Ratchet screw driver

A high torque ratchet screw driver comprising in combination:

• a handle,
• a primary shaft secured to the handle,
• a ratchet housing secured to said primary shaft,
• a bore orientated within said ratchet housing,
• a secondary shaft having an outer diameter less than an inner diameter of said bore, said secondary shaft having clutch teeth extending radially from a portion of said second shaft, said clutch teeth oriented within said bore of said housing, and
• a driver tip secured to said secondary shaft and including means to interface with a device which is to be rotated, in a manner causing the device to be rotated when said driver tip rotates,
• said ratchet housing including an opening extending between an outer surface of said ratchet housing and said bore, said opening including a shelf oriented in a shelf plane substantially parallel to said secondary shaft, said shelf plane being closer to a central axis of said secondary shaft than said clutch teeth, such that said clutch teeth extend above said shelf plane and into said opening, and
• said ratchet housing including at least two pawls within said opening, said pawls sized to rest on said shelf with a portion thereof extending over an edge of said shelf a sufficient distance to prevent rotation of said clutch teeth, and said secondary shaft attached thereto, in a direction which brings said clutch teeth toward said pawls, when said pawls are resting on said shelf, and means to pivot each of said at least two pawls about an axis non-parallel to said secondary shaft.

A ratchet mechanism for a torque tool, comprising in combination:

• a primary shaft,
• a ratchet housing secured to said primary shaft,
• a secondary shaft having a ratchet end adjacent said ratchet housing and a driver end opposite said ratchet end, said driver end including means to transmit torque to a device which is to be rotated, said ratchet end of said secondary shaft oriented adjacent to said ratchet housing,
• means to selectively secure said secondary shaft to said primary shaft through said ratchet housing when said primary shaft is rotated in a first direction, but allowing said secondary shaft to rotate freely with respect to said primary shaft when said primary shaft is rotated in a second opposite direction, and
• a switch having at least two positions spaced laterally from each other along a line non-parallel with said primary shaft, said switch being slidable between said two positions, said two positions including a first clockwise position and a second counterclockwise position, said first clockwise position corresponding to said switch causing said selective securing means to secure said primary shaft to said secondary shaft when said primary shaft is rotated in a clockwise direction, but allowing said secondary shaft to rotate freely with respect to said primary shaft when said primary shaft is rotated in a counterclockwise direction,
• said second counterclockwise position of said switch corresponding to said switch causing said selective securing means to secure said primary shaft to said secondary shaft when said primary shaft is rotated in a counterclockwise direction but allowing said secondary shaft to rotate freely when said primary shaft is rotated in a clockwise direction,
• said first clockwise position of said switch spaced away from said second counterclockwise position of said switch in a clockwise direction,
• whereby a user wishing to have the primary shaft secured to the secondary shaft for rotation in a clockwise direction would first slide said switch in a clockwise direction to said first clockwise position such that the switch is slid in a direction corresponding to a direction in which the secondary shaft is to be rotated,
• wherein said means to selectively secure said secondary shaft to said primary shaft includes said secondary shaft having clutch teeth extending radially from said secondary shaft near said ratchet end of said secondary shaft, said ratchet housing having a bore on a side thereof spaced from said primary shaft, said bore having an inner diameter greater than a major diameter of said clutch teeth of said secondary shaft, said clutch teeth of said secondary shaft oriented within said bore,
• said ratchet housing including a shelf oriented in a shelf plane substantially parallel to said secondary shaft, said shelf plane being closer to a central axis of said secondary shaft than said clutch teeth, such that said clutch teeth extend above said shelf plane and out of said bore,
• said ratchet housing including at least two pawls within an opening and adjacent said shelf, said pawls sized to rest on said shelf with a portion thereof extending over an edge of said shelf a sufficient distance to prevent rotation of said clutch teeth and said secondary shaft attached thereto, in a direction which brings said clutch teeth towards said pawls, when said pawls are resting on said shelf,
• said switch including means to pivot said pawls in a direction away from said shelf to a position which is clear from interference with rotation of said clutch teeth extending from said secondary shaft.