Wrench apparatus and bar means for selectively applying torque forces to a workpiece

A ratchet wrench apparatus includes a housing body having a lever portion extending outwardly from one side thereof to apply a torque force. A gear assembly received in the housing consists of a universal gear, planetary gears and a sun gear which are rotatably driven in unison in response to a torque force exerted through a ratchet gear adjustably disposed in the handle and housing. An output torque force is transmitted from the gear assembly through a rotor body which is normally held in interlocking relationship with the sun gear in the gear assembly. The apparatus further includes a separate selector bar element which may be manually inserted in the gear assembly to enable the rotor body to rotate independently of the sun gear when a torque force is being exerted through the lever and remaining gears.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
It is well known in the art to provide ratchet wrench mechanisms and to 
combine with such mechanisms gear means such as ring gears, planetary 
gears and sun gears arranged in various ways in housing members with which 
a handle or lever element is provided to exert a torque force on a work 
piece. Thus, for example, wrench mechanisms of this constructions are 
disclosed in the following patents: U.S. Pat. No. 2,520,443 entitled 
Planetary Gear Speed Wrench; U.S. Pat. No. 3,587,364 entitled Two Armed 
Ratchet Wrench; U.S. Pat. No. 2,634,620 entitled Geared Wrench; U.S. Pat. 
No. 4,069,726 entitled Tightening and Releasing Tool; U.S. Pat. No. Re. 
29,993 entitled Gear Wrench; U.S. Pat. No. 2,510,483 entitled Speed and 
Power Geared Hand Wrench; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,274 entitled Speed 
Wrench. 
In all of these prior art devices means are provided for shifting from one 
mode of operation to another mode to multiply torque forces and adjustment 
controls are combined with a standard ratchet wrench mechanism in one 
housing body. In all of these devices the components and their adjustable 
controls are complicated in construction, expensive to manufacture and 
assemble and require special handling to convert from one mode to another. 
In none of these prior art devices, as far as is known, is there provided 
a means for manually changing from one mode of operation to another mode 
while a torque force is being exerted. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to an improved ratchet wrench apparatus of the class 
wherein a conventional ratchet mode of operation may be changed to a 
torque multiplying mode by the use of gear means such as ring gears, 
planetary gears and sun gears. 
It is a chief object of the invention to provide an improved ratchet wrench 
apparatus and to devise an arrangement of wrench components by means of 
which a conventional ratchet mode of applying a torque force to a work 
piece may be converted to a torque multiplying mode while the torque force 
is being applied. 
Another object is to devise a wrench apparatus by means of which a 
two-handed operation may be employed to provide for rapidly and 
conveniently changing from a conventional ratchet mode of operation to a 
torque multiplying mode of operation. Still another object of the 
invention is to provide a ratchet wrench apparatus which may be readily 
manufactured and assembled and which provides for increased ease of 
handling and more rapid and efficient application of torque forces. 
These objectives are accomplished by providing a suitable housing body and 
lever means in which is located an assembly of gears by means of which a 
conventional ratchet gear movement is employed to exert a torque force to 
a work piece in one mode of operation and in which an operator utilizes 
only one hand. There is further provided a separate selector bar element 
which may be manually engaged in the gear assembly to carry out, at will, 
a torque multiplying mode of operation in which an operator utilizes both 
hands in a selective manner. This change in mode of operation from a 
conventional ratchet drive to a torque multiplying mode may be carried 
out, at will, in a rapid and convenient manner and instantly reversed when 
so desired.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Referring in more detail to the structure shown in the drawings, numeral 2 
denotes a housing body which may be of cylindrical configuration and which 
is provided at one side thereof with a lever part 4 by means of which a 
rotary turning may be manually carried out to exert a torque force against 
a work piece with which the housing body may be engaged, as hereinafter 
disclosed. 
Mounted in the housing body 2 is a gear assembly which generally includes a 
universal or ring gear formed with inner and outer gear teeth, planetary 
gears in mesh with the inner gear teeth of the ring gear and a sun gear in 
mesh with each of the planetary gears. 
The ring gear is indicated by numeral 6 and at its outer gear portion by 
numeral 6A and its inner gear portion by numeral 6B. The gear portions 6A 
and 6B are constructed of a limited axial length to define relieved upper 
and lower annular bearing edges 6C and 6D respectively. 
As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 5, the housing body 2 is formed with an 
annular recess 20 in which the upper bearing edge 6C of the ring gear is 
rotatably received. The lower annular bearing edge 6D is supported by a 
retaining part 22 which is secured by a spring clip 24A which is designed 
to be snapped into locking engagement with an annular slot 24 formed 
around the inner wall of the housing 2, as is best shown in FIG. 7. 
Adjustably supported in the lever part 4 and extending into the housing 
body 2 is a reversable ratchet gear 3 which is of conventional 
construction and which is illustrated in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5. As is customary 
in devices of this nature the ratchet gear 3 is provided with gear teeth 
as 5 and 7, which may be selectively engaged with the outer gear portion 
6A of the ring gear 6. At an opposite side the ratchet gear 3 is 
constructed with the usual short ramp surface 9 and long ramp surface 11, 
best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. 
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the lever 4 and the housing body 2 are formed 
with a retaining opening 13 at one side of which is provided a spring slot 
15 and a ball 15A which is resiliently received against a coiled spring 
17. The ratchet gear 3 has a slot 19 in which is engaged a projecting part 
21 (FIG. 5) of a thumb selector element 23. The thumb selector element is 
rotatably held in the lever and housing by means of a snap ring 25 
engageable in the slot 27, as indicated in FIG. 2. 
The thumb selector may be employed in the usual manner to turn ratchet gear 
3 into a position such as that shown in FIG. 4 wherein the short ramp 9 
jams the ball 15A against the spring slot 15 and the ratchet teeth mesh in 
driving relation with the gear portions 6A and thus transmit a force 
through the lever 4 to turn the ring 6. 
To reverse the ratchet mechanism the thumb selector 23 is turned in a 
reversed direction causing the long ramp 11 to force ball 15A into the 
slot and allows the ratchet piece to slip by and take up a reverse locking 
position. 
The planetary gears above-noted are indicated by numerals 8, 10, 12 and 14 
and are supported on a rotor body 30. The rotor body is illustrated in 
FIGS. 2, 3, 5 and 7 and may have a shape as is most clearly shown in FIG. 
5. At an upper side 44 of the rotor body 30 are provided posts 30A, 30B, 
30C and 30D (FIG. 5) which are arranged to engage through openings 8A, 
10A, 12A and 14A of respective planetary gears and through openings 37A, 
37B, 37C, and 37D of a spacer plate 37. The sun gear is denoted by numeral 
16 and is formed with an opening 16A, which is best shown in FIG. 5 and is 
of a substantially square cross section. The sun gear has its opening 16A 
supported on a locking pin mechanism which is described below in more 
detail. 
In accordance with the invention, the rotor body 30 is constructed at a 
lower portion thereof with a depending driver part 32 which projects 
through the retaining plate and terminates in a socket engaging end 34 of 
substantially square cross section. The engaging end 34 is designed to be 
engaged in a conventional socket 36 indicated in broken lines in FIG. 7 
engaged with the work piece W. 
Formed in the engaging part 34, as shown in FIGS. 2, 5 and 7, is a recess 
or well 46 in which is resiliently received a coil spring 42. The spring 
42 has mounted at an upper end thereof a base section 48 having a locking 
pin 50 supported through the sun gear opening 16A. The well 46 is in 
communication with the opening 16A of the sun gear, also opening 37E in 
spacer plate 37, as well as opening 78 in the housing 2 and the base 
section 48 is made of a size to fit snugly inside the well 46. 
Formed internally of the driver part 32 at the lower end thereof is an 
opening 40, best shown in FIG. 7, in which is received a coiled spring 42. 
At the upper side of the rotor body 30 is a gear plate part 44 which is 
formed integrally with the driver part 32 and which is recessed to provide 
a well 46 which is in communication with the cylindrical opening 40. The 
well 46 is, however, of substantially square shape and is designed to 
contain therein a square base section 48 of a locking pin 50 which is 
normally held in an extended position by the coiled spring 42, as 
illustrated in FIG. 2. 
Also provided in the gear plate 44 are posts 30A, 30B, 30C and 30D which 
are constructed and arranged to have received therearound the planetary 
gears 8, 10, 12 and 14. 
It will be seen that with the rotor body 30 and locking pin 50 combined 
with the planetary gears and sun gear as disclosed, when a turning force 
is exerted through the lever 4 it will drive the engaging end 34 to turn 
the work piece with a considerable torque force being exerted. 
An important feature of the invention comprises in combination with the 
wrench mechanism disclosed above of a selector bar member which is most 
clearly shown in FIG. 1 and denoted by the numeral 72. As shown therein, 
the selector bar consists of an elongated body which is formed with a 
lower extremity of a square cross-section indicated as numeral 74. 
Transversely disposed through an upper end of member 72 is a handle part 
76. At the top of housing 2 is provided a hole 78 through which the member 
72 may be inserted and the square cross-section extremity of the bar may 
be entered in an opening 16A of the sun gear 16 to engage against the head 
of locking pin 50 to force the pin downwardly against a coil spring 42 
into a position as shown in FIG. 7. In this position it will be observed 
that pin 50 no longer locks the rotor body to the sun gear and therefore 
the rotor body is free to turn with respect to the sun gear. 
In utilizing the lever, housing and gear assembly, without applying the 
selector 72, the ratchet gear 3 is adjusted to provide, as desired, either 
clockwise or counter-clockwise rotation of a work piece such as the bolt 
indicated at W in FIG. 7. A torque force applied through the lever 4 is 
exerted around the ring gear 6, planetary gears 8, 10, 12 and 14 and sun 
gear 16 and an output torque force is transmitted from the gear housing 
through the rotor body 30 to the workpiece W with the usual mechanical 
advantage being obtained and with the operator using only one hand. 
However, assuming that it becomes desirable to multiply the torque force 
several times so as to greatly increase the mechanical advantage 
obtainable, then the operator holds the lever 4 in one hand and in the 
other hand grips the handle 76 of the selector bar 72 in the manner 
suggested in FIG. 6. The bar is thereafter inserted through the hole 78 in 
the housing and is forced downwardly into contact with the upper end of 
locking pin 50 to displace this locking pin downwardly against the spring 
42 and out of engagement with the sun gear 16. 
With downward pressure continuously held to the selector bar 72 the 
operator then exerts a torque force through the lever 4 and with the 
ratched gear located in a desired position this gear turns the ring gear 6 
which in turn rotates the planetary gears 8, 10, 12 and 14 about their 
respective posts 30A, 30B, 30C and 30D respectively while still in mesh 
with the sun gear. However, since the planetary gears are in mesh with the 
sun gear and the sun gear is held in a stationary position by the left 
hand of the operator the planetary gears are caused to travel around the 
sun gear and simultaneously drive the rotor body which is now free to turn 
independently of the sun gear. There is thus realized a multiplying of the 
torque force applied to a lever 4 and a greatly increased mechanical 
advantage may be derived. 
In FIG. 8 the wrench apparatus is illustrated diagrammatically with the 
rotation of the planetary gears about their respective posts being 
indicated by one set of directional arrows and rotation of the posts and 
rotor body being indicated by a second set of directional arrows. FIG. 9 
illustrates two sets of directional arrows moving in an opposite direction 
with a ratchet gear 3 having been reversed in position. 
It will be observed that the invention apparatus provides for a rapid and 
convenient mold of changing the multiplication of the torque forces and 
this is carried out with only a single manual movement and can be 
instantly released or applied as desired. The parts are of simple 
construction and may be easily manufactured and sold.