US2800822A - Socket wrench and latching adapters therefor - Google Patents

Description

M m, mm

L. L. ALLRED 23 09 822 SOCKET WRENCH AND LATCHING ADAPTERS THEREFOR Filed April 25, 1955 1 35a 32 is C 3/ I 3.9 37 350. 3noe'ntor .LURAN L. ALLRED (lttornegs United States Patent m SOCKET WRENCH AND LATCHING ADAPTER THEREFOR Luran L. Allred, Duchesne, Utah, assignor to Bask Tool Company, Duchesne, Utah, a corporation of Utah Application April 25, 1955, Serial No. 503,447 9 Claims. (Cl. 81-125) This invention relates to socket wrenches equipped for interlock with work received thereby. It relates also to adapters arranged for interlock with the receiving sockets of such wrenches.

The invention is particularly useful in its application to socket wrenches of the ratchet type, enabling the work to be .turned by the manipulation of a lever in co-operation with the handle of the wrench, rather than by turning of the wrench itself.

While socket wrenches are well known, as are various types of ratchet, wrenches, their usefulness has been limited by the difliculty of maintaining proper engagement between the socket and received work in many instances of hard-to-rea-ch places in automotive and other mechanical repair and maintenance work.

The present invention provides a construction insuring continued positive engagement between wrench socket, adapter, and received work at all times.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of locking means in the adapter and of a mating keeper in the adapter-receiving master socket of the wrench. Such locking element includes a latch member and actuator therefor, the latter normally projecting into the workengaging area of the adapter, whereby interengagement of the adapter with the work will positively lock the adapter to the master socket of the wrench.

Further objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the particular preferred embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawing,

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of a ratchet type of socket wrench conforming to the invention;

Fig. 2, a vertical section taken on the line. 2-2 of Fig. 1 and drawn to an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3, a view corresponding to that of Fig. 1, but illustrating a socket type of latching adapter for insertion in the master socket of the wrench of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4, a section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3, but drawn to the enlarged scale of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5, a view corresponding to that of Fig. 2, but illustrating the socket adapter of Fig. 4 in locked, working position in the wrench of Fig. 1 by reason of engagement with work in the form of a bolt head;

Fig. 6, a perspective view corresponding to that of Fig. 3, but showing a plug type of latching adapter;

Fig. 7, a section taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6, but drawn to the enlarged scale of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 8, a view corresponding to that of Fig. 5, but taken with respect to the plug type of adapter of Fig. 7 and work appropriate thereto. 7

In Fig. 1 is illustrated a preferred form of socket wrench and master socket conforming to the invention. Preferred forms of work adapters therefor are illustrated in Figs. 3 and 6, respectively.

The illustrated wrench 10 is of well known ratchet type, possessing ratchet mechanism (not shown) operable by a lever 11. Such lever is held in inset relationship with 2,800,822 Patented July 30, 19 57 the wrench handle 10a, as indicated, when not in use. A freely swinging link 12, pivoted to the handle, provides a convenient lever-holding means. It may be pushed back on its pivot axis to release the lever 11 when ratchet operation of the wrench is desired.

A master socket 14 is rotatably mounted in the socket head 10b of the wrench, and has its outer perimetric surface formed as a ratchet wheel 14a for actuation by a pawl (not shown) operated by the lever 11. Thus, movement of the lever 11 inwardly and outwardly of its illustrated inset position serves to rotate such master socket in customary fashion.

The master socket 14 is provided, in this instance, with a latch keeper recess 15 in one of its work adapter engaging faces, and with a friction lock 16 in conjunction with the opposite work adapter receiving face.

Each work adapter constructed for assembly with the wrench 10 and for co-operative interlock with the master socket 14 during engagement of such adapter with the Work, carries locking means in the form of a latch member interconnected with an actuating member. Such latch and actuating members are operably secured to the work adapter in any suitable manner, preferably by members integral with such latch and actuating members and fitting into and anchored within suitable accommodating recesses in the work adapter.

In the socket type of work adapter illustrated in Figs. 3-5, the adapter proper 17 is provided with a hexagonal outer configuration for snugly fitting into the receiving opening 18 of the master socket 14 and with a socket opening 19 of hexagonal configuration for receiving the work, for example, the hexagonal head 20a of a bolt 20. An outwardly extending, perimetric flange 17a serves as a limit stop governing the extent of penetration and the placement of the work adapter with respect to the master socket, while an inwardly extending, perimetric flange 17b governs the extent of penetration and the placement of the work with respect to the work adapter. The outer flange 17a is recessed, as at 21, to accommodate the friction lock 16, see Fig. 5.

As the locking means carried by the work adapter, a single length of stifi and preferably resilient wire 22 is bent to provide an intermediate crimp 22a, serving as a latch member, and inturned ends 22b and 220, respectively, serving as upper and lower anchorage members, the portions 22d therebetween serving as a pair of actuating members.

Such bent wire is snapped into anchored placement on the Work adapter 17 at and extending from end to end of one of the facet faces defining the work-receiving socket opening 19, here shown as that facet face which lies directly opposite and across the socket opening from the friction lock accommodating recess 21 in order to tie in with the particular orientation of friction lock 16 and latch keeper recess 15 illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

For the purpose of receiving and anchoring the inturned tips of ends 22b and 220 of such locking means 22, the work adapter 17 is appropriately recessed at its upper and lower surfaces as indicated at 23 and 24, respectively, in Fig. 4.

For accommodating the latch member 22a and for rendering it effective in a locking capacity with respect to the keeper recess 15, the adapter 17 is recessed to the extent of complete perforation through the socket defining facet wall thereof against which the latch member 22a is disposed, providing a passage 25 through which such latch member is projected when the actuating members 22d are engaged and actuated by the received Work, see Fig. 5. A longitudinal channel recess 26 extending from end to end of the wall facet concerned and comprehending the passage 25 is provided for accommodating ice the actuating members 22d when actuated by the work in the manner shown in Fig. 5.

It can be seen that entry of work into the socket opening of the adapter 17 effects a positive locking such adapter with respect to the master socket 14 by reason of the projection of the latch member 22a into the keeper recess 15. Thus, the Wrench may be used in hard-to-reach places without fear of losing the work adapter.

The friction lock 16 represents one way of insuring against loss of the work adapter from the master socket during handling of the wrench between work periods and while engaging and disengaging the work.

In the plug type of work adapter illustrated in Figs. 6-8, the adapter proper is provided with a hexagonal head or adapter plug member 30 and with a work plug member 31 formed as an axial continuation of the head and configurated to fit within the recess, here 32, Fig. 8, of a threaded plug, here 33. A perimetric flange 34 separates the head from the plug insert, and serves as a limit stop governing the depth of penetration and placement of the work adapter with respect to the master socket 14 of the wrench.

In this instance, a comparatively long length of Wire 35 is bent to provide a latching crimp 35a, and upper and lower anchor tips 351) and 350, respectively. An actuating member 35d and an interconnecting member 35e are provided intermediate the inturned ends of the wire.

The upper and lower surfaces of the work adapter proper are appropriately recessed, as at 36 and 37, respectively, Fig. 7, for receiving and anchoring the respective tips 35b and 35c, the lower recess 37 being elongated in the direction of actuating member movement so as to accommodate such movement.

The head or adapter plug member 30 is longitudinally recessed from end to end, as at 38, for accommodating the latch member 35a, and the Work plug member 31a is similarly recessed, as at 39, for accommodating the actuator member 35d.

In use, the head or adapter plug member 30 is engaged by the receiving opening 18 of the master socket 14, being tightly locked therein by friction lock 16. Upon inserting the work plug member 31 in the receiving opening 32 of threaded plug 33, actuator member 35 d is pushed into its accommodating recess 39, and latch member 35a is correspondingly pushed out into engaging relationship with latch recess of the master socket.

Whereas this invention is here illustrated and described with respect to certain presently preferred forms thereof,

it should be realized that various changes may be made therein. and that various other forms may be constructed, within the scope of the following claims, without departing from the fundamental concepts here taught.

I claim:

1. In a work-locking socket wrench assembly, the combination of a socket wrench having a master socket; a work adapter for said master socket; means defining a latch keeper recess in a wall of said master socket; and locking means carried by said work adapter, said locking means comprising a latch member, an interconnecting actuating member, and anchorage means securely engaged with the work adapter, said work adapter being recessed to accommodate said locking means and actuation thereof, and the recessing including a latch-member-accommodating recess opening into an exterior face of the work.

adapter which is contiguous to said master socket when the adapter is fitted into the wrench, said latch member being normally disposed within said recess for outward latching movement with respect thereto, and said recessing also including an actuating-rnember-accommodating recess opening into a work engaging face of the work adapter, said actuating member normally projecting therebeyond so as to be actuated, and thereby project said latchmember. into saidkeepersrecess ofthe-master socket; whensaid Workadapter engages thework.

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2. The combination set forth in claim 1, wherein the component members of the locking means are formed by a single length of wire possessing resiliency and bent to final formation, the anchorage means being provided by inturned opposite ends of said length of wire; and wherein upper and lower surfaces of the work adapter are recessed to receive and retain the tips of said inturned opposite ends of the length of wire, respectively.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2, wherein the latch member is an outwardly projecting crimp in the length of wire intermediate the ends thereof and at a location registering with the latch keeper recess when the work adapter is fitted into the master socket of the wrench.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3, wherein the actuating member comprises at least one intermediate portion of the length of wire disposed longitudinally of the depth of that part of the work adapter which is engaged by the work.

5. The combination set forth in claim 4, wherein the work adapter is provided with a perimetric flange disposed as a limit to stop with respect to the master socket of the wrench for determining the extent of interfit between said work adapter and said master socket.

6. The combination set forth in claim 5, wherein the work adapter is of socket formation, and the latch member projects through an aperture formed in one Wall thereof.

7. The combination set forth in claim 6, wherein an inwardly projecting, perimetric flange is provided adjacent an end of the work adapter as an abutment stop limiting the extent of interfit of said work adapter and the master socket.

8. The combination set forth in claim 1, wherein the work adapter is of plug formation, having an adapter plug member configurated for fitting in the master socket of the wrench, and a work plug member projecting from said adapter plug member and configurated for engagement with a work recess; wherein the component memmembers of the locking means are formed by a single length of wire possessing resiliency and bent to final formation, the anchorage means being provided by inturned opposite ends of said length of wire; wherein upper and lower surfaces of the work adapter are recessed to receive and retain the tips of said inturned opposite ends of the length of wire, respectively; wherein the latch member is an outwardly projecting crimp in .the length of wire in that end portion thereof which is associated with the adapter plug andv at a location registering with the latch keeper recess. when the work adapter is fitted into the master socket of the wrench, said adapter plug being recessed inwardly from one of its socket-engaging faces, for accommodating the latch member; wherein the actua-ting member is a portion of the length of wire associated with the work plug and disposed longitudinally of the depth thereof, said work plug being recessed inwardly from a work-engaging face thereof which is disposed opposite the said one socket-engaging face of the adapter plug, for accommodating said actuating member; and wherein the work adapter is provided with a passage extending from its latch-member-accommodating recess to its actuating-member-accommodating recess, the intermediate portion of said length of wire which interconnects said latch member with said actuating member being slideably received by said passage.

9. A work adapter for work-locking socket wrenches provided with an adapter-receiving master socket, comprising a work adapter proper; and locking means carried by said adapter proper, said. locking means comprising a master socketengagingmember, an interconnecting actuatingmember, and anchorage means securely engaged with said adapter proper, the latter being recessed to accommodate said locking means and actuation thereof,

and the recessing including an engaging-member-accom-- modating recess opening into an exterior faceof said adapter proper which is contiguous to said master socket when said adapter proper is fitted into the wrench, said engaging member being normally disposed within said recess for outward latching movement with respect thereto, and said recessing also including an actuating-memberaccomrnodating recess opening into a work engaging face of said adapter proper, said actuating member normally projecting therebeyond so as to be actuated, and thereby actuate said engaging member, when said adapter proper engages the work.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 271,549 True Jan. 30, 1883 Fitch May 3, 1898 Snidter Dec. 17, 1901 Atkins Jan. 12, 1909 Miller Dec. 21, 1926 Le Roue June 29, 1943 Thompson Feb. 6, 1945 Waterval Sept. 8, 1953

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