US918787A - Wrench. - Google Patents

Description

J. G. SPARKS.

WRENCH. APPLICATION FILED 1130.48, 1908.

Patented Apr-.20, 1909.

with zones 5 JOHN CLARENCE sP RKsoF GEORGETOWN, SOUTH CAROLINA.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 20, 1909.

App1icati0n filed December 18, 1908. Serial No. 468,201.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J ornv OLARnNon SPARKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Georgetown, in the county of George'- town and State of South Carolina, have 111- vented a new and useful Wrench, of which the following is a specificati This invention relates to wrench es and has for its object to provide a simple, strong, and

compact wrench provided with a plurality of independent jaw plates, each having thereon a pair of jaws differing in spread or shape from the other jaws.

Another object is toprovide a handle, to which any of the jaws may be removably so cured, and to further'provide a locking member disposed within saidhandle and adapted to be operated to engage one of a plurality of recesses formed in the jaw plate, whereby the latter may be adjusted and yieldingly held'in adjusted position at any angle.

Another object is to provide a positive keeper which may be operated to permanently hold the lockingmember in engagement with a recess in the jaw plate. I

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafter appear, the resent invention consists in certain nove details of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out'in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the device may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification :-Figure 1 is a front elevation of the invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 31

is a detail section of the keeper. Fig. 4. is a front elevation of a modified form of jaw plate.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout. a

In carrying out the invention I provide a suitable handle to one end of which is pivoted a suitable jaw plate. The latter may be turned on its pivot so as to occupya position on either side of the handle. The latter is interiorly provided with a reciprocate ing plunger, the nose of which entersa recess formed in that end of the'handle adjacent the jaw plate, and is adapted when moved to enter one of a series of recesses formedin the jaw plate, whereby the latter is rigidly held in whatever position it may occupy on either side of-the handle. A suitable operating lever is provided for the plun- .ger and is pivoted to the handle in such manner that when the latter is pressed in the natural way for tightening a nut, the lever will also be depressed and by means of a connection between the latter and the plunger, the plunger will be forced into engagement with the recess of the jaw plate.

The handle consists of'four parts, namely, a rib l which may be of any suitable length, preferably of metal, and having a laterally curved portion 2 at one end. That portion of the rib extending from the laterally curved end 2 is slightly inclined or flexed. The rib forms'a support for a pair of handle plates 3 and 4. Each of these members is considerably greater in length than the rib and are suitably secured on opposite sides of the latter." The lower end of each plate is A rounded to the shape of the curved portion 2 from the curved end of the rib 2 is concaved,

as shown at 6, and in the center of this concaved face is formed an inwardly extending opening communicating with the space between the side plates 3 and 4..

A jaw plate in the present instance, is shown to be formed of a flat piece of metal sufficiently thick for the work to be performed by it. The body portion 7 of the jaw plate has a semi-circular outline indented throughout with notches or recesses 8. The jaws 9 project outwardly from the body portion 7 and are spaced to fit the work on which the Wrench isto be used, the intention being to have a plurality of jaw plates for each handle. The body portion 7 of the jaw plate is designed to enter the space between the free end portions of the handle plates 3 and {hand a central opening 10 is formed in the I will be seen that when the operating lever is ing formed in the center of the bridge 5, and

their original positions, or in other words,

each of the handle plates 3 and 4. Thus 1 when the openings are in alinemcnt, a suitable pivot bolt 11 is inserted to hold the parts together. From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a handle having a freely movable jaw plate, the jaws of which may be turned to operative position on either side of the handle.

In order to secure the jaw plate in its adjusted positions, the following mechanism is em loyed:By referring now to Fig. 2, it wil be seen that between the body portion of the handle plates 3 and 4 is a plunger rod 12, one end of which extends through the openthe opposite end of which is provided with a head 13, the faceof which has a slightly depressed cam surface. An operating lever 14, preferably of a single piece of metal, has one end pivoted between the handle plates 3 and 4 adjacent the bridge 5. The operating lever is formed to the shape of the rib 1, and at its free end is curved laterally similar to the curved portion 2 of the rib, and in the end of this curved portion a suitable detent 15 is fQlmed, into which projects the terminal of the curved portion 2 of the rib. Thus it secured in place, as shown in Fig. 2, its free end will be held from moving out of the space between the side plates 3 and 4, by means of the walls of the detent abutting against the terminal of the curved portion 2 of the rib. The detent is so formed that the operating lever is permitted to project beyond one side of the handle plates 3 and 4 for a distance equal to one-half its width, or substantially so so that when the handle is grasped by the operator in the act of tightening the nut, the pressure on the handle will force the outer side of the operating lever inward to a position substantially coincident with the sides of the handle plates. Operative connection between the operating lever and plunger head 13 is formed by means of a cam stud 16. This member is substantially egg-shaped in outline and has its narrow end pivoted between the handle plates 3 and 4 adjacent the curved face of the rib2. The stud is so positioned that the opposite sides of its widened end will bear on the cam surface of the head 13, and the laterally curved end portion of the operating lever 14. Thus it can be seen that when the latter is depressed, the stud, while bearing against the cam surface of the head 13, will force the end of the plunger rod out of the opening in the bridge 5 and into the space between the free end portions of the handle plates and into one of the recesses 8 of the jaw plate.

In order that the parts maybe returned to that the free end of the plunger may leave the recess in the jaw plate when the pressure on the lever bar 14 is removed, a suitable coiled spring 17 is employed. This member surrounds the body portion of the plunger rod 12 and has its terminals bearing on the inner face of the bridge 5 and plunger head 13. the wrench may be operated similar to a ratchet and the final tightening turns given to a nut without removing the jaws therefrom.

In order that the operating lever may he. s,

k6 t depressed and. the end of the plunger he (1 within one of the recesses S of the jaw plate at all times, the following device is employed:By referring now to Fig. 2 it will be seen that adjacent the pivoted end of the operating lever, the latter is reduced somewhat in width, or in other words, an oblong recess is formed in its inner side. On that end of the recess remote from the pivotal point of the lever a longitudinally disposed seat 18 is formed, and in one of the handle plates a longitudinal slot 19 is formed, which is adapted to register with the seat 18 when the lever is pressed to the limit of its inward movement. The length of the slot 19 is somewhat greater than the length of the seat 18, and that end of the former adjacent the pivotal point of the lever 14 lies considerably in advance of that end of the recess in which the seat 18 is formed. A keeper in the present instance is shown to consist of a bolt 20 loosely fitted within the slot 19, and having on its outer end a bowed spring 21, which bears on the outer surface of the handle plate in which the slot 19 is formed. The shank of the bolt 20 is provided with a shoulder 22 which bears on the inner face of the handle plate and pre vents the bolt from falling out. Thus it will be seen that when the lever 14 is depressed and the bolt 20 moved into the seat 18, the lever will be prevented from returning to its normal position when pressure is removed. The bowed spring 21 serves the double pur pose of preventing the bolt 20 from falling inward and holding the bolt at that end of the slot remote from the seat 18.

The modified form of jaw plate shown in Fig. 4 is similar to that already described, with the exception that it is provided with a pair of angularly disposed jaws 23 and 24, one of which has a roughened surface, shown at 25.

From the foregoing, the operation of the device will be readily understood, and it will be seen that I have provided a wrench which is simple in structure and adjustable to most any desired angle.

What is claimed is 1. In a wrench the combination with the handle of a recessed jaw plate pivoted to one Thus it will be seen, that when desired,

forced into engagement with the recessed jaw plate, and a keeper slid-ably mounted in the handle and being arranged to register, in

the seat, whereby the plunger will be held in 5 engagement with the recessed jaw plate.

2. In a wrench the combination witha handle of a recessed jaw plate pivoted to one end thereof, a plun er to engage said jaw plate, an operating ever for actuating the 0 plunger, the said lever being provided with a seat, and a keeper slidably mounted in the handle and being arranged to register in the seat, whereby the plunger will be held in engagement with the recessed jaw plate.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 15 my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN CLARENCE SPARKS.

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