Abstract:
A wrench set includes a drive handle with an impact end and a drive end. The drive end engages a drive wrench having a slot which receives the drive end of the drive handle. The opposite end of the drive wrench includes a laterally projecting or transversely projecting drive socket connection for attachment of any one of a set of sockets.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In a principal aspect, the present invention relates to a wrench comprised of a drive handle, a flat plate driving wrench and a set of sockets useful for turning headed bolts and other socket engaging fasteners positioned in limited access areas. Applicant&#39;s assignee, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,354,178 entitled “Impact Fan Clutch Wrench” issued Mar. 12, 2002 discloses a wrench set comprised of a driving handle and a flat plate wrench used for removing bolts in restricted locations. The identified patent is incorporated herewith by reference. 
     The wrench set disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,354,178 is very useful for the purpose described in that patent; namely, removal of vehicle clutch assemblies. In order to be useful, the drive plate wrench, which is utilized to engage a nut associated with a fan clutch assembly, must be uniquely sized to cooperate with a uniquely sized nut associated with the fan clutch assembly. Thus, a series of drive plate wrenches are required in order to effect removal or tightening of the retention nuts for a fan clutch assembly. There has remained, however, the need to have a wrench tool which may be used to tighten or remove various sizes of fasteners or nuts and which may be easily adjusted to engage such fasteners or nuts including nuts positioned in limited access conditions. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Briefly, the present invention comprises a wrench set which includes a drive wrench and drive handle having an impact clement at one end and a driver for engaging the drive wrench at the opposite end. The drive handle is an elongate member and is generally of limited thickness so that it will fit into a restricted or narrow space. 
     A single drive wrench is used in combination with the drive handle. The single drive wrench is relatively short compared to the drive handle and is typically formed from a flat metal plate. A drive socket connection is provided at one end of the plate. This drive socket connection comprises a drive member for a socket. The drive member projects in a perpendicular direction from the flat plate. A slot is formed in the flat plate at the opposite end of the drive wrench having a configuration that enables driving of the drive wrench by the drive handle. The slot thus opens outwardly from the end of the drive end of the drive wrench and is shaped to include portions extending transversely to the open end slot to thereby define arcuate drive surfaces. As a result, the drive wrench may be positioned in a manner which will enable a socket attached to the one end of the drive wrench to extend outwardly from the flat plate in a perpendicular direction in either of two orientations of the drive wrench plate and be driven about the turning axis of the socket by the drive handle. Any one of a set of sockets may be used in combination with the drive wrench socket drive member, and the drive wrench may be positioned in relation to the drive handle in various orientations; that is, the drive wrench plate may be positioned to orient the socket to extend outwardly from the flat drive wrench plate in either of two directions and thus may be driven about the drive axis of the socket by means of the drive handle. 
     Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved, multi-part drive wrench construction wherein the construction includes a drive wrench comprised of a flat plate capable of being combined with any one of a number of sockets attached to the end of the plate to drive a nut or other fastener. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide a reasonably priced drive wrench set which is rugged, economical, easy to manipulate in restricted as well as unrestricted spaces and which is reversible. 
     Further, it is an object of the invention to provide a drive wrench set which may be used in combination with a pneumatic driver, or other types of driving devices, to detach or unscrew a bolt or fastener or to attach a bolt or fastener quickly and easily regardless of the orientation of the bolt or fastener. 
     These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     In the detailed description which follows, reference will be made to the drawing comprised of the following figures: 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded isometric view of the wrench set of the invention as utilized for loosening, detaching or attaching a fastener wherein a socket attached to the drive wrench is oriented in a first direction transverse or perpendicular to the plate of the drive wrench; 
     FIG. 2 is a plan view of the drive wrench of FIG. 1 wherein a socket may be attached to the drive wrench and oriented as depicted in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a plan view of the drive wrench of the invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a side view of the drive wrench of FIG. 3 depicting the socket drive member; 
     FIG. 5 is an end view of the drive wrench of FIG. 4 depicting the socket drive member for engaging a socket with the socket attached; 
     FIG. 6 is a plan view of the drive handle of the wrench set; and 
     FIG. 7 is a partial plan view of the handle of FIG. 6 rotated by 90° relative to FIG.  6 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the figures, the wrench set of the invention includes a nut driving or loosening wrench plate, drive wrench component or element  10  and a separate drive handle element or component  12 . The drive wrench component or element  10  and drive handle  12  are used in combination to remove various nuts and fasteners located in the restricted access locations by means of a socket sized to engage the nut or fastener in that restricted access location. 
     The functionality and methodology of use is depicted in FIG.  1 . There a socket  11  is attached to the drive wrench component or element  10  and, more particularly, is attached to a socket driver  24  extending in a perpendicular or transverse direction from the flat plate comprising the drive wrench element  10 . The socket  11  thus is attached to the drive wrench element  10 . The drive wrench element  10  is then oriented properly so as to engage a compatible nut or fastener. The drive handle element  12  then is engaged with the drive wrench element  10  to transmit a turning force to the socket  11 . The force is provided, for example, by a pneumatic impact hammer which engages against one end of the drive handle  12 . 
     Any one of a number of sockets  11  from a socket set may thus be used in combination with the drive wrench  10 . As a result, a plurality of separate drive wrenches  10  is not required. Rather, sockets  11  are utilized in combination with a single drive wrench  10  and a single drive handle  12 . The particular configuration, size and length of a socket  11  may thus be chosen to accommodate the needs of the mechanic or other person utilizing the tool. The sockets  11  may also be easily changed to accommodate various sizes of nuts or fasteners. The drive element  10  may be reversed relative to the drive handle  12  to accommodate fastener orientations. The ability to reverse the relationship of the handle  12  and drive wrench  10  is associated with the structure of the driving slot or opening in the drive wrench as discussed hereinafter. It is further to be noted that the length of the drive wrench  10  and drive handle  12  may be adjusted to accommodate various needs and provide a desired mechanical advantage. 
     The drive handle  12  comprises a rod or tube  54  with a longitudinal axis  40 . Parallel, spaced arms  42  and  44  defining a yoke are positioned at one end of the drive handle  12 . The arms  42 ,  44  are connected by an integral cylindrical member or pin  46 . Member  46  is transverse to the longitudinal axis  40 . Arms  42  and  44  are spaced from one another slightly greater than the width of the driving wrench plate  10  so that the arms  42 ,  44  can easily fit over the sides of the plate  10  and so that the member  46  can slide into a slot  32  in the end of plate  10  opposite the socket drive member  24 . The member  46  is spaced from an upper impact surface  50  defined between the arms  42  and  44  at the top end of the slot between the arms  42  and  44  at a distance slightly greater than the maximum dimension of the width or distance between the top  31  of the slot  32  and the arcuate surface  30 ; namely, the dimension exemplified by the distance  52  in FIG.  7 . Thus, the member  46  may easily slide into slot  32  with some space or play available between the surface  50  and the surface  30 . The drive handle  12  is typically formed from a steel tube  54 . The arms  42  and  44  are part of an investment casting that is laser welded into the tube  54 . 
     The drive wrench  10  includes a lever arm  20  with a longitudinal lever arm axis  22  extending along the length of the lever arm  20 . The lever arm  20  is typically 4 to 10 inches in length. The drive wrench or plate  10  is made from flat planar steel plate material. The drive wrench  10  includes the socket drive member  24  at one end and the slot  32  at the opposite end  26 . The drive member  24  includes a counterbore  25  with a spring  26  biasing a ball bearing  27  to act as a means for retention of a socket  11  on the drive member or drive  24 . Thus, a socket  11  of a desired size may be affixed to the plate  10  with the axis  29  of the socket  11  extending in a perpendicular direction from the flat plate  10  and congruent with the axis of drive member  24 . 
     The opposite end  26  of the drive wrench  10  includes slot  32  having an opening  33  generally aligned with and symmetrical with the axis  22 . The opening  33  is sized to receive the member  46  of the drive handle  12 . Thus, the member  46  fits through the opening  33 . The opening  33  of slot  32  further connects to opposed slot sections  28 A and  28 B generally transverse to the axis  22  and which each include arcuate ends  31 A and  31 B respectively. The ends  31 A and  31 B have an arcuate configuration which is sized and designed to be compatible with the configuration, shape and arcuate configuration of the member  46 . Thus, the arcuate surfaces  31 A,  31 B are preferably a circular arcuate configuration in opposed relation to the axis  22  and the arcuate surfaces  31 A,  31 B are each spaced from the axis  22  by an equal distance. The transverse slot sections  28 A,  28 B are thus symmetrical about the axis  22 . As a result, the drive wrench  10  may be reversed in orientation relative to the drive handle  12  so that a socket  11  attached to the socket drive  24  may be positioned to extend in either perpendicular direction from the drive wrench  10 . In other words, the drive wrench  10  is reversible with respect to the drive handle  12 . 
     The drive handle  12  may be positioned with an arcuate driving surface  50  generally having a curvature for engaging either driven surface  30 A or  30 B of wrench  10  to thereby drive a socket  11 . The wrench  10  is thus totally reversible. Also, the handle  12  may be pulled to cause member  46  to engage a surface  31 A or  31 B to tighten or loosen a fastener. 
     Further, the drive wrench  10  is designed to accommodate sockets having various sizes. Thus, the complete tool described will include the drive handle  12 , the drive wrench  10  and a set of sockets  11 . With the subject matter of the invention, therefore, the utilization of the device in restricted locations is enhanced. An improved mechanical advantage is provided and the ability to accommodate nuts and fasteners of multiple sizes is enabled. 
     It is to be noted that variations of the described construction are possible. The orientation of the drive for the sockets may be adjusted from a perpendicular direction by a limited amount. The configuration of the arcuate slot  32  and opening  33  may be adjusted for cooperation with a member  46  having various configurations. Thus, the invention is to be limited only by the following claims and equivalents.