US669570A - Wrench. - Google Patents

Description

No. 669,570. Patented Mar. l2, l90l.

A. K. WOLFE.

WRENCH...

(Application filed May 11, 1900.) (No Model.)

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ABNER K. WOLFE, OF KANSAS CITY, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE H. LINDLEY, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 669,570, dated March 12, 1901 Application filed May 11, 1900. Suitable-16,293. (No model To aZZ whont it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABNER K. WOLFE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in Kansas City, in the count of Wyan- 5 dotte and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in \Vrenches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in wrenches. It is particularly related to the style of wrenches termed monkey-wrenches.

The object of my invention is to provide a wrench in which the sliding jaw may be quickly and easily adjusted upon the shank to any position desired.

The invention comprises the combination, with the ordinary shank having a fixed jaw and a sliding jaw mounted on the shank, of a cam carried by the sliding jaw and operated automatically by the pressure exerted in use upon the sliding jaw, a shank-engaging member on which the cam is adapted to bear, means for normally holding the said member in engagement with the shank,and means for releasing the said member from such engagement.

My invention provides, further, certain novel features of construction, hereinafter fully described and explained.

In the accom panyingdrawings, which illustrate my invention, Figure 1 represents a longitudinal view partly in section. resents a side elevation view.

Similar letters of reference-indicate similar parts.

A represents the shank, provided with the ordinary fixed jaw B. Longitudinally movable upon the shank A is the ordinary sliding jaw O. The right side of the shank, as shown in Fig. 1,' is provided with a series of transverse serrations or teeth. It is also provided on the same side with a longitudinal groove D, extending from near the handle of the wrench nearly to the fixed jaw B. In the interior of that portion of the sliding jaw which is disposed on-the serrated side of the shank is provided a recess or chamber E, in which is mounted a cam F, the outer endof 50 which is pivotally connected to the sliding jaw O. The pivotal connection which I pre- Fig. 2 repfor as the one affording the most simplicity and strength is that in which the outer end of the cam F is in the form of the arc of a circle which fits into a correspondingly-shaped seat provided in the interior wall of the jaw C. To the inner end of the cam F is pivotally mounted in any desirable manner the shank-engaging member G, the side adjacent to the shank being provided with transverse 6o serrations adapted to engage the serrations on the shank. The preferable forni of connection between the cam'F and the member G is to provide in the member G an arcuate recess in which is pivotally fitted the correspondingly-shaped inner end of the cam F. The disposition of the cam F approaches a horizontal position, so that pressure upon the jaw C will tend to force the cam F at right angles to the wrench-shank. This disposition of the cam causes the working pressure on the jaw O to be thrown perpendicular to the axis of the shank instead of causing the strain to be exerted upon the serrations of the member G and the shank in a direction par allel with the axis of the shank. Danger of stripping the said serrations is thus obviated. Any convenient means may be employed for holding the member G normally in engagement with the shank. The means which Ipre- 8o fer to employ is to provide a coil-spring H, the upper end of which rests within an upwardly and inwardly inclined recess provided in the member G. The lower end of the coil-spring H abuts against the inner wall of the jaw O. In order to disengage the member G-from eugagement with the shank A, I have provided a lever I, the upper end of which extendsbetween the wall of the jaw O and the member G. In order to prevent the member G from being forced inwardly at its upper end without. at the same time freeing the lower end of the member G, the lever I is so shaped as to bear upon that portion of the member G horizontally opposite the inner end of the cam F. The lever I is mounted and lengthwise movable in the slot or groove D. It is provided at the point K with a fulcrum projeotion, which rests upon the bottom of the groove. The lower end of the lever I extends outwardly through a slot L, provided in the lower end of the jaw O, and has provided on its exterior end a thumb-piece M, by means of which the lever is inwardly de pressed.

My invention is operated as follows: By depressing the lower end of the lever I it is rocked on the fulcrum K, the upper end of the lever being forced outwardly and against the member G, which is also outwardly forced and moves also in a downward direction, due to its pivotal connection with the cam F, against the pressure of the spring H. The wedge-like form, as indicated by J in Fig. l, materially assists the downward and out ward movement of the member G by coming in contact with the wall of the recess E. The member G now being free from engagement with the shank, the jaw C may be moved lengthwise to any desirable position upon the shank, at which time the pressure on the thumb-piece M is removed, permitting the spring H to again force the member G into engagement With the shank. Pressure now being applied upon the shank-handle for the purpose of tightening a knot or accomplishing other work will have a tendency to force the jaw O downward on the shank. The member G, being engaged with the shank, cannot partake of this downward movement,

.but will remain stationaryQ The outer end of the cam F, however, being free to move with the jaw, willin a degree partake of such movement, and will thus bring into play the cam -1ocking features of the device. The cam F, being disposed in a nearly horizontal position, will cause the pressure exerted upon the jaw O to be exerted almost perpendicularly to the shank-axis. The greater the pressure thusexerted on the jaw the tighter the member G will be forced against the shank and the more nearly horizontal will become the pressure on the cam F. The configurations of. the teeth or serrations in the shank and member G may be such as is desired. In order to more readily release the member from the shank, it is desirable that the teeth be V-shaped, although this is not essential.

My invention is adapted to many modifications while still retaining the spirit thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A wrench comprising a shank provided with a fixed jaw, transverse serrations on one side of the shank, and a longitudinal groove in the shank, a slidable jaw mounted upon the shank, a shank-engaging member carried by the slidable jaw, a swinging member pivotally connected with the shank-engaging member and the slidable jaw,and alever fulcrumed on the shank within the said longitudinal groove, and bearing upon the shank-engaging member at one end and having its free end depressible, substantially as described.

2. A wrench comprising a shank provided with a fixed jaw and having a longitudinal groove in one side, a slidable jaw mounted upon the shank, means for locking the slidable jaw in engagement with the shank, and a lever fulcrumed in the shank-groove and movable with the slidable jaw and cooperating with the shank'engaging means for releasing the slidable jaw from engagement with the shank, substantially as described.

3. A wrench comprising a shank provided with a fixed jaw and having a longitudinal groove in one side, a slidable jaw mounted upon the shank, a shank-engaging member carried by the slidable jaw, means for forcing the said member into engagement with the shank and a lever fulcrumed in the shankgroove and movable with the slidable jaw and bearing upon. the said shank-engaging member, substantially as described.

4. A wrench comprising a shank provided with a fixed jaw and having a longitudinal groove in one side, a slidable jaw mounted upon the shank, the shank-engaging member G carried by the slidable jaw, the cam F, pivotally connected to the member G and the slidable jaw, a spring for forcing the member G into engagement with the shank and a lever I fulcrumed in the groove of the shank, bearing upon the member G and movable with the slidable jaw, substantially as described.

. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ABNER K. WOLFE.

Witnesses: I

WARREN D. HOUSE, DENTON DUNN.

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