US3828629A

US3828629A - Multi-power ratchet wrenches

Info

Publication number: US3828629A
Application number: US00358655A
Authority: US
Inventors: G Moore
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-05-09
Filing date: 1973-05-09
Publication date: 1974-08-13
Anticipated expiration: 1991-08-13

Abstract

A multiple powered ratchet wrench and handle are provided having a main housing and handle, a driven shaft in said housing for rotation, an external drive member on said shaft, a first pinion on said shaft within the housing, a second drive shaft in said housing parallel to said first shaft and carrying a second pinion engaging said first pinion, said first and second pinion being arranged to provide a desired multiplication of power from the second shaft to the first shaft, a second drive pinion on said second shaft, a second handle journaled for rotation about said second shaft and ratchet drive means on said second handle engaging said second driven pinion to rotate said second shaft.

Description

United States Patent [191 Moore 11] 3,828,629 51 Aug. 13, 1974 MULTI-POWER RATCHET WRENCHES [75] Inventor: Gerald Moore, Turtle Creek, Pa.

[73] Assignee: Eugene F. Buell, a part interest [22] 1 Filed: May 9, 1973 [21] App]. No.: 358,655

Primary Examiner-James L. Jones, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Buell, Blenko & Ziesenheim [5 7] ABSTRACT A multiple powered ratchet wrench and handle are provided having a main housing and handle, a driven shaft in said housing for rotation, an external drive member on said shaft, a first pinion on said shaft within the housing, a second drive shaft in said housing parallel to said first shaft and carrying a second pinion engaging said first pinion, said first and second pinion being arranged to provide a desired multiplication of power from the second shaft to the first shaft, :1 second drive pinion on said second shaft, :1 second handle journaled for rotation about said secondshaft and ratchet drive means on said second handle engaging said second driven pinion to rotate said second shaft.

5 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures [52] US. Cl. 8l/57.3, 81/5739 [51] Int. Cl B25b 17/00, B25b 13/46 [58] Field of Search 81/5739, 57.3, 58.1

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,520,443 8/1950 Seaquist 81/58.1 2,756,792 7/1956 Hirschman 81/573 3,133,462 5/1964 Whipp 8l/57.3 3,258,999 7/1966 Scheithauer et al 81/573 3,587,364 6/l97l Peyre 81/5739 24 I? V 23 gxwlllm l4 iil'mllmlm I !lll 12 B This invention relates to multi-power ratchet wrenches and particularly to a ratchet wrench designed to multiply the power at the work point.

There are many instances in the automotive, aircraft, construction and farming industries where it is necessary to remove a nut which has been attached too tightly or has corroded or otherwise is too tight to be removed with standard ratchet or breaker wrenches. In such instances it is common to place a length of pipe on the wrench handle or to otherwise extend the handle in order to get additional leverage. Frequently, however, the nut is in a position where it is impossible for one to extend the wrench handle and it is impossible to remove the nut intact and it must be cut or otherwise destroyed in order to remove it. v

I have invented a wrench which solves this problem of removing recalcitrant nuts, bolts and studs l provide a wrench structure which multiplies the effective length of the wrench handle to provide high torque at the nut.

In a preferred embodiment of my invention I provide a main wrench housing and handle, a drive shaft mounted in said handle for rotation and provided with an external drive member, a first driven pinion on said shaft, a second drive shaft in said housing parallel to the first, a driving pinion in the housing on said second drive shaft and engaging said first drive pinion, said first and second pinons being arranged to provide the desired amount of multiplication of power from the second to the first, a second driven pinion on said second shaft, a second handle movable about said second shaft, ratchet means on said second handle adapted to engage said second driven pinion to rotate it with the second handle in a selected direction and selector means on the second handle controlling the ratchet means. Preferably the second handle carries a second housing surrounding the second driven pinion and rotatable relative to the first housing and handle.

In the foregoing general description of my invention I have set out certain objects, purposes and advantages of my invention. Other objects, purposes and advantages will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view partly cut away of a multi-power ratchet wrench according to my invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the wrench of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings I have illustrated a main housing and handle 11. A shaft 12 is mounted for rotation in said housing, one end having a rectangular drive head 13 for driving standard sockets. A pinion 14 is mounted on shaft 12 within housing 10. A second shaft 15 is journaled at one end in housing 10 and, carries a drive pinion 16 which engages driven pinion l4.

Shaft 15 extends through an upstanding collar 17 onthe housing 10 on the side opposite the drive head 13. A second housing 20 and drive handle 21 is provided with a depending collar 22 which surrounds shaft 15 and is journaled on collar 17 with bearing 23. A driven pinion 24 is fixed to the upper end of shaft 15 and is journaled in housing 20. A ratchet drive cam 25 is mounted in housing 20 along with direction control 26 for changing the position of cam 25 to drive pinion 24 in either direction as selected.

In use a socket of standard form is attached to the drive head 13 and placed over a nut to be removed or tightened as the case may be. First handle 11 is held immovable and pressure is applied to handle 21. This causes shaft 15 to rotate and to drive pinion 16 which in turn drives pinion 14 and shaft 12. The amount of multiplication of effort applied to the shaft 12 is dependent upon the tooth ratio of drive gear 16 to driven gear 14.

While I have illustrated and described a presently preferred embodiment of my invention in the foregoing specification it will be understood that this invention may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim: i

1. A multi-power ratchet wrench comprising a main housing and handle, a driven shaft mounted in said housing for rotation, an external drive member on said shaft adapted to removably receive a socket, a first pinion fixed on said shaft within said housing, a second drive shaft in said housing parallel to said first drive shaft, a driving pinion in said housing on said second drive shaft engaging said first pinion, said first and second pinion being arranged to provide the desired amount of multiplication of power to the first from the second, a second driven pinion on said second shaft, a second handle journaled for rotation about said second shaft, and ratchet drive means on said second handle selectively engaging the second driven pinion to rotate the second shaft and thereby the first shaft when the second handle is moved relative to the first handle.

2. A multi-power ratchet wrench as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second driven pinion is surrounded by a second housing on the second handle, said second housing being journaled on the first housing for rotatron.

3. A multi-power ratchet wrench as claimed in claim 2 wherein the first housing has an upstanding collar on which the second housing is journaled for rotation.

4. A multi-power ratchet wrench as claimed in claim 1 wherein means are provided on the second housing for shifting said ratchet means selectively to control direction of rotation of the second pinion.

5. A multi-power wrench as claimed in claim 1 wherein the two handles are of substantially equal length.

Claims

2. A multi-power ratchet wrench as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second driven pinion is surrounded by a second housing on the second handle, said second housing being journaled on the first housing for rotation.