Actuator cap for a ratcheting mechanism

In a tool with ratcheting mechanism including a base member having a longitudinal axis, a gear rotatably supported in said base member on said axis, two pawls movably disposed on said base member for selective drive engagement with said gear and said base member, and an annularly shaped cap releasably connected with said base member and aligned on said axis and being rotatable thereon about said axis and being arranged for disengaging said pawls from said gear upon rotation of said cap, the improvement comprising:

• said base member and said cap each having a plurality of projections spaced apart in a circular pattern and arranged to be mutually and releasably engageable for releasably mounting said cap onto said base member in response to relative rotation between said base member and said cap about said axis,
• the extents of said projections in said circular pattern being limited so that said projections can move past each other in the direction along said axis during the connecting and disconnecting of said cap relative to said base member,
• a spring operatively arranged between said cap and said base member for urging said cap in the direction along said axis,
• and said cap and said base member having an interconnection with spaced apart end stops effective upon rotational movement of said cap on said base member and with said end stops being spaced apart a distance less than twice said extents of the total of one of said projections from each of said base member and said cap, for limiting relative rotation of said cap on said base member to thereby retain said cap on said base member.

In a tool with ratchecting mechanism including a base member having a longitudinal axis, a gear rotatably supported in said base member on said axis, two pawls movably disposed on said base member for selective drive engagement with said gear and said base member, and an annularly shaped cap releasably connected with said base member and aligned on said axis and being rotatable thereon about said axis and being arranged for disengaging said pawls from said gear upon rotation of said cap, the improvement comprising:

• said base member and said cap each having a plurality of projections spaced apart in a circular pattern and arranged to be mutually and releasably engageable for releasably mounting said cap onto said base member in response to relative rotation between said base member and said cap about said axis,
• the extents of said projections in said circular pattern being limited so that said projections can move past each other in the direction along said axis during the connecting and disconnecting of said cap relative to said base member,
• a plunger on said base member and being movable parallel to said axis,
• said cap having a dead-end groove with end stops and said plunger being disposed in said groove for restricting rotational movement of said cap on said base member to an amount less than twice the total extent of one of said projections from each of said base member and said cap along said circular pattern, whereby said projections can not move past and free of each other,
• and a spring on said base member for urging said plunger into said groove.

In a tool with ratcheting mechanism including a base member having a longitudinal axis, a gear rotatably supported in said base member on said axis, two pawls movably disposed on said base member for selective drive engagement with said gear and said base member, and an annular cap releasably connected with said base member and aligned on said axis and being rotatable thereon about said axis and being arranged for disengaging said pawls from said gear upon rotation of said cap, the improvement comprising:

• said base member and said cap having mutually and releasably engageable bayonet-type interconnecting projections for releasably mounting said cap onto said base member in response to relative rotation between said base member and said cap about said axis,
• said interconnecting projections being relatively rotatable about said axis and being in contact with each other in the direction along said axis to thereby limit movement of said cap in said direction and relative to said base member,
• a spring operatively arranged between said cap and said base member for urging said cap in said direction,
• said cap and said base member having and interconnection for limiting relative rotation of said cap on said base member to thereby retain said interconnecting projections in contact with each other,
• and said cap having a groove adjacent each of its said projections for receiving said projections of said base member and thereby limiting axial movement of said cap on said base member in both axial directions.