US2210742A - Wrench adapter - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 6, 1940. e. c. WHITNEY WRENCH ADAPTER Filed D sc. 1, 1939 INVENTOR GI'Ibe/T C Wh/Mg TTORNEYS iatented Aug. 6, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WRENCH ADAPTER Gilbert 0. Whitney, New York, N. Y. Application December 1, 1939, Serial No. 307,021

5 Claims.

This invention relates to adapters for wrenches and is primarily of advantage for turning members such, for example, as nuts or bolts so located that the space within which the wrench may be turned is small with the result that the wrench has a limited angle of swing.

One object of the invention is to provide for a to be turned by an angle of swing of the wrench and the wrench reengaged for its next turning movement within that angle of swing, which angle of swing is less than the angle subtended by the individual operative faces of the adapter.

A second object of the invention is to provide two operative driving sections or heads on the adapter separated by a pilot or race section by which latter means the wrench may be guided between the two operative sections in its change of position both radially and longitudinally in moving from one operative section or head to the other.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent as this description proceeds.

In ordinary practice adapters are employed in connection with sockets which latter at their bottoms fit over the members to be turned. These sockets at their bottoms are provided with various interior shapes and sizes to fit the members to be turned. At the top the sockets are formed with a suitable opening commonly of square or hexagonal cross-section into which the adapters of like cross-section at the bottom are inserted and removably attached. The adapter has its top flormed for engagement with the wrench block or head and is commonlyofsquare or hexagonal cross-section. It is convenient to use sockets of this character with the adapter of this invention, although, as is obvious, if desiredthe adapter may be formed and shaped at the bottom to engage directly with the member to be turned.

Box wrenches are most commonly employed with adapters although any suitable type of wrench with an open block maybe used. Reference being had more particularly to box wrenches, the terminology commonly employed in the trade for defining the number of operative faces is by reference to the boundary lines between adja-' cent faces which lie in what may be termed the outer circumferential line of the block interior; These are referred to as points. Reference being had, for example, to the double hexagonal box wrench specifically illustrated herein and later to be more fully described, there are twentyfour vertical faces, each facebe'ing bouhded and omitted, the wrench defined by two vertical lines, one of which lies in what I have termed the outer circumference of the'block' interior and. the other in what may be termedthe inner circumference thereof. This wrench, defined by the boundary lines which lie 5 in the said outer circumference, thereof, is a twelve point box wrench. Again, for example,

in a box wrench with a single hexagonal block interior the vertical boundary lines of the respective faces all he in the same circumferential 10 line of the block interior. Such a wrench is a six point box wrench. It is preferred, though not essential, to employ a box wrench with the adapter of this invention and that wrench will be specified by its points. 15 In the drawing hereof I have illustrated two forms of adapters, both for use in connection with suitable sockets. Both forms 1 have hexagonal driving sections or heads. One formis particularly adapted for main connection with a double 20 hexagonal twelve point box wrench which is illustrated, and the other form with asingle hexagonal six'point box wrench which is not specifically shown. The two forms shown, it should be understood, are selected for illustrative purposes 25 and should not at all be considered as limitative upon the scope of my invention.

In the drawing, Figure l is an elevation of the adapter mounted in a socket and having its cooperating wrench partly lowered toward full 30 operative position on the upper driving section or head, the position of the wrench on the pilot or race section being indicated in broken lines, the wrench being broken away in its handle;

Fig. 2 is a top plan on an enlarged scale of the 5 wrench and adapter of Fig. 1 with the socket being shown as engaging the upper driving section or head of the adapter;

Fig. 3 is a top plan on the scale of Fig. 2 of the wrench and adapter of' Fig. 1 with the lower 40 driving section or head of the adapter and the socket omitted, the wrench being shown as engaging the upper driving section or head of the adapter;

Fig. 4 is a top plan on the scale of Fig. 2 of the 45 wrench and adapter of Fig. l, the adapter being shown in cross-section through the pilot or race section and the socket being omitted, the wrench being shown in position upon the pilot or race section;

Fig. 5 is a top plan on the scale of Fig. 2 of the wrench and adapter of Fig.1, the adapter being shown in cross-section through the pilot or race section and thesocket omitted as in Fig. 4, the 5 Assuming that wrench being shown in engagement with the lower driving section or head of the adapter;

Fig. 6 is. a top plan on the scale of Fig. 2 of the wrench and adapter of Fig. 1, the socket being omitted, the wrench being shown in en gagement with the lower driving section or head of the adapter;

Fig. '7 is an elevation and Fig. 8 is an elevation of the second form of the adapter heretofore referred to.

Because of the multiplicity of lines required for a complete showing and the confusion likely to result therefrom, in Figs. 2, 3, 5, and 6 the operative faces of the wrench block or head which are in engagement with the faces of the upper and lower driving sections: 01' heads of the adapter, together with the said faces of the adapter are illustrated by single lines. The double hexagonal outline of the block or head interior of the wrench is, however, illustrated in full lines in Fig. 4.

Reference being had first to the adapter illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive, the adapter I!) has an upper hexagonal driving section or head H, a cylindrical pilot or race section I 2, and a lower hexagonal driving section or head I 3, the latter being extended downwardly for operative engagement with the interior of a socket M, where it is removably held by a spring pressed ball l5, stops not shown being provided in conventional fashion for determining the prop-er vertical position of the adapter in the socket whereby the lower driving section or head I3 extends above the socket a distance substantially equal to the lengthwise dimension of the upper driving section or head H.

The hexagonal driving sections or heads II and I3, respectively, are of substantially identical cross-section. The diameter of the cylindrical pilot or race section i2 is substantially equal to the cross-sectional distance between the oppositely disposed working faces of the driving sections or heads, and its lengthwise dimension is substantially equal to that of the upper driving section or head I l. The upper driving section or head ll, the pilot or race section l2 and the lower driving section or head [3 are in line with each other, but the working faces of the upper driving section or head are radially displaced at a 15 angle from the corresponding working faces of the lower driving section or head.

The wrench illustrated for use with the adapter I 0 is a double hexagon, twelve point box wrench 20 having an offset handle 2| and a block or head 22.

The head 25 broken away, shown in the lower part of the socket I4 is illustrative of the member to be turned by the combined wrench, adapter and socket shown.

The operation of the wrench 20, adapter l0, and socket M of Fig. 1 is as follows:

The socket M with the adapter ID in position therein is placed over the head 25 of the member to be turned. The wrench 20 is then placed in operative position on the upper driving section or head H as shown, for example, in Fig. 2. it is desired to rotate the head 25 in clockwise direction the wrench handle is moved from the position of Fig. 2 through an arc of 15 to the position of Fig. 3. From the position of Fig. 3 the wrench is lowered out of engagement with the upper driving section or head H onto the pilot or race section l2 as of the adapter of Fig. 1;

shown in Fig. 4. From the position of Fig. 4 the wrench is rotated about the pilot or race section l2 counter-clockwise through an arc of 15 to the position of Fig. 5. The wrench will then be in position to slide vertically into engagement with the lower driving section or head I 3 to which it is moved. The wrench then in engagement with the lower driving section or head I3 is rotated clockwise through an angle of 15 to the position of Fig. 6. Through this sequence of operations the'adapter l0, socket I4, and head '25 have been rotated through an angle of 30.

From the position of Fig. 6 with the wrench in engagement with the lower driving section or head l3 the wrench is moved upwardly to the pilot or race section [2 and there rotated counter-clockwise through an angle of 15 as shown in Fig. 5 in which position it is moved upwardly into engagement with the upper driving section or head as illustrated in Fig. 2 in readiness for repetition of the sequence of operations of Figs. 2 to 6, inclusive, just described.

Reference now being had to the form of adapter illustrated in Fig. 8, that adapter I0 is identical in all respects with the adapter ID of Fig. 7 except in the angle by which the working faces on the upper driving section or head are radially displaced in respect to the corresponding working faces on the lower driving section or head. For this reason the reference numerals of the adapter of Fig. 7 with primes are applied to the corresponding parts of the adapter of Fig. 8, without further description. The working faces of the upper driving section or head ll of Fig. 8 are illustrated as radially displaced at an angle of 30 from the corresponding working faces of the lower driving section or head l3.

As indicated in the preamble hereof, a single hexagon six point wrench is preferably to be employed with the adapter illustrated in Fig. 8. With such a wrench the sequence of operations in rotating the member to be turned is identical with that above described respecting the adapter of Figs. 1 to 7, except that the angle of swing of the wrench is through an arc of 30 instead of 15.

To understand the operation of the two forms of adapter illustrated respectively in Figs. '7 and 8 in respect to current practice, the following should be noted.

With twelve point sockets or double hexagon twelve point box wrenches commonly employed on hexagonal members to be turned, it is possible to operate in a minimum angle of swing of 30 only by replacing the socket or box wrench on the member to be turned. Due to this the wear on the corners of the members to be turned is more than doubled soon causing them to become upset or sheared. This deformation of the member to be turned tends to be increased by the absence of active face cut away in the pocket or box wrench of the twelve point type. This wear and tear on the member to be turned is practically eliminated by the use of the adapter of this invention because the socket is placed on the member to be turned but once. Such wear and tear is not transferred to the adapter of this invention'because of the pilot or race section interposed between the two driving sections or heads all of hardened material.

Where in current practice a single hexagon six point wrench is employed with a member to be turned having a hexagonal head, regardless of the angle through which the member may be turned the wrench must be turned through an angle of 60, in order to place the wrench in the next operating position, as against 30 possible with the adapter of Fig. 8.

Attempts have been made to overcome these difficulties in current practice, the most common of which is by embodying a ratchet in the wrench. The wrench, however, must be capable of exerting pressure for turningv the adapter both in clockwise and counter-clockwise direction, and this requires a ratchet which may be locked for is removable and may be turned the other side up, as it were, when it is desired to exert pressure in the opposite direction from that for which the ratchet is set in the wrench. In addition to these comparatively expensive and poor mechanical expedients, the ratchet is bulky and occupies space in many instances not available. Applicants invention avoids completely the employment of a ratchet.

While I have illustrated my invention as embodied in adapters having an even number of operative faces in its respective driving sections or heads it should be readily understood that this is not essential. The faces of the driving sections or heads should be uniform in the crosssection of the adapter and regularly placed thereon, the same number of working faces being employed in the upper and lower driving sections or heads.

The angle by which the corresponding faces of the upper driving section or head are radially displaced in respect to the corresponding working faces of the lower driving section or head as herein illustrated, is equal to one-half of the angle subtended by two consecutive points in the block or head of the wrench to be employed. This provides for a uniform angle of swing, which is preferred though not essential. It will be understood that the said angle of radial displacement will vary in accordance with the number of working faces on the upper and lower driving sections or heads of the adapter and the wrenches to be employed therewith, preferably in accordance with the limitation just set forth.

While I have illustrated a pilot or race section of cylindrical form it will be understood that this is not essential to the broad purposes of this invention. The form of the pilot or race section should be such as to permit both vertical and radial movement of the block or head of the wrench in its transposition from one driving section or head of the adapter to the other driving section or head thereof, and'to pilot or guide the wrench to its respectively engaged operating position.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding and no undue limitations on the scope of this invention should be inferred therefrom.

I claim:

1. The combination of a box wrench, an adapter, and a socket removably attached to the adapter in non-rotatable relation thereto, the box wrench being provided with a block or head formed with a plurality of oppositely disposed working faces for engagement with the adapter; the adapter being formed with an upper drivin section or head and a lower driving section or.

head separated by a pilot or race section, the upper driving section or head, the pilot or race section and the lower driving section or head being in line with each other and with the substantially cylindrical and both directions or a ratchet which;

' adapter; the wrench being socket, the upper driving se-ction or head and the lower driving section or head being of substantially identical cross-sectionand being each provided withthe same number of oppositely placed uniform working faces disposed longitudinally ofthe adapter, the pilot ol' race section being of such length and diameter as topermit the block or head of the wrench to rotate freely' about the pilot or race section, the working faces on the'upper driving section or head being radially displaced at an angle to the corresponding working faces of the lower driving section or head equal to one-half the angle subtended by two consecutive points in thewrench block or head. 1

2. The combination of a wrench and an provided with a block or head formed with a plurality of working faces for engagement with the adapter; the adapter being provided at the bottom with means for engaging the member to be turned and being formed with an upper driving section or head and a lower driving section or head separated by a pilot or race section, the upper driving section or head, the pilot or race section and the lower driving section or head being in line with each I other, the upper driving section or head and the lower driving section or head being of substantially identical cross-section and being each provided with the same number of uniform working faces disposed longitudinally of the adapter, the pilot or race section being so constructed and of such dimensions as to permit the block or head of the wrench to rotate freely thereab-out, the working faces of the upper driving section or head being radially displaced at an angle to the corresponding working faces of the'lower driving section or .head equal to one-half the angle subtended by two consecutive points in the wrench block or head.

3. A wrench adapter comprising an upper driving section 'or head, a lower driving section or head, each for engagement with the block or head of the wrench, a cylindrical pilot or race section between the upper driving section or head and the lower driving section or head about which the block or head of the wrench may turn, the upper driving section or head, the pilot or race section, and the lower driving section or head being in line with each other, the upper driving section or head and the, lower driving section or head being of substantially identical cross-section and being each provided with the same number of regularly placed uniform working faces disposed longitudinally of the adapter, the diameter of the cylindrical pilot or race section being substantially equal to the transverse distance between the regularly disposed working faces of the driving sections or heads, the working faces of the upper driving section or head being radially displaced at an angle to the corresponding working faces of the lower driving section or head.

4. A wrench adapter comprising an upper hexagonal driving section or head, a lower hexagonal driving section or head, each for engagement with theblock or head of the wrench, the said driving sections or heads being of substantially identical cross-section, a cylindrical pilot or race section between the upper driving section or head and the lower driving section or head about which the block or head of the wrench may turn, the upper driving section or head, the pilot or race section, and the lower driving section or head being in line with each other,

the diameter of the cylindrical pilot or race section being substantially equal to the distance between the oppositely disposed working faces of the driving sections or heads, the working faces of the upper driving section or head being radially displaced at a 15 angle from the corresponding working faces of the lower driving section or head.

5 A wrench adapter comprising an upper hexagonal driving section or head,'a lower hexagonal driving section or head, each for engagement with the block or head of the wrench, the said driving sections or heads being of substantially identical cross-section, a cylindrical pilot or race section between theupper driving sec- .tion or head and the lower driving section or head about which the block or head of the wrench may turn, the upper driving section or head, the pilot or race section, and the lower driving section or head being in line with each other, the diameter of the cylindrical pilot or race section being substantially equal to the distance between the oppositely disposed working faces of the driving sections or heads, the working faces of the upper driving section or head being radially displaced at a 30 angle from the corresponding working faces of the lower driving section or head.

GILBERT C. WHITNEY.

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