Patent Publication Number: US-2006000320-A1

Title: Ratchet wrench tool assembly for underground work and process of using

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      In the art of working on underground pipes, it has been conventional for workers to dig a hole to access the pipe beneath ground, with the hole being of sufficient size that workers can get down into the hole, to work on the underground pipe. Frequently, the underground pipe is on the order of 4 feet below the ground surface, such that the hole must first be excavated, and such excavation must be sufficient in amount to allow one or more workers to enter the hole and have sufficient room to work on the underground pipe.  
      Depending upon the depth of the pipe beneath the ground surface, the usual process requires excavation of large amounts of earth, causing considerable disruption to the surrounding landscape.  
      The present invention is directed to providing a ratchet wrench tool assembly for working on various sized nuts, bolts and the like associated with underground pipes, wherein the pipes are at a sufficient distance below ground to accomplish their purpose, generally being below the frost line, and often at a depth of approximately 4 feet.  
      In accordance with the present invention, the tool assembly of this invention is adapted to operate through a relatively small hole at the ground surface, generally on the order of 18 inches, notwithstanding that the underground water, gas, main, or other pipe may be at a level below ground of up to 4 feet or more.  
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
      The present invention is directed to a ratchet wrench tool assembly and a process of using it, for working on various sized nuts, bolts and the like associated with underground pipes, through a small hole at the ground surface, and wherein the ratchet mechanism associated with the tool assembly, while being at a location below ground proximate the location of the pipe to be worked on, such ratchet mechanism can be driven from above ground.  
      Also, in accordance with this invention, different sized wrench heads may be used, for accommodating different sized nuts, bolts or the like.  
      Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a novel ratchet wrench tool assembly for working on pipes below ground, through a small hole at the surface of the ground.  
      It is another object of this invention to accomplish the above object, through a given elongate handle member that is actuable from above ground, and which may employ any of a desired number of selected wrench heads, depending upon the size of the nut or bolt or the like with which the ratchet wrench is to be used, below ground.  
      It is another object of this invention to accomplish the above objects, wherein the ratchet wrench tool assembly employs a spring-loaded ratchet pawl and a drive rod.  
      It is a further object of this invention to provide a plurality of processes, by which underground work on pipes may be accomplished through the use of a ratchet wrench tool assembly as described above.  
      Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent upon a reading of the following brief descriptions of the drawing figures, the detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiments, and the appended claims.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES  
       FIG. 1  is a vertical sectional view, taken through ground, showing a hole therein, wherein the access opening to the hole is considerably smaller in dimension than the depth of the hole, and wherein a ratchet wrench tool assembly is shown placed in the hole, the tool assembly being shown foreshortened, for the sake of clarity, due to the length of the tool handle.  
       FIG. 2  is a view similar to that of  FIG. 1 , somewhat enlarged, and showing a bolt at the end of a pipe, that is adapted to be worked on by the tool assembly of this invention.  
       FIG. 3  is an enlarged detail view, fragmentally illustrated, in elevation, of a spring loaded pawl, in engagement with a ratchet tooth.  
       FIG. 4  is a view of a wrench head of a larger size than that illustrated in  FIG. 2 , for use on a pipe end bolt of a larger size than that of  FIG. 2 .  
       FIG. 5  is an illustration similar to that of  FIG. 4 , showing an even larger wrench head, adapted to be mounted on the same head mount that carries the ratchet, and which is shown in  FIG. 2 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      Referring now to the drawings in detail, reference is first made to  FIG. 1 , wherein a hole in the ground is generally designated by the numeral  10 , having a relatively small access opening  11  at the upper end, and extending to the bottom of the hole  10  at  12 .  
      A ratchet wrench tool assembly in accordance with this invention is generally designated by the numeral  13 , and is shown in the hole  10 . The tool assembly  13  includes an elongate handle member  14  extending from its upper end  15 , to its lower end  16 .  
      Placed along the handle member  14 , at a plurality of locations, are a plurality of clamps  17 , clampingly engaging the outer surface of the handle member  14 , and which carry an elongate release rod  18 .  
      As can be seen more clearly in  FIG. 2 , a plate assembly  20  is carried at the lower end of the handle member  14 , fixedly mounted thereto.  
      The plate assembly  20  has a pivotal ratchet mount plate  21 , pivotally mounted thereto, via a rotatable shaft  23 , and carries a toothed ratchet  24  mounted to the pivotal mount  21 , for pivotal movement therewith, through an arc that ranges from 0° to 180°, relative to the fixed plate  35  carried by the lower end of handle member  14 .  
      The ratchet mount plate  21 , in turn, carries a wrench head  25 , bolted thereto, by bolts  26 , and is open ended as shown at  27  between spaced-apart jaws  29  to allow for clearance over a pipe, around a-bolt head  28 , as shown, at the end of underground pipe  30 , or the like. Teeth  31  on the wrench head  25  engage a bolt head, nut or the like  28 , in a conventional manner.  
      The toothed ratchet  24  has a plurality of teeth  32 , to be engaged by a pawl  33 , pivotally carried via pivot shaft  34 , that, in turn, is carried by the fixed plate  35 .  
      The pawl  33  is spring-urged toward a counter-clockwise direction as indicated by the arrow  36  in  FIG. 3 , by means of a compression spring or the like  37 . It will understood that any other type of spring may be used. The compression spring  37  is preferably seated in respective recessed seats  38  and  40 , respectively at the lower end of the pawl  33 , to the right of the pivot  34  as shown in  FIG. 3  and in a recess  41  disposed in a mounting plate tab  42 , that, in turn, is carried by the fixed plate  35 .  
      At the upper end of the release rod  18 , there is a release button  44 , as shown in  FIG. 2 .  
      Thus, it will be understood that the spring  37  normally urges the pawl  33  into engagement with a pawl tooth  32 , and that, when it is desired to tighten or untighten a bolt, nut or the like  28 , for example, the handle  14  may be engaged at the upper end and moved in a pivotal direction, back, and forth, as shown, between the two phantom positions therefore shown in  FIG. 2 , generally through an arc indicated as  50  in  FIG. 2 , that would generally be about 20°, to correspond with the degree differential between adjacent teeth  32  of the toothed ratchet  24 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , which are also 20° apart as shown at  51 .  
      Thus, the wrench assembly may be used to turn a bolt, nut or the like 20° at a time, and with the ratchet operating such that the pawl engages one tooth at a time, the turning motion for a nut, bolt or the like will be 20° for each ratchet tooth that is engaged by the pawl  33 , for a maximum of 180°. Thereafter, the tool is removed and the ratchet assembly is re-positioned at the lower end  16  of the tool, for movement through another 180° arc, tooth by tooth in the same manner.  
      With reference to  FIG. 4 , it will be seen that the jaws  129  of the wrench head  125  are larger than those for the tool of  FIG. 2 , in order to accommodate a larger bolt, nut or the like  127 , but that the mounting placement of the bolts  126  are the same as that shown in  FIG. 2 , so that the same pivotal mount  21  of  FIG. 2  may be used to mount the wrench of  FIG. 4  thereon.  
      Similarly, with reference to  FIG. 5 , it will be seen that even larger jaws  229  are used, with the same spacing between bolts  226 , such that a single tool assembly may accommodate different heads  25 ,  125 ,  225 , with the changes in heads being done by withdrawal of the handle upwardly, for placement of different heads on the lower end of the tool.  
      Thus, the operator or worker can readily reposition the ratchet to accommodate the tool to different situations, without substantial effort.  
      It will be apparent from the forgoing that various modifications may be made in the details of construction, as well as in the use and operation of the tool assembly of this invention, all within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.