US84605A - Improvement in wrenches - Google Patents

Description

. attimi tats-5 atwiilivar WILLIAM BAXTER, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO HIM-V SELF AND WILLIAM D. RUSSELL, OF THE SAME PLACE.

Lette/rs .Patent No. 84,605, dctedDeccmbP/r 1, 1868.

pieces, and right and lefthand thumb-screw, of which the wrench is composed.

My invention relates to that class of wrenches known as S-wrenches, having jaws at right angles to the shank.

'Owing to the peculiar form of such wrenches, their jaws have heretofore been fixed, and adapted to grasp only one size of nuts.

The object I have in view is to render the jaws adjnstable, so as'to tdiiierent sizes, at the same time avoiding the clumsiness and unwieldy nature of the ordinary adjustable hammer and other wrenches, and preserving the proportionswhich give to the ordinary non-adj ustable s-'wrench its value in so many instances. v

To this end, my invention may be statedV to consist- First, in an adjustable S-wrench, composed of two parts, mortised and tenoned together in the manner hereinafter described, the mortise being formed in the exterior and the tenon in the interior jaw of each part. Second, in combining with the two mortised and tenoned parts of the S-wrench a right and left-hand screw, and thumb-piece to operate it, thereby coutract ing or extending the jaws much more speedily than when a single screw is employed.

Third, in the construction and combination of the two parts composing the s wrench, each being provided with a tenon and mortise, arranged on opposite ends, so that the pla-ne of movement of the two parts shall be in the direction of the length of the wrench, and at right angles or transversely to the jaws.

Fourth, in the combination, in an adjustable S-wrench, of scales upon the shank with the right and left-hand screw and thumb-piece, so that the wrench may serve the piu'pose of calipers for measuring iron or nuts; and,

Lastly, in minor features of construction, to 'be hereina-iter described.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe the manner in which the same is or maybe carried into ei'ect, by reference to the drawings.

The two parts'A B, of which the wrench is com-` posed, are shown separately in gs. 3.and 4. The part' V.A is provided at one end with an exterior jaw, a, and

upon the other with an interior jaw, b, the two jaws being turned in opposite directions, as usual in S- wrenches. The part B is provided, in like manner, at one end with 'the interior jaw a', and at the other with the exterior jaw, b', these jaws, when the parts are placed together, forming, in conjunction with the jaws a b, the two sets of jaws with which the wrenches should be provided. f Y

Each interior jaw a.' b carries a tenon', e, which fits in a mortise', cl, eutn each exterior jaw a b.

`The contiguous sides ofnthe` shank-portion of the two parts A B fit together, when the parts are properly adjusted, so as to admit of their sliding longitudinally, in order to open and close the jaws, which stand at right angles to the plane of movement.

. The arrangement of tenons upon the interior jaws and mortises in the exterior jaws, enables me to impart great strength and solidity to the jaws, at the same time retaining perfectly the S-shape of the wrench, but, if desired, the position of parts may be reversed, though with not as good results.

It will be noticed that the mortises and tenons are formed upon that side of the division-line between the two parts of the divided shank, nearest their respective jaws, so that, without increasing the size or amount of metal ,in the jaws, I am enabled to preserve their strength While' projecting them out from the shank,

and giving them that bill-shape which is requisite in an S-wrench.

For the purpose of adapting the wrench to very small nuts, as well as to those of large size, I so construct and arrange the jaws that, when the smaller pair, a c',

-are entirely closed, the larger pair, b b, will be opened to the maximum extent to which the smaller pair can be extended and used. And thus the smaller pair can be employed for sizes less than the minimum opening of the larger jaw, the latter, on the other hand, being capable of grasping nuts and like articles which cannot be contained between the former.

When the two parts A B are placed together, they may be actuated to contract or expandv the openings between the jaws by a pawl and ratchet, worm and rack, or other well-known devices. I much prefer, however, to employ the means shown in iig. 5, consisting of a right and left-hand screw, h, provided with a milled head or thumb-piece, k, located midway between its two ends.

In order to provide a place in the wrench in which this device may be held, so as to be conveniently located with respect to the hand 'of the operator, and at the same time entirely out of the way, I form in the interior edge of each part A B a recess, m, terminating in a shonldenet, the recessin the one part being formed so as to extend in the direction opposite to that of the recess in the other part, so that when the two are placed together, as shown in igs. land 2, the thumbpiece 'k and exposed parts of the screw will be enclosed by the shouldersor end a and the sides 'm of the recesses.

In the one shoulder, it, a screwthreaded socket is I tapped, for receiving the end of the screw carrying the right-hand thread, and in the other shoulder a like socket receives the lett-hand screw-threaded end o the screw h.

The vthumb-piece k, situated between the two, willlie within the space enclosed by the four sides, n m. By turning the thumb-piece, it will be seen that the jaws, owing to the employment of the right and lefthand screw, will move apart with twice the speed which could be obtained by the employment of either a righthand or lett-hand screw, and I attain by this means a great advantage over ordinary wrenches.

Again, by reason ofthe formation of the recesses 7n, and the employment of the right and left-hand screw in this manner, I am enabled to make the wrench serve Aalso the purpose of ca-lipers, a graduated scale, s, being formed on the edge of each recess. And by this` means the size of any bolt or nut or iron can be determined with thegreatest facility, aud without thel employment of a separate instrument.

From the foregoing, it will be perceived that this method of dividing the wrench into two parts, whose -.line of movement, in parallel planes, is in the direction of 'their length, is especially' applicable to S-wrenches in which the jaws stand at right angles to the shank, and not to what are known as diagonal wrenches.

The construction and arrangement of parts is such as to secure the greatest strength and solidity, at the same timejpreserving perlectly, for all practical purposes, the form of thc non-adjustable S-wrench, and thus adapting the instrmnent to many uses for .which the ordinary adjustable liammer-wreuches are entirely uniitted.

rlhe adjustment of the implement can readily bc effected with one hand alone, the shank being held in the hand, and the roughened or milled head I; pressed upon and rolled over a board or other suitable surface. And the arrangement of the znljusting-screw and head is such that, practically, the wrench has theI same unbroken surface as the ordinary S-wrench.

Having now described my invention, and the manner in .which the same is or may beI carried into effect,

VVllat I claim,` and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

l. A11 adjustable S-wrench, 4composed of two parts, niort-ised and tenoned together iu the manner and for the pulposes described.

2. The combination, with the two mortised and teuoncd parts ofthe s-wrench, of a right and left-hand screw, and thumb-piece to opelate it, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The construction and combination ofthe two parts composingthe s-wreuch, each" being provided with a tenon andv mortise, arranged on opposite ends, so that the plane of movement of the two parts. shall be in the direction of the length of the wrench, and at right angles or transversely to the jaws, as. set forth.

4. The combination, in an adjustable S-Wrench, as described, of scales upon the divided wrench-shank, with the right andleft-hand screw and thumb-piece, arranged Awithin a recess formed in the two parts of the said shank, as and-for the puiposes set forth.

5. The tenons formed upon and at right angles to the' inner jaws, in combination with the corresponding mortises in the heads of the outer jaws, substantially as and for the purposes herein shown and set forth.

(i. The' construction and arrangement of the larger and smaller' jaws of the wrench, so that, when the smaller jaws are completely closed, the larger will be open to the maximum extent of the former, as and for the purposes set forth.

7. The 'formation of the mortise and tenon in the body of the divided shank of an adjustable wrench, and upon that side of the division-line` between the two parts of the shank nearest the jaws, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this speciiication, before two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM BAXTER.

Witnesses WVM. D. RUSSELL, S. S. MORRIS.

Images