US2403258A - Wrench - Google Patents

Description

' mllldrn [1. Eagles y 2,1946 w. H. BOYLES 2,403,258

WRENCH I Filed March 9, 1944 Patented July 2, 1946 oFFICE WRENCH Y William HlBoyles, Columbiana, Ohio Application March 9, 1944, Serial No. 525,662

The invention relates in general to -wrenches, and more particularly to pipe wrenches for gripping and turning pipes and the like of various sizes.

The ordinary pipe wrench in common use includes serrated jaws for gripping the top and bottom of a pipe,.the jaws being adjusted toward oraway' from each other by means of a thumb screw, and the jaws are adapted'to be applied to the pipe from one side thereof for turning the pipe in one direction, butthey must be applied to .the pipe from the opposite side 1 thereof for turning the pipe in the opposite direction.

Where a relativelylarge ordinary pipe wrench is applied to a soft metal pipe, such as brass, the jaw serrations are apt to beforced against the pipe too tightly, so as to crush or bend the same when the thumb screw is adjusted to grip the wrench jaws on the pipe.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel wrench which may be adjusted to fit varying sizes of soft metal pipes without danger of crushing or injuring the pipe. I

Moreover, since the adjusting thumb screw of an ordinary pipe wrench is located near the jaws, in adjusting the wrench it is often inconvenient 4 Claims. (01. 81-78) to reach the adjusting screw when the wrench to grip the pipe for another-partial turn, it is i expedient, if not necessa to hold the top jaw against the pipe to facilitate gripping the pipe at anew position. This is often very diflicult to accomplish when working in a restricted space.

Accordingly, a further object is to provide a novel wrench which may be retracted and gripped on the pipe for a series of partial turns, without holding the top jaw against the pipe. In using an ordinary pipe wrench in restricted spaces, it often happens that there is space enough to apply the wrench to one side of the Pipe for turning it in one direction, but that it is difficult, if not impossible, to apply the wrench to the opposite side of the pipe for turning it in the other direction.

It is, therefore, an important object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved wrench which is adapted to grip a pipefrom' one side, for turning the pipe either in one direction or in the opposite direction. 7

These and other objects areattained by the simple, inexpensive and easily operated structure which is shown, by way of example, in the ac- 2 i companying drawing, and hereinafter describedand'claimed. f i

In general terms, the invention maybe stated as including two bars mounted alongside each other, the one bar having a hooked jaw and the other bar having a wedge-shaped jaw end and movable relative to the hooked jaw for cooperating therewith to engage and grip a pipe positioned within the hooked jaw. f 7

Referring to the drawing in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is il1ustrated' Figure 1 i a front elevation of the improved wrench;

Fig. 2is'a side elevation thereof; V Fig; 3 is a fragmentarysectio'nal viewasi on line3 -3,Fig.2;and

. Fig. dis a sectional view ason lined-4 2 1 Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing. As shown in the drawing, the improved wrench includes a bar 5 having a handle portion 6 at one end and a hooked jaw portion 1 at the othler end. A preferably straight bar 8 is positioned along the bar 5 at its hooked side, and'the bar 8 has a handle portion 9 at on end and a wedgeshaped or inclined jaw portion H1 at its other end.

'Ihe handle portions '5 and 9 are preferably rounded and tapered, as shown, and may be provided with knobs I l or the like to facilitate gripping the handleportions. V J Preferably, the straight bar 8 is longitudinally slidably connected to-the 'bar 5 by means of ,a U-shaped clamp [2, which is riveted or screwed, or otherwise attached,.to the bar 5,,as at 13 and which loosely engirdles the bat. Preferablythe outer web M of the clamp 12 i provided with a for urging .the handle portions 6 and 9 apartand,

said spring means, preferably constitutes a curved spring plate 16, which is preferably attached to the bar 9 by means of screws H, or the like.

The hooked jaw portion 1 of the bar 5 is adapted to take over a pipe or round bar, as indicated by the dot-dash lines l8 in Fig. 2, and the hooked jaw is provided with a serrated portion l9 'for engaging the top side of the pipe and with a Serrated end portion 20 for engaging the pipe below center. a V.

Obviously, the hooked. jaw 1 is adapted for fitting various sizes of pipe, for example, 1%" to 2" diameter for one wrench size, while another wrench size may fit a range of pipe sizes below or above the range of 1 A" to.2" diameter.

The wedge-shaped or inclined jaw H! of the bar 8 is. adapted to move up or down. within the hooked jaw portion, and the inclined serrated surface 2| of the jaw portion In is adapted to ene e p pe surface on the side opposite to the serrated portions 19 and 20 of'the hooked jaw T;

By moving the bar 8 up or down the jaw portion.

I is adjusted to grip various sizes of pipe, and

thehooked jaw portion 1 is preferably. provided with a recess 22 for receiving" the end of the jaw, portion I0 in gripping smaller sizes of pipe within'the range of sizes for which the wrench "is adapted.

. Az fulcrum. projection is provided oppositet the serrated portion 20 at the end of the hooked jaw l and'between thebars and 8 The fulcrum projection maybe formed: on the bar: 5 as indicated at 23 and provides a sharp edge engaging the inner -side of the barB'at or adjacent toits' jaw portion H}. Preferably'jthe inner side of thebar 8- is provided with shallow serrations 24 for receiving the edge of. the fulcrum 23 at various adjusted positions of the bar 8;

Preferably, an angularly disposed compression spring. 25 is. provided between'the two bars' 5 and 8 for ur ing the bar 8 outwardly andupward ly relative to bar 5,. Y As-shown, the; spring 25-=may be. receivedsuitablerecesses 26 in the: bars 5 and 8, the ends of the springbeingretainedin counterboresat the ends of the rece'sses.- The spring 25 is particularly desirable in larger wrench: sizes, but may not be necessary in smaller sizes i In the operationgof the improved wrench, when thesame is to be applied" to a pipe such as Hi, the bar 8 is moved downwardlyto-pl-ace its jaw end Ill in aposition suchasindicated. at and held in such positionto enable the hooked jaw l to; be positioned over and. around the pipe;

The bar 8 is then released and moved manually orby the action of spring upwardly until the inclined. surface Zl of: the jaw portion [ibis-in positiontoengagethe pipe 18; V

T With the jaws in this, position; as shown in Fi gm. fun lines, by ipping. the handle portions 6. and 9. and squeezing them. together, the jawportion 10. other 8. will pivot aboutlfulcrum 23. and theserrationson. surface zl will engage the pipe 18 so as to gripit securely betweenthe jaw f0 and thejaw portions,l9 and 20.

Theserrations of the jaw. portions I9, 20 and 2|; are all formed. so asto be directed substantially' radially inward of the pipe, and accordingly when the. pipe is gripped by squeezing the handle portions 6 and19qthe engagement of the pipe at the three spacedlocations enables the pipe to be turned eitherin one direction orthe opposite direction, that is, clockwise or counterclockwise as'viewed' in Fig. 2.

When removing the wrench from a pipe, the

bar 8- is pulled downwardlyjto the position IB',

whereupon the hooked jaw may-be lifted off the pipe.

As indicated in the drawing, the bar 5: is preferably thickened from a point beginning at the Due to the fact [that the bar '8 is pushed or 7 apart.

' rip a pipe, in adjusting the novel wrench, there is no danger of crushing a soft metal pipe as in the case of the ordinary pipe wrench, where the jaws are screwed toward each other..

' rection, so that it facilitates working in restricted spaces;

Theimproved wrench is simple and inexpensive'to'manufacture, and is easily operated.

I claim: 1 V 1. 'Wrench construction including a bar having a downwardly hooked jaw with spaced inner gripping portionsa't one endkand a handle portion at its other end, a second'bar extending along'one edge oisaid first bar and having an inclined jaw at one end facing said hooked jaw and a handle portion at its other end, means slidably connecting said bars intermediate theirends for relative longitudinal movement,. a projection on one of said'bars for engaging the other of said bars adjacent its jaw end whereby movement of the. handle portions of said bars towards each other causes movement of said inclined jaw toward said inner gripping portions of the hooked jaw; and means yieldingly' urging the handle portions of said bars apart; I V

2. Wrench construction including a bar-having a'downwardly hooked jaw" at one end, spaced ripping-portions on the inner side of said jaw, a second bar longitudinally slida-bly connected to said'first bar and extending along. the edge thereof facing said hooked jaw, said second bar having an inclined jaw-at one end forfcooper'ating with said hooked jaw to i grip opposite sides of a pipe at three'spaced locations, a fulcrumpro-j jection on one of 'said'bars for" engaging the other of said bars adjacent its jaw end, and means.

yieldingly urging the other ends of said bars Wrench construction including a bar having a hooked jaw atone end forfittinggaround"apipe and-thelike, theouter end'of said: hooked jaw having spaced grippingportions: adapted: to en.- gageone side of the pipe'below and above" its center, a straight bar longitudinally slidably connected to and extending alongone-edge of said first bar and having a wedge-shaped jaw portion on one end for entering the hooked jaw and outer endof said hooked. jaw, a fulcrum located between said bars adjacent their .jatvcnds, and said. jawportions having serrationsdirected substantially radially inward. of 'the pipe' for grippingtthe pipe to turn it inopposite directions;

4. Wrench construction including abar having a hooked jaw portion at one end provided with spaced serrated portions for grippingv one side of a pipe below and above its center,.a second barlongitudinally' slidably connected to and extending along one edge of said first bar. and having an inclined jaw portion at oneend'for gripping the opposite side of the pipe andcoo'p eratingwith said hooked jaw" portion .to grip the pipe at three spaced locations, sprin means located between said bars urging said inclined jaw' portion toward'said hooked jaw .portion,..a

" movediby spring 2 5'. upwardly into-position to 7 fulcrum projection on one of saidbars for engaging the other of saidi'barsadjacent its ,jaw portion, and means yieldingly urging the other ends of said bars apart. 7 r

WILLIAMfl-I-L B'OYLES,

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