Ratcheting tool with vertically curved tooth arrangement
AssigneeEasco Handtools, Inc.
InventorRobert Arnold
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ratcheting tool includes a body, a compartment defined by the body, a gear rotatably disposed in the compartment, and a pawl. The pawl, disposed within the tool, selectively prevents the tool from rotating in one direction while allowing rotation in the opposite direction. The gear defines a plurality of vertically curved teeth. The pawl defines a plurality of vertically curved teeth. The pawl teeth are curved in a manner that mates with the gear teeth. A radius of curvature of the edges of the gear teeth is greater than the radius of curvature of the edges of the pawl teeth.
Claims28
A ratcheting tool, said ratcheting tool comprising:
- a body;
- a compartment defined by the body;
- a gear rotatably disposed in the compartment about an axis and defining a plurality of teeth having respective edges aligned generally parallel to the axis on a circumference of the gear;
- and
- a pawl defining a plurality of teeth with respective edges aligned generally parallel to the axis and facing the gear so that the gear teeth and the pawl teeth are engagable with each other at an engagement area of the gear teeth and an engagement area of the pawl teeth,
- wherein the pawl is disposed between the gear and the body so that the body transmits torque through the pawl in a first rotational direction and so that the pawl ratchets with respect to the gear in a second rotational direction,
- wherein the edges of one of the gear teeth and the pawl teeth are concave at one of the engagement area of the gear teeth and the engagement area of pawl teeth, and the edges of the other of the gear teeth and the pawl teeth are convex at the other of the engagement area of the gear teeth and the engagement area of the pawl teeth, and
- wherein a radius of curvature of the concave edges of the one of the gear teeth and pawl teeth is greater than a radius of curvature of the convex edges of the other of the gear teeth and pawl teeth.
A ratcheting tool, said ratcheting tool comprising:
- a body having a head and an elongated arm attached to the head;
- a first compartment defined by the head;
- a second compartment defined by the body and opening to the first compartment;
- a gear rotatably disposed in the first compartment about an axis and defining a plurality of teeth having respective edges aligned generally parallel to the axis on an outer circumference of the gear;
- a pawl defining a plurality of teeth with respective edges aligned generally parallel to the axis and facing the gear so that the gear teeth and the pawl teeth are engagable with each other at an engagement area of the gear teeth and an engagement area of the pawl teeth;
- and
- wherein the pawl is disposed in the second compartment so that the body transmits torque through the pawl in a first rotational direction and so that the pawl ratchets with respect to the gear in a second rotational direction,
- wherein the edges of the gear teeth are concave at the engagement area of the gear teeth,
- wherein the edges of the pawl teeth are convex at the engagement area of the pawl teeth, and
- wherein a radius of curvature of the concave edges of the gear teeth is greater than a radius of curvature of the convex edges of the pawl teeth.
A ratcheting tool, said ratcheting tool comprising:
- a body having a head and an elongated arm attached to the head;
- a first compartment defined by the head;
- a second compartment defined by the body and opening to the first compartment;
- a gear rotatably disposed in the first compartment about an axis and defining a plurality of teeth having respective edges aligned generally parallel to the axis on an outer circumference of the gear;
- and
- a pawl defining a plurality of teeth with respective edges aligned generally parallel to the axis and facing the gear so that the gear teeth and the pawl teeth are engagable with each other at an engagement area of the gear teeth and an engagement area of the pawl teeth, wherein the pawl is disposed in the second compartment so that the pawl is slidable across the second compartment laterally with respect to the gear between
- a first position in which the pawl is disposed between the body and the gear so that the body transmits torque through the pawl in a first rotational direction and ratchets in an opposite rotational direction and
- a second position in which the pawl is disposed between the body and the gear so that the body transmits torque through the pawl in the opposite rotational direction and ratchets in the first rotational direction,
- wherein the edges of the gear teeth are concave at the engagement area of the gear teeth,
- wherein the edges of the pawl teeth are convex at the engagement area of the pawl teeth, and
- wherein a radius of curvature of the concave edges of the gear teeth is greater than a radius of curvature of the convex edges of the pawl teeth.
A ratcheting tool, said ratcheting tool comprising:
- a body having a head and an elongated arm attached to the head;
- a first compartment defined by the head;
- a second compartment defined by the body and opening to the first compartment;
- a gear rotatably disposed in the first compartment about an axis and defining a plurality of teeth having respective edges aligned generally parallel to the axis on an outer circumference of the gear;
- and
- a pawl defining a plurality of teeth with respective edges aligned generally parallel to the axis and facing the gear so that the gear teeth and the pawl teeth are engagable with each other at an engagement area of the gear teeth and an engagement area of the pawl teeth, wherein the pawl is disposed in the second compartment so that the pawl is slidable across the second compartment laterally with respect to the gear between
- a first position in which the pawl is disposed between the body and the gear so that the body transmits torque through the pawl in a first rotational direction and ratchets in an opposite rotational direction and
- a second position in which the pawl is disposed between the body and the gear so that the body transmits torque through the pawl in the opposite rotational direction and ratchets in the first rotational direction,
- wherein the edges of the gear teeth are concave at the engagement area of the gear teeth,
- wherein the edges of the pawl teeth are convex at the engagement area of the pawl teeth,
- wherein a radius of curvature of the concave edges of the gear teeth is greater than a radius of curvature of the convex edges of the pawl teeth,
- wherein the width of the pawl teeth is within the range of about 0.130 inches to about 0.220 inches,
- wherein the depth of the pawl teeth and the depth of the gear teeth are within a range of about 0.012 inches to about 0.025 inches, and
- wherein a ratio of the pawl teeth radius of curvature to the gear teeth radius of curvature is within a range of about 0.75 to about 0.90.
A method of making a ratcheting tool having a body with a head and an elongated arm attached to the head, wherein the head defines a first compartment and the body defines a second compartment opening to the first compartment, wherein a gear is rotatably disposed in the first compartment about an axis and defining a plurality of teeth having respective edges aligned generally parallel to the axis on an outer circumference of the gear, wherein a pawl defines a plurality of teeth with respective edges aligned generally parallel to the axis and facing the gear so that the gear teeth and the pawl teeth are engagable with each other at an engagement area of the gear teeth and an engagement area of the pawl teeth, and wherein the pawl is disposed in the second compartment so that the pawl is slidable across the second compartment laterally with respect to the gear between a first position in which the pawl is disposed between the body and the gear so that the body transmits torque through the pawl in a first rotational direction and ratchets in an opposite rotational direction, and a second position in which the pawl is disposed between the body and the gear so that the body transmits torque through the pawl in the opposite rotational direction and ratchets in the first rotational direction, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) defining the pawl and the gear so that the edges of the gear teeth are concave at the engagement area of the gear teeth, the edges of the pawl teeth are convex at the engagement area of the pawl teeth, and a radius of curvature of the concave edges of the gear teeth is greater than a radius of curvature of the convex edges of the pawl teeth.
- (b) selecting respective widths of the pawl teeth and the gear teeth, wherein the width of a respective teeth is defined by an axially aligned straight-line distance between opposite ends of the tooth;
- (c) selecting respective depths of the pawl teeth and the gear teeth, wherein the depth of the respective teeth is defined by a radial distance between an arc defined by the edges of the respective teeth and an arc defined by troughs of the respective teeth;
- (d) selecting respective included angles of the pawl teeth and the gear teeth, wherein the included angle of the respective tooth is defined between opposing sides of the tooth;
- and
- (e) following steps (a), (b), (c), and (d), selecting the radius of curvature of the pawl teeth and the radius of curvature of the gear teeth so that when the gear teeth and the pawl teeth are axially offset within a range of about 0.005 to about 0.020 inches, the pawl teeth engage the gear teeth at a surface area within a range of about 70 percent to about 90 percent of full engagement.
A method of making a ratcheting tool having a body and a compartment defined by the body, wherein a gear is rotatably disposed in the compartment about an axis and defining a plurality of teeth having respective edges aligned generally parallel to the axis on a circumference of the gear, wherein the tool has a pawl defining a plurality of teeth with respective edges aligned generally parallel to the axis and facing the gear so that the gear teeth and the pawl teeth are engagable with each other at an engagement area of the gear teeth and an engagement area of the pawl teeth, and wherein the pawl is disposed between the gear and the body so that the body transmits torque through the pawl in a first rotational direction and so that the pawl ratchets with respect to the gear in a second rotational direction, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) defining the pawl and the gear so that the edges of the gear teeth are concave at the engagement area of the gear teeth, the edges of the pawl teeth are convex at the engagement area of the pawl teeth, and a radius of curvature of the concave edges of the gear teeth is greater than a radius of curvature of the convex edges of the pawl teeth.
- (b) selecting respective widths of the pawl teeth and the gear teeth, wherein the width of a respective teeth is defined by an axially aligned straight-line distance between opposite ends of the tooth;
- (c) selecting respective depths of the pawl teeth and the gear teeth, wherein the depth of the respective teeth is defined by a radial distance between an arc defined by the edges of the respective teeth and an arc defined by troughs of the respective teeth;
- (d) selecting respective included angles of the pawl teeth and the gear teeth, wherein the included angle of the respective tooth is defined between opposing sides of the tooth;
- and
- (e) following steps (a), (b), (c), and (d), selecting the radius of curvature of the pawl teeth and the radius of curvature of the gear teeth so that when the gear teeth and the pawl teeth are axially offset within a range of about 0.005 to about 0.020 inches, the pawl teeth engage the gear teeth at a surface area within a range of about 70 percent to about 90 percent of full engagement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.