US1407528A - Wrench - Google Patents

Description

w. GORDON.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED AUGH'SO I919- Patented Feb. 21, 1922.

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WILLIAM GORDON, UNION, NEW JERSEY.

"WRENCH.

I To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM GORDON, a citizen of the United titates, and a resident of the town of'Union, county of Hudson, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wrenches, ofwhich the following is a speci fication. j j 7 j p This invention relates to improvements in wrenches. g

One object of this invention is to produce awrench which is not only capable of quick manipulation but also has means for permitting fine adjustment or tightening up upon a nut or the like to any desired degree.

Another object of my invention is to produce a wrench in which one of the jaws is capable of the. fine adjustment proeurable by the use of ascrew or worm and may also, by the simple manipulation of a triggerlike element be released from operative engagement' with the screw or worm so as to permit rapid or quick movement of the jaw to full open position either by gravity when the wrench is held in proper position or by hand in other positions.

Another object of my invention is to provide in a screw-adjusted wrench of the characted above described, a spring which is adapted automatically, upon the releasing by said trigger-like element of the screw from operative engagement to instantaneously move the jaw to full open position, thus procuring quick and positive movement to such full-open position while the wrench is held in any plane.

Still another object of my invention is to produce a wrench of the character above specified in which one of the jaws is movable and adjusted by means ofa screw having suitably disposed threads :yieldingly retained in operative engagement with suitable rack-teeth on said jaw,whereby thejaw may by direct contact be moved from open position to closed position without actuation of the releasing means for the screw, the screw being automatically released during such closing movement topermit the teeth of the rack to click over threads on said screw into an approximate or initial position for grip- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb, 21, 11922, Application filed August so, 1919; Serial No. 320,8?8.

similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

' Fig. l is a side elevation partly in section of a 'wrench embodying my invention, the section being taken on the line 11 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a section on Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a slight modification illustrating the jaws provided with oppositely disposed teeth or serrations and adapted for use on pipes.

Referring now to these drawings, 1 indicates the head of a wrench having, as illustrated, an integral handle 2 and stationary jaw 3 and also provided with a cavity 4, the walls of which are provided with oppositely arranged ways 5v in which a movable jaw 6 is adapted to slide toward and away from the stationary jaw 3 so as to permit the gripping of an object between such jaws.

Said jaw 6 is, as illustrated, provided with side grooves 7 cooperating with the ways 5 to permit the inward and outward sliding thereof relatively to the stationary jaw 3, and said jaw is furthermore provided at its rear edge with a rack 8 preferably having, as shown, teeth inclined rearwardly, which are normally retained in operative engagement or in mesh with an adjusting or actuating worm or screw 9 having a thread which is inclined in the opposite direction to said rack-teeth. Obviously the rotation of the worm or screw 9 in one direction will cause the movable jaw to approach the stationary jaw or move from open to closedposition, while rotation of the said worm or screw in the opposite direction will cause an opposite or opening movement thereof. Any suitable means, such as the slot 10 and pin 11, may be employed to limit the relative degree or extent of movement between the said Sta tionary and movable jaws. 7

It is a great desideratum to provide a wrench which is capable of a quick initial adjustment of the jaws for the purpose of approximately fitting the objects, such as nuts, pipes and the like, on which it is .desired to operate and which is also capable of fine adjustment for the purpose of finally tightening up upon such object. I therefore provide means by which the movable jaw 6 may be readily and quickly released from the line 22 of engagement or operation by the screw or worm 9 so as to permit independent and quicker manipulation thereof than would bepossible by means of such screw adjustment,v and I furthermore preferably provide means operable upon the release of the jaSv-Gfrom such actuating'screw 9 for automatically moving the movable jaw to full open position. I also furthermore prefer ablyprovide means whereby the thread on the screw may, during a closing movement of the wrench, be normally retained in yielding contact with a rackon the jaw, so that the movable jaw may be moved from open to closed position by direct contact w thout operation of the screw-disengaging device, and the teeth of the rack will be causedito click over. the screw thread which willact as a retaining pawl therefor and'will automatically latch or lock'the'jawin an approximate nut engaging position after which the same may be quickly tightened up or finally adjusted by the use of the said screw. With these ends in view, the screw 9 is mounted in an opening 9 in the'head' 1, and is'arranged to be movable outwardly and out of engagement or contact with the rack 8 so as to release the jaw 6 from'fthe looking engagement of said .screw.

' which extends transversely through the'head 1 andthe innerend of said spindle. The

V lowerend of the-spindle is mounted to move laterally in a longitudinal slot l4=formed inthe said headand preferably has an extension end12 extending-beyond the head and adapted to serve as a trigger or fingeractuated part for moving the screw 9 pivotally upon its pivot 13 and out of engagement with the rack 8 to release the jaw 6. The screw 9 is preferably yieldingly forced into engagement with the rack by means of the flat spring 15 which, as illustrated, is connected at one-side to the extension end-12 of the spindle 12,and also bears at its opposite side against the wall of the slot 1 1. The screw 9' which, as aforesaid, is rotatably .mounted on the spindle 12 is thus yieldingly held in engagement with the rack S, and it will be obvious that upon applying closing pressure on the jaw 6, the-teeth of the rack 8 will-automatically force the spring-pressed screw 9'and spindle 12 to swing outwardly in an arc about-the'pivot 13 andthe teeth of such rack will click over the thread of said screw and'.teeth on the rack will-automatically-lock the jaw against movement in the opposite direction, and the relative dispositionjor inclinations of said thread and rackteeth will enable a -more ready and more positive automatic release and looking than would otherwise be the case.

When it'is desired to procure a quicker opening of a jaw than is'required by the rotation of the screw), a pressure on the extension 12 of the spindle against the iiaction of the spring 15 will cause animniediate freelng of the screw from engagement with the-rack, andthe jaw 6 may then obviously be opened and if the wrench is held in 'o'neplane will be automatically moved by gravityintoppen.pbsition It is deslrable, however, in orderQtoJsecure quick manipulation, to cause'the' saidfjaw I upon the freeingfofthe raclr as. aforesaid to be moved to full open; positionautomatically while the wrench isin any position, and for thispurpose'I provide a spring the screw 9 and thus assist in: the retention '16 which, as illustrated, is seated atfone 7 end in a socket 17in the aw 6.. and" has its and automatic locking'of the jaw Ginan'y desired position to which it; is movedxas hereinabove described. 3

In Fig. 4 have illustrated a sh ht -modification of the device, in which gurethe jaws 3 and 6 areprovided withiserrations 3 and 6* respectively so as toradaptathe wrench more particularly for use-on pipes, rods or other similar roundaarticles, .In other respects the wrench .is the same as that illustrated inFigs. l,f2,and..3.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. In a-wrench, a suitable handleya head,

jaws one of which is movable relativelyto the other in said head, a rack on saidmovable jaw, a screw spindle pivoted atone end.- in

said'head. and extending outwardly beyond said head to forma finger' gr p, Wanda.

screw rotatably mounted onsaidspindlei-adjacent to the rack and adapted to engage the same to move the jaw upon. rotat1on and also movable by the spindleoutwardlygand away from said rack to 'release the jaw.

. 2.' In a wrench, a suitable handle,aa head, jaws; one of which. is movable. relatively to the other in said head, a rack on said mov-' able jaw, a screw spindle pivoted .at one end in said head and extending outwardly beyond said head to form a finger -.grip, and a screw rotatably mounted on said spindle adjacent" to the rack andadapte'd handle, ahead,

ieo

jaws one of which is mounted in said head to move relatively to the other a rack on said movable jaw, a screw spindle pivotally mounted at one end in said head adjacent to said rack and having a finger-grip extension at its free end extending beyond said head and movable outwardly and away from the rack, a screw rotatably mounted upon said spindle and adapted to engage said rack when its spindle is in one position and to disen age the same when moved to another position and adapted when in engagement with said rack to move the jaw upon rotation, a spring at the opposite end of said screw spindle for forcing the screw 15 yieldingly into engagement with said rack, and a spring for forcing said jaws into full open position upon manipulation of the said finger-grip extension.

In witness whereof, I have signed my 20 name to the foregoing specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

T'VILLIAM GORDON.

Witnesses:

JOHN KLOEPPING, FRED. GABRIELSKY.

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