Abstract:
A ratcheting mechanism includes a main body having an annular ring and two channels on opposite sides of the main body extending toward the annular ring. The two channels are adapted to receive pawls rotatably urged outward by a biasing element to selectively engage ratcheting teeth. An adjusting ring is positioned over the main body. The position of the adjusting ring determines the operational direction by selectively disengaging one of the pawls. The main body has an engagement end fixing the ratcheting mechanism to a handle body.

Description:
This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/390,922 filed Feb. 23, 2009, now abandoned which claims the benefit of Chinese Application 200820166715.4 filed Oct. 27, 2008, the contents of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/390,922 are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to an improved ratchet driving mechanism. 
     BACKGROUND INFORMATION 
     Tools are often utilized to insert and remove fasteners. The tools include ratcheting mechanisms which enable the tool to apply force to the fastener when the tool is rotated in one direction, and to allow the tool to rotate freely without applying a force to the fastener in the opposite direction. Ratcheting mechanisms of this type take one of two forms. One type uses detents. A detent uses linear motion to engage the teeth. The detent is linearly urged by a spring into the teeth of the ratchet. The other form uses a pawl. The pawls are pivoted outward by a spring to engage the teeth. Each of these embodiments has advantages and disadvantages. 
     The present invention relates to pawl type ratcheting mechanisms—and specifically a mechanism able to handle more torque than prior art devices. Prior art tools incorporating ratcheting mechanisms of this type are unable to handle large amounts of torque without the teeth on the gear slipping past the pawls. Thus, for fasteners that are very tightly engaged with an item, mechanisms of this type effectively cannot be used to adjust, insert or remove the fasteners. Further, the prior art ratcheting mechanisms require a large number of parts to be assembled within the housing which increases the time and expense necessary for manufacturing tools incorporating these prior art ratcheting mechanisms. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for a simple easy to assemble ratchet driving mechanism able to handle more torque than prior devices. 
     SUMMARY 
     In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an embodiment of the invention includes a ratcheting driver comprised of a cylindrical main body having an annular ring and two channels on opposite sides of the main body extending toward the annular ring. Two pawls, disposed in the respective channels rotate about the channel and are formed to engage the ratcheting teeth of the head. 
     In one embodiment, the pawls are urged outwardly by biasing elements. A biasing hole formed on a side wall in each channel receives a biasing element. In an alternate embodiment a single biasing element urges the pawls outward. The outwardly urged pawl engages teeth located in the ratchet head. An adjusting ring determines which pawl engages the teeth. The ring is concentrically positioned on the body has three indentations to receive a projectile. While one pawl engages the ratcheting teeth, the other pawl is pushed inward and disengaged by an edge in the adjusting ring. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood by reading the following detailed description, taken together with the drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of an embodiment of the ratcheting driver; 
         FIG. 2  is an isometric view of the main body; 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of the main body; 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the main body; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the main body taken on the line A-A of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of the head; 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the head taken on the line B-B of  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  is an isometric view of the adjusting ring; 
         FIG. 9  is a sectional view of the adjusting ring taken on the line C-C of  FIG. 10 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a top view of the adjusting ring; 
         FIG. 11  is a side view of the pawl; 
         FIG. 12  is an end view of the pawl; 
         FIG. 13  is an exploded view of an alternate embodiment of the ratcheting driver; 
         FIG. 14  is an isometric view of an alternate embodiment of the main body; 
         FIG. 15  is a sideview of an alternate embodiment of the main body; 
         FIG. 16  is a front end view of an alternate embodiment of the main body; 
         FIG. 17  is a cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the main body taken on the line D-D of  FIG. 15 ; 
         FIG. 18  is a side view of an alternate embodiment of the head; 
         FIG. 19  is a cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the head taken on the line E-E of  FIG. 18 ; 
         FIG. 20  is a top view of an alternate embodiment of the adjusting ring; 
         FIG. 21  is an isometric view of an alternate embodiment of the adjusting ring; 
         FIG. 22  is a top view of the spring used in an alternate embodiment; 
         FIG. 23  is a top view of the retainer used in an alternate embodiment; and 
         FIG. 24  is a cross-sectional view of the retainer used in an alternate embodiment taken on the line F-F of  FIG. 23 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIGS. 1 to 12  illustrate a first embodiment of the present invention. Referring first to  FIG. 1 , the ratcheting driver mechanism of the present invention is combined with a tool handle (not shown) of any suitable type well known to those skilled in the art. This arrangement allows the user to provide more ratcheting torque in a tool than previous ratcheting mechanisms. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 5 , cylindrical main body  5  has a mid-portion which is an annular ring  5   a  with a greater radius than the rest of the body  5 . The ring  5   a  forms a cylindrical divider which divides the main body  5 . The front portion  5   b  of the main body  5  is combined with a ratcheting head  1  and the back portion  5   c  accommodates the tool handle. As shown in  FIGS. 1-5 , the back portion  5   c  has rows of linear teeth  53  which that are engageable with the tool handle to hold it in place. 
     The front portion  5   b  of main body  5  engages the ratcheting head  1  and is secured to the head  1  by a retaining ring  3 . The front portion  5   b  includes a beveled face  39  ( FIG. 2 ) and groove  45  to receive the retaining ring  3 . The retaining ring  3  fits into the groove  45  around the front portion  5   b  of the main body  5 . Groove  45  is a greater diameter than ring  3 , therefore when the ring  3  is positioned into the groove  45  the ring  3  diameter is increased which causes the ring to fit securely in to the groove  45 . The securely fitted retaining ring  3  engages a mating groove (not shown) in the head  1  causing the head  1  and main body  5  to be securely joined. 
     Two parallel opposing channels  56  are cut into the front portion  5   b  of the main body  5 . Each channel  56  extends from the face  39  longitudinally toward the ring  5   a  and is offset a distance from the center axis of the main body  5 . Each channel  56  has a flat face  56   a  that extends downward until forming a cylindrical portion  51  shaped to receive a pawl  4 , described below. The cylindrical portion  51  of the channel  56  has a slight lip  51   a  ( FIG. 3 ) extending inward toward the center axis. The lip  51   a  retains the pawl  4 , which prevents the pawl  4  from moving parallel to the flat face  56   a  of the channel  56  but allows the pawl  4  to pivot in the cylindrical portion  51 . 
       FIGS. 11 to 12  illustrate the pawl  4  in an embodiment of the invention. Two pawls  4  are disposed in respective channels  56  of the main body  5 . The pawls  4  slide into and pivot in the cylindrical portion  51  of the channels  56 . Lip  51   a  on the cylindrical portion  51  of the channel  56  prevents the pawl  4  from sliding upward out of the cylindrical portion  51 . 
     When the pawl  4  is urged outward it engages the teeth  11 . The ratcheting mechanism has two pawls  4  one for clockwise the other for counter-clockwise rotation. The respective pawl  4  that engages the teeth  11  depends upon the position of the adjusting ring  2  (discussed below). When one of the two pawls is engaged the other pawl is disengaged. 
     As best seen in  FIGS. 8-10 , the adjusting ring  2  has an inner annular ring  25  which is formed with a pair of guides  22  which terminate in edges  26  and are separated by a stop  23 . The pawls  4  each engage and ride along one of the guides  22 . Each pawl  4  has a first section  42  and a second section  43 . The first section  42  protrudes outward from the second section  43  and is adapted to engage the edge  26  in the adjusting ring  2 . The pawl  4  is disengaged when it is pushed inward by the edge  26  which forces the pawl  4  inward disengaging it. 
     When one pawl  4  is disengaged the other pawl  4  is engaged. The second section  43  of the pawl  4  engages the teeth  11  in the rotatable head  1  by being pivoted outward by the biasing element  6 . The biasing element  6  is retained in a hole  52  formed in the flat face of each of the channels  56 , such that the hole  52  is in communication with the channel. In an embodiment the biasing element  6  is a spring  6 . 
     Ratcheting is accomplished by the section  43  of the pawl  4  engaging the teeth  11 . The teeth  11  and pawl  4  are each slanted at angle, such that when the teeth  11  are rotating in one direction, the pawl  4  slides up and over each tooth  11  in turn, and the biasing element  6  forces the pawl  4  back outward. When the teeth  11  are moving in the other direction, the mating angles of the pawl  4  and teeth  11  stop the rotation of the teeth  11 . The angles are mated in such a way as to minimize bending stress to the pawl  4 . Instead, the pawl receives primarily compression stress transferred linearly from the teeth  11  through the pawl  4 . 
     The head  1  of the ratcheting mechanism includes inner teeth  11  and a recess  31  ( FIG. 7 ) for receiving tool bits. The teeth  11  are formed on an inside wall of the head  1  of the driver. The teeth  11  mate with the pawl  4  and extend inward approximately the length of the second section  43  of pawl  4 . The entire second section  43  of the pawl  4  receives compression force from the teeth  11 . The head  1  slides onto the main body  5  and is secured to the main body by the retaining ring  3 . A nut  12  on the head  1  secures bits to the ratcheting head  1 . The outer face of the head  1  includes a recess which extends through the head  1 . Rotating the nut  12  constricts the recess around the bit as is well know to those skilled in the art. 
     Direction of ratcheting is changed by turning the adjusting ring  2 , which has an ergonomic outer portion  24  to assist the user with gripping the ring  2 . A projectile hole  54  ( FIG. 3 ) in the front portion  5   b  of the main body  5  contains a biasing element  7 , which in turn urges a projectile  8  outward to engage one of three indentations  21  in the inner ring  25  of the adjusting ring  2 . In the embodiment shown, the biasing element  7  is a spring  7  and the projectile  8  is a steel ball. The steel ball  8  is outwardly biased by the spring  7  and engages the inner ring  25 . The three indentations  21  correspond to three positions, clockwise, counter-clockwise, and neutral. The center indentation  21  is the neutral position, such that the ratchet turns freely in either direction. The outer two indentations  21  are for clockwise and counter-clockwise rotation. 
     When the adjusting ring  2  is in either clockwise or counter-clockwise rotation one of the respective pawls  4  abuts an edge  26  in the adjusting ring  2 . For example, referring to  FIG. 4 , when the steel ball  8  is in the left indentation  21 , the respective pawl  4  is pushed inward by the edge  26 . The protruding first section  42  of the pawl  4  is the portion that is engaged and pushed inward, while the second section  43  of the other pawl  4  is allowed to freely engage the teeth  11  in the head  1 . 
     The back portion  5   c  of the main body  5  is the engagement end which securely fastens the main body  5  with the tool handle. In an embodiment shown, the engagement end is formed with four rows of linear teeth  53  adapted to fasten and engage a receiving end of the handle body. The engagement end is inserted and secured into the receiving end  102 . The linear teeth  53  securely fix the main body  5  of the ratchet with the handle body. One skilled in the art would recognize any means of securing the main body to the handle body may be employed. For example, the main body could be threaded. Alternatively, the handle body and main body  5  could be formed from a single piece of material. 
     An alternate embodiment of the invention is illustrated in  FIGS. 13 to 24 . In this embodiment, a single spring  6  replaces the dual springs  6  illustrated  FIG. 1 , however, the result is the same. 
     In the alternate embodiment, the front position  5   b  of main body  5  is formed with a recess  55 . The recess  55  begins at the front face of main body  5  and extends into the main body  5  between channels  56 . The recess  55  is in communication with the flat faces  56   a  of the channels  56 , such that the biasing element  6  extends outward to engage the pawls  4  disposed in the cylindrical portions  51  of the channels  56 . In some embodiments, the recess  55  is adapted to receive a spring retainer  9 . In such embodiments, the biasing element  6  is a spring. 
     The spring retainer  9  is illustrated in  FIGS. 23 to 24  and is adapted to be inserted into the recess  55 . The spring retainer  9  is adapted to retain the spring  6 . In this embodiment, the spring  6  is W-shaped, as illustrated in  FIG. 22 . Arms  61  of the W-shaped spring  6  are arranged in the slot  92  of the spring receiver  9 , while the cross-members  62  of the W-shaped spring  6  are arranged in the transverse slot  91  of the spring receiver  9 . The arms  61  of the W-shaped spring  6  protrude out into the recess  55  to engage the pawls  4 , biasing the pawls  4  outward. 
     While the principles of the invention have been described herein, it is to be understood by those skilled in the art that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation as to the scope of the invention. Other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the present invention in addition to the exemplary embodiments shown and described herein. Modifications and substitutions by one of ordinary skill in the art are considered to be within the scope of the present invention, which is not to be limited except by the following claims.