Patent Publication Number: US-11389932-B2

Title: Adjustable crow foot wrench devices

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/984,349 filed Mar. 3, 2020, which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     Described herein are wrenches, and more particularly, crowfoot wrenches for use with large fasteners. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Crescent wrenches are configured to loosen or tighten fasteners having at least two parallel flat facets, such as a hex head bolt, square head bolt, or hex head hydraulic line fitting. Large diameter fasteners, for example, fasteners having diameters above 1 inch, require crescent wrenches that are commensurate in size and, therefore, tend to be large and cumbersome. Conventionally, a user who worked with a variety of large size fasteners would need to carry a vast array of cumbersome and expensive crescent wrenches. Additionally, large fasteners may be located in small spaces such that a full-size crescent wrench is impractical for manipulating that particular fastener. 
     Crowfoot wrenches were developed to aid the user needing a variety of crescent wrench sizes and to manipulate fasteners in small spaces. Crowfoot wrenches include a manipulating head similar to a crescent wrench of corresponding size, but the crowfoot wrench includes a drive aperture instead of a full handle. The user would manipulate the crowfoot wrench by inserting a drive of a universal handle into the drive aperture of the crowfoot wrench. Thus, a set of crowfoot wrenches having various sizes can be manipulated by the same universal handle. Crowfoot wrenches allowed the user to carry a set of much smaller crowfoot wrenches instead of a set of full crescent wrenches. 
     Still, large fasteners, such as hydraulic line nuts having a diameter of greater than 1 inch, require an extensive set of crowfoot wrenches to accommodate the various sizes of large fasteners. Though these large sets of crowfoot wrenches may be an improvement over conventional sets of crescent wrenches, they are still cumbersome and costly in their own right. 
     SUMMARY 
     Disclosed herein are devices, systems and methods of an adjustable crowfoot wrench for use with large format fasteners, such as bolts or hydraulic line nuts over 1 inch in size. The adjustable crowfoot wrench includes a base, a translating arm, and a gear. The translating arm includes one or more fastener pads and a threaded translating shaft. The gear is configured to threadably engage the threaded translating shaft of the translating arm. The threaded translating shaft is configured to be received by and translate through a translating channel of the base. The base also includes a stationary pad, a drive aperture and gear retaining arms. The gear is retained by the gear retaining arms of the base when the gear is threadably engaged with the translating arm within the base. A fastener is engaged by the adjustable crowfoot wrench by rotating the gear such that the translating arm advances the one or more fastener pads towards the stationary pad and therefore capturing the fastener between the one or more fastener pads and the stationary pad. 
     The above summary is not intended to describe each illustrated embodiment or every implementation of the subject matter hereof. The figures and the detailed description that follow more particularly exemplify various embodiments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Subject matter hereof may be more completely understood in consideration of the following detailed description of various embodiments in connection with the accompanying figures, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of an adjustable crowfoot wrench as described herein. 
         FIG. 2A  is a side view of a base of the adjustable crowfoot wrench of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 2B  is a top view of the base of the adjustable crowfoot wrench of  FIGS. 1 and 2A . 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of a translating arm of the adjustable crowfoot wrench of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4A  is a top view of a gear of the adjustable crowfoot wrench of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4B  is a side view of the gear of the adjustable crowfoot wrench of  FIGS. 1 and 4A . 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the adjustable crowfoot wrench of  FIG. 1  in use. 
         FIG. 6A  is a perspective view of the adjustable crowfoot wrench of  FIG. 1  in use. 
         FIG. 6B  is a perspective view of the adjustable crowfoot wrench of  FIG. 1  in use. 
     
    
    
     While various embodiments are amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the claimed inventions to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the subject matter as defined by the claims. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Disclosed herein are devices, systems and methods of an adjustable crowfoot wrench for use with large format fasteners such as bolts or hydraulic line nuts over 1 inch in size. Referring to  FIG. 1 , an embodiment of an adjustable crowfoot wrench  100  is depicted. In this embodiment, adjustable crowfoot wrench  100  includes a base  102 , a translating arm  104 , and a gear  106 . In embodiments, base  102 , translating arm  104 , and gear  106  can be made of various materials such as steel, tool hardened steel, various stainless steels, or any other suitable material. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2A and 2B , base  102  includes a drive portion  116 , a fastener engaging portion  118 , a translating channel  120 , and gear retaining arms  122 . Drive portion  116  further includes a square drive aperture  126 . Square drive aperture  126  is configured to receive a square drive. In embodiments, square drive aperture  126  can be any square drive size ranging from 0.25 inch to 1.5 inch square drive or larger. For example, and as depicted in  FIG. 2A , drive portion  116  of base  102  includes a 0.5 inch square drive aperture in compliance with ASME B107.110. In other embodiments, drive portion can include various other drive shapes such as spline, hex, or other suitable drive shape. 
     Fastener engaging portion  118  further includes stationary pad  130 . In this embodiment, stationary pad  130  includes a flat, machined surface configured for engaging a fastener. For example, stationary pad  130  is configured to engage with one side of a multi-faceted bolt head or hydraulic line nut. In another embodiment, stationary pad  130  includes a toothed or ridged surface configured to engage a smooth surface such as a pipe. In this embodiment, the toothed or ridged surface provides a high-friction engagement with a smooth-surfaced object such as a pipe. 
     In this embodiment, translating channel  120  includes a rectangular aperture beginning adjacent stationary pad  130  and terminating prior to gear retaining arms  122 . Translating channel  120  is configured to receive and guide translating arm  104 . 
     In this embodiment, gear retaining arms  122  include a pair of cantilevered arms configured to retain gear  106  when gear  106  is engaged with translating arm  104 . Gear retaining arms  122  can comprise other shapes such as a single, centered arm, a cantilevered ring, or any other shape suitable for retaining gear  106 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , translating arm  104  includes a translating shaft  134 , an inner worm gear  136 , and outer worm gear  138 , and a translating fastener engaging portion  140 . Translating shaft  134  is sized and shaped to be slidably received in translating channel  120  of base  102 . In particular, translating shaft  134  is rectangular in shape such that translating shaft  134  translates within translating channel  120  with minimal play. Inner worm gear  136  and outer worm gear  138  are arranged such that they form portions of a single helical gear. In other words, inner worm gear  136  and outer worm gear  138  would form a continuous helical gear should translating shaft  134  be cylindrical rather than rectangular. In embodiments, inner worm gear  136  and outer worm gear  138  include tooth and pitch size and shape suitable for allowing translation while providing cantilevered structural support for translating fastener engaging portion  140 . In other embodiments, inner worm gear  136  and outer worm gear  138  can include a tight tooth size and pitch commensurate with precision translation. 
     In embodiments, translating fastener engaging portion  140  includes a first translating pad  144  and a second translating pad  146 . In alternative embodiments, translating fastener engaging portion  140  includes only a single translating pad, or, more than two translating pads. In this embodiment, first translating pad  144  and second translating pad  146  are arranged approximately 120 degrees to each other such that first translating pad  144  and second translating pad  146  are configured to engage adjacent facets of a hex head bolt or hydraulic line nut. 
     In this embodiment, first translating pad  144  and second translating pad  146  include a flat, machined surface configured for engaging a fastener. For example, first translating pad  144  and second translating pad  146  can be configured to engage with one side of a multi-faceted bolt head or hydraulic line nut. In another embodiment, first translating pad  144  and second translating pad  146  can include toothed or ridged surfaces configured to engage a smooth surface such as a pipe. In this embodiment, the toothed or ridged surfaces provide a high-friction engagement with a smooth-surfaced object such as a pipe. 
     In this embodiment, first translating pad  144  is arranged on translating arm  104  such that it is approximately parallel to stationary pad  130  when translating shaft  134  of translating arm  104  is received in translating channel  120  of base  102 . Thus, first translating pad  144  and stationary pad  130  are configured to engage the top facet and bottom facet of a hex, square, or other even-sided bolt head or hydraulic line nut. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4A and 4B , gear  106  includes a threaded aperture  150  and a knurled surface  152 . Threaded aperture  150  includes thread and pitch dimensions corresponding to the tooth and pitch of inner worm gear  136  and outer worm gear  138 . In this way, gear  106  is configured to rotatably engage with translating shaft  134  of translating arm  104 . Knurled surface  152  of gear  106  is configured to provide a high friction surface for manipulation by a user. 
     Referring again to  FIG. 1 , adjustable crowfoot wrench  100  can be assembled by positioning gear  106  within gear retaining arms  122  such that threaded aperture  150  aligns with translating channel  120 . Translating shaft  134  of translating arm  102  is inserted and received by translating channel  120  until inner worm gear  136  and outer worm gear  138  engage with threaded aperture  150  of gear  106 . Gear  106  is then rotated, via the user manipulating knurled surface  152 , such that translating shaft  134  is advanced through threaded aperture  150 . When translating shaft  134  is fully advanced through threaded aperture  150 , gear  106  is captured within gear retaining arms  122  via translating shaft  134 . 
     In use, and as depicted in  FIGS. 5-7 , adjustable crowfoot wrench  100  is adjusted to couple to a first fastener  160 , second fastener  161 , or other suitable fastener. As an example of the various fasteners that can be manipulated by adjustable crowfoot wrench  100 ,  FIG. 5  depicts adjustable crowfoot wrench  100  coupled to and manipulating first fastener  160  having a square profile. Another example is depicted in  FIGS. 6A and 6B  where adjustable crowfoot wrench  100  is coupled to and manipulating second fastener  161  wherein second fastener  161  is a hex head hydraulic line nut having a hex profile. 
     The user rotates gear  106  via knurled surface  152  to move translating arm  104  to accommodate a particular bolt head or line nut. Translating arm  104  is advanced, via user rotating gear  106 , such that first translating pad  144  and second translating pad  146  move towards stationary pad  130  of base  102  until first fastener  160  or second fastener  161  is captured by first translating pad  144 , second translating pad  146 , and stationary pad  130 . The user may tighten gear  106  such that first fastener  160  or second fastener  161  is tightly held within first translating pad  144 , second translating pad  146 , and stationary pad  130 , or the user may prefer a looser fit of adjustable crowfoot  100  on first fastener  160  or second fastener  161 . 
     The user can manipulate first fastener  160  or second fastener  161  in order to loosen or tighten first fastener  160  or second fastener  161  by coupling a square drive of a wrench  162  to square drive aperture  126  of base  102 . In this embodiment, wrench  162  is a ratcheted driving wrench. In other embodiments, wrench  162  can be a torque wrench, a breaker bar, a pneumatic wrench, or any other wrench having a suitable drive. In some embodiments and referring in particular to  FIG. 6A , the user can couple an extension drive  166  in order to manipulate adjustable crowfoot wrench  100  located in tight or otherwise difficult to reach locations. 
     Various embodiments of systems, devices, and methods have been described herein. These embodiments are given only by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed inventions. It should be appreciated, moreover, that the various features of the embodiments that have been described may be combined in various ways to produce numerous additional embodiments. Moreover, while various materials, dimensions, shapes, configurations and locations, etc. have been described for use with disclosed embodiments, others besides those disclosed may be utilized without exceeding the scope of the claimed inventions. 
     Persons of ordinary skill in the relevant arts will recognize that the subject matter hereof may comprise fewer features than illustrated in any individual embodiment described above. The embodiments described herein are not meant to be an exhaustive presentation of the ways in which the various features of the subject matter hereof may be combined. Accordingly, the embodiments are not mutually exclusive combinations of features; rather, the various embodiments can comprise a combination of different individual features selected from different individual embodiments, as understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art. Moreover, elements described with respect to one embodiment can be implemented in other embodiments even when not described in such embodiments unless otherwise noted. 
     Although a dependent claim may refer in the claims to a specific combination with one or more other claims, other embodiments can also include a combination of the dependent claim with the subject matter of each of the other dependent claim or a combination of one or more features with other dependent or independent claims. Such combinations are proposed herein unless it is stated that a specific combination is not intended. 
     For purposes of interpreting the claims, it is expressly intended that the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) are not to be invoked unless the specific terms “means for” or “step for” are recited in a claim.