Locking flex-head ratchet wrench
AssigneeEasco Hand Tools, Inc.
InventorsPei Yang Lee, Antonio De La Torre
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ratcheting tool including a handle formed with an integral yoke at a first end and a tool head coupled to the yoke at a pivot. The tool head has a toothed hub facing rearwardly of the pivot and into the yoke. A locking spool is rotatably carried in the yoke adjacent the toothed hub. The locking spool has a first face, a second face, and a first tooth extending along both the first face and the second face and engaging the toothed hub. The locking spool is rotatable between a first position in which the first face is adjacent the toothed hub, thereby locking the tool head in a selected angular position with respect to the handle, and a second position in which the second face is adjacent the toothed hub such that the tool head is pivotable about the pivot.
Claims25
A ratcheting tool comprising:
- a handle formed with a yoke at a first end;
- a tool head having a toothed hub disposed thereon, said toothed hub being coupled to said yoke at a pivot such that said tool head is coupled to said first end of said handle;
- a locking spool rotatably carried in said yoke adjacent said toothed hub, said locking spool having a first face, a second face, and a first tooth extending along both said first face and said second face;
- and
- wherein said locking spool is rotatable between a first position in which said first face is adjacent said toothed hub, thereby locking said tool head in a selected angular position with respect to said handle, and a second position in which said second face is adjacent to said toothed hub such that said tool head is pivotable about said pivot, said first tooth engaging said toothed hub in both said first position and said second position.
A locking flex-head tool comprising:
- a handle formed with a yoke at a first end;
- a tool head including a toothed hub disposed thereon, said tool head pivotally connected to said handle at a pivot such that said toothed hub faces inwardly into said yoke;
- a locking spool rotatably carried in said yoke, said locking spool being rotatable between a first position and a second position, said locking spool including a first tooth with a first tooth portion configured to engage said toothed hub in said first position;
- and
- wherein said tool head is fixed in a desired angular position relative to said handle when said locking spool is in said first position and said tool head is both pivotable relative to said handle and movable along a longitudinal axis of said handle when said locking spool is in said second position, and
- wherein said locking spool is in said first position said locking spool contacts said toothed hub and an inner wall of said yoke such that movement of said locking spool along said longitudinal axis of said handle is prevented.
The locking flex-head tool according to claim, 14, wherein the first tooth further comprises a second tooth portion configured to engage said toothed hub in said second position of said locking spool.
A ratcheting tool comprising:
- a handle with a bearing surface;
- a tool head coupled to said handle at a pivot, said tool head having a toothed hub;
- a locking spool rotatably carried between said handle and said tool head, said locking spool including a first face with a first tooth portion, a second face with a second tooth portion, said first and second tooth portions intersecting at an angle and said locking spool being rotatable between a first position and a second position;
- and
- wherein in said first position said first face opposes said toothed hub such that said first tooth portion engages said toothed hub and said locking spool is disposed in an axially-fixed position between said toothed hub and said bearing surface, thereby preventing said tool head from pivoting relative to said handle;
- and
- in said second position said second face opposes said toothed hub such that said second tooth portion engages said toothed hub and said locking spool is disposed in an axially-slidable position, such that pivoting said tool head relative to said handle causes said toothed hub to override said second tooth portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.