Self-adjusting ratcheting wrench

A self-adjusting ratcheting wrench has an elongated handle terminating at one end in a fixed jaw, a movable jaw pivotally attached to the handle so as to close on the fixed jaw and terminating at one end in a pair of jaw faces forming an obtuse angle and separated from one another by a lateral groove and at the other end in a tail, the pivotal attachment being disposed between the tail and the jaw faces, an actuator arm pivotally attached at one end to the tail and at the other end in a thumb plate and connected therebetween to the handle so that the actuator arm is laterally offset from and longitudinally slidable along the handle, a leaf spring disposed in and pivotally attached to the handle, and a coil spring disposed in the handle so as to urge the leaf spring against a convex camming surface formed on the movable jaw adjacent the tail, whereby torque applied to the handle in a first direction causes the jaws to close on an element contained therebetween so as to apply the torque to the element, torque applied to the handle in the opposite direction permits the jaws to open and the wrench to ratchet about the element, and longitudinal force applied to the thumb plate in the direction of the jaws causes the jaws to open.