Patent ID: 11938601
Assignee: APEX BRANDS, INC.
Field: Machine tools (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 11:
12. An adjustment assembly for adjusting an adjustable locking pliers having a handle assembly and a jaw assembly, the adjustment assembly comprising:
an adjuster disposed between a top handle and a bottom handle of the handle assembly;
a threaded receiver; and
a cam lock,
wherein the adjuster is configured to interface with the threaded receiver to enable extending or shortening an exposed length of the adjuster based on an amount of the adjuster that is received in the threaded receiver,
wherein the adjuster is further configured to interface with a portion of the bottom handle of the handle assembly to define a selected distance between a top jaw and a bottom jaw of the jaw assembly when the locking pliers are in a locked position,
wherein a bite size between jaws of the jaw assembly is determined based on the exposed length of the adjuster,
wherein the periphery of the cam lock defines an arcuate surface having respective different radial distances from a first pivot link connecting the bottom jaw to the bottom handle and defining a pivot point about which the bottom jaw and bottom handle pivot relative to each other,
wherein a balance point is defined along the arcuate surface, the balance point defining a largest distance from an axis of the first pivot link along the arcuate surface,
wherein the camming surface engages a first portion of the cam lock on a first side of the balance point, the first portion being disposed a first radial distance from the axis of the first pivot link when the handle assembly is in an opened position,
wherein the camming surface engages a second portion of the cam lock on a second side of the balance point, the second portion being disposed a second radial distance from the axis of the first pivot link when the handle assembly is in a closed position, and
wherein the first radial distance is less than the second radial distance.