US2574424A - Ratchet spanner wrench - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 6, 1951 c. A. SZETELA RATCHET SPANNER WRENCH Filed Aug. 25, 1949 Inventor": Qasimere A. Szeteia,

" His AtL iovney.

iatented Nov. 6, 1951 Gasimere A. S zetela Adams; Mass., asisignor to General Electric Company, a, corporation of New York Application Aligllst 23,- 1949, Serial No. 111,908

My invention relates to hand tools, and more particularly to spanner wrenches. V

In various types of shop work, and in many manufacturing operations, it frequently becomes necessary to apply a turning force to a body having a large diameter, and under conditions where the space available for applying the necessary turning force is restricted.

It is an object of this invention to provide a wrench capable of turning bodies of large diameter, and having a turning handle which has an adjustable position with respect to the object which is being turned.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a wrench for turning bodies of large 2 Claims. (Cl. 8-190) diameter which will be easy to operate where working space is restricted.

In accomplishment of these objectives, this invention provides a ratchet spanner wrench having an arcuate gripping spanner element and a handle element which are relatively movable by means of slide elements pivotally mounted on the handle which move along grooved tracks on the arcuate spanner element.

The features of this invention Which I believe to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. My invention itself, however, both as to its organization and use, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 represents a plan view of the wrench of myinvention; Fig. 2 represents a cross-sectional view 'along line 22 of the same wrench; and Fig. 3 represents a view, partially cut away, of a modified form of wrench in accordance with my invention.

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown in Fig. 1 a disk I which it is desired to turn, having symmetrically-spaced recesses 2 cut into its outer periphery. These recesses may be in the form of notches or drilled holes. The wrench 3 of my invention is comprised of an arcuate spanner element 4 and a handle 5. Integrally connected to the spanner element 4 is a projecting ear 6 which is adapted to fit into there'c'esses 2 on the outer periphery of the disk I. The projecting ear 6 is either rectangular or round in shape, depending upon the configuration of the recesses 2 on disk I with'which it is designed to mate.

in accordance with my invention, the spanner element 4 is provided with recessed tracks I and 8 of arcuate shape which extend on both sides of the spanner element forthe greater part of its length. The object of arcuate recesses 1' and .2 V 8 is to provide tracks forv slide elements 9 and H which, as will be explained hereafter, are adapted to slide along the recesses l and 8 to position the handle 5 preparatory to turning the disk I. Slide elements 9 and iii are pivotally connected to handle extensions H and [2, respectively, by means of pins l3 and 14. The handle extensions l I and [2 are rigidly attached on each side of the main body of the handle 5 by any suitable method, such as welding.

A pawl i5 is pivotally mounted with respect to the handle 5 by means of a screw l6 having its head fitting into a recess in handle extension ll, its threaded end screwed into handle extension l2, and its middle portion having a smooth surface about which the pawl l5 pivots,

The spanner'element 4 is provided with ratchet teeth I! on its outer arcuate surface, which are adapted to engage pawl l5. The pawl I5 is maintained in engagement with the ratchet teeth 17 by means of a spring l8 which bears against the pawl, with the other end of the spring l8 being rigidly fastened to the handle member -5.

In the normal operation of the spanner wrench of my invention, the inner arcuate surface of the spanner element 4 of the wrench is applied to the outer periphery of the disk which is to be turned, in such manner that the projecting ear 6 of the spanner element 4 fits into one of the recesses 2 in the disk I. The handle 5 of the Wrench may then be adjusted to any desired position with respect to the spanner element 4 by moving the handle and its attached slide elements '9 and ,ll'lalong the grooved tracks I and 8. 'When the movement of the handle is in a counterclockwise direction, with respect to the view shown in Fig. 1, thepawl IE will slide over-the ratchet teeth-ll of the spanner element 4. If the movement of the handle is in a clockwise direction, the pawl l5 may be manually retracted from-the ratchetteeth I! during the period of themovement.

.After the slide elements 9 and I0 have been 'movedto'the desired position along the grooved tracks I and '8, the handle 5 may then be pivoted about pins '13 and I4 until the handle assumesthe angle which the operator desires. The

paiwltlfiisheld in-engagement with ratchet teeth is! by means of springlfl, and serves as the means whereby force applied to :handle 5 is communi- -.cated'to spanner element 4 and thence to disk l.

l is rotated. The turning force exerted on the handle 5 is communicated to the spanner element 4 and disk I by the engagement between the pawl l5 and ratchet teeth I1.

It will be seen that my spanner wrench has great adjustability with regard to the position which the actuating handle 5 may occupy with respect to the arcuate-shaped spanner element 4. Due to the provision of the slide elements 9 and ID, the pivot point of handle 5 may be moved to any position along the tracks 1 and 8, at which point the handle may be pivoted about the slide elements to any convenient angle, provided the angle of the handle 5 with respect to spanner element 4 is not more than approximately 60 degrees. When the axis of the handle 5 is positioned at angles of more than 60 degrees with respect to the spanner element 4, the horizontal component of force exerted on the slider elements 9 and ID will be such as to cause a relative motion between the slide elements 9 and I and the spanner element 4. When a turning force is being exerted on the handle 5, there should be no relative motion between the slider members 9 and I9 and spanner element 4. As mentioned hereinbefore, the only time when there should be relative motion between these members is when the handle is being adjusted into position with respect to the spanner element 4. It is obvious that this adjustability of the position of the handle 5 is of considerable advantage, since it permits easy operation of the wrench under many confined and space-restricted conditions where operation of spanner wrenches heretofore known would be very difficult.

A further feature of my construction is the fact that an eccentric screw [6 is provided to hold the pawl I5 in position with respect to the handle 5, thereby permitting adjustment of the pawl [5 when grooved tracks I and 8 become worn and cause a change in the position of the pawl IS with respect to the ratchet teeth ll. This condition can be corrected by turning the screw I6 so as to raise the axis about which the pawl 15 pivots.

A modification of my invention is shown in Fig. 3. This modified construction is provided for an application in which the conditions under which the wrench will be used make it necessary that the handle 5 of the wrench be advanced to positions where the axis of the handle 5 is at an angle of more than 60 degrees with respect to the spanner element 4. As mentioned hereinbefore, when the handle 5 is advanced to a position of more than approximately 60 degrees with respect to the spanner element 4, the horizontal component of the force exerted upon the handle will be such as to cause slide elements 9 and ID of the type shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to slide along the tracks 1 and 8 when a turning force is being exerted on handle 5, instead of remaining stationary as they should.

In the modified structure of Fig. 3, the motion of slide elements 9 and I0 is prevented by providing one edge of the tracks I and 8 with ratchet teeth l9 with which the slide elements 9 and II) can engage. In this modified structure, the slide elements 9 and ID are made narrower than the form of slide elements shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and do not fill the full width of the track recess as do the slide elements 9 and III of Figs. 1 and 2. This permits the slide elements shown in Fig. 3 to pivot into engagement with the ratchet teeth l9 on the edge of the grooved track. By

4 means of this arrangement, the handle 5 may be advanced to a position beyond the limiting angle of 60 degrees with respect to the spanner element 4 which must be observed when using the form of my invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

While there have been shown and described particular embodiments of my invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the invention 7 and, therefore, it is aimed in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: 1. An arcuate spanner wrench of the type having at least one projection engaging a mating recess in the object being turned, comprising an arcuate spanner element with which said projection is integral, said spanner element having a grooved track on each of its two opposite arcuate surfaces which are perpendicular to the axis of rotation, a handle for said wrench, slide elements pivotally connected to said handle at the end thereof adjacent said spanner element, said slide elements being movable in said grooved tracks to permit adjustment of the position of said handle relative to said spanner element, ratchet teeth on the radially outer arcuate surface of said spanner element, and a pawl pivotally mounted on said handle and engageable with said ratchet teeth to communicate turning force applied to said handle to said spanner element, thereby applying a turning force to said object being turned.

2. An arcuate spanner wrench of the type having at least one projection which engages a recess in the object bein turned, comprising an arcuate spanner element with which said projection is integral, said spanner element having a grooved track on each of its two opposite arcuate surfaces which are perpendicular to the axis of rotation, a handle for said wrench, slide elements pivotally connected to said handle at the end thereof adjacent said spanner element, said slide elements being movable in said grooved tracks to permit adjustment of the position of said handle relative to said spanner element, at least one edge of each of said grooved tracks havin teeth to permit locking said slide elements against motion, ratchet teeth on the radially outer arcuate surface of said spanner element, and a pawl pivotally mounted on said handle and engageable with said ratchet teeth, so that turning force applied to said handle is communicated through the engagement of said pawl and ratchet teeth to said spanner element and thence to the object being turned.

CASLMERE A. SZE'I'ELA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 458,337 Dodge Aug. 25, 1891 630,819 Sayers Aug. 8, 1899 749,588 Smith Jan. 12, 1904 1,384,684 Watkins July 12, 1921 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Name Date 18,561 Great Britain Aug. 12, 1909

Images