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US 5,174,176 AGranted
Reversible rachet wrench with integrated dual pawl and spring and cam unit
AssigneeSnap-on Tools Corporation
InventorBert Krivec
Life of this patent
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AssigneeSnap-on Tools Corporation
InventorBert Krivec
Estimating the term…
A reversible ratchet wrench has a housing containing a ratchet wheel and a reversing pawl unit which includes two pawls respectively connected by leaf springs to a pivotally mounted reversing cam, all in a unitary one-piece construction. The reversing pawl unit is pivotally movable by a reversing lever between first and second conditions, wherein the two pawls respectively engage the ratchet wheel for accommodating rotation thereof in opposite directions. The reversing lever has a cam follower which cammingly engages a cam surface on the housing to resiliently hold the reversing lever in the selected one of its two positions.
In a reversible ratchet wrench having a housing containing a ratchet wheel and two pawls respectively engageable with the ratchet wheel for respectively accommodating rotation thereof in opposite directions relative to the housing during the back stroke of the wrench, the improvement comprising:
In a reversible ratchet wrench having a housing containing a ratchet wheel and two pawls respectively engageable with the ratchet wheel for respectively accommodating rotation thereof in opposite directions relative to the housing during the back stroke of the wrench, the improvement comprising:
In a reversible ratchet wrench having a housing containing a ratchet wheel and two pawls respectively engageable with the ratchet wheel for respectively accommodating rotation thereof in opposite directions relative to the housing during the back stroke of the wrench, the improvement comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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No related US applications are recorded in the indexed filing history.
The ratchet parts engaging in a direction radial to the tool operating axis: a pawl engaging an externally toothed wheel
Tools or bench devices not otherwise provided for, for fastening, connecting, disengaging
Term ended 9 Dec 2011 (estimated)
USPTO file history isn’t available for this patent, so only indexed dates are shown.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to ratchet wrenches and, in particular, to reversible ratchet wrenches and the reversing mechanism thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the invention, there is illustrated in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, the invention, its construction and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.
FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a reversible ratchet wrench constructed in accordance with and embodying the features of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary view in vertical section taken along the line 2--2 in FIG. 1;
Referring to FIGS. 1-3, there is illustrated a reversible ratchet wrench 10, constructed in accordance with and embodying the features of the present invention. The wrench 10 includes a handle 11 provided at one end thereof with a head 12. The head 12 includes a housing 13 which is unitary with the handle 11 and is provided with a generally oval-shaped cavity 14 in one face thereof, the cavity 14 having a cylindrical recess 15 at the bottom thereof. Also formed through the bottom wall of the housing 13 is a cylindrical bore 16 having a counterbore 17. A shoulder 18 is formed around the periphery of the cavity 14 adjacent to the outer end thereof.
The housing 13 is connected by screws 19 to a cover plate 20 which, in use, rests upon the shoulder 18 for closing the outer end of the cavity 14. The cover plate 20 has a depth substantially equal to the depth of the shoulder 18 so that the outer face of the cover plate 20 is substantially flush with the adjacent face of the housing 13. The cover plate 20 has a cylindrical bore 21 therethrough coaxial with the recess 15 in the cavity 14. Also formed in the inner surface of the cover plate 20 is a cylindrical recess 22 coaxial with the bore 16 in the housing 13. Preferably, a groove is formed in the outer wall of the cover plate 20 around the periphery thereof and receives therein a suitable sealing ring 23.
A ratchet wheel 25 is disposed in the cavity 14 and has a cylindrical inner hub 26 rotatably seated in the recess 15 and an outer cylindrical hub 27 rotatably received through the bore 21 in the cover plate 20. The outer hub 27 is unitary with an outwardly projecting square drive lug 28 for attachment to associated socket tools in standard fashion. The ratchet wheel 25 is provided with a plurality of peripheral ratchet teeth 29, all in a known manner.