US2929287A

US2929287A - Adjusting means for a slidable inner jaw wrench

Info

Publication number: US2929287A
Application number: US722054A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wolbaum Harry
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1958-03-17
Filing date: 1958-03-17
Publication date: 1960-03-22
Anticipated expiration: 1977-03-22

Description

March 22, 1960 H. WOLBAUM 2,929,287

ADJUSTING MEANS FOR A SLIDABLE INNER JAW WRENCH Filed March 17, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 will. m

Hlllllll FIG.

FIG.

VENTOR. HARRY WOLBAUM March 22, 1960 H. WOLBAUM ADJUSTING MEANS FOR A SLIDABLE INNER JAW WRENCH Filed March 17, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. HARRY WOLBAUM ADJUSTING MEANS FOR A SLIDABLE INNER JAW WRENCH Harry Wolbaum, Bismarck, N. Dak.

Application March 17, 1958, Serial No. 722,054

2 Claims. (Cl. 81-170) This invention relates to hand tools and more particularly to a pipe wrench.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a pipe wrench that can be Conveniently handled to firmly grip the pipe for rotation in either direction, and having self contained adjustment means for minutely controlling the spacing between the fixed and movable jaws.

'Another. object of the present invention is to provide a self supporting pipe wrench that will retain its grip upon the pipe until manually released therefrom by the operator.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a pipe wrench of the above type which can be conveniently used in pairs by a single workman without the danger of having them fall from the pipe when released until the operator effects release thereof through a predetermined manipulation of the parts.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a pipe wrench bearing the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and efiicient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a pipe wrench made in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a movable jaw forming a part of the present invention;

Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of certain other parts of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a fixed jaw forming a part of the present invention;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal cross sectional view of a handle member forming another part of the present invention;

Figure 6 is an exploded side elevational view of detent means forming a part of the handle construction;

Figure 7 is a side elevational view of a cap member forming a part of the present invention;

Figure 8 is a bottom plan view of the cap member shown in Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a shank forming another part of the present invention; and

Figure 10 is a longitudinal cross-section of the completely assembled wrench showing the internal relationship of the shank to the handle and the cooperating detent and indent means for rotatively locking the handle in any selected rotative position with respect to the shank.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, a wrench 10 made in accordance with the present invention is shown to include a shank 12 of substantially rectangular cross sectional configuration having a main jaw 13 at its lower end with a working surface provided with a plurality of serrations 14. This shank 12 has a longitudinal slot 16 for purposes hereinafter described.

A movable jaw assembly 18 having a sleeve 19 with a 2,929,287 .2. Patented :Mar.:22, 1923i).

.2 rectangular longitudinal bore 22 is slidably supported upon the shank 12 for sliding movement relative to the fixed jaw 13. The head of the movable jawis provided with a transverse bore 24 and a transverse slot 25 providing lateral communication therewith. A wedge shaped jaw block 26 having an upwardly extendingtrack 29 is provided with a downwardly facing serrated surface 27 that cooperates with the upwardly facing serrated surface 14 of the fixed jaw. The track 29 is supportedly received within the bore 24 and slot 25 of the head of the movable jaw assembly for sliding movement normal to the shank 12. While the downwardly facing surface of the head of the movable jaw 18 converges with the serrated surface 14 of the fixed jaw, the. downwardly facing serrated sur-- face.27 of the wedge block 26 is substantially parallelto the serrated surface 14 ofthe fixed jaw. A heavy spring 32 carried within the bore 24 of the movable jaw head normally urges the wedge block'26 toward the shank 12, with a lug 30 that is integral with the wedge block directed into frictional sliding engagement with the slot defining portion 16 of the shank 12. A lighter spring 33 reacts against the heavy spring 32 and further serves to direct an inwardly extending detent 34 into further frictional engagement within the slot 16. It will thus be recognized that the wedge block is resiliently and slidably carried by the head of the movable jaw 18 for sliding movement toward and away from the shank 12, movement in an outward direction being operative to increase the distance between the facing surfaces 14, 27 of the respective jaw members. As a result, when the wrench is in engagement with the pipe, an outward pull of the wrench is operative to effect a loosening of the grip upon the pipe since the Wedge block 26 will ride upon the outwardly diverging surface of the movable jaw head 18.

In order to secure the movable jaw 18 and fixed jaw 13 in a selected spaced apart relationship, a handle 36 having a longitudinal bore 38 is rotatably supported upon the shank 12 and has threads 37 at oneend for threaded engagement with the threaded section 20 of the movable jaw assembly 18. The upper end of the handle 36 is provided with a ring 39 that is supported upon the upwardly facing end surface 43 of the shank 12 so as to prevent downward movement of the handle relative thereto. Thus, in response to rotation of the handle, the movable jaw 18 will move vertically upon the shank 12 relative to the fixed jaw 13. A ratchet member 40 is rotatably supported upon the upwardly extending stud 42 of the shank 12 and has a downwardly opening bore 44 within which a spring 46 and detent 45 are supported. This detent 45 is adapted to releasably engage with indents 48 on the periphery of the ring 39 so as to releasably resist rotation of the handle 36 upon the shank 12. A cap 50 having an internal bore 51 is threadingly secured to the terminal threaded stud 52 of the handle, whereby all of the parts are maintained in proper assembled relationship.

With the parts in the proper assembled position, as shown in Figure 1, the wrench is ready for use in the following manner. By rotating the handle 36, the movable jaw 18 can be moved to a fixed distance away from the fixed jaw 13. With the wrench so secured on the pipe, an inward push of the pipe will have the effect of tightening the wedge through the aforementioned sliding action, whereby the wrench will be self supporting upon the pipe. In order to release the wrench, it is only necessary to exert a pull in the opposite direction so as to enable the wedge block 26 to move in an outward direction from the shank 12 to increase the distance between the serrated surfaces 14, 27, and thus enable the wrench to be removed.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spiritand scope of the present invention as defined by. the, appended claims,

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A wrench comprising, incombination, a mainfixed. jaw, a rectangular shank extending. upwardly from said main jaw, a movable jaw. slidably supported upon said shank for slidable movement toward and away from said fixed jaw, means adjustably positioning said movable jaw relativeto said fixed jaw, wedge block means carried by said movablesjawwin proximity to said fixed jaw for clampinglyengaging a pipe with said fixed jaw, said movable jaw comprising a sleeve slidably supported upon said, shank, a head integral with said sleeve having a downwardly facing surface converging inwardly toward the facingisurface of said fixed jaw,-saide wedge block means comprising awedge shaped jaw. block slidably supported upon said' head for movement toward said shank along said downwardly facing surface of said head and in asplane common to said fixed jaw and said head, said wedge block tapering inwardly towardsaid shank at an, acute angle substantially equal to the acute angle defined by said converging downwardly facing head surface and said facing surface of said fixed jaw.

2. A wrench comprising, in combination, a main'fixed jaw, a rectangular, shank extending upwardly from said main jaw, a movable jaw slidably supported upon' said shank for slidable movement toward and away from said fixed jaw, means adjustably positioning said movable jaw relative to said fixed jaw, wedge block means carried by said movable jaw in proximity to said fixed jaw for clampingly engaging a pipe with said fixed jaw, said movable jaw comprising a sleeve slidably supported upon saidshank, aheadintegral with saidsleeve having a downwardly facing surface converging inwardly toward the facing surface of said fixed jaw, said wedge block means comprising a wedge shaped jaw block slidably supported upon said head for movement toward said shank along said downwardly facing surface of said head and in a lane common to said fixed jaw and said head, said wedge block means tapering inwardly toward said shank at an acute angle, substantiallyeq ual to the acute angle defined by said converging downwardly facing head surface and said facing surface of said fixed jaw, and a handle having a central longitudinal bore rotatably receiving said shank, the lower end of said handle threadingly engaging the upper end of said sleeve, and means rotatably securing the upper end of said handle to the upper end of said shank, whereby the rotation of said handle elfects sliding movement of said movable jaw relative to said fixed jaw.

References Cited in the file of this ,patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 41,995 Hewet Mar. 22, 1864 1,114,549 Stomberg Oct. 20, 1914 1,145,597 Kopacki July 6, 1915 1,411,135 Thompson Mar. 28, 1922 2,574,834 Leonard Nov. 13, 1951 2,600,693 Rutherford June 17, 1952 2,708,385 Grinnell May 17, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 512,505 France Oct. 15, 1920