Rotatable Hand Tools and Fasteners

Abstract

A hand tool for driving a fastener is provided. The hand tool includes gearing that interconnects a splined socket to a rotatable or trigger actuator and increases a rotational speed of the splined socket relative to the actuator. The hand tool may include a power tool receiver 38 or an independent motor to drive rotation of the splined socket to advance or retract a fastener from a threaded shaft. By increasing the speed and conserving rotational inertia, the hand tool reduces the time to secure a fastener on a threaded shaft. A rotatable nut is provided. The rotatable nut can slideably orient along a first axis and threadedly orient along a second axis to fasten to an adjacent surface.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A quick-set fastener, comprising:
 drive surfaces along a periphery of a nut and configured to be engaged by a tool to rotate the nut about a threaded shaft along a first axis of the nut;   a threaded bore extending through the nut along the first axis of the nut, the threaded bore configured to couple to the threaded shaft passing through the threaded bore along the first axis of the nut;   a smooth bore extending through the nut along a second axis of the nut that intersects the first axis of the nut at an acute angle, the smooth bore having a diameter configured to receive an outer diameter of the threaded shaft where the threaded shaft can slide freely through the smooth bore; and   an opening along the periphery of the nut and through one or more drive surfaces in a direction of the second axis, the opening configured to receive the threaded shaft, wherein the threaded shaft is inserted into the nut through the opening and slides along the second axis of the nut, when positioned, the nut rotates to the first axis and is fastened along the threaded bore.   
     
     
         2 . The quick-set fastener of  claim 1 , wherein an angle between the smooth bore and threaded bore is more than 5°. 
     
     
         3 . The quick-set fastener of  claim 2 , wherein an angle between the smooth bore and the threaded bore is less than 30°. 
     
     
         4 . The quick-set fastener of  claim 1 , wherein the nut includes six evenly spaced drive surfaces, wherein at least one of the drive surfaces includes the opening along the periphery of the nut, and wherein the nut is hexagonally shaped. 
     
     
         5 . The quick-set fastener of  claim 1 , wherein the threaded bore has an American National Standard Institute (ANSI) nominal diameter and thread pitch fastener size. 
     
     
         6 . The quick-set fastener of  claim 1 , wherein the threaded bore has a metric nominal diameter and thread pitch fastener size. 
     
     
         7 . The quick-set fastener of  claim 1 , wherein the opening extends at an angle from the threaded bore and parallel to the angle of the smooth bore, the opening extending across two or more adjacent drive surfaces of the nut. 
     
     
         8 . The quick-set fastener of  claim 1 , further comprising a protective coating. 
     
     
         9 . The quick-set fastener of  claim 8 , wherein the protective coating is zinc/aluminum. 
     
     
         10 . A quick-set fastener, comprising:
 a nut defining a first axis and having a plurality of drive surfaces along an outer surface of the nut, the drive surfaces configured to be engaged by a tool to rotate the nut about a threaded shaft, the threaded shaft along the first axis of the nut;   a threaded bore extending through the nut along the first axis and configured to receive the threaded shaft;   an opening along the outer surface of the nut and extending through at least one of the drive surfaces, the opening angled in a direction away from the threaded bore and the first axis, the opening having a width that is greater that a diameter of the threaded shaft;   wherein, when the threaded shaft is inserted into the nut through the opening, the threaded shaft extends along a second axis angled away from the first axis, and the nut is slidable along the second axis; and   wherein, when the nut is rotated to bring the first axis into alignment with the second axis, the threaded bore engages the threaded shaft, and the nut is fastened along the threaded bore.   
     
     
         11 . The quick-set fastener of  claim 10 , wherein the opening is angled parallel to the second axis, and wherein the second axis is angled away from the first axis by at least 5 degrees. 
     
     
         12 . The quick-set fastener of  claim 11 , wherein the second axis is angled away from the first axis by less than 45 degrees. 
     
     
         13 . The quick-set fastener of  claim 10 , further comprising a non-threaded bore extending through the nut in a direction parallel to the opening. 
     
     
         14 . The quick-set fastener of  claim 10 , further comprising a protective coating. 
     
     
         15 . The quick-set fastener of  claim 10 , wherein the nut includes six evenly spaced drive surfaces, and wherein the opening is through two or more of the drive surfaces. 
     
     
         16 . A quick-set fastener, comprising:
 a nut configured to be engaged by a tool to rotate the nut around a threaded shaft along a first axis of the nut;   a threaded bore extending through the nut along the first axis of the nut, the threaded bore configured to couple to the threaded shaft passing through the threaded bore along the first axis of the nut;   a non-threaded bore extending through the nut along a second axis, the non-threaded bore angled away from the threaded bore by at least 5°, the non-threaded bore having a diameter configured to receive an outer diameter of the threaded shaft where the threaded shaft can slide freely through the non-threaded bore;   an opening configured to receive the threaded shaft; and   wherein, when the threaded shaft is inserted into the nut through the opening, the threaded shaft may freely slide along the second axis of the nut, and wherein, when the nut is rotated to bring the first axis into alignment the threaded shaft, the threaded bore engages the threaded shaft, and the nut is fastened along the threaded bore.   
     
     
         17 . The quick-set fastener of  claim 16 , wherein an angle between the non-threaded bore and the threaded bore is less than 45°. 
     
     
         18 . The quick-set fastener of  claim 17 , wherein the angle between the non-threaded bore and the threaded bore is less than 30°. 
     
     
         19 . The quick-set fastener of  claim 16 , wherein the opening extends at an angle from the threaded bore and parallel to the angle of the non-threaded bore. 
     
     
         20 . The quick-set fastener of  claim 16 , further comprising a protective coating.