US2420682A - Chain wrench - Google Patents

Description

May 1947.

F. F. POWELL 2,420,682

CHAIN WRENCH Filed J 9 1945 INVENTOR.

latentecl May 20, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to a chain wrench and the present invention is in the nature of an im provement on the chain wrench disclosed in my prior patent application Seria1 No. 516,129, filed December 28, 1943.

A general object of this invention is to provide a chain wrench. that can be used for turning nuts located in positions where it is difficult or impossible to turn them by the use of ordinary wrenches.

Another object of this invention is to provide a wrench in which the wrench jaw is separate from the handle or jaw operating means by which it is turned and in which the wrench jaw is positioned at a variable distance from the jaw operating means when the wrench is in use.

Another object is to provide a chain wrench in which a flexible connector, such as a link belt or sprocket chain is used to connect a wrench jaw with a wrench jaw operating lever positioned at a distance from the Wrench jaw.

Another object is to provide a wrench handle of novel construction for exerting a pull on a link belt by which a nut is to be turned, said wr nch handle being of novel shape for engagement with fixed objects, such as packing glands on a bulkhead, which fixed objects serve as fulcrum means for the wrench handle.

Another object is to provide a chain wrench embodying a link belt having a swivel therein so that the handle or lever arm by which a pull is exerted on said link belt may be turned at various angles without producing a twisting strain in the link belt.

Another object is to provide a wrench handle or lever having a sprocket wheel to receive a link belt and having a spring pressed ratchet pawl engaging said sprocket wheel to lock said sprocket Wheel against rotary movement in one direction and to provide a wrench handle having an upward bend therein which will reduce the danger of the wrench handle turning when in use.

Another object is to provide an open end type duplex wrench jaw of very strong construction and of minimum external size in proportion to the size of thenut it is designed to fit, said wrench jaw being reversible to fit nuts of two different sizes and being capable of operation in the least possible space.

One type of work in Which there is a demand for a chain Wrench of this tyne is in the work of installing electric service wires in steel ships. These wires are very numerous and numbers of these wires are usually grouped 'to form cables. These cables pass through packing glands in Water tight steel bulkheads in the ships. In some instances these packing glands are clustered so close together that it is substantially impossible to turn the nuts of these glands with ordinary wrenches. My chain wrench comprises a separate wrench jaw that may be applied to the nuts of these glands and wrench jaw operatin means adapted to be positioned at variable distances from said wrench jaw and connected therewith by flexible connector means to operate said wrench jaw.

Further objects of my invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings Figure l is an elevation of my chain wrench showing the same applied to a nut on a packing gland in a bulkhead of a ship, only a fragment of the bulkhead being shown.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the Wrench handle or lever taken substantially on broken line 2-2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of said wrench handle or lever taken substantially on broken line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view, on a larger scale than Fig. 1 and taken substantially on broken line 44 of Fig. 1, showing a wrench jaw on a packing gland.

Fig. 5 is a detached view in elevation of. a wrench jaw constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 6 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation taken substantially on broken line 66 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary elevation of a link belt with novel means provided in it.

Like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several views.

This chain wrench comprises a duplex wrench jaw lb having preferably two nut receiving recesses 9 and I I of different sizes on opposite sides thereof. The nut receiving recesses 9 and II are shown octagonal in the drawings but may be of any other suitable shape, such as hexagonal or square. The walls of the wrench jaw which extend around the nut receiving recess I I are relatively thin in order to reduce the over all external dimension of the wrench jaw to a minimum and the jaw is greatly strengthened by providing therein a medial flange I2 that extends toward the center of the jaw. The wrench jaw I0 is of the open end type and has an opening I3 on one side which extends from the periphery of the wrench jaw into the nut receiving recesses 9 and l I. Either recess 9 or H of the wrench jaw is adapted to receive a nut l4 and the opening it is adapted to be passed over any object, such as a cable 15 or group of wires that pass through said nut it. Obviously this opening I3 can be passed over any form of rod or conduit or bolt to which a nut i4 is applied.

Preferably the wrench jaw H3 is of externally cylindrical shape and the periphery of said wrench jaw is provided with outwardly protruding sprocket teeth I 6 for engagement with a link belt H.

The sprocket teeth [6 preferably extend substantially around the periphery of the wrench jaw except where said periphery is interrupted by the opening It. The link belt ll will draw across said opening is without releasin its engagement with the sprocket teeth It as the wrench jaw is turned.

The wrench handle comprises a lever arm 20 having a forked forward end comprising two prongs 2| each of which has an enlargement 22 on the forward end thereof. The prongs 2| of the forked forward end of the wrench handle are adapted to be engaged with any convenient fixed member such as a packing gland 28 on a bulkhead 21.

The head portion of the wrench handle is further externally provided with concave recesses l8 and I9 that may conveniently be engaged with packing gland members 28 or any other suitable fulcrum means under operating conditions which make such engagement desirable. When recessed portions 19 ar engaged with a fulcrum member a substantially shorter lever arm is provided.

The enlargements 22 help to prevent the prongs 2| from sliding off of a fixed member or fulcrum with which said prongs are engaged. Preferably the rear or outer end portion of the handle 20 is positioned at an angle to the forward end portion thereof, as shown. The forked end 2l2! will straddle a fulcrum member 28 and the wrench handle is not easily displaced relative to the fulcrum member. its tendency to turn when in use.

The wrench handle or lever 28 is provided intermediate its two ends and nearer to its forked inner end with ratchet type link belt gripping means with which the link belt I1 that operates the wrench jaw I [I engages.

This link belt gripping means is formed by providing a passageway or receptacle 23 in the handle through which the link belt I? passes. A sprocket wheel 24 is rotatively mounted in this receptacle or passageway 23 on a pivot 25. A pawl 26 is mounted within the receptacle 23 on a transverse pin 30 and is yieldingly held in engagement with the sprocket wheel 24 by a spring 3|. The pawl 26 is rigidly and non-rotatively secured to the pivot pin 30 and a knob or like member 32 is secured to said pivot pin 30 at one side of the wrench handle to provide a finger piece by which the pawl 26 may be manually held in a retracted position as respects the sprocket wheel 24.

A curved wall 33 is provided in the receptacle 23 in opposed relation to the sprocket wheel 24 and at the correct distance from said sprocket wheel 24 to form a guide and backing to hold the link belt I! in engagement with the sprocket wheel 24.

When the wrench handle 26 is moved away from the wrench jaw I and in a clockwise direction from the position in which it is shown The bend in the handle reduces in Fig. 1, the cam or pawl 26 will grip the link belt I! and cause it to be moved with the lever 20 thereby turning the wrench jaw It. When the lever 20 is moved in the opposite or counterclockwise direction and at the same time the link belt I! is held taut by exerting a pull thereon below the handle 20 then the sprocket wheel 24 will ratchet past the spring pressed pawl 26 and a new and shorter grip will be taken on said link belt.

As illustrative of the use of this chain wrench on the nuts Id of packing glands, Fig. 1 shows a number of the base portions 28 of packing glands secured as by welding to the bulkhead 21 and arranged relatively close together with a nut [4 applied to one of these gland and the wrench applied to this nut. The cables or conduits or wires l5 extend through these packing glands and, after said cables are drawn into final position, the tightening of the nuts l4 compresses packing material around the cables or wires 15 and provides a leak tight joint. Fig. 1 shows the wrench jaw ii) positioned on a nut I 3 with the flange l2 resting against the outer fac of the nut and the opening I3 receiving the cable Hi. This wrench may be applied, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 even though the packing glands are clustered so closely together as to make them inaccessible to an ordinary wrench after the cables are drawn through these glands.

After the wrench is applied, as shown in Fig. 1, it may be operated to turn the nut I l by oscillating the lever wrench handle 29]. This wrench handle 20 may be positioned at any desired distance from the nut it that is to be turned, within the limits set by the length of the link belt ll. Thus it is always possible to have said handle 20 away from obstructions and where it may be freely operated. It is also possible to pivotally support the handle 20 by the use of a fixedly anchored tension member Or stirrup brought up from a floor below the handle.

Also in some instances it may be necessary to operate the handle 20 in different angular positions relative to the wrench jaw. To avoid undesirable twisting of the link belt when this is done I preferably provide a link belt 4'! having a swivel 34 therein as shown in Fig. '7. This swivel 34 i positioned between the two sprocket members It and 24 when link belt I7 is in use.

The foregoing description and accompanying drawings clearly disclose a preferred embodiment of my invention but it will be understood that this disclosure is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made in this device as are fairly within the scope and spirit of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A wrench comp-rising a wrench jaw; sprocket teeth on the periphery of said wrench jaw; a wrench handle separate from said wrench jaw and having an end portion shaped for direct engagement with a fixed fulcrum; a link belt adapted to engage with the teeth on said wrench jaw and having two loose and unattached end portions; and ratchet means carried by said wrench handle adapted to engage with one end portion of said link belt, whereby angular oscillation of said handle will progressively move said link belt in one direction and thereby rotate said wrench jaw.

2. A wrench, comprising a circular wrench jaw having a nut receiving receptacle and having an opening extending from said nut receiving receptacle to the periphery of said wrench jaw;

sprocket teeth on the periphery of said wrench jaw; a wrench handle separate from said wrench jaw; a forked member on one end of said wrench handle adapted for direct engagement with a fixed fulcrum; a link belt adapted to engage with the teeth on said wrench jaw and having two loose and unattached end portions; and ratchet means carried by said wrench handle adapted to engage with one end portion of said link belt, whereby angular oscillation of said handle will progressively move said link belt in one direction and thereby rotate said wrench law.

3. A wrench, comprising a circular wrench jaw having a nut receiving receptacle and having an opening extending from said nut receiving receptacle to the periphery of said wrench jaw; sprocket teeth on the periphery of said wrench jaw; a wrench handle separate from said wrench jaw; a forked member on one end of said wrench handle adapted for direct engagement with a fixed fulcrum; said wrench handle having a pas,- sageway therein adjacent said forked member; a link belt adapted to engage with the sprocket teeth on said wrench jaw and having two loose and unattached end portions; a sprocket wheel rotatively mounted in the passageway in said wrench handle adapted for engagement with one end portion of said link belt; a spring pressed pawl engaging said sprocket wheel adapted to lock said sprocket wheel against rotation in one direction; and means for retracting said jawl clear of said sprocket wheel.

4. In a wrench, a, handle member; forked fulcrum engaging means rigid with one end of said handle member; a link belt passageway extending through said handle member in the direction of the plane of said forked fulcrum engaging means; a sprocket wheel rotatively mounted in said passageway; a spring pressed pawl engaging said sprocket wheel locking said sprocket wheel against rotation in one direction; a separable wrench jaw applicable to a nut remote from said handle; a link belt adapted to pass through said passageway and around said nut; and wall means in said passageway adapted to hold said link belt in engagement with said sprocket wheel.

5. A wrench, comprising a wrench jaw; sprocket teeth on said wrench jaw; a wrench handle separate from said jaw; forked fulcrum engaging means carried by one end portion of said handle; said handle having a bend therein adjacent said fulcrum engaging means; link belt engaging means carried by said handle at the location of said bend; and link belt means adapted to pass around said Wrench jaw and engage with the link belt engaging means in said handle.

FRANCIS FOSTER POWELL.

Images