Adjustable ratcheting socket wrench
AssigneeStanley Black & Decker, Inc.
InventorsThomas Pelletier, Heather LI
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An adjustable socket that includes a housing, a rotatable member engageable with the housing such that the rotation of the rotatable member causes the housing to move upwardly or downwardly along the longitudinal axis, an adjusting collar engageable with the rotatable member and the housing, a plurality of jaws, a retainer, and a lock member. Each jaw is received in a corresponding one of apertures of the housing. The lock member is operatively connected with the rotatable member and is constructed and arranged to secure the adjusting collar to the housing and the plurality of jaws. The jaws are movable towards and away from the longitudinal axis of the housing through a range of positions upon the rotation of the rotatable member.
Claims16
An adjustable socket comprising:
- a housing having a longitudinal axis, the housing having a plurality of apertures extending therethrough;
- a rotatable member engageable with the housing such that the rotation of the rotatable member causes the housing to move upwardly or downwardly along the longitudinal axis;
- an adjusting collar engageable with the rotatable member and the housing, the adjusting collar having a beveled surface;
- a plurality of jaws, each jaw being received in a corresponding one of the apertures, each jaw having:
- an inward face facing towards the longitudinal axis of the housing;
- a beveled outward face facing away from the longitudinal axis of the housing, the beveled outward face being slidable on the beveled surface of the adjusting collar;
- and
- a biasing element biasing the each jaw away from the longitudinal axis of the housing;
- a retainer having a flange supportable by the housing and a protrusion extending from the flange between the jaws' inward faces, each biasing element extending between the protrusion and a corresponding one of the jaws;
- and
- a lock member operatively connected with the rotatable member and constructed and arranged to secure the adjusting collar to the housing and the plurality of jaws;
- wherein the jaws are movable towards and away from the longitudinal axis of the housing through a range of positions upon the rotation of the rotatable member.
An adjustable ratchet socket wrench comprising:
- a body;
- at least one pawl arrangement disposed in the body;
- and
- at least one adjustable socket comprising:
- a housing having a longitudinal axis, the housing having a plurality of apertures extending therethrough;
- a rotatable member engageable with the housing such that the rotation of the rotatable member causes the housing to move upwardly or downwardly along the longitudinal axis;
- an adjusting collar engageable with the rotatable member and the housing;
- a plurality of jaws, each jaw being received in a corresponding one of the apertures, each jaw having:
- an inward face facing towards the longitudinal axis of the housing;
- a beveled outward face facing away from the longitudinal axis of the housing, the beveled outward face being slidable on the beveled surface of the adjusting collar;
- and
- a biasing element biasing the each jaw away from the longitudinal axis of the housing;
- a retainer having a flange supportable by the housing and a protrusion extending from the flange between the jaws' inward faces, each biasing element extending between the protrusion and a corresponding one of the jaws;
- and
- a lock member operatively connected with the rotatable member and constructed and arranged to secure the adjusting collar to the housing and the plurality of jaws;
- wherein the jaws are movable towards and away from the longitudinal axis of the housing through a range of positions upon the rotation of the rotatable member,
- wherein the adjusting collar comprising gear teeth disposed on an external surface portion thereon, and
- wherein the gear teeth on the adjusting collar are constructed and arranged to engage with a pawl of the at least one pawl arrangement so as to allow the adjustable socket to ratchet in either clockwise or counter-clockwise direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.