Abstract:
A Wrench and Fitting Stand is disclosed. The stand enables a user to securely hold the head or handle end of a conventional pipe wrench. A particularly important feature is that the stand makes it easy to manipulate the adjustment knob of the wrench while the wrench is being held in the stand. The stand is further be configured so that it can be rested without attachment on any flat surface, or alternatively it is permanently attachable to an external structure.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     This invention relates generally to tools and fixtures and, more specifically, to a Wrench and Fitting Stand.  
         [0003]     2. Description of Related Art  
         [0004]     Adjustable wrenches, such as pipe and crescent wrenches are a mainstay in virtually every toolbox. Their adjustability provides particular utility that is virtually unequalled in its variety of applications, particularly when working with plumbing fittings and pipe. Professional plumbers and other tradespersons have in fact found that an adjustable wrench can be used in the field in place of a vise for holding a workpiece. In order to leave a hand free, the wrench is laid with its jaws pointed up, the workpiece is placed within it, and the jaws are tightened around the workpiece.  
         [0005]     There are a couple of problems with this approach. First, the wrench is fairly unstable when used in this manner, and while it can be workable when working on a hard, flat surface (such as a bench), it is not a useful when the work surface is irregular. Second, it can be difficult to gain good leverage over the wrench, with the user typically having to try to pinch the wrench handle between his or her knees.  
         [0006]     The device of  FIGS. 1A and 1B  was created presumably to address the aforementioned problems.  FIGS. 1A and 1B  are perspective and top views of a conventional pipe wrench stand that is the subject of  Young,  U.S. Pat. Nos. D371, 505 and 5,791,213.  
         [0007]     The  Young  pipe wrench stand  10  has a base  11  defined by a recessed center section  26  and a channel  25  cut or formed within it. A fixed vertical support  12  is a flat plate that extends upwardly from the base  11 . A movable vertical support  15  is an “L” shaped that slides back and forth in the channel  25 , and can be held in a desired position clamping a pipe wrench head by a wing nut  22  that can be tightened against the movable vertical support  15 .  
         [0008]     While the  Young  device  10  does provide the user with better leverage than a stand-alone wrench, it still does not provide superior holding and stability, nor does it present the wrench in the most convenient and usable configuration. What is needed, then, is a stand for holding wrenches that provides these additional attributes.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     In light of the aforementioned problems associated with the prior games and devices, it is an object of the present invention to provide a Wrench and Fitting Stand. The stand should enable a user to securely hold the head or handle end of a conventional pipe wrench. It is particularly important that the stand make it easy to manipulate the adjustment knob of the wrench while the wrench is being held in the stand. The stand should further be configured so that it can be rested without attachment on any flat surface, or alternatively it should be permanently attachable to an external structure.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]     The objects and features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, of which:  
         [0011]      FIGS. 1A and 1B  are perspective and top views of a conventional pipe wrench stand;  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the wrench and pipe stand of the present invention;  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is a front view of the stand of  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  is a side view of the stand of  FIGS. 2 and 3 ; and  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the stand of  FIGS. 2-4  holding a pipe wrench.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0016]     The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art, since the generic principles of the present invention have been defined herein specifically to provide a Wrench and Fitting Stand.  
         [0017]     The present invention can best be understood by initial consideration of  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the wrench and pipe stand  40  of the present invention. The stand  40  has a flat base  42 , preferably formed from steel or other durable material of approximately one-half inch in thickness. The base  42  preferably has apertures  52  cut through it adjacent to its comers. These apertures  52  make it easy to bolt or screw the stand  40  to a bench, board and the like.  
         [0018]     A stand  44  member extends rigidly upward from the base  42 . The stand  44  is made from flat material of approximately three-quarter inch in thickness. A cradle  46  is formed in the stand  44  for retaining a wrench or plumbing fitting therein. There is an L-shaped clamp  48  that has an elongated slot  51  cut through it. A specialized bolt  53  threadedly engages the stand  44  and through the slot  51 . The bolt  53  has a wing-shaped head and a threaded post extending downwardly from it. The bolt  53  can be tightened down onto the clamp  48  after it is slid into its desired position to hold the wrench or fitting. The is also an externally-toothed lock washer between the head of the bolt  53  and the clamp  48 .  
         [0019]     Having acquired an initial understand of the invention, we will now turn to  FIG. 3  to continue exploring this useful device.  
         [0020]      FIG. 3  is a front view of the stand  40  of  FIG. 2 . As shown here, the stand  44  defines a U-shape around the cradle  46 . The width of the mouth  62  of the cradle  46  can be made adjusted by adjusting the position of the clamp  48 . The stand  44  is formed from an intermediate segment  56  that forms the bottom portion of the stand  44 , including the base surface  54  of the cradle. A first upright arm  58 A and second upright arm  58 B complete the “U” shape of the stand  44 . Top surfaces  60 A and  60 B of the arms  58  are flat, with the first arm top surface  60 A supporting the clamp  48 .  
         [0021]     It is a critical feature that the upright arms  58  are fixed and rigid. Unlike the  Young  device, these rigid immovable arms provide, superior strength, durability and stability in holding a wrench. The cradle  48  will hold the wrench securely even if the clamp  48  is not very tightly pinched against it; it is not believed that the  Young  device will provide the same stability.  FIG. 4  provides additional information about this invention.  
         [0022]      FIG. 4  is a side view of the stand  40  of  FIGS. 2 and 3 . As can be seen here, the horizontal tab  67  and vertical tab  65  are both wider than the stand  44  is thick; this adds to the stabilizing capacity of the clamp  48 . One other particularly important feature of this unique stand  40  relates to the standoff height  64  incorporated into the stand  40 . The standoff height  64  is that distance of separation between the cradle base surface  54  (shown in hidden lines here) and the top surface of the base  42 . Unlike the  Young  device, which has a recessed portion for the head of the wrench, the present invention actually raises the head of the wrench above the handle when the wrench is being held in the stand  40 . Raising the wrench head above the handle is particularly valuable when working with a pipe wrench. As will be shown in the next drawing figure, in order to adjust pipe wrench, the user must have access to the back-side of the head of the wrench; the standoff height  64  provides the user with this ability.  
         [0023]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the stand  40  of  FIGS. 2-4  holding a pipe wrench  70 . In the typical configuration, the wrench  70  has a long handle  74  on one end and a head  72  at its other end. The head  72  has a mouth  76  with a fixed jaw  80  and a movable jaw  78 . The movable jaw  78  has a worm screw  82  extending from it. The extended length of the worm screw (and therefore the size of the mouth  76 ) can be adjusted by rotating the adjustment knob  84  that engages the worm screw  82 .  
         [0024]     As should be clear in this view, the standoff height (see  FIG. 4 ) proves a space between the adjustment knob  84  and the base  42 ; this makes the adjustment knob  84  easily accessible when first placing an item into the wrench, or further when releasing it from being held therein. The function of the clamp  48  is to keep the wrench  70  stable when using it to hold onto a workpiece. If additional leverage or stability is desired, the user can kneel or stand on the handle  74  and/or base  42 .  
         [0025]     One other benefit of the stand  44  of the present invention is that its compact size and shape makes it able to use for holding the handle  74  of the wrench, and not just the head  72 . This can be particularly important in cases where larger objects are being held in the wrench and/or when a second wrench is being used on the held object.  
         [0026]     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred embodiment can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.