Abstract:
An adjustable wrench comprising a handle, a fixed jaw non-movably attached to the handle and a movable jaw slidably attached to the handle. One of the fixed jaw and the movable jaw has a generally V-shaped recess. The other of the fixed jaw and the movable jaw has a protrusion aligned with a center line of the V-shaped recess.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application No. 60/756580, filed Jan. 6, 2006 and entitled “ADJUSTABLE WRENCH HAVING NUT-GRIPPING JAWS”, which is incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates to hand tools. Particular embodiments of the invention provide hand tools for turning fittings such as nuts, bolts and flare-fittings. The invention may be embodied, for example, in an adjustable wrench or a pair of slip-joint pliers. 
       BACKGROUND  
       [0003]    Adjustable wrenches are often used by tradespeople because a single adjustable wrench can fit a wide range of fasteners. Having an adjustable wrench can avoid the need to carry a set of fixed wrenches in some situations. By using an adjustable wrench one can avoid taking time to select an appropriately-sized fixed wrench. One can also avoid the need to change back and forth between different sizes of fixed wrenches when it becomes necessary to adjust fittings having different sizes. 
         [0004]    One popular type of adjustable wrench has a fixed jaw. The fixed jaw has a flat face extending parallel to a matching flat face of a movable jaw. The distance between the fixed and movable jaws can be adjusted to accommodate fasteners having different sizes. One disadvantage of these adjustable wrenches is that they contact the fitting only on two opposing faces. If such a wrench is not perfectly adjusted or if the fitting is very tight then the jaws can slip. This can both damage the fastener and cause injury to the tradesperson if the slippage occurs suddenly. 
         [0005]    Slip-joint pliers are another tool commonly used by tradespeople to turn fittings. Slip-joint pliers can be adjusted over a wide range of sizes. They have the disadvantage that they do not always tightly grip the head of a fastener or other fitting. Consequently they can cause the fitting to be damaged unless they are used very carefully. 
         [0006]    The inventor has identified a need for hand tools that address some of the deficiencies of wrenches, pliers and similar tools that are currently available. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    The following embodiments and aspects thereof are described and illustrated in conjunction with systems, tools and methods which are meant to be exemplary and illustrative, not limiting in scope. In various embodiments, one or more of the above-described problems have been reduced or eliminated, while other embodiments are directed to other improvements. 
         [0008]    One aspect of the invention provides an adjustable wrench comprising a handle, a fixed jaw non-movably attached to the handle and a movable jaw slidably attached to the handle. One of the fixed jaw and the movable jaw has a generally V-shaped recess defined therein on a side facing toward the other of the fixed jaw and the movable jaw. The other of the fixed jaw and the movable jaw has a protrusion thereon. The protrusion is aligned with a center line of the V-shaped recess. 
         [0009]    In addition to the exemplary aspects and embodiments described above, further aspects and embodiments will become apparent by reference to the drawings and by study of the following detailed descriptions. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0010]    Exemplary embodiments are illustrated in referenced figures of the drawings. It is intended that the embodiments and figures disclosed herein are to be considered illustrative rather than restrictive. 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  shows an adjustable wrench according to one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  shows the wrench of  FIG. 1  gripping a fastener. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  shows the wrench of  FIG. 1  gripping a fastener smaller than the fastener shown in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  shows the wrench of  FIG. 1  gripping a fastener between outer portions of its jaws. 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  shows the wrench of  FIG. 1  in an open configuration. 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  shows an adjustable wrench according to an alternative embodiment of the invention having a handle that is curved toward an adjustable jaw of the wrench. 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  shows a wrench according to an alternative embodiment to the invention having a handle curved toward a fixed jaw of the wrench. 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  shows an adjustable wrench according to the invention having a pivotally mounted handle. 
           [0019]      FIG. 9  shows a wrench according to an alternative embodiment to the invention having a ratchet assembly on a tail end of a handle of the adjustable wrench. 
           [0020]      FIG. 10  shows a pair of slip-joint pliers according to an alternative embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0021]    Throughout the following description specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding to persons skilled in the art. However, well known elements may not have been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the disclosure. Accordingly, the description and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative, rather than a restrictive, sense. 
         [0022]      FIG. 1  shows an adjustable wrench according to a specific embodiment to the invention. Wrench  10  has a head  12  attached to a handle  14 . Head  12  includes a fixed jaw  16  and a movable jaw  18 . Movable jaw  18  can be moved toward or away from fixed jaw  16  by manipulating an adjustment mechanism  19 . In the illustrated embodiment, adjustment mechanism  19  comprises a worm  20  that engages a rack  21  on the base of movable jaw  18 . By rotating worm  20  relative to rack  21 , movable jaw  18  can be made to slide back and forth along a linear track  22 . 
         [0023]    Fixed jaw  16  is characterized by a V-shaped recess  30  defined in its side facing toward movable jaw  18 . Recess  30  has opposing sides  31  and  32  that are disposed at an angle θ to one another. Angle θ is typically in the range of 55-65° and is preferably approximately 60°. 
         [0024]    Movable jaw  18  has a projection  33  that is aligned with a center line  34  of recess  30 . Center line  34  is preferably parallel to track  22  so that as movable jaw  18  is moved back and forth projection  33  remains on the center line  34  of recess  30 . 
         [0025]    In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 , center line  34  of V-shaped indentation  30  makes an angle φ with the center line of handle  14 . The particular angle φ may be selected to have any value in a wide range. In the illustrated embodiment φ is approximately 105 degrees. This gives wrench  10  an offset of 15 degrees. However, wrenches could readily be made for which the angle φ is anywhere in the range of 0-180°. 
         [0026]    Wrench  10  may be used to grip hexagonal fittings in various ways. Two of these ways are shown in  FIGS. 2 to 4 .  FIG. 2  shows wrench  10  gripping a hexagonal nut, N. The nut is received in recess  30  with two sides of the nut bearing against sides  31  and  32  of recess  30 . A third side of the nut is in contact with projection  33 . Nut N is therefore securely held between the jaws of wrench  10  and is prevented from rotating relative to the jaws of wrench  10  even if significant torque is applied to the nut by pulling hard on handle  14  of wrench  10 . Wrench  10  engages every other face of nut N. Since nut N is hexagonal, the faces of nut N against which wrench  10  bears are at angles of 60 degrees to one another. 
         [0027]      FIG. 3  shows wrench  10  gripping a nut N′ that is smaller than nut N of  FIG. 2 . Each of sides  35  and  36  of nut N′ are in full contact with sides  31  and  32  of fixed jaw  16  respectively. 
         [0028]      FIG. 4  shows an alternative way to hold a fastener using wrench  10 . In the particular embodiment of wrench  10  illustrated in  FIG. 4 , fixed jaws  16  and  18  respectively have flattened outer portions  38  and  39 . Portions  38  and  39  are parallel to one another. Therefore, opposing sides of a hexagonal or square object such as a nut can be gripped between faces  38  and  39 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . A tradesperson could use this feature to turn fasteners or fittings which have already been loosened, or are in the early stages of being tightened, where large amounts of torque are not required. A user can set the gap between faces  38  and  39  to a known value, for example by gripping a spacer between faces  38  and  39 , to obtain an initial setting for the spacing of movable jaw  18  from fixed jaw  16 . 
         [0029]    A wide range of modifications are possible in the design of wrench  10 . For example, the precise nature of mechanism  19  that allows jaw  18  to be positioned relative to jaw  16  is not important. There are a wide range of such mechanisms known. Any suitable mechanism capable of sliding jaw  18  toward jaw  16  along track  22  until it is at a position suitable for holding a fastener or other fitting between movable jaw  18  and fixed jaw  16  may be used. 
         [0030]    Handle  14  may be any handle suitable to allow a user to turn head  12 . Handle  14  may be straight, as shown in  FIG. 1 , or may have another shape, such as being curved.  FIG. 6  shows a wrench  10 A having a handle  14 A that is curved in a direction away from fixed jaw  16 . In the alternative, handle  14  could be curved in a direction away from movable jaw  18 , as shown in  FIG. 7 .  FIG. 7  shows a wrench  10 B having a handle  14 B that is curved away from movable jaw  18 . 
         [0031]      FIG. 8  shows a wrench  10 C having another handle configuration. In  FIG. 8 , handle  14 C comprises a rigid handle portion  14 D which is pivotally connected to head  12  at a pivot joint  14 E. Pivot joint  14 E permits handle  14 C to be pivoted out of the plane of head  12 . This can be useful in some situations. In other embodiments (not shown) handle  14  could be bent to provide an offset or to cause handle  14  to extend at an angle to the plane of head  12 . 
         [0032]    Handle  14  may be any suitable length, depending upon the intended use of wrench  10 . Handle  14  would typically have a length in the range of 6″ to 36″. A prototype wrench as shown in  FIG. 1  has a length of approximately 10″. 
         [0033]    The jaw configuration shown in  FIG. 1  is not limited to cases where V-shaped recess  30  is defined in a fixed jaw, although there are advantages to providing recess  30  in the fixed jaw. It is also possible to provide recess  30  in a movable jaw and to provide projection  33  on the fixed jaw. This alternative construction could cause additional strain on the movable jaw and is therefore not preferred in most cases. 
         [0034]    Instead of providing one fixed jaw and one movable jaw, a wrench according to the invention could have two jaws that are each movable relative to a handle  14  so that the two jaws can be moved toward or away from one another. A single mechanism may be provided for adjusting the positions of both jaws or, in the alternative, separate mechanisms may be provided for adjusting the position of both movable jaws. Once again, any suitable mechanisms may be used including any of the wide range of mechanisms that have been disclosed in the art and to which those who have read this disclosure would understand could be used in the context being discussed herein. 
         [0035]    Optionally, as shown in  FIG. 9 , another wrench or accessory may be provided at a tail end of handle  14 .  FIG. 9  shows a wrench  10 D according to the invention having a ratchet mechanism  40  at a tail end  42  of handle  14 . 
         [0036]    The thickness of jaws  16  and  18  may be selected for the intended application. For heavy duty applications jaws  16  and  18  may be made thicker, whereas for applications in which fittings need to be gripped in close quarters jaws  16  and  18  may be made thinner. 
         [0037]    A wrench like wrench  10  may have any suitable surface finish. Handle  14  may be covered with rubber or a suitable plastic to provide a comfortable grip, if desired. 
         [0038]      FIG. 10  shows a tool  50  according to an alternative embodiment of the invention. Tool  50  is in the form of a pair of slip-joint pliers. Tool  50  has a pair of jaws  56  and  58  which have a configuration like jaws  16  and  18  of wrench  10 . Jaw  56  is connected to a handle  60 . Jaw  58  is connected to a handle  61 . Handles  60  and  61  are pivotally connected to one another by a pivot pin  62  which passes through a slot  64  on the part  59 A that includes jaw  56  and handle  60 . The part  59 B that includes jaw  58  and handle  61  has an arcuate ridge  65  that is centered on pivot pin  62 . Ridge  65  can engage one of a plurality of corresponding arcuate grooves in part  59 A. Apart from jaws  56  and  58 , tool  50  may have the form of a standard pair of slip-joint pliers. Such pliers are well understood to those skilled in the art of designing and making and using tools and therefore will not be described further herein. 
         [0039]    Any of the tools described above may be made with jaws that are made of or faced with a non-marring material for use in turning fittings that are polished or have other ornamental surface treatments. Optionally a tool as described above may have jaw covers of a non-marring material, such as a suitable plastic, leather, a soft metal, or the like. The jaw covers may be slipped over the jaws to cover at least portions of the jaws that contact a fitting when the jaws engage the fitting. 
         [0040]    While a number of exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those of skill in the art will recognize certain modifications, permutations, additions and sub-combinations thereof. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims and claims hereafter introduced are interpreted to include all such modifications, permutations, additions and sub-combinations as are within their true spirit and scope.