shank, the drill bit guide is used on bolts that have a fastener or such fastening tool is incorporated to prevent the bolt or nut from turning loosely.
Having thus described the preferred embodiments of the present invention, those of skill in the art will readily appreciate that the teachings found herein may be applied to yet other embodiments within the scope of the claims hereto attached. The complete disclosure of all patents, patent documents, and publications are incorporated herein by reference as if individually incorporated.
