Inside a ratchet: How they work

FAISAL · June 05, 2015, 08:01:55 AM

Quote from: OkieTools on June 05, 2015, 07:55:50 AM
Got another ratchet video for all of you, it's my Fathers Day gift from my wife and son. A Proto 3/4 Drive 5649BL ratchet. Hope you all enjoy.

nice and useful video,thanks for sharing

OkieTools · June 05, 2015, 10:27:41 AM

FAISAL, your welcome sir.

bonneyman · June 28, 2015, 05:58:14 PM

Someone from GG sent a Bonney 1/4" gear assembly with a lazy pawl. Figured I should put one of the pics in here so you could see the parts in the Bonney dual pawl set-up.

lauver · July 23, 2015, 12:37:57 PM

bman,

Great work... yu da man!

I'm curious how and what you used to squeeze the two pins together to extract the selector disk/central shaft out. Also, who supplied the 3rd or 4th hand to pry the selector disk up?

In a 3/8" or 1/2" version of this ratchet it would be no problem because there is plenty of room to work, but in the 1/4" ratchet the amount of space behind the pawls is very tight.

Gang,

Just so you all understand the trouble that bonneyman went to in fixing this ratchet, the term "lazy pawl" means that this ratchet was only firing on one of two cylinders. Or, put another way, this 72 tooth hot rod ratchet was reduced to a common 36 tooth action clunker ratchet. This was a very slick patented design that beat many other ratchet makers like MDF to the punch with their RHFT ratchet that was not introduced until 1970.

In helping me, bonneyman saved two very nice and somewhat rare vintage Bonney ratchets. Thanks again bman!!!

bonneyman · July 23, 2015, 02:34:46 PM

Wanting me to share my trade secrets, eh?

LOL

I put a small standard screwdriver in my vise, and locked it in in a horizontal position facing away from the bench. (I then positioned it between the selector knob and gear body).
I then took too smaller screwdrivers, and pushed in both pawls pins. Simultaneously, I leaned on the assembly so the driver prying off the selector knob put pressure on it to separate the parts while I fiddled with the pawl pins. When both pins were pushed in enough to slide into the hole, the pressure on the vise driver separated the parts. I then stopped, and slowly pulled the selector out the rest of the way by hand, being careful to catch both pawl pins as they shot out once they got past the outer end of the body.

oldtools · July 23, 2015, 06:46:55 PM

WOW!! was it difficult to reassemble?..

bonneyman · July 23, 2015, 10:16:37 PM

Quote from: oldtools on July 23, 2015, 06:46:55 PM
WOW!! was it difficult to reassemble?..

No. You have to have the pawl pins horizontal, in as far as they will go easily, then apply light pressure on the selector knob in. The pawl pins will "bind" up against the body, which allows you to free a hand and push them both in with fine needle nose pliers. Once they are pushed in far enough to slide into the body hole, the whole assembly pops in.

I've got a line on a 3/8" Bonney -702K rat that has a lazy pawl. Still trying to finangle the deal.

bonneyman · August 09, 2015, 03:32:12 PM

Had to take apart my new to me Thorsen to repair the spring and clean up the pawl teeth. Got some help from a GG member, and managed to get it apart. Here's the guts.

bonneyman · August 18, 2015, 06:08:29 PM

Picked up a 1060A during my travels. Since I'm a bit light on 1/4"ers figured it was worth the $2.
Dual see-saw pawls, offset in the gear assembly so they don't run in the exact same tooth channel in the head. Probably helps disperse the wear a bit. 45 teeth, very smooth action, short round knurled handle just like I like.
Here it is next to an EASCO RHFT for comparison (with a similar dual pawl set-up, also used in the Craftsman version).

bonneyman · September 02, 2015, 07:19:49 PM

A new-to-me 3/8" drive roundhead ratchet made by Crescent. It has two pawls, which I'm calling "stair stepper" pawls, because they have this upright shape like a stair stepper machine.
They are retracted and extended into working position by a cammed cutout in the cast selector knob, which appears to be the shortcoming of the design. A bit weak due to the thin cast metal, it tends to fail by cracking.
As I repair the one I have I'll get teeth counts and more data. But here's some pics.
Seems originally to be a Wright patent. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2715955A/en
Later patented by Crescent Niagara Tools https://patents.google.com/patent/US2982161

It seems that S-K had a similar design as well: https://patents.google.com/patent/US2744432A/en

OkieTools · October 11, 2015, 07:35:24 PM

As I told Bonneyman, when I got the videos on my new to me Easco RHFT ratchets done I'd post them here. Should go nice with his post from last month. In it I talk a lot about how to take them apart, and some of the ticks I use to get them back together. Hope you guys enjoy.

https://youtu.be/15SyIaLB98s

OkieTools · October 11, 2015, 07:45:28 PM

Also wanted to post a video I did on the Plomb Wright Field WF-21 3/8 ratchet Chilly sent me.

https://youtu.be/6dohMEWWdPI

Twertsy · October 12, 2015, 08:10:52 AM

Based on the categories on the first page of this thread, how the heck would you folks "bin" this mechanism from the Wright No. 50?

bonneyman · October 12, 2015, 02:27:30 PM

Quote from: Twertsy on October 12, 2015, 08:10:52 AM
Based on the categories on the first page of this thread, how the heck would you folks "bin" this mechanism from the Wright No. 50?

I think your working title of "piston pawl" works well.

Not the finest action in the world, but looks dang near bulletproof. And the pawls and springs could be DIY made if one broke.

bonneyman · November 16, 2015, 09:32:38 AM

Well, we're less than 200 views from 40,000. Imagine that? 4 1/2 years and 40,000 peeks. That's roughly 10,000 views a year.
Amazing that the thread has proven so popular.

I'm grateful that it has proven so helpful.

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Inside a ratchet: How they work