US3599516A

US3599516A - Wrench

Info

Publication number: US3599516A
Application number: US833275A
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard W Smedley
Original assignee: Smedley Co
Current assignee: Smedley Co
Priority date: 1969-06-16
Filing date: 1969-06-16
Publication date: 1971-08-17
Anticipated expiration: 1988-08-17

Abstract

An open end wrench is provided for operating upon a nominal size of nuts and boltheads, which need not be removed from the nut or bolthead being operated upon to obtain a new bite. The wrench includes a fixed jaw and a wrench handle integral therewith, and a movable jaw and a locking lever integral therewith, the movable jaw and lever being pivotally mounted upon the fixed jaw and handle, biasing means which cooperates with the locking lever and handle in scissors fashion to selectively force the wrench jaws into a nut- or bolt-grasping position, and a slide lock for locking the jaws into such position. Alternative slide lock arrangements are provided.

Description

United States Patent [72] Inventor Richard W. Smedley c/o The Smedley (30., 1008 Alann Drive, .lollei. 111.60435 21 Appl. No, 833,275 [22] Filed June 16. No) [45] Patented Aug. 17, 1971 [54] WRENCH-1 2 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 81/116 [51] Int. Cl 1 r B251) 13/32 [50] Field of Search 81/116 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 692,002 1/1902 Blackburn 81/116 764,353 7/1904 Cronk 81/116 1,160,737 11/1915 McCurley .1 81/116 ABSTRACT: An open end wrench is provided for operating upon a nominal size of nuts and boltheads, which need not be removed from the nut or bolthead being operated upon to obtain a new bite. The wrench includes a fixed jaw and a wrench handle integral therewith, and a movable jaw and a locking lever integral therewith, the movable jaw and lever being pivotally mounted upon the fixed jaw and handle, biasing means which cooperates with the locking lever and handle in scissors fashion to selectively force the wrench jaws into a nutor bolt-grasping position, and a slide lock for locking the jaws into such position. Alternative slide lock arrangements are provided.

WRENCH DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to open end wrenches, and more particularly to an open end wrench having pivotal jaws for operating upon a nut or bolthead.

It is the primary aim of this invention to provide a simple and rugged wrench which may be used to rapidly loosen or tighten a nut or bolthead located in a close and awkward working space.

It is another object of the invention to provide such a wrench which may be selectively locked in a nut or bolt-grasping position by a simple manual movement by the wrench operator.

It is also an object to provide a wrench which in use need not be removed from a nut or bolthead to obtain a new bite thereon, but which through slight manipulation is capable of being loosened from the nut or bolthead, slipped therearound in position for a new grip, and tightly secured to the nut for the v next turn. It is an ancillary object of this invention to provide a wrench which can first grasp a nut for tightening or loosening movement, then release its grip and slide around the nut without moving it, and finally regrasp the nut in a new bite.

It is an ancillary object to provide alternate forms of the wrench, so as to provide locking position for the wrench jaws, or several such locking positions, or an infinite number of such locking positions.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view showing the novel wrench.

FIG. 2 is a view showing the wrench jaws locked in a grasp ing position holding a typical nut.

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

FIG. 4 is a plan view similar to FIG. 2, showing the jaws in an open position and having the top of the handle shown seetionally to show the parts located therein more clearly.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing an alternative form of the sliding jaw lock mechanism.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing the jaws locked by the alternative jaw lock.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIGS. 4 and 5 showing a second alternative form of the jaw locking mechanism, and

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 showing the jaws locked by the second alternative form of the jaw locking mechanism.

While the invention will be described in connection with preferred embodiments, it will be understood that I do not intend to limit the invention to those embodiments. On the contrary, I intend to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as it and scope of the invention.

Turning first to FIG. 2, there is shown a wrench l0 grasping a typical nut 11 or bolthead ofa given nominal size.

In accordance with the invention, the wrench has a handle l2 and a first or fixed jaw 13 integral therewith, a second jaw 14 movable with respect to the fixed jaw 13, a locking lever 15 integral with the movable jaw 14, and a pin 16 for pivotally attaching the moveable jaw 14 and locking lever 15 to the fixed jaw 13 and handle 12. Preferably, a locking lever biasing means 17, such as a spring interposed between the locking lever 15 and a portion of the handle 12 urges the jaws into the closed position shown in FIGS. 2, 6 and 8.

In operation, the open end of the wrench I0 is first pushed toward the nut 11. The beveled tips 18 and 19 provided on the jaws I3 and M, respectively, cause the jaws l3 and 14 to be forced open (by camlike engagement of the tips with the nut 11), from the described closed position to a nut-engaging position shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 7, thus allowing the jaws l3 and 14 to slide around the sides 21, 22 of the nut 11 or bolthead. These novel beveled tips may also be provided upon known wrenches so as to assist in guiding the wrench head into place about a nut or bolthead when the nut or head is installed in a cramped or hard-to-see location.

When the wrench jaws l3 and 14 are moved around the nut as shown in FIGS. 2, 6 and 8, the jaws l3 and 14 are urged back into the closed position and engagement with the nut III by the locking lever biasing means 17. Thejaws l3 and 14 may now be retained or locked in the nut-grasping position shown by a slide lock 25 which can be movably mounted upon or within the handle 12. More particularly, the slide lock 25 moves along a slide lock groove 26 formed in the handle 12, and in the preferred embodiment is urged toward the locking lever 15 by the slide lock biasing means 27 which, in the device illustrated, takes the form of a coil spring. With the slide lock 25 thus engaging both the locking lever 15 and handle 12, the nut 11 can be tightened or loosened by appropriate movement of the handle 12.

It is a feature of this invention that the wrench 10 need not be removed from the nut 11 to obtain a new bite. To obtain a new bite, the jaws l3 and 14 are unlocked from the grasping position by moving the slide 25 toward the rear of the handle 12. In order to so move the slide 25, it is provided with actuating means 28, which in the illustrated embodiment, comprises a small lug projecting above the enclosing handle 12 through a slot 29, so that the slide 25 may be moved by the wrench operator into and out of engagement with the locking lever 15. It will be understood that the lug may alternatively project from the side or the bottom of the handle 12, if desired, as shown in FIG. 1. The wrench may then be moved to a new bite position, and when the new bite is obtained, the

jaws

13 and 14 are again locked in position by operation of the slide lock 25 and the nut may then be rotated by moving the handle 12.

When the nut I1 is completely tightened, the wrench 10 my be easily removed therefrom by unlocking the jaws l3 and 14. This is accomplished by moving the slide lock 25 to the rear of the handle 12 and then slightly rotating, if necessary, the handle 12, thus opening the

jaws

13 and 14 and moving the wrench 10 into the position shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 7, whereupon the wrench 10 may be slipped off the nut 11. Usually the wrench may be slipped off the nut directly without any rotative motion of the handle.

After complete removal, the jaws are retained in a readyfor-use closed position by the mating surfaces 35, 35a of the fixed and movable jaws l3 and 14, respectively, which swing into abutment and prevent further closing motion of the jaws. The jaws may also be retained in this closed position by other methods such as by the engagement of surface 35b of the locking lever and surface 35c of the handle (FIG. 5), and by swinging engagement of surface 35d of the locking lever with surface 35c of the fixed handle (FIGS. 2 and 4).

Several alternate forms of the slide lock 25 are provided to give the wrench user alternate types of locking styles for the wrench jaws. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2-4, the slide 25 and the locking lever 15 are provided with continuous matched interfacing

sides

30 and 31, respectively, which are formed at an angle to the axis 32 of the handle. A wedging action is thus caused by the slide lock 25, which provides the jaws I3 and 1 1 with an infinite nus er of grasping positions. A stop surface 33, shown in FIG. 3 and forming he forward limit of the slot 29 in the handle 12, prevents the slide lock 25 from sliding too far forward and becoming stuck when the wrench 10 is not grasping a nut 11 and the jaws 13 and 14 a. i in the ready-for-use closed position. If mass production or other factors make it necessary, the locking lever can be formed with a stop 33a shown in FIG. 6 to halt the forward motion ofthe slide lock 2511.

In the first alternate form of locking mechanism shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the slide lock 25a and locking lever are provided with a single set of matched interfacing sides 36; and 31a, extending parallel to the axis 32 ofthe handle 12, thereby providing the

jaws

13 and 14 with a single lock grasping position.

In the second alternate form of locking mechanism shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the slide lock 25b and the locking lever 15b are provided with a series of matched stepped interfacing sides 30b and 31b, the side of each step being formed approximately parallel to the axis 32 of the handle 12, thereby providing the jaws l3 and 14 with a series of locked grasping positions.

In further accordance with the primary aim of the invention, the jaws l3 and 14 may be, if desired, formed with lands 40 and corners 41 as shown so that the nut 11 may be grasped in the positions shown in FIGS. 2, 6 or 8 which are only two of the series of positions in which nuts may be grasped. It will be understood that a nut may be grasped in any position which is angularly spaced an integral multiple of 30 from the positions shown, since any such position will conform to either one or the other of the two positions shown. The wrench head 43 may also be formed with the well-known uncut lands formed at mutual angles of 120 so as to grasp nuts in successive positions spaced angularly apart at integral multiples of 60 The wrench head may also, of course, be formed specially to accept and operate upon squareheaded nuts, if desired.

The axis 42 of the head 43 and the axis 32 of the handle 12 can be made to form an angle 50, as shown in FIG. 4, preferably of substantially about 7/2, thereby allowing a hexagonal nut 11 to be turned through a full 360 of revolution by repeatedly turning the nut 11 through 15 of rotation, turning the wrench over, reapplying the wrench 10 to the nut 11, and rotating the nut 11 through another 15 of rotation. This allows use of the wrench in close working spaces where it can be swung through perhaps onlyl6 or 17 of arc, as often occurs in the repair or construction of modern machinery. Altematively, angle 50 may be formed at substantially 15, which will require successively swinging the wrench through 30 of arc to turn a nut through a full 360 of rotation. For use on square nuts this angle will be substantially 22V2 and will require successively swing the handle through 45 of arc to fully rotate a nut.

If desired, terminal lands 55 may be provided on the jaws as shown to assist in retaining the wrench upon the nut or bolthead. It will be noted that when the terminal lands 55 are utilized in the wrench design, all six sides of a hexagonal nut are at least partially engaged by the wrench head 43.

The wrench head 43 and handle 12 may also be formed at a second angle 51 of convenient size as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 so as to avoid dashing the operator's knuckles against a projecting work surface. It will be understood that either, neither, or both of these discussed

angles

50 and 51 may be incorporated in the wrench design at the option of the manufacturer, depending upon the desires of purchasers.

I claim:

1. An open end wrench, comprising the combination of first and second opposed gripping jaws normally carried in a closed position substantially conforming to the shape of a single nominal size of hexagonal or square nut or bolt head, pivot means for mounting said jaws so as to permit relative movement therebetween, a wrench handle integral with the first jaw, a locking lever integral with the second jaw, a slide lock movably mounted within the handle and interposed between the handle and the locking lever, the slide lock being provided with at least one surface extending substantially parallel to the wrench handle, and the locking lever having a corresponding surface extending parallel to the wrench handle for simultaneous engagement by the surface of the slide lock, said mating surfaces being enclosed within the wrench handle, the slide lock when so selectively engaged retaining the second jaw in a nut and bolthead grasping position relative to the first jaw. Said jaws being provided with beveled tips formed for engagement with the nut or bolthead to force the jaws to open from said closed position sufficiently to slide around and grip the sides of the nut or bolthead, and locking lever biasing means for urging said jaws toward said closed position.

2. An open end wrench as defined in claim 1 in which the wrench head and jaws are disposed in a plane forming an angle of substantially 15 with the axis and plane of the wrench handle.

Claims

2. An open end wrench as defined in claim 1 in which the wrench head and jaws are disposed in a plane forming an angle of substantially 15* with the axis and plane of the wrench handle.