US2534985A - Lever and link feed sliding jaw wrench - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 19, 1950 M. A. NAPIER 2,534,985

LEVER AND LINK FEED SLIDING JAW WRENCH Filed Sept. 5, 1946 16 INVENTOR.

) MAU IZICE. A. NA'PEEIZ ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 19, 1950 LEVER AND LINK FEED SLIDING JAW WRENCH Maurice A. Napier, Akron, Ohio Application September 3, 1946, Serial No. 694,447

2 Claims.

This invention relates to wrenches, and more especially it relates to wrenches of the end opening type adapted for operation upon hexagonal nuts, couplings, screw heads and the like.

The invention is an improvement upon the wrench that constitutes the subject matter of my copending patent application, Serial No. 674,288, filed June 4, 1946, now abandoned.

Like the wrench of the copending application aforementioned, the wrench of the present invention is of especial utility for turning coupling nuts composed of relatively soft metal such as brass or lead. To this end the wrench is provided with the improved jaws of the prior application, which jaws are constructed and arranged to engage the work at three different points arranged 120 degrees apart; more specifically, the jaws are adapted to engage the alternate fiat faces of a hexagonal nut or coupling. The wrench of the copending application is provided with two conventionally arranged handle members adapted to be manipulated by hand to grip and to release the work. The arrangement is such, however, that normal manipulation of said handles requires such an expansive opening of the operator's hand that use of the wrench is impracticable in close quarters where space is at a premium. It is to the relief of this condition that this invention primarily is directed.

The chief object of the invention is to provide in an improved manner for effecting the opening and closing of the jaws of wrenches of the character mentioned. More specifically the invention aims to provide a wrench whereof the jaws may be opened and closed with but little spreading of the operators hand; and to provide a wrench whereof the force applied thereto to turn the work also clamps the jaws more firmly about the work. Other objects will be manifest as the description proceeds.

Of the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a wrench embodying the invention, and the work engaged thereby, showing how the wrench is grasped by the operator's band;

Fig. 2 is a view of the structure shown in Fig. 1 when opened to the maximum extent, the head or fixed jaw of the wrench being sectioned on line 22 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 3 is an edge elevation of the wrench viewed from the right of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a wrench comprising a head or fixed jaw Ill, a movable jaw ll carried thereby, a handle l2, and a link pivotally connectin said handle to said movable jaw. The fixed jaw ii] is a. symmetrical one piece structure of irregular shape composed of heavy sheet metal, said structure being bent or folded along the centerline thereof to provide identical lateral portions Illa, Illa that are disposed in parallelism, and in slightly spaced relation to each other to receive the movable jaw Adjacent the lower end of the structure H1, at the rear thereof, the lateral portions Illa are formed with respective axially aligned apertures in which a headed pin or rivet I4 is received, the handle l2 being pivotally mounted at its upper end on said rivet, between lateral portions Illa. At the bottom of structure l0, and at the front thereof (which is at the right as shown in Figs. 1 and 2) the lateral portions Illa are formed with relatively short obliquely downwardly extending portions l5, l5. The respective upper margins of the latter, and the front margins of the portions. Illa adjacent thereto, are formed with integral flanges l6, l6 that are bent toward each other and abut each other in edge-to-edge relation in the central plane of the wrench, as is clearly shown in Fig. 3,

At its upper end, the medial fold or bend of the fixed jaw l0 terminates at IS, the lateral portions Illa extending therebeyond and extending toward each other into abutting relation, where they are permanently secured to each other as by welding. The region where the portions Illa are welded to each other constitutes a nose [9, which nose overhangs that portion of the jaw immediately therebelow, the bottom margin of said nose being flat and constituting a work engaging surface 20.

Positioned between lateral portions lila of the fixed jaw I0 is the movable jaw ll arranged for sliding movement toward and away from the nose IS, the rear margin of said movable jaw abutting the medial fold or bend of the fixed jaw, the front margin thereof being flush with the front margin of said fixed jaw. The movable jaw is formed with a slot 23 that is parallel to the front and rear margins of the jaw, and a rivet 24 extending from one lateral portion Illa to the other extends through said slot and limits the operative movement of the movable jaw. Movement of the jaw ll relatively of the fixed jaw I0 is effected by the handle 62 to which said movable jaw is pivotally connected by a link 25. The latter is of dumb-bell contour, its generally circular end portions being received in complementally shaped sockets in the jaw l l and handle l2. The socket in the jaw ll opens onto the bottom margin thereof, and the socket in the handle l2 opens onto the upper margin thereof, forwardly of the pivot pin M. The arrangement is such that angular movement of the handle on its pivot l4 effects longitudinal movement of the jaw H. The link 25, movable jaw H, and handle I2 are all of the same thickness and are disposed in the same plane. The top margin of the movable jaw H is formed with a V-shape recess or notch, the diverging walls or faces 21,28 of which are arranged at an angle of exactly degrees to each other. In the assem- II that is located therebetweenQ bled structure, faces 21,28 also are disposed at exactly 60 degrees to the face 20 of the fixed jaw ID. The fixed jaw is recessed below the face 20 to such an extent that faces 21,28 of the movable jaw always are disposed exteriorly of the fixed jaw,

The arrangement is such that a hexagonal nut or coupling member, such as shown at 36, Fig. 1, may be engaged by the fixed jaw and the movable jaw of the wrench, with the faces or margins 21, 28 engaging two of the flat sides or faces of the nut or coupling and the face or margin 20 engaging the third side thereof. It will be observed that the wrench engages alternate sides of the nut or couplings, which sides are 120 degrees apart from each other.

The manner of grasping the wrench to operate the same is clearly shown in Fig. 1. As shown, the handle i2 is grasped in the hand with the forefinger thereof hooked over the obliquely extending portions 55 of the wrench, as in handling a gun trigger. When the wrench is engaged with a not or coupling 39 as shown, it is only necessary to urge the handle in counterclockwise direction to cause the wrench to grip the nut or coupling and to turn the same. When it is desired to reverse the movement of the wrench to obtain a new grip on the work, it is only necessary to release the pressure of the i'orefinger, and move the handle in the opposite direction, thereby opening the jaws of the wrench sufficiently so that they will pass the corners of the hexagonal not or coupling, as shown in Fig. Such movement of the handle is relatively small, being through an arc of about degrees as will be apparent from a comparison of the position of the handle in 1 and in Fig. 2. Accordingly, the forefinger requires to be loosened or moved only a trifling extent to enable the handle to be moved as described, thus adapting the wrench for use in tight situations where a more expansive opening of the hand would be impossible. This is true whether the wrench is engaged with work of the maximum size for which it is designed, or Work or minimum size.

The slot 23 allows substantial range of movement of the movable jaw El, so that the wrench is adapted to operate upon hexagonal work pieces of several different standard sizes.

The wrench is simple in construction, and may be made from stamped parts, thus reducing the cost thereof. The wrench may be used in situations where wrenches with widely opening handles could not be employed. The link 25 that connects the handle 2 to the movable jaw II is subjected only to compressive stress during the tightening of the work, and therefore is capable of withstanding great strain without buckling, flexing, or other deformation. The wrench is readily capable of use in a manner that achieves function of a ratchet wrench, and it accomplishes the other objects set out in the foregoing statement of objects.

Modification may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, or the scope thereof as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A wrench of the type having a fixed jaw and a movable jaw, said fixed jaw comprising a sym.- metrically shaped plate folded along its center line and with its sides arranged in parallelism in spaced relation throughout the major portion of the fixed jaw and being in contact throughout a relatively small outer portion to constitute an abutment for a nut to be en aged. a movable jaw disposed between the said spaced sides of said fixed jaw and adapted to move toward and from said abutment, means limiting the extent of motion of said movable jaw, a handle permanently pivoted between said spaced sides of said fixed jaw, a connecting link pivotally attached to said movable jaw and said handle, the pivot point of said handle being, in all positions of adjustment of said movable jaw, appreciably spaced from a line between the pivotal centers of said connecting link and substantially laterally adjacent the pivotal center of the link in the handle in the mean position of the movable jaw whereby to impart rapid motion to said movable jaw, and an extension on said fixed jaw directed obliquely to the path of motion of said movable jaw and being appreciably shorter than said handle whereby one or more fingers of the hand may engage the said extension, trigger fashion, and swing the same throughout large angular motion without interference by the balance of the fingers engaging the said handle.

2. A wrench of the type having a fixed jaw and a movable jaw, said fixed jaw comprising a symmetrically shaped plate folded along its center line and with its sides arranged in parallelism in spaced relation throughout the major portion of the fixed jaw and being in contact throughout a relatively small outer portion to constitute an abutment for one side of a nut to be engaged, a Y-shaped movable jaw disposed between the said spaced sides of said fixed jaw and adapted to move toward and from said abutment, means limiting the extent of motion of said movable jaw, a handle permanently pivoted between said spaced sides or" said fixed jaw, a connecting link pivotally attached to said movable jaw and said handle, the pivot point of said handle being, in all positions of adjustment of said movable jaw, appreciably spaced from a line between the pive otal centers of said connecting link and substan tially laterally adjacent the pivotal center of the link in the handle in the mean position of the movable jaw whereby to impart rapid motion to said movable jaw, and an extension on said fixed jaw directed obliquely to the path of motion of said movable jaw and being appreciably shorter than said handle whereby one or more fingers of the hand may engage the said extension, trigger fashion, and swing the same throughout large angular motion without interference by the balance of the fingers engaging the said handle. MAURICE A. NAPIER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 18,266 Blake Sept. 22, 1857 77,107 Searle Apr. 21, 1868 660,415 Carter Oct. 23, 1900 898,708 Weidemann Sept. 15, 1908 1,034,341 Bourne July 30, 1912 1,195,065 Morrow Aug. 15, 1916 1,380,044 Davis May 31, 1921 1,391,337 Minney Sept. 20, 1921 1,391,898 Kettler Sept. 27, 1921 1,663,920 Peterson Mar. 27, 1928 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 158,682 Great Britain Feb. 10, 1921

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