High power wrenching tool

Claim 1

A high-power wrench tool comprising in combination, (a) a high-torque ratchet wrench having two parallel side plates, each plate having at one end thereof a bore; a ratchet wheel and a cooperating pawl being operatively disposed between said plates; said wheel having a slot for receiving therein a mating drive socket; a plurality of angularly spaced teeth on the outer peripheral wall of said wheel; a cylindrical boss laterally extending from each side of said wheel, said bosses being rotatably supported in said bores of said plates; said pawl having a base, a pin traversely extending between said plates for pivotably mounting said pawl on said plates; a pawl arm extending laterally and upwardly relative to said base, a pawl foot extending laterally and downwardly relative to said base, and said pawl foot having teeth adapted to mesh with the ratchet wheel teeth; (b) a frame supporting said ratchet wrench and in use providing a reaction force thereto; said frame having a beam, a pair of transversely spaced outer rings extending from one end of said beam and forming a channel therebetween, and said ratchet wrench being adapted to slide into said channel in either of two positions that are 180° from each other; (c) a pair of hubs removably secured to the opposite bosses of said ratchet wheel; each hub having a slot which is in register with the slot of the ratchet wheel for accepting said drive socket therethrough; said hubs being rotatably mounted on said outer rings which extend from said beam; and (d) a fluid-operated actuator having a double-acting piston, a ram extending from said piston, said ram being detachably coupled to said pawl arm, and said cylinder being pivotably coupled to the other end of said beam.