Improvements in Wrenches.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 19th Dec., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wrenches.
I, JOHN ORREN COTTRELL, of Riverside, in the County of San Bernardino,
and State of California, United States of America, Gentleman, 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:
This invention has relation to improvements in ratchet wrenches and the objects
in view are to provide a ratchet wrench of cheap and simple construction designed
to operate upon variously sized nuts, either in applying or removing the same and
to provide means whereby the ratchet is designed to operate in either direction or to
be held rigid so as to operate as an ordinary rigid socket wrench.
With the above objects in view, the invention consists in certain features of
construction hereinafter specified and particularly pointed out in the claims.
Referring to the drawing-
Fig. 1 is a perspective of a wrench constructed in accordance with my
invention.
Fig. 2 is a similar view, the top plate being removed.
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section.
Fig. 4 is a transverse section at one side of the bolt.
Fig. 5 is a detail in perspective of the removable bushing.
Fig. 6 is a detail view of the sliding bolt and its actuating key.
Like numerals of reference indicate like parts.
In practising my invention I form the handle 1, head 2, and bottom plate 3, in a
single piece, said bottom plate being extended beyond the head as shown and
provided near its outer end with an annular bearing opening 4. At its periphery
or outer end the plate is provided with a curved flange 5, and upon its upper side
in advance of the head 2 there is located a block 6, the upper face of which is in
the same plane as the flange and a slight distance below the plane of the head 2.
This block at its sides terminates short of the opposite side edges of the bottom
plate and combines with the head and bottom plate to form curved sockets 7, in the
sides of the head.
8 designates the top plate, the rear edge of which abuts and conforms to the
front edge of the head 2, and at its outer end is rounded in conformity with the
flange 5 to which it is secured by bolts or screws 9 and by similar means to
the block 6.
The plate 8 is provided with an annular bearing opening 10 similar in size and
corresponding with the opening 4 of the plate 3. In these openings 10 and 4,
there is mounted for rotation in either direction a cylindrical hub 11, provided at
its centre in this instance with a square tapered opening 12, and upon the centre of
its periphery with an external ratchet 13.
14 designates a bushing, rectangular or square in cross-section and having a
bore 15, of corresponding shape, the bore and the exterior of the bushing being
tapered and adapted to fit snugly though removably, in the opening 12 of
the hub.
At its tapered end one face of the bushing is provided with a shallow
recess 16, extending to the end of the bushing and in the same and secured at its
inner end to the bottom of the bushing is a flat spring tongue 17, the outer end of
which is laterally bent as shown, so that the same acts to retain the bushing
removably in the square opening of the hub and against any accidental displace-
ment while at the same time said bushing may be withdrawn by exerting a little
force.

page_text: Pivoted in the recesses 7, at opposite sides of the head, as at 18, is a pair of
pawls 19, the free ends of which extend forwardly and meet the ends of the flange 5,
at which points they are provided with inwardly disposed shoulders designed to
engage with the ratchet 13.
The pawls 19 are curved in conformity with the block 6 and serve to close the
space between the two plates and hence prevent entrance of dust and other foreign
matter liable to impair the working of the device. The block 6 is provided with a
transverse bore or hole 20 extending throughout the width of the same and in said
bore is located a coiled spring 21, the ends of which are connected to the pawls 19,
and serve to draw the pawls inwardly in a manner to engage the teeth of the
ratchet.
The upper face of the block 6 is provided with a transverse groove 21%, said
groove extending a short distance down each side of the block and communicating
with the groove at the centre of the block and upon its upper face is a shallow
recess 22. A bearing opening 23 extends through the bottom of the recess 22 and
terminates in the bottom plate 3. In the transverse recess or groove 21ª there is
mounted loosely for reciprocation a bolt 24. This bolt has its opposite ends turned
down as at 25 into the sides or ends of the groove 21ª, "and said bent ends are a
slightly greater distance apart than the ends of the recess so that said bolt may
reciprocate transversely as shown and thus bear against and throw out either pawl 19.
At its centre and within the recess 22 the bolt is provided with an offset, loop or.
bent portion 26.
A key 28 is mounted loosely for rotation in the bearing opening 23,. passes
through the upper plate 8 where it terminates in a head 30 and opposite the offset
of the bolt is provided with a similar offset 31 which interlocks with the offset of
the bolt.
Now by turning the key in either direction either to the right or left, the offset
or bent portion thereof will act in a cam-like manner upon the bolt thus throwing
the same either to the right or left and consequently throwing the corresponding
pawl out of engagement with the ratchet and thus adapting said ratchet to operate
with that pawl remaining in engagement.
The bolt and key are maintained in such relative position by reason of the offset
of the key taking into the notch or seat formed in the offset of the bolt. In this
manner namely, by operating the key the device is designed to be used as either a
right or left hand ratchet wrench for removing or applying nuts of bolts without
the necessity of removing the wrench from the nut at each turn of the latter. By
partially rotating the key to throw the bottom of the offset of the same and that of
the bolt in the same direction the bolt ceases to influence either pawl and the two
pawls are in engagement with the ratchet so that the latter is immovable.
It will be seen that the bushing 14 being tapered is designed for two or more
nuts of varying sizes and that by the substitution of other bushings having smaller
or larger bores, other sizes of nuts beyond the scope of the present bushing may be
accommodated.
The bushings 14 may be made of any shape desired so that said bushings will fit
various shapes of nuts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a wrench of the class described, the combination with the handle terminating
at its front end in a head and beyond the same in a plate provided with a cylindrical
bearing opening, a peripheral flange and upon its upper face in front of the head
with a block in the same plane as the flange and below that of the head and reduced
at opposite sides to form recesses, of a removable plate mounted upon the block and
flange and provided with bearing openings a ratchet provided at opposite sides
with bearing hubs mounted in the openings of the plates and provided with a nut-
receiving opening, opposite pawls pivoted in the recesses and means for maintaining
]

page_text: the pawls in engagement with the ratchet and for throwing either or both out of
such engagement, substantially as specified.
2. In a wrench of the class described, the combination with the stock provided
with opposite bearing openings and an internal block having a transverse bore and
upon its upper face a transverse groove and a recess communicating with the groove,
of a ratchet having a nut-receiving opening mounted in the bearings in the opposite
sides of the stock, opposite pawls mounted in opposite recesses of the stock, a
spring located in the bore of the block and connected with the pawls, a bolt
mounted in the groove and provided with a central offset. extending into the recess,
a key extending beyond the stock terminating in a head disposed at a right angle
to the bolt and having an offset interlocking with that of the bolt, substantially as
specified.
3. In a wrench of the class described, the combination with the stock comprising
opposite plates having bearing openings, an internal block forming opposite
recesses at the sides of the stock, said block being provided with a transverse bore,
above the same with a transverse groove and in rear of the groove with a shallow
recess, of a pair of pawls pivoted in the recesses at the sides of the stock, a ratchet
mounted in the bearing openings of the plates, a coiled spring mounted in the bore
of the block and connected at its ends to the pawls, a bolt mounted in the groove
and having its ends inwardly bent into continuations of the grooves formed in the
sides of the block and provided at its centre with a rearwardly disposed bend or
offset and a key journaled in bearings disposed at a right angle to the bolt
terminating at its outer end in a head and provided below the same with a lateral
offset or bend for engaging that of the bolt, said offset of the bolt being provided
upon its inner sides and at each side of its bend with shallow depressions for
engaging the end of the offset of the key, substantially as specified.
Dated this 5th day of November 1891.
GEO. H. RAYNER,
37, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant..