US735134A

US735134A - Ratchet-wrench.

Info

Publication number: US735134A
Application number: US14190603A
Authority: US
Inventors: Andrew R Mclean
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1903-02-04
Filing date: 1903-02-04
Publication date: 1903-08-04
Anticipated expiration: 1920-08-04

Description

PATENTED AUG. 4, 1903.

A. R. MGLEAN. RATCHET WRENCH. APPLICATION rum) mm. 4. 1903.

N0 MODEL.

Wifqcsse;

UNITED STATES Patented August 4, 1903.

ANDREW R. MOLEAN, OF RUSSELLVILLE, KENTUCKY.

RATCHET-WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 735,134, dated August 4, 1903.

Application filed February 4, 1903. Serial No. 11,906. (N0 model.)

To all whmn it nutg concern:

Be it known that 1, ANDREW R. MOLEAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Russellville, in the county of Logan and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Ratchet-Trench, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ratchet-wrenches, and has for its object to provide an improved device of this character, and is especially designed to facilitate the application and removal of the wrench.

It is furthermore designed to provide means for conveniently adjusting the wrench-head, so that the device may be applied to a nut from the side thereof, and also to provide for throwing the adjusting means out of engagement with the Wrench-head, so that the former may not interfere with the usual operation of the wrench.

Another object resides in the provision of means whereby the wrench-head may be turned independently of the handle, so as to quickly remove a loose nut and also to set a nut without operating the entire wrench, the latter operation being reserved to tighten the nut.

WVith these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combina tion and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a ratchet-wrench constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is an inverted detail plan view, the retaining face-plate being removed to illustrate the mounting of the wrench-head. Fig. 4.is a detail perspective View of the operating means for adjusting the wrench-head. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View of the reducer for application to the wrench-head and to accommodate the latter to nuts of different sizes. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view showing the actuating device in operative relation to the shaft for adjusting the wrench-head. Fig. 7 is a view-illustrating a modified form of means for operating the rotary head.

Corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings are designated by like characters of reference.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates the handle of the wrench, which may be of any desired size and shape and is provided with a laterally-enlarged head 2, having a central circular opening Stand an entrance-opening 4, which is located at the outer end of the head, alined longitudinally with the handle and communicating with the circular opening. As best indicated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, it will be seen that the circular opening 3 is reduced in diameter adjacent to the upper side of the wrench, so as to form an inwardly-directed marginal flange 5, which terminates at opposite sides of the entrance-openings so as not to obstruct the latter.

Mounted to turn within the opening 3 is the wrench-head 6, which is circular in shape and provided with an external-toothed flange 7 located intermediate of the opposite faces of the wrench-head and designed to be held in place by the inwardly-directed flange 5 at the upper side of the circular opening. This wrench-head is provided with a concentric angular opening 8, which is in thenature of a slot opening outwardly through the peripheral edge of the head, so as to communicate with the entrance-opening 4, whereby the wrench may be applied laterally to a nut.

To support the wrench-head Within the circular opening 3, there has been provided a face-plate 9, which is seated within a suitable recess 10, formed in the under side of the head 2 and secured therein by means of suitable fastenings. As indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, this face-plate is provided with a circular opening 11 to receive the lower side of the wrench-head, whereby the inner edge of the plate overlaps the toothed flange 7, so as to hold the wrench-head in place. By reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings it will be seen that the outer edge of the face-plate is provided with a slot 12, which communicates with the circular opening 11 and is alined with the entrance-opening 4, so that the latter is not obstructed by the plate.

Formed in the walls of the opening 3 is a plurality of notches or recesses 13, in which are mounted suitable spring-actuated pawls 14-, which engage the toothed periphery-of the wrench-head, so as to form a ratchet mechanism therefor. It is desirable to employ at least three such pawls, so that when one of the latter is received between opposite sides of the slot or opening 8 in the wrench-head, and thereby out of engagement with the teeth of the latter, the other pawls will still be in engagement with the head, and thereby insure a positive turning of the latter.

In order that .the wrench-head may be applicable to nuts of difierent sizes, it is designed to employ a plurality of reducers of various sizes, one of which is designated by the numeral 15 and is of substantially U shape. It will be understood that the opening or slot 8 in the wrench-head may be of any preferred shape, and therefore the reducers have a similar shape, so as to fit snugly within such opening, and thereby reduce the size thereof.

In order that the wrench head, may be turned independently of the handle, the upper face of the head has been provided with a marginal series of beveled gear-teeth 16, and in mesh with these teeth is a pinion 17, which is carried by a stem or shaft 18, mounted to turn axially upon the handle. This shaft or stem is preferably mounted within a longitudinal groove 19, formed in the upper side of the handle, and is held in such groove by means of suitable straps 20, extending transversely across the outer side of the shaft and the groove. Thisshaftextendssubstantially the entire length of the handle, and its outer end is provided with an enlarged angular head 21, which is received within a terminal enlargement 22 of the groove 19. To operate this shaft, there is provided a crank 23, which has a hollow cylindrical sleeve 24 integral with the crank, so as to form a journal therefor, and is mounted to turn within the socket formed by the enlarged portion of the groove 19. At the inner end of the bearing-sleeve and opposite the crank-handle 23 there is provided an axially-disposed cuff 25, having an angular bore 26, which communicates with the interior of the hollow bearing 24 and is also designed to embrace the angular head 21 at the adjacent end of the shaft 18, so that the latter may be turned by operating the crank-handle 23.

It will be understood that the sleeve 25 and the hollow bearing 24 are designed to telescopically receive the adjacent end of the shaft 18, so that the crank may be moved 1on gitudinally outward, so as to engage the cuff with the angular end of the shaft when it is desired to operate the latter, and to prevent rotation of the crank when the wrench is being operated said crank is pushed longitudinally inward, so as to receive the angular end of the shaft within the interior of the enlarged cylindrical journal 24, whereby the crank and the shaft are disconnected, and the latter may turn independently of the former, so as not to interfere with the usual operation of the wrench.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the wrench-head 6 may be readily turned by operation of the crank-handle 23 to set or remove a loose not without operating the entire wrench. Moreover, the wrench -head may be conveniently adjusted so as to aline the open end of the slot thereof with the entrance-opening4 when it is necessary to apply the wrench laterally to a nut.

It is preferable to have the gear-teeth 16 in tegral with the wrench-head 6 and to form the slot or opening 8 but part way through the thickness of the head, so that the upper side 26 may form a stop for engagement with the outer face of a nut, so as to insure a positive and effective engagement of the wrench-head with the nut. As the retaining face-plate 9 is removably secured to the .handle, the wrench-head 6 may be readily replaced without removing the shaft 18 and the operating parts thereof, and the latter may be removed without interfering with the operation of the Wrench-head.

In the modification shown in Fig. 7 the rotary head 6 is operated by means of a short rod 27 formed at one end to engage the teeth 7 on the head and provided at its other end with an integral finger projecting upward through a slot 28, formed in the body of the wrench and carrying a knob or the like 29, adapted to be grasped by the operator to reciprocate the rod. By this means the head may be rotated to set or remove a loose nut. This rod constitutes a substitute for the shaft 18, operated by the crank 23 and having the pinion 17 engaging teeth 16 on the head, as in the preferred form of the device; 0therwise the construction and operation are the same as that heretofore described.

Having thus described the invention, I claim 1. A ratchetwrench, comprising a handle, a ratchet-wrench head carried thereby, and having a circular series of gear-teeth, a pinion meshing with the gear-teeth, a shaft supporting the pinion and mounted upon the handle, and an actuating-crank telescopically engaging the shaft for operating the latter to rotate the head independently of the movement of the handle.

2. A ratchet-wrench, comprisinga handle, a ratchet-wrench head carried thereby, and having a circular series of gear-teeth, a pinion in mesh with the teeth, a shaft. supporting the pinion and mounted upon the handle, and also having an angular portion, and an actuating-crank telescopically mounted upon the shaft, and provided with an angular socket for engagement with the angular portion of the shaft.

3. A ratchet-wrench, comprising a handle, a ratchet-wrench head carried thereby, and provided with a circular series of gear-teeth,

a pinion in mesh with the teeth, a shaft sup porting the pinion and provided with an angnlar portion, and an actuating-crank slidably mounted upon the shaft, and provided with a hollow portion to loosely receive the angular portion of the shaft, and also an angular socket to fit said angular portion of the shaft.

4:. A ratchet-wrench, comprising a handle, a ratchet-wrench head carried thereby, and provided with a circular series of gear-teeth, a pinion in mesh with the teeth, a shaft supporting the pinion, and provided with an angular head, and an actuating-crank, having a hollow cylindrical journal mounted in a socket in the handle, telescopically receiving the shaft, and loosely receiving the angular head thereof, and an axially-disposed cuff carried by the journal, located opposite the crank, and having an angular bore to fit the angular head of the shaft.

5. In a ratchet-wrench, the combination with a handle, having a circular opening, provided with an inwardlydirected marginal flange, of circular rotary wrench-head mounted within the circular opening, and provided with an outwardly-directed marginahtoothed flange fitting against the flange of the circular opening, and also provided upon one face with a circular series of gear-teeth, a removable face-plate carried by the handle and fitting against one face of the toothed flange of the wrench-head, ratchet-pawls carried by the handle and in engagement With the toothed flange, a pinion in engagement with the gear-teeth, a shaft supporting the pinion and mounted to turn upon the handle, and a crank for the shaft.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ANDREW R. MCLEAN.

Witnesses:

JAS. B. HINES, TOM RHEA.