US2096016A - Wrench - Google Patents

Description

' Oct. 19, 1937. R. c. WEISHAMPEL 2,096,016

WRENCH Filed April 13, 1936 J INVENTOR! %m;m,m w +c ball 7 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 19, 1937 UNITED. STATES PATENT, oFFicE,

WRENCH Robert Chester Weishampel, Paterson, N. J. Application April 13, 1936, Serial: No. 74,001

6 Claims.

. Thisinvention relates to wrenches of the type that may be referred to asv a. bolt wrench intended to cooperate with the head of a bolt or with the nut thereon, usually hexagonal in form, although the features hereof are applicable to bolt parts in square or other form, or analogous uses.

An object of the invention is to afford a simple, compact and efficient wrench for the uses referredto, and more especially one which has the advantages of a socket wrench and yet may be adaptable to a range of sizes, as from to '7 inch or from A; to /2 inch. The disclosed wrench isof the type having two handles, like those ofa pliers, which are drawn together to cause the bolt "gripping jaws to approach, and it is an object to provide a wrench comprising mechanism suchas to afford a quick closing movement and a firm grip upon the bolt head or nut and yet the easy ability to loosen the grip for the feeding of the wrench around from one to another position inthe operation of turning the bolt or nut. By the present invention these advantages are attained without the need of screw adjustments or springs. Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out in the hereinafter following description of one or more embodiments thereof.

To the attainment of such objects and-advantag'es the inventionconsists i'n'the novel wrench andthe novel features of combination, arrangement and structure herein illustrated or. de-

scribed.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 shows in .top or face view a wrench embodying the present invention with the parts set in wide open position, the left or jaw end being considered the outer end of the wrench; and Fig. 1a is a partial view similar to Fig. 1, showing a modification of structure.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing thew renchclosed upon-a nut.

. Fig; 3 is a side elevation of the closed wrench.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are detached views of the three main elements or members of the wrench.

Fig. 7 is a partial top or face view of a modified structure.

The wrench comprises principally three rela tively movable members; and these may bedesignat'ed as a first handle member or body A, a slide member or block B and a second handle member .orrswinging lever C, with a pivot pin connecting all, three members. v

The first handle A and the slide B are each formed with a longitudinal,- and preferably inclined, slot engaged by thepivot pin extending from thesecond handle C; The three members thereby are interconnected but mutually rela-' tively longitudinally slidable, the second handle at the: same timebeing swingable about its pivot or pin relatively to the first handle and slide. The slide B carrying the inner jaw is moved outward toward the. other jaw by two cooperating means as follows. The two handle members A and C are providedwith acam or analogous device between them, such that the swinging approach of the handles causes an outward thrust of the second handle member relatively to the first; this :ofcourse moving the pivot pin outwardly. Also, the secondrhandle member C and '15 the "slideB are provided with an intermediate cam or device such that said swinging movement of the second handle causes an outward thrust of the slide relatively to the pivot pin and second handle. With this double acting closing movement the approach of the handles causes. the approach of the jaws and the forcible gripping of the bolt head or nut between the jaws. The cams or devices are such as to afford a quick closing movement becoming more powerful as the nut is gripped.

Describing next the separate members, the body or lower handle member A has its handle extension A at its inner or right end, and at its outer end it carries the first or outer jaw A shown as an upstanding projection formed twosided to engage two sides of .a hexagon boltpart D. The shank part A has a hole A formed near the jaw ample in size to accommodate freely a bolt extending beyond the nut to be operated by thewrench. Also the shank has a slot A in which the fulcrum pin C may play, and this slot may be somewhat slanted so that the fulcrum shifts laterallywhen moved longitudinally. Bebetween the slot and handle the member A has a cam A shown as ashouldercurved to cooperate with a complementary cam C on the second handle member or lever.

The'slideor block '3 has flanges B fitting it to shift longitudinally along the shank A without swinging, and it carries the inner jaw B upstanding from the slide and facing the outer jaw A so that the outward sliding of block B closes the jaws. The slide B has a slot B accommodating the pivot pin and this may be slanted oppositely to slotA of member A. The slide B may retract substantially into contactwith cam A when the Wrench is wide open, as seen in Fig. 1, and its near inner'corner B is'rounded away to admit the cam C to be described between the slide and pulled toward handle A to gripthe bolt.

cam A The slide near its outer end may have a cam surface B to cooperate with a cam C on the member C. The cam B may be the inner side of the projection constituting the jaw B The second handle member C is the jaw operating lever of the wrench, its handle end C being The member C has the pin or stud C forming a pivot or fulcrum, and this may be attached rigidly on the member, projecting through the slots A and B and there headed, as over a washer, or it may be a pin inserted in a hole in member C and riveted or otherwise enlarged at both ends.

The second handle or lever C has a cam or shoulder C cooperating with cam A These two cams constitute an intermediate device such that the swinging together of the handles causes outward thrust of the second handle relatively to the first. The cam C enters between slide B and camA and its motion forces the pivot C to move outwardly, toward the jaws.

The second handle has also a cam or surface 0* cooperating with the cam B of the slide B. These constitute an intermediate device such that the swing of handle C toward handle A causes the cam C to thrust outwardly the slide and its jaw. 1 Both of the described thrusts afi'ord powerful grip, due to the character of the cams, and the two cooperate to afford a quick closing of the jaws upon the bolt head or nut D, the power increasing as the 'bolt is engaged and. gripped. By then squeezing together the handles and swinging the wrench bodily the bolt head or nut is turned as desired. 'By slacking the handle pressure the wrench is readily fed or swung idly around to the extent of 60 or 120 to take a grip at a new position on the bolt. Both the idle and the active movements are conveniently and quickly performed without danger of marring or burring the bolt head or nut. The extent of each feed movement will depend on the shape of the nut. With a square nut it may shift at each movement; with a hexagon 60 or with an octagon 45, 90 etc.

The upstanding projections or jaws A B when active constitute in effect a socket, and the wrench is operable as a socket wrench, engaging four faces on the nut. These jaws project, from members A and B at right angles to the plane of swing of the handles. The hole A between the jaws allows engagement over a bolt shank as with a fiat wrench, but a ledge A 'of metal between the hole and jaw is provided.

The wrench may be supplemented to afford a monkey wrench engagement with a nut, as by extension lugs or jaws A" and B on the members A and B respectively as indicated in Fig. 10:. No screw is necessary for adjustment as the wrench readily takes care of a range of sizes, as A to /2 inch or to 1 inch; and for convenience a series of the wrenches hereof may be kept at hand each for a different range of sizes.

The Wedging or thrusting device consisting of the cooperating cams A C or B C may be replaced by an equivalent device afiording a similar thrust. For example as shownin Fig; 7 a short link C is'arranged between members A and C at such slant that as the handles are drawn together the member C'and pivot C are thrust outwardly bytoggle action. 'Part of the handle C and the link C indeed constitute a toggle, the action" of which in beingstraightened is a first quick movement of closing the jaws toward the nut, and then a powerful pressure. As already stated the cam-pairs A C and B C are of such curvatures, for example as shown, as to afford the quick first movement and the powerful grip.

The slant of the slots A B has the effect of causing the pivot pin and second handle to shift sideways when closing the wrench, thus modifying the actions of the cam pairs, and permitting increased gripping pressure. However, the slots might be curved to determine any desired action, or longitudinally straight, with proper redesign of the cam pairs. Fig. 7 shows straight slots in members A and B.

In all embodiments the double action or compound motion takes place, as may be redescribed as follows. When handle C is swung closed the device A C or C acts to thrust member A relatively inward, or to the right in the drawing. The same motion at the same time thrusts member B outward, to the left. By thus pushing apart in opposite directions the handle swing forces toward each other the two jaws. A and B .Anotherfeature should be mentioned, namely thatthe base wall of the shank A of the first handle member provides a narrow ledge A between the hole A and the jaw A The hole A may be of pear shape since with a smaller nut the bolt will be smaller and closer to the jaw A the small end of the pear shape hole accommodating the smaller bolts; Even with the smallest bolts however the ledge A serves the purpose of resting upon the bolt during the operation of the wrench, so that the wrench will not drop off the unit or out of position. The wrench will usually be used in a position inverted as compared to Fig. 3 and as. the wrench works the nut and is ratcheted back for each new grip, the ledge A prevents it from slipping off and holds it in proper relation. to the nut being turned.

.There has thus been described a wrench available for bolt heads or nuts which embodies the principles of the present invention and attains the described advantages. Since many matters of combination, arrangement and structure may be variously modified without departing from the principles of the invention it is not intended to limit the invention to such matters except to the extent set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A bolt wrench having a first handle member carrying an outer jaw and a slide member slidable endwise on the first handle member and carrying an inner jaw and a second handle member swingable relatively to the first to close and open the wrench; and characterized as follows: the second handle member having a pivot pin engaging longitudinal slots in the first handle and slide members thereby connecting the three members while permitting longitudinal movements of each relatively to the others and swinging of the second handle member, the two handle members having between them an intermediate device causing outward endwise thrust of the second handle member accompanying its swinging approach to the first, and the second handle member and slide having between them an intermediate device causing outward thrust of the slide accompanying the swinging approach of the second handle member, whereby swingingly closing the two handle members causes the jaws to close upon the bolt head or nut. a

2. A wrench as in claim 1 and wherein the first intermediate thrusting device consists of cooperating cam shoulders on the two members affording awedging action.

3. A wrench as in claim-1 and wherein the second intermediate thrusting device consists of cooperating cam shoulders on the two members affording a wedging action.

4. A wrench as in claim 1 and wherein each intermediate thrusting device consists of cooperating cam shoulders on the two members affording a 'Wedging action, and these are designed to cause a quick closing followed by a powerful grip upon the bolt.

5. A wrench as in claim 1 and wherein the longitudinal slots in the first handle and slide members are oppositely inclined thereby to give a transverse movement to the pivot pin during closing and thus modify the action of the second intermediate thrusting device.

6. A bolt wrench having a first handle member carrying an outer jaw and a slide member slidable endwise on the first handle member and carrying an inner jaw and a second handle member swing' able relatively to the first to close and open the Wrench; and characterized as follows: one of said. three members carrying rigidly a pivot pin engaging longitudinal slots in the other two members thereby connecting the three members while permitting longitudinal movements of each relatively to the others and swinging of the second handle member, the two handle members having between them an intermediate device causing outward endwise thrust of the second handle member'accompanying its swinging approach to the first, and the second handle member and slide having between them an intermediate device causing outward thrust of the slide accompanying the swinging approach of the second handle member, whereby swingingly closing the two handle members causes the jaws to close upon the bolt head or nut.

ROBERT CHESTER WEISHAMPEL.

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