6353 results about "Ratchet" patented technology

A surgical instrument including a switching mechanism which allows a surgeon to selectively advance or retract a staple driver and / or cutting member within a staple cartridge. In various embodiments, the surgical instrument can include a handle, a trigger operatively coupled to the handle, a firing drive, and an end effector. The firing drive can include a first ratchet assembly configured to advance a cutting member in the end effector and a second ratchet assembly configured to retract the cutting member. The trigger can include first and second pawls pivotably mounted thereon which are configured to be selectively engaged with the first and second ratchet assemblies, respectively. In at least one embodiment, the trigger can be configured to slide between a first position in which the first pawl is engaged with the first ratchet assembly and a second position in which the second pawl is engaged with the second ratchet assembly.

The invention provides surgical or diagnostic tools and associated methods that offer improved user control for operating remotely within regions of the body. These tools include a proximally-located actuator for the operation of a distal end effector, as well as proximally-located actuators for articulational and rotational movements of the end effector. Control mechanisms and methods refine operator control of end effector actuation and of these articulational and rotational movements. A rotation lock provides for enablement and disablement of rotatability of the end effector. The tool may also include other features. A multi-state ratchet for end effector actuation provides enablement-disablement options with tactile feedback. A force limiter mechanism protects the end effector and manipulated objects from the harm of potentially excessive force applied by the operator. An articulation lock allows the fixing and releasing of both neutral and articulated configurations of the tool and of consequent placement of the end effector.

PCT No. PCT / CA97 / 00941 Sec. 371 Date Aug. 16, 1999 Sec. 102(e) Date Aug. 16, 1999 PCT Filed Dec. 10, 1997 PCT Pub. No. WO98 / 26144 PCT Pub. Date Jun. 18, 1998A hood latch assembly (10) has a housing (14) having a mouth (13). A ratchet (16) is pivotally mounted within the housing (14) to cooperate with the mouth (13) to pivot between an open, a secondary closed and a primary closed condition for receiving, engaging and cinching a keeper of a striker (80). The ratchet (16) is biased to the open condition. A pivotally mounted primary pawl (18) is biased for engagement with the ratchet (16) to releasably retain the ratchet (16) in the primary closed condition. A pivotally mounted secondary pawl (62) is biased for engagement with the ratchet (16) to releasably retain the ratchet (16) in the secondary closed condition. The secondary pawl (62) has a release lever (20) which rotates between a deployed position and a retracted position. As the ratchet (16) engages the striker (80), the ratchet (16) will rotate in a latching sense from the open condition to the secondary closed condition. As the ratchet (16) further rotates from the secondary closed to the primary closed condition, fully engaging the striker (80), the secondary pawl (62) follows the ratchet (16), allowing the release lever (20) to rotate from a deployed position to a retracted position. Upon release of the primary engagement by disengaging the primary pawl (18), the ratchet (16) will rotate from the primary closed to the secondary closed condition. The secondary pawl (62) will follow the ratchet (16) rotating the release lever (20) from the retracted position to the deployed position. The operator then manipulates the release lever (20) to release the ratchet (16), allowing the ratchet (16) to rotate from the secondary closed to the open condition.

An electromechanical wrench has a housing that has a working end and a gripping end, with a driver positioned at the working end, and a handle positioned at the gripping end. The wrench further includes a click wrench emulator mechanism provided at the handle. A method of using an electromechanical wrench to secure a fastener using angular measurement without the need for establishing a zero reference point, and allowing for ratcheting, is also provided. A method of counting the number of fasteners secured by an electromechanical wrench during a wrenching job is further provided.

A tool is provided for driving fasteners that includes a torque limiting mechanism therein. The torque limiting mechanism includes a first frictional engagement member disposed on the drive shaft for the tool that is engaged by one or more second frictional engagement members disposed on one or more sides of the first frictional member. The second frictional engagement members are biased into engagement with the first member by biasing members disposed within the handle that can be adjusted in order to provide more or less of a biasing force to control the frictional engagement of the second member with the first member and thereby control the torque limiting function of the torque limiting mechanism. In addition, a drive shaft is also engaged with a ratcheting mechanism that enables the tool to drive a fastener into a suitable substrate in only a single direction.

A variable height support with a platform and a base supporting the platform and reconfigurable to selectively change a height of a support surface on the platform relative to a subjacent surface. A control assembly is operable to selectively: a) maintain the support surface at a selected height; and b) release the platform to allow the base to be reconfigured to change the height of the support surface. The control assembly has a ratchet subassembly that, with the control assembly in a first state, allows the base to be reconfigured by exerting a continuous upward force upon the platform that causes the platform to elevate and be blocked within a range at a plurality of different vertical locations against downward movement. The control assembly further has an actuator that is repositionable to change the control assembly into a second state wherein the platform can be lowered over the range.

A two-part mounting device for attaching a free end of a guide cord of a window covering to a window frame. The device includes a base that can be secured to the frame and a holder which can be attached to the free end of the cord. The holder and the free end of the guide cord can be moved, relative to the base, in opposite directions, by sliding the holder in either one of the opposite directions while the holder and base remain engaged. The holder and base can also be disengaged by sliding the holder in one of the opposite directions. The device also includes a ratchet and pawl mechanism.

A ratchetable open-ended wrench having a slidable retractable jaw member in a slot in one of its jaws and having a cover plate, preferably two cover plates, welded to the jaw in a manner such that the cover plate forms a load-bearing structural member within the jaw.

A liner hanger assembly seals with casing 22 and supports a liner 90 within a well. The tubular liner hanger body 50 and a tubular expander 40 may be positioned downhole at a desired depth on a running tool. An actuator assembly 12, 24 may forcibly move the tubular expander 40 into the liner hanger body 50, expanding the liner hanger body to seal and secure the hanger body to the casing string 22. The running tool may be released from the set liner hanger by an axially movable collet mechanism, such as ratchet ring 92 and a catch mechanism, such as threads 94. The running string thus need not be rotated to release from the set liner hanger.

A reversible ratchet wrench includes a handle from which a head extends. The head includes a compartment and a receiving hole in communication with the compartment. A drive member is rotatably mounted in the compartment and a pawl is slidably mounted in the compartment. A ring is mounted in the compartment and around an end of the drive member. A reversing plate is pivotably mounted to the end of the drive member and operatively connected to the ring to turn therewith. A switching member is pivotably mounted in the receiving hole of the head. The switching member is operatively connected to a tip piece of the ring to turn therewith. The switching member is operatively connected to the pawl to move the pawl for changing a driving rotating direction of the reversible ratchet wrench when the reversing plate is moved between two positions corresponding to two opposite driving rotating directions.

The invention discloses a bionic wing-flapping and bouncing multi-mode movement robot which comprises a rack, a bouncing mechanism, a wing-flapping mechanism and a driving mechanism, wherein the bouncing mechanism, the wing-flapping mechanism and the driving mechanism are arranged on the rack. The bouncing mechanism comprises feet, a folding mechanism, a torsional spring frame and a winch wheel. The wing-flapping mechanism comprises two wing mechanisms and two tail wing mechanisms, wherein the two wing mechanisms and the two tail wing mechanisms are respectively symmetrical in a left-right mode. The driving mechanism comprises a driving motor, a gear transmission mechanism and a ratchet mechanism. The gear transmission mechanism comprises an input gear and an output gear meshed with the input gear. The output gear comprises a tooth-incomplete gear, a crank gear connected with a crank, and a winch wheel gear connected with the winch wheel. The crank gear is meshed with the half side, with complete teeth, of the tooth-incomplete gear, and the winch wheel gear is meshed with the half side, with incomplete teeth, of the tooth-incomplete gear. The driving mechanism with the single motor drives the wing mechanisms and the bouncing mechanism to work, the complexity and the whole mass of the robot are effectively reduced, and the feasibility of the multi-mode movement robot is improved.

Ratcheted pivot incorporating large and small areas of frictional contact and a ratcheting mechanism to provide for rotational repositioning of a mounting plate and a load about a horizontal axis.

An overrunning clutch comprising a ratchet wheel (1) and a plurality of pawls (2) is disclosed. Each of the pawls (2) is rotationally supported on a disk member (5) by a shaft (3). The clutch is characterized by a permanent magnet (4) being fixed on the disk member (5) between the axes of the disk member (5) and the shaft (3) and facing the tail end of each pawl (2). Because each of the pawls are not driven by a spring in the clutch, the clutch could not be malfunction due to the fatigue failure of the spring in the case of frequent heavy load.

The present invention provides a handheld power tool having an impact block and an impact block return device. The impact block has a plurality of continuous teeth arranged along a lengthwise direction of the impact block. The impact block return device comprises a gearwheel engaged with the teeth of the impact block; a ratchet wheel rotating simultaneously with the gearwheel; and a clamping member operated in a first state and a second state, the clamping member contacting the ratchet wheel in the first state and the clamping member being separated from the ratchet wheel in the second state; wherein the impact block only can do a single-directional movement when the clamping member contacts the ratchet wheel in the first state. The present invention can improve stability of the retraction process of the impact block (e.g., a firing pin).

To facilitate the demounting of a chain (3) from a chainsaw, the saw has a lever arm preferably in the form of hinged cover (11) arranged to displace the sprocket (15) towards the guide bar (2) the other upon opening of the cover (11). Upon closing the cover (11), the sprocket (15) is displaced in the opposite direction to pre-tension the chain (3). The sprocket (15, 115) may be driven over a gear transmission (27, 127), which when the chain (3, 103) is running at ordinary cutting speed uses resulting forces to automatically tension the chain (3, 103) by displacing the sprocket (15, 115) away from the guide bar (2, 102). A ratchet mechanism (34) may be provided to maintain the chain tension upon reduction of the chain speed by preventing the sprocket (15) from moving toward the guide bar (2).Alternatively, a mechanism for automatically tensioning the chain (3, 238) of a chainsaw includes a driving inner sprocket (76, 201), and an outer ring member (77, 204) surrounding the inner sprocket (76, 201). A spring (64, 87, 228) may be provided for assisting the ratchet mechanism or as a substitute therefore.