Information
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Patent Grant
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6263768
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Patent Number
6,263,768
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Date Filed
Wednesday, June 7, 200024 years ago
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Date Issued
Tuesday, July 24, 200122 years ago
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Inventors
-
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Examiners
- Hail, III; Joseph J.
- Thomas; David B
Agents
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CPC
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US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 081 63
- 081 5713
- 081 5729
- 081 581
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International Classifications
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Abstract
A ratchet tool includes a toothed inner periphery defined in the ring-shaped head and a rotatable member is engaged with the toothed inner periphery. A recess is defined in a surface of the head and a driving member is rotatably received in the recess. A notch is defined in a side defining the recess and communicates between the recess and a central hole in the head. An elongated protrusion extends from the rotatable member and a disk is securely mounted to the protrusion. The driving member is rotatably engaged with the disk so that when rotating the driving member, the rotatable member is able to be rotated at a small angle.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a ratchet tool, and more particularly, to a ratchet tool having a disk securely mounted to a rotatable member in the head of the tool and a driving member engaged with the disk to rotate the disk together with the rotatable member at a small angle as needed.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Some conventional ratchet tools known to applicant are U.S. Pat. No. 4,137,801 with a title of “COMBINED RATCHET AND TORSION WRENCH” to Imperio, U.S. Pat. No. 4,406,183 with a title of “FAST ACTING RATCHET WRENCH” to Wix, U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,148 with a title of “RATCHET TOOL” to Gartzke, U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,476 with a title of “SOCKET WRENCH WITH IMPROVED HANDLE” to Sidewinder Products Corporation, the Assignee, U.S. Pat. No. 4,532,832 with a title of “DUAL-MODE RATCHET WRENCH” to Christensen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,545,267 with a title of “COMBINATION GEAR RATCHET WRENCH APPARATUS” to Shumway, U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,138 with a title of “NEW AND IMPROVED RATCHET TOOL WITH ROTATABLE ROTOR LOCK AND RIGID SHIFTER FINGER” to Farris, U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,463 with a title of “RATCHET WRENCH WITH DUAL-ROTATING CONSTANT DRIVE HANDLE” to Midland Design Inc., the Assignee, U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,898 with a title of “BREAKER BAR WITH 90 DEGREE ROTATING SOCKET CONNECTOR HEAD” to Forman, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,493 with a title of “RATCHET WRENCH” to Main. The ratchet tools commonly have a complex structure which is composed of a lot of parts. The manufacturing processes are time and money costly.
The present invention intends to provide a ratchet tool which has a disk securely mounted to the rotatable member in the head of the tool and engaged with a driving member rotatably controlled by the user so that when the handle is not able to be rotated, the driving is rotated to rotate the rotatable member.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a ratchet tool and comprising a ring-shaped head having a central hole which has a toothed inner periphery, and a recess defined in a first surface of the head. A passage is defined in the handle and the passage communicates with the recess. A rotatable member is rotatably received in the head and a pawl member is pivotally connected to the rotatable member, wherein the pawl member is engaged with the toothed inner periphery of the head. An elongated protrusion extends from the rotatable member and a disk is securely mounted to the elongated protrusion. A driving member is received in the recess and an operation rod is rotatably received in the passage and connected to the driving member. The driving member is rotatably engaged with the disk so that when rotating the driving member, the rotatable member is rotated.
The object of the present invention is to provide a ratchet tool that has a driving member engaged with a disk on the rotatable member so that when the handle of the tool cannot be rotated in a narrow area, the rotatable member can be rotated by rotating the driving member.
These and further 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.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is an exploded view to show a ratchet tool of the present invention;
FIG. 2
is a perspective view to show the ratchet tool of the present invention;
FIG. 3
is a side cross sectional view to show the present invention;
FIG. 4A
is a top cross sectional view to show an end of the pawl member is engaged with the toothed inner periphery of the head of the tool;
FIG. 4B
is a top cross sectional view to show the other end of the pawl member is engaged with the toothed inner periphery of the head of the tool;
FIG. 5
is an illustrative view to show the rotatable member is rotated at a small angle by rotating an operation handle;
FIG. 6
is a top cross sectional view to show the driving member is engaged with the disk on the rotatable member of the tool;
FIG. 7
is a side cross sectional view to show another embodiment of the present invention wherein the disk is connected to the other end of the rotatable member;
FIG. 8
is an exploded view to show another embodiment of the driving member and the disk of the ratchet tool of the present invention, and
FIG. 9
is an exploded view to show yet another embodiment of the driving member and the disk of the ratchet tool of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to
FIGS. 1
to
3
, the ratchet tool in accordance with the present invention comprises a ring-shaped head
20
connected to a handle
10
and the head
20
has a central hole which has a toothed inner periphery
21
. A recess
211
is defined in a first surface of the head
20
and a passage
100
is defined in the handle
10
, wherein the passage
100
communicates with the recess
211
. A side defining the recess
211
has a notch
101
which communicates between the recess
211
and the central hole of the head
20
. A rotatable member
22
is rotatably received in the head
20
and an elongated protrusion
224
extends from the rotatable member
22
. A disk
50
having an elongated hole
501
is securely mounted to the elongated protrusion
224
so that the disk
50
is co-rotated with the rotatable member
22
. An engaging rod
223
extends from a surface of the elongated protrusion
224
of the rotatable member
22
and a ball
222
is engaged with a side of the engaging rod
223
so as to securely hold a socket onto the engaging rod
223
. A cap
23
is mounted to the first surface of the head to retain the disk
50
in position. The rotatable member
22
has a recessed portion
220
is defined radially in the periphery of the rotatable member
22
and the recessed portion
220
is defined by two parallel surfaces and a first flat surface
225
connected between the two parallel surfaces. The pawl member
221
is pivotally received in the recessed portion
220
and is connected between the two parallel surfaces. The pawl member
221
has two oblique surfaces
2210
,
2211
with a second flat surface
2212
connected between the two oblique surfaces
2210
,
2211
. One of the two oblique surfaces
2210
,
2211
and the second flat surface
2212
is engaged with the first flat surface
225
defining the recessed portion
220
. Another cap
25
having a hole is mounted to a second surface of the head
20
and has a connection rod
251
on a surface thereof so that a spring
24
is connected between the connection rod
251
and the pawl member
221
. A movable rod
26
having a dent
261
extends through the hole in the cap
25
and is inserted into the engaging rod
223
so that when the ball
22
is received in the dent
261
, the socket (not shown) mounted to the engaging rod
223
can be removed from the engaging rod
223
.
Further referring to
FIG. 6
, a driving member
30
is received in the recess
211
and an operation rod
40
is rotatably received in the passage
100
and connected to an operation handle
102
as shown in FIG.
5
. The driving member
30
is a tubular member and has an annular toothed end, the disk
50
has a toothed outer periphery which is engaged with the annular toothed end via the notch
101
. As shown in
FIG. 5
, when the handle
10
is not able to be rotated or the rotatable member
22
is required to be rotated at a small angle, a user rotates the operation handle
102
to rotate the driving member
30
to rotate the disk
50
.
As shown in
FIGS. 4A and 4B
, one of the two oblique surfaces
2210
,
2211
of the pawl member
221
is chosen to contact the first flat surface
225
to let one of two ends of the teeth on the pawl member
221
to engage with the toothed inner periphery
21
. The contact surface area of the first flat surface
225
and either of the two oblique surfaces
2210
,
2211
decides the torque that can be output. When the first flat surface
225
contacts the second flat surface
2212
, the pawl member
221
is disengaged from the toothed inner periphery
21
.
As shown in
FIG. 7
, the disk
50
may be connected to the other end of the rotatable member
22
.
FIG. 8
shows another embodiment of the driving member
30
and the disk
50
of the ratchet tool of the present invention, wherein the driving member
30
is a tubular member and a plurality of extensions
301
extend radially outward from the driving member
30
. The disk
50
has a plurality of apertures
502
defined therethrough for receiving one of the extensions
301
. Accordingly, when rotating the driving member
30
, the disk
50
is rotated by the rotational movement of the extensions
301
which are engaged with the apertures
502
.
FIG. 9
shows yet another embodiment of the driving member
30
and the disk
50
of the ratchet tool of the present invention, wherein the driving member
30
is a tubular member and a plurality of grooves
302
are defined radially in the driving member
30
. The disk
50
has a plurality of ridges
503
extending from a surface thereof so that the ridges
503
engaged with the grooves
302
.
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
- 1. A ratchet tool comprising:a ring-shaped head connected to a handle and having a central hole which has a toothed inner periphery, a recess defined in a first surface of said head and a passage defined in said handle, said passage communicating with said recess; a rotatable member rotatably received in said head and a pawl member pivotally connected to said rotatable member, said pawl member engaged with said toothed inner periphery of said head, an elongated protrusion extending from said rotatable member, an engaging rod extending from a surface of said elongated protrusion of said rotatable member, a disk securely mounted to said elongated protrusion and a cap rotatably mounted to a second surface of said head, a spring connected between said pawl member and said cap, and a driving member received in said recess and an operation rod rotatably received in said passage and connected to said driving member, said driving member rotatably engaged with said disk so that when rotating said driving member, said rotatable member is rotated.
- 2. The ratchet tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein a side defining said recess has a notch which communicates between said recess and said central hole of said head, said driving member engaged with said disk via said notch.
- 3. The ratchet tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein said driving member is a tubular member and has an annular toothed end, said disk has a toothed outer periphery which is engaged with said annular toothed end.
- 4. The ratchet tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein said driving member is a tubular member and a plurality of extensions extend radially outward from said driving member, said disk having a plurality of apertures defined therethrough for receiving one of said extensions.
- 5. The ratchet tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein said driving member is a tubular member and a plurality of grooves are defined radially in said driving member, said disk having a plurality of ridges extending from a surface thereof so that said ridges engaged with said grooves.
- 6. The ratchet tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rotatable member has a recessed portion defined radially therein and said recessed portion defined by two parallel surfaces and a first flat surface connected between said two parallel surfaces, said pawl member pivotally connected between said two parallel surfaces, said pawl member having two oblique surfaces with a second flat surface connected between said two oblique surfaces, one of said two oblique surfaces and said second flat surface engaged with said first flat surface defining said recessed portion.
US Referenced Citations (11)