Power wrench with angle drive
An angle type power wrench includes a housing, a motor, an output shaft and an angle drive connecting the motor to the output shaft. The angle drive includes a drive pinion provided with a forward gear head, and a bevel gear provided on the output shaft and engaged by the drive pinion gear head. The drive pinion is surrounded by a bearing support sleeve supporting a forward drive pinion bearing and a rear drive pinion bearing axially spaced from the forward drive pinion bearing. The forward drive pinion bearing includes an inner ball race at a forward end of the drive pinion at or very close to the gear head, and an outer ball race at a forward end of the bearing support sleeve wherein the bearing support sleeve is connected to the housing via an adjustment connection adapted to enabling adjustment of an axial position of the drive pinion.
1. An angle type power wrench comprising:
a housing;
a motor;
an output shaft; and
an angle drive connecting the motor to the output shaft,
wherein:
the angle drive comprises a drive pinion provided with a forward gear head, and a bevel gear provided on the output shaft and engaged by the forward gear head of the drive pinion,
the drive pinion is surrounded by a bearing support sleeve supporting a forward drive pinion bearing and a rear drive pinion bearing axially spaced from the forward drive pinion bearing,
the forward drive pinion bearing comprises an inner ball race at a forward end of the drive pinion, and an outer ball race at a forward end of the bearing support sleeve, and
the bearing support sleeve is connected to the housing via an adjustment connection consisting of a thread connection which enables adjustment of an axial position of the drive pinion.
2. The angle type power wrench according to claim 1 , wherein annular guide surfaces are provided on the bearing support sleeve and the housing to define a radial position of the bearing support sleeve relative to the housing.
3. The angle type power wrench according to claim 2 , wherein the forward drive pinion bearing is an angle contact ball bearing.
4. The angle type power wrench according to claim 1 , further comprising a lock configured to lock the bearing support sleeve in a position corresponding to a desired setting of the drive pinion.
5. The angle type power wrench according to claim 4 , wherein the thread connection comprises a threaded rear end portion of the bearing support sleeve and a threaded portion of the housing, wherein the threaded rear end portion of the bearing support sleeve is elastically expandable to form a friction lock against rotation relative to the threaded portion of the housing.
6. The angle type power wrench according to claim 5 , wherein the threaded rear end portion of the bearing support sleeve is provided with longitudinal slots to make the threaded rear end portion of the bearing support sleeve elastically expandable.
7. The angle type power wrench according to claim 6 , wherein the forward drive pinion bearing is an angle contact ball bearing.
8. The angle type power wrench according to claim 5 , wherein the forward drive pinion bearing is an angle contact ball bearing.
9. The angle type power wrench according to claim 4 , wherein the forward drive pinion bearing is an angle contact ball bearing.
10. The angle type power wrench according to claim 1 , wherein the thread connection comprises a threaded rear end portion of the bearing support sleeve and a threaded portion of the housing, wherein the threaded rear end portion of the bearing support sleeve is elastically expandable to form a friction lock against rotation relative to the threaded portion of the housing.
11. The angle type power wrench according to claim 10 , wherein the threaded rear end portion of the bearing support sleeve is provided with longitudinal slots to make the threaded rear end portion of the bearing support sleeve elastically expandable.
12. The angle type power wrench according to claim 11 , wherein the forward drive pinion bearing is an angle contact ball bearing.
13. The angle type power wrench according to claim 10 , wherein the forward drive pinion bearing is an angle contact ball bearing.
14. The angle type power wrench according to claim 1 , wherein the forward drive pinion bearing is an angle contact ball bearing.
15. The angle type power wrench according to claim 14 , wherein the angle contact ball bearing is of a four point contact type having two opposite lateral contact points located on a line forming an acute angle relative to a radial direction.
16. The angle type power wrench according to claim 1 , wherein the bearing support sleeve is positioned between the drive pinion and the housing, along a radial direction of the drive pinion.