Reversing ratcheting wrench

A reversing ratchet wrench employing spring biased linkage connecting a pivotally mounted pawl to a finger operated reciprocally worked finger piece mounted in the end of the wrench body opposite the ratcheting mechanism wherein the change of direction of the wrench action is accomplished by depressing a finger piece or by releasing the finger piece.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to the field of ratcheting wrenches. Such wrenches 
are used with various size sockets to fit nuts or bolt heads. The wrenches 
have in common a ratchet gear and a reversing pawl. The pawl is pivotable 
and can engage the ratchet in two alternative positions. Rotating the 
wrench handle in one direction about an axis normal to the ratchet gear, 
causes the gear to be held by the pawl and the ratchet with its attached 
socket turned; while turning the handle in the opposite direction causes 
the ratchet to turn relatively freely giving the characteristic ratcheting 
click as the ratchet teeth overide the pawl. Reversal of direction is 
generally accomplished by means of a lever directly attached to the pawl 
gear. Turning the lever one way allows clockwise turning of the socket and 
its driven bolt, the other way counterclockwise turning of the socket and 
its driven bolt. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A need exists for a reversing ratcheting wrench in which reversing can be 
done while the wrench is being used in close quarters and where the 
normally mounted switch lever, directly connected to the pawl, could not 
be reached. Further in freeing rust frozen nuts and bolts a need exists 
for a wrench that can be reversed in a rapid manner. Reversing mechanisms 
exist that require rotating motion of a reversing mechanism mounted at the 
handle end of the wrench. 
Further an object of this invention is to provide a reversing wrench in 
which the reversing can be done with one finger on the operating hand by 
means of a straight line reciprocating motion. 
It is further object of this invention to make a reversing linkage that can 
be easily made without extensive machining within a wrench and which 
mechanism can be easily removed for repair.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring more particularly to the drawing by characters of reference, 
FIGS. 1--7 show a reversing ratcheting wrench, in which reversal is 
effectuated by an end of handle reciprocally operated finger piece 
comprising a wrench body 10 having at one end a ratchet housing bore 12 
and a pawl housing bore 18; within ratchet housing bore 12 is inserted 
ratchet gear 14', ratchet gear 14 having ratchet gear teeth 15; ratchet 
gear 14 is rotatably mounted within ratchet housing bore 12; extending 
through the wrench body 10 is ratchet gear socket drive member 16, within 
pawl housing bore 18, pawl 20 is inserted, with the pawl teeth 21, 
addressing ratchet gear teeth 15; pawl 20 is pivotably mounted within pawl 
housing bore 18; the pawl 20 is slotted on said pawl body opposite the 
pawl teeth 21 with pivoting slot 22; within the wrench body 10 is a wrench 
linkage passage 24 through which the linkage necessary to pivot the pawl 
20 is mounted. 
Ratchet gear 14 and pawl 20 are retained within ratchet gear housing bore 
12 and pawl housing bore 18 by the bottoms of such bores and by gear 
retaining plate 26; such gear retaining plate screws 28 and 28' which 
screw into gear retaining plate screw holes 30 and 30' which are drilled 
into wrench body 10; 
Reversal of nut driving direction of the drive member 16 is caused by 
engaging the pawl 20, by pivoting the pawl 20 until it engages ratchet 
gear teeth 15. 
As stated above to provide for reversing direction of the drive member, 
pawl 20 is pivotably mounted; the linkage used to pivot pawl 20, into 
selective engagement with the gear teeth 15, comprises pawl link pin 32, 
which is mounted in a hole dilled through pawl 20 the axis of such hole 
being normal to the axis of rotation of pawl 20 and being on one side of 
the pawl 20; connected to such pawl 20 by pawl link pin 32 is hook shaft 
34; hook shaft 34 is pivotally connected to pawl 20 by said pawl link pin 
32; the hook shaft 34 is slidably mounted within hook shaft sleeve 45 with 
the amount of sliding travel limited by and defined by hook shaft 
operating slots 44 and 44', within hook shaft sleeve 45 is hook shaft 
compression spring 42, said spring being retained by hook shaft spring 
retaining pin hole 40; this spring biased mechanism allows the ratchet 14 
to turn relatively freely in a clockwise direction with minimal 
resistance, while urging the pawl into engagement with ratchet gear teeth 
15, when the wrench is turned in a counterclockwise direction, the spring 
biasing 15, giving the audible clicking noise characteristic of ratcheting 
wrenches. 
The hook shaft sleeve 45 is pivotally connected to push rod 63, push rod 63 
is also spring biased, by push rod biasing spring 52; the push rod sleeve 
46 has machined in its circumference push rod sleeve locking notch 48, the 
second spring biasing means accomplished the relatively free turning when 
the wrench is turned in a counterclockwise direction. 
Push rod 63 passes through push rod sleeve 46 through push rod aperture 50, 
push rod 63 is forced outward towards the distal end of the wrench by push 
rod biasing spring 52; the assembled linkage is held within the wrench 
body 10 by retaining screws 56 and 56'; these pass through push rod 
retaining spring screw holes 54 and 54' and into the wrench body 10; 
Push rod pivot pin 60 pivotally connects push rod 63 and hook shaft sleeve 
45; mounted within a slot 74 within push rod 63 is operating piece 64; 
operating piece 64 has at one end closest to the drive gear, locking hook 
68, at the distal end it has finger piece 70; operating piece 64 is 
pivotally connected to push rod 63 by operating piece pivot pin 66. 
In use, when the finger piece 70 is pushed down and into the wrench body 10 
by a force on that end of the finger piece 70 opposite locking hook 68, 
both springs 52 and 42 are compressed and locking hook 68 is forced 
through push rod sleeve locking notch 48, which holds such springs in 
compression and locks the finger piece 70 in and which pushes the whole 
hook shaft sleeve 45 toward the ratchet end and the wrench spring 42 
through hooks shaft sleeve 45 toward the ratchet end of the wrenchy, 
spring 42 through hook shaft 34 forces pawl 20 into engagement with 
ratchet gear 14; this engages pawl 20 and ratchet gear teeth 15 allowing 
counterclockwise driving of a nut; pushing on finger piece 70 on the same 
side as the locking hook 68 causes the hook 68 to disengage from the push 
rod sleeve locking notch 48 forcing push rod 63 out of the end of the 
wrench through the linkage described herein and thereby pulling pawl 20 
out of one engagement with the ratchet gear 14 and into the opposite 
engagement; in switching enegagement that end of hook shaft 34 attached to 
pawl 20 moves sideways through pawl pivoting groove 22. 
FIG. 2 shows hook shaft compression spring 42, which mounted in hook shaft 
sleeve 45 forces hook shaft 34 outward and towards ratchet gear teeth 15. 
FIG. 2 also shows push rod biasing spring 52 which forces push rod 63 
outward and towards the end of the wrench body 10. 
The springs 42 and 52 provide with the hook shaft operating slots 44 and 
44' and hook shaft retaining pin 38 the means to pivot pawl 20 into 
selective engagement with ratchet gear teeth 15 while providing the 
necessary small amount of movement to allow the gear teeth 15 to override 
the pawl 20 when turned in the non locking direction. 
For example in FIG. 5, the wrench is adjusted to drive a nut in a 
counterclockwise direction and to rotate relatively freely in a clockwise 
direction. Push rod 63 is forced inwardly by operating piece 64, locking 
hook 68 is engaged in and retained by rod sleeve locking notch 48 and push 
rod biasing spring 52 is compressed within its housing; hook shaft 34 is 
urged outward forcing pawl 20 into engagement with ratchet gear teeth 15, 
Clockwise turning of the wrench so adjusted, causes gear teeth 15 to force 
the pawl 20 outward against the pressure of hook shaft compression spring 
42, as the pawl is moved outward, hook shaft retaining pin 38 moves 
outward also, while being retained in hook shaft operating slots 44 and 
44' allowing the movement necessary to relatively free turning of the 
ratchet in the unlocked direction. 
FIG. 6 shows the wrench adjusted to drive a nut in a clockwise direction 
and to rotate relatively freely in a counterclockwise direction. 
Push rod 63 is released and forces outwardly towards the distal end of the 
wrench by push rod biasing spring 52; this in turn pulls the hook shaft 
sleeve 45 and its attached hook shaft 34 outward causing the pawl 20 to 
pivot. Counterclockwise turning of the wrench so adjusted causes pawl 20 
to be overriden by the gear teeth 15, the resistance to counterclockwise 
turning being provided by the extended push rod biasing spring 52 
transmitted through the hook shaft retaining pin 38 in the hook shaft 
operating slots 44 and 44'. 
Rapid reversal of direction of turn of the socket is done by first pushing 
inwardly on one side of the finger piece 70 and then on the other side. 
Operation of the wrench including rapid reversal can be done with one hand 
and one finger or the thumb. 
By releasing locking hook 68 through pushing on the finger piece 70 on the 
same side as the locking hook 68 and holding the push rod 63 half way down 
against the pawl 20 is not engaged and a socket attached to the main gear 
socket drive member 16 can be rapidly tightened or loosened by hand.