US2691315A - Open-end socket wrench - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 12, 1954 A. J. BRAME OPEN-END SOCKET WRENCH 2 Sheeis-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 8, 1952 I FIG. 2.

FIG. 3.

INVENTOR J/ ALLEN J. same Mm ATTORNEYS Oct. 12, 1954 A. J. BRAME OPEN-END SOCKET WRENCH Filed Oct. 8, 19 52 2 Sheets -Sheet 2 FIG.4

F IG. 8.

INVENT OR ALLEN J. same t ATTORNEYS Patented Got. 12, 1954 OPEN-END SOCKET WRENCH Allen J. Brame, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Tubing Appliance Company, Inc., Los Angeles, 6alif., a corporation of California Application October 8, 1952, Serial No. 313,726

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to open-end socket wrenches, and consists more particularly in new and useful improvements in ratchet operated socket wrenches of the general type shown and described in the patent to Fish No. 2,578,687, designed to facilitate use in difficult applications such as to encircle tubing, conduit, cable, shafting and the like in close quarters where wrenches of ordinary construction cannot satisfactorily be employed.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved wrench head, basically similar to that of the open-end pipe wrench shown and described in my copending application Serial No.

300,260, filed July 22, 1952, and particularly adapted to suit the structural requirements of a socket wrench of the type above referred to.

Thus, it is a further object of the invention to provide in a socket wrench, a head comprising a pair of stampings which, when superimposed, form the walls of a housing for the socket receptor and the co -acting elements of the pawl and ratchet mechanisms.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved head for socket wrenches which can be fabricated and assembled at a cost far less than that of ordinary socket wrenches, while at the same time combining maximum strength and adaptability with minimum overall dimensions for accomplishment of the desired purposes herein referred to.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a ratchet operated socket wrench having a head structure formed of a pair of substantially identical stampings which form the housing for the operative parts of the wrench and are designed to provide supporting and guiding trackways for the rotatable hub which receives the shank of the wrench socket.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features herein set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings in which numerals of like character designate similar parts throughout the several views:

Figure l is a view in side elevation showing the assembled wrench with a socket element inserted from its upper side and the operating handle in place;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the wrench head shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a similar view from the underside of the wrench;

Figure 4 is an enlarged plan view of the wrench head shown in Figure 3, with the top cover partly broken away to illustrate the interior of the wrench head, and with the socket omitted;

Figure 5 isa sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on line G6 of Fig. 4;

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on line 1-! of Fig. 4;

Figure 8 is a top plan view of a slightly modified wrench head structure; and

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken on line 99 of Fig. 8.

In the drawings, the wrench head is generally designated by the numeral II), and, as shown in Figure 5 for example, one form thereof consists of a pair of identical superimposed stampings I I and I2, of substantially oval shape, in plan profile, as seen in Figures 2 and 3. The stampings I I and I2 are provided at one end with longitudinally extending registering slots which when the stampings are assembled, form a mouth 7 I3 which opens into a circular hub receiving portion I4 which extends transversely through the two stampings.

As seen in Figure 5 each stamping is provided around its convex outer edge with a right angu larly disposed flange I5, which, when the stampings are assembled, jointly form the side wall of a housing. The proper assembly of the stampings may be facilitated by the provision of a pair of complementary and inter-engaging index fingers I5a, Figure 1, such as those shown in my said co-epending application No. 300,260, arranged to seek cooperative engagement in orienting the stampings during assembly.

Within the housing formed by the stampings II and I2, there is provided a spacer block it, consisting of a series of metal laminations shaped to fit closely within the confines of the housing and of a similar plan profile. The laminations of the spacer block are transversely drilled at suitable points and provided with bushings I? as best seen in Figure 6, for receiving connecting pins or rivets I 8 which pass through and secure the stampings II and I2.

The main web of each stamping is formed with openings to receive the rivets I8 and the defining edges of the openings are dimpled as at I9, the.

opposed dimples of respective stampings extending inwardly of the housing to be received by the corresponding ends of the bushing passageways in the laminations of the spacer block it. The bushings I! are of such a length that the opposite end faces of the same are engaged by the inner extremities of respective dimples l9, when the stampings are secured together by the rivets 18.

As in the case of the other wrenches above referred to, the central portion at one side of the head is provided with a square opening which extends through the stampings H and i2 and the spacer block It for receiving the-square end of an operating tool or handle 21 as shown in Figs. 1 to 3.

The circular hub receiving portion M of the head I0 is adapted to rotatably embrace a hub or ratchet wheel 22 shown in Fig. 4, formed with a slot 23, adapted to register with the slot i3 comprising the open mouth of the wrench head.

The peripheral edge of hub 22 is transversely reduced in thickness and provided with a series of transverse notch-like gro'ovesand teeth 2d which extend circumferentially around the entire unslotted periphery of the hub and are adapted to fit between the overlying inner edges of the opposed stampings H and I2 as shownin Fig. The registering concave edges of the laminations of spacer block l6 are inset with respect to the corresponding edges ofthe'stanipings H and (2, to provide an annular recess for receiving the peripheral teeth 24 of the-hub 22.

In the form of -the invention shown in 'Figs. 5 to 7, the concave inner edges of the stampings II and I2 are'turned inwardly at'ri'ght angles as at 25, to form opposed circular guide ribs which fit in complementary grooves or trackways 2G in the opposed faces of the hub 22, which define the inner limits of the're'du'ce'd tooth portion of the hub and serve to rotatably support the hub 22 between the opposed 'stampi'ngs H and i 2.

As seen in Fig. 4,"th'e series of ratchet teeth 24 which substantially bound the hub 22, co-act with a pair of pawls 2'l'fwhich are pivotally mounted in suitablereces'ses 28, formed in the inset, concave face of the block i6, adjacent the periphery of the hub 22. These pawls are normally urged into en'gagement'w'ith the teeth 2% by means of springs 29, the pitchpf the teeth being such as to clear the .pawl's upon relative rotation of the hub and the'hea'din on e'direction and to operatively engage the pawl's"when rela tive rotation occurs 'in "the opposite direction. The central portionof the hub 22 is "cut out as at to form a semi-circular socket receptor into which the slot 23opehs; v

The annular concave face of the socket receptor preferably terminates in substantia'll hook-shaped driving shoulders '3'! "and 32, provides a transverse recess "for'the slld'able reception of a complementary shank 33 of any selected work-engaging member such as the socket 34 shownin Figs. Zand 3. The shank 33 has a cut-out portionwhi'chterminates at each side in angularly disposed abutments 35 and 3% which form driven faces for engagement 'with'the hook-shaped shoulders 31 an'd'ii2 respectively.

Thus upon rotaticnof the hub 22 in either direction, the shank 33 of the socket isp'ositively rotated therewith.

The central portion of'the concave face of the grooves for rotatablysupporting the hub within the housing, I may provide only one interned "It flange 38 for rotatably engaging a complementary annular recess 39 in the reduced peripheral edge of the hub 22. This single guide arrangement is preferably arranged in the lower stamping 12 as seen in Fig. 9, and the coresponding inner edge of stamping H extends straight inwardly as at 40, where it abuts the shoulder of the hub 22 and overlies the upper edges of the peripheral teeth 24. For certain uses a wrench of this type, having only the single set of guide groove and rib, is perfectly satisfactory, as the engagement'of the guide rib and groove on one side, coupled with the complementary fit of the edge of the stamping H in the reduced peripheral edge of the hub 22, affords sufficient lateral support for the rotatable hub.

It is believed that the use of my improved wrench will be apparent to those skilled in the art, but it may be briefly stated that the slots 13 and 23 in the housing and hub respectively are first aligned as shown in Fig. 4 and the shank 33 of a selected socket isinserted. The handlez'l is then inserted with its squared end in the squared opening 29 andmovement of "the handle in either clockwise or counter-clockwise direction, depending upon the arrangement of "the teeth'24 with respect to the pawls'28, causes the rotation of the hub 22. Rotation of the hub causes a driving engagement between the respective hooked shoulders 3! or 32 with th'eabutting driven faces 35, 36, of the'shank of the hub.

As in the case of my said co-pending application, a wrench head formedof opposed'stampings and the laminated spacer block interposed therebetween and designed to "accommodate the socket element, provides a decided improvement over wrenches heretofore' known in this general category. The dimples I9 formed in'the stampings ii and i2 engage the block it carrying the pawls, and support the loads set up in the use of the Wrench, through the webs of the stampings. In other words, the dimples [9 transfer into the block 16 shear'forces created when a torsional movement is applied to the hub '22 in the use of the wrench. This is so for the hub 22 is supported in all rotative positions through the complementary flange and'groove constructions shown. The means 'used to secure the stampings II and I2 in assembled position are thus not subject to any shear loads but only such tension forces as would becreated by mo merits tending to separatethestampings.

From the foregoing, it is believed that "my'invention may 'be readily understood by those skilled in the art without "further description, it being borne in mind that numerous changesmay be made in the details disclosed, without departing from the spirit of the-invention as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A socket wrench comprising: a pair of stampings, each stamping including a web element and a transverse flange at least partially circumscribing said web element, said "stampings adapted to be superimposed with the end surfaces of said flanges in facewise engagement to form a housing; a spacer member disposed within said housing; the web elements of -:said stampings being formed with coaxially aligned openings registering with passageways transversely extending through said spacer member, the defining edges of the openings in said webs being inturned to form annular shear-resisting elements received within and engaging the wall surfaces at the opposite ends of the registered passageway; and

within the opposite ends of said passageway.

2. A socket wrench, comprising: a pair of stampings, each stamping including a web element and a transverse flange at least partially circumscribing said Web element, said stampings adapted to be superimposed with the end surfaces of said flanges in facewise engagement to form a housing; a spacer member disposed within said housing; the web elements of said stampings being formed with coaxially aligned apertures registering with a passageway transversely extending through said spacer member, the defining edges of the apertures in said webs being inturned to form shear-resisting elements received within and engaging the wall surfaces at the opposite ends of said passageway; elongate means extending through said apertures and passageway for securing said stampings together with the spacer member therebetween; each web of said housing being formed with a relatively large circular opening; a hub member having at least one groove coaxially formed therein; at least one of said stampings having an inturned arcuate flange concentric to said opening inter fitting with said groove and coacting with the walls thereof for supporting said hub element coaxially of said opening for rotation; a series of ratchet teeth circumferentially formed about said hub; and at least one pawl pivotally carried by said spacer member and spring biased into engagement with said teeth whereby said hub is rotatably driven as said wrench is rotated.

3. A socket wrench comprising: a pair of stampings, each stamping including a web element having an opening therethrough and a transverse flange at least partially circumscribing said web element, said stampings adapted to be superimposed with the end surfaces of said flanges in facewise engagement to form a housing; a spacer member disposed within said housing; the web elements of said stampings being formed with a plurality of spaced coaxially aligned apertures registering with a passageway transversely extending through said spacer member, the defining edges of said apertures being inturned to form shear resisting elements received within the opposite ends of said passageway; a rivet extending through each of said aligned apertures and the passageway registering therewith for securing said stampings together, with the spacer member therebetween; a hub member; guide means carried by said hub member and coacting with guide means formed integral with at least one web for mounting and supporting said hub member on said housing for rotative movement with the opposite ends thereof projecting through the openings of said webs; a series of ratchet teeth circumferentialy formed about said hub; and pawl means pivotally carried by said spacer member and operative to rotatably drive said hub as said wrench is rotated, the forces induced into the hub during use of the wrench being transmitted to the webs of said stampings through said guide means and to the spacer member through the inturned shear resisting elements of said webs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 521,428 Barr June 12, 1894 574,094 Kaufman et a1 Dec. 29, 1896 763,105 Morrison June 21, 1904 1,078,059 Mossberg Nov. 11,1913 1,733,012 Henderson Oct. 22, 1929 2,500,835 Lang Mar. 14, 1950 2,578,410 Filiatreault Dec. 11, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 18,561 Great Britain 1909

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