US2961905A

US2961905A - Socket wrench

Info

Publication number: US2961905A
Application number: US782469A
Authority: US
Inventors: Howard C Stumpf
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1958-12-23
Filing date: 1958-12-23
Publication date: 1960-11-29
Anticipated expiration: 1977-11-29

Description

Nov. 29, 1960 H. C. STUMPF SOCKET WRENCH Filed Dec. 25, 1958 INVENTOR #0140420 C. STUMPF United States Patent 10 ice SOCKET WRENCH Howard C. Stumpf, Wakefield, Mass. (405 W. 1 st St., Boston 27, Mass.)

Filed Dec. 23, 1958, Ser. No. 782,469

Claims. (Cl. 81--121) The present invention relates generally to an improved wrench, and in particular it relates to an improved wrench of the torque or pressure controlled type.

In applying nuts to screws, bolts, studs or the like, it is often necessary or desirable that the pressure of the nut and hence the tightening torque applied thereto be closely controlled. Frequently, in mass production operations, a large number of nuts are applied to threaded shanks of equal lengths, and it is essential that the tightening torque applied thereto be uniform. Heretofore, torque measuring wrenches or controlled torque wrenches of the slipping or disengaging type have been employed in the above circumstances. However, the use of such wrenches possesses many drawbacks and disadvantages. The employment of the torque measuring type of wrench generally requires the constant visual observance of the wrench dial which is not only inconvenient but often extremely difficult. The use of the slipping oridisengaging type of torque wrench is generally limited to motor driven wrenches and, like the torque measuring wrench, is usually a clumsy and awkward device. When the latter wrench is hand-driven, it often leads to bruised knuckles and other injuries as a result of the slipping of the drive lever or handle. It is apparent from the above that the use of the conventional torque measuring or torque controlled wrenches leaves much to be desired.

It is thus a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved wrench.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved wrench of the torqueor pressure-controlled type.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved torque-controlled socket wrench which may be employed in areas of diflicult accessibility.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved torque controlled socket wrench which may be easily and accurately employed, even by unskilled operators. I

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide an improved wrench of the above nature characterized by its ruggedness, simplicity and low cost.

The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side perspective view of a socket wrench constructed according to and embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof, illustrated as applied to the tightening of a nut;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 in Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a rear end view of the improved socket wrench.

In a sense, the present invention contemplates the provision of an improved wrench of the character described comprising a body member having a longitudinally extending socket or polygonal transverse cross-section 2,961,905 Patented Nov. 29, 1960 formed in the leading end thereof, a longitudinally adjustable abutment member located in said socket and having a leading face trailing the leading end of said socket, and means releasably rigidly locking said abutment member in a preset'position within said socket.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the wrench body member includes leading and trailing longitudinally coaxial tubular section separated by an intermediate transverse wall, the leading section having a polygonal internal transverse cross-section adapted to receive and engage a nut and the trailing section also having a polygonal internal transverse cross section adapted to receive and engage a correspondingly shaped shank of a manipulating handle, such as a'ratchet arm, lever, crank, brace, or the like. An axially longitudinally extending first tapped bore and a transversely.

extending second tapped bore communicating with the first bore are formed'in the intermediate wall. A. first screw engages the first bore and projects into the first tubular member and a second screw registers with the second bore and releasably engages the first screw to lock it in any desired preset position. A third transversely extending tapped bore is formed in the wall of the leading tubular section adjacent its leading end and engages a mating screw. The use of the improved socket wrench will be hereinafter set forth.

Referring now to the drawing which illustrates a pre-. ferred embodiment of the present invention, reference numeral 10 generally designates the body member of the improved wrench, the letter B a bolt or stud and the letter N a nut, the tightening of which is effected by the improved wrench. Although the nut N is illustratedas of the self-locking type including a split annular crown portion C, the wrench may be applied to any type of nut.

The wrench body member 10 includes a leading or forward tubular section 12 and a trailing or rear tubular section 14 longitudinally coaxial with the leading tubular section 14 and preferably formed integrally therewith. Trailing section 14 is of greater outer diameter than leading section 12, the outer faces of the

sections

12 and 14 being connected by an inclined portion 16. Separating 12 and 14 is:

or dividing the leading and trailing sections a relatively heavy transverse wall 18.

Leading section 12 has a relatively deep nut engaging socket 20 of polygonal transverse cross-section formed therein which extends from the leading face of body' member 10 to the forward face of the wall 18 which de-.

fines the base of socket 20. The transverse cross sectional configuration of the socket 20 may be of any desired nut engaging shape, as is well known in the art. Formed in the wall of the forward section 12 immediately pos-'-.

terior to the leading end thereof is a radially extending section formed therein, enlarged at the inner end thereof,

I as at 28, in the vicinity of dividing wall .18. Bore 26 may be of any other'configurat'ion than that illustrated and adapted to receive the shank of a manipulating handle such as a lever, ratchet arm, brace, or the like.

Formed in and extending longitudinally through the intermediate wall 18 and substantially coaxially with the socket 20 is a tapped bore 30. An adjustable screw 32 is received within and engages bore 30, and projects axially into socket 20. Screw 32 has a cylindrical tip 34 preferably terminating in a flat forwardly directed face. Also formed in the intermediate wall 18 is a radial tapped bore 36 communicating with the bore 30 and extending through the outer inclined face 16 of the body member 10. A set screw 38 is received within and engages the tapped bore 36, and its leading face 39 is adapted to engage adjustable screw 32. It should be 3 noted that although the

screws

24, 32 and 38 are illustrated as Allen-type screws, any other type of screw may be employed.

In employing the improved socket wrench described above, it is initially adjusted to the desired operation as follows. The first nut N istightened to the required pressure on the threaded shank of the bolt B and this is used as the standard for the remaining tightening operations of nuts under similar conditions. This tightening of the first nut N to the necessary pressure may be effected by means of any conventional torque-measuring or torquecontrolled wrench. Thereafter, wrench socket 20 is brought into engagement with the tightened nut N, the leading face of body member abutting the confronting face of the work piece P which is usually coplanar with the underface of nut N. Set screw 24 is then tightened firmly to engage the nut N and set screw 38 loosened. Screw 32 is then advanced until its leading face-is in close, firm contact with the confronting face of the threaded shank of the bolt or stud B. Screw 38 is thereupon tightened to lock screw 32 in its adjusted position. Set screw 24 is then loosened, the body member 10 removed from the nut N and bolt B, and the shank of any suitable manipulating handle, as above set forth, brought into engagement with the body member bore 26. The wrench is now ready for use in controllably tightening nuts under conditions similar to the standard nut N.

The remaining or production nuts are preferably first applied and finger tightened with or without the use of the adjusted improved wrench until the nut abuts the work piece P. Socket is brought into engagement with the nut N, the leading face of the section 12 abutting the work piece P and being coplanar with the underface of the nut N longitudinally accurately to position the nut in the socket 20. Body member 10 is then turned by the manipulating handle in the usual manner to tighten nut N and draw the bolt threaded shank toward the leading face of the screw 32 which defines an abutment. When the bolt-threaded shank firmly abuts the leading face of the screw 32, and body member 10 maintained in its longitudinal position relative to the nut N, as aforesaid, further movement of the manipulating handle and tightening of the nut N .is extremely difficult or practically impossible. At this point, the nut N has been tightened to the required pressure as established by the standard nut and bolt. The tightening may be indefinitely repeated with other nuts and threaded shanks under similar conditions and dimensions.

It is apparent from the above that the controlled tightening of nuts or the like, employing the present improved wrench, is far simpler and more convenient than with the use of conventional torque measuring or handoperated torque controlled wrenches. Furthermore, the

improved wrench may be handas well as power-driven.

While there has been described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is apparent that numerous alterations, omissions and additions may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

I claim:

1. An improved wrench of the character described,

comprising a body memberhaving a longitudinally extending socket of polygonal transverse cross-section formed in the leading end thereof, said body member having a longitudinally extending tapped opening formed therein communicating and substantially coaxial with the base of said socket, a first screw engaging said tapped opening and having a leading end extending into said socket, means releasably locking said screw in a preset position, said body member having formed therein a transversely extending tapped bore communicating with said socket adjacent to the leading end thereof, and a second screw engaging said tapped bore.

2. An improved wrench of the character described, comprising a body member including substantially coaxial leading and trailing tubular sections separated by a transverse intermediate wall, said leading section being of internal polygonal transverse cross-section adapted to engage a nut, said intermediate wall having formed therein a longitudinally extending tapped bore extending therethrough substantially coaxial with said tubular sections, a screw engaging said longitudinal bore and extending into said leading tubular section rearward of the leading end thereof and being accessible through said trailing tubular section, and means releasably locking said screw in a preset position.

3. An improved wrench of the character described, comprising a body member including substantially coaxial leading and trailing tubular sections separated by a transverse intermediate wall, said leading section being of internal polygonal transverse cross-section adapted to engage a nut, said intermediate wall having formed therein a longitudinally extending tapped bore extending therethrough substantially coaxial with said tubular sections and a transversely extending tapped bore communicating with said longitudinal bore, a screw engaging said longitudinal bore and extending into said leading tubular section posterior the leading end thereof and being accessible through said trailing tubular section, and a screw registering with said transverse bore and separably engaging said first referred to screw for releasably locking same in preset condition.

4. An improved wrench in accordance with claim 3, including means mounted on said leading section adapted to secure releasably a nut registering with said leading section.

5. An improved wrench in accordance with claim 3, wherein a tapped transverse bore extends through the wall of said leading tubular section adjacent the leading end thereof, and a screw engaging said tapped bore to secure releasably a nut registering with said leading section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 48,027 Park May 30, 1865 284,076 Searles Aug. 28, 1883 729,829 Wysong June 2, 1903 1,093,252 Carnes Apr. 14, 1914 1,509,680 Meek Sept. 23, 1924 2,716,393 Fischer Aug. 30, 1955