GB2420303A

GB2420303A - Reversible socket ratchet wrench

Info

Publication number: GB2420303A
Application number: GB0501104A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Craig Ian Mccormack
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-11-17
Filing date: 2005-01-19
Publication date: 2006-05-24
Also published as: GB0425315D0; GB0501104D0

Abstract

A reversible socket wrench having a tool receiving head portion (3; 3a, figure 7) including a reversible ratchet (6; 6a, figure 7) and associated tool receiving driving stud (7) for selectively turning a tool (21, figure 7) clockwise or anticlockwise, the head portion being connected to a main handle portion (2) via a pivot (5) having an axis coincident with but transverse to the rotational axis of the tool driving stud, thereby permitting the handle to rotate about a common plane on either side of the ratchet and tool driving stud. With this arrangement, rather than the handle swivelling about an axis adjacent to but offset from the axis of rotation of the tool driving stud and associated ratchet, it instead rotates about an axis coincident therewith but transverse thereto, thereby permitting the handle to be used on either side of e.g. a threaded nut which may otherwise be difficult to access due to the presence of obstructions. At least one further arm (9) may be provided at the free end of the main handle portion (2). Differing ratchet mechanisms (6; 6a, figure 7) are disclosed.

Description

I

Improvements in and relating to reversible ratchet wrenches This invention relates to reversible ratchet wrenches, otherwise known as socket wrenches, typically comprising a generally long handle on the end of which is a head portion which includes a reversible ratchet drivingly connected to a tool receiving driving stud, typically of square section and including a spring biased detente ball for releaseably receiving a tool thereon e.g. a socket spanner or an extension piece for such a socket spanner. The ratchet is reversible so that the wrench may be used to both tighten or loosen e.g. a threaded nut mountable on a threaded bolt.

An improvement in such prior art reversible ratchet wrenches is provided by having a swivelable joint between the handle and the head so that the latter can swivel in a plane coincident with the axis of rotation of the stud and hence socket or extension piece, thereby allowing for angular movement of the handle.

This makes it possible to still turn the tool driving stud and hence the socket or extension piece and socket in confined spaces or where there is an obstruction which does not permit rotation of a fixed handle about a plane at 90% to the major axis of the stud, as exemplified in US patent 5471899.

The present invention is derived from the realisation that through the use of a different configuration a more versatile reversible ratchet wrench may be obtained which in a preferred embodiment even dispenses with the need for an extension piece between a socket spanner and the tool driving stud.

According to the invention there is provided a reversible socket wrench having a tool receiving head portion including a reversible ratchet and associated tool receiving driving stud for selectively turning a tool clockwise or anticlockwise, the head portion being connected to a main handle portion via a pivot having an axis coincident with but transverse to the rotational axis of the tool driving stud, thereby permitting the handle to rotate about a common plane on either side of the ratchet and tool driving stud.

With this arrangement, rather than the handle swivelling about an axis adjacent to but offset from the axis of rotation of the tool driving stud and associated ratchet, it instead rotates about an axis coincident therewith but transverse thereto, thereby permitting the handle to be used on either side of e.g. a threaded nut which may be difficult to access due to the presence of obstructions.

In a preferred embodiment the handle also includes at its free end remote from the head an arm foldable in a plane at right angles therefrom whereby, when the major axis of the main handle portion is generally coincident with the axis of rotation of the ratchet and tool driving stud the handle portion effectively becomes an extension piece turnable by the arm, thereby obviating the need for a separate extension piece which would otherwise normally be fitted onto the end of the tool driving stud prior to fitting onto the free end of such extension piece a required socket spanner.

The preferred embodiment may also include a further handle at the end of the arm, so that the head portion may be driven quickly when the main handle portion has its major axis generally aligned with the axis of rotation of the tool driving stud.

Conveniently, the reversible ratchet mechanism is disposed between a yoke extending from the head portion opposite the tool receiving stud, between which yoke is pivotally disposed one end of the handle portion, the yoke thereby permitting access to the reversible ratchet to switch it from forward to reverse and vice versa whilst permitting the handle to swivel in a plane coincident with the rotational axis of the tool driving stud.

Alternatively, the reversible ratchet may be disposed between the yoke and the tool driving stud, but with the switching mechanism for switching between clockwise and anti-clockwise rotation being mounted on the side of the head portion, in a similar manner to that used with many hand-held reversible screwdrivers.

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a preferred embodiment of reversible socket wrench according to the invention, Figure 2 is a side view of the wrench of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a side view of the socket wrench of Figures 1 and 2 in its fully extended configuration, Figure 4 is a side view of part of the socket wrench of Figure 3 showing a releaseable catch mechanism between the lower end of the handle and the yoke portion of the head of the wrench, Figure 5 is a side view of part of the yoke shown in Figure 4, Figure 6 is an end view of part of the yoke of Figure 4, and Figure 7 is a side view of an alternative embodiment of reversible socket wrench according to the invention.

Referring to the drawings, the reversible socket wrench I of this embodiment of the invention includes a main handle portion 2 and a tool receiving head portion 3 swivelably attached thereto by the respective arms of a yoke 4 and associated lynch pin 5 (shown in broken outline in Figures 1 and 3).

The tool receiving head portion 3 is generally cylindrical and includes a reversible ratchet mechanism 6 drivingly connected or connectable to a tool driving stud 7 of square section which includes a spring biased détente ball 8 to releaseably lock a tool, such as a socket spanner or socket extension piece, when received thereon.

As will be apparent, particularly from Figure 2, this arrangement permits the main handle 2 to swivel easily to either side of the tool receiving head portion 3 in the directions shown arrowed to the limit imposed by the presence of the head portion 3 on either side of the yoke 4.

In a refinement to the invention, and as is shown more clearly with reference to Figures 1 and 3, the end of the main handle 2 remote from the tool receiving head portion 3 is provided with a swivelable arm 9 moveable from the position shown in Figure 1 from the direction arrowed to the fully extended position shown in Figure 3, the arm 9 having at its captured end a part semi- circular hinge plate 10 which is received within a slot 11 in the main handle 2 and through each of which extends a pivot pin 12. Below the slot 11 in the main handle 2 is a bore 13 for receiving a helical spring 14 which biases a metal ball to sit within a détente 16 in the part semi- circular hinge plate 10 such that the arm 9 can be releaseably secured in the position shown in Figure 3. A further détente in the part semi- circular hinge plate 10 (not shown) at 900 to the détente 16 permits the arm 9 to be releaseably stored in the position shown in Figure 1.

As will be apparent, the provision of the arm 9 allows the ratchet 1 to adopt the configuration shown in Figure 3 whereby, effectively, the main handle 2 dispenses with the need for an extension piece for a socket spanner when the ratchet I is being used in positions where an extension piece would otherwise be required and the arm 9 then can be used as a secondary handle. This is made possible primarily by the yoke 4 allowing the major axis of the main handle 2 to coincide with the axis of rotation of the drive stud 7, the arm 9 thereafter permitting turning of the ratchet 1 as required.

In a further refinement to the invention, a further handle (not shown), may be pivotally secured to the free end of the arm 9, thereby allowing it to be grasped by one hand of the user of the ratchet I while the other holds the main handle 2, the arm 9 thereafter being rotated by the secondary handle about the major axis of the main handle 2. This arrangement is particularly advantageous for rapidly turning the main handle 2 and head portion 3 when, for example, a loose nut is to be moved over a long threaded bolt or stud.

Figures 4, 5 and 6 show a further refinement to the invention by the provision of a bore 17 in the lower part of the handle 2 for receiving a further helical spring 18 and associated metal ball 19 which is therefore biased into a chosen one of a set of detents 20 arranged radially around part of the yoke 4 as is better seen with reference to Figures 5 and 6. This allows the handle 2 to be releaseably secured at a chosen angle relative to the axis of the lynch pin 5 and hence head portion 3 of the wrench 1. This is particularly useful for preventing unwanted rotation of the head portion 3 relative to the handle portion 2 when the wrench I is being used in awkward angular positions relative to the rotational axis of the tool driving stud 7 or when the wrench 1 is to be used below a work piece where there would otherwise be the risk of the head portion 3 flopping over to either side of the lynch pin 5.

Referring now to Figure 7, there is shown an alternative embodiment of reversible socket wrench according to the invention where like parts are given like numbers. In this embodiment of the invention the head portion 3a is generally of smaller diameter and more elongated than the head portion 3 shown in the embodiments described with reference to Figures 1 to 6 by virtue of including a side-activated reversible ratchet 6a similar to those used in some hand-operated reversible screwdrivers. This arrangement allows for the yoke 4a and associated lynch pin 5a to be of respective widths substantially corresponding to that of a socket spanner 21 (shown in broken outline) when fitted to the tool driving stud 7, thereby providing a particularly useful configuration where access to a nut or bolt is limited.

A further refinement in accordance with this embodiment of the invention is a foldable handle 22 at the, otherwise, free end of the arm 9 which may be moved from a stored position adjacent thereto to the position shown such that when the handle portion 2 of the socket wrench I is generally axially aligned with the rotational axis of the tool driving stud 7 it may be gripped by one hand whilst the other hand of a user of the wrench 1 may grip the other handle 22 to thereby allow the head portion 3a to be driven quickly if required.

Claims

Claims 1. A socket wrench having a tool receiving head portion including a

reversible ratchet and associated tool receiving driving stud for selectively turning a tool clockwise or anticlockwise, the head portion being connected to a main handle portion via a pivot having an axis coincident with but transverse to the rotational axis of the tool driving stud, thereby permitting the handle to rotate about a common plane on either side of the ratchet and tool driving stud.
2. A socket wrench according to claim I further characterised in that the handle also includes at its free end remote from the head an arm foldable in a plane at right angles therefrom whereby, when the major axis of the main handle portion is generally coincident with the axis of rotation of the ratchet and tool driving stud the handle portion effectively becomes an extension piece turnable by the arm.
3. A socket wrench according to claim 2 further characterised in that a further handle is provided at the end of the arm, so that the head portion may be driven quickly when the main handle portion has its major axis generally aligned with the axis of rotation of the tool driving stud.
4. A socket wrench according to any preceding claim further characterised in that the reversible ratchet is disposed between a yoke extending from the head portion opposite the tool receiving stud, between which yoke is pivotally disposed one end of the handle portion, the yoke thereby permitting access to the reversible ratchet to switch it from forward to reverse and vice versa whilst permitting the handle to swivel in a plane coincident with the rotational axis of the tool driving stud.
5. A socket wrench according to any one of claims 1 to 3 further characterised in that the reversible ratchet is disposed between a yoke extending from the head portion opposite the tool receiving stud and which reversible ratchet is accessible from the side of the head portion to switch it from forward to reverse and vice versa.
6. A socket wrench substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 6.
7. A socket wrench substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 7.