REVERSIBLE DRIVE RATCHET HAND TOOL WITH SPHERICAL HANDLE

• US 3,742,787 A
• Filed: 07/26/1971
• Issued: 07/03/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Makin-Raine Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Carlton L. Whiteford
• Inventors: Whiteford, Carlton L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Jr., James L.
• Application Number:
  US05/165,482
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 81/61,60 145/50,61,75,76
• US Class Current: 81/61
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 13/465 a pawl engaging an internally toothed ring
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 15/04 with ratchet action
• CPC Class Codes: B25G 1/105 for screwdrivers, wrenches or spanners B25G1/102, B25G1/125 take precedence

Abstract

A hand tool employs a generally spherical handle with a housing and a drive member seated therewithin for engagement of a tool member for positive drive action in one direction. One-way clutch means within the housing permits relative rotation of the drive member in a first direction and interengagement for joint movement in the direction opposite thereto. The tool member or bit may be engaged in either of two apertures extending inwardly from opposite ends of the drive member to enable reversal of the directions of free and joint movement, and the tool is comfortable and effective to employ by virtue of the configuration of its handle allowing the palm to seat it firmly for exerting the axial force on the tool member.

Claims

1. A reversible hand tool comprising a handle assembly including a generally spherical housing having an interior chamber and diametrically opposed passages thereinto, a drive member seated within said chamber of said housing for rotation therein about the axis of said passages and having a tool-member engaging aperture axially aligned with and extending inwardly from each of said passages, said generally spherical housing having a substantially spherical configuration except at said passages;

clutch means in said chamber engaging said drive member to prevent rotation thereof relative to said housing in one direction and permitting free relative rotation in the opposite direction; and

a tool member having a shank extending through one of said passages and engaged in the cooperating aperture of said drive member for turning in a first direction by said handle assembly, said tool member being removable from said one aperture for insertion of said shank through the other of said passages and into the other aperture of the drive member for turning thereof by said handle assembly in the direction opposite said first direction, said spherical configuration of said housing permitting comfortable gripping thereof by fingers of the user and direct application of force to the portion thereof opposite that seating said tool member.

2. The tool of claim 1 wherein said drive member has an elongated generally cylindrical body and is seated within said housing for rotation about the longitudinal axis thereof and wherein said clutch means includes interengagable clutch members on said drive member located about the circumference of said body and cooperating clutch elements on said housing within said chamber thereof, said clutch elements of said drive member comprising a multiplicity of pawls pivotably mounted at spaced locations about said body and having free outer end portions that are engagable with said housing clutch elements, each of said pawls extending from the pivot point thereof in the same direction and generally tangent to said body, said clutch elements of said drive assembly including means biasing said pawls outwardly from said body to urge said free ends into contact with said housing clutch elements and said handle assembly having means restraining further movement of said pawls therebeyond, so that upon movement of said housing relative to said drive member in said same direction said clutch elements of said housing cam said pawls inwardly against the biasing force acting thereon to permit said free rotation, and so that relative rotation in said one direction is prevented by abutting interengagement of said clutch elements of said housing and drive member.

3. The tool of claim 2 wherein said drive member has adjacent each of said spaced locations about said body a rigid finger extending outwardly therefrom and curved in said sAme direction to define in cooperation with said body and at each of said pivot points, a circular socket having an opening thereinto adjacent the tip of said finger, and wherein each of said pawls has at its inner end a generally circular knob dimensioned and configured for pivotable seating in one of said sockets and a shank portion between said inner and outer ends thereof, said shank portion extending through said opening of said socket with said finger tip being positioned for contact therewith to restrain said pawl against said further movement beyond said clutch elements of said housing.

4. The tool of claim 1 wherein said chamber of said housing is circular in cross section along the plane of the diameter of the housing perpendicular to the axis of said passages, and wherein clutch elements are provided by a circumferential, toothed portion of the sidewall of said housing defining said chamber and cooperate with clutch elements on said drive member located about the circumference of said body for interengagement therewith, and wherein said chamber of said housing is dimensioned and configured to provide spacing about the intermediate portion of said drive member seated therewithin, wherein a sealing element is provided between the portions of said drive member and said housing defining said aligned apertures and passages, respectively, to seal said cavity, and wherein said cavity additionally contains a lubricant, thereby providing a permanently sealed and lubricated unitary handle assembly.

5. The tool of claim 1 wherein said clutch means comprises clutch elements on said drive member and a clutch surface on said housing, said clutch elements being provided by a unitary annular member mounted on said drive member and fabricated of a relatively resilient synthetic resinous material that exhibits substantial rigidity in relatively thick sections thereof, said annular member comprising a multiplicity of outwardly extending fingers of relatively thick section having outer end portions adapted to engage said clutch surface of said housing and a multiplicity of relatively thin sectioned and resilient biasing elements positioned between said fingers and urging each of said fingers toward a radially extending position, wherein said drive member provides rigid radial support for said fingers, and wherein said clutch surface comprises a circumferential surface portion of said housing in said chamber and exposed for contact by said outer end portions of said fingers, the radial distance between said drive member and said clutch surface being slightly less than the length of said fingers, causing said fingers to be canted in said one direction by contact therewith.

6. The tool of claim 5 wherein each of said fingers is of substantially rectangular cross section and has a beveled outer end to provide a relatively sharp leading edge thereon for engagement with said housing clutch elements, wherein each of said biasing elements is of substantially V-shaped configuration and is disposed with the apex thereof outwardly directed and with each of its spaced ends joined to the base of the adjacent finger;

and wherein said drive member has a multiplicity of surface recesses thereon, said base of each of said fingers being seated in one of said surface recesses for limited pivotal movement therein.

7. The tool of claim 1 wherein the exterior of said housing is configured with a multiplicity of axially extending surface flats spaced about the circumference of the diametrical plane perpendicular to the axis of said passages thereinto, and wherein the exterior surfaces thereof about said passages are relatively smooth to enhance the comfort of the grip thereon.

8. The tool of claim 1 wherein said apertures of said drive member are of polygonal cross section and extend only partially thereinto to provide an internal shoulder therebetween for abutment of said tool member, said shoulder having a passageway therethrough interconnecting said apertures, and said shank of Said tool member being of similar polygonal cross section for cooperative interengagement thereof and wherein said apertures are of reduced cross section adjacent the outer ends thereof and are defined by a multiplicity of resiliently deformable elements, said elements frictionally engaging said shank of said tool member in said one aperture thereof.