Patent ID: 7380481

Claim:
A socket and ratchet wrench combination comprising: a wrench socket having a fastener receiving end defining a drive socket cavity for engagingly receiving a fastener to be driven and an insertable end defining a through hole passageway in communication with said drive socket cavity for receiving and allowing an externally threaded member to pass through said socket as the fastener is driven on the threaded member with a ratchet wrench, said socket also having a drive member on its exterior surface; and a ratchet wrench including: a ratchet wheel/gear having a front side and a back side with a detented/toothed rim located between the wheel/gear's front side and back side, said wheel/gear also defining a through hole which is axially aligned about the rotational axis of said wheel/gear for receiving said insertable end of the wrench socket through the front side of said wheel/gear, said through hole extending through said ratchet wheel/gear from said front side thereof to and through said back side thereof to allow an externally threaded member to pass through said socket's through hole passageway as a fastener is driven on the threaded member with said ratchet wrench and socket, said ratchet wheel/gear further defining a drive member receiving section in said wheel/gear's front side for engagingly receiving said drive member of said socket to enable said socket to be driven with said wrench and wherein said through hole of said ratchet wheel/gear is a smooth surfaced cylindrically shaped hole; a pawl, a wrench body receiving said ratchet wheel/gear for rotation relative to each other, said wrench body also receiving said pawl for (1) engaging said detented/toothed rim of said ratchet wheel/gear when said wrench body is rotated in a first direction relative to said ratchet wheel/gear to prevent said wrench body and said ratchet wheel/gear from rotating relative to each other and for (2) releasing said detented/toothed rim to permit said wrench body and said ratchet wheel/gear to rotate relative to each other when said wrench body is rotated in a second direction opposite the first direction; and socket retention means for releasably holding said socket in said ratchet wheel/gear when said socket's drive member is engagably received in said wheel/gear's drive member receiving section.