Claims
- 1. A ratchet tool comprising: an elongated housing including a front end and a rear end, motor means in said housing having an axis extending between the front and rear ends, a manifold in said rear end of said housing and disposed entirely rearwardly of said motor means, said manifold including a front end and a rear end and a transverse end wall at said front end of said manifold extending substantially perpendicular to said axis and a transverse intermediate wall and a longitudinal intermediate wall extending between said transverse intermediate wall and said transverse end wall, said manifold including an exhaust chamber extending longitudinally through said manifold along one side thereof substantially parallel to said axis, said manifold including a first passageway and a bore communicating with said first passageway and a second passageway communicating with said bore for delivering air to said motor means, said bore being formed in the side of said manifold opposite said one side and terminating short of said one side, said second passageway extending from said bore and terminating in an inlet aperture in said transverse end wall, the air flowing through said first passageway and said bore and said second passageway and said inlet aperture, said first passageway being located in said transverse intermediate wall, said manifold including an exhaust chamber bounded by said longitudinal intermediate wall to exhaust air from said motor means, drive means in said front end of said housing, and means in said housing for coupling said motor means to said drive means and thereby transferring power from said motor means to said drive means.
- 2. The ratchet tool of claim 1, wherein said housing has an opening at said rear end, and further comprising sealing means including a seal engaging said rear end of said manifold and a washer engaging said seal, said seal and said washer each having an opening defined by an inner surface, and further comprising an exhaust nut extending into said opening in said housing and said seal and said washer, said exhaust nut including an outer surface cooperating with said inner surface of said seal and said washer to define a second chamber.
- 3. A ratchet tool comprising: an elongated housing including a front end and a rear end, said housing including a base member and a cover member, each of said members having an inner surface and opposite side edges, said base member having a pair of first lugs on said inner surface, said pair of first lugs being located opposite each other along said opposite side edges, said cover member having a pair of second lugs on said inner surface, said pair of second lugs being located opposite each other along said opposite side edges, said first lugs respectively mating with said second lugs, said base member having an abutment on said inner surface adjacent said pair of first lugs and extending between said opposite side edges, motor means in said housing producing a predetermined volume of exhaust air at an exhaust passage, a manifold in said rear end of said housing, said manifold including inlet means for delivering air to said motor means and outlet means for receiving exhaust air from said motor means, said outlet means including a chamber communicating directly with said exhaust passage and shaped so as to have a relatively small ratio of surface area to volume, said chamber having a volume which is greater than the predetermined volume of exhaust air by an amount sufficient to dampen and dissipate Helmholtz frequencies, drive means in said front end of said housing, and means in said housing for coupling said motor means to said drive means and thereby transferring power from said motor means to said drive means.
- 4. The ratchet tool of claim 3, wherein said chamber has a longitudinal dimension and a transverse dimension, the transverse dimension being at least one-half the longitudinal dimension.
- 5. The ratchet tool of claim 3, wherein the volume of the chamber is at least three times the predetermined volume.
- 6. The ratchet tool of claim 3, wherein the volume of the chamber is substantially five times the predetermined volume.
- 7. The ratchet tool of claim 3, wherein said chamber has an entry portion and an exit portion and a central portion therebetween, the central portion having an axial dimension and a transverse dimension, said dimensions being of the same order of magnitude.
- 8. The ratchet tool of claim 3, wherein said manifold is generally cylindrical, said manifold including a front end and a rear end and a transverse end wall at said front end.
- 9. The ratchet tool of claim 3, wherein said manifold includes an outer surface, said outer surface having opposed side recesses and a bottom recessed portion, each of said lugs and said abutment having an outer surface, said outer surface of each of said lugs being adjacent to the associated one of said opposed side recesses of said manifold, and said outer surface of said abutment mating with said bottom recessed portion of said manifold.
- 10. The ratchet tool of claim 3, wherein each of said lugs has a hole therein, said holes in mating ones of said lugs being coaxial, and further comprising a screw extending through said mating coaxial holes in said lugs for attaching said members together.
- 11. A ratchet tool comprising: an elongated housing including a front end and a rear end, motor means in said housing producing a predetermined volume of air at an exhaust passage, a manifold in said rear end of said housing, said manifold including a front end and a rear end and a transverse end wall at said front end, said manifold including a first manifold passageway and a bore communicating with said first manifold passageway and a second manifold passageway communicating with said bore for delivering air to said motor means, said second manifold passageway extending from said bore and terminating in an inlet aperture in said transverse wall, the air flowing through said first manifold passageway and said bore and said second manifold passageway and said inlet aperture, said manifold including a chamber for receiving exhaust air from said motor means, said chamber communicating directly with said exhaust passage and shaped so as to have a relatively small ratio of surface area to volume, said chamber having a volume which is greater than the predetermined volume of exhaust air by an amount sufficient to dampen and dissipate Helmholtz frequencies, a member in said housing between said motor means and said front end of said manifold, said member including opposed end walls and first and second member passageways extending between said end walls, said first member passageway communicating with said chamber in said manifold and said second member passageway communicating with said second manifold passageway for transferring inlet air from said manifold to said motor means and exhaust air from said motor means to said manifold, a gasket in said housing between said member and said front end of said manifold, said gasket including first and second apertures, said first aperture in said gasket communicating with said first member passageway and said chamber in said manifold, said second aperture in said gasket communicating with said second member passageway and said second manifold passageway, drive means in said front end of said housing, and means in said housing for coupling said motor means to said drive means and thereby transferring power from said motor means to said drive means.
- 12. The ratchet tool of claim 11, wherein said first passageway extends longitudinally of said housing and said bore extends transversely to said first passageway.
- 13. The ratchet tool of claim 11, wherein said inlet aperture is arcuate.
- 14. The ratchet tool of claim 11, wherein said chamber extends longitudinally and parallel to said first passageway.
- 15. A ratchet tool comprising: an elongated housing including a front end and a rear end and an opening at said rear end, said housing including first and second members, each of said members having an inner surface and two opposite longitudinal side edges, the side edges of said first member being respectively adjacent to the side edges of said second member in non-fluid-tight relationship, motor means in said housing, drive means in said front end of said housing, means in said housing coupling said motor means to said drive means and transferring power from said motor means to said drive means, a manifold in said rear end of said housing and including a front end and a rear end, said manifold including inlet means for delivering air to said motor means and outlet means for receiving exhaust air from said motor means, said exhaust air flowing through said rear end of said manifold toward sand inner surface of said first and second members, and sealing means in said housing between said rear end of said manifold and said opening in said housing for minimizing the flow of exhaust air along said inner surface of said first and second members.
- 16. The ratchet tool of claim 15, wherein said manifold includes a circumferentially extending peripheral edge at said rear end, and said sealing means includes a seal engaging said peripheral edge and a washer engaging said seal, said seal and said washer each having an outer surface engaging said inner surface of each of said first and second members.
- 17. The ratchet tool of claim 16, wherein said seal and said washer each have an opening defined by an inner surface, and further comprising an exhaust nut extending into said opening in said housing and said seal and said washer, said exhaust nut abutting said inner surface of said washer, said washer having an aperture between said inner surface and said outer surface whereby the exhaust air flows through said rear end of said manifold and into said aperture in said washer and through said opening in said housing.
- 18. The ratchet tool of claim 15, wherein each of said first and second members has a shoulder on said inner surface thereof, said shoulder on said first member mating with said shoulder on said second member, said mating shoulders being located between said rear end of said manifold and said opening in said housing such that said sealing means engages said shoulders.
Parent Case Info
This is a divisional of application Ser. No. 07/526,498, filed May 21, 1990, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,142,952.
US Referenced Citations (13)
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
526498 |
May 1990 |
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