Socket wrench

A socket wrench for turning sockets has a handle joined to a head having an inside wall accommodating a body including a socket holder. A permanent magnet attached to the socket holder holds a socket on the socket holder. The body has a plurality of ramps facing the inside wall of the head. Rollers engage the ramps and inside wall. A member mounted on the body engages the rollers to selectively shift the rollers relative to opposite end sections of the ramps. First and second permanent magnets on the body and member maintain the member in selected shifted positions to retain the rollers adjacent the end sections of the ramps.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to socket wrenches having reversible one way drive mechanisms that allow infinitely variable reciprocal movements of the wrench handles to selectively rotate sockets in opposite circular directions. The drive mechanisms include devices that are manually adjusted to selectively transmit clockwise or counterclockwise motion to driven members accommodating sockets.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventional socket wrenches have reversible one way drives that include a ring of internal ratchet teeth and movable pawls engageable with the ratchet teeth to complete the drive couple between the handle and socket driven member. The handle must be angularly moved to a minimum distance to change the interengaging positions of the ratchet teeth and pawls. This limits the use of the wrenches to environments that have sufficient space to allow for the required angular movement of the wrench handle to effect rotation of the socket driven member. These ratchet wrenches are not useable in confined spaces containing nuts and bolts that must be turned on and off threaded members.

D. V. Albertson in U.S. Pat. No. 6,276,239 describes a socket wrench having a reversible one way drive mechanism operable with infinitely variable strokes of a handle to convert reciprocating arcuate movement to stepped rotational movement of a drive member holding a socket. A releasable ball retains a socket or other devices on the drive member. The tool has a handle joined to a head having an inside cylindrical surface. A body having a plurality of ramps is located within the head. Each ramp has an axially extended groove or notch in its middle section to eliminate inadvertent shifting or reverse drive of the drive member. Rollers cooperate with ramps and the inside cylindrical surface of the head to drivably couple the head to the body for one way rotation of the body in response to reciprocating arcuate movement of the handle. The amount of arcuate movement of the handle can be infinitely varied or changed so that the tool can be used in confined spaces to turn nuts and bolts. The tool is efficient and effective in small places as it does not have backlash or play in its roller drive mechanism.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A socket wrench has a reversible one way roller drive mechanism operable to rotate a socket with small movements of the handle of the wrench. The socket wrench comprises a handle having a head accommodating a selector and a collector. The selector is movable between clockwise and counterclockwise drive positions. The collector has a body with inclined ramps and a socket holder. Rollers cooperate with the ramps and an inside cylindrical wall of the head to drivably couple the head to the collector for selected one way rotation of the collector in response to reciprocating arcuate movements of the handle. Permanent magnets mounted on the selector and collector having the same polarities selectively retain the selector and rollers in clockwise or counterclockwise drive positions. The permanent magnets on the selector and collector have mutual repulsive or separation magnetic forces that retain the selector and rollers in selected clockwise or counterclockwise drive positions. The handle, selector, collector and rollers are coated with a layer of titanium nitride. Alternatively, the socket wench can be titanium or titanium alloy structure. The socket holder has a permanent magnet that holds a socket on the socket holder.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SOCKET WRENCH

A socket wrench10, shown inFIGS. 1 to 3, is a hand tool having an elongated handle11accommodating a selector12and collector13. A socket14is retained on collector13. Handle11comprises a cylindrical body16joined to a cylindrical neck17. An enlarged annular shoulder18joins body16to neck17. The proximal or first end19of handle11has an enlarged semi-spherical or knob shape with an annular shoulder21joining proximal end19to body16. The annular shoulders18and21facilitate the hand grip of the use of socket wrench10. The distal or second end of handle11has a head22rotatably supporting selector12and collector13. Head22has a convex generally cylindrical outside surface23and a continuous inside cylindrical wall24. Selector12includes a member26having upright ears27and28located on opposite sections of member26. The ears27and28are hand engaging projections that facilitate the hand turning of selector12, shown by arrows29inFIG. 1, to select the clockwise or counterclockwise drive of collector13that is responsive to oscillating movements of handle11. Collector13includes a square drive member or socket holder31extended laterally away from a bottom wall32of head22. Socket holder31supports a ball detent33and stem34that controls the socket lock and unlock positions of ball detent33. A C-clamp or snap ring36around drive member31and C-clamp or snap ring37on member26retains socket12and collector13on head22.

Handle11is a one-piece carbon steel member or a stainless steel member. Coatings or films, such as titanium nitride, titanium carbide and titanium silicon nitride can be deposited on the exterior surfaces of handle11to reduce chipping, surface wear and eliminate corrosion. Sector12and collector13can also be coated with titanium nitrides and carbides. Titanium nitride (TIN) coatings on handle11, selector12and collector13provide hard smooth surfaces having a gold color without causing distortion or loss of metal hardness.

Proceeding toFIGS. 4 to 7, a socket wrench handle37has a coating or exterior layer of titanium nitride (TIN)38. Handle37includes a cylindrical body39joined to a cylindrical neck41. The distal end of neck41is integrated with a cylindrical head42. As shown inFIG. 7, head42has a first inside cylindrical wall43and a second cylindrical wall44. Wall43has a diameter greater than the diameter of wall44. A radial shoulder46is located between walls43and44. Walls43and44surround a cylindrical blind bore47extended to a bottom wall48. Wall48has a third cylindrical wall49surrounding an opening or hole51open to bore47.

Handle37is a carbonated one-piece structure heat treated to Rockwell hardness 42-44 (HRC 42-44). The titanium nitride coating38is a thin layer having a uniform thickness of approximately 2 to 8 microns. A diffusion zone52of titanium nitride integrates or alloys coating38with the core steel of handle37. The diffusion zone52provides excellent bonding of the titanium nitride coating38to walls43,44and49. The methods of titanium nitride thin film creation are physical vapor deposition and chemical vapor deposition. Pure titanium is sublimed and reacted with nitrogen in a high-energy, vacuum environment. Examples of titanium coating processes of ferrous metal are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,071,491; 5,178,091 and 5,308,367 incorporated herein by reference.

An alternative coating of titanium, silicon, nitride (TI-SI-N) can be deposited on handle37by physical vapor deposition to improve the wear resistance of the coating. The coating has a composite structure consisting of titanium nitride nanocrystallites embedded in amorphous silicon nitride.

As shown inFIGS. 8, 9 and 30 to 32, selector12comprises a cylindrical member or body26having a cylindrical peripheral surface53located adjacent cylindrical wall25of head22. Surface53can be in sliding surface contact with wall25. The bottom peripheral circular edge of member26engages a shoulder61located between walls24and25. As shown inFIGS. 9 and 30, a plurality of arcuate segments or legs54,55,56,57,58and59joined to the bottom of member26extend into head22and engage bottom wall32. Each of legs54,55,56,57,58and59have outside arcuate surfaces62located in sliding surface engagement with wall24. Adjacent legs are circumferentially spaced from each other to accommodate cylindrical rollers63,64,65,66,67and68. As shown inFIG. 30, three cylindrical permanent magnets69,70and71are embedded into the bottom of member26. Adjacent magnets69,70;70,71and69,71are circumferentially spaced 120 degrees from each other. Magnets69,70and71have the same polarity, shown as north, N. The polarity can be south, S. Examples of permanent magnets69,70and71are neodymium cylinder magnets.

Proceeding toFIGS. 10 to 15, selector12has a central cylindrical wall72surrounding an opening73. Ears27and28are located adjacent opposite portions of opening73. Member26, ears27and28and legs54,55,56,57,58and59are a one-piece metal selector. The metal of the one-piece selector is aluminum. Other metals including titanium maybe used to fabricate the one-piece selector. As shown inFIGS. 13, 14 and 15, permanent magnets69,70and71are located in cylindrical pockets74,75and76in member26. The permanent magnets69,70and71have circular flat ends aligned with the inside surface of the bottom of member26.

Collector13, shown inFIGS. 16 to 22, comprises a body77having a top wall78accommodating cylindrical permanent magnets79,80and81. Permanent magnets79,80and81have circular flat ends aligned with the top surface of body77. As shown inFIGS. 13, 14, 15,16,34and35, the ends of first permanent magnets69,70and71and the ends of second permanent magnets79,80and81are located in a common plane between the top surface of body77and the bottom surface of member26. Body77has cylindrical pockets83,84and85accommodating magnets79,80and81. Adjacent magnets79,80and81are circumferentially spaced from each other 120 degrees. Each magnet has the same polarity shown as north N. The magnets can have the same polarity south S. Magnets79,80and81are circumferentially aligned with selector magnets69,70and71when selector12and collector13are assembled on handle11.

Body77has six tangent ramps86,87,88,89,90and91around its outer surface. Each ramp has opposite end sections and an upright groove or recess92in the middle section of the ramp86. Recess92is an arcuate segment of a circle having a radius generally equal to the diameter of roller63. Recess92can be U-shaped or a channel shaped notch. In use, recess92provides a location for roller64in the middle of the ramp86to allow roller64to retract inwardly away from wall24to prevent roller64from shifting beyond the center of the ramp87to the opposite drive position. Ramps86,87,88,89,90and91have central recesses that accommodate rollers63,64,65,66,67and68. A first cylindrical sleeve93projecting upwardly from body77has an annular groove94accommodating a C-ring37. As shown inFIGS. 8 and 9, ring96engages the top of member26and maintains member26in contact with shoulder61of head22. A second cylindrical sleeve97extended downward from body77projects through hole97in bottom wall32of head22. A C-ring98mounted on sleeve97engages bottom wall32to retain collector13on head22.

A socket holder99joined to sleeve96has a square configuration to retain socket14. Body77and sleeves92and93have a central bore101. A stem102located in bore101has a recess103accommodating detent ball33. Recess103is open to groove104in stem102. When detent ball33is located in groove104, stem102retains detent ball33in a socket lock position. A coil spring106biases stem102in an upward detent ball lock position. When stem102is moved down, shown by arrow107, recess103is aligned with detent ball33to allow detent ball33to move to its socket unlock position whereby the socket can be removed from socket holder99.

FIGS. 23 to 29illustrate a modification of the collector13A for the socket wrench10. Collector13A has the same structure including the permanent magnets shown inFIGS. 16 to 22except for the detent ball lock and unlock stem102and bore101accommodating the stem102and biasing spring106. The structures ofFIGS. 23 to 29that correspond to structures ofFIGS. 16 to 22have the same reference numbers with suffice A. Collector13A has permanent magnets79A,80A and81A that coact with magnets69,70and71of selector12to position rollers63to68relative to ramps86to91. The selector permanent magnets69,70and71and collector permanent magnets79A,80A and81A have the same external polarities, north N, resulting in repulsive magnetic forces that control and retain the position of member26A to located rollers63,64,65,66,67and68relative to ramps86,87.88,89,90and91.

As shown inFIGS. 27 to 29, socket holder99A has a lateral recess112or blind cylindrical hole. A cylindrical permanent magnet109is retained in recess112. Magnet109has an external surface or face111coextensive with the outside wall of socket holder99A. Magnet109is a N52 neodymium cylindrical magnet. Other types and shapes of permanent magnets can be retained in recess112. Magnet109has a magnetic force that holds a wrench socket on socket holder99A.

In use, the selector permanent magnets69,70and71coact with the collector permanent magnets79,80and81to selectively position rollers63,64,65,66,67and68on opposite portions of ramps86,87,88,89,90and91. Rollers63,64,65,66,67and68are wedged between ramps86,87,88,89,90and91and wall24of head22whereby oscillating movements of the handle11, shown by arrows100and108, transmit torque from handle11to collector13in clockwise and counterclockwise directions. The selector permanent magnets69,70and71and collector permanent magnets79,80and81have the same external polarities, north N, resulting in repulsive magnetic forces that control and retain the positions of rollers63,64,65,66,67and68relative to ramps86,87,88,89,90and91. As shown inFIG. 34, first and second permanent magnets69and70with north N polarity oppose each other to move and retain body26of the selector in the direction of arrow100. The opposing magnetic force is constant. The magnets69and70have outside end faces along a generally common plane. Detents are not used to retain the position of the selector relative to the collector.FIG. 35shows magnets69and81operable to move and retain selector body26in the direction of arrow108. Magnets69and81have the same north N polarity resulting in an opposing magnet force that controls the positions of body26and rollers63,64,65,67and68relative to ramps86,87,88,89,90and91whereby oscillating movements of handle11results in intermittent rotation of body26and socket holder99.

The socket wrench illustrated and described includes several embodiments of the invention. Variations and modifications of the handle, selector, collector, magnets and the number of rollers, arrangement of these structures and materials can be made by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope and content of the invention.