Granted Patent B2

US 10,513,014 · App. 15/725,715 · Granted Dec 24, 2019

Inventors: Alan D. Anderson (Willow Spring, NC); Yongsheng Xu (Shanghai, CN); Tsung-Hsien Shen (Taichung, TW)

Assignee: APEX BRANDS, INC.

B25B13/463

Abstract

Claims (44)

1. A ratcheting tool comprising:

a head;

a gear ring comprising a plurality of gear ring teeth disposed about an outer circumference of the gear ring, the plurality of gear ring teeth defining a plurality of gear ring troughs with each gear ring trough being disposed adjacent to a gear ring tooth, the gear ring being disposed within the head rotatably about a vertical axis;

a first pawl disposed within the head, the first pawl comprising a plurality of first pawl teeth disposed on a first front face of the first pawl, the first pawl being biased towards the gear ring; and

a second pawl disposed within the head, the second pawl comprising a plurality of second pawl teeth on a second front face of the second pawl, the second pawl being biased towards the gear ring;

wherein the first front face of the first pawl comprises a first portion having a first characteristic curve and a second portion having a second characteristic curve, wherein the first characteristic curve is different from the second characteristic curve;

wherein the first pawl defines a first pawl rearward face extending between a first pawl upper surface and a first pawl lower surface, the first front face being concave and comprising the first characteristic curve and the second characteristic curve so that the plurality of first pawl teeth define at least one first pawl arc having a first pawl arc radius;

wherein the second pawl defines a second pawl rearward face extending between a second pawl upper surface and a second pawl lower surface, the second front face being concave so that the plurality of second pawl teeth define at least one second pawl arc having a second pawl arc radius;

wherein the first pawl and the second pawl are configured so that if the first pawl and the second pawl are disposed with the first pawl rearward face and the second pawl rearward face in vertical alignment and so that a common vertical plane bisects each of the first pawl and the second pawl, the at least one first pawl arc and the at least one second pawl arc are offset from each other in a direction in the common vertical plane and perpendicular to a vertical axis of the gear ring, with the first pawl having fewer teeth than the second pawl such that in the aligned configuration a proximal tooth and a distal tooth of the second pawl protrudes out from the respective proximal and distal teeth of the first pawl.

2. The ratcheting tool of claim 1 , wherein the first characteristic curve corresponds to a convex curvature of the external circumference of the gear ring and wherein the second characteristic curve corresponds to the convex curvature of the external circumference of the gear ring.

3. The ratcheting tool of claim 1 , wherein the first pawl and the second pawl are disposed within the head such that when at least one first pawl tooth is seated in a gear ring trough at least another first pawl tooth is not seated in a gear ring trough.

4. The ratcheting tool of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first pawl teeth are disposed in an offset position relative to the plurality of the second pawl teeth such that when at least one first pawl tooth is fully seated in a gear ring trough, no second pawl tooth is fully seated in a gear ring trough.

5. The ratcheting tool of claim 1 , wherein the first pawl and the second pawl operate cooperatively to provide the ratcheting tool with a ratcheting index that is less than a ratcheting index associated with the first pawl or a ratcheting index associated with the second pawl.

6. The ratcheting tool of claim 1 , wherein the first pawl and the second pawl are disposed within the head such that when at least one first pawl tooth is fully seated in a gear ring trough and the first pawl is engaged with a wall of an internal cavity of the head, no second pawl tooth is fully seated in a gear ring trough and the second pawl is engaged with the wall of the internal cavity of the head.

7. The ratcheting tool of claim 1 , wherein the first pawl and the second pawl are configured so that if the first pawl and the second pawl are disposed with the rearward face of the first pawl and the rearward face of the second pawl in vertical alignment and so that the common vertical plane bisects each of the first pawl and the second pawl, the at least one first pawl arc and the at least one second pawl arc are offset from each other in a direction in the common vertical plane and perpendicular to the vertical axis of the gear ring.

8. The ratcheting tool of claim 1 , further comprising a reversing lever configured to rotate to cause the first pawl to slide between a first position and a second position within a compartment of the head, wherein in the first position, the first pawl ratchets in a first direction and, in the second position the first pawl ratchets in a second direction; wherein the reversing lever is further configured to rotate to cause the second pawl to slide between a third position and a fourth position within the compartment of the head, wherein in the third position, the second pawl ratchets in the first direction and, in the fourth position the second pawl ratchets in the second direction.

9. A ratcheting tool comprising:

a head;

a gear ring comprising a plurality of gear ring teeth disposed about an outer circumference of the gear ring, the plurality of gear ring teeth defining a plurality of gear ring troughs with each gear ring trough being disposed adjacent to a gear ring tooth, the gear ring being disposed within the head rotatably about a vertical axis;

a first pawl disposed within the head, the first pawl comprising a plurality of first pawl teeth disposed on a first front face of the first pawl, the first pawl being biased towards the gear ring; and

a second pawl disposed within the head, the second pawl comprising a plurality of second pawl teeth disposed on a second front face of the second pawl, the second pawl being biased towards the gear ring;

wherein the first front face of the first pawl comprises a first portion having a first characteristic curve and second portion having a second characteristic curve, wherein the first characteristic curve is different from the second characteristic curve;

wherein the second front face of the second pawl comprises a third portion having a third characteristic curve and a fourth portion having a fourth characteristic curve, wherein the third characteristic curve is different from the fourth characteristic curve;

wherein the first pawl defines a first pawl rearward face extending between a first pawl upper surface and a first pawl lower surface, the first front face being concave and comprising the first characteristic curve and the second characteristic curve so that the plurality of first pawl teeth define at least one first pawl arc having a first pawl arc radius;

wherein the second pawl defines a second pawl rearward face extending between a second pawl upper surface and a second pawl lower surface, the second front face being concave and comprising the third characteristic curve and the fourth characteristic curve so that the plurality of second pawl teeth define at least one second pawl arc having a second pawl arc radius;

wherein the first pawl and the second pawl are configured so that if the first pawl and the second pawl are disposed with the first pawl rearward face and the second pawl rearward face in vertical alignment and so that a common vertical plane bisects each of the first pawl and the second pawl, the at least one first pawl arc and the at least one second pawl arc are offset from each other in a direction in the common vertical plane and perpendicular to a vertical axis of the gear ring, with the first pawl having fewer teeth than the second pawl such that in the aligned configuration a proximal tooth and a distal tooth of the second pawl protrudes out from the respective proximal and distal teeth of the first pawl.

10. The ratcheting tool of claim 9 , wherein a convex curvature of the external circumference of the gear ring corresponds to a concave curvature of the first front face of the first pawl and a concave curvature of the second front face of the second pawl.

11. The ratcheting tool of claim 9 , wherein the first pawl is disposed within the head such that when at least one first pawl tooth is seated in a gear ring trough at least another first pawl tooth is not seated in a gear ring trough.

12. The ratcheting tool of claim 9 , wherein the first pawl and the second pawl operate cooperatively to provide the ratcheting tool with a ratcheting index that is less than a ratcheting index associated with the first pawl or a ratcheting index associated with the second pawl.

13. The ratcheting tool of claim 9 , wherein a convex curvature of the external circumference of the gear ring corresponds to a concave curvature of a portion of the first front face of the first pawl and a concave curvature of a portion of the second front face of the second pawl.

14. The ratcheting tool of claim 9 , wherein the first front face of the first pawl comprises a first portion having a first characteristic curve and second portion having a second characteristic curve, wherein the first characteristic curve is different from the second characteristic curve.

15. The ratcheting tool of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of first pawl teeth are disposed in an offset position relative to the plurality of the second pawl teeth such that when at least one first pawl tooth is fully seated in a gear ring trough, no second pawl tooth is fully seated in a gear ring trough.

16. The ratcheting tool of claim 9 , further comprising a reversing lever configured to rotate to cause the first pawl to slide between a first position and a second position within a compartment of the head, wherein in the first position, the first pawl ratchets in a first direction and, in the second position the first pawl ratchets in a second direction; wherein the reversing lever is further configured to rotate to cause the second pawl to slide between a third position and a fourth position within the compartment of the head, wherein in the third position, the second pawl ratchets in the first direction and, in the fourth position the second pawl ratchets in the second direction.

17. A ratcheting tool comprising:

a head;

a gear ring comprising a plurality of gear ring teeth disposed about an outer circumference of the gear ring, the plurality of gear ring teeth defining a plurality of gear ring troughs with each gear ring trough being disposed adjacent to a gear ring tooth, the gear ring being disposed within the head rotatably about a vertical axis;

a first pawl disposed within the head, the first pawl comprising a plurality of first pawl teeth disposed a first front face of the first pawl, the first pawl being biased towards the gear ring; and

a second pawl disposed within the head, the second pawl comprising a plurality of second pawl teeth disposed a second front face of the second pawl, the second pawl being biased towards the gear ring;

wherein a minimum distance between a tip of a leading first pawl tooth and a rearward cavity engaging surface of the first pawl is larger than a minimum distance between a tip of a leading second pawl tooth and a rearward cavity engaging surface of the second pawl;

wherein the first pawl defines a first pawl rearward face extending between a first pawl upper surface and a first pawl lower surface, the first front face being concave so that the plurality of first pawl teeth define at least one first pawl arc having a first pawl arc radius;

wherein the second pawl defines a second pawl rearward face extending between a second pawl upper surface and a second pawl lower surface, the second front face being concave so that the plurality of second pawl teeth define at least one second pawl arc having a second pawl arc radius;

wherein the first pawl and the second pawl are configured so that if the first pawl and the second pawl are disposed with the first pawl rearward face and the second pawl rearward face in vertical alignment and so that a common vertical plane bisects each of the first pawl and the second pawl, the at least one first pawl arc and the at least one second pawl arc are offset from each other in a direction in the common vertical plane and perpendicular to a vertical axis of the gear ring, with the first pawl having fewer teeth than the second pawl such that in the aligned configuration a proximal tooth and a distal tooth of the second pawl protrudes out from the respective proximal and distal teeth of the first pawl.

18. The ratcheting tool of claim 17 wherein the first pawl and the second pawl are oriented within the head in a stacked configuration.

19. The ratcheting tool of claim 17 , wherein the first pawl and the second pawl are disposed within the head such that when the first pawl and the second pawl are engaged with a wall of an internal cavity of the head and at least one first pawl tooth is fully seated in a gear ring trough, no second pawl tooth is fully seated in a gear ring trough.

Assignments (16)

Continuity (2)

Cited By (2)

US 1,080,338 US 1,087,747