US3349654A

US3349654A - Combined spanner and ratchet wrench

Info

Publication number: US3349654A
Application number: US491264A
Authority: US
Inventors: Nordgren Simon Nils
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-02-03
Filing date: 1965-09-29
Publication date: 1967-10-31
Anticipated expiration: 1984-10-31
Also published as: DE1603954A1; CH450316A; NL6601203A; AT286897B; GB1127194A

Description

Oct. 31, 1967 s. NLNORDGREN 3,349,654

I I COMBINED SPANNER AND RATCHET WRENCH Filed Sept. 29, 1965 3 SheetsSh eet 1 Fig 1 Oct. 31, 1967 s. N. NORDGREN 3,349,654

COMBINED SPANNER AND RATCHET WRENCH Filed Sept. 29, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 s. N. NORDGREN 3,349,654.

COMBINED SPANNER AND RATCHET WRENCH Oct. 31 1967 Filed Sept, 29, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 7

United States Patent 3,349,654 COMBINED SPANNER AND RATCHET WRENCH Simon Nils Nordgren, 14 Centralvagen, Rimbo, Sweden Filed Sept. 29, 1965, Ser. No. 491,264 Claims priority, application Sweden, Feb. 3, 1965, 1,400/ 65 7 Claims. (Cl. 81-126) The present invention relates to a combined spanner and ratchet wrench. The setting of the desired spanner opening in such spanners is carried out in the same manner as in conventional spanners, i.e. the jaws are first set apart so much as to allow the respective nut or screw head to be introduced between the jaws, after which the jaws are brought together by means of the worm, until they bear on the side faces of the nut or screw head.

It has in this case proved to require a certain degree of attention to decide when the right distance between the jaws is reached. This is due to the fact that, when the jaws come into contact with the nut or screw head, further turning of the worm may be possible. Further turning of the worm is made possible by the fact that the handle is pivoted to the spanner head and can turn in relation to the spanner head. The turning of the worm is stopped only after the said turning action has reached its limit. However, this means, firstly, that the spanner handle has taken a false working position in relation to the spanner head, and, secondly, that the so-called blocking function of the spanner is totally jeopardized. In order to prevent the occurrence of such conditions, the spanner may be provided with a locking device between the handle and the head, so that these two, during the moment of setting the jaws, may be fixed in their normal mutual working position. However, this means that a supplementary operation is introduced with respect to the setting of the desirable spanner opening, which should, of course, be avoided if possible. Even if such a locking device is made spring loaded, it involves a supplementary operation to release the locking device if it is desirable to utilize the blocking function.

The present invention has for its object to eliminate the above drawbacks substantially by making the spanner in accordance with the invention. By a suitable embodiment of the cooperating contact surfaces of the spacer and the ratchet member, it is possible to achieve a condition in which the ratchet member remains in its blocking position even when trying to continue the turning of the worm after the jaws have been brought to bear on the nut or the screw head.

'In particular, the contact surface of the spacer may be made in such a manner that it forms a ridge extending longitudinally in parallel with the pivot axis of the handle and that the ratchet member has a recess corresponding to the said ridge. The ridge should then be disposed, at least partly, within a circle face defined by the core or minor diameter of the worm, and preferably be eccentric with respect to the center of the worm as well as being displaced in the direction of the pivot axis of the spanner handle. The contact surface of the spacer facing the ratchet member is preferably made convex with a substantially V-shaped profile with the ridge disposed at the apex of the angle thus formed. The said angle should be of the magnitude of 90 to 180 and its bisector plane should intersect the central axis of the worm at a point located on the same side of the spacer as the worm.

Alternatively the contact surfaces may, at least partly, have a cylindrical shape with an axis center at least approximately coinciding with the pivot center of the spanner handle.

The spacer is preferably provided with two contact surfaces cooperating each with one of the legs of the fork-lik 3,341,654 Patented Oct. 31, 1967 ratchet member, while the portion of the spacer between the said surfaces consists of a disc or plate having substantially parallel flat faces. The contact surfaces may in this case be inclined in such a manner that the legs of the fork-like ratchet member have a tendency to approach each other under the action of the contact surfaces of the spacer.

The invention provides for a reliable self-locking means between the handle and the spanner head so that when the displace-able jaw is in its fixed position, it will not be possible to bring the ratchet member out of its blocking position by turning the worm.

The invention will be more fully described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing showing an embodiment of the invention by way of example.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation diagrammatically illustrating a combined spanner and ratchet wrench according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the same device;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the spanner head and adjacent portions of the spanner handle on a larger scale;

FIG. 4 is a section along line IVIV of FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5 and 6 show a detail of the spacer in a side and an end view, respectively, and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view illustrating a modification.

The spanner and ratchet wrench as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 comprises a spanner head 1, carrying the stationary jaw 2, and a handle 3-, which by means of a pivot 4, the axis of which is perpendicular to the main or pivot plane, is pivoted to the spanner head 1. The movable jaw 5 of the spanner is in a conventional manner provided with a rack 6 and displaceable by means of the latter and a warm 7 cooperating with the same. The worm 7 is, in turn, displaceably arranged in an aperture 8 in the spanner head 1 and mounted on a spindle 9 screwed into the spanner head (FIG. 3).

The front end of the handle 3, which is connected to the spanner head 1, is fork-like and forms a track, into which a tongue 10 of the spanner head 1 projects, thus providing good guidance between the handle 3 and the spanner head 1. The legs of the fork-like handle end form a ratchet member comprising two fingers or projections 11 which act, by way of a washer-like spacer 12, On the worm 7 and displace it from the one lower limit to the other top limit, when the handle 3 is pivoted with respect to the spanner head 1 about the pivot 4 in the direction indicated by arrow A in FIG. 1. The projections 11 fix the worm 7 in its upper position as shown in FIG. 1, and thus also fix the movable jaw 5 in its working position.

A spring 14 is provided in an aperture 13 (FIG. 3) of the centrally projecting tongue 10 of the spanner head 1.

The spring 14 is inserted between the tongue 10 and the legs of the handle 5 in such a manner that it tends to bring the ratchet member into its blocking position, i.e. the position shown in FIG. 1. The handle 3 and the spanner head 1 may be provided with special stop faces which, with the parts in their working positions, bear on each other and in this way fix the handle 3 and the spanner head 1 in their mutual position. Such stop faces may, for example, be arranged along the separating line 15 between the handle 3 and the spanner head 1 or the separating line 16 between the tongue 10 of the spanner head 1 and the bottom of the track between the two legs of the handle 3. In this case, between the upper end of the worm 7 and the aperture 8 in the spanner head 1, in

which the worm 7 is provided, there should preferably be a spring tending-to push the worm 7 downward to eliminate any possible axial play of the worm 7 when the ratchet member takes its blocking position. The said spring may optionally also be arranged to have a certain braking effect on the worm 7 when rotated. Alternatively, the said spring may be omitted. However, it may then be of advantage instead to let the stop faces be identical with the upper end faces of the worm 7 and the adjacent face of the aperture 8 for the worm in the spanner head 1.

According to the invention, the cooperating contact surfaces of the spacer 12 and the ratchet member are made in such a manner that the line of action of the force resultant which is active between the faces in the blocking position (FIGURE 1) passes through or so close to the pivoting center of the handle 3 that no torque, or in any case only an insignificant torque, acts on the handle 3 with respect to its pivot point 4 when setting the spanner opening by turning the worm 7. In the embodiment illustrated in the drawing, it will be seen more clearly in FIG. 3 how the contact surfaces may be developed. According to FIG. 3 the handle 3 is assumed to pivot about the pivot 4 in the direction of arrow B and the spanner opening to open so that the jaws 2 and 5 pass over the corners of a nut or a screw head 17 (FIG. 3) placed in the spanner opening. In a certain position, the free-going position, the spanner can rotate freely about the nut or screw head 17 without clamping the same. The worm 7 is then in its lower end position, which is made possible by the ratchet member projections 11 being pushed aside so much when pivoting the handle that it will not prevent the worm 7 from being displaced to its lower limit.

The two contact surfaces of the spacer 12 facing the projections 11 of the ratchet member are provided each with a ridge 18 (FIGS. 5, 6). Each ridge extends longitudinally in parallel with the pivot axis 4 of the handle. The projections 11 have each a recess 19 cooperating with the ridge 18. The ridges 18 and the recesses 19 are displaced slightly laterally in relation to the central axis of the worm 7 towards the pivot 4, but only an amount so that they are at least partly positioned within the cylinder face 20 defined by the core or minor diameter of the worm 7, the core in effect overlapping a portion of each ridge. The contact surfaces are of such a shape that the spacer 12, as seen from the side, has a convex, substantially V-shaped profile, the angle a (FIG. 5) thus formed being of the magnitude of 90 to 180. The angles b and (FIG. may be mutually of the same size. The angle b may, however, optionally be slightly greater than angle 0, so that the bisector plane of angle a intersects the central axis of the worm 7 at a point located on the same side of the spacer 12 as the worm 7. The portion 12a (FIG. 5) of the contact surface of the spacer has an inclination which facilitates the cooperation between the same and the extreme part of the finger 11 when the set screw 7 and the spacer 12 are in their lowermost positions and are brought into the position shown in FIG. 1 by the finger 11. The part 12b (FIG. 5) has an inclination such that a good wedging or blocking effect is obtained between the same and the corresponding contact surface of the finger 11 in the blocking position as shown in FIG. 1, thereby securing a specially firm grip about the nut or screw head.

The part faces 12a and 12b are, as will be seen by FIGS. 5 and 6, made as substantially plane faces, which may be of advantage from a manufacturing point of view. Other shapes of the said faces may, however, be considered. For instance, the face 12b may be cylindrical with its center positioned in the pivot center 4, (see FIG. 7) or at least adjacent to the same and preferably between the central line of the worm 7 and the said center 4.

Since either of the bearing faces may have the one shape or any other shape, the spacer 12, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, may be provided with a portion 21 between the bearing faces, the portion 21 being a disc or the like, at least substantially parallel in plane. The portion 21 should not be wider than the distance between the fingers 11 of the ratchet member, as is illustrated in FIG. 4. The portion 21 may thus, in the position shown in FIG. 1, project between the fingers 11 and prevent the spacer 12 from turning about the worm 7. In order to prevent such rotation when the ratchet member 11 is brought out of engagement with the spacer 12, the spacer 12 is provided with special projections 22 cooperating with the central tongue 10 of the spanner head 1.

As shown with dash-dot-line in FIG. 6, the contact surfaces may alternately be made with such an inclination that by the pressure between the fingers 11 and the spacer 12 the fingers are under the influence of a force directed inwards opposing or preventing their bringing apart during the operational phase, i.e. when the spanner is turned in the direction of arrow A. The worm 7 and the spacer 12 may, as shown in FIG. 3, be arranged to be under the influence of a spring 23 tending to return the said means to their upper limits, as shown in the figure.

The set screw 7 and the spacer 12 may be made interconnected to form a unit, for example, in the manner as shown and described in my copending application Ser. No. 467,940 and be provided with braking means, which may also, for example, be of the kind described in said copending application and by which any involuntary turning of the worm is prevented.

The spanner or ratchet wrench described hereinbefore and illustrated in the drawings may be modified as to its various means and details in one or several respects within the scope of the invention. The invention shall thus be regarded as including every other shape of the contact surfaces of the spacer and/or the ratchet member which is practically workable and totally or at least approximately prevents or makes impossible any turning of the handle about its pivoting center by turning the worm. Even a more or less concave shape of the contact surface of the spacer 12 and/ or a corresponding convex shape of the contact surface of the ratchet member 11 may thus under these circumstances be embraced by the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A combined spanner and ratchet wrench comprising a spanner head having a stationary jaw and a movable jaw, a handle pivotally mounted to said spanner head for movement about a pivotal axis, means for adjusting the movable jaw relative to said stationary jaw to set the spanner opening including a rack on the movable jaw, and a screw means engaging said rack, the axis of said screw means being located to one side of said pivotal axis of said handle, means mounting said screw means for axial displacement, means for locking said screw means in a working position thereof including a member connected to said handle for movement therewith and a spacer positioned in contacting relation between said member and said screw means when said handle is in a position to lock said spacer and said screw means and means fixing said spacer against rotation about the axis of the screw means, said spacer and said member having cooperating contact surfaces so shaped that in said locking position the effective line of the force resultant which is active between said cooperating contact surfaces passes sufficiently close to the said pivotal axis of said handle so that, at most, only an insignificant amount of torque may act on said handle to pivot the same about its pivotal axis when the spanner opening is bemg set by turning the screw means, said cooperating contact surface of said spacer forming a ridge extending transversely substantially in parallel with the pivotal axis of said handle, and said member having a recess corresponding in shape to said ridge.

2. A wrench according to claim 1 wherein said ridge is disposed in eccentric relation with respect to the center axis of said screw means in the direction toward the pivotal axis of said handle, and is located so that the cylinder defined by the core of the screw means is in overlapping relationship with at least a portion of said ridge.

3. A wrench according to claim 1 wherein the contact surface of said portion of said spacer facing said member has a convex, substantially V-shaped profile with said ridge disposed at the angular apex thereof, the included angle of said apex being between 90 and 180.

4. A wrench according to claim 3 wherein the bisector plane of said angle of the V-shaped contact surface intersects the center line of said screw means at a point located on the same side of said spacer as said screw means.

5. A wrench according to claim 1 wherein the contact surfaces are at least partly of a circular cylindrical shape, the axial center at least approximately coinciding with the pivot of said handle.

6. A wrench according to claim 1 wherein said member has a fork-like shape comprising a pair of legs, said spacer has two contact surfaces cooperating with the legs of said member and a central portion between said forklike legs having a pair of parallel walls projecting between said legs to prevent turning of said spacer.

7. A combined spanner and ratchet wrench comprising a spanner head having a stationary jaw and a movable jaw, a handle pivotally mounted to said spanner head for movement about a pivot, means for adjusting the movable jaw relative to said stationary jaw to set the spanner opening including a rack on the movable jaw, and a screw means engaging said rack to effect movement thereof, the axis of said screw means being located to one side of said pivot of said handle, means mounting said screw means for axial displacement, means for locking said screw means in a working position thereof including a member connected to said handle for movement therewith and a spacer positioned in contacting relation between said member and said screw means when said handle is in a position wherein said member blocks movement of said spacer and said screw means, and means fixing said spacer against rotation about the axis of the screw means, the contact surface of said spacer facing said member and the cooperating contact surface of said member conforming to each other, said contact surfaces defining a ridge extending parallel to the pivot of said handle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,490,903 4/1924 Anderson 81-165 X 2,232,259 2/1941 Morgan 81-105 X 2,765,690 10/1956 Mayer 81-127 2,970,502 2/1961 Nordgren 81-165 X WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner. M. S. MEHR, Examiner.

Claims

1. A COMBINED SPANNER AND RATCHET WRENCH COMPRISING A SPANNER HEAD HAVING A STATIONARY JAW AND A MOVABLE JAW, A HANDLE PIVOTALLY MOUNTED TO SAID SPANNER HEAD FOR MOVEMENT ABOUT A PIVOTAL AXIS, MEANS FOR ADJUSTING THE MOVABLE JAW RELATIVE TO SAID STATIONARY JAW TO SET THE SPANNER OPENING INCLUDING A RACK ON THE MOVABLE JAW, AND A SCREW MEANS ENGAGING SAID RACK, THE AXIS OF SAID SCREW MEANS BEING LOCATED TO ONE SIDE OF SAID PIVOTAL AXIS OF SAID HANDLE, MEANS MOUNTING SAID SCREW MEANS FOR AXIAL DISPLACEMENT, MEANS FOR LOCKING SAID SCREW MEANS IN A WORKING POSITION THEREOF INCLUDING A MEMBER CONNECTED TO SAID HANDLE FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH AND A SPACER POSITIONED IN CONTACTING RELATION BETWEEN SAID MEMBER AND SAID SCREW MEANS WHEN SAID HANDLE IS IN A POSITION TO LOCK SAID SPACER AND SAID SCREW MEANS AND MEANS FIXING SAID SPACER AGAINST ROTATION ABOUT THE AXIS OF THE SCREW MEANS, SAID SPACER AND SAID MEMBER HAVING COOPERATING CONTACT SURFACES SO SHAPED THAT IN SAID LOCKING POSITON THE EFFECTIVE LINE OF THE FORCE RESULTANT WHICH IS ACTIVE BETWEEN SAID COOPERATING CONTACT SURFACES PASSES SUFFICIENTLY CLOSE TO THE SAID PIVOTAL AXIS OF SAID HANDLE SO THAT, AT MOST, ONLY AN INSIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TORQUE MAY ACT ON SAID HANDLE TO PIVOT THE SAME ABOUT ITS PIVOTAL AXIS WHEN THE SPANNER OPENING IS BEING SET BY TURNING THE SCREW MEANS, SAID COOPERATING CONTACT SURFACE OF SAID SPACER FORMING A RIDGE EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY SUBSTANTIALLY IN PARALLEL WITH THE PIVOTAL AXIS OF SAID HANDLE, AND SAID MEMBER HAVING A RECESS CORRESPONDING IN SHAPE TO SAID RIDGE.