Abstract:
A squeeze type, rotating wrench has a toothed drive gear for receiving selected tool elements. The drive gear is driven in a selected direction by a push arm and reversible pawl upon squeezing of a pair of handles relative to each other. Reversing the direction of rotation is accomplished by pivoting the pawl from one position to another relative to the push arm.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to ratchet wrenches and more particularly to squeeze type ratchet wrenches that have a reversible drive direction. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     With a typical ratchet wrench, a socket is formed at one end of a body member having a handle at the other end with the socket receiving a bolt head or nut or other tool. Swinging of the handle in one direction rotates the socket in a corresponding arc to move the work piece and in the other direction permits return of the handle. However, swinging of the handle is not always possible when working in confined areas. As a consequence, provision has been made for squeeze type ratchet wrenches in which a pair of handles are squeezed toward each other as in the case of pliers to achieve rotation of a socket with the body of the tool remaining substantially stationary. Such wrenches can reverse the direction of drive by turning the tool on its longitudinal axis to reverse the axis of rotation of the socket 180°. Subsequent squeezing rotates the socket in the opposite direction from its prior position. 
     Even such wrenches are not satisfactory in certain confined areas where handles of the wrench may not permit reversing of the socket. There is a need for a reversible ratchet wrench in which the direction of drive can be reversed without removing the tool from its position relative to the work piece which is being gripped by the socket. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to provide a ratchet wrench in which the drive socket can be driven in either direction without moving its supporting handle in an arc. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a ratchet wrench in which the direction of drive can be changed without rotating the tool body to turn the axis of the drive socket 180°. 
     Still another object of the invention is to provide a ratchet wrench which is selectively reversible without removing the tool from the work piece. 
     Still a further object of the invention is to provide a ratchet wrench which has a simple construction and in which a single spring accomplishes multiple functions of returning a handle to its original position, loading a spring detent and acting as an over center spring to maintain a pawl in engagement with a single drive gear. 
     The objects and purpose of the invention are obtained by a squeeze type wrench having an elongated body member, with a handle at one end and a tooth drive gear at the other end for receiving a tool element detachably connected to the drive gear for rotation therewith. A finger grip member is pivoted to the body member which, when squeezed toward the handle, causes movement of a push arm with an elongated pawl member having a pair of sets of teeth for engagement with the tooth drive gear. The pawl arm is guided longitudinally of the body member upon squeezing of the handle and the pawl arm is moveable to one of two positions having a first end or a second end in engagement with the gear to determine the direction of drive. Spring means are provided to resist pivoting of the finger grip member towards the handle and to assist pivoting away from the handle and at the same time providing the resilient force urging a detent into engagement with the gear and to act as an over center spring to maintain one or the other of the two sets of teeth on the pawl arm in engagement with the drive gear. 
     The ratchet wrench of the present invention can be operated in the conventional manner by moving the handle in an arc and also can be reversed in the direction of drive by turning the tool from one side to the other. In addition the wrench can be operated without moving the handle and its direction of drive can be reversed without being removed from its position on the work piece. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the wrench embodying the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the wrench seen in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional side view taken on a regular section line  3 — 3  in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing another condition of operation of the wrench embodying the invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing another position of adjustment of the wrench embodying the invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a view showing the wrench of the present embodiment of the invention in its reversed position from the position shown in FIG. 4; and 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a typical insert used with the wrench. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The squeeze type, reversible wrench embodying the invention is designated generally at  10  and includes an elongated body member  12  having a pair of substantially identical side frame elements  14  and  16  made of metal and held in spaced apart relationship to form a long recess  18  therebetween. A handle  20  is formed at one end of the body member  12 . The opposite end has a rotatable drive gear  24  journaled in aligned openings  26  in frame elements  14  and  16 . 
     The body member  12  also is provided with a squeeze lever  28  having an end portion disposed in recess  18  and pivoted about a rivet  30  seated in aligned openings  32  in frame elements  14  and  16  and squeeze lever  28 . Rivet or pin  30  acts as a fulcrum for moving the squeeze lever toward and away from the handle  20 . 
     The handle  20  and gripping portion of the squeeze lever  28  are provided with a resilient material covering the metal portions of the wrench  10  to be gripped by the hand of a user. 
     As best seen in FIG. 2, the frame elements  14  and  16  are held in spaced apart relationship at the handle end  20  by a frame spacer  34 . At the other end frame elements  14  and  16  are held in spaced relationship by the drive gear  24 . The side frame elements  14  and  16  are fixed in the spaced relation relative to each other by rivet  30  and rivets passing through aligned openings  36 ,  37 ,  38  and  39  as best seen in FIG.  2 . 
     The mechanism for rotating the gear includes a push arm  42  disposed in the recess  18  and has a circular end portion  44  resting in a complementary cavity  46  formed in a portion of the squeeze lever  28  spaced slightly from the rivet at  30  that acts as the fulcrum for the squeeze lever  28 . The opposite end of the push arm  42  provided with support pin  48  forming a pivot for a reversing pawl arm  50  that extends in opposite directions from the support pin  48  and is generally symmetrical relative thereto. As seen in FIG. 2, the push arm  42  has a thin portion  49  at the end with support pin  48  that is about one-half the thickness of circular end  44 . The pawl arm  50  also has a thin portion  51  opposite to teeth  52  and  54  that overlap push arm  42  so that both arms can fit in the recess  18 . A pair of sets of teeth  52  and  54  are formed at opposite ends of the pawl arm  50  and a selected one of the sets  52  or  54  are engagable with the teeth on the opposite circumferential sides of the drive gear  24 . 
     The reversible pawl arm or double ended pawl  50  is provided with a guide pin  56  that is non-rotatably fixed to the arm and is seated in aligned slots  58  in the side frames  14  and  16 . The guide pin  56  which is non-rotatably fixed to the double-ended pawl arm  50  also is non-rotatably fixed to a handle  60  at the exterior to one side of the body member  12 . The handle  60  is gripped by the fingers for rotating the reversible pawl arm about the pin  48  at the end of the push arm  42 . 
     The double ended or reversible pawl arm  50  also is provided with a crank arm  62  projecting away from the guide pin  56  at the side opposite to the support pin  48 . The crank arm  62  acts to support one end of a detent and spring mechanism indicated generally at  64 . The mechanism  64  includes a detent element  66  for engagement with the spaces between adjacent teeth on the drive gear  24 . Detent  66  is supported at one end of a telescoping member  68  which has its other end pivoted to the crank arm  62  at pivot pin  70 . The mechanism and particularly the telescoping member  68 , supports a coil spring  72  having opposite ends seated against the crank arm  62  and the detent element  66  to urge the detent into engagement with teeth on the drive gear  24 . The detent element  66  is provided with a cross pin  74  guided in aligned slots  76  in the side frames  14  and  16 . 
     The drive gear  24  is provided with a central opening  78  adapted to receive various socket inserts, only one of which is shown at  80  in FIG.  7 . All of such inserts have the same outer hexagon configuration with the inside shape  82  varying in size to accommodate a full range of bolt heads or to accept adaptors for other tools such as screw driver bits, none of which are shown. The socket inserts  80  are releasably held in position within the hexagon opening  78  by a ball detent  84  seen in FIG. 1 in a conventional manner to facilitate interchange of inserts  80 . 
     The wrench  10  is used by selecting the appropriate size or type of insert  80  and inserting it in the opening  74 . Thereafter, the direction of rotation of the drive gear  24  and the insert  80  can be selected by rotating the pawl arm  50  to one of its two selected positions as shown in either FIG. 4 or FIG.  6 . 
     With the tool insert  80  and the direction of rotation of the drive gear  24  selected, the wrench  10  is used by squeezing the lever  28  towards the lever  20  from the positions seen in FIG.  3  and FIG.  4 . This motion is transferred through the circular end  44  on the push arm  42  and the complementary cavity  46  in the squeeze lever  28  which causes the push arm  42  to move longitudinally within the recess  18  in the body member  12 . Such motion is transmitted through support pin  48  to reversing pawl arm  50 . The pawl arm  50  is guided by guide pins  56  sliding longitudinally of the body member in slots  58 . 
     During such movement, the set of teeth  52  are pressed into engagement with a circumferential side of drive gear  24  by the action of spring  72  acting on guide pin  56  sliding in guide slots  58  to pivot pawl arm  50  about pin  48 . Such movement causes rotation of the drive gear  24  in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG.  3  and FIG.  4 . This causes the detent elements  66  to move from between the teeth on the drive gear  24  against the action of spring  72  to the next spacing between adjacent gear teeth. In the embodiment illustrated, the gear  24  has sixteen teeth so that a single squeeze of lever  28  is effective to rotate the gear  24  to an arc of two gear teeth. In other words, a full rotation of the gear requires eight complete cycles of operation of squeeze lever  28 . 
     During operation of squeeze lever  28  toward handle  20  and resultant movement of push arm  42 , the reversing pawl arm  50  pivots slightly relative to push arm  42  and spring  72  is compressed as shown in FIG.  4 . Upon release of squeeze lever  28 , detent element  66  holds the drive gear  24  stationary and spring  72  returns the squeeze lever  28  to its original position together with push arm  42  and reversing pawl arm  50  to the position shown in FIG.  3 . 
     Reversing of the direction of rotation of gear  24  requires turning the handle  60 , seen in FIG.  1  and FIG. 2, to swing pawl arm  50  counter-clockwise from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the intermediate position shown in FIG.  5 . At that point the support pin  48 , guide pin  56  and pivot pin  70  as well as spring  72  and push arm  42  are in alignment with each other in an on-center condition. Continued movement of the handle  60  in a counter clockwise direction swings pawl arm  50  to the position in FIG.  6  and causes an over-center action so that the support pin  48  and pivot pin  70  are in reverse positions from that in FIG. 4 to that in FIG.  6 . Subsequent squeezing of the lever  28  results in counter-clockwise rotation of gear  24  as view in FIG.  6 . 
     Although the driving direction of the drive gear  24  of most ratchet wrenches can be reversed by rotating the wrench  10  about its longitudinal axis, the present wrench makes it possible to reverse the drive direction while the wrench remains in position on its work piece. 
     The efficient and economical design of the wrench mechanism is emphasized by the use of a single ratchet pawl arm  50  to effect both forward and reverse drive gear action. Also a single spring  72  is used to accomplish three separate functions of the mechanical action of the squeeze wrench  10 . For example, spring  72  loads the detent pawl element  66  to engagement with the spur drive gear. Also the spring  72  acts as the force on the squeeze lever  28  to return it to its original position. It also loads the over-center mechanism of the reversing pawl arm  50  as seen in FIG. 5 to act at opposite sides of the guide pin  56  as shown in FIG.  4  and FIG.  6 . 
     A reversible, squeeze type ratchet wrench has been provided in which the drive direction can be changed without removing the tool from the bolt or work piece being worked on. Moreover, the operation is achieved by a mechanism employing a minimum of parts and utilizing a single spring to accomplish multiple functions such as return action the squeeze handle, spring loading of the detent and offering over-center operation of the pawl arm in both of its directions of drive.