US2521011A - Cam operated jar cap wrench - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 5, 1950 N. D. HosKlNs CAM OPERATED JAR CAP WRENCH Filed Aug. 1, 1946 :FJ :Til

Patented Sept. 5, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,521,011 I CAM OPERATED JAR CAP WRENCH Nathan D. Hoskins, Parsons, Tenn.

Application August 1, 1946, Serial No. 687,745

1 Claim. (Cl. 81-3.712)

This invention relates to improvements in jar top wrenches, and particularly to a wrench or tool intended and adapted to be used in applying and loosening jar tops or caps such as used on screw cap fruit jars, and the like.

An object of my invention is to provide a tool of this character which can be used with equal facility to apply or screw on and to loosen or screw oii, the screw tops or caps of Mason or other screw-topped jars, and which is of such construction that it is readily applied to and removed from the jar top or cap, and with which the force employed to move and turn the jar top will tighten the wrench and assure a firm grip of the tool upon the top or cap, for both tightening the screw cap into place and removing the same.

Another object is to provide a wrench of simple and inexpensive and yet sturdy construction, made up of parts easily manufactured and assembled, and which will not be likely to become damaged or broken even through constant and long use.

Still another purpose of this invention is to so construct the tool that the parts thereof can be assembled and mounted and secured'together in operating relation by the use of ordinary machines and equipment, and with the parts brought together in sub-assemblies; whereby the employment of special machinery and complicated assembly procedures and technique is avoided. With the above and other objects in view, some ofA which will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and others of which are inherent in the construction and use and operation of the parts, this invention includes certain novel features of construction and combinations` and arrangements of elements, which will be hereinafter set forth in connection with the drawings, and then pointed out in the claim.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, and partly in section, showing adaptation of my invention in a jar top wrench, and illustrating a jar and cap portion in position to be engaged thereby.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of my improved Wrench.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the structure disclosed in Fig. 2, with the wrench parts in opened and expanded position.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View substantially on line 4 4 of Fig. 3, and illustrating. a jar top or cap in position to be gripped by the wrench.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to the showing in Fig, 3, with the wrench parts in their contracted and gripping relation.

Fig. `6 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View taken substantially on line 6 6 of Fig. 5, showing the wrench gripping a jar top or cap.

In the adaptation of the invention here illustrated, the wrench. isgenerally indicated atiA, vvithltheY screw cap or topB. being shown upon a jar C,l with the usual. sealing ringshownv at D'.

The supporting plate or member I, is here shown as being of substantially elliptical shape. This member is preferably made out of sheet metal, or other suitable material, and while the generally elliptical outline shape has been found particularly advantageous in use, it is to be understood that the member I can be of substantially circular outline, can be rectangular, or diamond shaped, or in fact can be of any outline shape that may be desired, and which will at the same time permit support and movement of the parts carried thereby. A bearing opening 2 is provided in the middle portion of the supporting plate or member l, and guide slots 3 and 4 are formed in the supporting plate or member to eX- tend inwardly from each end of the ellipse, and substantially along the line of the long axis of the ellipse. These guide slots 3 and d are open at their outer ends, and at their inner ends are stopped short of and are spaced outwardly from the central bearing opening 2'.

An operating plate 5 has a polygonal opening through its middle portion, and this plate is preferably of somewhat elongated form with the ends thereof rounded. Arcuate slots l and B are provided through the operating plate 5 within the connes of the rounded ends thereof, andA these arcuate slots have their ends closer to the polygonal opening than their middle portions, for reasons which will be presently described.

Gripping members S and I il are of generally segmental shape, and are provided with arcuategripping anges II and I2. 'Ihese Iianges II and I2 have inside curvatures to substantially con'- form to and fit around and upon the upper part and side of the usual jar top or cap B; and, to provide additional gripping, these flanges II and I2 might be provided with corrugations or pro'- jections, and may be milled or knurled, or other` wise shaped or formed or treated.

The operating plate 5 and the two gripping members 9 and Hl are assembled as operatively connected parts, by means of headed rivets or pins I3 and I4, which pass loosely through the arcuate slots l and E and are riveted or otherwise secured substantially rigidly in conjunction with the gripping members e and I0. In assembling these parts, it is preferable that the gripping members 9 and It have the body portion thereof disposed to both lie in the same plane on one` side of the operating plate 5, and the gripping" members il and I will be'disposed with their arcuate gripping flanges Il and I2 in substantially opposed relation.

Headed slide members i5 and It are mounted on the body portions of the gripping members l9V and Ii) to be outstanding therefrom on-the sides away from the operating plate 5. members I5 andv l5 haveY elongatedfbody portions I2'I and I ofY a transverse Width that will fit to be freelyv slidable within the guide slots 3 andl- Thus,- as the elongated body portions II and I@ oflthev headed! slide members" Ii'randI I6 are litted" The headedJ within the guide slots 3 and 4, the gripping members 9 and I0 will be freely movable toward and away from the bearing opening 2, but will be held against twisting movement, to thus restrain the gripping members 9 and I0 against twisting or other movement that would throw or dispose the gripping flanges II and I2 out of proper relationship to cooperate in gripping and holding upon the cap or top B. Y Y

An operating handle is made up of a spindle I9 and a cross-handle portion 20, the latter being preferably shaped to be conveniently grasped and held Within the hand of the user. The spindle I9 is made integral with the handle 20, Aor is in s'ome manner secured thereto to be held against independent rotational movement, whereby when the cross-handle 22 is rotated, the spindle I9 will be correspondingly rotated. Adjacent to its end, the spindle I9 has a bearing portion 2| adapted to fit and turn within the bearing opening Vat 2, Within the supporting plate or member, and beyond this bearing portion 2l, the spindle I9 has a polygonal portion 22 adapted to iit within the polygonal opening E of the operating plate 5. It is perhaps preferable that a bearing flange be provided at 23, on the spindle I9, outside of or aboveY the bearing portion 2|, and when, iny the nal assembly, the polygonal portion 22 is headed over, as at 24, the operating plate 5 will be substantially rigidly connected on the end of the spindle I9, and the flange 23 will serve to hold and maintain the parts in substantially the position and relation shown in Figs. 1 and 4 and 6 of the drawings.VV

As has been stated, the operating plate 5 can have the two gripping members 9 and I9, with the headed slide members I5 and I6 previously assembled thereon, mounted movably in place by the rivets or pins I3 and I4. With this assembly, one of the headed slide members can be inserted through the open outer end of one of the guide slots, and can be moved substantially to the inner end of this slot, following which VtheV parts can be adjusted or manipulated to bring the opposite headed Yslide member into position to be moved into the opposite guide slot through its open end. The spindle I9, with the crosshandle 29 assembled thereon, can then have its lower end tted in place with the polygonal portion 22 within Vthe polygonal opening 6 of the operating plate, and the bearing portion 2l freely rotatable within the bearing opening 2 of the supporting plate or member I, With the parts in this relation, the end of the spindle I9 can be headed over, as at 24, and the parts are then securely held in the assembled relation.

With the tool or wrench thus assembled, the cross-handle 29 is moved to rotate spindle I9 so that the rivets or pins I3 and Irwill be substantially in the middle portions of the arcuate slots 1 and 8, and in this position, substantially as shown in 3, the gripping anges II and I2 are separated or spread apart softhat they present an opening wider than the diameter of the screw top or cap B, substantially as disclosed in Fig. 4. The tool or wrench can then be moved downwardly to rest upon the upper side of the 4 slots 1 and 8 are nearer to the center of the opening 6. Thus, the Vtwo gripping members 9 and I0 will be drawn in so thatthe arcuate gripping flanges II and I2 thereof will rmly grip around and hold upon the top or cap B. Continued turning force applied through the crosshandle 29 will rotate the spindle I9, and in fact the entire tool or wrench, to apply rotational or turning force upon the cap B to screw the cap on to or from the screw threaded neck of the jar C. While the operation has been described with rotation of the parts in the direction indicated by the arrow on Fig. 5, it will be appreciated that when rotating force is applied in the'opposite direction, the operation of the parts will be substantially the same. Thus, it is possible to tighten the tool or wrench upon a jar top or cap and to apply turning force thereto in either direction, that is, to Screw a Cap upon the'jar and to unscrewacap romthejar. y Y ,Y

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have provided a jar top wrench particularlyradapted for use in applying .and loosening screw caps suoli as used on screw cap'fruit jars, which is or" simple and inexpensive and yet sturdy construction, made up of parts easily manufactured and assembled, and which will not be likely to be damaged or broken, even through long and constant use. v

While I have herein shown and described only certain specic embodiments of my invention, it will be appreciated that changes and variations can be made in the form and construction and arrangement and assembly of the parts, in the materials used in the various portions, and in other respects, without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

A jar top wrench for use in tightening and re-` moving screw caps comprising a supporting plate member of generally elliptical outline provided with a bearing opening in its middle and having guide slots extending inwardly in substantially opposed radial relation substantially along the longer axis of the plate and open at their outer ends, an elongated operating plate provided with a central opening andv having Yan arcuate slot through each endcurved with its ends nearer they central opening than its middle portion, a pair of generally segmental shaped gripping members each having an arcuate grippingflange, headed slide members with elongated body 'portions carried by the outer side of the gripping members and adapted to lit through the ends ol". and slid/e 1n the guide slots to movably mount the gripping members on the supporting plate member, pin means on each gripping member loosely received through the arcuate slot at one end of the operating plate; and a spindle provided with an operating handle at oneV end having the other end mounted in the bearing opening of the supporting-plate and then-secured in the opening of the operating plate.

NATHAN D. HOSKINS.

REFERENCES CITED The following Vreferencesare of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,262,036 Gandee Apr. 9, 1918 1,394,388 Wisenberg Oct. 18, 1921 1,471,353 Pihl Oct. 23, 1923 2,052,458 Froelich Aug. 25, 21936?

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