IMPROVEMENTS IN RATCHET WRENCHES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Louis Bagger of the City of Washington in the District
of Columbia and United States of America, Patent Solicitor for an Invention
of IMPROVEMENTS IN RATCHET WRENCHES communicated to him by
George Washington Hight and Daniel Horry Bailey both of Nashville in the
County of Davidson, State of Tennessee, United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Louis Bagger at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th October 1882.
LOUIS BAGGER, of the City of Washington in the District of Columbia and
United States of America Patent Solicitor IMPROVEMENTS IN RATCHET WRENCHES
Communicated to me by George Washington Hight and Daniel Horry Bailey both of
Nashville in the county of Davidson State of Tennessee United States of America.
In the accompanying drawings figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved
wrench, part of the handle being broken off; Figure 2 is a side view of the same
with the face-plate removed; Figure 3 is an edge view; Figure 4 is a sectional view
of the ratchet wheel through its sliding double-jaws and their adjusting screw;
Fig 5 is a perspective view of the ratchet wheel, detached, and with its jaws
removed; and Fig 6 is a perspective detail view of one of the jaws; both being
constructed exactly alike
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures
My invention has relation to that class of wrenches known as ratchet wrenches,
and it consists in the detailed construction and combination of operative parts as
hereinafter more fully described and claimed. In the accompanying drawing A
represents the wrench bar, the lower end of which is fastened into a handle C.
The top part of the wrench-bar forms an annular-head A¹, while its lower part near
the handle forms a step or shoulder A² which constitutes an abutment for the

page_text: lower end of the face-plate B, which is fastened to the wrench bar by screws P
and P. Face-plate B has an annular head B' corresponding to the annular bead A'
of the wrench bar. Within the space or chamber formed between the parallel
annular heads A' and B' is inserted the ratchet wheel D, which has two paralle!
slots dd in which the movable jaws slide. It also has two standards O and O',
through which is inserted a screw E half of which constitutes a right-handed,
and the other half a left handed screw. On opposite ends of the screw are milled
heads Land L' for turning it.
Each of the adjustable jaws consists of two lips or parts F K and F¹ K'
projecting on opposite sides of the slotted ratchet wheel D the shanks of the jaws,
which connect their two parts, passing through and sliding in the slots d d By
turning the screw E, the jaws may be adjusted to fit the nut or pipe to be
operated upon, G and G₁ are the pawls or levers for working the ratchet wheels
which are pivoted at their lower ends upon the screw bolts P P independent of
each other, each pawl being inserted into its separate socket or recess h in the lower
part of the wrench bar
The two pawls G and Glare connected by a spring H below which each has a
notch or recess g adapted to receive the pivoted lock-bolt M, which has a head or
thumb-piece N for turning it. The spring Ḥ draws the pawls on to the ratchet-
wheel D while by turning bolt M, to the right or to the left, either one of the
pawis G or G can be thrown out of gear according to what side it is desired to
work the wrench. By reference to fig. O it will be seen that each of the
double jaws is made in two parts viz: the jaw K and the part F; the former having
a shank k upon which the part F is secured by pins, screws or otherwise. The part
or shank of jaw K has an opening d³ for the insertion of the bridge piece d' of
the ratchet wheel and this permits the ratchet wheel and its jaws to be put
together in the following manner; The bridge-piece d' is first inserted through the
apertures d in the two jaw-pieces K and K which are held so as to face cach
other. These with the bridge piece are then inserted through the rectangular
opening in the ratchet-wheel which is, by the bridge-piece divided into the two
parallel slots d d. Next the bridge piece d' is secured in place by screws inserted into
its ends through the rim of the ratchet wheel, as indicated by dotted lines in fig 5.
Finally the jaw pieces F and F are placed upon the projecting parts of their
respective jaws K and K¹ and rigidly fastened thereupon in the manner, after
which screw E is inserted, and the ratchet wheel with its jaws is placed within
the annular head A' B' of the wrench stock. By the foregoing description
taken in connection with the drawings, the operation of my improved ratchet
wrench will readily be understood without further explanation. It can be used
either as a nut wrench, or as a pipe wrench according to which of the sets of
jaws F F or K K' is employed. The annular head A' B' within which the ratchet
wheel works holds the latter in place and greatly strengthens this part of the
device, which has to sustain the greatest strain, and the face plate B prevents dirt
or dust from gathering inside, which would seriously interfere with the operation
of the ratchet wheel and its actuating pawls.
Having now described my invention and the manner in which the same is to be
performed, what I claim as new and desire to secure by letters patent is :—
1st The combination in a ratchet wrench of the wrench bar the face-plate jaws K
and K', the ratchet D pawls G G' and spring H, with the lock-bolt M as and for
the purposes set forth.
2nd In a ratchet wrench a pair of jaws K K¹ constructed in two parts for
operation as specified.
3rd In a ratchet wrench the combination with the wrench bar, the ratchet and
the jaws K K¹ of the right and left threaded adjusting screw all constructed for
co-operation as specified.
4th In a ratchet wrench the combination with the wrench stock the jaws K K¹

page_text: and the ratchet wheel of the bridge pieces d' all arranged for co-operation as
described.
5th The general construction of ratchet wrench substantially as described and
shown in the accompanying drawings
In witness whereof I the said Louis Bagger have hereunto set my hand and
seal this 23 day of October in the year of our Lord, One thousand Eight
hundred and Eighty two.
LOUIS BAGGER (L.B.)