Abstract:
The wrench uses a spring driven locking mechanism to lock the movable lower jaw into position. A release bar enables the locking mechanism to be rotated, against the spring tension, to a position that releases the lower jaw for movement. Once released the spring tension returns the locking mechanism to a position that prevents movement of the lower jaw. A spring extending from the top of the stationary jaw into the lower jaw maintains the lower jaw adjacent to the upper jaw. By releasing the locking mechanism, repositioning the wrench without completed removal and then relocking the locking mechanism, the wrench can be used in a ratchet style. The locking mechanism is a multi-toothed semi circle that interacts with the teeth on the lower jaw shaft to engage and disengage the lower jaw.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This application is a non-provisional conversion of U.S. provisional 60/474,070 filed on May 29, 2003 and incorporates this application as through recited in full. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART  
         [0002]    In the most common type of adjustable wrench a worm gear and a journaled jaw member interact to change the relative location of the fixed and movable jaws. A pin rotatably holds the worm gear in a slot that extends through the handle of the wrench. The worm gear contacts a journaled rear portion of the movable jaw. The movable jaw slides in a groove defined by handle to a location controlled by the worm gear. U.S. Pat. No. 2,722,150 shows the general arrangement of this type of wrench. The worm gear arrangement of this typical wrench design always leaves some play between the jaws. This play results in the wrench sometimes slipping under pressure and thus detracting from the reliability of such devices.  
           [0003]    Many adjustable wrench designs have been proposed that attempt to improve the adjustability and reliability of such wrenches. Such wrench designs include U.S. Pat. No. 1,397,214 wherein a slot in the handle of wrench retains a grooved wedge that a spring biases toward a slidably mounted movable jaw having complimentary grooves for holding the jaw in position. The movement of the wedge is relatively quick which in turn allows quick adjustment of the wrench.  
           [0004]    A number of other quick adjustment wrench designs use a series of wedges or ramps to quickly adjust the position of the movable jaw. Basic wedge designs in adjustable wrenches are well known and depicted in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,511,526, 1,481,250, 1,004,561, 1,514,017 and 1,427,918. Examples of wedge designs adapted for use in open end adjustable wrenches are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,948,175 and 1,389,487 wherein a wedge cooperates with an inclined surface to move the wedge forward in compression against an opposing surface of the lower jaw. Pressure exerted by the wedge locks the jaw in place until displacement of the wedge along the surface of the ramp releases the jaw. Another wedge type wrench design is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,556 where a wedge is contained in an inclined slot that extends through a handle portion of the wrench. The wedge has a flat surface on one side that acts against a surface of the slot and a tapered surface that acts against a tapered surface on the back of a movable jaw.  
           [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,984 discloses an adjustable wrench design having only two movable elements that uses contact points fixed to a movable jaw to hold the movable jaw in position. The contact points act on a guide member to bind the movable jaw from movement when the wrench is under load. Simple rotation of the movable jaw, once the load is removed, permits ready movement of the jaw to a new position. U.S. Pat. No. 3,817,128 addresses the additional problem of wrenches being bulky and time consuming to close. The &#39;128 patent discloses a wrench with a releasable lock, however the release cannot be easily operated with one hand and requires a sliding motion toward the end of the wrench, making it difficult to use in tight spaces.  
           [0006]    None of the foregoing patents, however, resolve the issue of an easy to use wrench that can be opened and closed with one hand. The disclosed wrench overcomes the prior art problems by using a spring loaded rotational locking system operable by rotating a single lever.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    The advantages of the instant disclosure will become more apparent when read with the specification and the drawings, wherein:  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1 is a front side view of the disclosed spring locked wrench;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is a backside view of the disclosed wrench;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 is a cutaway end view of the spring locking system;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 4 is a cutaway top end view of the spring lock in the locked position;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 5 is a cutaway top end view of the spring lock in the unlocked position;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 6 is a side view of the toothed lower jaw showing the spring shaft;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 7 is a side view of the toothed lower jaw showing the spring shaft with the spring and locking pin inserted;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 8 is a top view of the multi-toothed locking mechanism;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 9 is a front side view of the multi-toothed stop interacting with the teeth of the lower jaw;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the disclosed wrench;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 11 is a side view of the coil spring illustrated herein;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 12 is a top view of the coil spring of FIG. 11;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 13 is a cutaway to view of the tooth lower jaw with the pin in position;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 14 is a top view of the spring holding bar;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 15 is a top view of the wrench;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 16 is a side view of the bottom pin securing the spring;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 17 is a front view of the multi-toothed locking mechanism;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 18 is a top view of the lower jaw;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 19 is a bottom view of the lower jaw;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 20 is a side view of an alternate embodiment of the disclosed wrench;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 21 is a top view of the embodiment of FIG. 20;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 22 is a cutaway view of the spring retaining pin of FIG. 20;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 23 is a cutaway perspective of the lower jaw retaining mechanism;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 24 is a side view of the retaining mechanism of FIG. 23;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 25 is a side view of an alternate lower retaining mechanism;  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 26 is a side view of the lower jaw of FIG. 25;  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 27 is a side view of an alternate embodiment having an open channel and accessible pin for moving the lower jaw;  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 28 is a cutaway side view of an alternate locking mechanism;  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 29 is a cutaway side view of a cylindrical spring holder;  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 30 is a side view of an alternate embodiment of the disclosed wrench;  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 31 is a side view of another embodiment of the head of the disclosed wrench;  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 32 is a side view of a further embodiment of the jaws of the disclosed wrench;  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 33 is a side view of an alternate embodiment of the shaft teeth of the lower jaw, and  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 34 is a side view of the locking gear mechanism and locking teeth for use with the shaft teeth of FIG. 33, and  
         [0042]    [0042]FIG. 35 is a top view of the shaft teeth of FIG. 33.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0043]    The disclosed wrench enables the user, using one hand, to place the wrench onto the designed object to be moved and then tighten the wrench around the object.  
         [0044]    [0044]FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the wrench  10  in the closed position with FIG. 1 illustrating what will be referred to herein as the front side  12  and FIG. 2 illustrating the backside  14 . The locking system  22  illustrated herein is set within the recess  20  that extends through the width of the wrench  10 . Alternatively, the locking system can extend partially through or be covered on one or more sides. Further, locking mechanisms other than the cylindrical locking system illustrated herein can be used. For example, the cylinder can be replaced with a flat-sided polygon that slides within the wrench. One side of the polygon would have teeth that interlock, as described hereinafter and the opposing side would have a spring system that biased the polygon toward the open position. This design would permit the option of enclosing one or more sides.  
         [0045]    The locking system  22  consists of a multi-toothed locking mechanism  50 , a spring  30 , or other tension device that creates a similar action, and a release mechanism, or release bar  26 . It should be noted that although the locking mechanism illustrated here is a single unit, multiple parts can be used in manufacturing to creating the mechanism. Additionally, the release mechanism can be manufactured integral with the locking mechanism. The locking system  22  is held in place by a lock pin  54 , illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, which is inserted to, and recessed within, a channel  28 . The lock pin  54  can be maintained in the wrench through use of a threaded screw, spot welding, or any other method known in the art. The release bar  26 , or other locking mechanism, is used to rotate the multi-toothed locking mechanism  50  from the locked to the unlocked position. The release bar  26  is secured to the multi-toothed locking mechanism  50  through use of one or more screws  27  or other methods known in the art such as welding, pop rivets, keyed fitted, or any other method that would be applicable to the materials of manufacture. The release bar  26  can be any design convenient for manufacturing and can also be placed on the opposite side of the wrench. Alternatively the release bar and the multi-toothed locking mechanism can be molded as a single unit.  
         [0046]    As seen in FIG. 4 and  5 , the multi-toothed locking mechanism  50  has a semi-circular cross section with a flat side  62 . The surface of the locking mechanism  50  contains teeth  58 , as illustrated in FIG. 8 and  9 , which are separated by grooves  60 . In the preferred embodiment, the teeth have flat ends, enabling a tighter to interaction with the toothed locking shaft  42 . In the preferred embodiment, the teeth  58  are spaced about {fraction (1/16)} th  of an inch from adjacent teeth to provide increased adjustability. Although the spacing can be further apart, the adjustability is lost as the spacing increases.  
         [0047]    The teeth  58  and grooves  60  on the multi-toothed locking mechanism  50  are dimensioned to interact with the notches  44  on the locking shaft  42  of the lower jaw  40 . As can be seen in the cross-sectional view of FIGS. 4 and 5, the locking shaft  42  is also a flat-sided semi-circle with the notches  44  being placed on the flat side  43 . In the preferred embodiment, the notches  44  of the locking shaft  42  are widened along the locking mechanism  50  entry side, or proximal side, narrowing toward the distal side to a flat back. The widening of the proximal side is only at the entrance to the notch  44 , with the remaining length of the notch  44  being dimensioned to form a tight interaction with teeth  59  of the locking mechanism  50 .  
         [0048]    In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 17, 18 and  19 , the proximal side  90  of the shaft teeth  48  has been shortened as well as the space between the teeth  48  widened. The ensure that the teeth  48  can easily enter at the proximal side  90 , the notches  44  at entrance must be deeper in relationship to the un-notched plane  94  than at the distal side  92 . By gradually making the shaft notches  44  decrease in depth and width the teeth  60  of the locking mechanism  50  will rest snugly within the notches  44 , thereby preventing movement in the locked position. The shortening of the shaft teeth  48  on the proximal side  90  is critical to a smooth entry into the locking shaft  42 . The back wall  96  of the shaft notches  44  is preferably flat, matching the flat edges of the teeth  58  of the multi-toothed locking mechanism  50 . It is critical, to prevent movement while in the locked position, that the width of the locking teeth  58  of the multi-toothed locking mechanism  50  be only slightly less than the width of the shaft notches  44 , thereby enabling the locking teeth  58  to be locked tightly within the shaft notches  44 . Additionally, the length of the locking teeth  58  must be such that the teeth  58  can extend into the back wall  96  of the shaft notches  44 , thereby further reducing any movement. In some designs, it can be beneficial to deepen the notch  44  to enable more interaction between the notch and the teeth.  
         [0049]    In embodiments where the front of the notches are not tapered as described heretofore, the teeth of the locking mechanism can potentially not interlock as tightly, thereby allowing some minor slippage when in the locked position.  
         [0050]    To provide the automatic return of the locking mechanism  50  a spring  30  is used in combination with a release bar  26  to enable easy movement of the spring  30 . The spring  30  is secured to the locking mechanism  50  through any means known in the art, with the criticality being that the locking mechanism  50  must move with the spring  30 . The spring  30  is secured to the release bar  26 , as seen in FIG. 3, through use of the entry arm  34 . By securing the spring  30  to the release bar  26 , both the spring  30  and the locking mechanism  50  are moved during movement of the release bar  26 . The spring  30  is positioned so as to bias the multi-toothed locking mechanism  50  in the locked position through the positioning of the support end  32  of the spring  30  on the wrench back  14 . The spring and release bar can be a separate, or integral, units and the design will depend upon manufacturing costs. Additionally, although a coil spring is illustrated herein, it should be noted that any type of spring could be used that will provide the results described herein.  
         [0051]    Alternatively, a multi-toothed locking mechanism can be used that contains sufficient space to enable a spring mechanism to interact with the lock pin and the locking mechanism. In this embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 28, a spring  102  is placed within the multi-tooth cylinder  110  (teeth not shown) with a locking prong  108  extending from the spring  102  into the cylinder  110 . A second locking prong  106  protrudes into the lock pin  104 , thereby maintaining the cylinder  110  in a specific at rest position in relationship to the lock pin  104 . This embodiment would then function as described heretofore. This embodiment enables additional teeth to be added to the locking mechanism allowing for better gripping.  
         [0052]    In FIG. 4 the locking system  22  is in the locked position with the release bar  26  toward the forward jaw of the wrench  10 . As can be seen, the locking teeth  58  are recessed into the shaft notches  44  thereby prevent movement of the lower jaw  40 . In FIG. 5, the release bar  26  has been moved to the of the unlock position, moving the flat side  62  of the locking mechanism  50  into alignment with the flat side  43  of the locking shaft  42 . This enables the locking shaft  42  to move in relation to the upper jaw  14 . Once the release bar  26  is released, it is forced to the rest, or locked, position by the spring  30 , thereby rotating the locking teeth  58  back to a position to interact with the shaft notches  44 .  
         [0053]    In order the return the lower jaw  40  to the closed position upon release of the locking system  20 , a spring  72  is used to pull the lower jaw  40  back to the closed, or at rest, position. In the preferred embodiment a spring channel  70  is drilled, or molded, into the locking shaft  42 , as seen in FIGS. 6, 7,  13 ,  14  and  16 . A perpendicular counter channel  74  is drilled to intersect the bottom, or closed end, of the spring channel  70 . A spring  72 , having a looped bottom end, is placed into the chamber  70  and the bottom end secured by placing a locking pin  76  through the looped end. The locking pin  76  is then secured, either to the opposing wall or within the entry wall. The method of securing the locking pin will be dependent upon the design of the pin or screw and will be evident to those skilled in the art. Alternatively, the locking pin could have a spring receiving hole through which the spring is placed. Although not mandatory, the locking pin can also have a notch to receive the spring. The locking pin can be a screw that is threaded into the opposing wall and can be either permanently secured or removable. When a screw is used, it is preferred that it is countersunk and that the end is tapered, in order to lock the screw tightly into the locking shaft  42 . Other ways to secure the spring could be a regular metal screw, pin, rivet, molded hook on the inside of the chamber, or other methods known in the art.  
         [0054]    The use of the spring  72  to maintain the lower jaw  40  in a closed position when at rest enables the wrench  10  to release it&#39;s grip on a nut and then reapplied without resetting or otherwise adjusting the wrench  10 . By disengaging the lock teeth  50  from the shaft teeth  48 , the lower jaw  40  is free to move, however it cannot fall due to the spring  72 . This enables the wrench  10  to be removed from the nut and then reapplied and relocked by releasing the release bar  26 , to again securely grip the nut. This provides a similar action to that of a ratchet wrench with the versatility of an adjustable wrench  
         [0055]    Alternatively, the spring channel can be drilled completely through the length of the locking shaft. The spring would then be secured at the open top and open bottom by a number of methods such as screws, pins, rivets, etc.  
         [0056]    The other end of the spring  72  is secured to a support bar  80 , as shown in FIG. 14, that is recessed into the top of the wrench  10  and then capped, as shown in FIG. 15, with a plastic, or other material, cap  82  to prevent dirt from entering the channel  70 . The support bar  80  can be secured in any of the ways discussed herein, including a screw, pin, rivet, etc.  
         [0057]    Alternatively, as seen in FIG. 29, the channel can be threaded and a threaded cylinder  150 , containing a spring  152  that is secured to the top of the open ended cylinder  150 . The cap  156  of the cylinder  150  is secured to the wrench body, thereby remaining stationary to provide the resistance required to return the bottom jaw to the closed position once the locking mechanism is released. In the illustration of FIG. 29, the spring  152  is hooked to the bottom loop  158  located on the lower jaw shaft at one end and the cap loop  154  at the other, although other methods of securing the spring can be used. The top  156 , which screws into the wrench, is removable, thereby enabling the spring  152  to be replaced.  
         [0058]    In order to enable the lower jaw  40  to move, a channel  146  is molded on the inside of the wrench body  180 . An access port  148  is drilled through the body  180  into the channel  146 . A threaded hole is drilled into the body of the lower jaw  40  at a location that will align the threaded hole with the channel  146 . The threaded hole is aligned with the access port  148  and a pin  144 , either partially or fully threaded, is placed into the threaded hole. The pin  144  must be dimensioned to permit the lower jaw  40  to move freely within the wrench body  180  along the channel  146 . A removable plug (not shown) is placed over or into the access port  148  to prevent dirt and other debris from entering. Although any method can be used to cover the access port  148 , a removable plug provides advantage that the threaded pin  144  can be removed and the wrench rebuilt. Although the access port  148  and channel  146  are shown on the front side of the wrench in FIGS. 23 and 24, it should be noted that the channel and access port could be placed on either the front or the back. This is especially applicable in heavier wrenches, where it could be advantageous to have duel interior channels and the pin extending through the lower jaw to ride in both channels. The plug can also have a drain hole to permit liquid that has entered the wrench through the cutout to escape.  
         [0059]    Alternatively, as illustrated in FIG. 27, a channel can be cut completely through the wrench  354 , creating an open channel  350 . The pin  352  would then protrude through the front of the wrench  354 , allow for a manual sliding of the lower jaw.  
         [0060]    The ends  12  and  14  of the wrench  10  are curved or V-shaped to form an entry port  16  that enables an object, such as a nut, bolt, pipe, etc., to be inserted merely by releasing the release bar  26  and forcing the wrench  10  forward. Alternatively, a set of rollers can be attached to the tip of the wrench. Once the release bar  26  is released, the lower jaw  40  of the wrench  10  is free to move. However, the spring  72  prevents the lower jaw  40  from merely dropping to the most extended position. Thus, the tension of the spring  72  permits the lower jaw  40  only to separate a sufficient distance to enable the object to be placed between the jaws. If the jaw is over extended when pressed onto an object, the lower jaw  40  will tighten against the object instantly while the release bar  26  is in the release position. Once the moving jaw  40  is against the nut or item, release of the release bar  26  will secure the object and the wrench  10  will be ready to operate.  
         [0061]    In all embodiments, the lower jaw can be opened manually by placing the locking mechanism in the unlocked position, moving the jaw to the desired position, and releasing the locking mechanism. The wrench is then placed over the object and the locking mechanism again placed in the unlocked position. This permits the spring to pull the lower jaw tight against the object. The release of the locking mechanism locks the lower jaw in the usable position.  
         [0062]    In an alternate embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 20, rollers  202  and  204  are put on the end of the upper jaw  208  and lower jaw  206 . The rollers  202  and  204  facilitate the placement of the jaws  206  and  208  onto an object by simply pressing forward. FIG. 20, 21 and  22  illustrate another embodiment incorporating an alternative method of attaching the lower jaw spring to enable the lower jaw to return to the closed position upon releasing the locking mechanism. A channel  210  is drilled on one side of the stationary upper jaw  208 . An access port  2 ! 2  is drilled though the exterior of the body  218  into the channel  210 . A spring  214 , having a looped end, is placed into the channel  210  and a pin or screw  216 , placed through the looped end of the spring  214  and secured to the opposing side by means noted heretofore. The screw  216  must be sufficiently recessed to enable the lower jaw  40  to slide freely. In this embodiment, there is some loss of integrity as the wrench head is weakened. To compensate for the loss of strength through removal of material for the channel  210 , the wrench is reinforced. The lower jaw  206  moves through an open area  220  within the wrench sides. Much of this area is unused and left empty for weight issues. In the disclosed wrench, the wrench shaft  222  is shortened by about  13  mm, which does not affect the functioning of the wrench. This enables about  3  mm of steel to be placed in the bottom and about  6 mm in the top of the open area channel within which the wrench shaft  222  runs. In this embodiment, a small drain should be placed in the bottom filler to prevent liquids from accumulating. Although other methods of attaching a spring can provide the same affect as disclosed heretofore, care must be taken not to compromise the integrity of the wrench.  
         [0063]    In FIGS. 25 and 26, an alternate embodiment is disclosed wherein the bottom jaw  250  is prevented from being completely removed from the wrench  248 . The bottom jaw  250  is manufactured with a stop flange  252  that extends beyond the teeth  258  at the top of the jaw  250 . The stop flange  252  must have sufficient length to catch on the locking mechanism  262  as the lower jaw  251  drops. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 25, the spring  260  has been reduced in diameter to provide a ledge  259  to catch the stop flange  252 . Alternatively, the spring  260  can have the same diameter as the locking mechanism  262  with the stop flange  252  being stopped by the spring  260 . As another embodiment, a mating flange, screw, pin, stop or shelf, can be manufactured or inserted within the travel channel  264  to create a stop for the lower jaw.  
         [0064]    In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 30, the length of the lower jaw  302  and upper jaw  304  wrench  300  have been extended to provide additional space within the “mouth∞ of the wrench  300 . To easily accommodate for both metric and standard sizing, the lower jaw  302  is manufactured with a step  306  that reduces the distance between the lower jaw  302  and the upper jaw  304 . The step must be within the range to accommodate the metric/standard differential. The incorporation of the step  306  enables the wrench  300  to be used for both the metric and standard sizing by providing two differently sized locations within the wrench  300  mouth. In FIG. 31 the wrench  320  has the step  326  on the stationary, upper jaw  324  rather than the bottom jaw  322 . The operation of this embodiment is the same as the embodiment of FIG. 30 with only the placement of the step differing.  
         [0065]    In FIG. 32, the wrench  350  has an upper jaw step  356  in the upper jaw  352  and a lower jaw step  358  in the lower jaw  354 . It should be noted that when the dual steps are used, the height of the step needs to be divided so that both sizes total the difference needed accommodate the metric/standard differential.  
         [0066]    Another method of accommodating the metric/standard differential is illustrated in FIGS. 33 and 34. In FIGS. 33 and 35, the locking shaft teeth have been manufactured with a pointed entry side  364  and an opposing flat side  368 . The top  366  of the teeth  362  in this illustration is pointed, however the top can remain flat as in previous embodiments.  
         [0067]    The locking mechanism  372  of FIG. 34 is manufactured with pointed locking teeth  374  rather than the flat-topped teeth of prior embodiments. The notches  376  can remain configured as described heretofore with the flat receiving back wall or also manufactured in a V shape. However, in all configurations, for optimum performance, the notches  376  are deeper than prior embodiments.  
         [0068]    The shaft teeth  362  are manufactured so that the pointed entry side  364  is the entry side for the locking teeth  374 . This design enables the two pointed surfaces to easily mate and for the locking teeth  374  to slide as deeply into the shaft notches  376  as required to close on the object being gripped. In order for this embodiment to function optimally, the play between the locking mechanism  372  and the shaft  360  must be minimal.  
         [0069]    In the above embodiment, the pointed locking teeth  374  enter into the shaft notches  376  one depth for standard and another depth for metric. The bearing points will be on the side of the wall of the notches  376  that is making the contact with the locking teeth  374 , with the location of the bearing points being dependent upon the size of the nut between the jaws.  
         [0070]    The jaw grip disclosed in full in U.S. Provisional 60/402,146 filed Aug. 9, 2002, which is incorporated herein as though recited in full, can be used as well as any other ratchetable mechanism.