US2414281A

US2414281A - Adjustable spanner wrench

Info

Publication number: US2414281A
Application number: US576109A
Authority: US
Inventors: John J Trimner
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1945-02-03
Filing date: 1945-02-03
Publication date: 1947-01-14
Anticipated expiration: 1964-01-14

Description

Jan. 14, 1947. J. J. TRIMMER ADJUSTABLE SPANNER WRENCH Filed Feb. 3, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Zu'mwm/ Jqn.l4, 1947. J. J. 'TRIM'NER 2,414,281

ADJUSTABLE SPANNER WRENCH Filed Feb; 3, 1945 2 Sheets-Shea; 2

INVENTOR.

BY I

Patented Jan. 14, 1947 UNITED S'I'A'iiifi FATENT OFFICE (Granted under the act of March 3, 1383, as amended April 36, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 2 Claims.

This invention relates to an adjustable spanner wrench. This wrench is particularly useful in the assembling and maintenance of various pieces of equipment, for example optical equipment such as submarine periscopes, in which many of the parts are held in place by retaining collars or rings. On such equipment there are many retaining rings of varying sizes, and on equipment made by different manufacturers, these rings and collars are often of different types. For example, the retaining rings and collars on one assembly may be provided with holes for the insertion of a spanner wrench while on an assembly of a different make the retaining rings and collars may be provided with slots. It has heretofore been necessary when working with such equipment to employ an assortment of spanner wrenches of different types.

One object of the present invention is to provide a spanner wrench which may be adjusted to fit any size retaining ring or collar.

Another object of this invention is to provide an adjustable spanner wrench with a movable member, which will be yieldingly retained in place after adjustment and which may then be securely locked in the adjusted position.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable wrench which will operate on retaining rings or collars fitted with either slots or holes.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of the spanner wrench of this invention.

Figure 2 is a side view of the spanner wrench shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical section of the gear mechanism taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section of one of the locking detent devices taken on line i-4 of Figure 2, in the locket position thereof.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4, but showing the lockin detent device in its unlocked position.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary section of an assembly upon which the wrench is used.

Figure '7 is a fragmentary front view of a modification of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Figure 1 shows members 2| and 22 which are jaws machined to points 36 on one end to fit holes and to wedge shapes 3'! on the other to fit slots. The points and wedges are on corresponding ends of the jaws, and the wedges on the one set of ends are in line witheach other. In Figure 1 the pointed ends 36 of the jaws 2| and 22 are shown to taper from the outside in toward each other, this construction being particularly useful in operation upon external retaining rings or collars provided with holes (Figure 6). It will be apparent to one skilled in the art, however, that the wrench may be constructed as shown in Figure '7, wherein the points 36 on jaws 2| and 22 taper from the inside out, so that the wrench may be conveniently applied to internal retaining rings or collars provided with holes. Jaw 22 contains a gear mechanism and two locking detent devices mounted in threaded bores 24, as described in detail below.

Members 25 are crossrods which are slotted to provide multiple spaced recesses 42 for approximately their entire length. These recesses 42 receive the points of the locking detent devices, the operation of which will be described later. Member 26 is a gear rack having teeth 26a (Fig ure 1).

Jaw 2! is fixed to crossrods 25 and to gear rack 25:. These rods are fixed at their other extremities to end piece 23 and form guide members upon which jaw 22 may be made to move. Jaw 22 moves-on these guide members by means of gear 2? working on gear rack 25. This gear assembly is shown in detail in Figure 3. Member 21 is a pinion gear consisting of gear shafts 21a, and 21b and gear teeth 210. The pinion gear 21 fits into bore 220. in the jaw 22 and the gear teeth 21c engage the gear rack teeth 26a. Member 29 is a knurled knob for turning the gear 27 and is fixed to gear shaft 21b by a pin 35. Back plate 28 fits around the gear shaft 21a and within the bore 22a and holds the gear assembly in place on the other side of the jaw 22. This plate is fixed to the jaw 22 by screws 34.

Figures 4 and 5 show a locking detent device. It consists of a bushin or cylinder 30 threaded externally as at 38c on one end and internally as at 3% on the other, the externally threaded end of which is screwed into the threaded bore 2 on jaw 22. Member 32 is a plunger consisting of a shank 38, collar 39 and point 40. Coil spring 33 fits around the plunger shank 3B and within the bushing 31!. Member 3| is a locking lever and is provided with a recess 4| to receive the plunger shank 38. This locking lever is screwed into the internally threaded section of the cylinder or bushing 30 and when in place holds the plunger shank 38 within its recess M and compresses the spring 33 against the plunger collar 39. In the unlocked position (Figure 5) the plunger point 40 is yieldingly held in one of the recesses 42 of the crossrod 25. The device is positively locked in its adjusted position by further screwing the locking lever 3| into the cylinder or bushing 30 so that the base of the recess 41 positively engages the outer end of the plunger shank 38 and fixedly holds the plunger point 40 in the selected recess 42 of the cross rod 25 (Figure 4) In operation, the locking levers 3| are turned to such a position that the springs 33 are under a slight compression, sufiicient to yieldingly hold the points of the plungers 32 in the recesses on the cross rods 25, yet insufficient to positively engage the outer end of the plunger shank 38. The jaw 22 is then moved by turning gear knob 29 until the points 36 orthe wedges 31 are spaced approximately the same distances apart as the holes or slots in the retaining ring or collar. As the gear knob 23 is turned the points 40 of the locking plungers click from recess to recess on the rods 25, and when the desired adjustment is obtained serve to yieldingly hold the jaw 22 in position until it can be securely locked. The locking levers 3| are then drawn up so as to positively engage the outer end of the plunger shank 38, thereby locking the jaw 22 in the new position. Thus the locking devices and gear mechanism function cooperatively so that the wrench may be easily and accurately adjusted to any position, the degree of adjustment depending only upon the spacing of the recesses on crossrods 25.

Figure 6 shows a typical application of the invention, namely a piece of optical equipment in which a lens 4'! is held in place within a tube 48 by means of a ring 43 and in which the tube itself is held to a plate 49 by means of a collar 44. For purposes of illustration only, the inner ring .63 holding the lens is shown as slotted while the outer collar 44, is shown as drilled. In actual practice, however, the collars and rings on any one piece of equipment would usually be of the same type. The ring 43 is also shown as having slots every quarter diameter, which may be the case on large rings or upon rings designed to fit in confined spaces where only a quarter turn on a wrench would be possible. I

The wrench of the present invention may be used for the ring 43 by adjusting the jaw 22 to the proper position, locking it in place, and inserting the wedge shaped ends 31 into slots 45. For operation on the outer collar 44, the wrench is readjusted and the pointed ends 36 inserted into holes 46.

Other modifications and changes in the number and arrangement of parts may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the nature of the invention, within the scope of what is hereinafter claimed.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

I claim:

1. An adjustable spanner wrench comprising a stationary jaw, a guide member provided with multiple spaced recesses connected thereto, a movable jaw movably mounted on said guide member, and a locking detent device connected to said movable jaw and engageable with said guide member, said locking detent device comprising an internally threaded member, a pointed plunger therein having a shank and a collar, a spring embracing the shank of said plunger and engaging said collar, a threaded locking member screwed into the threaded portion of said internally threaded member against said spring therein and arranged to be screwed further into said internally threaded member into positive engagement with the shank of said plunger, whereby the point of the plunger is held in yieldably releasable engagement with the recesses in said guide members in the unlocked position and positively held in engagement therewith in the locked position.

2. A spanner wrench comprising parallel cross rods, recesses on said cross rods, a fixed jaw fixed to the ends of said cross rods, the ends of said jaw extending beyond said cross rods, a rack parallel to said cross rods and fixed to said fixed jaw at a point intermediate its ends, a movable jaw, said movable jaw being parallel to said fixed jaw and of the same length as said fixed jaw, said movable jaw having transverse bores, said bores slidably receiving said cross rods and said rack, an additional bore in said movable jaw, said additional bore being at right angles to said transverse bores, a pinion in said additional bore in mesh with said rack, a shaft in said additional bore, said pinion being mounted on said shaft, a handle on said shaft, resiliently mounted plungers on said movable jaw, and means to bring said plungers into engagement with said recesses.

JOHN J. TRIMNER.