Open end ratchet wrench

In a ratchet wrench having a handle, a body having an opening formed therein for receiving an element to be rotated, a set of recesses extending radially outwardly from said opening and a set of element engaging jaw members retained in said recesses for engagement with an element to be rotated and projectable into said opening, the improvement residing in:

• each of said recesses including a ramp segment terminating in a mouth, and a linear segment opposite said ramp segment;
• each of said jaw members being rigid and having a dimpled end portion slidable against said ramp segment, and a nosed end portion opposite said dimpled end portion, said nosed end portion being slidable and pivotable against said linear segment;
• and
• a spring positioned in each of said recesses and engageable with said nosed end portion to normally force said dimpled end portion into said mouth and facilitate retention of each of said jaw members in each of said recesses.

A ratchet wrench for driving and ratcheting an element to be rotated, said wrench comprising:

• a handle;
• a body connected with said handle and including a substantially C-shaped head having a main wall defining a substantially C-shaped opening therein for receiving said element to be rotated and a set of supplementary walls, each of said supplementary walls extending radially outwardly of said opening defining a respective recess therein, each of said supplementary walls including a ramp segment terminating in a mouth and a linear segment opposite said ramp segment;
• a set of movable jaw members, each of said jaw members being retained in each of said recesses and having an innermost surface projecting into said opening and engageable with the element to be rotated, and an outermost surface joined to said innermost surface and including a dimpled end portion and a nosed end portion opposite said dimpled end portion, said dimpled end portion being slidable against said ramp segment and into and out of said mouth of said supplementary wall and said nosed end portion being slidable and pivotable against said linear segment of said supplementary wall;
• and
• a spring arrangement positioned in each of said recesses and engageable with each of said nosed end portions of said jaw members to facilitate retention of each of said jaw members in said recesses.

A ratchet wrench for driving and ratcheting a nut, said wrench comprising:

• an elongated handle;
• a body connected with said handle and including a substantially C-shaped head having a main wall defining a substantially C-shaped opening therein for receiving said nut, and a pair of supplementary walls, each of said supplementary walls extending radially outwardly of said opening defining a respective recess therein, each of said supplementary walls including a ramp segment terminating in a mouth, a linear segment opposite said ramp segment, and an intermediate segment joining said ramp segment and said linear segment;
• a pair of rigid, movable jaw members retained in said recesses, each of said jaw members having an innermost surface projectable into said opening and engageable with said nut, each innermost surface comprising a V-shaped notch having flat faces on each side thereof, each of said jaw members also having an outermost surface joined to said innermost surface and including a dimpled end portion and a nosed end portion opposite said dimpled end portion, said dimpled end portion being slidable against said ramp segment and into and out of said mouth of said supplementary wall, and said nosed end portion being slidable and pivotable against said linear segment of said supplementary wall;
• a coil spring positioned in each of said recesses and engageable with said nosed end portion to normally bias said dimpled end portion within said mouth;
• and
• a cover connected to said head to facilitate retention of each of said jaw members and each of said springs within each of said recesses,
• whereby rotation of the wrench in one direction maintains the bias of said coil spring on said nosed end portion and forces said dimpled end portion into said mouth so that when said nut is engaged against said innermost surface of said jaw member, said nut is drivingly rotated;
• and
• whereby rotation of the wrench in an opposite direction from said one direction acts against said innermost surface of said jaw member and against the bias of said coil spring to move said dimpled end portion out of said mouth along said ramp segment and causes said nosed portion to pivot and slide along said linear segment so that said nut will slip along the innermost surface of said jaw member to permit said nut to ratchet.

A ratchet wrench comprising:

• a handle;
• a body disposed on said handle, and having a head provided with a main wall defining an opening for receiving an element to be rotated;
• a pair of supplementary walls extending radially outwardly from said main wall, each of said supplementary walls being formed of a plurality of variously-shaped segments defining a recess, each of said supplementary walls including a ramp segment having a mouth, and a linear segment opposite said ramp segment;
• a pair of element engaging jaw members retained in each of said recesses, each of said jaw members having a multiplicity of variously-shaped surfaces slidable and pivotable along said segments of each of said recesses, each of said jaw members including an innermost surface comprising a single V-shaped notch having flat faces extending from each side thereof, each of said jaw members further including an outermost surface joined to said innermost surface and having a dimpled end portion and a nosed end portion opposite said dimpled end portion, said dimpled end portion being slidable against said ramp segment into and out of said mouth and said nosed end portion being slidable and pivotable against said linear segment;
• and
• a pair of springs, each of said springs being mounted separately in each of said recesses for biasing each of said jaw members into said opening,
• whereby rotation of said wrench in one direction maintains a bias of said spring such that when the element to be rotated is engaged against each of said jaw members, the element is drivingly rotated;
• and
• whereby rotation of the wrench in an opposite direction acts against the bias of the spring to move each of said jaw members such that the element to be rotated slips against each of the said jaw members to permit the element to ratchet.