Patent ID: 6568298
Filing Date: 2003-05-27
Classification: B25B

Abstract:
A powered tool capable of operating as a manual ratchet tool, the powered tool comprising:a housing including a head and ratchet teeth disposed internally of the head; a reversible motor in the housing; a reversal actuator mounted in the housing and operatively connected to the motor to be driven in rotation by the motor; an output shaft assembly generally in the head of the housing, the output shaft assembly being attached to the reversal actuator for rotation of the reversal actuator relative to the output shaft assembly in a first direction over an arc and for conjoint rotation with the reversal actuator in the first direction after rotation over the arc in the first direction, and for rotation of the reversal actuator relative to the output shaft assembly in a second direction opposite the first direction over the arc and for conjoint rotation with the reversal actuator in the second direction after rotation over the arc in the second direction, whereby the attachment of the output shaft assembly to the reversal actuator allows rotation of the reversal actuator relative to the output shaft assembly over the arc to occur upon reversal of the motor, the output shaft assembly further comprising a ratchet pawl pivotally mounted on the output shaft assembly and engageable with the ratchet teeth on the head, the pawl being pivotable between a first position in which the pawl engages the ratchet teeth to hold the output shaft assembly and head together for conjoint rotation in one direction and permit relative rotation between the output shaft assembly and the head in another direction opposite said one direction, and a second position in which the pawl engages the ratchet teeth to hold the output shaft assembly and head together for conjoint rotation in said other direction and to permit relative rotation between the output shaft assembly and the head in said one direction thereby to permit manual ratcheting operation of the tool; the reversal actuator being adapted to engage the pawl for pushing the pawl between said first and second positions upon relative rotation between the output shaft assembly and the reversal actuator whereby manual ratcheting is automatically reversed upon reversal of the motor.