Open-ended wrench having ratcheting action

• US 4,276,790 A
• Filed: 05/16/1979
• Issued: 07/07/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brian L. Davis
• Original Assignee: Brian L. Davis
• Inventors: Davis, Brian L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, James G.
• Application Number:
  US06/039,644
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 81/99, 81/111
• US Class Current: 81/62
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 13/46 of the ratchet type, for providing a free return stroke of the handle

Abstract

A ratcheting open-ended wrench includes a fixed jaw and a pivoted jaw arranged in relationship to each other to define an in-line insertion opening aligned with the operating handle portion in accordance with a conventional open-ended wrench. The fixed and pivoted jaws are formed with cooperating notched faces creating a multiple pointed configuration equivalent to a socket or closed-end wrench for mating with a hex-type head in different angular orientation. The fixed and pivoted jaw include a force transmission arm and recess such that the turning force is transmitted from the fixed jaw directly to the pivoted jaw. The pivoted jaw has a pivoted connection to one side of the handle and extends across the end of the handle and then outwardly to locate the fulcrum permitting application of closing forces in one direction and the ratcheting release on the reverse stroke.

Claims

1. A ratcheting open-ended wrench for turning of a drive head such as a nut or bolt head, comprising an operating handle having a fixed jaw fixedly secured to one end thereof, said fixed jaw extending outwardly and laterally to define one side of a drive head opening, a pivoted jaw including a base portion pivotally connected to the fixed jaw in alignment with the fixed jaw and extending laterally across the end of the handle and extending outwardly from said base portion to the opposite side of the handle to define the base portion and opposite side of the drive head opening, said pivoted jaw being spaced from said fixed jaw to define an entrance to said drive head opening and said fixed and pivoted jaws having notched surfaces including at least one notch in each of said fixed jaw and said base portion and said opposite side of said pivoted jaw and complementing a correspondingly shaped drive head, whereby said drive head opening is oriented with said entrance essentially aligned with the operating handle and said pivot position is located to one side of said drive head opening, each of said fixed jaw and said movable pivoted jaw include a plurality of substantially V-shaped adjacent notches, each notch of which consists of a pair of similar planar surfaces and defining a first plurality of interrelated equicircumferentially spaced notches and a second identical plurality of interrelated equicircumferentially spaced notches interposed in offset orientation with respect to each other to define an opening in accordance with a six-sided drive head whereby the drive head is adapted to be positioned in two alternate positions within the opening, said notches being located and oriented within the pivoted jaw to include an outermost notch forming the outermost of said first plurality of notches and an immediately adjacent inner notch forming the outermost of the second plurality of notches, each of said outermost notches being oriented and constructed such that in the closed jaw position the head engaging surface of each of the outermost notches is perpendicular to a line from the notch which passes inwardly of the pivot axis.

2. The wrench of claim 1 wherein said fixed jaw includes a grooved wall portion within which the base portion of the pivoted jaw is pivoted, said grooved wall portion having an outer guide wall located immediately outwardly of the cooperative inner wall of the pivoted jaw and inwardly of the base portion and forming a smooth bearing wall for the drive head during the ratcheting of the wrench.

3. The ratcheting open-ended wrench of claim 1 wherein said fixed and pivoted jaw include corner-shaped notches defining the points of a standard hex-shaped head and includes a first and second groups located to engage the nut in either of two angular orientations within the drive head opening.

4. The ratcheting open-ended wrench of claim 3 wherein the wrench opening includes the notches offset by increments of 30°

to permit turning of a drive head in increments of 30°

.

5. A ratcheting open-ended wrench for turning of a drive head such as a nut or bolt head, comprising an operating handle having a fixed jaw fixedly secured to one end thereof, said fixed jaw extending outwardly and laterally to define one side of a drive head opening, a pivoted jaw including a base portion pivotally connected to the fixed jaw in alignment with the fixed jaw and extending laterally across the end of the handle, and extending outwardly from said base portion to the opposite side of the handle to define the base portion and opposite side of the drive head opening, said pivoted jaw being spaced from said fixed jaw to define an entrance of said drive head opening and said fixed and pivoted jaws having notched surfaces including at least one notch in each of said fixed jaw and said base portion and said opposite side of said pivoted jaw and complementing a correspondingly shaped drive head, whereby said drive head opening is oriented with said entrance essentially aligned with the operating handle and said pivot position is located to one side of said drive head opening, said fixed jaw includes a groove in one face thereof including a first portion extending in alignment with the handle to the outermost end of the fixed jaw and a lateral extension flared portion terminating in a circular bearing opening offset from the drive head opening, the portion of the bearing opening wall adjacent the drive head opening defining an encircling arm terminating in and having an extended surface at the flared portion, said arm having a circular outer wall generally having a radius centered on the center of the bearing opening, said pivoted jaw including a pivot arm portion including a circular bearing mating with the bearing opening and a connecting portion extending outwardly through said flared portion to a generally arcuate portion which extends across the groove to form the base of the head opening and then forwardly to form the opposite side of the head opening, said connecting portion including a bearing wall moving outwardly on the outer wall of the encircling arm of the fixed jaw and a surface mating with said extended surface in the closed position of the pivoted jaw to define a continuous coupling between the fixed and pivoted jaw.

6. The wrench of claim 5 wherein said groove in said fixed jaw is a machined groove, said extended surface of the arm being a flat planar surface generally on a radius of the bearing opening, and a spring means located between the pivoted jaw and the handle to continuously urge the pivoted jaw forwardly to the closed position.

7. A ratcheting open-ended wrench for turning of a drive head such as a nut or bolt head, comprising an operating handle having a fixed jaw fixedly secured to one end thereof, said fixed jaw extending outwardly and laterally to define one side of a drive head opening, a pivoted jaw including a base portion pivotally connected to the fixed jaw in alignment with the fixed jaw and extending laterally across the end of the handle and extending outwardly from said base portion to the opposite side of the handle to define the base portion and opposite side of the drive head opening, said pivoted jaw being spaced from said fixed jaw to define an entrance to said drive head opening and said fixed and pivoted jaws having notched surfaces including at least one notch in each of said fixed jaw and said base portion and said opposite side of said pivoted jaw and complementing a correspondingly shaped drive head, whereby said drive head opening is oriented with said entrance essentially aligned with the operating handle and said pivot position is located to one side of said drive head opening, the fixed jaw includes a curved stop and guide wall means spaced inwardly of the base portion of the pivoted jaw in the closed position of the pivoted jaw and outwardly of the base portion of the pivoted jaw in an open position of the pivoted jaw, said stop wall being operable to properly locate a drive head within the drive opening relative to the jaws with the pivoted jaw in said open position.

8. A ratcheting open-ended wrench for turning of a drive head such as a nut or bolthead, comprising an operating handle having a fixed jaw fixedly secured to one end thereof, said fixed jaw extending outwardly and laterally to define one side of a drive head opening, a pivoted jaw pivotally connected to the fixed jaw in alignment with the fixed jaw and extending laterally across the end of the handle and extending outwardly to the opposite side of the handle, said pivoted jaw being spaced from said fixed jaw to define an entrance to said drive head opening, said fixed jaw and said movable pivoted jaw include a plurality of substantially V-shaped adjacent notches, each notch of which consists of a pair of similar planar surfaces and defining a first plurality of interrelated equicircumferentially spaced notches and a second identical plurality of interrelated equicircumferentially spaced notches interposed in offset orientation with respect to each other to define an opening in accordance with a six-sided drive head whereby the drive head is adapted to be positioned in two alternate positions within the opening, said notches being located and oriented within the pivoted jaw to include an outermost notch forming the outermost of said first plurality of notches and an immediately adjacent inner notch forming the outermost of the second plurality of notches, each of said outermost notches being oriented and constructed such that in the closed jaw position the outermost notch surface is perpendicular to a line which passes inwardly of the pivot axis.