Abstract:
The present invention relates to an interchangeably manual or automatic ratchet wrench that the user may couple an electric hand grip having a motor therein to the rear end of a stud member of a handle so as to urge a cartridge to rotate in an electric operation manner, or couple a manual hand grip to the rear end of the stud member of the handle so as to urge the cartridge to rotate in a manual operation manner, such that achieving a multi-purpose operation.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an interchangeably manual or automatic ratchet wrench that can easily interchange its hand grip so as to have different operational modes. 
     2. Description of the Prior Arts 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , TW Pat. No. 95140625, to Lin et al., discloses a conventional tang and ratchet wrench with rotating disc operated direction change of drive and ratcheting comprises an enclosed box portion  101  having driving teeth  102  around its interior surface provided in the wrench head integrally formed with a handle  10 . A rotatable drive mechanism  11  is provided in the box portion  101 . The drive mechanism  11  comprises first and second cavities  112 ,  113  thereon, a right surface  115  abutted the first cavity  112  and a left surface  116  abutted the second cavity  113 , a channel  114  interconnected the first and second cavities  112  and  113 , first pawl  14  having pawl teeth  141  and an arcuate groove  142  thereon, second pawl  15  having pawl teeth  151  and an arcuate groove  152  thereon being respectively received in the first and second cavities  112 ,  113  of the drive mechanism  11 , by using two springs  18  and  19  which anchored in two of apertures  119  recessed into a wall of the channel  114 , the first and second pawls  14 ,  15  can be urged to move inwardly or outwardly in the first and second cavities  112 ,  113 , a square drive tang  111  extended downwardly from bottom, a vertical hole  117  extended from a bottom of the channel  114  to a bottom of the tang  111 , a spring depressible ball  118  anchored on a side dent of the tang  111 , a spring  16  and a detent  17  for being biased against a first or second recess  124  or  125  provided in another aperture  119  which is also recessed into a wall of the channel  114 . 
     A rotating disc  12  comprises a shaft  121  extended downwardly into the channel  114 , two pin  122 ,  123  corresponding to the arcuate grooves  142 ,  152  fixed beneath the rotating disc  12  for hooking the arcuate grooves  142 ,  152  to move the first and second pawls  14 ,  15  outwardly or inwardly in the first and second cavities  112 ,  113  such that as the first and second pawls  14 ,  15  are moved outwardly, they abut against the right or left surface  115  or  116  so as to urge the drive mechanism  11 , a central hole  126  through the top and the shaft  121 , and first and second recesses  124  and  125  respectively provided on one side of the shaft  121 . A spring biased push rod  13  is provided in the holes  126  and  117  and comprises a well  131  on its shank. The ball  118  is adapted to retract into the well  131  for disengaging the tang  111  from a workpiece. The push rod  13  is a well known device. Thus, a detailed description thereof is omitted herein for the sake of brevity. 
     A first pawl  14  is provided in the first cavity  112  and comprises pawl teeth  141  along an outer side, a detent notch on an inner side being urged by the spring  48 . A portion of the inner side of the first pawl  14  is abutted the right surface  115  in a non-operating position. The pawl teeth  141  are adapted to releasably engage with the driving teeth  102 . Similarly, a second pawl  15  is provided in the first cavity  113  and comprises pawl teeth  151  along an outer side, a detent notch on an inner side being urged by the spring  19 . A portion of the inner side of the second pawl  15  is abutted the left surface  116  in a non-operating position. The pawl teeth  151  are adapted to releasably engage with the driving teeth  102 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3  specifically, as loosening the workpiece, the pin  123  of the rotating disc  12  urges the second pawl  15  to move inwardly, but the first pawl  14  is not urged by the pin  122 . As rotating the handle  10  anticlockwisely, by using the spring  18 , the driving teeth  102  engages with the pawl teeth  141  of the first pawl  14  anticlockwisely, and because the first pawl  14  abuts against the right surface  115  of the first cavity  112 , causing the simultaneously anticlockwise rotation of the drive mechanism  11  so as to loosen the workpiece. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , as rotating the handle  10  clockwise, the driving teeth  102  urges the pawl teeth  141  clockwisely so that the first pawl  14  compress the spring  18  and moves inwardly, and then passes across the pawl teeth  141  of the first pawl  14  such that the handle  10  returns its initial position, thus resulting in a further anticlockwise loosening of the workpiece. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , after initially loosening the workpiece a user may continuously turn the rotating disc  12  anticlockwise for quickly loosening the workpiece, simultaneously, the pin  123  urges the second pawl  15  to move inwardly, such that the second pawl  15  pushes the drive mechanism  11  to cause an anticlockwise rotation, the pawl teeth  141  of the first pawl  14  is urged to move inwardly by the driving teeth  102  of the handle  10  and they pass across the driving teeth  102  tooth by tooth, thus resulting in a further loosening of the workpiece. 
     However, such a conventional tang and ratchet wrench with rotating disc operated direction change of drive and ratcheting can not be interchanged to operate in an electric operation mode, thus its operational efficiency is limited. 
     The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary object of the present invention is to provide an interchangeably manual or automatic ratchet wrench tool that the user may couple an electric hand grip having a motor therein to the rear end of a stud member of a handle so as to urge a cartridge to rotate in an electric operation manner, or couple a manual hand grip to the rear end of the stud member of the handle so as to urge the cartridge to rotate in a manual operation manner, thereby achieving a multi-purpose operation. 
     In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided an interchangeably manual or automatic ratchet wrench tool comprising a handle including a chamber defined in the head end thereof and having an internal gear provided therearound, and including a longitudinal channel arranged therethrough and communicating with the chamber; 
     a cartridge received in the chamber of the handle and including an actuation bar attached to the bottom thereof, and including two lateral cavities and a longitudinally large-diametered bore all fixed thereon; 
     two pawls received in the two lateral cavities of the cartridge and biased against by springs respectively, and including a plurality of teeth affixed thereon for engagement with the internal gear of the handle, and including arcuate slots secured therein individually; 
     a direction controlling member received in the chamber of the handle and including a rotary stem extended from the bottom thereof and fitted in the large-diametered bore, at the predetermined positions of the direction controlling member where are in response to the arcuate slots of the pawls and adjacent to the rotary stem being extendedly mounted two pins respectively, which may be inserted into the arcuate slots, besides, the direction controlling member further including a peripheral gear disposed around the bottom thereof; 
     a stud member and a shank member both fitted through and in the longitudinal channel of the handle, one end of the stud member having an engaging block for engagement with the peripheral gear of the direction controlling member, and another end thereof extending out of the longitudinal channel of the handle, one end of the shank member having an pinion for engagement with the peripheral gear of the direction controlling member, and another end thereof extending out of the longitudinal channel of the handle as well, wherein an electric hand grip has a motor placed therein and is coupled to the rear end of the handle, and the stud member is fittingly joined to an output spindle of the motor so as to obtain an electric operation, or a hand grip having an adaptor element coupled thereto is fittingly connected to the stud member of the handle, so as to obtain a manual operation. 
     The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which show, for purpose of illustrations only, the preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a conventional tang and ratchet wrench with rotating disc operated direction change of drive and ratcheting of TW Pat. No. 95140625. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the conventional tang and ratchet wrench with rotating disc operated direction change of drive and ratcheting of TW Pat. No. 95140625; 
         FIG. 3  is an operational view of the conventional tang and ratchet wrench with rotating disc operated direction change of drive and ratcheting of TW Pat. No. 95140625, illustrating a handle being rotated in a counterclockwise direction; 
         FIG. 4  is an operational view of the conventional tang and ratchet wrench with rotating disc operated direction change of drive and ratcheting of TW Pat. No. 95140625, illustrating the handle being rotated in a clockwise direction; 
         FIG. 5  is an operational view of the conventional tang and ratchet wrench with rotating disc operated direction change of drive and ratcheting of TW Pat. No. 95140625, illustrating a rotating disc being rotated in a clockwise direction; 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded view of an interchangeably manual or automatic ratchet wrench tool of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the interchangeably manual or automatic ratchet wrench tool of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is an assembly cross sectional view of the interchangeably manual or automatic ratchet wrench tool of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is another assembly cross sectional view of the interchangeably manual or automatic ratchet wrench tool of the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is an exploded view showing an electric operation mode of the present invention; 
         FIG. 11  is an assembly cross sectional view showing the electric operation mode of the present invention; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view showing a first manual operation mode of the present invention; 
         FIG. 13  is a cross sectional view showing the first manual operation mode of the present invention; 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view showing a second manual operation mode of the present invention; 
         FIG. 15  is an exploded view showing a further manual operation mode of the present invention; 
         FIG. 16  is an operational view showing the further manual operation mode of the present invention; 
         FIG. 17  is a perspective view showing another manual operation mode of the present invention; 
         FIG. 18  is a cross sectional view showing another manual operation mode of the present invention; 
         FIG. 19  is another cross sectional view showing another manual operation mode of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 6-9 , an interchangeably manual or automatic ratchet wrench tool in accordance with the present invention comprises a handle  20  including a chamber  201  defined in the head end thereof and having an internal gear  202  provided therearound, the chamber  201  further includes a lower peripheral shoulder  203  and an upper peripheral shoulder  204  disposed around the lower and upper portions of the internal shoulder  203  respectively, and includes a cartridge  21  received therein. Besides, the handle  20  also includes a longitudinal channel  205  arranged therethrough and communicating with the chamber  201 . The cartridge  21  includes an actuation bar  211  attached to the bottom thereof for insertion into the lower peripheral shoulder  203 , and includes two lateral cavities  212  and  213  defined thereon and having engaging walls  215  and  216  attached to the sides thereof respectively, and includes a longitudinally large-diametered bore  214  also fixed thereon and having a small-diametered bore  217  communicating therewith relative the actuation bar  211 , the small-diametered bore  217  includes a spring biased ball  218  received in the side thereof, and the large-diametered bore  214  includes an opening  219  in which a spring  26  and a detent  27  are received, the cavities  212  and  213  of the cartridge  21  are individually provided to receive two pawls  24  and  25  having a plurality of teeth affixed thereon, and by way of springs  28 ,  29 , the pawls  24 ,  25  may be biased to move in the cavities  212  and  213 , and the pawls  24  and  25  includes arcuate slots  242  and  252  secured therein. A direction controlling member  22  is received in the chamber  201  and includes a rotary stem  221  extended from the bottom thereof and fitted in the large-diametered bore  214 , the rotary stem  221  is provided at one side thereof with two recesses  224  and  225  for being selectively biased by the detent  27 , and at the predetermined positions of the direction controlling member  22  where are in response to the arcuate slots  242 ,  252  and adjacent to the rotary stem  221 , are extendedly mounted two pins  222  and  223  respectively, which may be inserted into the arcuate slots  242  and  252  of the two pawls  24  and  25  so as to urge the pawls  24  and  25  to move outward or inward in the cavities  212  and  213  and to contact with the engaging walls  215  and  216  individually as being moved outward, such that the pawls  24 ,  25  may force the cartridge  21  to move. Furthermore, the direction controlling member  22  includes a peripheral gear  227  for corresponding to the longitudinal channel  205  disposed around the bottom thereof, and the rotary stem  221  includes a through hole  226  attached at the center thereof for receiving a shaft member  23  having a cut  231  formed therein for retaining the spring-biased ball  218 , such that socket tools may be quickly disengaged from the actuation bar  211  (since the quick disengagement of the socket tool from the actuation bar  211  is a prior art, further remark would be omitted). A shank member  30 , one end of which has a pinion  301  affixed thereon for meshing with a peripheral gear  227  of the direction controlling member  22 , and another end of which has a locking pillar  302  secured thereon, is fitted in the longitudinal channel  205 , and includes a peripheral groove  303  arranged therearound for preventing the shank member  30  from removing from the longitudinal channel  205  and for engaging the shank member  30  with the peripheral gear  227 , after a confining peg  206  screwingly fastened into the handle  20 . In addition, a stud member  31 , one end of which has a selector mechanism for couplingly driving the shank member  30 , another end of which extends out of the handle  20 , is fitted in the longitudinal channel  205 . The selector mechanism includes a fitting cylinder  32  having an arresting rim  321  fixed on the bottom thereof and may receive a spring  322  and the stud member  31  therein. The stud member  31  has a toothed engaging block  311  formed on one end thereof and may compress against the spring  322 . To confine the stud member  31  in the fitting cylinder  32 , a peripheral groove  312  is attached around the stud member  31  for moving the stud member  31  outward and inward in the fitting cylinder  32 , after a confining peg  323  being fastened into the fitting cylinder  32 , and a mounting block  33  is fitted onto the handle  20  and includes a fastening orifice  331  in response to an aperture  207  formed on the handle  20 , the fastening orifice  331  contains a stepped bush  332  fitted therein. As pushing the mounting block  33  to move forward along the aperture  207 , by screwing a bolt  333  with a threaded opening  324  of the fitting cylinder  32 , the fitting cylinder  32  and the stud member  31  may be simultaneously urged to move forward for engagement with the locking pillar  302  of the shank member  30 , thereby engagably driving the shank member  30 . If pushing the mounting block  33  to move backward along the aperture  207 , the fitting cylinder  32  and the stud member  31  may be simultaneously urged to move rearward for removing from the locking pillar  302  of the shank member  30 , thereby disengaging from the driven shank member  30  to interchange different driving tools. 
     In the electric operation mode, with reference to  FIGS. 10 and 11 , an electric hand grip  40  having a motor  41  placed therein is coupled to the rear end of the handle  20 , and the stud member  31  is fittingly joined to an output spindle  42  of the motor  41  for transmitting the output power of the output spindle  42  to the stud member  31 , and since the mounting block  33  is located at the front end of the aperture  207 , the engaging block  311  of the stud member  31  engages with the locking pillar  302  of the shank member  30  so as to drive the shank member  30 , thereby urging the cartridge  21  to rotate. 
     In a first manual operation mode, referring to  FIGS. 12 and 13 , an adaptor element  51  of a hand grip  50  is fittingly connected to the stud member  31  of the handle  20 , by manually rotating the hand grip  50 , it urges the adaptor element  51  to turn, hence the stud member  31 , the shank member  30  and the cartridge  21  may be in turn driven to turn. 
     As shown in  FIG. 14 , in a second manual operation mode, the actuation bar  211  may be used as a canter, and the hand grip  50  is pivotally rotated as a ratchet wrench, hence such a manual operation mode may be provided to loosen workpieces in the beginning or to fasten workpieces in the ending, as the output torque of the electric wrench is limited. 
     As illustrating to  FIGS. 15 and 16 , in a further manual operation mode, the stud member  31  is joined to a hand grip  60  having a crank  61  received therein and expanded therefrom, and the crank  61  may turn the hand grip  60  to urge the rotation of the stud member  31 , accordingly the actuation bar  211  of the cartridge  21  may be turned. 
     In another manual operation mode, referring to  FIGS. 17-19 , the direction controlling member  22  is turned by hand so as to loosen workpieces. For example, if the direction controlling member  22  is rotated counterclockwise, the pin  222  is in abutment against the pawl  24  to move inward, thereby as the direction controlling member  22  turning, by using the pawl  24  to push the cartridge  21 , the direction controlling member  22  may drive the cartridge  21  to simultaneously rotate in a counterclockwise direction, and the teeth  251  of the pawl  25  are pressed by the peripheral gear  202  of the handle  20  to move inward and pass across the peripheral gear  202  tooth by tooth, thus enabling to rotate the direction controlling member  22  by hand. To avoid driving the hand grip  50  in an opposite direction, while the cartridge  21 , the shank member  30  and the stud member  31  being urged, the selector mechanism has to be adjusted. In other words, as pushing the mounting block  33  to move backward along the aperture  207 , the fitting cylinder  32  and the stud member  31  may be urged to move backward so as to release the engagement with the locking pillar  302  of the shank member  30 , hence the shank member  30  may not urge the rotation of the stud member  31 , and the hand grip  50  may not be rotated with the rotation of the direction controlling member  22 . 
     The invention is not limited to the above embodiment but various modifications thereof may be made. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.