Improvements in Ratchet Braces.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ratchet Braces.
I, JOHN BLAKEMAN, Marine Engineer, of 71, Stevenson Street, South Shields,
in the County of Durham, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
-
My invention relates to ratchet braces.
According to the general construction of these tools, it is only possible to
work them one way, which at times is very inconvenient, and troublesome, and
the object of my invention is to avoid such by providing a brace operatable
with equal efficiency in either a right or left handed direction; and therefore
capable of very varied use.
To this end, I fix upon the ordinary spindle, adapted for holding and
feeding the drill-instead of the customary ratchet wheel, with teeth sloping
in one direction for co-acting with an adjacent pawl-a wheel having
symmetrical teeth for gearing with corresponding teeth furnished at the opposite
edges, sides or faces of a hand-lever, centered so that it may be swung or turned
freely round to bring one or the other of its sets of teeth into engagement with
the wheel. For conveniently attaining this purpose, I center on the aforesaid
spindle two links-one at each side of the wheel-between, and at, whose free
ends the lever is fulcrummed.
By this construction, it will be seen that when the wheel is in contact with
one or other of the toothed parts of the lever, and the latter is manipulated, the
wheel is revolved and the required operation is accomplished.
Improvements in Ratchet Braces.
I, JOHN BLAKEMAN, Marine Engineer, of 71, Stevenson Street, South Shields,
in the County of Durham, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to ratchet braces.
1
According to the general construction of these tools, it is only possible to
work them one way, which at times is very inconvenient and troublesome, and
the object of my invention is to avoid such by providing a brace operatable

page_text: with equal efficiency in either a right or left handed direction; and therefore
capable of very varied use.
To this end I fix upon the ordinary spindle, adapted for holding and
feeding the drill-instead of the customary ratchet wheel, with teeth sloping
in one direction for co-acting with an adjacent pawl-a wheel having
symmetrical teeth for gearing with corresponding teeth furnished at the opposite
edges, sides or faces of a hand-lever, centered so that it may be swung or turned
freely round to bring one or the other of its sets of teeth.into engagement with
the wheel. For conveniently attaining this purpose, I center on the aforesaid
spindle two links-one at each side of the wheel-between, and at, whose free
ends the lever is fulcrummed.
My improvements will be fully understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 is a plan thereof partly
in section on the line X-X. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, with parts in section,
representing a slightly different detail arrangement to that shown in the preced-
ing figures. Figs. 1 and 2 represent the hand-lever in the inoperative position,
whereas Fig. 3 shows it in one working position.
A is the spindle with feed nut a and tool socket a¹, all of which are arranged
or adapted for use as usual.
B is the symmetrical toothed wheel which is fixed upon the spindle A by a
key by a flat as illustrated in Fig. 2, or otherwise appropriately.
C is the hand-lever with its two opposite sets c, c of symmetrical teeth.
D, D are the links centered on the spindle A, one between the nut a and the
wheel B, and the other between the said wheel and the socket a¹. The lever C
is pivoted to these links by the bolt E.
By this construction, it will be seen that when the wheel B is in contact
with one or other of the toothed parts c, c of the lever C, and the latter is
manipulated, the wheel B is revolved and the required operation is accom-
plished.
Figs. 1 and 2 show a tool of average size, but in a large tool, in which the hand-
lever is of necessity somewhat heavy, with the view of avoiding any tendency
of slipping, when the lever C and wheel B are in engagement and operated,
I recommend the connection of the lever C and links D, D) as illustrated in
Fig. 3. This figure shows the bolt E made of a larger diameter at the middle
than at the ends, which larger part is passed through the boss of the hand-lever
to fit into each link D which is recessed for the purpose. Therefore, when the
nuts at the ends of the bolt are tightened up, great steadiness is obtained. Fur-
ther, when the lever C has been turned to bring one of its sets c, c-of teeth into
engagement with the wheel B, I prefer to loosely fasten it to the links D), D
so that while they are effectually secured together, yet there is sufficient slackness
to permit of the necessary clearance of the teeth during the inoperative stroke of
the lever. This may be suitably effected by making in each link D a hole, and
in the lever C a corresponding hole in all of which a split pin F is adapted
to fit, when the lever is in the operative position, all the holes, or only the hole c¹,
being slotted or enlarged to give the slackness aforesaid. When the lever has
to be reversed, the pin F is withdrawn, and, on the lever being turned to the
other working position, again re-inserted.
I have described one central set of holes for effecting this connection when
either of the sets of teeth c, care in engagement with the wheel B, but, of
course, there may be a distinct laterally disposed set for each operative position
of the lever C. Also, instead of a split pin, other types of spring pin may be
adopted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. A ratchet brace arranged or constructed, substantially as described and

page_text: shown in the accompanying drawings, so as to be operatable in either a right or
left handed direction.
2. In a ratchet brace, the combination of a symmetrical toothed wheel, and a
hand-lever furnished at opposite places with symmetrical teeth and centered so
that it may be swung or turned freely round to bring one or the other of its sets
of teeth into engagement with the wheel, all arranged substantially as and for
the purpose described in reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 9th day of December 1899.
For the Applicant,
J. A. HARVEY,
Chartered Patent Agent,
3, St. Nicholas' Buildings, Newcastle-on-Tyne.