c. 1982 Hudgins two-way ratchet

[Private Lugnutz]

I just picked this up at the flea market this morning. It is not quite vintage by classic standards (minus 50 years, nothing later than 1969), but it's certainly not contemporary, and will be more appreciated down here than on the General Discussion forum.

The name refers to James L. Hudgins, an inventor from Cedar Crest, New Mexico. Perhaps not at all ironically (since I seem to be attracted to alternative ratcheting mechanisms!), the Hudgins ratchet works very similar to the Onli-1 ratchet wrench from the 1920's. (If you're not familiar, see my thread dedicated to the subject and its inventor, here).

That large head has a set of beveled gears inside it, and his first patent for the idea (4,086,829, granted May 2, 1978) actually had a little crank at the **** end of the handle, just like the Onli-1, to turn the gears. His second patent, which is what you see here, eliminated the crank on the back. The gears, and hence the drive stud, are actuated by turning the entire handle. This design is patent 4,311,072, granted Jan 19, 1982.

Unlike the Onli-1, the Hudgins can also be used like a conventional ratchet. When you're in close quarters, and there is no room to swing the handle, you just twist the handle instead.

Ingenious.

I don't know if he made it in other drives sizes, but this is 3/8-inch drive.

 

[damon18]

Unlike the Onli-1, the Hudgins can also be used like a conventional ratchet. When you're in close quarters, and there is no room to swing the handle, you just twist the handle instead.

Like it! Cool find.

 

[RubiconJK]

Great idea for tight spots where you can't swing the handle! Very cool.

 

[bonneyman]

Interesting.

If it had a thinner head, longer handle, and came in 1/4" drive I'd have to find one!

 

[woody 73]

Private would you happen too know if he is still alive ? I would guess so because it is not all that long ago. I wonder if he had any more Patents?

 

[4xdog]

Similar to the FACOM/Stanley/Blackhawk Rotator ratchets?

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=148023

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Private would you happen too know if he is still alive ? I would guess so because it is not all that long ago. I wonder if he had any more Patents?

No idea, Woody. I just found it this morning and only focused on the tool patent so far.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Similar to the FACOM/Stanley/Blackhawk Rotator ratchets?

No clue, 4xdog. I don't know anything about contemporary tools.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

The unit is not functioning properly, and I'm having trouble getting it apart.

The two screws in the face plate imply that the entire assembly lifts out, and it does lift out at the top, but it's getting hung up on something internal near the direction selector. Probably whatever is jamming it up.

There are two retaining rings sitting on top of each other in a recess in the head where it meets the neck of the handle, implying the entire head comes off. I'm not sure what that would get me anyway, but I don't have any snap ring pliers that will fit the holes in the lock rings. I tried two different K-D, a Snap-on, and a Waldes Truarc. Very frustrated right now!

 

[3baygarage]

This could be the mullet of ratchets. Business in the front, party in the back.


I guess you need smaller tip pliers.

 

[3baygarage]

This patent diagram shows some good detail. Looks like the pawl would come out with the face plate and lever. “Spring loaded detent” under the pawl. The patent even mentions it’s a conventional design used in standard reversible ratchet wrenches.

https://patents.google.com/patent/US4311072A/en

 

[DadsTools]

The unit is not functioning properly, and I'm having trouble getting it apart.

The two screws in the face plate imply that the entire assembly lifts out, and it does lift out at the top, but it's getting hung up on something internal near the direction selector. Probably whatever is jamming it up.

There are two retaining rings sitting on top of each other in a recess in the head where it meets the neck of the handle, implying the entire head comes off. I'm not sure what that would get me anyway, but I don't have any snap ring pliers that will fit the holes in the lock rings. I tried two different K-D, a Snap-on, and a Waldes Truarc. Very frustrated right now!

This is just a wild guess. but the pawl may be broken and is hanging it up. You might try the old trick of placing the rat inside a clear plastic bag to catch any flying pieces and try a little more persuasion on extracting the assembly.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I guess you need smaller tip pliers.

I was about ready to start grinding the Truarcs! But lifting the head off the handle wouldn't give me access to the pawl and main gear, anyway. It would expose that little beveled gear (33) and assembly.

This is just a wild guess. but the pawl may be broken and is hanging it up.

I'm hoping it's just dislodged or gummed up.

I have had the whole thing soaking for a few hours now.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Success!

Frankly, I think the batman pawl was just stuck in place in its cavity. It's a very tight fit. Too tight. So tight that it won't fit back inside that cavity. Not even squeezing it hard with two thumbs. I literally had to tap it back inside fairly hard a few times with a mallet. And that was just an experimental fitting, without the spring and detent ball in place. There is no way I would be able to hold the detent ball and spring in place and hammer the pawl back in place.

There is a spring steel clip in there, like a spacer, that is not shown in the diagram. It has a hole in it that goes right over the recess for the spring-loaded detent ball. I have seen these before and I have removed them before. The pawl fits perfectly without it. I may experiment with it out.

But that's tomorrow. No way I am attempting the ball and spring magic at this hour!

 

[Provincial]

Lugs, that spacer may be a well-intentioned "repair" to address a percieved weakness in the design. It may be that there is not enough clearance for the pawl with the spacer installed.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

If it had a thinner head, longer handle, and came in 1/4" drive I'd have to find one!

Hi bonneyman. After following 4xdog's lead above, I discovered that Stanley, Blackhawk by Proto, Facom, and Ko-Ken all make a modern version, and they are available in 1/4-inch drive. Search by those names and Rotator Ratchet or Twist Ratchet. They will all come up.

You may also want to check out the Tite-Reach line.

I learned about Tite-Reach earlier this year, by accident, and posted a follow-up to my SPEEDEE-RATCH thread, linked here. Why? Because the SPEEDEE-RATCH (1933) is another close quarters use ratchet. Chain pull (no kidding!) No swinging. Turns out the Tite-Reach (2017) wrenches (perfect name for the use!) are also chain-drive. No swinging. Those are actuated with a power drill or a conventional wrench or ratchet on the back end. Company website is here.

I bought a Chinese Husky, against my religion, but I was intrigued by the design, which sounds great but has very limited practical use. An example of doing something because you can, not because you need to.

I wouldn't say the practical use is very limited. It is limited, though, to tight spaces where you can't swing a conventional wrench or ratchet, which is exactly the point of having them, rather than figuring out a workaround, which usually means disassembling something to gain access, which often costs time and money.

The inventor of the Onli-1 (1920), August Klopper, a mechanic who raced and worked on his own cyclecars in the 'Teens, would certainly disagree with you. He said he invented it precisely because of the need to turn fasteners in tight spaces without having to take the entire engine apart. You can read more here. Same story with Henry Merriman, who was very explicit about his own need for something like his SPEEDEE-RATCH (1933), its motivation. Link here. You can see several applications within a span of 30 seconds or so into the excellent video the guys at Tite-Reach (2018) made, here, and they were mechanics. Finally, mrborohachi, who is a big fan of Ko-Ken twist ratchets, posted a video here.

Or not. Not everyone has to like it or agree.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Lugs, that spacer may be a well-intentioned "repair" to address a percieved weakness in the design. It may be that there is not enough clearance for the pawl with the spacer installed.

My thoughts exactly. Someone may have thought the action too loose.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Voi-friggin'-la!

I put it back together without the spacer. I lubed up the beveled gear in the back of the head, jammed the spring and detent ball area with lube to help keep those in place. I used a #11 feeler gage blade to hold the ball and spring down in the recess while I popped the assembly back in place, then slipped the blade out lickety-split. Spins like butter. Changes directions without a hitch.

I should probably figure out how to post a video.