US 3,941,017 AGranted

Plier type ratchet wrench

AssigneeDavenport Tool Co.

InventorsPaul E. Lenker, Raymond G. Voss

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A plier-type ratchet wrench of simple, economical and robust construction employs a single rigid thrust rod or bar to operate the ratchet drive and a single extensible helical spring which both biases the operating handle to its normal position and keeps the thrust rod and a pawl engaged with the ratchet.

Claims8

Dependent claims

In a tool of the type described including an elongated first member having opposite first and second end portions, the first end portion constituting a fixed handle;

a second elongated member constituting a movable handle and pivoted adjacent one end to the first member about a first axis disposed intermediate the fixed handle and the second end portion of the first member for actuation by the hand of a user so that the fixed and movable handles can be squeezed from a maximum open position toward a close position relative to each other;
a drive member disposed adjacent the second end portion of the first member for driving rotation about a second axis parallel to the first axis, the drive member including a drive ratchet about a peripheral surface thereof concentric with the second axis;
and operating means carried by the first member disposed generally between the movable handle and the drive member and operatively associated with the movable handle and the drive ratchet for driving rotation of the drive member upon said actuation of the handles, the improvement wherein the operating means comprises:
an elongated rigid thrust bar having opposite first and second ends disposed between the movable handle and the drive ratchet, the first end of the thrust bar being pivotally connected to the movable handle about a third axis parallel to the first axis, the second end of the thrust bar constituting a drive nose engaging the drive ratchet so that the thrust bar imports driving rotation in one direction to the drive member upon said actuation of the handles;
a pawl pivoted to the first member about a fourth axis parallel to the first axis, the pawl being laterally spaced from the second end of the thrust bar and engaging the drive ratchet effective to prevent rotation thereof in the opposite direction;
and a single extensible helical spring disposed in tension between the thrust bar and the pawl effective through the thrust bar to hold the movable handle in said open position and to hold each of the thrust bar drive nose and the pawl in engagement with the drive ratchet, squeezing of the handles toward their close position extending the spring against its tension.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

In a tool of the type described including an elongated first member having opposite first and second end portions, the first end portion constituting a fixed handle;

a second elongated member constituting a movable handle and pivoted adjacent one end to the first member about a first axis disposed intermediate the fixed handle and the second end portion of the first member for actuation by the hand of a user so that the fixed and movable handles can be squeezed from a maximum open position toward a close position relative to each other;
a drive member disposed adjacent the second end portion of the first member for driving rotation about a second axis parallel to the first axis, the drive member including a drive ratchet about a peripheral surface thereof concentric with the second axis;
and operating means carried by the first member disposed generally between the movable handle and the drive member and operatively associated with the movable handle and the drive ratchet for driving rotation of the drive member upon said actuation of the handles, the improvement wherein the operating means comprises:
an elongated rigid thrust bar having opposite first and second ends disposed between the movable handle and the drive ratchet, the first end of the thrust bar being pivotally connected to the movable handle about a third axis parallel to the first axis, the second end of the thrust bar constituting a drive nose engaging the drive ratchet so that the thrust bar imports driving rotation in one direction to the drive member upon said actuation of the handles;
a pawl pivoted to the first member about a fourth axis parallel to the first axis, the pawl being laterally spaced from the second end of the thrust bar and engaging the drive ratchet effective to prevent rotation thereof in the opposite direction;
and a single extensible helical spring disposed in tension between the thrust bar and the pawl effective through the thrust bar to hold the movable handle in said open position and to hold each of the thrust bar drive nose and the pawl in engagement with the drive ratchet, squeezing of the handles toward their close position extending the spring against its tension.

3 more elements