Patent ID: 6868759

Claim:
A ratcheting tool comprising: a handle; a head extending from the handle and having a first compartment, a second compartment that opens to the first compartment, and a third compartment that opens to the second compartment; a gear ring rotatably disposed in the first compartment and defining a plurality of first teeth about an outer circumference thereof; a pawl disposed in the second compartment and having a front side that faces the first teeth of the gear ring and that has a plurality of second teeth, and a back side facing away from the gear ring, wherein the pawl is movable within the second compartment between a first position in which the first teeth and second teeth are engaged on one side of the second compartment and a second position in which the first teeth are engaged on an opposite side of the second compartment; a housing disposed in the third compartment; a spring received by the housing and in biasing engagement with the back side of the pawl so that the spring biases the second teeth of the pawl into meshing engagement with the first teeth of the gear ring when the pawl is in either the first position or the second position and so that the pawl is movable against the bias of the spring when the handle is rotated in a ratcheting direction with respect to the gear ring; and a lever having a hand actuatable outer portion and an inner portion extending into the head in driving engagement with the pawl, wherein the lever is disposed movably with respect to the head and with respect to the housing so that a movement of the hand actuatable portion with respect to the head and the housing moves the inner portion to drive the pawl from one of the first position and the second position toward the other of the first position and the second position against the bias of the spring.