Rewind ratchet wrench

A wrench having an elongated handle attached to a head. A spool and rotatable member are rotatably mounted in the head. A one-way clutch drivably connects the spool with rotatable member. A cable wound around the spool extends longitudinally through the passage in the handle. When the cable is pulled out of the handle the spool is rotated. The one-way clutch drives the rotatable member which rotates without swinging the handle. A spring acting on the spool rotates the spool to wind the cable on the spool. A releasable lock interposed between the handle and the spool permits rotation of the spool in resonse to angular movement of the handle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Ratchet wrenches coupled to sockets are used by mechanics to turn threaded 
members, as nuts and bolts, that are located in cramped or relatively 
inaccessible locations. The handle of the conventional ratchet wrench is 
rotated or moved back and forth to rotate the socket. A conventional 
ratchet wrench is difficult to use to effect the tightening of a nut and 
bolt in confined or restricted spaces. Several forms of ratchet wrenches 
are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,214,423; 1,883,618; 2,536,172; 
2,590,387; 2,686,446; 2,851,914; and 3,608,402. 
Gegg in U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,617 discloses a wrench adapted to receive a 
socket and rotate the socket without angularly moving the handle. The 
handle is provided with a rotating sleeve that drives a shaft that extends 
longitudinally down the handle. A bevel gear arrangement in the head of 
the wrench affects the rotation of the member adapted to receive the 
socket. The handle must be twisted in order to achieve the rotation of the 
socket carrying member. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The invention is directed to a wrench having a handle secured to a head. 
The head has a cylindrical casing accommodating a rotatable spool carrying 
a rotatable body. One-way clutch means interposed between the body and the 
spool permits rotation of the body with the spool in one direction and 
allows the spool to freely rotate in the opposite direction. A cable is 
wound around the spool and extends longitudinally through a passage in the 
handle. A hand grip is attached to the free end of the cable to enable the 
user to pull the cable from the handle. Movement of the cable out of the 
handle rotates the spool thereby rotating the socket carrying member via 
the one-way clutch means. A coil spring interposed between the casing and 
spool is compressed with the cable is pulled from the handle. Once the 
force on the cable is released, the spring will rewind the spool whereby 
the cable will be wound around the sleeve. 
An object of the invention is to provide a ratchet wrench that can rotate a 
threaded member without swinging of the handle of the wrench. A further 
object of the invention is to provide a ratchet wrench with a compact and 
protected arrangement of rotatable parts that can rotate a socket without 
angularly moving the handle of the wrench. A further object of the 
invention is to provide a ratchet wrench that can use conventional sockets 
and can rotate the sockets with either arcuately moving the handle of the 
wrench or without arcuately moving the handle of the wrench. These and 
other objects and features of the wrench of the invention are embodied in 
the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the 
invention. It is understood that other embodiments of the wrench can also 
satisfy the above advantages.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a wrench indicated generally at 10 for 
accommodating sockets or cylindrical members adapted to receive a nut or 
head of a bolt. Wrench 10 has an elongated linear cylindrical handle 11 
attached to a circular head 12. Head 12 has a cylindrical casing 13 and an 
annular wall 14. Head 12 is a cup-shaped member that is integral with the 
inner end of handle 11. 
A rotatable body or member 16 extends through head 12 along the central 
axis of casing 13. Body 16 has two male projections 17 and 18 extended in 
opposite directions from the end of the body. As shown in FIG. 11, male 
projection 17 has a square configuration and is of a size to fit into a 
square recess of a socket. One or more small balls can be carried by 
projections 17 and 18 to hold sockets on the projections. Multi-sided 
holes, as square, hexagonal and like-shaped holes, for accommodating male 
projections of sockets can be formed in the opposite ends of member 16 in 
lieu of projections 17 and 18. 
An annular spool or sleeve 19 is concentrically positioned about body 16 
and located concentrically within annular cylindrical casing 13. As shown 
in FIG. 2, the lower portion of sleeve 16 has an inwardly inclined flange 
21 located adjacent the inwardly inclined inner edge 15 of annular wall 
14. 
The upper end of spool 19 has a pair of outwardly directed ribs 22 and 23 
forming an outwardly open annular channel 24. Rib 22 has an outer 
peripheral edge that has a plurality of circumferentially spaced teeth 26. 
A first annular snap ring 27 located in a groove 28 in sleeve 19 projects a 
short distance inwardly over the top of a portion of body 16 to hold body 
16 in rotating assembled relation with spool 19. A second snap ring 29 
located in annular groove 31 in the upper portion of the inside wall of 
cylindrical casing 13 holds spool 19 in assembled relation with casing 13. 
Body 16 has a pair of outwardly directed ribs or flanges 32 and 33. Flanges 
32 and 33 have outside circumferential surfaces located in contiguous 
relationship with respect to the inside cylindrical surface of spool 19. 
Flanges 32 and 33 are spaced from each other forming an annular central 
groove 34 open to spool 19. A one-way drive means 36 is interposed in 
groove 34. Drive means 36 coacts with body 16 and spool 19 to drive body 
16 and spool 19 concurrently in one direction and permit spool 19 to 
freely rotate in an opposite direction. As shown in FIG. 3, one-way drive 
means comprises a plurality of rollers 36 located in groove 34. Suitable 
balls can be used in lieu or rollers 36. The central portion of body 16 
forming the base of groove 34 has a plurality of circumferentially 
oriented ramps 37 that engage rollers 36. The portion of spool 19 
engageable with rollers 36 has circumferentially oriented ramps 38. Ramps 
37 are inclined outwardly in the direction of the arrow 39. Ramps 38 are 
inclined outwardly in the circumferential direction opposite arrow 39. 
When spool 19 is rotated in the direction of arrow 39, the rollers 36 
wedge between adjacent ramps 37 and 38, thereby drivably connecting spool 
19 with body 16 so that body 16 rotates with spool 19. When spool 19 is 
rotated in a direction opposite arrow 39, rollers 36 move into the 
recesses of ramps 37 and 38 and move out of driving engagement with body 
16. Spool 19 is free to rotate in the clockwise direction as shown in FIG. 
3. 
An elongated flexible cable 41 is wound around spool 19. As shown in FIG. 
2, cable 41 is located in the annular channel 24. End 42 of cable 41 
extends into a short recess or hole and is secured to spool 19 with a set 
screw 43. Other means can be used to attach the cable 41 to spool 19. As 
shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, handle 11 has an elongated central longitudinal 
passage 44. Cable 41 extends through passage 44 and out the outer or free 
end of handle 11. A ring 46 is attached to cable 41 with a connector 47. 
Ring 46 is a hand grip member which allows the user to pull cable 41 out 
of handle 11 in the direction of arrow 48. Ring 46 can be replaced with 
other types of hand grip members. 
Returning to FIG. 2, a biasing means shown as a spiral coil flat spring 49 
is located within casing 13 and around spool 19. Rib 23 is spaced above 
the bottom annular wall 14 forming an annular chamber 50 for accommodating 
spring 49. First fasteners 51, as a plurality of screws, secures the inner 
end of spring 49 to spool 19. Similar fasteners 52 secure the outer end of 
spring 49 to the inside of casing 13. Other types of fasteners or 
connecting structures can be used to attach spring 49 to spool 19 and 
casing 13. Spring 49 biases spool 19 in a circumferential direction that 
is opposite the direction of movement due to the pull on cable 41. In 
other words, after cable 41 has been pulled from the handle, spring 49 
functions to rotate spool 19 to wind cable 41 back onto spool 19. 
Returning to FIG. 1, a releasable lock indicated generally at 53 is mounted 
on the casing end of handle 11. Lock 53 is operable to lock spool 19 to 
handle 11 so that arcuate or swinging movement of handle 11 will rotate 
body 16. Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, releasable lock 53 comprises a dog or 
finger 56 movably located in a slot 54 in handle 11. Slot 54 is open to 
the interior of casing 13 so that dog 56 is in radial alignment with teeth 
26 on rib 22. Dog 56 has a locking tooth 57 that is positionable between 
adjacent teeth 26 and thereby lock spool 19 with handle 11. Dog 56 is 
moved to its locking and release positions with a control pin 58 located 
in a bore 59. An eccentric finger or member 61 secured to pin 58 extends 
through a slot 62 in dog 56. Snap ring 63 around pen 58 engages handle 11 
to hold pin 58 and eccentric member 62 in assembled relation with handle 
11. A short lever or arm 64 is secured to the outer end of pin 58. Lever 
64 is moved in the direction of arrow 66, as shown in FIG. 1, to move dog 
56 in the locking position, shown in broken lines in FIG. 5. Lock 53 is 
released by moving lever 64 in the opposite direction whereby the 
eccentric member 61 moves dog 56 back to the release or full line position 
as shown in FIG. 5. 
Wrench 10 is used in locations where there is limited swing space for 
handle 11. Once the bolt or threaded member is broken loose, spool 19 can 
be rotated by pulling cable 41, thereby rapidly rotating the socket. This 
can be achieved without angular movement of handle 11. Handle 11 is held 
in a fixed position with one hand by the mechanic. The other hand is used 
to grip ring 46 and apply pulling force to cable 41. The movement of cable 
41 out of handle 11 rotates spool 19. The one-way clutch rollers 36 rotate 
body 16 to thereby turn the socket mounted on one of male projections 17 
or 18. Rotation of spool 19 compresses and tightens spring 49. 
When the pulling force on cable 41 is released, spring 49 biases spool 19 
in the opposite circumferential direction thereby winding cable 41 back 
onto spool 19. The one-way clutch permits spool 19 to rotate independently 
of body 16. 
Wrench 10 can be used with either right or left hand threads. Male 
projections 17 and 18 are of a size to accommodate sockets, thereby wrench 
10 has opposite circumferential rotational direction. 
While there is shown and described a preferred embodiment of the wrench of 
the invention, it is understood that changes in the size, materials, and 
structures can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from 
the invention. The invention is defined in the following claims.