OPEN-END RATCHET WRENCH

CLE A ROCHET A MACHOIRE OUVERTE

English Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A ratchet wrench having open ends and characterized by having
a ratchet wrench head at each end which is rotatively supported or held
directly by the elongated main body and which is lockable in open end
position, to form a simple, rugged and inexpensive wrench which is easy
to assemble and may be used either as an open-end wrench or a ratchet
wrench. This open-end ratchet wrench comprises an elongated main body
having a pair of laterally spaced-apart projections at each end and longi-
tudinally split end to end into two halves each having one of the
projections at each end, each pair of projections forming an intermediate
space between then and an annular recess around and communicating with
the corresponding intermediate space, a ratchet wrench head is rotatively
mounted in each annular recess, a pair of pawls are mounted in each annular
recess at diametrically opposed points relative to the corresponding ratchet
wrench head and a locking pin operatively locks each ratchet wrench head
selectively in open position.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY
OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1- All open-end ratchet wrench comprising an elongated
body having a handle portion and one end portion forming one pair of
laterally spaced-apart projections, said latarally spaced-apart
projection cooperatively defining an intermediate space and an annular
recess in communication with and extending around said intermediate
space, one ratchet wrench head rotatively mounted in said intermediate
space in rotary sliding engagement in said annular recess, and having
ratchet teeth around the periphery thereof, one pair of spring-biased
pawls mounted on said laterally spaced-apart projections respectively
at substantially diametrically opposed points respectively relative to said
ratchet wrench head and operatively biased toward engagement with said
ratchet teeth, and said elongated body being longitudinally split
from end to end into two complementary body halves, the latter are
releasably connected to each other and define said projections respect-
ively, and the latter releasably hold said wrench head in captive sliding
engagement in the annular recess upon operative assembly of said body
halves to each other.
2- An open-end ratchet wrench as defined in claim 1, wherein
said projections define a pair of outer ends respectively, spaced apart
by a predetermined gap, and said ratchet wrench head has a slot
radially extending therein and angularly registering with said gap,
and a locking pin removably engages in one of said body halves and in said
ratchet wrench head upon angular registry of said slot with said gap
for open-end operation of the wrench.
3- An open-end ratchet wrench as defined in claim 2, wherein
each of said projections includes a pair of flanges on opposite sides
of said annular recess, laterally defining the latter, and slidably
engaging opposite sides of the wrench head.

4- An open-end ratchet wrench as defined in claim 3, wherein
said ratchet teeth are engaged in said annular recess intermediate
said flanges, said projections include a pair of cavities communicating
with said annular recess and said pawls are mounted in said cavities
respectively in operative engagement with the ratchet teeth.
5- An open-end ratchet wrench as defined in claim 4, wherein
said elongated body includes another end portion forming another pair
of laterally spaced-apart projections on said body halves respect-
ively, cooperatively defining an intermediate space and an annular
recess in communication with and extending around the latter inter-
mediate space, another ratchet wrench head rotatively mounted in the
latter intermediate space in rotary sliding engagement in the latter
annular recess, and having ratchet teeth around the periphery thereof,
and another pair of spring-biased pawls mounted on said another pair of
laterally spaced-apart projections respectively at substantially dia-
metrically opposed points respectively relative to said another
ratchet wrench head and operatively biased toward the corresponding ratchet
teeth.

Description

; ~ ` ;
Thi~ i~vention relates to a wranch and, more particularl~; to
a ratchet wrench of the type wher~in at least one end of the ~rench i~ open
- and operates as a ratchet wrench.
Tha wrenches of the ~bove typa ~hich have been proposed 80 far
are essentiaIly made uith an ~longated main body, a rotary ratchet wrench
haad an~ additional parts to rotatively seoure the ratchet wrench head
at one end of the elongated body. Those additional parts add to the
` co~plexity and cost of the ~,rench and make the end of the wrench relstlvely
'~ big8~r than otherwise necessary~ thus l~miting the,~se oY the wrench in
tigh spot~
It is a general ob~ect oY the present inventlon to provide an ~''
'~ open-end ratchet wrench of the above typa which obviates the above~
'` mentioned disadvantages. ,~,
, It is another general object of the preser,t invention to provide '~
:., ` , ~,:
, ~n open-end ratchet wrench of the above type of which one end may be locked
-j~ in open-snd position for use o~ the wrench as ar open-~nd wrench as well
~"~ as a ratch~t wrench.
i ~: . .
` It is another object o~ the present ~nvention to provide an '~
", open-end ratchet wrench of the above type which i8 easy to sssamble and
~, 20 which readily allow~ displacQment and repair o~ worn parts.
',` It i~ a further ob~ect o~ the present invention to provido
, !~ an open-end ratchet` ~renoh of tha above type which prodlces a simple and '~
1 rugged combination of the ratchet wrenoh head with the body oP the wrench. ;~
`` It is still another obJect of the present ~nvention to provide ,~ "
an open-end ratchet wrench a~ the above type wherein the ratchet wren~h `''` `~ '
-, head may be easily replaced by one o~ another socket s~ze to form a hand~
, weight and spacs saYer and economical wren¢h assembly ~or the convenience ,;~
"~ of motorists, motocyclists, etc. ' "
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,,!', The above ana other objeot~ ana advantagss of the present
~, 30 ~nvention will be better understood with refare~ce bo the following ` ,-

``` ~L~5,'~
det~iled desoription of a pr0ferred embodiment thereof which is illu9
trated~ by way of example, in the accompa~ying drawings, in whlchs
Figure 1 is a parspective view of an open-end rat¢het w.rench ac-
- eording to the present invention;
~i~ure 2 i~ a partial detailed ~io~ ~f.one end of the f~rench with
part removed to better illustrate the head of the wrench;
Figure 3 i~ a cro s-.Rectional view of ona end of the wrench better
illustrating the iutarnal details of the corresponoing .--
head of the wrench;
Figure 4 is a ViGW cor.responding to -khe view of Figure 3 but only
partly in cro~s-section ard with the head of the ~french in
rotated position; and
~ Figure 5 is a side view of one projection at one end of the ~rench
:. as seen from the inner side thereof.
,f The illustrated open-end ratchet wrench includes 1 handle or
; elongated wrench body 1 having opposite and portions each forming a pR r
~'~f off laterally spaced-apart pro~ections 2. The two proJections 2 at each
end of the wrench cooperatively ~orm an intermediate spaoe a~d an ~ -
~ annular recess 3 cGmmunicating ~ith and sxtending eround the.:inter-
.... 20 mediate space. Each pro~ection 2 includes a pair of flanges 4 on oppo~
sit~ side3 respectively of the annular recess, as best shof~n in Figure
~ 5. In fact, the a~nular reces~ 3 ls de~ined by the corresponding pair of
:~ ~langes 4. ; ;
The elongated wrench body i9 longitudinaIly split ~ro~ end to
end into t~o complementary body hRlves 5 ~hii~h ~re releasably connected
to each other ~d i~clud~ ea~h one pro~ection 2 at each end. Bolts 6
releasably connect the t~o body halves 5 lat~ri~lly against e3ch other.
~ ~ .
.j ,
The t~o pro~ectlon3 ~ at each end of the body 1 have the~r out~r
ends ~oopisrativel~ ~eparated by a gap Qf predetermined wid~h. ~:
A ratchet wrench head 7 i9 rotatably h~ld by each pair of ~.
~ :~.~ - 3 - ~ :
.

()S'~l~L3l
pro~e¢tlons 2 in rotative sliding engagement in the ¢orresponding
annular recess 3 and between the corresponding ~langes ~. The
periphery of each ratchet wrench head 7 is Pormed with rat¢het teeth 8.
pair of ca~ities 9 are formed in tha two pro~ect~ons 2 at each of the
` wrench. In each cavity 9J there is mounted a pawl 10 which is biascd
by a spring 11 toward engageme~t with the ratchet teeth o. The two pawls
10 at each end of the wrench are substantially diametrically spaced part
to ensure that at lsast one pawl will engage a tooth in any angular
position of the ratc~èt wrench head 7O
Each ratchet wrench head is radially slotted and form~ a socket
to opgratively engag0 either a nut or the head of the bolt. The
radial slot 1~ thus ~ormed i~ each ratchet wrench head 7 operatively
align8 with th~ g8p between the corresponding pro~ections 2 to ~or~ an ;;
open-end ~re~ch. The ratch0t wrench head 7 is set or lockad ln its op~n-
and wrench position by a loc~ing pin 13 engaging in a bore in one
.
proJection 2 and in the wre~ch head. The locking pin 13 is shown in
locking position in Figure 3 and in unlocking position in ~'igure 4~
Figure 4 illuJtrates the wrQnch in the ratchet wrench mode
~, and the arrows 14 indicate the direction of rotation for unscrewing of ~ -~
a nut or bolt. ~The rotation of the ~rench upside do~n allows the ~;
op0ration of the wrench for screwlng. ~"~
~, ~n some cases, ~quch as for motori~ts, it iq not too convenient
to carry as mang di~ferent wrenches as required. ~ith the afora-d~s-
cribed wre~¢h,~ this i8 no~ required. ~ single bodg 1 may be provided
with a plurality of ratchet wrench heads 7 of differe~ socket sizes ~ ~ -
and the user may readily change one head for another ~hen desired.
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