Year: 1888

page_text: 1 JOHN HENRY VINTON of Boston in the State of Massachusetts one of the United
States of America Mechanic 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 for its object to improve that class of ratchet drill adapted to be
moved by friction whereby great power may be applied to rotate the spindle carrying
the drill and with the minimum of lost motion to the handle.
In accordance with this invention the spindle carrying the drill has removably
attached to it a hardened steel hub provided with several recesses each one of which
has an inclined side.
The recessed hub is surrounded by a spring controlled loose ring having slots or
recesses corresponding in number with those in the hub, the recesses of the loose ring
and of the hub receiving a series of rollers, no rotation of the ring in one direction by a
spring tending to move the rollers longitudinally in the recesses of the hub and in a
direction to travel up the inclined sides thereof.
The hub, the loose ring and its rollers are enclosed in a ring or cap of sufficient
diameter to move freely independently of the enclosed parts when the rollers are in the
deeper portions of the recesses of the hub, or to engage and move the enclosed parts
when the rollers have been moved by the loose ring partially up the inclined sides of
the recesses of the hub, the rollers thereby frictionally binding the outer ring or cap
and hub together.
The spring controlling the movement of the loose ring tends normally to so position
the ring with relation to the hub that the rollers bind or wedge frictionally between
the hub or cap to thereby prevent any lost motion of the handle when it is moved to

page_text: turn the outer or enclosing cap or ring, but the moment that such movement of the
handle ceases the spring moves the loose ring to again bind the rollers into the
converging or narrow parts of the recesses between the hub and ring.
The spindle of the drill is bored axially and screw threaded to receive the screw
threaded feed bar fixed centrally within a hollow cap or sleeve which latter fits loosely
upon the spindle in usual manner.
Figure 1 shows in vertical section a friction ratchet drill embodying this
invention.
Figure 2 a horizontal section of a portion of a drill taken on the dotted line x-x
Fig. 1.
Figure 3 a horizontal section of a portion of a drill taken on the dotted line y-y
Fig. 1.
The spindle a carrying the drill or other tool a¹ in usual manner, has removably
attached to it as by a pin 2 a hardened steel hub a² the periphery of which is cut
away to present several recesses as a³ each of which has one inclined side or
face 3.
A loose ring b encircling the hub a² has several slots cut through it corresponding
in number and position with the recesses in the hub each of said slots receiving a roller b
which also enters a recess of the hub.
The cap or ring c enclosing the loose ring containing the rollers is of sufficient
diameter to move independently of the loose ring when the rollers b' are in the deeper
portions of the recesses of the hub, but when the rollers are moved up the inclined
faces of the recesses of the hub, they become wedged between the cap or ring c and
the hub, and in this position of parts any movement of the cap or ring c in the
direction of the arrow Figure 2, moves the hub in unison with it and with substantially
no lost motion.
The loose ring b in this instance is provided upon its underside with an annular
groove, see Figures 1 and 3, in which groove is placed a spiral spring, one end of
which bears against a pin or block 5 fixed to the ring within the groove, the other end
of the spring bearing against a pin 6 fixed to the spindle a, the function of said spring
being to move the loose ring 6 in the direction of the arrow shown in Figure 2 to thus
normally keep the rollers wedged between the cap c and the hub a'.
The implement so constructed is always in such condition that whenever the handle h,
which is fixed to the cap or ring c is moved in the direction shown by the said arrow
Figure 2, the spindle a will be rotated, and any movement of the handle h in the
opposite direction will cause the rollers to enter the deeper portions of the recesses of
the hub sufficiently to permit the cap or ring c to move independently of the other
parts leaving the spindle at rest.
The spindle a is extended upward and bored as at 8 and screw threaded to receive
the screw threaded feed bar a fixed centrally to a sleeve or cap d¹ which latter fits
loosely upon the upper part of the spindle a, said sleeve d', and the feed bar d, co-
operating with the screw threaded spindle to serve as a feeding device for the tool
carried by the spindle.
By the construction herein shown and described it will be seen that the lost motion
of the handle in the direction to turn the spindle is reduced to the minimum, the said
lost motion being quite imperceptible, which is not the case in any other so called
ratchet drill, known to me.
I do not desire to limit my invention to the particular thing to be grasped or
engaged by the spindles to be rotated.
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 friction ratchet drill, the spindle to be moved intermittingly, its independent
hub having recesses provided with an inclined side, combined with a spring controlled
slotted loose ring encircling the hub, rollers placed in the slots of the loose ring and

page_text: entering the recesses of the hub, and an enclosing ring or cap c and handle, substantially
as described.
2. In a ratchet drill, the spindle and hub, the surrounding cap or ring having an
attached handle, the cap and hub being separated one from the other to leave a ring
receiving space, a series of notches with inclined sides cut into one of the side walls of
said space, combined with a spring controlled loose ring provided with a series of
rollers adapted to co-operate with the inclined sides of said notches to effect the
movement of the spindle when the handle is moved in one direction but not interfering
with the movement of the spindle when the handle is moved in the opposite direction,
substantially as described.