Torque wrench

Abstract

A torque wrench with a ratchet and a drive for the ratchet includes a ratchet housing with two opposed side walls which have a specified distance to each other and are connected with each other. A through opening extends transversely through the two side walls, which is designed to accommodate a ratchet rotary body, wherein its axis of rotation extends parallel to the axis of the through opening. The ratchet rotary body includes a fastening means for fastening a supporting device to the torque wrench, by means of which the torque wrench can be supported perpendicularly to the axis of rotation of the ratchet rotary body.

Claims

1. A torque wrench comprising a ratchet and a drive for the ratchet, wherein the ratchet includes a ratchet housing comprising two opposed side walls which have a specified distance to each other and are connected with each other, a through opening extending transversely through the two side walls and being designed to accommodate a ratchet rotary body, wherein the axis of rotation of the ratchet rotary body extends parallel to the axis of the through opening, and comprising fastening means for fastening a supporting device to the torque wrench, by means of which the torque wrench can be supported perpendicularly to the axis of rotation of the ratchet rotary body, wherein the fastening means include a triangular free space between the side walls, which is exclusively arranged inside the ratchet housing and reserved and designed to accommodate a matching fastening portion of the supporting device, the matching fastening portion adapted to be introduced into and removably fixed in the triangular free space between the side walls, and wherein the fastening means include devices for fastening the fastening portion in the free space, wherein when the side walls are connected with each other by its outer circumferential edges being connected with each other by means of a rim wall, the free space inside the ratchet housing is accessible from outside the torque wrench by an access opening, wherein the access opening to the free space is arranged in this rim wall and is designed for the fastening portion of the supporting device to be guided through the same and into the free space inside the ratchet housing, and the fastening means include devices for releasably fastening the fastening portion in the free space.

2. The torque wrench according to claim 1, wherein in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the through opening the free space has a triangular cross-section which tapers into the ratchet housing.

3. The torque wrench according to claim 1, further comprising a bore extending transversely through the two side walls and the free space, which bore is designed to accommodate a bolt for fastening the fastening portion of the supporting device.

4. The torque wrench according to claim 3, wherein the fastening portion of the supporting device includes a bore which likewise is designed to accommodate the bolt and which is in alignment with the bores in the side walls of the ratchet housing, when either the fastening portion in the free space rests against its walls or the supporting device rests against the rim wall of the ratchet housing.

5. The torque wrench according to claim 1, further comprising a ratchet unit which includes the ratchet with ratchet housing, and a drive unit which includes the drive for the ratchet, wherein the ratchet unit and the drive unit can releasably be assembled to each other.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The Invention will be explained in detail by way of example with reference to the following drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a torque wrench according to the invention, wherein a supporting device to be fastened thereto and a bolt for fastening the same also are represented;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1, wherein the supporting device is fastened to the torque wrench by means of the bolt;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 2;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a rear view of the embodiment of FIG. 2;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1, with a partial section in the region of the fastening means for a supporting device;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a bottom view of the embodiment of FIG. 1; and

(8) FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1, with several embodiments of a supporting device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(9) The exemplary embodiment of a torque wrench 1 according to the invention as shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 includes a hydraulic drive unit 2 and a ratchet unit 3, which are releasably assembled to a screwdriver unit and in the assembled condition releasably are rigidly connected with each other.

(10) Alternatively, the torque wrench 1 also can be made in one part, i.e. the ratchet 3 and the drive 2 for the ratchet 3 can non-releasably be connected with each other.

(11) The ratchet includes a ratchet housing 4 with two opposed side walls 5 which extend parallel to each other at a specified distance and are connected with each other. Transversely through the two side walls 5 a through opening 6 extends, in which a ratchet rotary body 7 is accommodated, whose axis of rotation 8 extends parallel to the axis 9 of the through opening 6. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the ratchet rotary body 7 in turn has a hexagonal through opening 10 for accommodating for example a hexagonal nut.

(12) The outer circumferential edges 11 of the side wall 5 are connected with each other by means of a rim wall 12.

(13) The ratchet housing 4 includes a cantilever arm 13 which extends away from the ratchet rotary body 7 and on its one side 14 forms a seat 15 for the hydraulic drive unit 2.

(14) For fastening a supporting device 16 to the torque wrench 1 the ratchet housing 4 includes a free space 17 in the cantilever arm 13 between the side walls 5, which free space is accessible from outside the torque wrench 1 through an access opening 18 arranged in the rim wall 12 on the side 19 of the cantilever arm 13 facing away from the seat 15 for the hydraulic drive unit 2.

(15) As Is shown in FIG. 5, the free space 17 in a cross-section parallel to the side walls 5i.e. In a plane perpendicular to the axis 8, 9 of the through opening 6 or the ratchet rotary body 7in this exemplary embodiment has the shape of a triangle which tapers into the ratchet housing 4. The size of the angle 20 of the triangle of the free space 17, which angle opens towards the access opening 18, is adapted to the requirements of the respective application.

(16) The tip 21 of the angle 20 of the triangle opening towards the access opening 18 is rounded. In the region of this rounded tip 21 of the triangle a through-bore 22 extends, which passes through the two side walls 5 of the ratchet housing 4 and the free space 17 and is designed to accommodate a bolt 23 for fastening a fastening portion 24 of the supporting device 16. Due to the triangular shape of the free space 17, the fastening portion 24 of the supporting device 16 can easily be introduced into the free space 17.

(17) The position of the bores 22a In the side wags 5 of the ratchet housing 4, i.e. the edge distances of these bores 22a to the edge 25 of the free space 17, and the position of the bore 22b In the fastening portion 24 of the supporting device 16, i.e. the edge distances of this bore 22b to the edge 26 of the fastening portion 24, are adjusted to each other such that the bore 22b In the fastening portion 24 is in alignment with the bores 22a in the side walls 5 of the ratchet housing 4, when the fastening portion 24 is introduced into the free space 17 as far as possible, i.e. either the fastening portion 24 in the free space 17 rests against its walls 27 or the supporting device 16 rests against the rim wall 12 of the ratchet housing 4.

(18) For fastening a supporting device 16 the bolt 23 then is first passed through the bore 22a in a side wall 5, then through the bore 22b In the fastening portion 24and hence through the free space 17and finally through the bore 22a in the second side wall 5 of the ratchet housing 4.

(19) FIG. 1 shows that the bolt 23 has a bolt shank 28 and a bolt head 29 whose diameter is slightly larger than that of the bolt shank 28. At least the bore 22a in one of the side walls 5 has a step 30 at which the bolt head 29 abuts in the inserted condition. In the inserted condition of the bolt 23 its end faces 31, 32 at the bolt head 29 and at the bolt end are flush with the outer walls 5a of the side walls 5 of the ratchet housing 4.

(20) Securing the position of the bolt 23 is effected by a spring-biased ball 33 (FIG. 1), which in the inserted condition of the bot 23 is pressed into a (non-illustrated) depression in the bore wall of the fastening portion 24 of the supporting device 16.

(21) As supporting device 16 to be fastened, FIG. 1 shows a wear plate 34 with a fastening portion 24 which extends transversely to the plane of the plate.

(22) FIGS. 2 to 4 show the torque wrench 1 of FIG. 1 with the wear plate 34 now fastened. In the fastened condition of the wear plate 34 its fastening portion 24 extends through the access opening 18 in the rim wall 12 of the torque wrench 1 (FIGS. 1 and 6) into the free space 17. As described above, the bolt 23 then extends through the bores 22a In the side walls 5 of the torque wrench 1 and through the bore 22b in the fastening portion 24 of the wear plate 34, wherein the spring-biased ball 33 for securing the position is locked in place in the depression in the bore 22b of the fastening portion 24.

(23) In its condition fastened to the torque wrench 1 the wear plate 34 rests against the side 19 or rim wall 12 of the cantilever arm 13 facing away from the drive unit 2.

(24) FIG. 7 shows some more examples for possible supporting devices 16, such as a supporting device 35 with extension for passing on the pressure or a ring supporting device 36 or a supporting device 37 with extension arm.

(25) The supporting device 37 with extension arm has no fastening portion which is introduced into the free space 17 of the torque wrench 1, but two opposed fastening portions 38 lying on the outside, which are applied to the outside of the side was 5 of the torque wrench 1. The bolt 23 then is first passed through the bore 22b in the one fastening portion 38, subsequently through the bore 22a in the adjacent side wall 5, then through the free space 17 and finally through the bore 22a in the other side wall 5 and through the bore 22b In the other fastening portion 38.

(26) In all cases the bores 22a passing through the two side walls 5 of the ratchet housing 4 and of the torque wrench 1 exclusively are loaded by the bolt 23 for fastening the supporting device 16, and therefore the bores 22a and the bolt 23 can optimally be arranged and dimensioned.