CA2335504A1

CA2335504A1 - Universal wrench

Info

Publication number: CA2335504A1
Application number: CA002335504A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Max Pasbrig
Original assignee: Lacrex SA
Current assignee: Lacrex SA
Priority date: 1999-05-25
Filing date: 2001-02-09
Publication date: 2002-08-09
Also published as: WO2000071300A1; CN1152770C; GB2370245A; GB0026503D0; CN1334176A

Abstract

The universal wrench has a handle and a wrench body with reciprocally displaceable jaws and part-gripping teeth. An abutment end portion of the handle has circularly arranged teeth that cooperate with teeth on a rack provided on one of the jaws. The rack is reciprocally guided in the other jaw. A spring is secured to the handle and to this other jaw. A latch pin presses against the lower circular surfaces of this other jaw to secure the handle in different pivoting positions.

Description

Universal Wrench Background of the Invention This invention relates to a universal wrench.
The wrench has an open wrench body that is attached to the end of a handle or a device formed at the end of a handle, for clamping and holding fast, and then releasing a bolt head or like connecting element, or rods, pipes, etc.
Known wrenches of this kind have the disadvantage that round bolt heads or like connecting elements, and rods and pipes cannot be securely clamped, held fast, and released.
Summary of the Invention The object of the invention is to provide a universal wrench that with its wrench body is able to securely clamp, hold fast, and release even round bolt heads and like connecting elements, and rods, pipes and like parts of different shape and size.
This object is achieved according to the invention, by a universal wrench having at least one open wrench body attached at the end portion of a handle or a device formed at the end of a handle. The wrench body is pivotable in a gripping plane relative to the handle. A shaft is attached to the handle and stands perpendicularly to the gripping plane. First and second jaws are mounted to pivot about the shaft in the gripping plane. A guide is provided on the first jaw and runs at right angles to the gripping plane. A rack is provided on the second jaw at right angles to the second jaw. The rack is guided for longitudinal displacement in the guide and has teeth directed towards the handle. A series of teeth are provided at the end portion of the handle, with the teeth arranged in a circular arc with a mid-point formed~by the shaft. These teeth engage the teeth on the rack.
It has been found to be particularly advantageous for the handle to have an abutment portion with a tooth system with rounded recesses and projections.
The wrench body has two jaws that are reciprocally displaceable. The first jaw is rotatable about a shaft mounted in the handle and is held in the clamping position by a spring. The second jaw has recesses and projections that match those of the abutment portion. The jaws are provided on their mutually facing inner sides with recesses that ensure better seating on the part to be clamped.
To accomodate conventional hexagonal nuts, the recesses have surfaces that include an angle of 120 and form sides of an equilateral triangle.
The inner sides of the jaws are provided with edges to ensure a good grip on round darts such as pipes. The inner sides of the jaws are also provided with teeth that form gripping surfaces. A ratchet-like latching between the jaws and the handle can result from appropriately constructing and arranging the teeth and the spring.
A further advantage results from a spring that has one end mounted on the shaft on the handle or on a pin elastically mounted in the handle. The other end of the spring is mounted on the jaw that is pivotably held by the shaft. The handle and the jaw are thus better held in the desired position to assure that a bolt or other connecting element is securely held.
Possibile uses of a universal wrench according to the invention are expanded when the abutment portion is connected to the end of the handle via a shaft lying in the gripping plane of the wrench body. In this arrangement, the abutment portion can be rotated perpendicularly to the gripping plane, as is known from Swiss Patent 382,044. This arrangement is therefore not shown and described in more detail.
pescription of the Drawinqs_ Preferred embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a plan view of the universal wrench, Figure 2 shows a longitudinal section through the universal wrench shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 shows a plan view of the first jaw, and Figure 4 shows a plan view of the second jaw.
Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments The universal wrench has an open wrench body 2 and a handle 1. The handle 1 has an abutment portion 14 with teeth that are formed by rounded projections 21 and rounded recesses 19, 20, arranged on a circular arc, the midpoint of which coincides with the longitudinal axis of rotary shaft 5. The wrench body has two reciprocally displaceable jaws 15, 16. Jaw 15 carries projections 25, 26, 27 and recesses 28 on a slider rack 30 that is guided in jaw 16. The projections and recesses are arranged in a straight line and match those on the abutment portion 14 with which they engage. Shanks 35, 36 are attached to jaw 16 and are provided with mounting bares and are pivotably mounted on the shaft 5. Shanks 35, 36 are perpendicular to a guide surface running at right angles to jaw 16 and forming, together with shanks 35, 36, a guide 29 for the rack 30. The jaw 15 is attached at right angles to the untoothed rear side of rack 30. Jaw 16 forms with its lateral shanks 35, 36 a forked enclosure of the toothed abutment portion 14 of the handle 1. Shanks 35, 36 have a semicircular shape at their lower ends 31, 32, engaging a latch pin 33 that is enclosed by a sleeve 34 of elastic material and fastened in a bore of the handle 1. Jaws 15, 16 are secured in different pivoting positions relative to the handle 1, because latch pin 33 abuts and presses on the lower ends 31, 32 of the shanks.
To support positioning on a connecting element to be gripped, a spring 37 is attached at one end to shaft 5 in handle 1 and is attached at its other end 38 to jaw 16. In anothe embodiment shown in broken ' lines, spring 37 is attached to latch pin 33.
The mutually facing sides of the jaws 15, 16 are provided with recesses 15', 16'. The clamping faces are equipped with teeth or ribs 15"', 16"'. Corners 15", 16" are provided at the transition from the forward, obliquely running faces of the recesses to the straight running surfaces of the clamp jaws. The corners 15", 16" serve to enclose round pieces.
For the purpose of an improved handling it is provided that the end of the grip is furnished with a covering 1' out of rubber or plastic material which is complemented with formings 1 " and with a'hanging link 1 " '.

i In operation , pivat~ng the abutement portion of handle 1 to the right displaces laws i5, t6 in an opening direction.
The universal wrench can thin, be seated on caj,nectiori elements o!< different sizes, this seating bring facilitate d fn that the play between the jaws and the parts to be grippeQ can ea~iiy be increased by pivoting the handle 1, If the abutment portion of Che handle is now pivoted in the opposite direction . to the left,jawa 15, t~ engage the axticlo to be gx'igpea-In order to facilitate the Seating and tree grip;-in g of the element to be fastened, the user c:,n press his t.huuib easily ~xt 39 against the jaw 75 in the direction to the j opening movement. Through this-against the press~ion of the spring 37 - the jaw rrioves towards an opening Fositivn and when loosing the presgiort of the thumb, the 'ew$

15.16 grip the elemont to he fattened.
The invention is not limited to the universal wrench illustrated, The arijustable law wrench body can also be attached to the handle to roGdte abput an axis. z,fkEwise, several Wrench bo8ies can be provided on one hand 1s. The wrench body can also be constructed with the abutmer,t~
Portion as an interchangable component for other suitable universal wrenches.
I
i (6) i

Claims

Claim 1: In a universal wrench having at least one open wrench body attached at an end portion of a handle means for positively holding fast a part to be gripped, said wrench body being pivotable in a gripping plane relative to said handle means, the improvement comprising shaft means standing perpendicularly to said gripping plane, first and second jaw means mounted to pivot about said shaft means in said gripping plane, guide means provided on said first jaw means and running at right angles to said gripping plane, rack means provided on said second jaw means and connected at right angles to said second jaw means, said rack means being guided for longitudinal displacement in said guide means and having teeth directed towards said handle means, and a series of teeth provided at said end portion of said handle means, with the teeth arranged in a circular arc with a mid-point formed by said shaft means and engaging with said teeth on said rack means.
Claim 2: A universal wrench according to Claim 1, wherein said first and second jaw means have mutually facing inner sides provided with recesses.
Claim 3: A universal wrench according to Claim 2, wherein said recesses comprise surfaces including an angle of 120 and forming sides of an equilateral triangle.
Claim 4: A universal wrench according to Claim 2, wherein said mutually facing inner sides are provided with edges.
Claim 5: A universal wrench according to Claim 2, wherein said mutually facing inner sides are provided with ribbed means.
Claim 6: A universal wrench according to Claim 1, further comprising tooth grooves formed between said teeth on said rack means and said teeth at said end portion of said handle means, wherein said teeth on said rack means and said teeth at said end portion of said handle means and said tooth grooves are rounded.
Claim 7: A universal wrench according to one of Claims 1-6, wherein said guide means comprises groove means having lateral shanks that extend beyond said rack means and form a forked extension about said end portion of said handle means.
Claim 8: A universal wrench according to Claim 1, wherein said guide means comprises groove means having lateral shanks that extend beyond said rack means and form a forked extension about said end portion of said handle means, said groove means being of tapering form in cross section.
Claim 9: A universal wrench according to Claim 7, further comprising a latch pin elastically fastened to said handle means, and at least one end of said lateral shanks is provided with a circular form that engages said latch pin.
Claim 10: A universal wrench according to Claim 1, wherein said guide means comprises groove means having lateral shanks that extend beyond said rack means and turn a forked extension about said end portion of said handle means, further comprising spring means connected to said handle means and said first jaw means.
Claim 11: A universal wrench according to one of Claims 1-6, further comprising spring means connected to said shaft means and said first jaw means.
Claim 12: A universal wrench according to Claim 1, further comprising a covering out of rubber or plasti material which is complemented with formings and with a hanging link.