US2743641A

US2743641A - Adjustable wrench, including right and left thread sliding jaw adjusting means

Info

Publication number: US2743641A
Application number: US414683A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lloyd P Stricklett; Joseph W Horvath
Original assignee: NEW TOOLS CO Inc
Current assignee: NEW TOOLS CO Inc
Priority date: 1954-03-08
Filing date: 1954-03-08
Publication date: 1956-05-01
Anticipated expiration: 1973-05-01

Description

y 1, 1956 L. P. STRlCKLETT ETAL 2,743,641

ADJUSTABLE WRENCH, INCLUDING RIGHT AND LEFT THREAD SLIDING JAW ADJUSTING MEANS Filed March 8, 1954 l! WW WW W ATTORNEYS United States Patent i) ADJUSTABLE WRENCH, INCLUDING RIGHT AND LEFT THREAD SLIDING JAW ADJUSTING MEANS Lloyd P. Stricklett and Joseph W. Horvath, Racine, Win, assignors to New Tools Co., Inc., Racine, Wis, a can poration of Wisconsin Application March 8, 1954, Serial No. 414,683

2 Claims. (Cl. 81-463) This invention relates to an adjustable wrench.

An object of this invention is to provide an adjustable socket wrench embodying a pair of jaws with means for adjusting the jaws relative to each other and also locking the same in adjusted position.

The wrench herein disclosed is designed particularly for use with relatively large nuts or bolts and includes a T-shaped handle which will provide the desired leverage to loosen or tighten the nut or bolt.

Another object of this invention is to provide an adjustable wrench of the heavy duty type embodying a wrench head with a removable T-shaped handle wherein the crosspiece of the handle is transversely adjustable and removable relative to the shank, so that when not in use the wrench may be collapsed to small size.

With the above and other objects in View, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawing and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a plan view of a wrench constructed according to an embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral designates generally a body member which is formed of parallel side plates 11 connected together at the opposite ends thereof by means of end plates 12 to thereby form a rectangular body or frame structure. The body or frame structure 10 forms a guide for a pair of adjustable jaws, as will be hereinafter described.

A pair of complementary jaw members, generally indicated at 14, are disposed at one side of the frame or body 10 and the jaw members 14 are provided with a pair of lugs 13 engaging on the outer sides of the side members 11, as shown in Figure 3. Each jaw member 14 is provided with a stem 15 extending between the side members 11, and a screw shaft 16 is journalled between the end members 12.

The screw shaft 16 is provided with reversely threaded

portions

17 and 18 so that rotation of shaft 16 in one direction will effect movement of the jaws 14 toward each other, rotation of shaft 16 in the opposite direction will effect movement of the jaw members 14 away from each other.

The shaft 16 is provided at one end with a reducing stud 19 rotatably engaging in an opening 20 formed in one of the ends 12, and the other end of the screw shaft 16 is formed with a smooth peripheral surface 21 rotatably extending through an opening 22 formed in the opposite end 12.

The shaft 16 is also formed with a polygonal stud 23 for engagement by a wrench or the like, end shaft 16 is provided with a smooth inner end of the polygonal stud 23 which is of a diameter less than the diameter of the shaft 16.

A holding plate 25 is formed with an opening 26 through which the reduced portion 24 rotatablyengages, and plate 25 is secured; to the adjacent end wall 12 by means of a fastening member 21. A Ul-shaped member 28 has the parallel legs or sides 29 thereof overlapping the sides 11 of the frame or body 10 and secured as by welding 30 to the sides 11.

The bight 31 of U-shaped member 28 is provided with a central polygonal socket 32 with which the nut end 33 of a handle structure 34 is adapted to be engaged. The handle structure 34 includes an elongated shank or bar 35 having an enlarged outer end 36 provided with a transverse opening 37 through which a bar 38 extends, and bar 38 is secured in the opening 37 by means of a set screw 39.

The shanks 15, which are slidable between the inner faces of the side walls 11 of body 10, have secured thereto a plate 40 which is formed with an offset 41 slidably engaging between the sides 11. The plate 4-0 is secured to the adjacent end of a shank 15 by means of a bolt or fastening element 42.

The plate 40 with the bolt 42 provides a means whereby the jaws 14 may, after being adjusted toward or from each other, be firmly locked against movement one relative to the other. This is done by tightening up on the bolts 42 so that plate 40 will cooperate with the jaw member 14 in locking the jaw member against movement lengthwise of the side members 11.

In the use and operation of this wrench structure, the jaw members 14 are adjusted toward or from each other by rotation of screw shaft 16. The wrench herein disclosed is particularly designed for relatively large nuts or bolt heads for which conventional socket wrenches are not available.

After the jaws 14 have been properly adjusted relative to each other, the handle 34 may be engaged with the U-shaped member 28 by extending the polygonal stud 33 into socket 32. The transverse bar 38 may then be rotated to either loosen or tighten the nut to the: desired degree.

What is claimed is:

l. A wrench comprising a body member formed of parallel side walls, end walls secured to said side walls, a pair of socket forming members slidably engaging the forward edges of said side walls, a pair of rearwardly projecting flanges carried by each member engaging the outer faces of said side walls for holding said members against turning, a polygonal shank integral with each member and slidably engaging between said side walls, a shank adjusting screw shaft rotatably carried by said end walls and engaging through said shanks, means holding said shaft against endwise movement, adjustable locking means carried by said shanks and engaging the opposite or rear edges of said side walls, and a ill-shaped socket fixed to said side walls and projecting rearwardly therefrom, said socket having a polygonal opening in the bight thereof.

2. A wrench comprising a body member formed of parallel side walls, end walls secured to said side walls, a pair of socket forming members slidably engaging the forward edges of said side walls, a pair of rearwardly projecting flanges carried by each member engaging the outer faces of said side walls for holding said members against turning, a polygonal shank integral with each member and slidably engaging between said side walls, a shank adjusting screw shaft rotatably carried by said end walls and engaging through said shanks, means holding said shaft against endwise movement, adjustable locking means carried by said shanks and engaging the opposite Patented May 1 1956 cylindrical surface 24 in the 3 or rear edges of said side walls, a U-shaped socket fixed to said side walls and projecting rearwardly therefrom, said socket having a polygonal opening in the bight thereof, and a handle formed of a shank having a polygonal forward end engageable in said socket and having a transverse opening adjacent the rear end thereof, and a lever bar engaging through said opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 4 Spaulding Sept. 1, McDaniel May 4, Stensland July 7, Pall Apr. 10, Broxton May 22, Scovill July 24,