Abstract
A plumbers tool set packaged in a container having a transparent plastic
cover includes a hex nut socket wrench, a tubular flange nut socket
wrench, a driver rod and a turning rod. The tool set permits a plumber
to quickly install and remove the faucet unit and spray nozzle holder
associated with washbasins and kitchen sinks.
Claims
1. A plumbers tool set package comprising: a hex nut socket wrench
having a first segment including walls defining a hex nut socket extending
downwardly from its top, a side opening in said socket and a bottom
opening in said socket, said openings being sufficiently wide to permit
a water conduit for a household sink to pass laterally through said
side opening and into said bottom opening, a shoulder on said walls
at the bottom of said socket adjacent said bottom opening, said shoulder
preventing a hex nut mating with said hex nut socket from passing
through said bottom opening, a second segment rigidly secured to and
disposed at one lateral side of said first segment including a downwardly
open square shaped tool socket for receiving a square shaped head
of a driver rod, a tubular flange nut wrench including circumferentially
spaced notches at one of its axially opposite ends for mating with
the flanges of a flange nut and a square shaped tool socket at its
other end for receiving said square shaped head of said driver rod,
an elongated driver rod having a square shaped head at one of its
axially opposite ends adapted to drivingly engage said tool socket
of a selected one of said wrenches and having a bore near its other
end extending through said rod in transverse relation to the axis
of said rod, and a turning rod slideably insertable into said bore,
a container having recesses shaped to individually receive said first
segment, said second segment, said nut wrench, said driver rod and
said turning rod and a transparent plastic cover on said container.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The typical kitchen sink or wash basin is provided openings
for mounting a faucet unit which includes a pair of downwardly extending
externally threaded hot and cold water nipples and an externally
threaded nipple to which a spray house is attached. The sink or
basin may also include an opening for attachment of a hollow spray
nozzle holder which has an externally threaded nipple through which
the spray hose loosely extends. Flanged nuts are threaded on the
hot and cold water nipples and on the spray nozzle holder nipple,
thus securing the faucet unit and the spray nozzle holder to the
sink or basin. Hot and cold water lines have nuts rotatably secured
to their ends which threadedly engage the corresponding hot and
cold water nipples of the faucet unit. A spray nozzle is connected
to one end of a long hose which passes through the hollow nipple
of the spray nozzle holder. The other end of the hose is connected
to the spray hose attachment nipple by a nut rotatably mounted on
that end. The beforementioned connections are behind the basin of
the sink and its drainpipe. Hot and cold water shut off valves are
typically mounted on a vertical counter wall behind the sink. The
confined work space between the sink and the adjacent vertical wall
and the nature of the connections make it difficult and time consuming
to install or remove the faucet unit and/or spray nozzle holder.
A conventional socket wrench cannot be used to remove the nuts attaching
the hot and cold water lines because the nuts are secured to their
respective hoses. The limited space makes use of an end wrench difficult
or impossible. A totally different tool is needed to remove the
flanged nuts securing the threaded nipples of the faucet unit and
the spray nozzle holder. A set of special, but inexpensive, hand
tools are needed to assist the plumber in installing and removing
faucet units and spray nozzle holders.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0002] A set of plumber's hand tools are provided for quickly installing
and removing faucet units and spray nozzle holders. The tool set
includes a hex nut socket wrench for tightening or loosening the
hex nuts securing the hot and cold water lines to threaded nipples
on the faucet unit and a tubular flange nut socket wrench for installing
and removing the flanged nuts used to secure the faucet unit and
spray nozzle holder to a sink or a counter. Both socket wrenches
are operated by the same driver rod, which includes a torque transmitting
head, which releasably fits in a complimentary cavity or tool socket
formed in each of the socket wrenches.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0003] The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,
in which:
[0004] FIG. 1 shows the plumber's set of hand tools encased in
a package having a transparent cover;
[0005] FIG. 2 is a top view of a hex nut socket wrench;
[0006] FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the hex nut socket wrench shown
in FIG. 2;
[0007] FIG. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 in FIG. 3;
[0008] FIG. 5 is a side view of a tubular flange nut socket wrench
with parts broken away for illustration purposes;
[0009] FIG. 6 is a side view of a driver rod;
[0010] FIG. 7 is side view of a turning rod;
[0011] FIG. 8 is a side view showing a faucet unit and a spray
nozzle holder installed in a sink;
[0012] FIG. 9 is a side view showing the hex nut socket wrench
applied to a hex nut securing a water line to a nipple of the faucet
unit; and with parts broken away for illustration purposes; and
[0013] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the tubular flange nut socket
wrench applied to a flange nut on a threaded nipple of the faucet
unit with parts broken away for illustration purposes.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0014] FIG. 1 shows a plumber's tool set package 11 in a container
12 having a transparent plastic top or cover 13. The individual
components of the tool set are nested in recesses shaped to receive
them. The tool set includes a hex nut socket wrench 16, a tubular
flange nut socket wrench 17, an elongated driver rod 18 and a turning
rod 19. The package 11 facilitates merchandising display of the
tool set and, after purchase, the packaged set can be carried in
the plumber's tool chest.
[0015] As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the hex nut socket wrench
16 includes a first segment 21 having a wall structure forming a
hex nut socket 22 defined by five inward facing planar surfaces
23, 24, 25, 26, 27 which are designed to engage a predetermined
size hex nut so that it can be installed or removed from a threaded
complementary threaded part. An annular shaped opening 29 is formed
in the floor or bottom of the socket 22 thereby forming a shoulder
31 which abuts a hex nut during use of the socket wrench 16. A side
opening 32 is formed in the wall structure which is large enough
to permit passage of a water hose laterally into the socket 22.
The hex nut socket wrench 16 includes a second segment 36 which
is integrally formed with the first segment 21. The second segment
36 includes downwardly open square shaped tool socket 37 having
a box shape with four sides 38, 39, 41, 42. The tool socket 37 is
adapted to mate with the square shaped head 43 of the elongated
driver rod 18, shown in FIG. 6.
[0016] The tubular flange nut wrench 17 shown in FIG. 5 includes
a cylinder wall 46 defining a cylindrical interior cavity 47, the
open end of which includes four circumferentially spaced notches
48 for mating with the four flanges of a flange nut. The other end
of the tubular flange nut wrench 17 includes a square shaped tool
socket 51 which is adapted to receive the square shaped head 43
of the driver rod 18.
[0017] FIG. 8 shows a faucet unit 56 and a spray hose holder 57
installed in a kitchen sink 58. The faucet unit 56 has a threaded
hot water receiving nipple 61, a threaded cold water receiving nipple
62 and a threaded spray nozzle hose attachment nipple 63 extending
downwardly through openings in the sink 58. The spray nozzle holder
57 has a threaded nipple 64 extending downwardly through an opening
in the sink 58. Flange nuts 66, 67, 68, each having four flanges,
are threaded onto the nipples 61, 62, 64, thus securing the faucet
unit 56 and the spray hose holder 57 to the sink 58. A flexible
hot water line 71 is secured to the nipple 61 by a hex nut 72 rotatably
connected to the end of the hot water line 71 and a flexible cold
water line 73 is secured to the nipple 62 by a hex nut 74 rotatably
secured to the end of the cold water line 73. A flexible spray nozzle
hose 76 has one of its ends connected to the nipple 63 by a hex
nut 77 rotatably connected to its one end. The spray nozzle hose
76 passes upwardly through the hollow nipple 64 and has its distal
end connected to a spray nozzle 78. The nut 77 and the hose 76 are
sufficiently small to permit their passage through the hollow spray
nozzle holder 57 and its hollow nipple 64. Thus the spray nozzle
hose 76 will be removed when the tubular flange nut wrench 17 is
used to install or remove the spray nozzle holder 57. Broken lines
79 show the hose 76 removed from the nipple 63.
[0018] When installing or removing the hot water line 71, the hex
nut socket wrench 16 is placed in the position shown in FIG. 9,
which shows the hex nut socket 22 engaging the hex nut 72. The head
43 of driver rod 18 engages the tool socket 37 and upon rotating
the driver rod 18 using the turning rod 19 the nut can be selectively
installed on or removed from the nipple 61. In a like manner the
hex nut socket wrench 16 can be used to install and remove the cold
water line 73 from the nipple 62.
[0019] When the water line 71 is disconnected from the nipple 61,
the tubular flange nut socket wrench 17 may be used, as shown in
FIG. 10, to install or remove the flange nut 66 from the nipple
61. The necessary torque is applied by inserting the head of the
driver rod 18 into the tool socket 51 and by rotating the driver
rod 18 using the turning rod 19. In a similar manner the tubular
flange nut socket wrench 17 can be used to install or remove the
flange nuts 67, 68.
[0020] The hex nut socket wrench 16 and the tubular flange nut
socket wrench 19 are designed to install and remove water hose nuts
and flange nuts associated with faucet units and spray nozzle holders
commonly mounted on household sinks, wash basins or counters. The
space available behind sinks and wash basins is usually very limited
because of the closeness of an adjacent vertical wall. The wrenches
of the herein described tool set greatly facilitate the plumber's
work--making the work faster and easier and saving the homeowner
money. |