Socket ejecting mechanism for ratchet wrenches

Claim 2

A ratchet wrench for driving interchangeable socket heads removably attachable thereto, comprising: a lever, a socket carrier mounted in an end of said lever for rotation relative to said lever and including a stud extending downwardly from said lever for receiving and retaining said socket head, ratchet drive means operatively located between said socket carrier and said lever, a socket head ejector element extending through said socket carrier for limited endwise sliding movement parallel to the axis of said rotation and adapted to engage a socket received on said stud and to be depressed by the tool user to positively eject said socket head from said stud.

Claim 3

A ratchet wrench as defined in claim 1 wherein said ejector element is of elongated cylindrical shape with upper end and a lower end adjacent said stud, and has an axial length substantially greater than the axial thickness of said socket carrier and wherein said ejector element is axially slidable between a retracted limit position with said upper end projecting outwardly from said socket carrier and adapted to be engaged and depressed by a tool user, and an extended limit position with said lower end projecting outwardly sufficiently to positively eject a socket head from said stud.

Claim 4

A ratchet wrench as defined in claim 2 including stop means located within said socket carrier and operatively engageable with said ejector element to limit endwise sliding movement thereof to said limit positions.

Claim 5

A ratchet wrench as defined in claim 3 wherein said ejector element has a central neck portion of lesser diameter than said end portions and wherein said stop means projects radially inward toward said neck portion to engage said ejector element at the opposite ends of said neck portion.

Claim 6

A ratchet wrench as defined in claim 1 wherein said ratchet drive means comprises a reversing ratchet drive and a pivotable selector element located on said socket carrier.

Claim 7

A ratchet wrench as defined in claim 5 wherein said ejector element limits the pivotal movement of said selector element between its forward drive and reverse drive positions.

Claim 8

A wrench assembly with a reversing ratchet drive for a socket head removably attached thereto, comprising: a lever adapted to be turned about the axis of turn of said socket head and including a handle at one end, and means defining internal ratchet teeth in the other end about said axis of turn, a socket carrier mounted in said other end for rotation relative to said lever about said axis of turn and including: a stud extending downwardly from said lever for receiving and retaining said socket head, a double pawl element mounted in said socket carrier for pivotaL movement between forward drive and reverse drive engagement with said ratchet teeth, selector means operatively connected to said socket carrier and pivotable about said axis of turn between a position urging said pawl element to said forward drive position and a position urging said pawl element to said reverse drive position, a socket head ejector element extending through said socket carrier for limited endwise sliding movement parallel to said axis of turn and adapted to engage a socket received on said stud and to be depressed by the tool user to positively eject said socket head from said stud.

Claim 9

A wrench assembly with a reversing ratchet drive for a socket head removably attached thereto, comprising: a lever adapted to be turned about the axis of turn of said socket head and including a handle at one end, and means defining internal ratchet teeth in the other end about said axis of turn, a socket carrier mounted in said other end for rotation relative to said lever about said axis of turn and including: a stud extending downwardly from said lever for receiving and retaining said socket head, a double pawl element mounted in said socket carrier for pivotaL movement between forward drive and reverse drive engagement with said ratchet teeth, selector means operatively connected to said socket carrier and pivotable about said axis of turn between a position urging said pawl element to said forward drive position and a position urging said pawl element to said reverse drive position, a socket head ejector element extending through said socket carrier for limited endwise sliding movement parallel to said axis of turn and adapted to engage a socket received on said stud and to be depressed by the tool user to positively eject said socket head from said stud.