Ratcheting torque wrench

A plastic ratchet mechanism, comprising:

• a cylindrical body with a with an inner annular wall, a cylindrical end (18), and a cylindrical top (19);
• a plurality of ratchet teeth formed or molded on the inner annular wall;
• a cup shaped cylindrical upper shank smaller than the interior diameter of the cylindrical body and having an annular wall around its periphery said annular wall forming the peripheral wall;
• drive body guides comprising:
• at least one passageway through the annular wall fluidly connecting each drive body guide to the inner annular wall of the body;
• at least one mounting post;
• one or more of movable drive bodies mounted to the cup shaped upper shank via the at least one mounting post;
• and,
• each drive body having a toe that protrudes through the passageway beyond the annular wall to engage a ratchet tooth when rotated in the positive lock direction.

A method of ratchet driving a shaft, the method comprising:

• Within a hollow body placing a lower shank and an upper shank;
• forming a plurality of ratchet teeth on the inner annular wall of the hollow body;
• affixing a shaft with a tip at one end to a cup shaped upper shank;
• placing the cup shaped upper shank within the hollow body;
• placing a plurality of movable drive bodies in the cup shaped shank and each drive body having a toe protruding radially from the shank towards the inner annular wall of the hollow body;
• and,
• connecting the toes to the ratchet teeth via rotating the shaft in a locked direction when rotating the body.