Abstract: A closed or open end ratchet wrench head comprising a substantially hollow cylindrical body with a plurality of recesses or pockets formed therein in communication with the central opening of the cylindrical body. A plurality of flexible, swinging pawls that acts as jaw members are located in the recesses and extend into the central opening of the body for direct contact with a nut or bolt head. The recesses and pawls are shaped to retain the pawls within the recesses while permitting the pawls to flex as required during ratching movement. The flexible pawls eliminate the need for separate hardened steel pawls and springs. In an alternate embodiment, the pawls comprise hardened metal slugs extending into the central opening from peripheral recesses tangentially in communication with the central opening. The pawls are urged into the central opening by separate springs within the recesses.

Abstract: A closed or open end ratchet wrench head comprising a substantially hollow cylindrical body with a plurality of recesses or pockets formed therein in communication with the central opening of the cylindrical body. A plurality of flexible, swinging pawls that act as jaw members are located in the recesses and extend into the central opening of the body for direct contact with a nut or bolt head. The pawls are preferably formed of high strength spring steel suitably tempered and heat treated for abrasion and impact resistance in combination with resilience for spring action.The recesses and pawls are shaped to retain the pawls within the recesses while permitting the pawls to flex as required during ratcheting movement. The flexible pawls eliminate the need for separate hardened steel pawls and springs. The cylindrical body is preferably formed from pressed and sintered powdered metal thereby eliminating or minimizing subsequent machining or grinding steps to form the recesses.

Abstract: The invention comprises improvements in manual preset torque wrenches that substantially improve the useful life of the wrench, the repeatable accuracy of the wrench, and substantially decrease the weight and manufacturing cost of the wrench.The improvements include a free floating camming roller that moves from dual pockets with a rolling action substantially out of the pockets at the preset torque. In one embodiment the camming roller is centered within the wrench in the unactuated position between milled slots that comprise the pockets. In an alternate embodiment the pockets and camming roller are offset from the centerline of the wrench permitting a configuration that greatly reduces friction on the inside of the tubular wrench body. The reduction in friction and abrasion in the alternate embodiment permits a lightweight aluminum tube to be substituted for the body of the wrench thus significantly reducing the weight of the wrench.