US2598650A - Snap lock pliers with unlocking lever - Google Patents

Description

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed July 28, 1948 FIG. 2

ATTX

May 27, 1952 J. SMITH ET AL 2,598,650

SNAP LOCK PLIERS WITH UNLOCKING LEVER Filed July 28,-1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTORS JUST/IV 1., SMITH LE/F H. ER/KSEN BY ATTX Patented May 27, 1952 SNAP LOGK PLI-ERS WITH UfiLOQKINGY LEVER v Justinii. Smith, Watertown,]-Gonn.,- and'Leif II. Eriksen, Oslo, Norway, assignor's. to Seymour Smith Son, fInc'., akville, 00:111., a corpora- .tioriof-Gonnecticiit Application Jul 28, 1948*, .sie'rjiaino. 41.064

Thisinvention relatesto tools of the plierwrench W1 arid more particu arly to pliers hav-- ing an adjustable handle which may be operated by a toggle action to -look theplier jaws; I

one dbjectof this invention is to provide a device-of theabovenatuie which includesalever for manually releasing the movable handle from its locked p sition.

Another object isgto provide a device of the abovenature which includes indicating means for --pei"-m-itti-iig the jaws be readily adjusted to aiiydesii'ed size or opening;

further object is to provide a device of the above-naturawhich will be simple inconstrucnon, inexpensivetomanumeture; easy to 'n'ianipul'ate, compact; ornamental in appearance, and very efiicient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view, there hassbeen illustrated-on the accompanying drawing one form in which-theinvehtion may eonvenientlly be embodied'in practice.

Inethe dra'wing,

' Fig. 1 is a side view of the improved pliers'as it would appear whenlocked upon a work piece.

Fig-2 is a similar-side view of the same, with certaiiiparts -brokenaway to show the operating mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a side viewsimilar to Fig. 2, but showpliers -in unlocked position.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view..of

lever. d r v Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of the same, taken ohthe line 5-5 of Fig. 4; 1

'Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view taken on the Refer-ring' nowtothe drawings in whichdike reference numerals denote correspondingparts throughout-the several views, the numeral lllg inale-ates the improved pliers'which comprises an elongated stationary handle I I which is U-Shaped in 'crosssection and has a fixed jaw I2 at-its Iront'end; and an L-shaped lever I3 which carries a movable-jaw 14 in opposed relation to the fi-xedj aw I 2-.-

The L-shaped lever I3 comprises a flat triangular leg I5 which is swingably mounted within the handle II rearwardly of the fixed jaw I2, by means of a pivot pin I6 having headedover ends, and a forked front leg IT, to which the movable jaw I4 is secured by means of a swivel pin I8.

In order to operate the movable jaw I4, use is made of a movable handle I9 of U-shaped cross section which is connected to the rear corner of the L-shaped lever I3 by means of a pivot the. unlocking pin 20. The movable handle I 9 is also connected with the stationary handle by means of a toggle link 2 I; the front end of whieh isssecured within a central portion of the movable-"handle I9, by means of a pivot pin 22.

The toggle link 2| has a rounded rear end 23 which is embraced by therear portion of the stationary handle II and is adapted to bear against an adjustable; longitudinal screw bolt... whichis carried in a tapped cylindricalreahend portion 2501? the handleII, and isprovided with aknurled outerknob 2 6.- 7 It will be noted-that whenthe pliersare locked in clamping position (Fig. 2) the rear. end' fliof the toggle link 2| and the pivot pins 2Ilaxfig122 will be disposed in substantially a straight line, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2; In order to prevent excessive inward movement of the; movable handle I.9 ;past thelocking position; the toggle link -2I is providedwithajside lug; 2-1 whichis adapted to abut the innensunface of the handle I9, Thus,- when thepliersare locked, the pivot pin :22 will occupy a position-at ora little inwardly of dead center, and-it .w'. .Lbe necessaryto exert a substantial outward} roe upon; the ,movable handle .-I 9 in order to lunlock the pliers. I w The toggle link 2| also is provided. ,-wi-t-h a rounded taperedfront nose 28; which isadap ted in unlocked, position toabut the inner surface of the inner handle, I9 soasto limit outwardmove-.

mentof the handleiseeFig. 3). V

The rearend 23 of the toggle link; 2| will normally be maintained in-abutment withathe ad.- justing screw 24- by. means. of a-hook-ended coiled spring 29, ,engaged, through apertures .30, 3-I in;-the handle II and' the lever I3 respeotively,

soastourge the L-shaped lever I3 and thejaw to the, unlocked open position. J V As, a provision formoving the handle-moutwardly beyond the dead point and-thus breakingthe toggle action of the-link--2.I use,is;made

of -curved unlocking lever 32. substantially T-shaped in outline, disposed within the rear portion of said handle I9. The unlocking lever 32 is U-shaped in cross section, and is supported by means of a pair of apertured side ears 33, 34 which extend from central portions of its edges and are pivotally secured in recesses 34a in the rear end 23 of the toggle link 2I by means of a headed pivot pin 35. The unlocking lever 32 has a pointed nose 36 at its front end, which is adapted to engage the inner surface of the movable handle I9, and is provided at its rear end with a finger piece 3'! which projects rearwardly 1 V in manipulation.

' in inches.

slightly. beyond a finger'piece 38 on the rear end of the movable handle [9, whereby it will be readily accessible to the operator for convenience ,By-means of this construction it will be seen that theadjustingscrew 24 may readily be turned so that the size of the opening between the .plier jaws l2 and I4 may be varied as desired. In

order to permit the operator to ascertain the size V v of this opening when the jaws are in their closed and locked position, use is made of a graduated scale 39 marked upon a central side edge portion of the stationary handle I] adjacentthe toggle link 2]. An index mark 40, is provided at asuitable central location upon the toggle link 2|, so

is claimed as new and for which it is desired to that when the plier handles H, l9 are in their wide open position, the index mark 40 and the scale 39 will give a correct indication of what the 7 size ofthe jaw opening will be when the handles are closed in any stage of adjustment of the screw 24.. V V, g r

The scale 39 is providedwith a row of numbers to indicate the size of the jaw opening in some uniform standard of measurement, herein shown Operation.

' In"u'se,,theoperator will first adjust the plier jaws l2, to provide an opening suitablefor clamping the work piece W. This will be done by first moving the plier handles H, '19 to their,

wide open position, andthen rotating the adjusting screw 24 :by means of the knob 26. in the proper direction to'bringthe index mark 40 opposite the propergraduated marking 39 on the handlell =-Thejaws I2, I4 will then be placed over the workpieceW after which the' handles H, l9 will be swungtog'ether into the position shown in Figs. l and 2, whereupon the-work pieceW will'be firmly gripped. In this position, the pivot pin '22 willbe located in a line between the rear end- 23 v of the toggle link 2! and thelpivot pin 20, or slightly inwardly of such a line, as determined by the abutment of the'side lug 21 with the movable handle 19, and considerable force would normally 7 7 be required to'swing'the" handle l9 outwardly in order tofbreakthe toggle action and release the work'pieceW.-

I 3y means .of the present invention, h weve this action may be-acc'omplished by alightpresg sure upon the unlocking finger piece 31; whereby the nose 3 5 will engagethe movable handle 19 with a greater forceand cause it-to move outwardlyfrom the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to that shown in full lines in Fig. 3.

One advantage of the improved snap lockpliers herein'disclosed is that it will enable theuser to work with greater ease and rapidity, since the unlockin ilever will avoidthe awkward move-- ments'which were formerly necessary to unlock jaws inpliersoi this type.

Anotheradvantage is that theindicating scale on the handlewill :avoidthenece's sity of adjusting the pliers in successive steps by trial-anderror methods. 7

While there has been disclosed in this specification one form in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this form is shown for the .purposeof illustrationonly, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosure, but may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes 7 all the modifications and embodiments coming. within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, wha

secure Letters Patent,is: V 1. In a snap-lock toggle-grip pliers, a workclamping jaw carried rigidly on a. stationary plier handle of U-shaped construction, a second workclamping jaw adjacent said first jaw, an L-shaped lever embraced by said handle and pivotally connected thereto and to said second jaw, a movable handle of U-shaped cross-section pivotally connectedat one end to said L-shaped lever; a toggle link embraced by both of said U-shaped handles and pivotally connected adjacent its forward end to said movable handle intermediate; the ends thereof.. said stationary ihandle having a longitudinal adjustable screw mounted at its rear and engaging the rear end of said toggle link, and a 1 30,

T-shaped unlocking lever embraced by said mov-,

able handle and having a perpendicular leg pivotally connected with the rear end of said, toggle l nk, the rear end of said unlocking lever serving as a handle and the forward end of said unlocking lever having a curved pointed section enportion of said movgageable against the centr able handle. c

2. The invention as which said stationary handle is providedwithra graduated scale on the edge of its outer surface and said toggle link has an index mark adjacent said scale to indicate thedistance betweenthe jaws when the pliers are in closed lockedp'osit1on.,

mm L; S-MITI-I;

LEIF H. ERIKSEN.

REFE EN CITED V vThe following references. are of record'in' the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS, f

Number Na Mead Sept. 26,1950

set forth in claim l,

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