ALEXANDRIA, Va., April 9 -- United States Patent no. 12,269,147, issued on April 8.
"Articulated reaction gear locking feature" was invented by David Wilson Jr. (Boulder, Colo.) and David Simone Wilson (Boulder, Colo.).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "Disclosed is a latching mechanism for a high-torque tool that allows a top semicircular segment to be connected and disconnected from a bottom semicircular segment, which allows a hex jaw (reaction gear) to engage a fluid fitting static nut for application of high torques. A pivoted latch has a curved blade, which is mounted closer to the center point of the hex jaw (reaction gear) than the latch pivot pin of the pivoted latch so that all of the fo...