US3667327A

US3667327A - Manually operated marking torque wrench

Info

Publication number: US3667327A
Application number: US54465A
Authority: US
Inventors: Christopher James Lance
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-07-13
Filing date: 1970-07-13
Publication date: 1972-06-06
Anticipated expiration: 1989-06-06

Abstract

A marking wrench has a conventional torque-limiting, overcenter connection between its operating handle and a tubular socket-type wrench. The handle fixedly mounts an elongated, laterally offset and forwardly extending operator arm, which extends just beyond the axis of the wrench socket, at one side of that axis. The socket end slidably guides a plunger or tappet coaxial with the socket; and a conical cam element at the top of the tappet is engaged cammingly by the operator arm when the over-center connection is broken. This causes the tappet to operate a felttipped marker to mark a fastener engaged by the socket jaw, the marker being coaxially slidable in the socket.

Description

United States Patent Lance [451 June 6, 1972 [541 MANUALLY OPERATED MARKING [22] Filed: July 13, 1970 [21] Appl.No.: 54,465

Dunlap et al. ..8 l/52.5

Hines et al. ..8 l/52.4 Gill ..8 l/52.3

Primary Examiner-James L. Jones, Jr. Attorney-Whittemore, Hulbert & Belknap ABSTRACT A marking .wrench has a conventional torque-limiting, overcenter connection between its operating handle and a tubular socket-type wrench. The handle fixedly mounts an elongated, laterally ofiset and forwardly extending operator arm, which extends just beyond the axis of the wrench socket, at one side of that axis. The socket end slidably guides a plunger or tappet coaxial with the socket; and a conical cam element at the top of the tappet is engaged cammingly by the operator arm when the over-center connection is broken. This causes the tappet to operate a felt-tipped marker to mark a fastener engaged by the socket jaw, the marker being coaxially slidable in the socket.

13 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUN s 1912 3. 667, 327

INVENT OR CH RI 5 TOPHER JAMES LA A TORNEYS MANUALLY OPERATED MARKING TORQUE WRENCH CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The wrench finds typical use in many assemblies employing nuts, studs, bolts, capscrews or like hex-or similarly headed fasteners in which it is an important requirement that all be taken up to an identical limited torque applied to the head of the fastener, the mark being also applied to the head for ready visibility. I Y

2. Description of the Prior Art:

The patent to Woods, US. Pat. No. 2,743,638 of May l, 1956, shows a torque release wrench functioning to the same general end as the present tool, but lacking marking means. The patent to Hines et al, US. Pat. No. 3,009,371 of Nov. 21, 1961, deals with part marking means of a highly complex and expensive nature embodied in a socket-type wrench. The patent to Dunham, US. Pat. No. 2,901,934 of Sept. 1, 1959, shows a felt type marker which is incorporated in a non-torque limiting type of wrench.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention resides in a combined torque limiting and marking, socket-type of wrench which may, if desired, also have a known sort of ratcheting feature, though not shown herein. The wrench is constituted by extremely simple and reliable operating components, including an elongated operating handle having a tubular head-engaging wrench socket connected at 90 to the plane of swing of the handle, this through the agency of a simple over-center, toggle-type pivot device of 4 a known sort.

An elongated forwardly projecting arm extension of the tool s operating handle serves as an actuator or operator for a marking unit in the wrench socket, spanning the pivot point at which the handle and socket are connected; and this operator arm cammingly actuates the marker unit, as mentioned in the Abstract.

The marker unit is of a very simple nature, including a cylindrical ink container supplying a felt tip, the container being rcmovably received within the wrench socket about the latter's jaw, for replacement or replenishment, as desired. The container is driven down by the cam-actuated tappet to cause its felt tip to mark the fastener head when the intended torque limit is reached.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is a view in vertical cross section, as on line ll of FIG. 2, showing features of the wrench in a not-yet-operated position of its parts;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 1, but with the wrench and marker parts operated to mark a bolt head; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view in horizontal cross-section on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The wrench of the invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 10, is herein shown and described as being of a tubular socket-type having a felt tipped marker unit 12 for the marking of the head (FIG. 2) of a bolt or like fastener, generally designated F, threadedly applied to secure plate or other parts P, P. It is to be understood that the tool 10 is of course capable of use in the torsion-limited and mark-identifying tightening of various types of hex-or otherwise headed screw, stud, or nut-like components.

or lever 16 about pivot pin 15 relative to the handle when the critical preset torque force is applied to the fastener F, as limited by the means now described.

The arm 17 extends within handle 10, and at its rear end has an over-center toggle-type engagement, as through the agency of a special quadrihedral pivot piece or block 18, with an end of a solid cylindrical block member 19, which floats with lateral clearance in the cylindrical handle tube 14. Member 19 is rearwardly sustained by a compression coil spring 20 of appropriate rating; and the rear end of spring 20 bottoms against and is adjustably sustained by a set screw 21, which takes threadedly into an abutment piece 22 fixedly received in the bore of handle 12. This permits the force of spring 20 to be adjusted as desired.

Again, it is pointed out that the over-center toggle-type adjusting device, as described above and generally designated 24, is constituted by provisions also illustrated and described in the above-identified patent to Woods, but the device 24 may be any other equivalent and suitable type, for example, as illustrated and described in my co-pending application, Ser. No. 54,466, mentioned above.

A socket-type, fastener engaging and torquing wrench member of the tool 10 is generallydesignated by the reference numeral 26. It may in general be of an entirely conventional type, including a fastener engaging hex or like jaw formation 27 at the open lower end of its tubular socket body 28. By preference the socket body 28 has a releasable threaded connection at 29, opposite its jaw 27, with a boss-like socket body 30, which is shown as being integral with and offset from a forward arm portion 31 of the pivoted torque transmitter lever l6.- It is to be understood that the wrench 10 is preferred to be of a well-known reversibly ratcheting, click type; in this event the socket body 30 will be of a more elaborate nature incorporating known pawl and ratchet provisions. However, in the interest of simplicity no such elaboration has been indulged in, nor is it considered to bep'art of the invention.

A counterbore 32 of the tubular wrench socket 28 above the fastener head engaging jaw 27 coaxially receives a cylindrical ink container 33 of the marking unit 12; and the lower end of container 33 rests upon, and is normally held upwardly, by a coil compression return spring 34. The spring bottoms at an annular shoulder 35 between the socket counterbore 32 and jaw formation 27. An adapter collar 36 of the ink container 33 presents a felt marking tip 37 coaxially of the latter; and the tip is continually supplied with ink from the replenishable content of container 33. The arrangement is such that, in the unoperated condition of the marking tool 10 which appears in FIG. 1, the tip 37 will extend axially a slight distance into the socket jaw formation 27.

The ink container 33 is received within socket counterbore 32 with a generous radial clearance, and is engaged coaxially at its top by an elongated operating plunger or tappet 38. This tappet 38 is loosely guided with appreciable clearance in a cylindrical bore 40 extending axially through the body or boss portion 30 of the torque applying lever arm 31; and at its upper end, substantially above the top of the body 30, the tappet 38 is provided with a cone-shaped cam head 41.

Adjacent its forward end, and slightly to the rear of its pivot pin 15, the tubular handle member 14 has a transverse, reentrantly grooved seat member 42 rigidly secured to its upper surface, as by welding at 43 (FIG. 1), which member 42 matingly receives an inverted T-shaped tongue formation or member 44. This formation 44 is integral with the rear end of an elongated, upwardly offset and forwardly projecting actuator arm 45. A tongue-and-groove connection of this sort enation to handle 12, extending parallel with the latter, and this type of connection may be an adjustable one, if desired. Thus, an Allen type socket screw 46 threaded into the tongue member 44 to engage the groove member 42 will enable a limited adjustment of the position of actuator arm 45, if such is desired, followed by a tightening of the screw 46 to hold the adjustment. 7

The forward end of the actuator 45 projects somewhat past the upright axis of the tappet 38 and its conical cam head 41 and to one side of said axis, in the nonoperated condition of tool 10 (FIG. 1). The arm end may have no normal engagement with the cam cone head 41, as projected upwardly by the coil return spring 34 acting through marker container 33 and tappet 38. However, some degree of engagement is desirable, for example, to take up looseness and to assist in return cambiasing the arm 45 toward parallelism with lever arm 31 after an operation is finished.

Referring to FIG. 2, when the bolt, stud, or other fastener F, as engaged at its head I: by the wrench socket jaw 27, has been taken up to the desired torque value, a further swing of the handle 12 in the torquing direction causes the over-center toggle connection 24 to be broken, with the result that actuator arm 45 swings relative to the cam cone head 41 of tappet 38. This, as shown in FIG. 2, causes that formation and tappet 38 to be depressed downwardly, correspondingly displacing the marker unit 12. The latter's felt tip 37 is engaged with substantial force on the top of head it of fastener F, imparting the desired torque indicium to the top of the head. With parts P, P, appropriately bolt-secured, removal of the wrench socket 26 enables return spring 34 to restoremarker unit 12 and tappet 38 upwardly to the positions of FIG. 1, assisting in retuming'arm 31 to parallelism with handle and placing the tool 10 in acondition ready for another operation.

Inasmuch as an accidental impacting of the tappet cam head ing movement of the handle and wrench members to so move 41 might cause an undesired premature marking of the fastener, a cap-like protective cover 48 is removably telescoped snugly onto the top of the wrench arm boss or body 30, being provided with a laterally opening slot 49 through which the actuator arm 45 works.

j WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

. I. A marking wrench for a fastener or like element, comprising a handle member, a wrench member engageable with the element to apply a predetermined torque to the latter,

over-center type torque transmitting means pivotally connecting said handle and wrench members and enabling a swinging movement thereof relative to one another when said predetermined torque is reached, a marker adjacent and movable relative to said wrench member and to a wrench-engaged element to mark the latter, one of said members carrying a mechanical actuator to operate said marker, and tappet means operated by said actuator upon said relative swinging movement of said wrench and handle members to so bodily move said actuator and cause the marker to mark the fastener element.

'2. The wrench of claim 1, in which said actuator is fixedly .carried by the handle member.

3. A marking wrench for a fastener or like element, comprising a handle member, a wrench member engageable with the element to apply a predetermined torque to the latter, over-center type torque transmitting means pivotally connecting said handle and wrench members and enabling a swinging movement thereof relative to one another when said predetermined torque is reached, a marker adjacent and movable relative to said wrench member and to a wrench-engaged element to mark the latter, one of said members carrying an actuator to operate said marker, and tappet means operated by said actuator upon said relative swinging movement of said wrench and handle members to so move said marker to' mark the fastener element, said tappet means having a cam portion cammingly engaged by said actuator upon said relative swingthe marker through the agency of said ta pet means.

4. The wrench of claim I, in which sai mechanical actuator is fixedly carried by the handle member, said tappet member having a cam portion cammingly engaged by said actuator upon said relative swinging movement of the handle and wrench members to so move the marker through the agency of said tappet member.

5. The .wrench of claim 1, in which said wrench member has a tubular socket to engage the fastener element, the marker being disposed in said socket.

6. The wrench of claim 2, in which said wrench member hw a tubular socket to engage the fastener element, the marker being disposed in said socket for engagement by said tappet member.

7. The wrench of claim 6, in whichsaid tappet member operates axially of the wrench socket in-moving the marker, said actuator extending forwardly of the handle member for swinging engagement with the tappet member cam portion in a plane normal to the socket and tappet member axis.

8. A marking wrench tool for a headed fastener, comprising an elongated swingable handle, a wrench having a tubular socket with an axis at 90 to the plane of swing of the handle and engageable with the fastener head to apply a predetermined torque to the latter, said handle having an elongated mechanical actuator fixed thereon and extending longitudinally forwardly thereof to operate at an actuator end adjacent said wrench socket, over-center type means within said handle pivotally connecting said handle and wrench to transmit torque from the former to the latter and to afford a swinging movement thereof relative to one another when said predetermined torque is reached, a marking unit operating axially in said socket to mark a fastener inthe socket, and an actuating tappet operated axially of the socket by said' mechanical actuator upon said relative swinging of said handle and wrench to move said marking element unit for marking action on said fastener head. I

9. A marking wrench tool for a headed fastener, comprising an elongated swingable handle, a wrench having a tubular socket with an axis at 90 to the plane of swing of the handle and engageable with the fastener head to apply a predetermined torque to the latter, said handle having an elongated actuator fixed thereon and extending longitudinally forwardly thereof to operate at an actuator end adjacent said wrench socket, over-center type means within said handle pivotally connecting said handle and wrench to transmittorque from the fonner to the latter and to afford a swinging movement relative to one another when said predetermined torque is reached, a marking unit operating axially in said socket to mark a fastener in the socket, and an actuating tappet operated axially of the socket by said actuator upon said relative swinging of said handle and wrench to move said marking element unit for marking action on said fastener head, said tappet having a shaped cam formation which is engagedby said actuator to operate the marker through the tappet.

10. The tool of claim 9 in which the shaped cam formation is located at an end of said tappet, said cam formation being engaged by said actuator to operate the marker through the tappet. I

11. The tool of claim 9 and further'comprising spring means normally biasing the marker in a direction opposite that in which it operates the marker.

Claims

1. A marking wrench for a fastener or like element, comprising a handle member, a wrench member engageable with the element to apply a predetermined torque to the latter, over-center type torque transmitting means pivotally connecting said handle and wrench members and enabling a swinging movement thereof relative to one another when said predetermined torque is reached, a marker adjacent and movable relative to said wrench member and to a wrench-engaged element to mark the latter, one of said members carrying a mechanicAl actuator to operate said marker, and tappet means operated by said actuator upon said relative swinging movement of said wrench and handle members to so bodily move said actuator and cause the marker to mark the fastener element.

2. The wrench of claim 1, in which said actuator is fixedly carried by the handle member.

3. A marking wrench for a fastener or like element, comprising a handle member, a wrench member engageable with the element to apply a predetermined torque to the latter, over-center type torque transmitting means pivotally connecting said handle and wrench members and enabling a swinging movement thereof relative to one another when said predetermined torque is reached, a marker adjacent and movable relative to said wrench member and to a wrench-engaged element to mark the latter, one of said members carrying an actuator to operate said marker, and tappet means operated by said actuator upon said relative swinging movement of said wrench and handle members to so move said marker to mark the fastener element, said tappet means having a cam portion cammingly engaged by said actuator upon said relative swinging movement of the handle and wrench members to so move the marker through the agency of said tappet means.

4. The wrench of claim 1, in which said mechanical actuator is fixedly carried by the handle member, said tappet member having a cam portion cammingly engaged by said actuator upon said relative swinging movement of the handle and wrench members to so move the marker through the agency of said tappet member.

5. The wrench of claim 1, in which said wrench member has a tubular socket to engage the fastener element, the marker being disposed in said socket.

6. The wrench of claim 2, in which said wrench member has a tubular socket to engage the fastener element, the marker being disposed in said socket for engagement by said tappet member.

7. The wrench of claim 6, in which said tappet member operates axially of the wrench socket in moving the marker, said actuator extending forwardly of the handle member for swinging engagement with the tappet member cam portion in a plane normal to the socket and tappet member axis.

8. A marking wrench tool for a headed fastener, comprising an elongated swingable handle, a wrench having a tubular socket with an axis at 90* to the plane of swing of the handle and engageable with the fastener head to apply a predetermined torque to the latter, said handle having an elongated mechanical actuator fixed thereon and extending longitudinally forwardly thereof to operate at an actuator end adjacent said wrench socket, over-center type means within said handle pivotally connecting said handle and wrench to transmit torque from the former to the latter and to afford a swinging movement thereof relative to one another when said predetermined torque is reached, a marking unit operating axially in said socket to mark a fastener in the socket, and an actuating tappet operated axially of the socket by said mechanical actuator upon said relative swinging of said handle and wrench to move said marking element unit for marking action on said fastener head.

9. A marking wrench tool for a headed fastener, comprising an elongated swingable handle, a wrench having a tubular socket with an axis at 90* to the plane of swing of the handle and engageable with the fastener head to apply a predetermined torque to the latter, said handle having an elongated actuator fixed thereon and extending longitudinally forwardly thereof to operate at an actuator end adjacent said wrench socket, over-center type means within said handle pivotally connecting said handle and wrench to transmit torque from the former to the latter and to afford a swinging movement relative to one another when said predetermined torque is reached, a marking unit operating axially in said socket to mark a fastener in the socket, and an actuating tappet operated axially of the socket by said actuator upon said relative swinging of said handle and wrench to move said marking element unit for marking action on said fastener head, said tappet having a shaped cam formation which is engaged by said actuator to operate the marker through the tappet.

10. The tool of claim 9 in which the shaped cam formation is located at an end of said tappet, said cam formation being engaged by said actuator to operate the marker through the tappet.

11. The tool of claim 9 and further comprising spring means normally biasing the marker in a direction opposite that in which it operates the marker.

12. The tool of claim 11, in which said cam formation and spring means are within said socket, and further comprising a protective cover applied to an end of said socket in shielding relation to said cam formation.

13. The marking wrench of claim 1 wherein said mechanical actuator is fixedly carried by said one of said members to move bodily with the latter in the relative swing of said members.