Abstract:
A wrench includes a driving cartridge having one end rotatably secured to a handle at a shaft and rotatable in a horizontal plane parallel to that of the handle. A pawl is slidably disposed between the driving cartridge and the handle and is selectively coupled to the driving cartridge for allowing the driving cartridge to be adjusted relative to the handle at any selected angular position. A barrel is rotatably disposed between the driving cartridge and the handle for receiving the pawl and coupled to the pawl for moving the pawl toward and away from the cartridge.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a wrench, and more particularly to a wrench having a securing mechanism for securing the driving cartridge to the handle. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Typical wrenches comprise a ratchet driving head secured to one end of a handle. Two kinds of the ratchet wrenches are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,559 to Lin, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,427 to Chow. The driving heads may not be rotated relative to the handle. The other typical wrenches comprise a driving head pivotally secured to one end of the handle at a lateral pivot shaft that is located in a horizontal plane of the handle such that the driving head will rotate about the horizontal plane and will be disengaged from the horizontal plane of the handle. The driving head may not be rotated in a plane parallel to the horizontal plane of the handle of the wrenches. 
     The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional wrenches. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a wrench including a driving cartridge rotatably secured to the handle and rotatably secured to the handle at a shaft that is perpendicular to the horizontal plane of the handle for allowing the driving cartridge to be rotated in a horizontal plane parallel to the horizontal plane of the handle. 
     In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a wrench comprising a handle including a horizontal plane and including a first end, a driving cartridge including a first end having a driving mechanism provided therein and including a second end rotatably secured to the first end of the handle at a shaft, the driving cartridge including a horizontal plane parallel to the horizontal plane of the handle and rotatable about the shaft in the horizontal plane parallel to that of the handle, and means for selectively securing the driving cartridge at an angular position relative to the handle. 
     The selectively securing means includes a pawl slidably disposed between the second end of the driving cartridge and the first end of the handle, and means for selectively coupling the pawl to the second end of the driving cartridge. A barrel is rotatably disposed between the second end of the driving cartridge and the first end of the handle for rotatably receiving the pawl in the barrel. The barrel includes a knob extended outward therefrom for rotating the barrel. At least one first engaging member is provided in the second end of the driving cartridge and at least one second engaging member is provided in the pawl, and means for selectively engaging the first engaging member of the driving cartridge with the second engaging member of the pawl. The barrel includes means for selectively moving the pawl toward and away from the driving cartridge and to engage with and to disengage the second engaging member of the pawl from the first engaging member of the driving cartridge. 
     The selectively moving means includes at least one inclined groove formed in the pawl, and at least one projection extended from the barrel and slidably engaged in the inclined groove of the pawl for allowing the barrel to move the pawl toward and away from the driving cartridge when the projection of the barrel is moved along the inclined groove of the pawl. The pawl includes an opening communicating with the inclined groove for allowing the projection of the barrel to be engaged into the inclined groove of the pawl. 
     A spring biasing means is further provided for biasing the second engaging member of the pawl to engage with the first engaging member of the driving cartridge. The first end of the handle includes a depression formed therein, the biasing means includes a spring engaged in the depression of the handle and engaged with the pawl. 
     Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of a detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a wrench in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the wrench; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along lines  3 — 3  of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view similar to FIG. 3, illustrating the operation of the wrench; and 
     FIGS. 5 and 6 are perspective views illustrating the operation of the wrench. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-3, a wrench in accordance with the present invention comprises a handle  20  including an orifice  22  formed in one end  21  thereof and perpendicular to a horizontal plane of the handle  20 . The handle  20  includes one or more engaging members, such as the keys  27  extended inward of the orifice  22  thereof for defining one or more slots  28  between the keys  27  and includes a depression  23  formed in the bottom portion thereof for receiving a spring  24  therein. A driving cartridge  10  includes a driving mechanism  11 , particularly a ratchet driving mechanism provided in one end for driving fasteners and includes a switch  12  pivotally secured therein and coupled to the ratchet driving mechanism for controlling the driving directions of the ratchet driving mechanism. Two kinds of the ratchet driving mechanisms are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,559 to Lin, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,427 to Chow, which are taken as a reference for the present invention. The driving cartridge  10  includes an aperture  13  formed in the other end thereof and perpendicular to a horizontal plane of the driving cartridge  10 . The driving cartridge  10  includes one or more engaging members, such as the teeth  14  extended upward from the upper surface thereof and arranged around the aperture  13  thereof and defined by one or more recesses  17 . 
     A barrel  40  is rotatably disposed between the one end  21  of the handle  20  and the other end of the driving cartridge  10 , and includes a knob  42  extended radially outward therefrom for rotating the barrel  40  relative to the handle  20  and/or the driving cartridge  10 . The barrel  40  includes one or more projections  41  extended radially inward therefrom. A pawl  30  is rotatably received in the barrel  40  and slidable between the one end  21  of the handle  20  and the other end of the driving cartridge  10  and includes one or more engaging members, such as the teeth  32  extended downward from the peripheral portion of the bottom surface thereof and defined by one or more recesses  34  for engaging with the recesses  17  and/or the teeth  14  of the driving cartridge  10 . The spring  24  may bias the teeth  32  and/or the recesses  34  of the pawl  30  to engage with the recesses  17  and/or the teeth  14  of the driving cartridge  10 . The pawl  30  includes a bore  31  formed therein and includes one or more keys  37  extended inward of the bore  31  thereof for defining one or more slots  38  between the keys  37 . The pawl  30  includes an outer peripheral portion having one or more inclined grooves  33  formed therein and includes one or more openings  36  communicating with the grooves  33  respectively for allowing the projections  41  of the barrel  40  to be engaged into the grooves  33  of the pawl  30 . 
     A shaft  50  is engaged through the orifice  22  of the handle  20  and the bore  31  of the pawl  30  and includes an annular groove  53  formed in the bottom portion thereof for engaging with a clamping ring  54  which may secure the driving cartridge  10  and the barrel  40  and the handle  20  together. The shaft  50  is perpendicular to the horizontal planes of the handle  20  and of the cartridge  10  and includes one or more engaging members, such as the ribs  51  extended radially outward therefrom and parallel to the longitudinal direction of the shaft  50  for defining one or more slots  57  and for slidably engaging with the slots  28 ,  38  and the keys  27 ,  37  of the handle  20  and the pawl  30 , and for allowing the shaft  50  and the pawl  30  to be driven by the handle  20 . The pawl  30  may be slided along the shaft  50  and may be prevented from rotating relative to the shaft  50 . The shaft  50  includes a lower portion  52  having no ribs  51  extended therein for rotatably engaging into the aperture  13  of the driving cartridge  10  and for allowing the driving cartridge  10  to be rotated about the shaft  50  and to be rotated in a horizontal plane parallel to that of the handle  20 . The engagement of the projections  41  of the barrel  40  in the inclined grooves  33  of the pawl  30  allows the barrel  40  to move the pawl  30  toward and away from the driving cartridge  10  by rotating the barrel  40  such that the teeth  32  and/or the recesses  34  of the pawl  30  may be forced to engage with or to be disengaged from the recesses  17  and/or the teeth  14  of the driving cartridge  10 . 
     In operation, as shown in FIG. 3, the teeth  32  and/or the recesses  34  of the pawl  30  may be forced to engage with the recesses  17  and/or the teeth  14  of the driving cartridge  10  by the spring  24  such that the driving cartridge  10  may be driven and rotated by the handle  20 . As shown in FIG. 4, when the projections  41  of the barrel  40  is moved along the inclined grooves  33  of the pawl  30  by rotating the barrel  40  with the knob  42 , the pawl  30  may be moved away from the driving cartridge  10  such that the teeth  32  and/or the recesses  34  of the pawl  30  may be disengaged from the recesses  17  and/or the teeth  14  of the driving cartridge  10  and such that the driving cartridge  10  may be rotated about the shaft  50  in a horizontal plane parallel to that of the handle  20  (FIGS. 5,  6 ). The driving cartridge  10  may be rotated outward of the handle  20  for increasing the driving torque of the wrench, and may also be rotated to a position located downward of the handle  20  (FIG. 6) for reducing the size of the wrench and for decreasing the driving torque of the wrench. 
     Accordingly, the wrench in accordance with the present invention includes a driving cartridge rotatably secured to the handle and rotatably secured to the handle at a shaft that is perpendicular to the horizontal plane of the handle for allowing the driving cartridge to be rotated in a horizontal plane parallel to the horizontal plane of the handle. 
     Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.