US2407547A - Wrench - Google Patents

Description

h i Sept.' 10, 1946. R. E. GEARHART' `2,407,547

WRENCH Filed sept. 16, 1945 BY @/MZ Patented Sept. 10, 1946 WRENCH Roy E. Gearhart, Kansas City, Mo., assigner of three-tenths to Byram L. McCreary and threetenths to Richard B. McCreary, both of Kansas city, Mq.

Application September 16, 1943, Serial No. 502,693

1 Claim. 1

rlhis invention relates to improvements in a wrench and refers more specifically to a wrench wherein the jaws are constantly urged toward each other during the nut tightening and releasing operation.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of a wrench having a two piece slidable jaw operatively adjustable to fit various sizes of nuts and having means to force the jaws toward each other as the Wrench is operated to set or release a nut.

Another object of the present invention is the provision f a sliding jaw wrench having a two piece slidable jaw member said pieces being adapted to be relatively adjusted to set the jaws to accommodate nuts of different sizes and also having a lever` whereby said slidable jaw member is moved toward or from a stationary jaw.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a wrench wherein the force required to loosenl or set a nut is in direct proportion to the force tending to move the jaws of the wrench toward each other.

A still further object is the provision of a sliding jaw wrench adapted for use in releasing and setting nuts 0f various sizes and also for use as a pair of pliers.

Other objects are simplicity and economy of constr-uction, ease and efficiency of operation, and adaptability for general use where it is desired to prevent scuiiing or disi'lguring of the nuts being operated on.

Reference will now be had to the drawing wherein,

Fig. 1 is an elevational View partly broken away with parts shown in the closed position in dotted lines, embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is an edge view of the wrench shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on line III- III of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an end View of the wrench partly broken away.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the slide bar.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a movable jaw.

Throughout the several views like reference characters refer to similar parts and the numeral 2D designates a head having a fixed jaw 22, and being provided with a transverse slot 24 which serves to receive the movable parts. Mounted in head 2t] is a slidable jaw member 26 having a jaw 28, complimenting xed jaw 22 and a reduced transversely disposed body 3i) which is mounted in the slot 24 to move at right angles to the gripping faces 32 of the jaw so that the jaws are always maintained in parallel relation regardless of their distance apart. A tongue 34 formed in the wall of head 20 is slidably mounted in groove 36 formed in the wall of jaw body 30 to secure the parts in proper alignment. A slide bar 33 having ratchet teeth 40 is slidably mounted in head 23 to operatively engage the ratchet teeth 42 formed in body 39 of the slidable jaw.

The lever 44 pivoted in the head 20 by pin 46 has a tooth bar 38 so that as said lever is oscillated relativeto head 20 the bar will be moved transversely of head 2U.

Referring to Figures 1 and 5 it will be noted that the ratchet teeth are so positioned relative to the parts that the teeth will rigidly engage when the slidable jaw is moved toward the xed .law so as to exert a pressure against the nut being operated on. It will be noted that the reduced end 52 of slide bar 38 rests against the relatively short ledge 54 of the head and that the other end 56 extends beyond the head and is provided with a roughened inclined surface 58 suitable for engagement by the operators thumb to move this end of the bar away from jaw body 30,

against the action of spring 6I) disposed in recess.

62 between bar 38 and the lug 64 at the side of lever 44. When so forced outwardly the teeth in bar 38 will disengage the ratchet 42 on the slidable jaw member so that the slidable jaw member may be adjusted relative to the xed jaw. The spring 66 is` sufliciently strong to normally secure the bar and movable jaw in fixed relation, however, when the jaws are opened too Wide for the nut, the operator may easily force the jaws together to t the nut without moving the lever t4. If desired, the jaws may be moved to contact each other.

A handle 66 integral with head 20 serves as a hand fulcrum to force the jaws to the closed position, especially when the wrench is used as pliers to grip an object.

A plunger 68 slidably mounted in a hole 'l0 formed in head 20 is urged outwardly by spring 'l2 against lever i4 so as -to normally hold the lever and handle apart. Spring also functions in like manner to hold these members apart, but is weaker than spring 12, thus securing the lever against oscillation when the sliding jaw is being ratcheted to position.

To set this wrench for use .the operator engages the roughened end 58 of bar 38 and forces the bar against the action of spring 60 to cause a separation of ratchet teeth 40 and 42 so that the operator may move the slidable jaw to the open position. The jaws are now set about a nut and the jaw 2B is moved forwardly until it contacts the wall of the nut. The ratchet teeth will automatically secure the jaw member 26 against outward movement. With the nut thus positioned between the jaws the operator forces the lever in the direction indicated by the arrow (see Fig. l). The greater the force applied to the lever 44, the tighter the jaws will clamp the nut.

From the above description it is quite apparent that this wrench is adapted for adjustment to t Various sized nuts and has a jaw movement that insures a clamping action against the opposite walls of the nut, proportionate to the force required to release or set the nut.

It is quite apparent that many minor changes might be made in the structure of theparts and also in their relative arrangement without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What I claim is:

A wrench comprising al head member having a fixed jaw; an angled jaw member slidably'carried by said head member, and having a jaw complementing said fixed jaw; teeth formed along the inner longitudinal edge of said jaw member; a bar having teeth adapted to operatively engage the teeth of said jaw member; a handle member pivotally carried by said head member and operatively connected with said bar and having a side lug adjacent said pivot whereby when said handle is oscillated relative to said head member said jaw member will be reciprocated in said head member; and resilient means positioned between said lug of said pivoted handle and said bar whereby said bar is constantly Iurged against said angled jaw member as said pivotal handle is urged outwardly to open said ,wrench jaws.

Images