Handheld rotary tool

Abstract

A rotary tool is provided with a head section that is selectively pivotable at a plurality of positions between an orientation where the head section is in-line with a body section to an orientation where the head section is perpendicular to the body section. The rotary tool can also swivel about an arc of 360 degrees.

1 - 23 . (canceled)  
   
   
       24 . A tool with a rotatable head section comprising: 
 (a) a transmission with an input end connected to a rotating member and an output end connected to an output tool;    (b) a body section that retains an input end of the transmission and includes a gearbox housing and a longitudinal axis;    (c) a sleeve that surrounds a top portion of the gearbox housing and is movable along the gearbox housing;    (d) a rotatable cap surrounding the sleeve to selectively cause engagement of the sleeve and the gearbox housing;    (e) a head section that houses an output of the transmission, and that is rotatable about the body section along the longitudinal axis of the body section, wherein the head section is prevented from rotating with respect to the body section when the sleeve engages the gearbox housing.    
   
   
       25 . The tool of  claim 24  further comprising a plurality of flanges that project from the gearbox housing.  
   
   
       26 . The tool of  claim 25  wherein the sleeve includes a plurality of recesses that accept the plurality of flanges to cause engagement of the sleeve and the gearbox housing.  
   
   
       27 . The tool of  claim 26  wherein the number of the plurality of recesses is the same as the number of flanges.  
   
   
       28 . The tool of  claim 25  wherein the number of the plurality of recesses is a positive multiple of the number of flanges.  
   
   
       29 . The tool of  claim 24  further comprising a cam surface at a bottom end of the sleeve and a corresponding cam surface on the rotatable cap.  
   
   
       30 . The tool of  claim 24  further comprising: 
 (a) a plurality of flanges that project from the gearbox housing;    (b) a plurality of recesses provided on a bottom surface of the sleeve to accept the plurality flanges;    (c) a cam surface at the bottom end of the sleeve; and    (d) a cam surface on the rotatable cap, wherein the cap can be rotated to cause engagement between the cam surfaces to cause the recesses in the sleeve to engage the flanges in the gearbox housing.    
   
   
       31 . The tool of  claim 30  wherein the sleeve is biased away from engagement with the gearbox housing.  
   
   
       32 . A tool operable in at least two positions comprising: 
 (a) a transmission with an input end and an output end;    (b) a body section with a longitudinal axis including: 
 (i) a gearbox housing,  
 (ii) a lock housing that surrounds a top portion of the gearbox housing and that can move along the gearbox housing,  
 (iii) a motor,  
 (iv) a rotatable cap surrounding a bottom portion of the lock housing to selectively cause engagement between the lock housing and the gearbox housing;  
   (c) a head section rotatably connected to the body section to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the body section, with the head section being prevented from rotating with respect to the body section when the lock housing engages the gearbox housing;    (d) a pivot housing disposed between the head section and the body section and being pivotably connected to the lock housing about a pivot axis, wherein each of the pivot housing and the lock housing include an aperture; and    (e) a block positioned in the lock housing aperture and selectively inserted in the pivot housing aperture to retain the head section in a selected orientation with respect to the body section.