US3191466A

US3191466A - Ratchet spinner handle

Info

Publication number: US3191466A
Application number: US229437A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kawashima Kyozo
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-06-21
Filing date: 1962-10-09
Publication date: 1965-06-29
Anticipated expiration: 1982-06-29

Description

June 29, 1965 KYozo AKAWASHIMA 3,191,466 s RATGHET SPINNER HANDLE Filed Oct. 9, 1962 Krozo /qwAsHmA INVE/vrog @Y M United States Patent O RATCHET SPINNER HANDLE Kyozo Kawashima, 43 Higashi 1-chome, Hamaguchi, Sumiyoshiku, Osaka, Iapan Filed Get. 9, 1962, Ser. No. 229,437 Claims priority, application Japan, June 21, 1962, 37/32,759 2 Claims. (Cl. 81--62) The present invention relates to a reversible ratchet device, and more particularly to a ratchet device in which the pawl is within the periphery of the ratchet.

In the usual reversible ratchet device, for example for use with a socket wrench, or the like, the pawl which engages the ratchet lies outside the periphery of the ratchet, the ratchet having external teeth which are engaged by the pawl for driving the socket, wrench or the like. The overall diameter of the ratchet device is there- ,fore quite large compared to the rest of the tool, and it is often inconvenient if not impossible to use it in confined spaces. Moreover, the size causes the weight to increase, and the cost of the materials necessary to make it and the cost of fabricating those materials is unduly large.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a ratchet device for use with a socket wrench, or the like, which overcomes these drawbacks.

The ratchet device according to the present invention comprises a head portion having a cavity therein in which the pawl of the ratchet device is pivotally mounted, and the ratchet surrounds the head portion and has the ratchet teeth projecting inwardly toward the pawl. The pawl will then engage the teeth of the ratchet when the head portion is turned in one direction, and will be pivoted into the cavity when the head is turned in the opposite direction. In order to makethe pawl reversible, it has pivots thereon mounted in grooves in the head portion along which the pivots can slide for changing the location of the pivotal connection of the pawl with the head portion. A spring loaded locking ball is mounted in the head portion to urge the pawl into engagement with the ratchet teeth.

The invention will be more fully understood from the following specilication and claims, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a side elevation view of the ratchet device of the present invention as mounted on a socket wrench handle and with a socket thereon, the view being partly in section;

FIG. 2 is a front view, partly in section, of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3 3 of FIG. l;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the parts in a different position;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the socket of FIG. 1 with the top removed;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the socket of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of an adapter which can be substituted for the socket of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a side elevation View of the pawl of the ratchet device of FIG. 1.

Referring to the gures, there is shown a ratchet dcvice comprising a head portion 2 having a pin 3 through the top thereof which in turn has means thereon for turning the head portion, here shown as a handle 1 pivotally mounted thereon. A crossbar 16 can be inserted through a hole at the end of the handle 1 for turning the handle when the handle is in alignment with the head portion, or the handle can be pivoted to the dotted line position shown in FIG. 2 in which case a force exerted laterally on the handle will exert a torque on the head portion. A top cover portion 5 is integral with the head portion 2 and has a reduced diameter portion 17 which `lits into the top 18 of a hollow body portion 4 so that the body portion 4 can rotate relative to the head portion. In this embodiment the body portion is shown as a socket 21 for engaging a nut or the like. On the inside surface of the body portion 4 are ratchet teeth 14 which project into the hollow interior of the body portion 4.

Depending from the cover portion 5 and integral with it and the head portion 2 is a central head portion 6 having a cavity 8 opening laterally of the central head portion, said cavity being elongated in a direction transverse to the direction in which it opens out of said central portion. Opposed grooves 10 and 10' are formed in the central head portion 6 and open into the cavity 8 in the top and bottom thereof. l

Pivotally mounted in the cavity 8 is a pawl 7 having a base 13 with

projections

9 and 9 on the top and bottom thereof, the projections 9 and 9' being slidably and pivotally mounted in the grooves 10 and 10' respectively. The free end of the pawl 7 is shaped for engagement betweenvthe teeth 14 of the ratchet, .and the end within the cavity is rounded. Positioned in a bore extending transversely of the central head portion 6, which bore opens into the `cavity 8, is a locking ball 12 which is Yurgedtoward the cavity 8 by a spring 11 inthe bore so as normally to pivot the pawl 7 out of the cavity.

Around the 4bottom of the hollow interior of the body member 4 is a groove 20 into which a spring loaded locking ball 19 in the bottom of the central head portion 19 projects for locking the head portion into the body portion while allowing relative rotational movement between these parts.

In the embodiment of FIG. 7, the body portion has a lower part 23 from which extends a polygonal projection 22 having a spring loaded locking ball therein. A holder 24 having a polygonal recess therein can be snapped onto the projection 22, the holder here being shown as having a screwdriver 25 thereon. Other types of tools can of course be positioned on the holder 24.

In operation, with the pawl 7 positioned in the position shown in FIG. 3 and urged outwardly of the cavity by the ball 12, when the handle 1 is moved so as to turn the head portion 2 in the direction of the arrow, the pawl 7 will engage the ratchet teeth 14 on the inside of the body portion 4 and rotate the body portion in the same direction. However, when the handle 1 is turned so as to rotate the head portion in a direction opposite to the arrow, the pawl 7 will be pivoted into the cavity 8 and the body portion 4 will not be rotated.

If it is desired to drive the body portion 4 in the opposite direction, the pawl is moved to the position shown in FIG. 4. This is done by moving the pawl 7 so that the base 13 and the

projections

9 and 9 slide along the

grooves

10 and 10 to the other end of the cavity 8. During this movement, the rounded end of the pawl 7 will depress the ball 12 to permit the pawl to pass. When the pawl reaches the end of the groove the locking ball 12 will prevent lateral movement during the normal pivoting of the pawl into and out of the cavity 8, as well as urg-v ing the pawl 7 to pivot out of the cavity.

There has thus been provided a construction in which the usual ratchet action is obtained, but which construction is smaller than the conventional device, due to the fact that the pawl is within the body having the ratchet teeth thereon. Consequently, the device of the present invention can be used in much smaller spaces than the conventional devices, is lighter in Weight, the amount of material needed to make the device is less so that the cost is reduced both from the standpoint of the material needed and the amount of work necessary to make it.

Since the pawl is constantly urged outwardly by the ball 12 it will engage tightly and firmly with the teeth 14 of the ratchet, and the turning movement of the head portion will be transmitted surely and positively to the body portion. There is little friction between the pawl and the ratchet teeth during the reverse movement of the head portion, so that the device will be long lasting. Because the base of the pawl is rrnly engaged in the cavity S, the torque exerted on the head portion is surely and positively transmitted to the body portion, and at the same time large forces can be exerted through the ratchet device despite its small size.

Because of the small size of the ratchet device, it is not necessary to provide a large number of separate wrenches in a set of wrenches in order to make it possible to use the wrenches of the set in small spaces, and consequently Ythe cost as Well as the weight of the set of wrenches can ,be greatly reduced.

It is thought that the invention and its advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it is apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacricing its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawing being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A ratchet device comprising a head portion adapted to have a turning means attached thereto, said head portion having a depending central portion with a laterally opening cavity therein, said cavity being elongated transversely of the direction in which it opens from said central portion and said central portion having opposed adem-ea upper and lower grooves opening into said cavity and extending in the direction of elongation of said cavity, a hollow body portion around said head portion having inwardly projecting ratchet teeth thereon, said body portion being adapted to have a tool thereon, and a pawl having a base positioned within said cavity and having upper and lower projections thereon projecting into said grooves pivotally mounting the pawl in the cavity, said pawl being engageable with said ratchet teeth, said pawl being resiliently urged to pivot outwardly from said cavity and said projections being slidably mounted in said grooves for sliding from one to the other ends thereof, said pawl pivoting outwardly in one rotational direction when it is at one end of said grooves and pivoting outwardly in the other rotational direction when it is at the other end of said grooves.

2. A ratchet device as claimed in claim 1 in which said central portion has a spring loaded ball therein projecting into said cavity and engaging said pawl for urging Isaid pawl to pivot out of said cavity.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 893,097 7/08 Reams 81-63 1,883,618 10/32 Dodge 81-63 2,671,367 3/54 Modin 145-76 2,7 35,324 2/ 56 Goldwater et al. 81-60 FOREIGN PATENTS v 9,733 4/ 13 Great Britain. 7 07,596 4/54 Great Britain.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A RATCHET DEVICE COMPRISING A HEAD PORTION ADAPTED TO HAVE A TURNING MEANS ATTACHED THERETO, SAID PORTION HAVING A DEPENDING CENTRAL PORTION WITH A LATERALLY OPENING CAVITY THEREIN, SAID CAVITY BEING ELONGATED TRANSVERSELY OF THE DIRECTION IN WHICH IT OPENS FROM SAID CENTRAL PORTION AND SAID CENTRAL PORTION HAVING OPPOSED UPPER AND LOWER GROOVES OPENING INTO SAID CAVITY AND EXTENDING IN THE DIRECTION OF ELONGATION OF SAID CAVITY, A HOLLOW BODY PORTION AROUND SAID HEAD PORTION HAVING INWARDLY PROJECTING RATCHET TEETH THEREON, SAID BODY PORTION BEING ADAPTED TO HAVE A TOOL THEREON, AND A PAWL HAVING A BASE POSITIONED WITHIN SAID CAVITY AND HAVING UPPER AND LOWER PROJECTIONS THEREON PROJECTING INTO SAID GROOVES PIVOTALLY MOUNTING THE PAWL IN THE CAVITY, SAID PAWL BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID RATCHET TEETH, SAID PAWL BEING RESILIENTLY URGED TO PIVOT OUTWARDLY FROM SAID CAVITY AND SAID PROJECTIONS BEING SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID GROOVES FOR SLIDING FROM ONE TO THE OTHER ENDS THEREOF, SAID PAWL PIVOTING OUTWARDLY IN ONE ROTATIONAL DIRECTION WHEN IT IS AT ONE END OF SAID GROOVES AND PIVOTING OUTWARDLY IN THE OTHER ROTATIONAL DIRECTION WHEN IT IS AT THE OTHER END OF SAID GROOVES.