Ratchet wrench

Claim 1

A wrench including a reversing structure comprising: a pair of generally flat elongated side plates, said plates being spaced away from each other and lying in planes which are generally parallel to each other, an aperture through the end of each plate, the two said apertures being aligned with each other, a socket body rotatably mounted in said apertures, said body having a plurality of gear teeth spaced around the periphery thereof and located between said side plates, a wrench body fixed between the side plates and spaced longitudinally of the wrench from the said socket body teeth, said wrench body having first and second shoulders at the opposite sides of the end thereof facing towards the socket body, and a resilient spring member rigidly fixed to the wrench body and projecting out of said facing end between the said shoulders thereof, a latch member located between and pivotally connected to said side plates in said space between the said socket body and the said facing end of the wrench bOdy, said latch member having first and second teeth facing the socket body, the first of which teeth is positioned to be engaged by the socket body teeth when the latch member is pivoted to a first position, and the second of which teeth is positioned to be engaged by the socket body teeth when the latch member is pivoted to a second position, said latch member further including first and second end projections projecting toward the first and second shoulders of the wrench body, respectively, and a central wedge also projecting towards the wrench body, said end projections and said central wedge forming first and second recesses in the end of the latch member facing the wedge body, the first recess being formed between the central wedge and the first end projection and the second recess being formed between the wedge and the second end projection, each of said first and second recesses being located on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the latch member from its corresponding first and second teeth, and said spring projecting into whichever of said first or second recesses is adjacent to it, and the end projection associated with that recess into which the spring is projecting abutting its respective wedge body shoulder, said central wedge being positioned to oppose the spring force when it is turned thereagainst up to a certain angle about its pivot axis, to thereby return the spring to said adjacent recess, said wedge positioned to ride over the spring beyond said angle of turning to permit the spring to move into the other recess, wherein, in said first position, the first tooth of the latch member lies in the path of the socket body teeth, the spring extends into the first recess, and movement of the wrench in one direction causes the latch member to move resiliently and the first tooth to ride over the socket body teeth while movement of the wrench in the opposite direction causes the first end projection to engage the first shoulder such that the latch member turns the socket body teeth, and wherein in the second position, the second latch member tooth lies in the path of the socket body teeth, the spring extends into the second recess, and movement of the wrench in one direction causes the latch member to move resiliently and the second tooth to ride over the socket body teeth while movement of the wrench in the opposite direction causes the second end projection to engage the second shoulder such that the latch member turns the socket body teeth in a direction opposite to that in the said first position.