Socket wrench

In a socket wrench having a handle to be turned, a rotatable socket, a gear reduction acting between said handle and said socket, and means for selecting one of two or more different gear ratios in said gear reduction to select accordingly the mechanical advantage between said handle and said socket, the improvement wherein said gear reduction and said selecting means comprise:

• an output shaft carrying said socket and carrying a plurality of driven gears of different diameters;
• an axially adjustable intermediate shaft carrying a corresponding plurality of gears of different diameters which are drivingly engageable individually with corresponding driven gears on the output shaft in different axial positions of said intermediate shaft;
• and means for selectively locking said intermediate shaft in said different axial positions while permitting rotation of said intermediate shaft in each of said different axial positons.