Socket and ratchet wrench

A socket and ratchet wrench combination, comprising:

• a socket of a unitary construction having a central rotational axis, the socket having a driving end including internal engagement surfaces for receiving a nut to be torqued, the socket also having a driven end including a plurality of flat drive surfaces located about the rotational axis in a spaced relationship to each other, each flat drive surface of the socket having opposite ends and a midpoint therebetween, the driven end also including curved connecting surfaces that connect the flat drive surfaces, each curved connecting surface of the socket having opposite ends and a midpoint therebetween, the midpoints of the flat drive surfaces of the socket being located radially inward with respect to the rotational axis from the midpoints of the curved connecting surfaces of the socket, the curved connecting surfaces including retaining grooves that extend between the adjacent flat drive surfaces, and the driven end having a through hole extending along the rotational axis so as to be capable of receiving a threaded shank extending through the nut being torqued;
• and
• a ratchet wrench including a head and a handle extending from the head, said head including a drive gear supported for rotation thereon and having external drive teeth, the drive gear including inwardly facing flat drive surfaces located about the rotational axis in a spaced relationship to each other and the drive gear also including curved connecting surfaces that connect the flat drive surfaces thereof, the flat drive surfaces and connecting surfaces of the drive gear cooperatively defining a through opening for receiving the driven end of the socket with the flat drive surfaces of the drive gear engaging the flat drive surfaces of the driven end of the socket to provide rotational driving thereof, the flat drive surfaces and curved connecting surfaces of the drive gear each having opposite ends and a midpoint therebetween, the midpoints of the flat drive surfaces of drive gear being located radially inward with respect to the rotational axis from the midpoints of the curved connecting surfaces of the drive gear, the drive gear including retaining grooves extending along the flat drive surfaces and connecting surfaces thereof, the drive gear including a deflectable retainer received by the retaining grooves in the flat drive surfaces and connecting surfaces thereof, the retainer deflecting to be received by the retaining grooves in the connecting surfaces of the driven end of the socket to detachably retain the socket to the head of the ratchet wrench for use, and a reversing pawl mounted on the head and having teeth for engaging the drive teeth of the drive gear to provide driving and ratcheting of the socket in opposite directions that are reversible by movement of the reversing pawl.