US2440683A - Signal type torque indicating wrench - Google Patents

Description

M. HATTAN Y SIGNAL TYPE TORQUE INDICATING WRENCH May 4, 1948.

Filed Sept. 13

INVENTOR. MAQ/V #A7-74M Patented May 4, 1948 Signaturen;TQRQUEf-'INDICATING Wannen MarklHattan, Dayton, Ohio. App1ieati0n-september-1a l,1944, serial No.y 553,853lv ltr-claims.v (Gis1- 525) (Grantedunder th'ef'aet of MarchV 3,l 188,32 as,

The invention describedghereinrmay bekmanuf faetured and1use-d-byor for-the Government., fors governmental' purposes', Without theraymeutste me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to l vvrenhes and more particularly to 1 wrenches; for indiatlngf p redeterminable torque stresses,v

In my eependina, application Serial;N-; 544,128'

there is disclosed a turque.. iadieatinefwreuehcomprising a. idexure.-v element adapted te.` treme.-v

mit torque stress fremthebedy'ef. tiiewreueh-te a werk head and toexyin degree. urepertiuuai;

to the degree of transmitted Stresa.. In eeniuueton with the eiure-f elementi uae; ie; made of` apair of edntaeteiemente. adaptedferielative mation and. mutual-engagera@ fini reeperiee, to motion of the; Wrenchk body in transnutting torque Stresa throuehtlieefieieurememberf Mauual adjusting meauaareeprevided calibrated iutorque units wherebyef theContact` elements are given an initial relativespacing corre spendingVIE toa desiredtorduestresa; miette thetianemiaeiou er turque: thruuehthe-iiexure fmemeeabis manuel. feree exerted eu-.fthewprerieirbedr- Mutuelaeu.- gagementof said contactelernents-z oeursresponf. sive to a degreeefgexure predetermiaedbr. the initial-Seating., the struetule beine-auth thetthe degree of iiexure,v prior to-4` engagement. of the Contact elements is proportional tothe initial.

spacing provided therebetvveenLl Signal. means are incorporated-im thejwrench responsive to .the mutual eueaeemeutei'said.eentaetelements, fea the purpose. of, apprising the.-operator that. the

desired torquerlstress ,hajsbeen reached. It is the object of l my prevsent invention;to provide ,any imF proved structure for;acvcornplishingthefunctions hereinabove set-forthbysimp1iflcationofethe .adiuetiusmeans and; other; parte: et the device ae- Wiiln, be uadereteefi; from; the. deStript-iereA which fellows. with referente -te-.tiie appended drawiriee in which:

Fie.. 1 Sheva; a. ieueitudiiialf erede: seetieu threuehthebedyeeawreiieiii;

Fig.Svisianleaterio view-of the Wrenchl' Wrench is disclosed comprising a handle portion/I audv au eieueated tubular. Sheet 2tv iutearaily formed therewith. Piuetedfat' lwithiuyehe-ik 2' is a flexure. element G -hayinga free end-'G proe truding into a stress; applying;member;seeured` within the shank Zyby alforcefltor the equivaf lent. The exure element 6is1`3fdapted5to havea work head` 9 flXedlysecured;theretoin. any. suit,-I

` rod I2. rupon movement. of the body member 2y of acam I8., The cam IB is supportedlrotatably amenueueaprir 30,1928'; 37020;@ 757) adapter. I0.. A Contact,l element comprising a rod I is t disposed vWithin the. ileXure element- 6,', and', secured .therein adjacent thepivot fIvby means of.

a plug, I3 ,of vinsulating materialz it :being understood. thatfthe, outer end of Contact rod I 2' is firmly, fixedinltheplug I3,.so that the contact rodV l2 is axially supported withinthe flexureelement 6. and, spaced, from f thel interior surface thereof. Contaet.` rod I2 has afree end I Za'disposed adjacent` Contact element I4 which. is. radially` disposed relativeeshank- 2v.. and. guided for reciprocation byl a perforationfain the stress` applyingv member` 8, and havingacontact end; Ida'anda canaffolllwver,Y end Mb; The.contact. end Illak is adaptedtolengage thefree end` I2a..of contact about thepivottlwhena. torque., stress is being applied; as will. hereinafter be described. A

spring, I6..islemploye'd tobiasthe cam follower.Y

end I4blagainstthe .rise and fall-cam surface Il on thefexterior, offbodymeinber2.by means o f side flanges I9 and 20, the flange 20I being adapted toA abut shoulder. 22.of` handle portion I andaeollar. 23.belngl 'providedsecured by a` force fit or. the. equivalent. around.. body memberV 2v tov abutfflange I9v whereby. cam I8.. is retained. in

place on body memberlZ, but permittedrotative freedoini It Willbe understoodthat: rotation of cam 18,. effects` reciprooation ofy contact element Iltherebyspacingfcontactl end Malfrom the free end IZaof contactlrod, I2.'aocording.to the point of, engagement. of. cam end Mb with the rise and fall cam surfacell. A. ratchet mechanism generallyv indicatedby 25Yisprovided in collar 23 for coaction with recesses provided in flange I9V for the*purposeA of holding cam, IBXed. in any po-v sinon tambienl it has been rotated. Cam, le isA exteriorly provided Withwindicia 2'1 for coaction With'an indei marker 28 on the body portion I for V'setting the Wrench to give a signal at a desiredtorque-stress, the indicia 21 being calibrated in torque. umts. 'Incorporated withinv handle i are a plurality-ofl flashlight cellsl Bllaand 30h retained therein by an end cap 3Iv acting through a spring. 32 tomaintain series Contact between thefcells and bias the; cel1`30a against the center terminal off a 'signer lamp 34- having the peripheral terminal; thereof' threadedly secured in a metallic ring 35. An insulating collar 38 supports the metallic ring 35 Within the handle portion Iy and metallic ring 35 is connected by a light. flexible-.Wire 3?! to the freeY end I2`a of contact rodi l 2..

able. manner; forexample, asby a iwork= head' 55 Barts Mlfllhandlef'poltiln; l al?? P105/Ned1@ that the lighting of lamp 34 will be visible to the operator, and protective plugs 4I of suitable translucent material, either plastic or glass, are secured in ports 40 to keep dirt and moisture from having access to the interior of the wrench.

In operation, cam I8 'is rotated until some desred indicia thereon is in alignment with the index marker 28 which serves tov initially space contact end I4a of contact element I4 with reference to the free end I2a of contact rod I2 in accordance with whatever portion of cam surface I'I is in engagement with the cam follower end I4b, as determined by the setting of the indicia. If torque stress now be applied to the handle portion I, the stress is transmitted through stress applying member 8 to the iiexure member 6, and thence to the work head 9, causing fieXure of flexure element B to a degree proportional to the stress applied to handle portion I and simultaneously, due to the pivotal action at 4 between handle portion I and lexure ,element 6, contact element I4 moves toward contact element I 2 ultimately Yengaging contact end Iv4a With'free end I2a. Upon engagement between the contact end Ida. and the free end I2a,l a series circuit is established starting at the positive -centerterminal of the battery 33a., and going through the center terminal of the lamp 34, the peripheral terminal thereof, ring 35, wire 31, free end I2a of contact rod I2, contact end I4a of contact member I4, through handle I to cap 3|, spring 32, and the negative casing terminal of cell 3013. Accordingly, lamp 34 will light, the illumination thereof being visible to the operator through ports 4U as hereinabove described. The structure is so arranged that the higher the torque desired, the greater will be the initial spacing between the contact elements, whereby a greater` iiexure of the flexure element 6 will be required to cause engagement between the contact elements, and a correspondingly greater torque force will be required to be exerted on handle'portion I before lamp 34 is energized.

Accordingly, it will be seeny that I have provided a simple wrench structure wherein torque stresses may be predetermined by an adjusting means comprising a minimum of moving elements and I claim as my invention:

1. In a torque indicating wrench, a body member comprising an elongated tubular shank, a tubular ilexure member axially disposed in said shank and pivoted thereto adjacent the outer extremity thereof and being adapted for attachment to a work head exteriorly of said shank, a rotary cam supported for rotation at the inner end of said shank and having a rise and fall cam surface, a radially reciprocable cam follower, electrical contact elements adapted for variable relative initial spacing therebetween by reciprocation of said follower, said follower being` associated with one ofsaid contact elements, rotation of elements being movable with said body member4 whereby said elements are adapted for relative motion to a point of mutual engagement operative toA energize a signal, the degree of iiexure of said flexure member prior to said engagement being proportional to the stress transmitted therethrough and to 'the initial spacing provided 4 between said contact elements by rotation of said cam. Y

2. In a torque indicating wrench, a body member and a flexure member, pivot means whereby said body member is pivoted t0 said flexure member, said exure member having means thereon adapted for attachment to a work head, means carried by said body member adapted to engage said ilexure member to transmit torque stress from said body member to said work head, contact means in said body member comprising variably spaceable contact elements, one of said contact elements being movable with said body member and another cf said elements being secured to said ilexure member adjacent said pivot means, motion .of said body member in transmitting stress to said 'flexure member being operative to cause engagement of said contact elements for energizing a signal, and means providing adjustable initial spacing between said contact elements comprising a cam member having a cam surface, one of said contact elements comprising a contact end and a follower end adapted to engage said cam surface. y

3. In a torque indicating Wrench, a substantially hollow body member and a iiexure member supported therein, said exure member being adapted to transmit torque stress from said body member to a work head secured on said flexure member, a first Contact element movable with said body member and supported in an aperture of a wall thereof, a second Contact element supported in the interior of said body member and secured against motion relative to said work head, said Contact elements being adapted to be initially spaced and to mutually engage to energize a signal in response to motion of said body member in transmitting stress to said fiexure member, and means for initially spacing said contact elements comprising an adjustable cam supported on the exterior of said body member and having a rise and fall cam surface directed toward said second contact element and operative to move said rst contact element relative to said second contact element in response to adjustment of said cam, whereby the torque stress transmitted through said iiexure member prior to engagement of said contact elements is proportional to said initial spacing.

4. In a structure as set forth in claim'S, wherein said rst contact element protrudes through the wall of said body member and is provided with an exteriorly disposed follower end for engagement with said cam, said cam being rotatably supported on the exterior of said body member.

5. In a structure as set forth in claim 3, wherein said first contact element protrudes through the wall of said body member and is provided with an exteriorly disposed follower for engagement with said cam, said cam being rotatably supported on the exterior of said body member and said rst contact element comprising an integral substantially cylindrical member spring biased into engagement with said cam surface and adapted for sliding and reciprocal motion through the aperture of said-wall responsive to adjustment of said cam.

6. In a structure as set forth in claim 3 wherein said rst contact element protrudes through the wall of said body member and has an exterior end adapted for engagement with said cam, a stress applying member disposed within said body member and adapted to transmit torque stress from said body memberto said flexure member and having an aperture in substantial registration with said body member aperture, said iirst contact element being supported within the aperture of said stress applying member and .adapted for reciprocable motion therein, and a spring disposed about said contact element and arranged to abut against said stress applying member and the exterior` end of said iirst contact element to maintain said first contact element in operative engagement with the rise and fall surface of said cam.

7. A torque indicating wrench comprising a body member, a fiexure member movably mounted with respect to said body member and having a work headrigidly mounted on one end thereof, means on said body member engageable with said flexure member adjacent the other end thereof, said iiexure member being adapted to transmit torque stress from said body member to said work head and to iiex in proportion to the degree of transmitted stress, a pair of contact elements carried by the body member and exure member respectively and adapted for mutual engagement by motion of said body member in exing said flexure member, said mutual engagement being effective to operate a signal, said contact elements being adapted for variable initial spacing therebetween whereby the degree of exing of said ilexure member prior to engagement of said contact elements is proportional to said initial spacing, and means for adjusting said initial spacing comprising a rotary cam radially disposed about said body member, one of said Contact elements having a contact end adapted to be adjusted toward said other contact element by engagement of. a portion of said one cont-act element with said rotary cam and upon rotation of said cam in one direction.

8. A torque indicating wrench as set forth in claim 7, wherein said cam comprises a rise and fall surface arcuately encompassing said one contact element, said one contact element comprising a member having a follower end adapted to engage said cam surface and having a, contact end adapted for reciprocable movement relative to said other contact element upon actuation of said follower end by said cam, for Varying the initial spacing between said contact elements, and spring means carried on said one contact element to provide for continuous engagement between said follower end and said rise :and fall cam surface.

9. A torque indicating wrench comprising a hollow body member, a exure member movably mountedin said body member and engageable by means in said body member to transmit torque stress from said body member to a work head connected to said flexure member, a pair of contact elements within said body member, one being carried by said body member and the other being movably mounted in said body member and actuated by a. portion of said fiexure member, means responsive to mutual engagement of said contact elements to energize a signal, said contact elements being adapted for variable initial spacing therebetween whereby the degree of .ilexing of said exure member prior to engagement of said contact elements is proportional to said initial spacing, means for adjusting said initial spacing comprising a cam having a rise and fall cam surface arcuately disposed about one of said contact elements and radially disposed 4about said body member, said one contact element being adapted for reciprocable movement relative to said other contact element and having a follower end operative by rotary motion of said cam to effect reciproc-ation of said one contact element, and means providing engagement between said follower end and said rise and fall cam surface.

10. In a torque indicating wrench as set forth in claim 9, wherein said body member comprises an elongated tubular shank and a handle portion, said cam comprising a ring-like member having side anges and a rise and fall surface peripherally disposed internally therein, said cam being adapted to be rotatably supported by said side flanges on said tubular shank, said follower end of said one contact element being disposed between said flanges, a perforation in said tubular shank through which said contact element extends tow-ard said other contact element and a stress applying member disposed between said body member and said flexure member and adapted to transmit torque stress therebetween.

MARK HATTAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,225,420 Mandi Dec. 17, 1940 2,242,613 Mandl May 20, 1941 2,320,023 Zimmerman May 25, 1943 2,367,224 Larson et al. Jan. 16, 1945 2,367,247 Valerino et al. Jan. 16, 1945

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