Abstract:
An adjustable wrench is provided which provides several advantageous aspects. One aspect of the wrench is to facilitate rapid adjustment of the jaws, which are typically spring biased toward one another. Another aspect is the ability to adjust the jaws according to Metric system measurements or English system measurements or the like. A further aspect is the quick and effective tightening of the jaws.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention is related generally to hand tools. More particularly, the present invention is related to adjustable wrenches. Specifically, the present invention is related to an adjustable wrench which is configured to facilitate rapid adjustment and effective tightening of the jaws. 
     2. Background Information 
     A large variety of adjustable wrenches have been proposed during the last century or so. A large number of these include a handle with a fixed jaw and an adjustable jaw which moves toward or away from the fixed jaw to adjust the size of the gap therebetween for receiving therein a nut, bolt head or the like. Some of these adjustable wrenches have also incorporated an additional pivoting handle which may or may not result in a pliers-like concept. Adjustable wrenches, often referred to as crescent wrenches, very often utilize a worm gear for the purpose of adjusting the jaws. Other adjustable wrenches have eliminated this worm gear, replacing it with a locking plate or the like having teeth thereon which are configured to engage or disengage from teeth on the adjustable jaw in order to respectively secure the adjustable jaw in a given position or allow it to be adjusted. Some of these types of wrenches have springs which bias the jaws either apart from one another or toward one another. Although these many types of adjustable wrenches have addressed various problems in the art, there is still room for improvement, which the present adjustable wrench offers. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides an adjustable wrench comprising an elongated handle having front and rear ends; first and second jaws mounted on the handle adjacent the front end; wherein the first jaw is movable toward and away from the second jaw; a spring which biases the first jaw toward the second jaw; a jaw locking member which is movable between a locked position and an unlocked position; wherein the locking member in the locked position secures the first jaw in a selected one of a plurality of secured positions to prevent movement of the first jaw away from the second jaw; and the locking member in the unlocked position allows the movement of the first jaw toward the second jaw in response to the bias of the spring; and a jaw-opening actuator having first and second actuator positions; wherein in response to movement of the actuator from the first actuator position to the second actuator position, the locking member moves from the locked position to the unlocked position and the first jaw moves away from the second jaw. 
     The present invention also provides an adjustable wrench comprising an elongated handle having front and rear ends; first and second jaws mounted on the handle adjacent the front end; wherein the first jaw is movable toward and away from the second jaw; an actuator pivot adjacent the front end of the handle; a jaw opening actuator pivotally mounted about the actuator pivot and extending rearwardly therefrom; a drive arm pivot which is rearward of the actuator pivot; a drive arm comprising a rear leg extending rearwardly from adjacent the drive arm pivot and a front leg extending forward from adjacent the drive arm pivot; a first engagement between the actuator and the rear leg of the drive arm during pivotal movement of the actuator; and a second engagement between the front leg of the drive arm and the first jaw during pivotal movement of the drive arm; wherein the first jaw moves away from the second jaw in response to pivotal movement of the actuator. 
     The present invention further provides an adjustable wrench comprising an elongated handle having front and rear ends; first and second jaws mounted on the handle adjacent the front end; wherein the first jaw is movable toward and away from the second jaw; a jaw locking member which is movable between a locked position and an unlocked position; wherein the locking member in the locked position secures the first jaw in a selected one of a plurality of secured positions to prevent movement of the first jaw away from the second jaw; and the locking member in the unlocked position allows the movement of the first jaw toward the second jaw; and a tightening mechanism capable of moving the first jaw toward the second jaw when the locking member is in the locked position. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrated of the best mode in which Applicant contemplates applying the principles, is set forth in the following description and is shown in the drawings and is particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims. 
         FIG. 1  is a right side elevational view of a first embodiment of the adjustable wrench of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a bottom plan view of the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional view taken on line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 2  showing the adjustable wrench with the jaws in a fully closed position. 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional view similar to  FIG. 4  showing the jaws in an open position. 
         FIG. 6  is a rear elevational view of the adjustable jaw showing two different sets of teeth. 
         FIG. 7  is a right side elevational view of the first embodiment with the right wall of the handle removed and the tightening lever shown in section in its home resting position and the jaws shown in an open position closer to one another than shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 8  is a side elevational view similar to  FIG. 7  with the right wall of the handle removed, showing the tightening lever in its tightened and locked position so that the jaws are tightly clamped on a nut or bolt head. 
         FIG. 8A  is similar to  FIG. 8  and illustrates the use of the release member, the retaining member, and the movement of the tightening lever to tighten and loosen the jaws. 
         FIG. 9  is a right side elevational view of a second embodiment of the adjustable wrench of the present invention showing the jaws in the fully closed position with a manual slider on the handle which is used for opening the jaws. 
         FIG. 10  is a sectional view of the second embodiment similar to  FIG. 4  with the jaws in the fully closed position. 
         FIG. 11  is a right side elevational view similar to  FIG. 9  showing the manual slider having moved from the position of  FIG. 9  to open the jaws. 
         FIG. 12  is a sectional view similar to  FIG. 10  with the jaws in the open position of  FIG. 11 . 
     
    
    
     Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A first embodiment of the adjustable wrench of the present invention is shown generally at  1  in  FIG. 1 ; and a second embodiment is shown generally at  1 A in  FIG. 9 . Wrench  1  has a front or front end  2  and a back or rear end  4  defining therebetween a longitudinal direction of the wrench, a top  6 , a bottom  8 , and a left side  10  ( FIG. 2 ) and a right side  12  defining therebetween an axial direction of the wrench. 
     Referring now primarily to  FIGS. 3-5 , wrench  1  includes a rigid longitudinally elongated handle  14  and a rigid fixed first jaw  16  which is rigidly and fixedly secured to the front end of handle  14  typically such that handle  14  and jaw  16  together form a single rigid structure which is the primary structural component of wrench  1 . Handle  14  and jaw  16  are typically formed of metal. Wrench  1  further includes a rigid adjustable second jaw  18  movably mounted adjacent the front of handle  14  such that jaw  18  is movable toward and away from jaw  16 . A jaw spring  20  in the form of a coil spring is provided to bias or urge jaw  18  toward jaw  16 . Wrench  1  further includes a pawl or jaw locking member  22 , a pawl spring  24 , a pawl spring mount  26 , a longitudinally elongated first lever  28 , a first lever spring  30 , a link or drive arm  32 , a longitudinally elongated second lever  34  which is substantially longer than the first lever  28 , a second lever spring  36 , a second lever locking member  38 , a locking member spring  40 , a release member  42  and a retaining member  44 . Except for springs  24 ,  30 ,  36  and  40 , each of these additional components is a substantially rigid member or component which is typically formed of metal or other suitable material. 
     With continued reference to  FIGS. 3-5 , handle  14  is described in greater detail. Handle  14  has a front  46  and a back  48  between which it is generally straight and elongated, with a head adjacent front end  46  which is vertically wider than the remainder of the handle. Handle  14  includes a rigid central wall  50 , a left wall  52  rigidly secured to the left side of central wall  50 , and a right wall  54  rigidly secured to the right side of central wall  50 . Walls  50 ,  52  and  54  are formed of respective substantially flat plates which are parallel to one another and vertically oriented in the position shown in  FIG. 1 . A hanging hole  58  may be formed through handle  14  adjacent rear end  48  for hanging the wrench on a nail or the like. Central wall  50  includes a relatively complex contoured lower surface which faces generally downwardly and defines a forward or front cavity  60 , a rearward or rear cavity  62 , and a narrow spring mount cavity or slot  64  which is rearward of front cavity  60  and forward of rear cavity  62 . Central wall  50  thus includes a wider segment  66  which is generally rectangular as viewed from the side, a tapering segment  68  which is generally triangular and extends forward from segment  66 , a narrower segment  70  which extends forward from tapering segment  68 , and a rear segment  72  which extends rearwardly from the back of wider segment  66  generally rearward of and above rear cavity  62 . 
     Front cavity  60  is defined between the inner surfaces of left and right walls  52  and  54  and extends downwardly from the contoured lower surface  56  of narrower segment  70  and tapered segment  68  to a bottom entrance opening  74  which extends forward generally from the front of wider segment  66  or from tapered segment  68  to the rear of mount  26 . Front cavity  60  also extends forward to the front of walls  52  and  54 , which extend downwardly from jaw  16 , to a front entrance opening  76  extending upwardly generally from the top of mount  26  to the bottom of jaw  16 . A substantially straight elongated vertical keyway or slot  78  is formed in each of walls  52  and  54  so that slots  78  are aligned with one another as viewed from the side. Each slot has a top end  80  and a bottom end  82 . Each of walls  52  and  54  has a substantially straight and vertical front edge  84  which is parallel to, forward of and adjacent slot  78 . Walls  52  and  54  each have a vertically elongated straight arm  83  defined between the front vertical edge of slot  78  and front edge  84 . 
     A variety of holes are formed through walls  52  and  54  such that each hole formed in wall  52  has a corresponding hole formed in wall  54  which is aligned therewith as viewed from the side to form a set of holes which receive pins or pivots as discussed further below. Amongst these holes is a pin mounting hole  85  (or set thereof) which is formed below and adjacent the front of narrower segment  70  of handle  14  and rearward of and adjacent the top of jaw  16 , and thus adjacent the intersection between the front of segment  70  and top rear of jaw  16 . A corresponding set of second lever pivot holes  86  is formed in arms  83  of walls  52  and  54  between front edges  84  and slots  78  spaced downwardly from jaw  16  and upwardly from bottom end  82  of slot  78 . Two sets of mounting holes  88  are provided adjacent and rearward of the lower ends  82  of slots  78 . First lever pivot holes  90  are provided rearward and adjacent of mounting holes  88  with a set of pin mounting holes  92  rearward and adjacent pivot hole  90 . In addition, two sets of pin mounting holes  94  are positioned adjacent and above mount holes  92 . A pawl pivot hole or elongated slot  95  is formed through walls  52  and  54  rearward of and adjacent slots  78  at roughly the same height as pivot holes  86 . Although slot  95  is far shorter than elongated slot  78 , it is vertically elongated between a top end  97  and a bottom end  99 . A link or drive arm pivot hole  96  is formed in each of walls  52  and  54  and is spaced rearward of the aforementioned holes and slots about a third of the length of handle  14  rearward from its front end. Holes  96  are adjacent the intersection of tapered segment  68  and narrower segment  70 , and thus adjacent the front of tapered segment  68  and the rear of the narrower segment  70  spaced a short distance downwardly from contoured surface  56 . Each of the aforementioned holes in the present paragraph communicates with front cavity  60 . Adjacent the rear end  48  of handle  14 , additional holes are formed which communicate with rear cavity  62 , including locking member pivot holes  98  and release member pivot holes  100  which are adjacent and below holes  98 . Retaining member mounting holes  102 , which are rearward of holes  98  and  100  just forward of hanging hole  58 , do not communicate with rear cavity  62  and extend through central wall  50 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , rear cavity  62  includes a front portion  104 , a middle portion  106  and a rear portion  108 . Central wall  50  includes a projection  110  which extends downwardly adjacent the rear end of the handle between front and middle portions  104  and  106 . Projection  106  has a front stop surface  112  which faces generally forward and bounds front portion  104 , and a rear stop surface  114  which faces generally rearwardly and downwardly and bounds middle portion  106 . Central wall  50  further includes an additional cantilevered leg or projection  116  which extends downwardly and forward from adjacent the rear portion of the handle into rear cavity  62  whereby projection  116  separates middle and rear portions  106  and  108  from one another. Wall  50  also includes another cantilevered leg or projection  117  extending forward from the bottom rear end of handle  14  below and bounding rear portion  108  of cavity  62 . 
     Fixed jaw  16  is rigidly secured between left and right walls  52  and  54  adjacent the front end  2  of the wrench. Jaw  16  is further rigidly secured adjacent its rear and top to the front of narrower segment  70  and extends downwardly and forward therefrom. Jaw  16  includes a substantially vertical rearwardly facing rear surface  118  which faces and bounds front cavity  60  and extends downwardly from the front end of contoured lower surface  56  at the front of narrower segment  70  to meet a horizontal gripping surface  120  of jaw  16  at a right angle. Gripping surface  120  extends forward from the bottom of rear surface  118  to front end  2  of wrench  1 . 
     Adjustable jaw  18  has a flat straight gripping surface  122  which faces upwardly and thus toward the downwardly facing gripping surface  120  of jaw  16  whereby gripping surfaces  120  and  122  abut one another in the closed position of jaw  18  shown in  FIG. 1 . Jaw  18  has, as measured from side to side, a wider portion  124  and a narrower portion  126  which extends rearwardly from portion  124 . Wider portion  124  defines the front of jaw  18  and extends rearwardly therefrom. Wider portion  124  includes a left wall portion  128  and a right wall portion  130  which respectively extend outwardly to the left and right from the left and right surfaces of narrower portion  126  at respective ledges or steps  132  which are vertical and serve as the rear end of the respective wall portion  128  and  130 . Ledges  132  are typically vertical and parallel to front edges  84  of left and right walls  52  and  54 . Narrower portion  126  extends rearwardly from ledges  132  to a substantially vertical rearwardly facing surface  134  which extends from the left side to the right side of portion  126 . Surface  134  defines left and right vertically elongated racks  136 A and  136 B each of which includes multiple one way locking teeth which are vertically spaced one from another, as shown in  FIG. 6 . Although the teeth and the left rack  136 A are equally spaced one from another vertically and the teeth and the right rack  136 B are equally spaced one from another vertically, the spacing S 1  between the teeth in the left rack and the spacing S 2  between the teeth in the right rack is different. More particularly, the spacing between the teeth and one of the racks is configured to represent spacing measured with the metric system whereas the spacing in the other rack is measured with the English system or the SAE system. Racks  136  are an integral part of jaw  18  and are fixed relative to one another. 
     Narrower portion  126  includes a lower portion  138  which extends rearwardly directly behind wider portion  124 , and an upper portion or leg  140  which extends upwardly from lower portion  148  in a cantilever fashion above the top of wider portion  124 . Narrower portion  126  further includes a cam follower or arm  142  which is secured to and extends rearwardly from the top of leg  140  in a cantilever fashion to a rearward terminal end. Leg  140  has a substantially vertical front surface  144  which faces forward with its lower end intersecting the back end of gripping surface  122  at right angles. A spring mount  146  such as a pin or other suitable structure is secured to and extends forward outwardly from front surface  144  adjacent the intersection between surfaces  122  and  144 . Arm  142  has a cam surface  148  which is adjacent the rearward free end thereof and faces generally upwardly. Left and right vertically elongated keys  150  are rigidly secured to and extend outwardly respectively from the left and right sides of narrower portion  126  and extend along the lower and upper portions  138  and  140  thereof. Each key  150  has a top end  152 , a bottom end  154 , a straight vertical back edge  156  and a straight vertical front edge  158  parallel thereto. The front edge  158  of each key  150  and the corresponding back edge or ledge  132  define therebetween a straight vertical channel  160 . 
     Adjustable jaw  18  is slidably mounted on handle  14  adjacent its front end so that jaw  18  is able to move forward and away from jaw  16 . More particularly, narrower section  126  is received between the left and right walls  52  and  54  with keys  150  within the respective slots or keyways  78  and vertical straight arms  83  respectively within channels  160 . The horizontal width defined between back and front edges  156  and  158  of each key  150  is only slightly less than that defined between the front and rear vertical edges of keyway  78 . Similarly, the front and back edges of each arm  83  define therebetween a horizontal width which is only slightly less than that of channel  160  defined between front edge  158  and back edge  132 . Thus, jaw  18  is configured to slide smoothly in a linear fashion during the closing and opening thereof with a sliding engagement between jaw  16  and each of left and right walls  52  and  54 . Top and bottom ends  152  and  154  of each key  150  define therebetween a length which is substantially shorter than that defined between top and bottom  80  and  82  of each keyway  78 . Top  80  may serve as a stop which top end  152  engages in order to limit the upward movement of jaw  18 , while bottom  82  may likewise serve as a stop which bottom end  154  of key  150  abuts to limit the downward movement of jaw  18 . Arm  142  extends rearwardly beyond keyways  78  into front cavity  60 . 
     Spring  20  has a first or top end  162  and a second or bottom end  164 . Top end  162  is secured to a spring mount in the form of spring mounting pin  166  which is secured within holes  85  and extends between left and right walls  52  and  54 . Bottom end  164  is secured to spring mount  146  of jaw  18 . As previously noted, spring  20  biases jaw  18  in the closing direction or toward jaw  16  and will, absent a stronger force to the contrary, cause jaw  18  to move to the fully closed position. 
     Locking member  22 , spring  24  and spring mount  26  are now described in greater detail. The rigid body of spring mount  26  defines a narrow spring mounting slot  168  which has an entrance opening along the outer surface of mount  26  for receiving therein spring  24 . Mounting pins  170  or other fasteners extend outwardly from spring mount  26  and are respectively received within mounting holes  88  to help rigidly secure spring mount  26  between left and right walls  52  and  54  so that spring mount  26  is fixed relative to said walls rearwardly of and adjacent the lower end  82  of each slot or keyway  78 . Spring  24  is a leaf spring with lower end  172  inserted into slot  168  to secure spring  24  to spring mount  26 . Spring  24  is formed of a plate of spring metal which is curved from end to end such that the body of the spring extends outwardly from slot  168  in a cantilever fashion to a second free upper end  174 . 
     Locking member  22  is entirely within front cavity  60  and is adjacent the front of cavity  60  within the lower half of cavity  60 . Locking member  22  defines a pivot hole  176  and includes a cam follower or arm  178  which extend radially outwardly away from hole  176 , and a locking or pawl arm  180  which extends radially outwardly away from hole  176  upwardly in a direction generally opposite that of arm  178 . Arm  180  has a front surface which defines a left row of one-way engaging or locking teeth  182  and a right row of one-way engaging or locking teeth  184 . The vertical spacing between the teeth in left row  182  is different than the vertical spacing between the teeth in right row  184 . The spacing of the teeth in left row  182  corresponds to the spacing of the teeth in left rack  136 A, while the spacing between the teeth in right row  184  corresponds to the spacing of the teeth in right rack  136 B. Left and right rows  182  and  184  are an integral part of locking member  22  and are fixed relative to one another. Pivot hole  176  receives a pivot  186  which defines a horizontal axis extending from left to right about which locking member  22  pivots. Pivot  186  and the horizontal pivot axis are adjacent and rearward of jaw  18  adjacent the front of handle  14  adjacent the front of cavity  60  and in the lower half of cavity  60 . Spring  24  engages arm  178  generally along a forward lower surface thereof such that spring  24  biases arm  178  rearwardly and arm  180  forward to engage the left row of teeth  182  with the left rack of teeth  136 A and the right row of teeth  184  with the right rack of teeth  136 B. The engagement of the teeth of locking member  22  and jaw  18  locks jaw  18  into a chosen one of a variety of secured positions to prevent the opening or downward movement of jaw  18  away from jaw  16 . Spring  24  thus biases locking member  22  to the engaged or locked position with its teeth engaging the teeth of jaw  18 . 
     First lever  28  serves as a jaw opening actuator and is part of a drive train which drives movement of the adjustable jaw  18  away from fixed jaw  16 . Lever  28  also serves as an unlocking actuator for driving movement of jaw locking member  22  from its locked to its unlocked position. First lever  28  has a first front or forward end  188  and a second rear or back end  190  between which lever  28  is elongated. Lever  28  has top and bottom surfaces which respectively face upwardly and downwardly and extend from adjacent front end  188  to adjacent back end  190 . Lever  28  is pivotably mounted on handle  14  adjacent its front end via a pivot  196  which is received within holes  90  adjacent and rearward of the lower front end of handle  14  and lower end  82  of keyway  78 . Lever  28  thus pivots about a horizontal axis which extends from left to right through the lower front portion of front cavity  60  and is parallel to the axis about which locking member  22  pivots. Pivot  196  is adjacent and lower than pivot  186 , and in the exemplary embodiment substantially directly below pivot  186 . A portion of lever  28  is within front cavity  60  and is movable upwardly and downwardly into and out of cavity  60  via its lower entrance opening  74 . Lever  28  further defines a short but elongated slot  198  extending from its left side to its right side which receives therein a pin  200  which is mounted within holes  92  and extends from left wall  52  to right wall  54 . Pin  200  helps to mount lever  28  on the handle and also serves to limit the pivotal movement of lever  28  in either direction by respectively engaging the opposed ends of slot  198 . Lever  28  further has a front cam  202  which faces forward and engages the rear surface of cam follower or arm  178  of locking member  22  whereby cam  202  serves as a pawl-engaging or locking member-engaging cam. Cam  202  is adjacent the lower front end of handle  14  within the lower front portion of front cavity  60 . Lever  28  further includes a rear second cam  204  adjacent its back end  190 . Cam  204  is a surface adjacent the rear end of top surface  192  and generally faces upward and/or rearwardly. Rear cam  204  is adjacent the lower rear end of front cavity  60 . 
     Spring  30  is a V-shaped leaf spring formed from a sheet of spring metal and having a shorter leg  206  and a longer leg  208  which intersect at a tip  210 . Short leg  206  has an end  212  spaced from tip  210  while longer leg  208  has a free end  214  which is spaced rearwardly and downwardly from tip  210 . Spring  30  is secured within front cavity  60  to walls  52  and  54  by a pair of spring mounting pins  216  which respectively are mounted within holes  94  and extend between left and right walls  52  and  54 . Thus, end  212  is secured by one of pins  216  while tip  210  is secured by the other pin  216  whereby shorter leg  206  is fixed relative to the handle while longer leg  208  is mounted in a cantilever fashion such that free end  214  may pivot upwardly and downwardly about tip  210  and the forward pin  216  about a horizontal axis parallel to the earlier mentioned axes. The bottom surface of longer leg  208  adjacent free end  214  slidably engages top surface  192  of lever  28  whereby spring  30  biases or urges the rear end  190  of lever  28  downwardly. 
     Link or drive arm  32 , which is entirely within front cavity  60 , serves as part of the above-noted drive train of links which includes lever  28  to drive opening movement of jaw  18  relative to jaw  16 . Link  32  serves as a cam follower and a cam as well in this drive chain. Link  32  defines a pivot hole  218  extending from its left side to its right side, and includes a shorter rear leg  220  which extends radially outwardly from pivot hole  218  in a rearward and downwardly direction, and a longer front leg  222  which extends radially outwardly from pivot hole  218  in a forward and upwardly direction. Rear leg  220  has a lower rear end  224 , while front leg  222  has an upper front end  226 . Each of legs  220  and  222  are cantilevered from a pivot  223  which is received through pivot hole  218  and holes  96  of handle  14  to provide the pivotal connection between link  32  and handle  14 . Pivot  223  is adjacent and below the rear end of narrower segment  70  and adjacent and forward of the front upper end of segment  68  adjacent the rear upper portion of front cavity  60 . Pivot  223  is spaced upwardly from, forward of and generally adjacent rear cam  204  of lever  28 . Rear leg  220  has a cam surface  228  adjacent rear end  224  wherein surface  228  is a generally downward facing and forward facing surface which serves as a cam follower. Front leg  222  has a cam surface  230  adjacent front end  226  wherein surface  230  is a generally downward facing and forward facing surface which serves as a cam for imparting motion to the cam follower surface  148  on arm  142  of adjustable jaw  18 . 
     Second or tightening lever  34  has front and back ends  232  and  234  between which it is generally straight and elongated. Lever  34  includes a rear section  236  which extends forward from rear end  234 , and a front section  238  which extends forward from the front of rear section  236  to front end  232 . Rear section  234  includes a bottom wall  240  which is elongated between a front end  242  and rear end  244  thereof. Lever  34  includes left and right side walls  246  and  248  which are rigidly secured to and extend upwardly from the left and right sides of bottom wall  240 . Thus, bottom wall  240  extends axially from left sidewall  246  to right sidewall  248 . Each of side walls  246  and  248  includes a rear portion  250  which extends from the front end  242  to the rear end  244  of rear section  236  and which extend upwardly from bottom wall  240 . Each of left and right side walls  246  and  248  also includes a front portion or arm  252  which extends forward from the front of rear portions  250  and front end  242  of the bottom wall  240  in a cantilever fashion to terminal free ends at front end  232  of lever  34 . Bottom wall  240  and rear portions  250  of left and right side walls  246  and  248  define therebetween a rear cavity  254  which has a top entrance opening  256 . The front portions or arms  252  also define therebetween a front cavity or space  258  which communicates with the front of rear cavity  254  and extends forward therefrom to the front terminal ends of arms  252 . Front cavity  258  has a top entrance opening  260  and a bottom entrance opening  262 . A pair of second lever pivots  264  are rigidly secured to and extend inwardly from left and right arms  252  adjacent their respective front free terminal ends. More particularly, each pivot  264  extends into space or cavity  258  a relatively short distance to a terminal inner end whereby pivots  264  are received respectively within pivot holes  86 . Pivots  264  are relatively short so that they do not extend beyond the respective left and right surfaces of narrower section  126  of jaw  18 . Pivots  264  define therebetween a space in which narrower section  126  is disposed. Inasmuch as arms  83  of handle  14  are received within the respective channels  160 , pivots  264  are likewise received within the respective channels  160 . Locking member pivot  186  is secured to and extends between arms  252  rearwardly of and adjacent pivots  264 . Pivots  264  are adjacent, forward of and higher than pivot  196  of lever  28 . As previously noted, pivot  186  serves as the pivot for locking member  22  and is received through pivot hole  176  of member  22  as well as through slots  95  in walls  52  and  54  of handle  14  whereby pivot  186  serves as a stop which may alternately engage the top end  97  or bottom end  99  of slot  95  in order to respectively limit the upward and downward travel of the rear end of lever  34 . 
     Rear section  236  of lever  34  further includes a rear wall or catch  266  ( FIG. 5 ) which is rigidly secured to the back of bottom wall  240  and extends upwardly therefrom between rear portions  250  of left and right side walls  246  and  248 . More particularly, catch  266  is cantilevered upwardly from bottom wall  240  and is spaced inwardly from left and right side walls  246  and  248  whereby the left side of catch  266  and the right or inner surface of left side wall  246  define therebetween a left notch  268 A ( FIG. 2 ). Likewise, the right side of catch  266  and the left or inner surface of right side wall  248  define therebetween a right notch  268 B ( FIGS. 2 ,  7 ). Each of notches  268  extends upwardly from the top of bottom wall  240  and has a top entrance opening  270  ( FIG. 7 ). Catch  266  adjacent its upper end includes a downwardly facing and rearwardly extending catch ledge  272 . 
     When the rear end or rear section of lever  34  is pivoted upwardly about pivots  264  to partially or fully close ( FIG. 8 ), wider segment  66  of central wall  50  and portions of left and right walls  52  and  54  abutting segment  66  are received within rear cavity  254  via top entrance opening  256  ( FIG. 5 ). During this pivotal movement, catch  266  is likewise received within front portion  104  of rear cavity  62 . In addition, the portions of left and right walls  52  and  54  which bound front portion  104  are received respectively within left and right notches  268 A and  268 B via the respective top entrance openings  270  thereof ( FIGS. 2 ,  7 ). 
     When lever  34  is in any position (fully open, fully closed or intermediate positions), portions of left and right walls  52  and  54  are received within cavity or space  258  between arms  252 . The lower portion of front cavity  60  is also received within cavity  258 , as are portions of lever  28 , spring  30 , locking member  22 , keyways  78  and arms  83 . Lever  28  is movable within top and bottom entrance openings  260  and  262  and is positioned with rear end  190  spaced forward of and adjacent front end  242  to allow levers  28  and  34  to pivot relative to handle  14  and one another preferably without engagement between ends  190  and  242 . Portions of adjustable jaw  18  may also be received between the forward ends of arms  52 , in particular the narrower section  126  and keys  150 , at least when jaw  18  is in its fully opened position and typically when jaw  18  is in other intermediate open positions. 
     Second lever spring  36  has a front first end  274  and a rear second end  276 . First end  274  is inserted into cavity or slot  64  through a bottom rearward entrance opening and may be secured simply by a press fit into the slot or by additional means if necessary in order to secure first end  274  to central wall  50  of handle  14 . Spring  36  is in the form of a leaf spring and extends rearwardly from its secure rigid mounting of the front end  274  in a cantilever fashion to the free terminal rear end  276 . Adjacent end  276 , spring  36  includes a downwardly facing engaging surface  278  which engages the top of bottom wall  240  of lever  34  whereby spring  36  biases or urges the rear end of lever  34  pivotally downwardly relative to handle  14  to its home resting fully open position shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . 
     Second lever locking member  38  is a generally V-shaped structure having a first or front arm  280  and a second or rear arm  282  which intersect one another to form a tip  284  adjacent the bottom of member  38 . Member  38  includes a cam follower surface  286  which faces rearwardly adjacent tip  284 . A pivot  288  extends outwardly to the left and right from the intersecting portion of arms  280  and  282  such that pivots  288  are respectively received within pivot holes  98  to pivotally mount member  38  on handle  14 . Each of arms  280  and  282  extend radially outwardly and generally upwardly from pivot  288  to free terminal ends. The terminal free upper end of front arm  280  serves as a locking ledge  290  which releasably engages catch ledge  272  of second lever  34  to releasably lock lever  34  as discussed. Member  38  is pivotable about an axis passing through pivots  288  which is horizontal, side-to-side and parallel to the previously noted axes. The rear of front arm  280  may abut stop surface  112  when pivoted in one direction (rearward) whereas the rear leg  282  may abut the stop surface  114  when pivoted in the opposite direction (forward). The bottom end of coil spring  40  is mounted atop leg or projection  116  so that spring  40  extends upwardly to its upper opposed end which is mounted on leg  282  of locking member  38 . Spring  40  thus biases rear arm  282  away from projection  116  and toward projection  114 , front leg  290  forward and away from projection  114  to the locked or locking position of member  38 . 
     Release member  42  has front and rear ends between which it is elongated. Member  42  has a bottom downwardly facing surface  292  which serves as a manual pushing surface for pivoting release member  42 . Member  42  has pivots  294  adjacent its front end which are received within respective pivot holes  100  to pivotally mount release member  42  on handle  14 . Also adjacent its front end and extending upwardly from adjacent pivots  294 , member  42  has a generally forward facing cam or cam surface  296  which engages cam follower surface  286  of locking member  38 . Adjacent its rear end, release member  42  has a rearwardly projecting catch  298  which is received within rear portion  108  of rear cavity  62  and which is movable between a position engaging the top of leg or projection  117  and a position spaced upwardly from and out of engagement with leg  117 . 
     Retaining member  44  has left and right straight parallel arms  300 A and  300 B. Member  44  further includes a pair of straight parallel pins or bars, one of which serves as a pivot  302  and the other of which serves as a retaining bar  304 . These bars  302  and  304  are perpendicular to arms  300 . Pivot  302  is secured to and extends between the upper ends of arms  300 A and  300 B. Similarly, retaining bar  304  is secured to and extends between the lower ends of arms  300 A and  300 B. Pivot  302  is received within pivot hole  102  to pivotally mount member  44  on handle  14  adjacent the rear end of thereof. Arms  300 A and  300 B are respectively disposed to the left of left wall  52  and to the right of right wall  54  and typically slidably engage the respective left and right outer surfaces of said walls during pivotal movement of member  44 . Retaining bar  304  extends from the left side to the right side of handle  14  adjacent its rear end  48 , which forms a semicircular configuration which is concentric about pivot  302  such that retaining bar  304  may in the exemplary embodiment pivot from the top rear to the bottom rear of handle  14 . Retaining bar  304  is closely adjacent and may be in contact with the rear and lower surface of handle  14  adjacent the rear end thereof whereby bar  304  may slidably engage rear and lower surfaces during pivotal movement. 
     The operation of wrench  1  is now described with primary reference to  FIGS. 4-8A . The use of lever  28  to open the jaws will be first described with reference to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , which respectively show the jaws in the fully closed position and an open position, which may represent a fully open or a partially open position. The user applies a squeezing force to handle  14  and first lever  28  rearward of pivot  196  and is typically adjacent the rear end  190  whereby a portion of the hand such as a finger or thumb applies a downward force on the top of the rear portion of handle  14  and an upward force F 1  on the lower manual pushing surface  194  of lever  28  to rotate or pivot (Arrow A) the rear of lever  28  upwardly about pivot  196 , which in part also pivotally moves front cam  202  forward against cam follower  178  of locking member  22 , whereby a sliding engagement between cam surface  202  and cam follower  178  moves cam follower  178  forward against the spring bias of spring  24 , thus pivotally moving locking member  22  about pivot  186  such that arm  180  pivots rearwardly (Arrow B) to move teeth  182  and  184  out of engagement with the teeth of racks  136 A and  136 B of adjustable jaw  18 . When the teeth of locking member  22  and jaw  18  are engaged, the engagement prevents movement of jaw  18  away from jaw  16 . When these teeth are disengaged from one another, jaw  18  may be moved away from jaw  16  to spread the jaws apart from one another if a sufficient downward force is applied to jaw  18  to overcome the spring bias of spring  20 . 
     While the teeth of locking member  22  are disengaged from racks  136 , the pivotal movement (Arrow A) of lever  28  noted above also causes the driving cam surface  204  to slidably engage the follower cam surface  228  rearward of and lower than pivot  223  which causes pivotal movement of link  32  about pivot  223  whereby the rear lower end  224  of rear leg  220  pivots generally rearwardly (Arrow C) about the pivotal axis  223  and the front end  226  of forward leg  222  pivots (Arrow D) primarily downwardly and somewhat forward as well from a position closely adjacent of abutting surface  56  of narrower segment  70  to a position out of engagement therewith so that end  226  moves closer to keyways  78  and the front end of handle  14 . This pivotal movement of forward leg  222  causes a sliding engagement between cam surfaces  148  and  230  in the forward portion of front cavity  60  adjacent and rearward of keyway  78  and racks  136  and causes forward leg  222  adjacent front end  226  to force jaw  18  downwardly (Arrow E) away from jaw  16  against the spring bias of spring  20  such that gripping surfaces  120  and  122  are separated from one another to define therebetween a gap for receiving a nut, bolt head or other work piece. It is noted that the distance G ( FIG. 7 ) between pivot  223  and the engagement between cam surfaces  204  and  228  is substantially less than the distance H between pivot  223  and the engagement between cam surfaces  148  and  230 , whereby the distance traveled by lever  28  adjacent its rear end translates to a substantially greater distance traveled by jaw  18  away from jaw  16 . Distance G and distance H will vary somewhat during the pivotal movement of lever  28  and link  32  in moving jaw  18 . However, regardless of the position of these pivoting members, distance H is typically at least twice the distance G and in the exemplary embodiment is at least two and a half or three times distance G or more. 
     Once the jaws have been spread open sufficiently, they can be placed around a work piece  306  shown in  FIG. 7  as a nut or bolt head having a plurality of flats  308 , an opposed pair of which gripping surfaces  120  and  122  engage in order to grip and rotate the work piece. It is noted that work piece  306  may be of another configuration, such as a cylindrical pipe, especially where surfaces  120  and  122  are configured with teeth to grip the pipe or other object. Once the jaws  16  and  18  are positioned around work piece  306  with gripping surfaces  120  and  122  facing and spaced from the work piece, the user merely releases (Arrow J in  FIG. 7 ) the pressure or force on surface  194  of lever  28  to allow adjustable jaw  18  to move toward jaw  16  (Arrow K) under the force provided by spring  20 . More particularly, the release of lever  28  reverses the various movements of lever  28 , link  32 , jaw  18  and locking member  22  which are illustrated at Arrows A-E in  FIG. 5  with spring  30  forcing lever  28  in this reverse movement, and springs  24  and  20  doing likewise to locking member  22  and jaw  18  respectively. Spring  20  rapidly snaps jaw  18  in the closing direction in order to engage the nut or other work piece  306 . More particularly, the release of lever  28  allows spring  20  to bias jaw  18  toward jaw  16  either while locking member  22  remains completely disengaged from jaw  18  or while the teeth of members  22  and  18  engage one another, but are configured for a ratcheting movement due to the one way configuration of the teeth whereby the engagement of the teeth allows the closing movement of jaw  18  toward jaw  16 . After the full release of handle  28  and closing movement of jaw  18  to engage work piece  306 , locking member  22  will have moved to the locking position so that at least one of the left row of teeth  182  and right row of teeth  184  will respectively engage the left and right racks  136 A and  136 B of teeth ( FIG. 6 ) so that gripping surfaces  120  and  122  of jaws  16  and  18  are as close to one another and to the respective surfaces such as flats  308  of work piece  306  which the gripping surfaces engage while of course being spaced such that they are wider than the work piece between the jaws. The left or right sets of teeth thus provide the suitable spacing between gripping surfaces  120  and  122  depending on whether the nut or bolt head is a metric size or an English or SAE size. Even though the gripping surfaces  120  and  122  may engage work piece  306 , there is typically at least some play between the jaws due to some looseness of the sliding fit of jaw  18  which is necessary to allow its sliding movement back and forth. 
     This brings us to the use of the second or tightening actuator or lever  34  in order to provide a tighter grip on the work piece  306 . It is noted that all of the previously discussed steps of the process or operation of wrench  1  are undertaken prior to the use of lever  34 , which remains in its home resting position illustrated in all of the figures through  FIG. 7 . While gripping surfaces  120  and  122  are adjacent the nut or other work piece  306  and locking member  22  lockingly engages jaw  18  as a result of releasing lever  28  (Arrow J), the user now activates the tightening mechanism by squeezing handle  14  and lever  34  together such that a manual force F 2  ( FIG. 8 ) is applied to the bottom pushing surface of bottom wall  240  of lever  34 , which overcomes the force of spring  36  and causes the rear end of lever  34  to rotate (Arrow L in  FIG. 8 ) about the forward pivot  264  to tighten the jaws. More particularly, the pivotal movement of lever  34  causes the upward pivotal movement of locking member pivot  186  from the position shown in  FIG. 1  to the position shown in  FIG. 8  within the elongated slot  95 , which is shown in dashed lines in  FIGS. 1 and 8  and in solid lines in  FIG. 3 . The movement of pivot  186  also causes the upward movement of locking member  22  and jaw  18  via the locking engagement therebetween, such that the upward movement of pivot  186 , locking member  22 , and jaw  18  are all represented at Arrow M in  FIG. 8 , and is perpendicular to the horizontal axis about which locking member  22  pivots. During the tightening movement, locking member  22  and its teeth are fixed relative to jaw and its teeth. This process of tightening the jaws around the work piece  306  ensures a secure grip on the work piece so that the user of wrench  1  is ready to rotate the handle  14  about the center of work piece  306  to rotate work piece  306  while maintaining this secure grip. 
     In addition to the tightening mechanism which is actuated by the pressure on the rear section of lever  34 , wrench  1  is configured to secure lever  34  in the tightened position using lever locking member  38 . With continued reference to  FIG. 8 , the pivotal movement of lever  34  illustrated at Arrow L causes the rear end of catch  266  during its upward movement to slidably engage the front of leg  280  of locking member  38  to cause member  38  to rotate (Arrow N) about pivot  288  from the position shown in solid lines to the position shown in dashed lines until catch leg  272  moves above locking ledge  290  of leg  280 , at which time spring  40  extends to bias locking member  38  by pivotal movement (Arrow O) back to its position shown in solid lines so that locking ledge  290  engages catch ledge  272  to secure or lock lever  34  in the tightened or closed position shown in  FIG. 8 . More particularly, the engagement between ledges  272  and  290  prevents the pivotal movement in the loosening direction (opposite Arrow L) which would otherwise be caused by the spring bias of spring  36 . As previously discussed, spring  40  biases locking member  38  to its locking position, and thus keeps locking member  38  in the locking position absent a force to pivot locking member  38  in the direction of Arrow N to overcome the spring bias of spring  40 . The locking feature of locking member  38  thus allows the user to maneuver his or her hands as desired while the gripping surfaces of the jaws are tightly secured to the work piece  306 . 
     To release lever  34  from the locked tightening position and thus allow it to move to its open home resting position under the force of the spring  36 , the user merely applies a force F 3  ( FIG. 8A ) to the bottom surface of release member  42  rearwardly of pivot  294 . More particularly, applying force F 3  in a squeezing manner relative to handle  14  causes the rear end of member  42  to move pivotally (Arrow P) about pivot  294  and consequently causes cam surface  296  to pivot forward while slidably engaging cam surface  286  in order to pivot locking member  38  (Arrow Q) from its locked position to the unlocked position shown in  FIG. 8A  whereby ledges  272  and  290  are disengaged from one another. Thus, once the user presses release member  42  as noted, lever  34  will automatically return from the tightened position to the loosened or home position (Arrow R) under the force of spring  36  absent a force such as force F 2  to the contrary. Movement of lever  34  in the loosening direction (Arrow R) thus causes jaw  18  to move away from jaw  16  (Arrow S) to loosen the grip on work piece  306 . More particularly, movement of lever  34  in the direction of Arrow R likewise reverses the tightening process such that pivot  186  moves downwardly within slot  95 , consequently moving locking member  22  and jaw  18  downwardly. 
     In addition to release member  42 , retaining member  44  also provides a retaining mechanism for retaining or securing release member  42  in its depressed or upwardly pivoted releasing position so that release member  42  consequently retains or keeps locking member  38  in its unlocked position so that the user may apply force F 2  to move lever  34  from the loosened position to the tightening position and also release the force (Arrow T) to allow lever to move from the tightened position to the loosened home position without being locked in the tightened position by the engagement of ledges  272  and  290 . More particularly, while release member  42  is pressed upwardly to its releasing position, the user may apply a forward force to member  44  below pivot  302  in order to pivot retaining bar  304  from its position rearward of leg  117  to a position below release member  42  so that retaining bar  304  abuts the bottom surface of member  42  in order to retain member  42  in the releasing position. Thus, member  44  is pivotally moved (Arrow U) from a non-retaining position ( FIG. 8 ) to a retaining position ( FIG. 8A ). While retaining member  44  remains in the retaining position, release member  42  thus remains in the released position and locking member  38  remains in the unlocked position in order to allow the pivotal movement in either direction (Arrows L and R) of lever  34  between the tightened and untightened positions without becoming locked in the tightened position. 
     Adjustable wrench  1 A is now described with reference to  FIGS. 9-12 . Wrench  1 A is similar to wrench  1  with the primary exception being that, unlike the lever  28  of wrench  1  which is manually engaged to apply a pivoting force in one direction while spring  30  applies a pivoting force in the opposite direction, wrench  1 A includes an analogous lever  28 A which is moved pivotally by a slider member mounted on the wrench handle. In keeping with this alternate configuration, wrench  1 A also includes a handle  14 A which is somewhat different than handle  14  and a tightening lever  34 A which is similar but somewhat different from lever  34 . In addition, wrench  1 A eliminates the use of spring  30  or a like spring for biasing lever  28 A to the open position, in which locking member  22  is in its locked position. Thus, the corresponding pins  216  and holes  94  are eliminated. In addition, wrench  1 A eliminates holes  92 , pin  200  and slot  198 . As noted above, lever  34 A is somewhat different than lever  34  in that it includes a bottom wall  240 A which extends from the rear of the lever forward a further distance than that of bottom wall  240  such that wall  240 A is connected to arms  252 A which are analogous to arms  252  of wrench  1 . In addition, arms  252 A are dropped or lowered compared to arms  252  so that they extend forward from the lower front part of the rear section of handle  34 A. However, lever  34 A functions in the same manner as described with respect to handle  34 . 
     Handle  14 A includes central wall  50  and left and right walls  52 A and  54 A which are similar but somewhat different from walls  52  and  54  of wrench  1 . As previously noted, some of the holes formed in walls  52  and  54  are eliminated in walls  52 A and  54 A. In addition, an elongated slot or keyway  310  is formed in each of walls  52 A and  54 A so that they are aligned with one another as viewed from the side. Keyway  310  is straight and elongated between a front end  312  and a rear end  314  and defined therebetween by top and bottom straight edges  316  and  318 . Edges  316  and  318  and thus keyway  310  are substantially parallel to the length of handle  14 A and generally parallel to levers  28 A and  34 A. A slider  320  is slidably disposed within each keyway  310  and is elongated between a front end  322  and a rear end  324  thereof. Each slider  320  has an upwardly facing top straight edge  326  which slidably engages the downwardly facing top straight edge  316 , and a downwardly facing bottom straight edge  328  which slidably engages the upwardly facing bottom straight edge  318  during sliding movement of slider  320  forward or rearward within keyway  310 . The left slider  320  has a left outer surface and the right slider  320  has a right outer surface, each of which defines a finger tab  330  which in the exemplary embodiment has ridges formed thereon to provide a gripping surface for a finger or thumb. A cam  332  in the form of a rod is secured to and extends between sliders  320 . Sliders  320  and cam  332  serve as a rigid slider member which is slidable back and forth. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 10 , lever  28 A is similar to lever  28  whereby lever  28 A has front and rear ends  188  and  190  between which it is elongated. As previously noted, lever  28 A is formed without slot  198 , but retains pivots  196  and front cam  202 . Unlike lever  28 , which vertically widens toward rear end  190 , lever  28 A adjacent rear end  190  tapers rearwardly to form a V-shaped configuration as viewed from the side whereby it narrows toward rear end  190 . Lever  28 A includes a rear cam  204 A which is analogous to cam  204  and which is positioned adjacent the tip of the V-shaped end  190 . Lever  28 A further defines an elongated slot or keyway  334  having front and rear ends  336  and  338  between which it is elongated from front to back. Slot  334  is also divided by top and bottom substantially straight edges  340  and  342  which serve as cam surfaces and more particularly as cam followers which follow cam  332  during sliding movement thereof. Top cam surface  340  faces downwardly while bottom cam surface  342  faces upwardly. 
     The operation of wrench  1 A is now described with reference to  FIGS. 9-12 .  FIGS. 9 and 10  show the sliders  320  in a rearward position which is associated with the jaws  16  and  18  being in a fully closed position.  FIGS. 11 and 12  show the slider member in a forward position with jaws  16  and  18  in an open position which is analogous to that of the jaws in  FIG. 5  of wrench  1 . As shown in  FIG. 10 , cam  332  passes through keyway  334  and is adjacent or abutting rear end  338  thereof. Thus, the rear portion of keyway  334  is aligned with keyways  310  as viewed from the side in the position of  FIGS. 9 and 10 , in which rear end  190  of lever  28 A is in its lowermost position. To open jaws  16  and  18 , the user manually engages finger tabs  330 , applying a forward force thereon to slide the slider member forward with sliders  320  sliding within respective keyways  310  and cam  332  sliding within keyway  334 . During this forward sliding movement (Arrow V in  FIG. 12 ) of the sliding member, the upwardly facing portion of cam  332  slidably engages cam follower surface  340  whereby the sliding engagement therebetween applies an upward force on top cam surface  340  to cause the rear end  190  of lever  28 A to pivot upwardly as indicated at Arrow A in  FIG. 12 . This pivotal movement of lever  28 A opens jaw  18  in the same manner as previously discussed with respect to lever  28  of wrench  1 . Thus, cam  202  engages cam follower  178  to rotate locking member  22  against the spring force of spring  24  to disengage the locking member from jaw  18  (Arrow B). In addition, cam  204 A slidably engages cam follower  228  to pivot member  32  with shorter leg  220  pivoting as shown at Arrow C and longer leg  222  pivoting as shown at Arrow D whereby the sliding engagement between cam surfaces  148  and  230  forces jaw  18  downwardly as shown at Arrow E. The slider member may be slid rearwardly from the position of  FIGS. 11 and 12  to the position of  FIGS. 9 and 10  by manual force applied to finger tabs  330  to reverse the pivotal movement of lever  28 A, link  32  and locking member  22  as well as the sliding movement of jaw  18 . During rearward movement of the slider member, slider  320  slidably engage lower cam surfaces  342  to translate the rearward movement to the downward pivotal movement of rear end  190  of lever  28 A. 
     In addition, the force applied by extended spring  20  to jaw  18  may be sufficient to pull jaw  18  toward jaw  16  to drive the reverse pivoting movement of link  32  to consequently drive the reverse pivotal movement of lever  28 A via the sliding engagement between cam surfaces  204 A and  228  to likewise cause the slider member to slide rearwardly via the sliding cam engagement between cam  332  and cam surface  340 . In this case, cam surface  148  would serve as a driving cam with surface  230  serving as a cam follower. Likewise, cam surface  228  would serve as a driving cam with surface  204 A serving as a cam follower and surface  340  would serve as a driving cam with cam member  332  serving as a cam follower. However, the force of spring  20  may not be sufficient to achieve this reverse sliding of the slider, especially depending on the angle between the parallel straight surfaces  316  and  318  and the parallel straight surfaces  340  and  342 . Where this angle is sufficiently small, the slider member would tend to remain in the forward position after the user has released a grip on finger tabs  330  and thus removing an external force applied to the sliders. 
     In any case, wrench  1 A may be placed with its open jaws ( FIGS. 11 and 12 ) about a work piece such as work piece  306  ( FIGS. 8 and 8A ) in order to move jaw  18  toward jaw  16  and engage work piece  306  as previously described in general. However, if the spring bias is not sufficient to move the sliding member rearwardly, the user must apply rearward force to the sliding member via finger tabs  330  in order to allow jaw  18  to close under the bias of spring  20 . Once jaws  16  and  18  of wrench  1 A have reached the position shown in  FIG. 8 , the jaws may be tightened on the nut using lever  34 A in the same manner as described with regard to lever  34 . Thus, the use of lever  34 A, locking member  38 , release member  42  and retaining member  44  are the same with respect to wrench  1 A as with wrench  1 . 
     Thus, the adjustable wrenches of the present invention provide for the ability to rapidly spread the jaws of the wrench, rapidly clamp the jaws onto a work piece utilizing the spring bias of spring  20  and also to easily tighten the jaws about such a work piece. 
     In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed. 
     Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is an example and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described.