US3306142A

US3306142A - Open end slideable jaw wrench

Info

Publication number: US3306142A
Application number: US484943A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bernard L Buteau
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-09-03
Filing date: 1965-09-03
Publication date: 1967-02-28
Anticipated expiration: 1984-02-28

Description

Feb. 28, 1967 B- L. BUTEAU OPEN END SLIDEABLE JAW WRENCH Filed Sept. 5, 1965 INVENTOR. BEE/V450 L 56/754 ,47'TOE VEYS.

United States Patent 3,306,142 OPEN END SLIDEABLE JAW WRENCH Bernard L. Buteau, Scotia, N.Y. (5209 Wyoming Road, Glen Echo Heights, Md. 20016) Filed Sept. 3, 1965, Ser. No. 484,943 4 Claims. (Cl. 81179) The present invention is related to open-end Wrenches and is more particularly concerned with a ratchet type slideable jaw face open end wrench.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improvement in open end wrenches whereupon the same will automatically adjust to different size nuts, bolts heads and the like and will grasp the nut or bolt head upon which it is being used with an increasing tightness when the wrench is turned in one direction therearound and will automatically slide around the nut or bolt head in a ratchet type of operation when the wrench is moved in an opposite direction.

It is a further important object of the present invention to provide a ratchet type slideable jaw open end wrench which is relatively economical to produce, can be readily and quickly assembled and disassembled without requiring special tools or knowledge, is adjustable for use with a wide range of sizes of objects to be gripped thereby and provides a large bearing surface for grasping said objects to be turned.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a slideable jaw face open end wrench having a maximum strength with a minimum overall size relative thereto, which wrench is capable of developing a desirable ratching action while grasping a nut or bolt head either fully within the jaws of the wrench or near the outer ends thereof and which wrench includes spring means for the slideable jaw tending to move said slideable jaw Within the wrench head and which is positioned within the head of the wrench without weakening the same.

Further objects of the invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the following detailed description of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the present wrench before assembly thereof.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the wrench grasping a bolt head for turning the same.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the head portion of the wrench as viewed from the opposite side to FIG. 2 and with the slideable jaw partially shown in longitudinal section.

And FIG. 5 is a side elevation corresponding to the head portion of the wrench of FIG. 2, but with the slideable jaw positioned as when being slid around a bolt head or the like in the ratcheting operation of the wrench.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings wherein like and corresponding parts are designated by similar reference characters, numeral 1 indicates the handle of the wrench whose head 2 has open end recess 2a defined by fiat fixed jaw face 3, end face 4, end 11 of a rib 8 providing a second end face and flat fixed jaw face 6 of a second fixed jaw 5. Said head 2 has an open end slot defined by flat top face 7, curved rear face and a continuation of jaw face 6 on one side of rib 8 with a flat top face 70, curved rear face 10a and a continuation of jaw face 6 on the other side of said n'b. Top faces 7 and 7a extend in line with one another as do rear faces 10 and 10a so that rib 8 extends along the longitudinal axis of jaw face 6.

Rib 8 has a longitudinal medial slot 9 in which is positioned a pin 12 laterally thereof against a coil spring 13 within said slot as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Jaw face 6,

top faces 7, 7a, and slot 9 extend parallel to one another.

A slideable jaw 14 has a flat bottom 15 of approximately the same length as jaw face 6 and an open end longitudinally extending slot 18 providing a pair of links 16 with curved end faces 17. Slot 18 is sized for slideably receiving rib 8 therein with links 16 on each side of said rib slideably mating therewith and their ends 17 are capable of mating with rear faces 10 and 10a. Said links also have flat top faces 19 parallel to flat bottom face 15 with said links being of a heighth so that their bottom face 15 and top faces 19 will slide along faces 6 and 7, 7:: respectively of head 2. Said slideable jaw further has a slanting intermediate face 20 which extends on an obtuse angle to a flat jaw face 21 which latter jaw face always extends parallel to fixed jaw face 3. When said slideable jaw is entirely retracted by spring 13 curve end 22 of said slideable jaw is contiguous with jaw 5.

Links 16 also have openings 23 extending in line laterally thereof with pin 12 extending through said openings in frictional engagement therewith or with riveted ends if so desired.

Slideable jaw slot 18 has an end wall 24 which slants in a corresponding manner to end 11 of rib 8 for abutting and being stopped by the same when said slideable jaw is fully retracted by coil spring 13.

Jaw face 6 of jaw 5 and bottom 15 of slideable jaw 14 are positioned so as to form an angle B as shown in FIG. 2 with a line perpendicular to the parallel jaw faces 3 and 21 such that 0 B 90. Said angle B for example, can be of approximately 60. A lesser angle B than 60 would tend to improve the range of adjustability of the Wrench, but would reduce the reaction forces tending to force the slideable jaw 14 in its closing direction has restricting the amount of torque that the wrench could apply. Conversely, a greater angle B than 60 tends to reduce the range of adjustability of the wrench, but increases the forces tending to reduce the distance between the jaw faces 3 and 21 and improves the torque characteristics of the wrench.

The present wrench when in use had handle 1 grasped by the operator whose thumb is used to slide jaw 14 along face 6 against spring 13 to increase the distance between

jaw faces

3 and 21 until the wrench has an object such as a hexagonal nut A, for example, between said jaw faces which nut is to be turned by the wrench. Slideable jaw 14 is then released and automatically retracts under the forces of spring 13 bearing against pin 12 and thus the links 16 until further retraction is prevented by jaw face 21 engaging a side of said nut. Thereupon the operator applies a force on handle 1 in the direction shown by the arrow in FIG. 2 which results in a torque being applied to the nut A. By reaction, nut A imposes forces on

jaw faces

3 and 21 and with respect to jaw 14 these forces can be defined as resultants parallel and perpendicular to the line of motion of said slideable jaw defined by jaw face 6 and slideable jaw bottom 15. Under these conditions said slideable jaw is forced in its closing direction upon said nut causing the wrench to grip the nut more tightly and permitting additional torque to be applied thereto.

If the force applied to handle 1 is reversed in the direction of the arrow of FIG. 5 then reaction of the nut A on the slideable jaw 14 will tend to slide slideable jaw 14 against spring 13 to open the distance between

jaw faces

3 and 21 and precludes any application of torque on nut A at that time thus permitting the wrench to move around said nut with a ratcheting operation and without turning the nut. Top faces 7, 7a and jaw face 6 will guide said slideable jaw keeping

jaw faces

3 and 21 parallel at all times. The position of said slideable jaw is determined by the appropriate extreme diametral dimension of nut A engaging said slideable jaw. Again reversing the direction on handle 1 will again turn nut A.

The wrench is capable of modification and such changes thereto as come within the scope of the appended claims is deemed to be a part of the present invention.

I claim:

1. An open end slideable jaw wrench comprising a handle, a head at one end of said handle having an open end recess defined by a pair of fixed fiat jaw faces extending on an acute angle relative to one another and connected by end faces, said head having a slot opening into said end recess and having flat top and bottom faces parallel to one of said jaw faces with said slot bottom face being a continuation of said one of said jaw faces, a rib integral with said head extending longitudinally of said slot normal to said slot top and bottom faces and having a slot parallel to said first mentioned slot top and bottom faces, said rib having an end providing one of said recess end faces, a coil spring positioned in said slot, 21 slideable jaw having a fiat bottom and a flat top end portion slideably mounted between said first mentioned slot top and bottom faces said slideable jaw bottom also being slideably positioned on said one of said jaw faces, said slideable jaw having an open end slot in one end portion of said slideable jaw with said rib positioned in said slideable jaw slot and a fiat jaw face at its opposite end portion extending parallel to the other of said pair of fixed fiat jaw faces and a pin extending through said slideable jaw one end portion and said rib slot with said coil spring bearing against said pin and also against said rib adjacent said rib end tending to retain said slideable jaw within said recess.

2. An open end slideable jaw wrench as claimed in claim 1 wherein said slideable jaw has an intermediate face between said slideable jaw flat top end portion and fiat jaw face and extending on an obtuse angle to said slideable jaw fiat jaw face.

3. An open end slideable jaw wrench as claimed in claim 1, wherein said slideable jaw end slot has an end wall corresponding to said rib end for abutting and being stopped thereby.

4. An open end slideable jaw wrench as claimed in claim 1 wherein said slideable jaw end slot provides a pair of spaced apart parallel links slideably mating with said rib and said slideable jaw fiat top end portion provides the top faces of said links.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,592,781 5/1952 Yauner 81-179 2,983,173 5/1961 Buxton 81-179 3,198,041 8/1965 Davis 81179 WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

MILTON S, MEHR, Examiner.

Claims

1. AN OPEN END SLIDEABLE JAW WRENCH COMPRISING A HANDLE, A HEAD AT ONE END OF SAID HANDLE HAVING AN OPEN END RECESS DEFINED BY A PAIR OF FIXED FLAT JAW FACES EXTENDING ON AN ACUTE ANGLE RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER AND CONNECTED BY END FACES, SAID HEAD HAVING A SLOT OPENING INTO SAID END RECESS AND HAVING FLAT TOP AND BOTTOM FACES PARALLEL TO ONE OF SAID JAW FACES WITH SAID SLOT BOTTOM FACE BEING A CONTINUATION OF SAID ONE OF SAID JAW FACES, A RIB INTEGRAL WITH SAID HEAD EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID SLOT NORMAL TO SAID SLOT TOP AND BOTTOM FACES AND HAVING A SLOT PARALLEL TO SAID FIRST MENTIONED SLOT TOP AND BOTTOM FACES, SAID RIB HAVING AN END PROVIDING ONE OF SAID RECESS END FACES, A COIL SPRING POSITIONED IN SAID SLOT, A SLIDEABLE JAW HAVING A FLAT BOTTOM AND A FLAT TOP END PORTION SLIDEABLY MOUNTED BETWEEN SAID FIRST MENTIONED SLOT TOP AND BOTTOM FACES, SAID SLIDEABLE JAW BOTTOM ALSO BEING SLIDEABLY POSITIONED ON SAID ONE OF SAID JAW FACES, SAID SLIDEABLE JAW HAVING AN OPEN END SLOT IN ONE END PORTION OF SAID SLIDEABLE JAW WITH SAID RIB POSITIONED IN SAID SLIDEABLE JAW SLOT AND A FLAT JAW FACE AT ITS OPPOSITE END PORTION EXTENDING PARALLEL TO THE OTHER OF SAID PAIR OF FIXED FLAT JAW FACES AND A PIN EXTENDING THROUGH SAID SLIDEABLE JAW ONE END PORTION AND SAID RIB SLOT WITH SAID COIL SPRING BEARING AGAINST SAID PIN AND ALSO AGAINST SAID RIB ADJACENT SAID RIB END TENDING TO RETAIN SAID SLIDEABLE JAW WITHIN SAID RECESS.