Abstract: A ratchet wrench is provided which includes a ratchet head having a part-cylindrical surface with head teeth thereon and an elongated handle hingedly coupled to the head. The handle has first and second handle ends, an axis extending between the ends and an axial first bore opening at the first handle end. The wrench also includes a rod disposed in and moveable within the first bore between an engaged condition engageable with the head teeth for locking the head in a selected position relative to the handle and a non-engaged condition disengaged from the head teeth and accommodating relative movement of the head and handle, and biasing structure for biasing the rod to the engaged condition. The wrench also includes retaining structure coupled to the rod for retaining the rod in its non-engaged condition. The retaining structure may be disposed at several locations relative to the ratchet head.

Abstract: A socket drive tool has an elongated shaft defining a coupling body at one end thereof with a square drive lug having a detent ball disposed in a recess therein and projecting from a face thereof. A link pin reciprocates in the body and has a cam surface at one end thereof engageable with the ball, the pin being spring biased to a condition holding the ball in a retaining position projecting from the recess, and movable against the spring bias to a releasing condition permitting the ball to retract into the recess. An opening in the body is generally oblong in transverse cross section and tapers from a wide outer end to a narrow inner end, and then tapers back out again a short distance from the narrow inner end. The link pin has formed diametrically therethrough a reverse tapered aperture which tapers from a narrow end near the wide end of the opening to an oblong wide end near the inner end of the opening.

Abstract: A reversible ratchet wrench includes a ratchet body having a round head portion with a cylindrical, internally toothed opening therethrough forming a ratchet gear and defining a cavity. A ratchet mechanism, including a drive body, a pawl assembly and a reversing member, is disposed in the cavity, with the reversing member secured to the drive body for confining the pawl assembly therebetween. The head of the ratchet body has annular shoulder surfaces thereon respectively at opposite ends of and coaxial with the cavity, and respectively facing annular shoulder surfaces on the drive body and reversing member, for cooperation therewith to define first and second annular spaces, in which are respectively disposed annular seal members, each having a pair of radially inwardly extending and axially diverging flexible and resilient lips, respectively engageable with the shoulder surfaces defining the associated space for cooperation therewith to seal the cavity and center the ratchet mechanism on the head.

Abstract: A wrenching member includes at least two spaced-apart and substantially oppositely facing drive surfaces, each of which has a roughened region and an unroughened region thereon, with the roughened region being disposed adjacent to one end of one of the drive surfaces and adjacent to the other end of the other drive surface so as to afford a differential driving arrangement which exerts a greater frictional wrenching force in one direction than in the opposite direction.

Abstract: A socket drive tool includes an elongated shaft having a coupling structure for coupling to a socket. The coupling structure includes a detent ball disposed in a detent recess and moveable between retaining and releasing positions relative to the socket. The shaft has a cavity therein communicating with the detent recess. A tubular sleeve having a sleeve cam surface is disposed coaxially about the shaft for movement between a retaining condition and a releasing condition. A rod is moveable axially between retaining and releasing conditions, being spring-biased to the latter. The rod has within the cavity a first cam surface engageable with the detent ball and a second cam surface engageable with a transfer ball which is, in turn, engageable with the sleeve cam surface.

Abstract: An adjustable wrench having locked and unlocked conditions is provided. The wrench includes a wrench body including a fixed jaw, and a movable jaw slidably mounted on the wrench body. The wrench body includes first and second contact walls, the second contact wall having a wall cam surface. The wrench also includes an adjuster assembly including a worm gear on the body between the contact walls and threadedly engaged with the movable jaw for moving the movable jaw toward and away from the fixed jaw, and a locking disc disposed between the worm gear and the second contact wall and having a disc cam surface engagable with the wall cam surface of the second contact wall.

Abstract: A speed wrench has a short jaw and a long jaw interconnected by a throat, the jaws respectively having short and long driving surfaces which are generally parallel but which may be very slightly inclined with respect to each other. The throat has a generally flat surface portion adjacent to the short driving surface and inclined at an angle of at least 120.degree. thereto and connected thereto by an arcuate recess in the short jaw. This generally flat surface portion may be slightly convex having a radius greater than twice the distance between the driving surfaces. The remainder of the throat is arcuate and is shaped and dimensioned so that it will not contact a fastener engaged with the driving surfaces. Open-end wrench and adjustable wrench versions are disclosed, and in the former the support surface portion of the throat has a length approximately one-half the side dimension of an associated fastener. In the adjustable wrench version, at least the long driving surface may be serrated.

Abstract: A reversible ratchet wrench has a wrench handle with a circular ratchet head having a cylindrical array of ratchet teeth and receiving coaxially rotatably therein a drive body. A pawl is carried by the drive body for movement between forward and reverse conditions of engagement with the ratchet teeth, being retained in each of these positions by an over-center spring engageable with a pin on a reversing lever disposed coaxially with the drive body and retained thereon by a bushing and a screw for rotation relative to the drive body and the ratchet head for shifting the pawl between its forward and reverse conditions. Indicia on the bushing and the reversing lever cooperate to indicate the condition of the pawl.

Abstract: An improved high torque driving tool has a blade with an arcuately convex end surface having a radius of curvature which is greater than the width of the blade and greater than the radius of curvature of the driving slot in an associated fastener. The blade may be provided with a conical tip which projects axially from the end surface and has a base diameter substantially equal to the thickness of the blade at the end surface, the tip being receivable in a conical recess and the driving slot of the associated fastener.

Abstract: An improved high torque driving tool has a blade with an arcuately convex end surface having a radius of curvature which is greater than the width of the blade and greater than the radius of curvature of the driving slot in an associated fastener. The blade may be provided with a conical tip protects axially from the end surface and has a base diameter substantially equal to the thickness of the blade at the end surface, the tip being receivable in a conical recess and the driving slot of the associated fastener.

Abstract: A pivotal hand tool includes first and second lever members which intersect and have aligned openings therethrough in which is received a pivot pin having an enlarged head at one end adjacent to one of the lever members and having the other end thereof welded to the other lever member or to a flat washer which bears against the other lever member. The head and the flat washer may be received in complementary recesses in the lever members. A frustoconical washer may be disposed beneath the head of the pivot pin for resiliently urging the lever members together.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is apparatus for stacking loop springs which include a series of oppositely oriented U-shaped loops, which apparatus comprises a frame, a storage chamber on the frame for temporary and one-at-a-time storage of the springs, guide elements located on the frame below the spring storage chamber for guiding and supporting the springs into an aligned stack, and movable elements on the frame and operative independently of the guide elements for effecting spring discharge from the storage chamber and onto the guide elements.