US2368902A - Box wrench clip - Google Patents

Description

Fbb.6,l945.

N. THOMPSON BOX WRENCH CLIP Filed March 22, 1943 X is Zmnentor fi/of: so I Gttorneg Patented Feb. 6, 1945 BOXWRENCH CLIP Nellie Thompson, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application March 22, 1943, Serial No. 479,965

Claims.

My invention relates to a simple attachment for a box wrench, whereby the box wrench will be equipped with means to frictionally engage a nut or screw or bolt head which is placed in the opening of the wrench.

Herein the term box Wrench is employed to designate a wrench having an annular or cylindric wall having therein or therethrough a nut receiving opening defined by a plurality of flutes or channels to receive the lateral corners of the nut, the number of such flutes or channels being a multiple of the number of lateral corners. on

the nut. For example, a box wrench for a hexagonal nut or hexagonal head of a machine screw has twelve flutes and accordingly only six of such flutes are engaged at any one time by the corners of a hexagonal nut, the remaining flutes being disposed adjacent the central portion of the side faces of the nut.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and inexpensive clip which may be readily stamped from sheet metal, this clip having slender members positioned so as to lie in unoccupied flutes of a box wrench opening, with at least one of these slender members frictionally engaging a side face of the nut so as to hold the nut in the opening. Throughout this specification it will be understood that the term nut means not only a body whichis movable On a screw in response to rotation, by reason of the threaded engagement of such body with the screw, but also any nut-like body which may be fixed on the stem of a screw, for example, the hexagonal head of a machine screw. This understanding is advanced for the reason that the box wrench, with my clip therein, is ordinarily used on the nuts and heads of bolts.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a box wrench clip comprising a frame or supporting structure and fingers extending from this supporting structure so as to lie in planes which radiate from the center of the supporting structure and are disposed at such angles that the fingers will lie in flutes of the'opening of a box wrench.

A further object of the invention is to provide a box wrench clip of the character set forth in the preceding paragraph, wherein the fingers have extending portions arranged to lie against the front face of the box wrench and bend rearward over the outer face to frictionally engage the same, whereby the clip will be held in operative position.

In the preferred practice of the invention the through the opening of the 'box wrench, or within the same, to a position spaced from thefront face of the wrench. A further object of the invention is to, provide a clip for a box wrench, this clip having fingers to lie in flutes of the box wrench opening, and a supporting frame connected to like ends of the fingers, which supporting frame will serve as a stop to limit axial movement of a nut in the opening of the box I wrench. I

Further objects and advantages of. the invention will be understood from the following specification, and the drawing which is referred to therein.

Referring to the drawing which tive purposes only,

Fig. 1 is a face view of a stamping for a preferred form of my box wrench clip.

Fig. 2 is a side view of a box wrench having therein a clip embodying my invention.

Fig. 3 is an enlargedfragmentary view taken from the position indicated by the arrow 3 of Fig.2.

by the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 4, with r the nut removed from the box wrench opening.

The stamping I0, shown in Fig. 1, includes a frame or supporting structure II, from which slender members I2 radiate, these slender members I2 being occasionally referred to as fingers. The stamping I0 is for a clip to be used in a box wrench for hexagonal nuts, and, accordingly, the fingers I2 are disposed at angles a of 120. The frame II is of such peripheral size that it will pass throughfior within the opening of a box wrench in which the clip is used. As shown in the remaining figures of the drawing, and especially the enlarged sectional view, Fig, 5, the frame II is disposed contiguous to the rear face I3 of the box wrench I4. The fingers I2 are bent with relation to the frame II so as to lie substantially perpendicular thereto and to extend forward in unoccupied flutes I5 of the box wrench I4. As clearly shown in Fig. 3, the fingers I2 are of suchshape and cross sectional area that they will be received within the unoccupied flutes I5 and will lie adjacent the faces frame of the clip is of such size that it will pass ward from the intermediate portions I8 so as to is for illustra- I Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken as indicated to the screw.

lie across the outer face 22 of the box wrench. Preferably the end portions 2| of the fingers l2 conform relatively closely to the outer face 22 of the box'wrench I4 so as to provide a frictional engagement therewith which will contribute to holding of the clip 23 in position in the box wrench opening. As shown at 25 in Fig. 5, at least one of the fingers l2 may be bowed inward slightly for frictional engagement with a side.

face of the-nut ll. Also, the frame ll defines an opening 26 of such size that a screw 21 may pass therethrough, as shown in Fig. 4.

The box wrench I4 is normally equipped with;

means to hold or rotate the same.

may, in accordancewith standard wrench prac- It willbe. understood that such holding or rotating-means tice, extend axially, after the fashion of a socket wrench, or such means may consist of a radial ward direction. Accordingly, the nut I! will be held-in the opening of the box wrench M with the face 38 thereofconti'guous to the front face 29 of the boxwrench, and-preferably protruding slightly, as shown in Fig. 4. It is sometimes found that the head of a machine screw is inaccessible to a workman when he is positioned so as to-operate a wrench on a 'nut threaded on the screw. My invention makes it possible to ap ly a box wrench to the head of the screw, where it will be frictionally held and will rotate with the screw until it engages aprojection which will serve as a stop, this making itpossible for aworkman to give his attention to the tightening of a nut on the accessible end of a screw. A particular advantageof my simple clip is that it will securely hold a nutwithin the opening of a box. wrench so that the wrench may then be employed as themeans forholding and applying the nut I.claim asmy invention:

1. In a clipfora hex-nut box .onsocket wrench having, twelve similar. flutes, the combination of: a frame of a. size to pass through the opening ofv the ,wrench and, occupy a position spaced back.- wardj from the front end of the opening; and fingers projecting from said frame in planes which radiate from the center of said frame at angleswhich are a multiple of 60, said fingersv being relatively narrow to lie in flutes of the wrench opening not occupied, byv corners of a hexagonalrnut received in said opening, with the outer portions of said fingers being shaped like hooks and extending over the front face of the wrench and then down over the external sideface-r of said wrench, the portion of at least one of said fingers which lies in said flutes frictionally engaging the nut which is placedin the openingof.

the wrench.

2. In a clip for a box or socket wrench having.

wrench is intended, the combination of: a frame of a size to pass through the opening of the wrench and occupy a position spaced backward from the front end of the opening; and fingers projecting from said frame in planes which radiate from the center of said frame and being relatively narrow to lie in flutes of the wrench opening not occupied by corners of a nut received in said opening, with the outer portions of said fingers beingbent outward so as-to extend over the front face of said wrench, the portion of at least one of said fingers which lies in said flutes frictionally engaging the nut which is placed in theopening of the wrench.

3. In a clip for a box or socket wrench having a plurality of flutes adapted to receive corners of a nut, the number of said flutes being a multiple of the number of. corners of the nut for which the wrench is intended, the combination of a frame of a size to pass through the opening of the-wrench and occupy a position spaced backward from the front end 'ofthe opening, said frame having a wallpositioned so as to engage an end face of the nut; and-fingers projecting from said frame in planes which radiate from the center of saidframe'and which are relatively narrow so as to lie substantially wholly in flutes of the wrench opening notoccupied by cornersof a-nut received in said opening, the portion-of at least one of said fingers which lies in one-of saidflutes frictionally engaging the nut which is placed in the opening of the wrench.

4. In a clip for a box or socket wrench havinga plurality of flutes adapted to receive corners of a nut, the number of said flutes'being a multiple of the number of corners of the nut for which the wrench; is intended, thecombination of: a

' plurality of slender members disposed so as to extend respectively in flutes of'the opening of said wrench not occupiedby the corners ofanut placed in said opening, and supporting means connected to like ends of said resilient members so as to hold them in placeinsaid flutes,'saidsupporting means having'a transverse wall, positioned'so'as to engage anend face of the nut, and said members being so 'formed that atleastone; of them will frictionallyengage thenut placed in said opening 5; Ina clip for a box orsocket wrench having a plurality of flutesadapted to receive corners of; a nut, the number of said flutes being-a multiple of the number of corners of the nut for which the wrench is intended, thev combination of; a plurality of slender members disposed so as to extend respectively in "flutes of the opening of,

said box wrench not occupied by the; corners. of

a nut placed in said opening, and supporting means connected to like'ends of, saidmembers so as to holdithemin place in saidjflutes, said supporting means comprising a thin flat wall lying.v

in a plane substantiallynormalto theaxis of the wrench opening, said members being' so formed that at least onetof' themwill frictionally engage

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