US2600177A

US2600177A - Socket wrench extension

Info

Publication number: US2600177A
Application number: US104644A
Authority: US
Inventors: Able Edward Thorne; Krieger Willard
Original assignee: Sweeney Manufacturing Co B K
Current assignee: B K SWEENEY Manufacturing Co; Sweeney Manufacturing Co B K
Priority date: 1949-07-14
Filing date: 1949-07-14
Publication date: 1952-06-10
Anticipated expiration: 1969-06-10

Description

June 10, 1952 ABLE ETAL SOCKET WRENCH EXTENSION 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed July 14, 1949 June 10, 1952 T. ABLE ET AL SOCKET WRENCH EXTENSION 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Filed July 14, 1949 I I L l I I I ll INVENTORS Patented June 10, 1952 SOCKET WRENCH Ex'rENsIoN Edward Thorne Able and Willard Krieger, Denver, 0010., assignors to B. K. Sweeney Mfg. 00., Denver, 0010., a corporation of Colorado Application July 14, 1949, Serial No. 104,644

This invention relates to a socket wrench extension device, more particularly designed for use in reaching and rotating the main bearing nuts on diesel engine crank shafts. In the usual large diesel engine, as employed in locomotive work, theorank cases are accessible only through relatively small doors in the side of the crank case. It is exceedingly difficult to reach and rotate the nuts on the main bearings through these side doors, due to the fact there is not sufficient space below the nuts to operate a conventional socket wrench, and there is not sufficient width in the doors to swing the usual lever-type wrench.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a socket wrench extension device which can be readily inserted through a crank case door of a locomotive type diesel engine, and easily positioned over the main bearing nuts therein, and which can be actuated from the exterior of the crank case. Another object of the invention is to so construct the wrench extension device that the torque effort exerted on the external extremity thereof will be greatly multiplied at the wrench extremity thereof.

A further object is to provide a highly efficient ratcheting mechanism whereby the nuts may be rapidly and easily rotated in either desired direction by a simple oscillating motion at 8 Claims. (01. 81-57) In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a top viewof the improved socket wrench extension device;

Fig. 2 is a vertical, longitudinal section therethrough, taken on the line 22, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal, longitudinal section, taken on the line 3-3, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, detail section, taken on the line 44, Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a similarly enlarged, detail section, taken on the line 55, Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side view of the outer The improved wrench is designed to present a relatively fiat cross-section so that it may be readily inserted in the limited vertical spaces available in the conventional locomotive diesel crank case. The wrench mechanism is enclosed in an elongated flat housing It having a ratchet chamber ll adjacent its inner extremity. The remainder of the housing III is closed by means of a removable cover plate I2 held in place thereon by suitable cap screws IS. The cap plate I2 is provided with a convenient carrying handle I4 positioned adjacent the outer extremity of the housing l0 so as to facilitate the insertion of the inner extremity thereof into the crank case.

A vertical, hollow power shaft I5 is jouinalled in suitable anti-friction bearings I6 in the housing l0 and in suitable bearings I! in the cover plate l2 adjacent the outer extremity of the wrench. A set collar I8 is keyed, as indicated at 19, to the upper extremity of the power shaft l5, and is set thereon by means of a suitable set screw 20 so that the collar will rotate it as a unit with the shaft l5. The shaft is-provided with a non-circular wrench socket 2| for receiving the plug extremity of any suitable wrench device, by means of which the power shaft l5 can be rotated.

The are of rotation of the power shaft I5 is limited by means of a stop arm 22 which is afiixed in and projects from the collar I8 so as to swing into contact with stop pins 23 mounted on the cover plate l2 at the limits of the arc of movement.

A toothed drive pinion 24 is formed or permanently mounted on the power shaft 15 within the housing 10 and is in constant mesh with the teeth of one segment of a double-segment intermediate gear 25. The intermediategear 25 is mounted on an intermediate gear shaft'ZG journalled in anti-friction bearings 21 in the housing It and in similar bearings 28 in the cover plate I2. The teeth of the opposite segment of the double-segment intermediate gear 25 are in constant mesh with teeth 29 of a gear segment formed on the free extremity of-an actuating lever arm 30. The other extremity of the lever arm 30 is transversally and horizontally slotted and is hingedly mounted on a removable wrench socket shaft 3l carrying at its upper extremity a nut socket 32 for receiving and engaging the faces of the nut or bolt to be rotated.

The wrench socket shaft 3| is formed with a plurality of external splines 33 which intermesh with spline grooves formed in a ratchet gear 34 which is mounted on the socket shaft 3| within the transverse slot in the hinged extremity of the operating lever 30.

The shaft 31 is journalled in suitable ball bearings 35 in the top of the ratchet chamber l l and in suitable anti-friction radial bearings 36 in the bottom thereof. The ratchet gear 34 moves as a unit with the socket shaft 3!.

A plurality of ratchet teeth 37 are formed in the periphery of the ratchet gear 3 The ratchet teeth 31 are double acting, that is, they are pointed with equally and oppositely inclined sides forming a plurality of 90 V-shaped grooves in its periphery.

Rotation of the ratchet gear 34 is resisted by means of a pointed, tubular ratchet click 3B which is constantly urged into the notches between the teeth 37 by mean of a click spring 39. The click 38 and its spring 39 are mounted in a removable plug 49 threaded into the extremity of the housing ill.

The oscillations of the lever arm 36 are transmitted to the ratchet geared by means of a generally circular rocking ratchet pawl 4i mounted in a cylindrical pawl cavity 55 in the arm Bil. A pawl pin 42 extends concentrically through the cavity 55 and through the pawl M to retain the latter in its cavity.

The rocking pawl 4! is provided with front and rear faces defining parallel chords of its circular periphery. The front face is provided with a right-hand tooth 43 at one side and a left-hand tooth 44 at the other side. The pawl M and the pin 42 are so positioned that the teeth 3 and 44 can be alternately brought into engagement with the notches between the ratchet teeth 3? by simply swinging the pawl back and forth.

The pawl may be swung by means of a reversing' post 48 having a foot portion 49 which is attached to the top of the pawl 41 by means of suitable attachment screws 56. A pawl-reversing lever projects from the post 48 by means of which it may be rotated. V

The rear face of the ratchet pawl M is pro- .vided with a central holding tooth-45 having equal and oppositelyinclined sides. A springactuated holding plunger 46 is constantly urged against the rear face of the pawl M and against the sides of the tooth 45 by means of a plunger spring 41.

Let us assume that the improved socket wrench 4 extension device has been inserted through the side door of a diesel engine crank case and is resting upon the lower edge of the door opening, with the wrench socket 32 extending upwardly about a main bearing'nut, and that it is desired to tighten the said nut. The reversing lever Si :is swung to the right, causing the plunger 33 to snap over the holding tooth 45 and against the left side thereof, as shown in Fig. 4. This brings the right-hand tooth 33 into contact with the ratchet teeth 3?. A turning bar or actuating lever is now inserted in the wrench socket 2| and swung back and forth, the actuating are being limited by the position of the stop pins 23. The drive pinion 2-! oscillates one extremity of the intermediate gear 25. The other extremity of the latter will oscillate the free extremity of the actuating lever arm 36. As this arm moves clockwise, the pawl 4! will be carried with it and will .tend to rotate clockwise about the pin 52, causing the tooth 43 to climb and snap over the teeth 31. As the tooth 43 climbs the teeth of the ratchet gear,'the holding tooth act against the plunger 46 and compresses the spring 31.

The click 38 prevents the ratchet wheel from rotatin with the return movement of the pawl.

As the actuating arm 30 swings counter-clockwise, the pawl 1! tends to rotate in the same direction about the pin 52 and faces the tooth 423 into the notch between the teeth 31 so as to force the ratchet gear 3 3 to the right, causing the click 38 to ride over the ratchet teeth. The rotation of the ratchet gear 3 is transmitted through the splines 33 to the nut socket 32, and from thence to the nut in place therein.

To unscrew the nut, it is only necessary to swing the reversing lever 5| to the left to place the left-hand tooth M in contact with the teeth 4'! and to place the holding plunger 46 on the opposite side of the central holding tooth 45.

It will be noted that a multiplied torque is obtained proportional to the difierence in pitch radius between the drive pinion 2 3 and the actuating lever arm 30. The stop pins 23 are so positioned that the arc of movement of the intermediate gear 25 will be limited to the confines of'the housing Hi. Dowel pins 54 are provided in the housing Ill which enter receiving openings in the cover plate 12 to facilitate the positioning of the latter over the various shafts in the housing l0. 7

The socket shaft 3! can be simply lifted from place and replaced by others to suit the particular nuts beingworked upon.

It is desired to call attention to the fact that the pawl M is generally circular and that it fits snugly into the cylindrical socket 55 so that the reactive thrust of the pawl is absorbed by the wall of the socket 55, and not by the'pin 42. Therefore, much greater stresses can be sustained than would be accommodated by the cross-section of the pin 12.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein,'it is to be understood that the same may be 'varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Havingthus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An extension wrench device comprising: an elongated housing; a power shaft provided with a wrench-receiving socket mounted in the outer extremity of said housing; a wrench shaft provided with a nut-receiving socket mounted in the inner extremity of said housing; a toothed drive pinion fixedly mounted on said power shaft; a lever arm of greater length than width rotatably mounted on said wrench shaft and projecting to one side only of the latter; an intermediate gear positioned between said pinion and the free extremity of said lever arm within said housing and in mesh with said drive pinion; teeth on the free extremity of said lever arm in mesh with said intermediate gear so that oscillation of said power shaft will be transmitted through said intermediate gear to said lever arm; and means transmitting the oscillation of said lever arm to said wrench shaft.

2. An extension'wrench device comprising: an elongated housing; a power shaft provided with a wrench-receiving socket mounted in the outer extremity of said housing; a wrench shaft provided with a nut-receiving socket mounted in the inner extremity of said housing; a toothed drive pinion fixedly mounted on said power shaft; a lever arm of greater length than width rotatably mounted on said wrench shaft and projecting to Elm 1W tremity of said fever armwithm said housing and in mesh with said drive pinion; teeth on the free extremity of said lever arm: in mesh: with saidintermediate gear so that-oscillationof. said power shaft will be transmitted. through said intermediate gear to said lever arm; a ratchet, gear affixed on said wrench shaft; 3:11.413, ratchet pawl mounted in an opening formed in said lever arm adjacent said ratchet gear and acting against said ratchet gear to transmit the oscillaticar. of said lever am into rotation of said wrench shaft.

3;. An extension wrench. device comprising: an elongated housing of greater length than width; a power shaft provided with a wrench-receiving socket mounted in the outer extremity of said housing; a wrench shaft provided with a nut receiving socket mounted in the inner extremity of said housing; a toothed drive pinion fixedly mounted on said power shaft; a lever arm of greater length than width rotatably mounted on said wrench shaft and projecting to one side only of the latter; an intermediate gear positioned between said pinion and the free extremity of said lever arm within said housing and in mesh with said drive pinion; teeth on the free extremity of said lever arm in mesh with said intermediate gear so that oscillation of said power shaft will be transmitted through said intermediate gear to said lever arm; a ratchet gear afflxed on said wrench shaft; a ratchet pawl mounted in an opening formed in said lever arm adjacent said ratchet gear and acting against said ratchet gear to transmit the oscillation of said lever arm into rotation of said wrench shaft, the width of said housing acting'to limit the arc of movement of said lever arm to less than 360.

4. An extension wrench device comprising: an elongated housing of greater length than width; 2:. power shaft provided with a wrench-receiving socket mounted in the outer extremity of said housing; a wrench shaft provided with a nutreceiving socket mounted in the inner extremity of said housing; a toothed drive pinion fixedly mounted on said power shaft; a lever arm of greater length than width rotatably mounted on said wrench shaft and projecting to one side only of the latter; an intermediate gear positioned'between said pinion and the free extremity of said lever arm within said housing and in mesh with said drive pinion; teeth on the free extremity of said lever arm in mesh with said intermediate gear so that oscillation of said power shaft will be transmitted through said intermediate gear." to said lever arm; a ratchet gear aflixed on said wrench shaft; a ratchet pawl rotatably mounted in said lever arm and engaging said ratchet gear to transmit movement from said lever 'arm to said wrench shaft, said intermediate gear having a greater length than width so as to correspond to the shape of the elongated housing, the width of said housing limiting the arc of rotation of said intermediate gear to less than 360.

5. An extension wrench device comprising: an elongated housing of greater length than width; 1!. power shaft provided with a wrench-receiving socket mounted in the outer extremity of said housing, a wrench shaft provided with a nutreceiving socket mounted in the inner extremity of said housing; a toothed drive pinion fixedly mounted on said power shaft; a lever arm of greater length than width rotatably mounted on said wrench shaft and projecting to one side .6 v or the latter; an intermediate-shaft in ...i..d. housing intcrmediate said wrench shaft and said power shaft; a. relatively narrow, double! segment, intermediate gear or greater-- length -.-than width mounted on said intermediate shaft,

the segments of said gear extending in opposite aligned directions, the drive pinion being in mesh with one of saidsegments; teeth on the free extremity of said lever arm in mesh with the other of said s ments so that c cillaticnof said p w shaft. will be transmitted through saidintermediate gear to said lever arm; and. ratchet means mounted on said lever arm for" rotating said ratchet gear in consequence of the oscillation of said lever arms, the width of said housing being insufficient to allow complete rotation of said intermediate gear.

6. An extension wrench device comprising: an elongated housing of greater length than width; a power shaft provided with a wrench-receiving socket mounted in the outer extremity of said housing; a wrench shaft provided with a nutreceiving socket mounted in the inner extremity of said housing; a toothed drive pinion fixedly mounted on said power shaft; an intermediate shaft in said housing; an intermediate gear of greater length than width rotatably mounted on said intermediate shaft in mesh, at one ex- ,tremity with said drive gear; an elongated lever arm; teeth in one extremity of said lever arm in mesh with the opposite extremity of said intermediate gear; a shaft opening in the other extremity of said lever arm axially parallel to said drive and intermediate shafts, the latter extremity of the lever arm being slotted in a plane at right angles to the axis of said shaft opening; a wrench shaft passing through and rotatable within said opening; a ratchet gear keyed on said wrench shaft within the slot in said lever arm; means journalling said wrench shaft in said housing; and ratchet means mounted on said lever arm and engaging said ratchet gear to rotate the latter in consequence of oscillation of .said lever arm the width of said housing being insufiicient to allow complete rotation of said intermediate gear and said lever arm.

7. An extension wrench device comprising: an elongated, relatively flat housing; a hollow power shaft journalled in said housing and extending 'therethrough adjacent one extremity of the latbifurcated to receive said ratchet gear, and being hingedly connected with said socket shaft on both sides of said ratchet gear, the other extremity of said lever arm being in mesh with the other segment of said double-segment gear; doubleacting, peripheral ratchet teeth on said ratchet gear; a reversible ratchet pawl mounted in, and

. movable with, said actuating lever and contacting said teeth; and pawl-reversing means mounted on said pawl and extending to the exterior of said housing.

8. An extension wrench device as described in claim 7 in which the wrench socket shaft is axially withdrawable from the ratchet gear for interchange purposes, and having means for slidable engagement between said socket shaft and said ratchet gear for communicating the rotation of the latter to the former.

EDWARD 'I'HORNE ABLE.- WIILARD KRIEGER.

REFERENCES CITED 9 The following references are of record in the the of this patent:

Number Number 8 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Clement Oct. 12, 1886 Spengler Apr; 26, 1898 Van Der Werfi Apr. 1, 1913 Wilson Oct. '7, 1924 Kress -4 May 8, 1934 Walton Aug. 21, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France May 16, 1904 Great Britain July 29, 1909