US3659484A

US3659484A - Reversible ratchet wrench with interlocked assembly

Info

Publication number: US3659484A
Application number: US47374A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gino L Scodeller
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-06-18
Filing date: 1970-06-18
Publication date: 1972-05-02
Anticipated expiration: 1989-05-02

Abstract

A reversible wrench with a ratchet and pawl mounted in respective apertures of a one-piece head and held in the head by a common retaining member. In one form, the head has a movable handle attached to it, the position of the handle relative to the head determining the ratchet drive direction, the handle being provided with an extension which acts as the common retaining member and holds the ratchet and pawl within the head regardless of handle position.

Description

United States Patent Scodeller 51 May2, 1972 [54] REVERSIBLE RATCHET WRENCH WITH INTERLOCKED ASSEMBLY 1,177,764 4/1916 Dodge ..81/62 1,890,213 12/1932 Cameron et al ..81/62 X 2,590,387 3/1952 Dodge ..81/62 1,883,618 10/1932 Dodge ..81/63 Primary Examiner-James L. Jones, Jr. Attorney-Armand G. Guibert [57] ABSTRACT A reversible wrench with a ratchet and pawl mounted in respective apertures of a one-piece head and held in the head by a common retaining member. In one form, the head has a movable handle attached to it, the position of the handle relative to the head determining the ratchet drive direction, the handle being provided with an extension which acts as the common retaining member and holds the ratchet and pawl within the head regardless of handle position.

20 Claims, 13 Drawing Figures PATENTEDIAY 21912 SHEET 1 OF 2 R mE L EL M m0 C S O W G HIS AGENT PATENTEDMAY 2 1972 3, 659,484

SHEET 20F 2 INVENTOR GINO SCODELLER REVERSIBLE RATCHE'I WRENCH WITH INTERLOCKED ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention disclosed herein relates to reversible ratchet wrenches, and more particularly to those having movable handles (or movable members in the handles) for determining the drive direction of the ratchet.

2. Description of the Prior Art Reversible ratchet wrenches have long been known. According to this prior art, the ratchet and paw] members have been retained in the head by means of covers held in place by several screws, and reversal of the drive direction of the ratchet has been determined by the setting of control members located on the head or in the handle. These wrenches have been generally satisfactory, but require a multiplicity of pans. Further, the screws tend to come loose, often allowing the cover to float such that the operative relation between ratchet and pawl is affected detrimentally.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to provide an improved ratchet wrench having a smaller number of parts because some serve a dual function.

It is another object of the invention to provide a ratchet wrench having a one-piece body containing a ratchet, a pawl, and a common retainer for holding both ratchet and pawl in the one-piece body.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a ratchet wrench which has a one-piece body into which can be inserted a ratchet, a pawl, and a handle, the insertion of the handle to a detented position serving to lock the assembly together.

The invention basically is a reversible ratchet wrench of the type having ratchet and pawl members, the wrench comprising a one-piece body having openings in which the ratchet and pawl members are disposed in reversible driving engagement, the ratchet and pawl members being held in the body by common interaction with a retainer inserted within the one-piece body.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of the ratchet wrench according to the invention, cut-away portions showing the interaction of the head, ratchet, pawl and handle;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section view of the head alone along plane A-A;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the pawl-driving end of the handle in which the plunger is mounted eccentrically;

FIG. 4 is an elevation view of the ratchet showing the engagement with a tongue projecting from the pawl-driving end of the handle shown in FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5a, b, and c are respectively front, side, and elevation views of the double-toothed pawl of FIG. 1, FIG. 5b also shows engagement between the pawl and the tongue projecting from the pawl-driving end of the handle;

FIG. 5d is a cross-section view of the pawl along plane B-B of FIG. 5c;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the pawl-driving end of the handle in which the plunger is mounted askew of the handles axis;

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of a reversible wrench according to an alternate embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a crosssection view along plane D-D of the pawl shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the assembled wrench shown in exploded view in FIG. 7; and

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a rotatable handle as the reversing means for the wrench of FIGS. 7 and 9.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of an improved ratchet wrench 10, which is intended primarily for snap-on tools, such as socket wrenches, although it could also be used as a threading die wrench or other tool driver. The improved wrench 10, according to the first embodiment, comprises a one-piece body 14, hereinafter referred to as head 14, and a handle 12 inserted within head 14, the handle being rotatable with respect to its longitudinal axis for purposes of drive-direction control of tool driver 16, as will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, a double-tooth pawl member 18 engages a circular ratchet 13 forming part of the tool driver 16. In the position shown in FIG. 1, the handle 12 is so oriented that it urges the upper one of the two teeth 15 on pawl 18 such that it falls between the teeth of ratchet 13. In the position shown, pawl tooth 15 is in locking engagement with ratchet 13 for counterclockwise rotation of head 14, but in yieldable engagement with respect to clockwise rotation of head 14.

Engagement is controlled by means of a plunger 22 located in the end of handle 12 adjacent to the pawl 18. Plunger 22, mounted eccentrically with respect to the axis of handle 12 in FIG. 3, is driven leftward by means of a spring 11 shown in the cut-out,'FIG. 3, and cooperates with a surface 23 on pawl 18, (FIG. 5b). The plunger 22 could be skewed with respect to the axis of handle 12, as shown in FIG. 6, with a protrusion 34 being present to provide additional support with minimum interference with the sides of surface 23, which may also be formed by drilling a clearance hole into the back of pawl 18 rather than milling the fiat surface 23 shown in FIG. 5b. In such case, the skewed position of plunger 22 is referred as it cooperates most readily with the conical shape of the base of the drilled hole (shown more clearly, though without a through-passage, in FIG. 8, detailing the pawl member of the alternate embodiment described subsequently).

If handle 12 were to be rotated from the position shown in FIG. 1 that is, with plunger 22 below the axis of handle 12 rather than above it as depicted in FIG. I then plunger 22, still urged leftward by spring 11, would cause pawl 18 to rotate clockwise and bring the lower one of the two teeth 15 into engagement with the mating teeth of ratchet 13. For greater strength, as shown in FIG. 4, a duplicate of ratchet 13 may be positioned on the other side of a groove 21 which is present for purposes described subsequently.

Pawl 18 is guided for the above-mentioned oscillation by means of its circular top 26 and a stud l7 seen at the bottom in the elevation views of FIGS. 5a, b, 0. These portions of pawl 18 engage

mating holes

17a, 26a in head 14, as seen in FIG. 2. The handle 12 is kept in the position to which it has been rotated for purposes of controlling pawl 18 by means of two detents 24 mounted at right angles to the axis of handle 12, as seen in FIG. 1, these detents being urged by a spring 27 (shown only partially in the cut-away portion of handle 12 in FIG. 1 into engagement with a pair of holes 29 in head 14.

For economy and ease of assembly, handle 12 is also made to serve the function of holding the entire assembly together. This is achieved, see FIG. 3, by means of an extension of handle 12, i.e., a cylindrical tongue 20 projecting from that end of handle 12 which has plunger 22 mounted in it. Tongue 20 passes through a mating hole 19 in pawl 18 to engage the groove 21 in tool driver 16, as can be seen from FIGS. Sb and 4, respectively. Because of the required oscillation of pawl 18 for reversal of the drive-direction, hole 19 must have its lateral edges 25 appropriately chamfered or elongated as shown in FIGS. 5a and 50. Once handle 12 is inserted into head 14 with

members

16 and 18 in proper position that is, assuming the orientation of head 14 shown in FIG. 2, with

members

16 and 18 oriented as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5b, the tool driver 16 being held up either manually or by a clamp, in known fashion, during the assembly process then tongue 20 locks the assembly together, i.e., the

parts

16, 18 are positively held in head 14. Tool driver 16 is then free to rotate in head 14 because of a sliding fit between the

cylindrical surfaces

31 and 32 on driver 16 and the mating holes 31a and 32a, respectively, but is substantially fixed axially because of the locking action between tongue 20 and groove 21. The opposed orientation of driver 16 and pawl 18 is of importance because it contributes to the strength of the assembly. This is so because an end load applied to either of these members in the direction tending to remove that member from head 14 is opposed by the other member through the action of tongue 20, which has a close fit in groove 21 and in hole 19.

I Detents 24, shown projecting through the chamfered holes 29 located 180 apart (see FIG. 1) in head 14, define the angular positions of handle 12 for nonnal drive and reversed drive, as mentioned previously. Further, they serve to hold the entire assembly together regardless of the handle orientation because of a circumferential groove 28 located within head 14 at right angles to the axis of handle 12. The groove 28, shown in FIG. 2, is of a width to match detents 24 and allows rotation, but no axial movement of the handle, unless the detents 24 are simultaneously depressed to a clearance position for purposes of disassembly, as is obvious.

An alternate embodiment of the invention permitting a thinner cross section for the one-piece body and a greater area of contact between the teeth of the pawl and ratchet members will now be described. FIG. 7 shows an exploded view of the wrench (except the handle) according to the alternate embodiment. The head 35, shown in cross section similar to FIG. 2 for the first embodiment, now has a groove 37 cut in the hole 32a. Groove-37 is of such a depth that it cuts through the wall of the adjacent hole 17a which receives the stud 17 of the double-toothed pawl. In this alternate embodiment, a modified pawl 38 is used, differing from previously-described pawl 18 not only in that it is shorter, as required by the thinner cross section of the head 35, but also because of the presence of a groove 39 on the exterior of stud l7. Groove 39 is identical in width to the groove 37 described above and is so located axially on stud 17 that the two grooves are aligned when pawl 38 is placed in head 35.

The tool-bearing member 36 of the alternate embodiment differs from that of thefirst embodiment because there is no groove at the midplane of its ratchet teeth 33 (the smaller tool driver 16a shown on the lower end of member 36 does not form part of the invention according to the alternate embodiment, but is included to help relate the views in FIGS. 7 and 9). When tool-bearing member 36 is inserted into its respective opening in head 35, as shown by the corresponding dotted line in FIG. 7, it will move upward until the edge 46 of ratchet 33 abuts against the internal surface 45 of head 35. In this position, the opposite edge 47 of ratchet 33 will clear the groove 37, and by use of appropriate known compression tools, a retainer 40, consisting of a ring known in the art as a C-ring, may be inserted in groove 39 and allowed to expand to lock it in groove 39 thus preventing removal of tool-bearing member 36 because of the interaction between edge 47 and the ring 40, which has an inner diameter 41 smaller than the diameter of ratchet 33 even with ring 40 expanded. The expanded diameter 42 of ring 40 is large enough to cause ring 40 I to penetrate into groove 39 of pawl 38s stud 17, when received in its mating hole 17a. Pawl 38 is thus simultaneously retained in head 35, though still free to rotate as the tool is operated. In this alternate embodiment, the retaining and reversing means are dissociated, and other known reversing means based on slides or levers could be used with a solid handle as part of the one-piece body, but the rotatable type described in connection with the first embodiment is preferred. For this purpose, as shown in FIG. 10, there is used a handle 33 having a protrusion 34 at its end, with springdriven plunger 22 mounted askew of the handle's axis, but the tongue 20 being absent in comparison with FIG. 6. The pawl 38 with which handle 33 operates, differs from pawl 18 originally described not only because of the presence of the above-mentioned groove 39 on stud 17, but because of the absence of the no-longer needed through-passage 19 and the use of a drilled hole 43 (see FIG. 8) to form the conical surface 44 found most suitable for cooperation with the skewed orientation of plunger 22. As will be evident to those skilled in the art, the above-described embodiments of the invention are subject to various modifications, the invention being applicable to other tools, such as box wrenches, threading die wrenches, etc. The detailed descriptions are therefore given merely by way of illustration and example, with the intention that the spirit and scope of the invention be limited only by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a reversible drive wrench of the type having ratchet I and pawl members, the combination comprising a one-piece body having respective apertures for receiving said ratchet and pawl members disposable in reversible driving engagement,

a retainer inserted within said one-body, and

means on said ratchet and pawl members interacting solely with said inserted retainer for positively holding said members in said one-piece body independent of the disposition of said members.

2. A reversible drive wrench as defined in claim 1 wherein said body has an internal surface, one of said members has opposing cylindrical edges, and said interacting means comprise a circumferential groove on the exterior'of the other of said members, said inserted retainer cooperating with said groove and one said edge, said other edge of said one member abutting against said internal surface.

3. A reversible drive wrench as defined in claim 2 wherein said ratchet has a substantially cylindrical portion and said ratchet member receiving aperture is correspondingly cylindrical, said inserted retainer being mounted within said body by means of a circumferential groove in one said aperture.

4. A reversible drive wrench as defined in claim 3, wherein said ratchet member has said cylindrical edges and said pawl member has said exterior groove, said members being received in said body in axially parallel alignment, with said one ratchet edge and said pawl groove adjacently positioned, and said retainer is a substantially circular C-ring having inner and outer diameters, the one ratchet edge cooperating with said C-ring inner diameter and the pawl groove cooperating with said C-ring outer diameter for retention of the members in the body.

5. In a reversible drive wrench of the type-having ratchet and pawl members, the combination comprising a one-piece body having respective apertures for receiving said ratchet and pawl members disposed in a normal driving engagement,

a member movably mounted within said one-piece body for reversing the driving engagement of the ratchet and pawl members, and

means on said ratchet and pawl members interacting solely with a portion of said reversing member for positive retention of said members in said one-piece body.

6. A reversible drive wrench as defined in claim 5, wherein said interacting means comprise a circumferential groove on said ratchet member and a hole in said pawl member, and said portion of said reversing member interlocks with said groove and said hole.

7. A reversible drive wrench as defined in claim 6, wherein said reversing member is movable to at least two positions relative to said body by manual selection, said reversing member in one position yieldably urging said ratchet and pawl into said normal driving engagement, and in the other position yieldably urging said ratchet and pawl into reverse driving engagement, and the interlocking of said portion, said groove, and said hole is independent of said position of the reversing member.

8. A reversible drive wrench as defined in claim 7, wherein said reversing member is rotatable to at least two angular positions; said ratchet member has opposing coaxial cylindrical portions of differing diameters with said circumferential groove substantially centrally located between said portions, the ratchet portion of said ratchet member being adjacent said groove; said pawl similarly has opposing coaxial cylindrical ends of difi'ering diameter with a pair of teeth extending therebetween, each tooth being cooperable alternatively with said ratchet; resilient means on said reversing member urge a first of said teeth into engagement with said ratchet when said reversing member is in a discrete one of said angular positions and urge the other of said teeth into engagement with said ratchet when said reversing member is in the other one of said angular positions; and the apertures in said body are adapted to receive the ratchet and pawl with the larger of their respective cylindrical portions located on opposite sides of said body.

9. In a reversible drive wrench of the type having ratchet and paw] members, the combination comprising a handle,

a one-piece head having apertures for receiving said ratchet and pawl members in cooperable relationship and for movably receiving said handle,

means urging said ratchet and pawl members into reversible driving engagement, and

means on said ratchet and pawl members interacting solely with a portion of said handle for positive retention of said members within the head.

10. A reversible drive wrench as defined in claim 9, wherein said portion is an extension member at one end of said handle.

11. A reversible drive wrench as defined in claim 10, wherein said handle is movable to at least two positions relative to said head by manual selection and said means urging said members into driving engagement provide for driving the ratchet in one direction when the handle is in a discrete one of said two positions and provide for driving the ratchet in the reverse direction when the handle is in the other of said two positions.

12. A reversible drive wrench as defined in claim 9, wherein said head has a longitudinal axis, said handle is coaxial with said head and manually rotatable to at least two angular positions relative to said axis and said means urging said members into driving engagement provide for driving the ratchet in one direction when the handle is in a discrete one of said angular positions and provide for driving the ratchet in the reverse direction when the handle is in the other of said angular posi tions.

13. A reversible drive wrench as defined in claim 12, wherein said portion of the handle is a cylindrical extension at the end of the rotatable handle inserted in the one-piece head.

14. A reversible drive wrench as defined in claim 12, wherein said pawl member has two teeth and is reciprocably pivotable to bring one of said teeth and alternatively the other of said teeth into engagement with the ratchet and said means urging said members into driving engagement comprises resilient means mounted eccentrically in the inserted end of said rotatable handle and cooperating with said pawl member.

15. A reversible drive wrench as defined in claim l4 together with a detent for holding said handle in the selected one of said angular positions.

16. A reversible drive wrench as defined in claim 15 wherein said head has an internal circumferential groove in the aperture receiving said handle, said detent comprises a spring-driven pin mounted on said handle and cooperating with said groove to lock the handle to the one-piece head.

17. A reversible drive wrench as defined in claim 12, wherein said interacting means comprise a circumferential groove on said ratchet member and a hole in said pawl member, and said portion of said reversing member interlocks with said groove and said hole.

18. A reversible drive wrench as defined in claim 14, wherein said ratchet member has opposing coaxial cylindrical portions of difi'ering diameters, with said circumferential groove substantially centrally located between said portions and the ratchet portion of said ratchet member being adjacent said groove; said pawl similarly has opposing coaxial cylindrical ends of differing diameter with a pair of teeth extending therebetween, each tooth being cooperable alternatively with said ratchet; resilient means on said handle urge a first of said teeth into-engagement with said ratchet when said handle is in a discrete one of said angular positions and urge the other of said teeth into engagement with said ratchet when said handle is in the other one of said angular positions; and the apertures in the head are adapted to receive the ratchet and pawl with the larger of their respective cylindrical portions located on opposite sides of said head.

19. A reversible drive wrench as defined in claim 12,

wherein said pawl member has two teeth and is reciprocably pivotable to bring one of said teeth and alternatively the other of said teeth into engagement with the ratchet and said means urging said members into driving engagement comprises resilient means mounted askew in the inserted end of said rotatable handle and cooperating with said pawl member.

20. A reversible drive wrench as defined in claim 19, wherein said ratchet member has opposing coaxial cylindrical portions of differing diameters; said pawl similarly has opposing coaxial cylindrical ends of differing diameter with a pair of teeth extending therebetween, each tooth being cooperable alternatively with said ratchet; resilient means on said handle urge a first of said teeth into engagement with said ratchet when said handle is in a discrete one of said angular positions and urge the other of said teeth into engagement with said ratchet when said handle is in the other one of said angular positions; and the apertures in the head are adapted to receive the ratchet and pawl with the larger of their respective cylindrical portions located on opposite sides of said head.

l l l

Claims

1. In a reversible drive wrench of the type having ratchet and pawl members, the combination comprising a one-piece body having respective apertures for receiving said ratchet and pawl members disposable in reversible driving engagement, a retainer inserted within said one-body, and means on said ratchet and pawl members interacting solely with said inserted retainer for positively holding said members in said one-piece body independent of the disposition of said members.

2. A reversible drive wrench as defined in claim 1 wherein said body has an internal surface, one of said members has opposing cylindrical edges, and said interacting means comprise a circumferential groove on the exterior of the other of said members, said inserted retainer cooperating with said groove and one said edge, said other edge of said one member abutting against said internal surface.

5. In a reversible drive wrench of the type having ratchet and pawl members, the combination comprising a one-piece body having respective apertures for receiving said ratchet and pawl members disposed in a normal driving engagement, a member movably mounted within said one-piece body for reversing the driving engagement of the ratchet and pawl members, and means on said ratchet and pawl members interacting solely with a portion of said reversing member for positive retention of said members in said one-piece body.

8. A reversible drive wrench as defined in claim 7, wherein said reversing member is rotatable to at least two angular positions; said ratchet member has opposing coaxial cylindrical portions of differing diameters with said circumferential groove substantially centrally located between said portions, the ratchet portion of said ratchet member being adjacent said groove; said pawl similarly has opposing coaxial cylindrical ends of differing diameter with a pair of teeth extending therebetween, each tooth being cooperable alternatively with said ratchet; resilient means on said reversing member urge a first of said teeth into engagement with said ratchet when said reversing member is in a discrete one of said angular positions and urge the other of said teeth into engagement with said ratchet when said reversing member is in the other one of said angular positions; and the apertures in said body are adapted to receive the ratchet and pawl with the larger of their respective cylindrical portions located on opposite sides of said body.

9. In a reversible drive wrench of the type having ratchet and pawl members, the combination comprising a handle, a one-piece head having apertures for receiving said ratchet and pawl members in cooperable relationship and for movably receiving said handle, means urging said ratchet and pawl members into reversible driving engagement, and means on said ratchet and pawl members interacting solely with a portion of said handle for positive retention of said members within the head.

12. A reversible drive wrench as defined in claim 9, wherein said head has a longitudinal axis, said handle is coaxial with said head and manually rotatable to at least two angular positions relative to said axis and said means urging said members into driving engagement provide for driving the ratchet in one direction when the handle is in a discrete one of said angular positions and provide for driving the ratchet in the reverse direction when the handle is in the other of said angular positions.

15. A reversible drive wrench as defined in claim 14 together with a detent for holding said handle in the selected one of said angular posiTions.

18. A reversible drive wrench as defined in claim 14, wherein said ratchet member has opposing coaxial cylindrical portions of differing diameters, with said circumferential groove substantially centrally located between said portions and the ratchet portion of said ratchet member being adjacent said groove; said pawl similarly has opposing coaxial cylindrical ends of differing diameter with a pair of teeth extending therebetween, each tooth being cooperable alternatively with said ratchet; resilient means on said handle urge a first of said teeth into engagement with said ratchet when said handle is in a discrete one of said angular positions and urge the other of said teeth into engagement with said ratchet when said handle is in the other one of said angular positions; and the apertures in the head are adapted to receive the ratchet and pawl with the larger of their respective cylindrical portions located on opposite sides of said head.

19. A reversible drive wrench as defined in claim 12, wherein said pawl member has two teeth and is reciprocably pivotable to bring one of said teeth and alternatively the other of said teeth into engagement with the ratchet and said means urging said members into driving engagement comprises resilient means mounted askew in the inserted end of said rotatable handle and cooperating with said pawl member.