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US 5,509,331 AGranted
Gear drive ratchet action wrench
OwnerMichael F. Nickipuckinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention is a rotating driver tool which uses a housing having a chamber with a drive gear that drives and ratchets with a driven gear, which is biased by coaction of springs and camming balls between an engagement and disengagement by action of a cam on the balls.
Claims18
A ratchet action fastening tool with drive and return strokes comprising:
- a housing formed with a drive chamber and a shank opening;
- a shank rotationally reversible and rotatably carried in the shank opening said shank having a single drive end and a housed end with a longitudinal axis therebetween, whereby said fastening tool has a top and a bottom, and is rotationally reversible while maintaining said top and bottom orientation;
- said drive end being mounted to extend out of said housing and said housed end being opposite said drive end and mounted to be maintained within said housing;
- a driven gear having bilaterally symmetric teeth vertically slidingly mounted on said shank and rotationally engaging said shank;
- a drive gear formed in said chamber, said drive gear also having bilaterally symmetric teeth;
- and
- a biasing assembly comprising a cam, and a plurality of camming balls;
- said biasing assembly being attached to said housing being selectable between drive direction controlling position and a return direction controlling position, said assembly vertically biasing said driven gear into engagement with said drive gear on a drive stroke and biasing said gear out of said engagement on a return stroke.
5 more elements
A rotary driver tool having an axis of rotation comprising:
- shank means for rotating a fastener;
- housing means for housing and rotatably supporting said shank means;
- said shank means having a single driving end projecting outwardly from said housing and a housed end opposite said driving end, said housed end being substantially permanently mounted in said housing;
- driving means for driving said shank means and imparting rotation thereto about said axis;
- selector means for selectively engaging and disengaging said driving means to drive in a first selected direction of rotation and returning in a second direction of rotation, said selector means operative by movement along said axis into engagement with said driving means on movement in a first rotary direction, and to disengage from said driving means on movement in a second direction opposite said first direction;
- said selector means further comprising rotatable cam means and a plurality of camming balls whereby the cam means act on said balls to urge said gears into a desired driving relationship.
3 more elements
A drive member for imparting rotary motion comprising:
- a shank rotatable around an axis;
- a housing containing said shank;
- a drive disposed in the housing between the shank and the housing for selectively transmitting rotational motion in a drive rotational direction from the housing to the shank, by non-rotational movement of said drive along said axis;
- said drive having a first array of teeth;
- said housing having a second array of teeth;
- movement between the housing and drive being accomplished by the engagement of said first array of teeth and said second array of teeth;
- said housing second teeth and said drive first teeth being disengaged for a return when moved in the release rotational direction, being opposite said drive rotational direction;
- said axial movement being accomplished through the action of a cam said cam being disposed between said housing and said drive, said cam being operatively arranged so that a positive mechanical engagement between said first teeth and said second teeth is maintained on the drive stroke and said axial movement of the teeth is also accomplished by a positive mechanical engagement between the cam and the drive;
- said positive mechanical engagement being accomplished through balls contained between said cam and said drive.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.