Flat head power ratchets

A power ratchet comprising an upper shell and a lower shell, said upper and lower shells being joined together as an elongated housing which is tubular at one end and is provided with a chamber having slightly separated upper and lower faces at the other end, an annular post descending into the chamber from the upper shell, an annular boss extending upwardly into the chamber from the lower shell, an annular bore provided in the boss and extending through the boss and lower shell, a gear journaled between the post and the boss, said gear including an annular element which extends through the bore and is provided at its outer end with socket attachment means, a yoke pivotally disposed about the gear, means for pivoting the yoke in back and forth directions around the gear, first and second pawls disposed in the yoke, biasing means mounted in the yoke for biasing the first and second pawls into engagement with teeth in the gear, said pawls being mounted in such manner that when the yoke is pivoted back and forth and the first pawl is in engagement with the gear, the gear will be driven in a clockwise direction, and when the yoke is pivoted back and forth and the second pawl is in engagement with the gear, the gear will be driven in a counterclockwise direction, and reversing means for selectively placing either the first pawl or the second pawl into engagement with the gear teeth.

A low profile ratchet comprising an elongated housing having an upper shell and a lower shell, said housing being tubular at one end and substantially shorter in height than in width at the other end, a gear journaled on an axis which extends between the between the upper and lower shells, a socket attachment post movable with the gear and projecting through the lower shell, a yoke pivotally disposed about the gear, driving means for pivotally moving the yoke back and forth about the gear, said yoke being provided with first and second spaced chambers, first and second biasing means respectively disposed in said first and second chambers, first and second pawls respectively disposed in said first and second chambers in such manner that when the first pawl is in engagement with the gear and the yoke is pivoted back and forth about the gear, the gear will be driven in a clockwise direction, and when the second pawl is in engagement with the gear and the yoke is pivoted back and forth about the gear, the gear will be driven in a counter-clockwise direction, and reversing means for selectively engaging either the first pawl or the second pawl with the gear, said reversing means including a plate disposed between the upper shell and the upper face of the yoke, third and fourth chambers integrally provided in the first and second chambers respectively, said third and fourth chambers being shorter in depth than the first and second chambers, said first and second chambers being less in depth than the height of the first and second pawls such that one edge of each pawl projects above the upper surface of the yoke, biasing means mounted in the third and fourth chambers for biasing the first and second pawls toward the gear, and pawl control means integrally provided in the plate and upper shell for directing a preselected pawl into engagement with the gear while simultaneously preventing the other pawl from engaging the gear.