US3080900A - Ratchet screwdriver - Google Patents

Description

March 12, 1963 I 0 R. ROSENBERG RATCHET SCREWDRIVER Filed Jan. 22, 1960 INVENTOR.

ROSS ROSENBERG W ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,080,900 RATCHET SCREWDRIVER Ross Rosenberg, Syosset, N.Y., assignor to Rosenberg Brothers & Co., Smithtown, N.Y., a partnership Filed Jan. 22, 1960, Ser. No. 4,095 1 Claim. (Cl. 145-75) This invention relates to ratchet screwdrivers and, moreparticularly, to an improved handle construction for such screwdrivers whereby increased torque may be exerted on the screwdriver blade, particularly in cramped locations.

The usual ratchet assembly comprises a relatively elongated screwdriver blade extending from one end of a ratchet assembly and ahandle extending from the other end of said assembly, all arranged in substantially co axially aligned relation. By means of a control button in the ratchet assembly, t he blade may be locked to turn with the handle in both directions or may be selectively conditioned to turn with the handle in one selected direction but to be free of rotation with the handle in the opposite direction. The handle is usually a generally cylindrical element of plastic composition, wood or metal, which may have its surface fluted, ribbed, or otherwise formed to provide a good gripping surface.

With this standard or customary arrangement, a fair degree of torque may be exerted upon the blade of the screwdriver, provided the clearance conditions are such that the user can obtain a good grip on the handle with suflicient room for swinging the arm. However, in, cramped locations, such as corners or the like, it is very difiicult to exert an effective torque on the screwdriver blade. This is a particularly important problem, as ratchet type screwdrivers find their most important application in just such cramped locations.

In accordance with the present invention, an improved handle construction is provided for ratchet type screwdrivers whereby an effective torque may be exerted upon the screwdriver blade, particularly in such cramped locations, as in corners and the like. More specifically, the ratchet screwdriver of the present invention comprises a ratchet assembly having a blade extending coaxially from one end thereof. A handle is secured to and extends from the opposite end of the assembly and is bent, curved or otherwise off-set so that its outer end is 1'8. dially off-set from the common axis of the ratchet as sembly and the blade. By virtue of this radial off-setting of the outer end of the handle which, in effect, forms a pistol type grip for the screwdriver, a greatly increased torque can be exerted on the screwdriver blade at any time, and particularly in cramped locations such as closely adjacent corners of a room or the like. The off-set of the handle does not present any problem, as the handle need be moved only through a relatively short are during each actuation of the screwdriver blade, the handle being thus oscillated back and forth through this short arc.

Consequently, there is no problem of clearance of the bent or offset handle with respect to the walls or the like forming the corner.

The handle is preferably extruded of a plastic composition material, which is preferably thermoplastic, and of which a suitable example is cellulose acetate. The handle, thus extruded, is then heated and bent. This bending operation deforms the previously rectilinear and generally cylindrical cross section handle to provide a short inner section which is coaxial with the ratchet assembly and an outer section which is off-set radially from the common axis of the ratchet assembly and the screwdriver blade. This off-set portion may be curved or may be straight, as desired. Also, the outer end of the handle may be rounded off and provided with medial flattened wings projecting rearwardly and laterally from the outer end and preferably coplanar. Alternatively, the handle, or at least the outer portion thereof, may be flattened to, for example, an oval cross-section. The resultant handle may be referred to generally as forming a pistol-type grip.

For an understanding of the invention principles, reference is made to the following description of a typical embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a ratchet screwdriver embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the screwdriver shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a view looking at the outer end of the handle of the screwdriver shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawing, the ratchet screwdriver therein illustrated comprises a ratchet assembly 10, a screwdriver blade 15, and a handle 20. Blade 15 is secured in one end of ratchet assembly 10 to extend coaxially therefrom in the usual manner of ratchet screwdrivers. As is well-known to those skilled in the art, the ratchet assembly 10 includes a button 11 which is movable to any one of three positions. This button 10 is movable in a slot 11 having longitudinally spaced pairs of laterally aligned notches 13, 14 and 1-6. When button 11 is engaged in the central notches 14, the blade 15 is locked to handle 20 so that it will turn with the handle in either direction of movement of the latter. When the button 11 is moved to either the notches 13 or the notches 16, the blade 15 will move with the handle when the latter is turned in one direction, but is not constrained to move with the handle when the latter is turned in the reverse direction. For example, one of the notches 13 or 16 will lock the blade 15 to turn with the handle 20 when the latter is turned clockwise, and when the button '11 is engaged in the other set of notches 13 or 16, the blade 15 will be locked to turn with the handle 20 when the latter is turned in the counter-clockwise direction.

The handle 20 may be made of any suitable material, such as wood or metal, but preferably is extruded plastic composition material bent to the configuration illustrated in the drawing. In any event, the handle has an inner portion, which is relatively short, and which is secured to the end of ratchet assembly 10 opposite the end thereof to which is secured the blade 15. Portion 21 extends generally coaxially with ratchet assembly 10 and blade 15. At a relatively short distance from the end of ratchet assembly 10, the handle 20 is bent radially outwardly at a relatively small angle to the axis of the ratchet assembly and the blade, to provide an outer portion 22 which is offset relative to the aforementioned axis. The bending may be done in such a manner that portion 22 is substantially straight, but preferably the portion 22 is gently curved in a longitudinal direction. The outer end of portion 22 is generally rounded off, as indicated at 23, and may be formed with medial flattened wings 24, of substantial thickness, and which project rearwardly and laterally from outer end 23. Alternatively, at least the outer portion of the handle may be flattened, for example, to an oval cross-section. The general shape of the handle 20 is that of a pistol-type grip.

Preferably, the handle 20 is extruded from a thermoplastic material, such as cellulose acetate. The extruded handle is then bent to the shape indicated in the drawing and. during the bending, the outer end 23 is rounded off as described and formed with the wings 24. The handle may, at the same time, be molded into integral relation with the ratchet assembly 10, in the manner indicated, for example, at 25. Alternatively, the completely formed handle may be later attached to the ratchet assembly in any known manner.

The described construction provides a ratchet type screwdriver with which greatly increased torque may be exerted on the screwdriver blade due to the pistol type of grip provided by the handle 20. This handle construction is particularly advantageous when the ratchet screwdriver is used in cramped locations, as in corners or the like, where ratchet screwdrivers find their greatest application.

While'a specific embodiment of the invention'has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the invention principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

A ratchet screwdriver comprising, in combination, a ratchet assembly selectively adjustable between an intermediate locking position and either one of a pair of opposed one-way drive positions; a rigid rectilinear blade permanently and fixedly connected to and extending 'c'oaxially and rectilinearly from one end of said-assembly; and a one-piece integrally molded handle, of substantially circular and uniform cross section throughout its length, having a relatively short inner end permanently and fixedly. secured to, and extending substantially coaxially from, the'opposite end of said ratcheta'ssembly, the outer end of said handle being relatively elongated and being gently'curved radially outwardly from thecommon axis of said assembly, said blade and the inner end of said handle, so that the extreme outer end of said handle extends at a relatively small acute angle to said common axis to provide a pistol type grip for exerting greater torque on said blade, directly about said common axis, through said ratchet assembly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,003,098 Flora Sept. 12, 1911 1,410,521 Thomson Mar. 21, 1922 1,456,692 Hargrave May 29, 1923 2,417,946 Prentice Mar. 25, 1947 2,486,043 Lofgren Oct. 25, 1949 2,712,765 Knight July 12, 1955 20 2,917,092 Wetty Dec. 15,1959

FOREIGN PATENTS 493,063 Great Britain Se t-30, 193s

Images