US1456692A

US1456692A - Ratchet hand tool

Info

Publication number: US1456692A
Application number: US332514A
Authority: US
Inventors: John M Hargrave
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1919-10-22
Filing date: 1919-10-22
Publication date: 1923-05-29
Anticipated expiration: 1940-05-29

Description

May 29, 1923.

1,45%,692 J. M. HARGRAVE I RATCHET HAND -TO0L Filed Oct. 22, 1919 arrow;

Patented May 29, 1923.

i E ii A JOHN M. HARGRAVE, F CINCINNATI, OHIO.

RATCHET HAND TOOL.

Application filed October 22, 1919. Serial No. 332,514.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M.' HARGRAVE, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ratchet Hand Tools, of which the following specification is a full disclosure.

This inventionv relates to ratchet handles for hand tools such as screw drivers and to devices of this class, operable in either forward or reverse direction of rotation, or rigidly connected with the shank of the tool.

An object of the invention is to provide a pivoted latch or detent, that will lock the pawls either in or out of their operative positions with the ratchet, and the latch or detent so arranged and constructed that it will be sustained in its set position until again manually operated by the user.

A further object is to provide an assembly of the parts ofthetool, whereby the same are held in their operative positions by a single fastening device, which forms a pivot for the latch or detent and holds the cover plate in position. 7

An additional object is to provide a form of 'coverplate that will enclose all the working elements of the device and which will,

39 by its formation and positioning, positively hold the tool shank engaged within the handle.

Other objects are to provide a handle, placed at a right angle to the long'axis of the tool, and to so position the locking-and reversing means, that the lever of the same, when the said handle is held as in use, will be directly beneath the index finger of the operator, enabling him to readily set the to same to its various positions.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear in this specification and will be specifically pointed out in the claim hereunto appended, and reference to the at drawings, which form a part of my specification, will be made. Like numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the drawings, in which: v

Figure 1 is a side elevation, a portion of the casing being broken away to expose 'a portion of one of the locking plates or pawls, and a portion of the spring coaot-ing therewith.

Figure 2 is a central vertical section through the handle of my device, the tool and its ratchet wheel being shown in elevation.

Figure 3 is a cross-section through the tool shank and cover casing, on line 3-3 of Figure 2, the other parts being shown in elevation.

, Figure 4 is an elevation of the cover plate, and contiguous parts, the tool shank or stock being shown in section.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the angular relations of the pivoted latch ordetent in one of its pawl cooperating po sltions, to its pivot and toone of the pawls.

Figure 6 is a face view of the head or base for supportin the working elements.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a head or base portion 1, of substantially rectangular form, provided at one side with an outstanding cylindrical boss 2, designed to fit into a socket 3 of a handle 4, placed at a right angle to the long axis of the tool, and the base portion is further provided on the same side with a relatively thin outstanding arcuate wing or web 5, continuous with the boss 2, projecting below the same, and designed to enter a similarly shaped slot 6 of the handle 4 to which it is fastened by a cross-pin 7. The handle 4 thus may be made of wood although the head and handle portion maybe integral and of the same material.

The head 1 is bored at 8 for the reception of the ratchet wheel 9, as shown herein, formed as an integral part of the tool stock or bit 10, and the said head is counter-bored at 11, for the reception of a reduced cylindrical projection 12 of the stockor bit 10. The head 1 has an inverted substantially T-shaped outstanding projectionlS, to provide opposite pockets 14 for the rigid ratchet plates or pawls 15 of rectangular form, 00 acting respectively at one of their extremities with the ratchet-Wheel 9, and at the other, are shaped to provide knife edges 16 resting upon shoulders 17 of the T-shaped projection 13.

As a result of the formation and positioning of the T-shaped projection 13, reentrant spaces or pockets 14 are formed at each side thereof, for the reception of the pawls 15, and of bowed springs 19, the springs coacting with said pawls to force them into engagement with the ratchetwheel 9, when released by the detent,

The cover plate 20 has, in face View, the

.form of an isosceles trapezoid, flush with the face end of the head, and is provided at its convergent sides with inturned flanges 21, socketed into the opposite sides of the head .by fitting into notches 22 at the top face of the contiguous faces respectively of the ratchet wheel 9 and of a cylindrical grip-portion of the stock 10, from. which the tool projects, the upper portion of the coverplate 20 acting to lock the said tool and its ratchet-wheel securely inv assembled positio-n.v i

The pawls 15 are alternately actuated for engagement with the ratchet-wheel 9, by a locking and reversing detent of unique construction. Said detent represents a sheet metal stamping having a body portion 31 of substantially triangular configuration, and a handle portion 82, bent toproject through an arcuate opening 33 in the cover-plate 20, and the said body portion 31 is drilled for the reception of a pivot-screw 3 1, threaded to coact withv a similarly threaded opening 35 in the head 1. A washer 36 is interposed between the detent 30 and the cover-plate 20, and is provided With

openings

37 and 38 respectively, for the reception of the pivot-screw 34:, and for the handle portion 31 ofthe detent'30. This screw pivots the detent 30 and fastens the, cover-plate in position; the said cover-plate in turn houses the detent and its co-related pawls and springs, and holds the parts together, allowing free rotation of the ratchet,'but preventing axial movement thereof.

Referring to Figure 5 it will be discerned that the detent 30 is positioned centrally between the two pawls 15, and on each side of its central'axis (a), and parallel to the axis and equi-distant' therefrom, the detent is side faces and an acute angle (c) is thus formed between the line (cl) drawn through the center 'of the pivot, and through the point of contactof the corners side faces of the said pawls. By this arrangement the pressure of the springs upon the pawls tends always to lock the detent in operative position. I

' The corner 41 which is *not inengagement with its pawl, contacts an undercut surface 14 of the head 1 to limit the rotation of the detent 30'.

l The paw bers and when engaged with the ratchet wheel act as a'brace against rotation'of the wheel and are capable of resisting heavy wheel turning strains.

Having describedmy invention, '1 claim: In a device of the class described, a handle providing a counterbor efin one face thereof, a tool'providing circumferential ratchet teeth adjacent one end thereof, said end; and teeth rotatively stepped' in said counterbore, with said tool at right angles to said handle, spring pressed pawls engageable simultane ously andindependently with said ratchet teeth, pivoted means for controlling 'said pawls, and'a coverenclosing and: retaining said pawls,-springs, and latch, andhengaging the said ratchet teeth, to retainsaid tool in its counterbore, theplvotfor said controlling means engaging and securing said cover. I i g In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name, as attested by the two subscribing witnesses. 1

JOHN M. HARGRAVE; "Witnesses:

L. A.-Bncn, M. S. BARRON.

41, and the I ls being rigid, non-flexible mem-