GB2353746A

GB2353746A - Twin pawled ratchet tool

Info

Publication number: GB2353746A
Application number: GB9920867A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jack Lee
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-09-04
Filing date: 1999-09-04
Publication date: 2001-03-07
Anticipated expiration: 2019-09-04
Also published as: DE29915837U1; FR2799147B3; AU721120B3; GB9920867D0; FR2799147A3; NL1013081C2; GB2353746B

Abstract

A ratchet tool includes an activating member (30) in the head (20) of the tool and the actuating member has teeth (33) on its outside. Two pawl members (40) are received in the head and connected to a disk (50). Each pawl member has a curved toothed inside (41) which is engaged with the teeth of the actuating member. A spring (43) is connected between the two pawl members and when rotating the disk, one of the two pawl members is disengaged from the teeth of the actuating member.

Description

2353746 RATCHET TOOL The present invention relates to a ratchet tool, and

more particularly, to a ratchet tool having two curved pawl members respectively engaged with a toothed outside of a ring member in the head of the ratchet tool.

A conventional ratchet tool is shown in Fig. 6 and generally includes a head (11) with teeth (12) defined in the inside thereof and a pawl member (13) having teeth (14) is engaged with the teeth (12) of the head (11). A control member (130) is connected to the pawl member (13) so that when rotating the control member (130), the pawl member (13) is pivoted so that one of two ends is engaged with the teeth (12) of the head (11) so as to set the output direction of the ratchet tool. It is to be noted that the engaging teeth (14) and (12) between the pawl member (13) and the head (11) are very few so that the ratchet tool cannot output a high torque because the teeth (14) and (12) will slip with each other. Although some improved ratchet tools are developed to have more engaging teeth when output a torque, a large volume is required to retain a larger pawl member. Such tool is heavy and expensive.

The present invention intends to provide a ratchet tool having two curved pawl members connected by a spring. The two pawl members each have a protrusion which is connected to a selection lever so that whenever shifting the lever, one of the two pawl members is engaged with the teeth in the outside of the activating member in the tool head. The present invention has arisen to mitigate the disadvantages of the conventional ratchet tool.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a ratchet tool comprising a ring-shaped head having a recess defined in the inside thereof so that two pawl members are received in the recess. An activating member has teeth defined in the outside thereof and the activating member is engaged in the ring-shaped head. The two pawl members each have a curved toothed inside which 2 is engaged with the teeth of the activating member. A spring is connected between the two pawl members. A disk is rotatably connected to the head and connected to the two pawl members so that one of the two pawl members is disengaged from the teeth of the activating member when rotating the disk.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a ratchet tool which has two pawl members engaged with the actuating member so that whichever direction is set when operating the ratchet tool, the actuating member is engaged with the complete curved toothed inside of one of the two pawl members.

These and ftirther objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, several embodiments in accordance with the present invention.

IN THE DRAWING Fig. I is an exploded view of the ratchet tool in accordance with the present invention; Fig..2 is an illustrative view to illustrate the two pawl members are engaged with the actuating member when the lever is positioned at a neutral position; Fig. 3 is an illustrative view to illustrate one of the two pawl members is engaged with the actuating member when the lever is shifted to a first position; Fig. 4 is an illustrative view to illustrate the other pawl member is engaged with the actuating member when the lever is shifted to a second position; Fig. 5 is an exploded view of another embodiment of the ratchet tool in accordance with the present invention, and Fig. 6 is an exploded view of a conventional ratchet tool.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the ratchet tool in accordance with the present invention comprises a ring-shaped head (20) having a recess (23) defined in the 3 inside thereof, a recessed area (24) defined in one of two sides of the head (20) and communicating with the recess (23). A shank (21) extends from the head (20). An activating member (30) is rotatably received in the ring-shaped head (20) and the activating member is a ring member which has teeth (33) defined in the outside thereof. An engaging means which comprises engaging teeth (3 1) defined in the inside of the activating member (30). Therefore, a socket (not shown) can be engaged with the engaging teeth (3 1) of the activating member (30).

Two pawl members (40) each have a curved toothed inside (41) which is engaged with the teeth (33) of the activating member and the two pawl members (40) are received in the recess (23) in the head (20) with a spring (43) connected between the two pawl members (40). A disk (50) is rotatably connected to the head (20) and is received in the recessed area (24) by a bolt extending through the hole (5 1) defined in the disk (50) and engaged with the threaded hole (25) defined in the recessed area (24). The disk (50) has a lever (54) connected thereto so that the user is convenient to shift the lever (54) to rotate the disk (50). Each pawl member (40) has a protrusion (42) extending therefrom and the disk (50) has a notch (52) defined in the bottom thereof so that the two protrusions (42) are engaged with the notch (52). It is to be noted that the notch (52) is a U-shaped notch which is defined by two inclined sides, and the two protrusions (42) are respectively engaged with the two inclined sides of the notch (52). A spring (61) and a ball (62) are engaged between the disk (50) and the head (20), wherein the spring (61) is received in a retaining recess (26) defined in the bottom of the recessed area (24). The disk (50) has three dims (53) defined in the bottom thereof so that the ball (62) is received in one of the three dims (53). As shown in Fig. 3, the ball (62) is received in the middle dim (53) so that the two curved toothed insides (41) of the two pawl members (40) are engaged with the teeth (33), it is the neutral position.

4 Referring to figure 3, when shifting the lever (54) to the right, the two inclined sides of the notch (52) are moved so as to let one of the two protrusions (42) move away from the activating member (30) so that only one pawl member (40) is engaged with the teeth (33) of the activating member (30). Therefore, the direction of the ratchet tool is set. When shifting the lever (54) to the left as shown in Fig. 4, the pawl member (40) engaged with the teeth (33) as shown in Fig. 3 is disengaged from the teeth (33), and other pawl member (40) is engaged with the teeth (33) of the activating member (30).

Figure 5 shows another embodiment of the engaging means on the activating member (30), wherein the activating member (30) is a disk member and the engaging means is an engaging shaft (63) extending therefrom which is adapted to be connected to a socket (not shown).

Accordingly, the ratchet tool of the present invention has two pawl members (40) so that whichever output direction of the ratchet tool is set, there are enough teeth engaged with each other between the pawl member (40) and the activating member (30). This means that the teeth may bear a larger torque.

While we have shown and described various embodiments in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

Claims

CLAIME&

1. A ratchet tool comprising:

a ring-shaped head (20) having a recess (23) defined in the inside thereof, a shank (2 1) extending from said head (20); an activating member (30) having teeth (33) defined in the outside thereof and said activating member (30) engaged in said ring-shaped head (20), said activating member (30) having an engaging means connected thereto; two pawl members (40) each having a curved toothed inside (41) and said two pawl members (40) received in said recess (23) in said head (20) so as to engage with said teeth (33) of said activating member (30), a spring (43) connected between said two pawl members (40); a disk (50) rotatably connected to said head (20) and connected to said two pawl members (40) so that when rotating said disk (50), one of said two pawl members (40) is disengaged from said teeth (33) of said activating member (30).

2. The ratchet tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein each pawl member (40) has a protrusion (42) extending therefrom and said disk (50) has a notch (52) defined therein with which said two protrusions (42) are engaged.

3. The ratchet tool as claimed in claim 1. wherein said disk (5 0) has a lever (54) connected thereto.

4. The ratchet tool as claimed in claim I. wherein a spring (6 1) and a ball (62) are engaged between said disk (50) and said head (20), said disk (50) having three dims (53) defined therein and said ball (62) received in one of said three dims (53).

5. The ratchet tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein said activating member (30) is a ring member and said engaging means comprises engaging teeth (3 1) defined in the inside of said activating member (30).

6 6. The ratchet tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein said activating member (30) is a disk member and said engaging means is an engaging shaft (63) which is adapted to be connected to a socket.

7. The ratchet tool as claimed in claim 2, wherein said notch (52) of said disk (50) is a U-shaped notch which is defined by two inclined sides, said two protrusions (42) respectively engaged with said two inclined sides of said notch (52).

8.A ratchet tool constructed and arranged to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figures I to 5 of the accompanying drawings.