US2507681A - Ratchet mechanism for wrenches - Google Patents

Description

May 16, 1950 .w\ "I Willi \l Patented May 16, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in ratchet mechanism forwrenches.

The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a ratchet wrench having two methods of operation, namely, means or rapidly adjusting the nut or screw through its freely movable stage without rotating the wrench and a ratchet action of the type 'in-whi'ch the wrench is actuated in the regular manner.

Second, to provide a reversible ratchet Wrench embodying means for rapidly running up the nut or screw for final setting and the reverse action.

Third, to provide a wrench structure embodying these features Wh-ichis quite compact and is strong and durable.

Fourth, to providea reversible ratchetwrench which is very convenient toreverse andto operate.

Objects relating to details and economies of the invention will definitely appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined in the claims.

A structure which embodies the features of the invention is clearly illustrated-in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan viewof a wrench embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a View mainly in. longitudinal section online 2'--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view with the handle removed and the top plate or chamber cover removed.

Fig. i is a fragmentary view mainly in section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2 showing details of. the holding ratchet and coasting dogs.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated comprises a chambered body portion I having a side opening 2 facilitating the insertion and removal of parts, the opening being'provided with a closure plate Ii-secured by means of the screws 4. The handle 5 is tubular or" hollow and has threaded engagement with the body portion as shown at 6. The spindle is journaled in the front Wall 8 of the body portion and in the plate 3, the spindle having a tang 9 adapted to engage a socket or other tool driven by the wrench. The spindle is provided with a toothed holding ratchet wheel Hi and with a pair of driving ratchet wheels H and 52. All three of these parts are keyed or fixed to the spindle, the keys or splines not being illustrated.

I provide a pair of holding dogs I? which are pivotally supported at It in a wall of the recess l5 receiving the holding ratchet wheel and these dogs. The dogs are urged into engagement with the holding ratchet by means of the springs l6 seated inthe wall of the recess. It will benotedthat one dog is associated with the holding ratchet wheel to hold the spindle against rotation in one direction and the other to hold the spindleag'ainst rotation in the opposite direction, the dogs ratcheting over the teeth of the ratchet as the holding ratchet wheel is 'actu'ated.

I provide a pair of drivingpawls I'iof the rack type, one driving pawl coac'ting with one of the driving-ratchet Wheels: and theother pawl coacting with the other driving ratchet wheel. These actuating-"pawls are'driven fr'om a common actuating member l8 Whichis in the form ofa' rack reciprocatingly mounted in the stem portion IQ of the body member of the wrench. The'stern portion I9 is provided with a stepped bore 29 to receive: this member.

The coiled spring 2| is arranged on the stem 22 of the rack. in thrust engagement with the Washer 23 seated against the shoulder 24' and engaging the washer 25 on the stem-, this acting to-return the'actuating. member. The pawlsi'l are pivote'd at 26 to this raclz actuating member and. are urged to engaging position bythe. spring 2-?" extending between the pawls. Thespring 21 acts to bias both pawls to rat'ch'et' wheelerigagi-ng position. The IeV'erIZBIis pivoted at 29 between the" ears 30' extendingirom the Wrench body, the lever'bei-ng. provided with a toothed segment 3i coactingwiththe rack. The lever is posi tioned to be grasped and actuated by the hand of. the operator grasping the 'wrench, and'is' positinned. to beiconveniently engaged" by the index finger of the user grasping the wrench and holdingit inengagement'with the work.

Means arezprovided for selectively holding one of the pawls-sand one: of the: holding dogs out of operative positionwhileuthe other pawl and dog are in operative position. The-means illustrated consistsof thecams 32' and 33which are'p'rovidedlwithac'ommon' pivot I33 engaging the front wall of thewrench andtthe closure plate thereof as shown in Fig. 2. The cam is adapted to hold one of the pawls and one of the locking dogs in inoperative position as shown in Fig. 3. For convenience in manipulation the pivot I33 is provided with an arm 34 on the outer side of the closure plate 3, the arm having a finger piece 35.

With the parts thus arranged the work such as a nut or screw may be rapidly turned up through its easily turned movement to setting position after which the wrench is manipulated by means of the handle to firmly set the work. The reverse action may be had when the parts of the wrench are in reversing position, the work being loosened by means of the lever. The pawls are effective for both manipulations.

I have illustrated and described the invention in a highly practical embodiment thereof. I have not attempted to illustrate or describe other embodiments and adaptations which I contemplate as it is believed this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to adapt the invention as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a wrench, the combination of a chambered body provided with a handle, a spindle dis- .posed transversely of the handle and provided with a holding ratchet wheel and a pair of driving ratchet wheels, said wheels being fixed to said spindle, a pair of spring biased holding dogs operatively associated with the holding ratchet wheel with one acting to hold the spindle against rotation in one direction and the other against rotation in the opposite direction, an actuating rack reciprocatingly mounted within said body and provided with a return spring, a pivoted actuating lever positioned to be actuated with the hand supporting the wrench and provided with a segment coacting with said actuating rack, the return spring of the rack acting to return the lever to its initial position, a rack pawl for each driving ratchet wheel pivotally mounted on said actuating rack, the pawls engaging their respective coacting ratchet wheels on opposite sides of their axis, a spring common to both of said pawls for urging them into engaging position, and cams mounted between said rack pawls and holding dogs adapted to selectively hold one rack pawl and one dog in inoperative position while permitting the other rack pawl and other dog to coact with said ratchet wheels, said cams being provided with a finger-piece on the outside of the wrench body.

2. In a wrench, the combination of a chambered body provided with a handle, a spindle disposed transversely of the body and provided with a pair of driving ratchet wheels, a pair of holding dogs operatively associated with the spindle with one acting to hold the spindle against rotation in one direction and the other against rotation in the opposite direction, an actuating rack reciprocatingly mounted within said body and provided with a return spring, a pivoted actuating lever positioned to be actuated with the hand supporting the wrench and provided with a segment coacting with said actuating rack, a rack pawl for each driving ratchet wheel pivotally mounted on said actuating rack, the pawls being spring biased and engaging their respective coacting ratchet wheels on opposite sides of their axis, and means for holding one of said pawls and one of said locking dogs in inoperative position while permitting the other to coact with its ratchet wheel and said spindle respectively.

3. In a wrench, the combination of a chambered body provided with a handle, a spindle disposed transversely of the body and provided with a holding ratchet wheel and a pair of driving ratchet wheels, spring biased holding dogs operatively associated with said holding ratchet wheel, an actuating member, an actuating means operatively associated with said member and positioned to be actuated from within the body, a rack pawl for each of said driving ratchet wheels operatively connected with said actuating member, and means for selectively holding one of said rack pawls and locking dogs in inoperative position while the other of said pawls and dogs are in operative position.

4. In a wrench, the combination of a chambered body provided with a handle, a spindle, a pair of oppositely acting rack and ratchet means for rotatably driving said spindle in opposite directions, common means for actuating said rack and ratchet means comprising a reciprocatingly mounted rack member provided with a return spring and an actuating lever provided with a segment coacting with said rack member, the lever being positioned to be actuated with the hand supporting the wrench, a pair of oppositely acting holding dogs for said spindle each acting to hold the spindle against rotation in one direction while permitting rotation in the opposite direction, and means for adjusting said racks and locking dogs to hold a selected one of each of said racks and dogs in inoperative position.

5. In a wrench, the combination of a chambered body provided with a handle, a spindle, a pair of pawl and ratchet means for driving said spindle in opposite directions, a pair of oppositely acting holding dogs for said spindle each acting to hold the spindle against rotation in one direction while permitting rotation in the opposite direction, pawl actuating member operatively associated with both of the .pawls of said pawl and ratchet means, means for actuating said actuating member independently of the oscillation of the wrench by its handle. and means for adjusting said ratchet pawls and holding dogs to selectively hold one of each of said pawls and dogs in inoperative position.

EDWIN R. SAGE.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,489,645 Mendenhall Apr. 8, 1924 1,563,883 Waters Dec. 1, 1925 1,903,514 Merrman et a1 Apr. 11, 1933 1,913,669 Heald June 13, 1933

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