US2972920A - Extension plug wrench - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 28, 1961 T. MlLANOVlTS ETAL 2,972,920

EXTENSION PLUG WRENCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 29, 1959 EXTENSION PLUG WRENCH Thomas Milanovits, Crestwood, and William T. Milanevits, Richmond Heights, Mo., assignors to M. Mfg. Co., Manchester, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Filed June 29, 1959, Ser. No. 823,573

3 Claims. (Cl. 81-72) This invention relates to extension wrenches, and with regard to certain more specific features, to such wrenches for applying threaded plugs in inaccessible locations.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of an extension wrench adapted for convenient application to and release from the sockets of threaded plugs such, for example, as are employed for closing otf abandoned pressurized branch gas lines and the like; the provision of a wrench of the class described which can be operated without fluid leakage from the line being operated upon; and the provision of a wrench of the class described which requires no finicky operations in order accurately to apply and remove it to and from the plug to be threaded into place or unthreaded, as the case may be. Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations of elements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the structures hereinafter described, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated,

Fig. l is an axial section illustrating the invention attached to a plug and inserted through an appropriate adaptor;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view of certain parts shown at the lower end of Fig. 1 but removed from the plug;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the par-ts in assembled arrangement, their positions illustrating conditions prior to application to a plug;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing a preliminary step 7 in the application of the wrench to a plug to be threaded home;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing said plug threaded home; and,

Fig. 7 is a cross section of certain parts showing a final capping operation.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is shown, for example, at numeral 1 a gas main under pressure, in which is an opening 3 leading to a spud 5 for attaching a valved branch line. In the spud 5 is located a conventional gate valve, shown diagrammatically at numeral 7. At numeral 9 is shown a nipple.

Sometimes it becomes desirable to abandon a branch line, in which event it may be desirable to retrieve equipment such as the valve 7 and connected line parts by removal from the spud 5. To this end the spud 5 is generally internally threaded, ,as shown at 31, for the reception of a threaded plug such asshown at 13.. Such a plug is provided with a square socket 15 for the recep-v tion'of a square end extension wrench. The problem socket 15.

2,972,920 Patented Feb. 28, 1961 then is to anchor the plug 13 sufliciently securely and accurately on the wrench that the plug can be introduced through devices such as the nipple 9 and valve 7 for threading application to the spud threads 11. To this end it has been the practice heretofore to wedge the ordinarily solid square end of a wrench into the socket 15 by various makeshifts, such as caulking the wrench into the socket 15, or the like. This was not only troublesome but unreliable.

The invention consists of a tubular element 17 having a bearing thimble l9 pressed in at one end. Near its other end it is counterbored, as shown at 21, to provide an internal shoulder 23 upon which rests a second pressed-in bearing 25. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the tubular element 17 is provided with a slotted portion 27.

Within the tubular element 17 is located a pull rod 29, supported non-rotatably but slidably in the bearings 19 and 25. This rod is threaded at its upper end, as shown at 31, for the threaded reception of a draw or wing nut 33. At its other end this rod 29 carries a conical head 35 adjacent which is a crosspin 37, extending outward from opposite sides of the re 1 On the pull rod 29 is located a sliding collet 39 (Fig. 3) formed at one end as a circular collar 41, from which extend springy semicircular legs 43 formed by opposite gashes 45 terminating in opposite holes 47. A resilient O ring 42 surrounds the pull rod 29 adjacent the collar 41. The legs 43 carry conjugate head blocks 49. Each block comprises a rectangular part 51 with a stepped extension 53. Each head block 49 at its opposite end is formed with an inner semiconical portion 55. The semiconical portions 55, when sprung toward one another, are adapted to be conically engaged by the conical head 35 or" pull rod 29. The rectangular parts 51 are chamfered on their lower margins, as shown at 52. V

The slots 45 are adapted freely to receive the ends of the crosspin 37. The stepped extensions 53 are adapted for location in the cross slot 27. These conditions are shown in Fig. 4. In this view the pull rod 29 is located in the tubular element 17 and the wing nut 33 applied to the ttreads 31 (Figs. 1, 5 and 6). The O ring 42 lies against the shoulder-forming bearing 25 in a'position to be squeezed by the end of the collar 41 during the operational steps which occur between the conditions shown in Figs. 4 and 1.

On the end of the tubular element 17 is a grip-forming handle 57, held in place by a set screw 59. Thus the wing nut 33 and handle 57 are adjacent. Carried captively on the tubular element 17 is a threaded bushing 61 in which is a packing gland 63 surrounding element 17.

Operation is as follows:

The wrench, with itslower parts in the condition shown in Fig. 4, wherein the wing nut 33 has been loosened, is applied to an adaptor 65 by threading the bushing 61 to said adaptor, as shown in Fig. 1. Then the lower parts in their condition shown in Fig. 4 are thrust into the socket 15 and the wing nut 33 screwed home against the bearing 19. During the thrusting operation the charnfers 52 guide and pinch the parts 51 inward for springing entrance into the socket 15. Turning of the wing nut 33 draws in the rod 29, so as to force the wedge-shaped head 35 into the conical portions 55,

thus spreading the parts 51 into radial gripping 'engagement with the sides of the socket 15. The slots 45 freely admit the extensions of the pin 37 and prevent turning of the rod 29 in tube 37 in response to twist from the wing nut 33. The parts are then in the condition shown in Fig. 1, wherein the plug 13 is positively in clutched position around the radially expanded parts 51 in the Next, as shown in Fig. 5, the adaptor 65 is screwed to the nipple 9, the valve 7 at this time being closed. Next the valve 7 is opened, as shown in Fig. 6, and the element 17 pushed inward through the packing gland 63 until the plug 13 is adjacent the threads 11. T hen the wrench is turned from the handle 57, so as to apply the plug 13 to said threads 11.

Next, while holding the handle 57 in one hand, the wing nut 33 may be backed oit. This releases the wedge 35 from the gripping members 51, which become relieved from the sides of the socket 15 in the plug 1 3. Then the wrench may be withdrawn axially upward [through the bushing 61, and the adaptor 65 unthreaded from the nipple 9. The system is then in condition for removal of the valve '7 and the application of a protective cap 67, as illustrated in Fig. 7.

The purpose of the packing 63 is to prevent leakage when the valve 7 is open and prior to application of the plug 13 to the threads 11. The purpose of the 9 ring 42 is to prevent any outward leakage between the pull rod 29 and the tubular element 17. It will bev understood that this ring is axially squeezed between ring 41 and shoulder-forming bearing 25 as the wing nut 33 is tightened.

Advantages of the invention are:

(1) Rapid and convenient means for applying and removing the wrench to and from plugs to be manipulated;

(2) Leakproof operation during manipulations;

(3) Simple, accurate and convenient means for maintaining the plug in fairly accurate alignment for starting its threads into the threads such as 11; and,

(4) Squeezing and pressing the ring radially against the pull rod 29 at the time the collet 39 is inserted into the socket 1S and drawn into wedging position by action of the draw nut 33 on the pull rod 29.

With prior makeshift means for applying a square member to a socket such as 15, there was a common tendency for a plug such as 13 to be tilted, making difiicult threaded application to threads such as 11. By means of the invention, accurate application and alignment of the plug 13 on the wrench is at all times readily obtained. Although the invention is described in connection with plugs such as 13, having square sockets 15, the same principles may be applied to plugs having sockets of other polygonal forms.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in the above constmctions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We Claim:

1. An extension wrench comprising a tubular elemen having a handle grip at one end and a slotted portion at the other end, a pull rod extending through said tubular element and having threaded means adjacent the handle grip for the reception of a threaded draw nut, said pull rod having a crosspin and a wedge on a portion extending from the other end of the tubular element, a resilient split collet on said pull rod adjacent said wedge, said split collet being formed with slots providing sep arate polygonal members and having means effecting an interlocking driving relationship with said slotted portions on the tubular element, said slots receiving said crosspin to prevent rotation of the pull rod in the tubular element upon rotation of the draw nut, said polygonal portions carrying conjugate wedge portions adjacent said wedge on the pull rod adapted to be driven apart by the Wedge for transverse movements when the pull rod is moved axially by said draw nut.

2. A wrench according to claim 1, including adjacent shoulders on the tubular element and the collet, and packing means constituted by an 0 ring between said shoulders adapted to be squeezed therebetween when said wedge means actuates the collet.

3. A Wrench according to claim'Z, including an erternally threaded bushing having internal packing means slidable on said tubular element.

References (fitted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 915,325 Bartol Mar. 16, 1909 1,058,454- Moores Apr. 8, 1913 1,851,421 Conklin Mar. 29, 1932 2,233,232 Wilkinson Feb. 25, 1941 2,729,998 Deliso Jan. 10, 1956 2,731,041 Mueller Ian. 17, 1956

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