Dual action ratchet wrench
OwnerStephen A. Gummowinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ratchet wrench includes a body which carries a shank adapted to be removably fitted into a socket head for the purpose of rotating a socket head to turn a nut in the socket onto or off of a bolt. A handle pivot pin is mounted on the wrench body at a side opposite the shank to have its axis parallel to and spaced from the axis of the shank. An elongated wrench handle is mounted on the pivot pin and is movable with respect to the wrench body between a first position wherein the handle fits into the wrench body and is thus locked with respect to angular movement between the wrench body and the handle and a second position where it is above and spaced from the wrench body and can rotate freely about the pivot pin to cause the wrench body to rotate freely about the axis of the shank.
Claims11
A wrench comprising:
- a wrench body having a top and a bottom;
- a shank extending downwardly from the bottom of the wrench body for rotatably driving removably attached tools about a first axis;
- a handle having a first end for gripping by a user and a second end for transmitting force from the handle to the wrench body;
- and
- a pivot pin extending between and connecting the wrench body and the second end of the handle, the pivot pin being aligned along a second axis which is spaced from and parallel to the first axis;
- wherein the pivot pin extends through and is slidable within a cylindrical opening in one of the wrench body and second end of the handle to permit sliding movement of said one containing the cylindrical opening along the second axis, and wherein the pivot pin is rotatable with respect to the cylindrical opening, so that the wrench body and the second end of the handle are relatively positionable along the second axis in a first engaged force transmitting relationship and a second spaced apart force transmitting relationship;
- wherein in the first engaged force transmitting relationship the wrench body and the second end are positioned so that at least a portion of the second end of the handle is below a plane which is perpendicular to the first and second axes and is defined by the top of the wrench body, with a surface of the second end engaging a mating surface of the wrench body in a fixed force transmitting relationship;
- and wherein the pivot pin is of sufficient length so that in the second force transmitting relationship a bottom surface of the second end of the handle is elevated above and spaced apart from the plane defined by the top of the wrench body so that the second end of the handle is freely rotatable about the second axis while the pivot pin and the second end of the handle are freely rotatable in a full circle about the first axis.
A wrench comprising:
- a wrench body having a top and a bottom;
- a shank extending downwardly from the bottom of the wrench body for rotatably driving removably attached tools about a first axis;
- a pivot pin having a lower end and an upper end, the pivot pin being attached at its lower end to the wrench body and extending upwardly to its upper end which is located above the top of the wrench body, the pivot pin defining a second axis which is spaced from and parallel to the first axis;
- and
- a handle having a first end for gripping by a user and a second end for connection to the wrench body, the handle having a cylindrical opening at its second end through which the pivot pin extends and being slidable on the pivot pin along the second axis between a first position adjacent the lower end of the pivot pin, in which the wrench body and the second end of the handle are positioned so that at least a portion of the second end of the handle is below a plane which is perpendicular to the first and second axes and is defined by the top of the wrench body, with a surface of the second end engaging a mating surface of the wrench body so that the handle and the wrench body are in a fixed engaged force transmitting relationship, and a second position adjacent the upper end of the pivot pin in which the handle is elevated with respect to the top of the wrench body so that a bottom surface of the second end of the handle is elevated with respect to the top of the wrench body and the second end of the handle is freely rotatable about the pivot pin while the pivot pin and the second end of the handle are freely rotatable in a full circle about the first axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.