Patent Publication Number: US-2010122612-A1

Title: Pipe Wrench

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims priority from U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/114,912 filed Nov. 14, 2008, the entire subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present application is directed to an improved pipe wrench, and more particularly to a tool handle having improved strength without increased weight. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A variety of pipe wrench designs are well known. Prior pipe wrench designs have made use of a solid handle design with a substantially uniform handle cross-section which fully fits within the closed hand of the user during use of the wrench. Such uniform handle cross-sections provide the handle with the necessary weight and strength to perform the desired tasks. However, under certain conditions, a stronger tool may be desired for better tool performance. 
     In many prior art wrench designs, the standard material used is a cast ductile iron material. The material is generally inexpensive, and provides the cast tool with the strength to resist deformation and assist the user with pipe movement during use of the tool. However, under more difficult operating conditions, a stronger tool capable of increased performance, is desired. Where such additional performance is desired, the prior art tools developed to meet the increased performance expectations have used additional standard ductile iron material, which has resulted in a heavier tool which may be more difficult to use. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The pipe wrench or tool disclosed here has an improved I-beam handle design with a ramped or tapered cross-sectional configuration and/or a stronger iron material. Specifically, the portion of the tool handle adjacent the jaw or tool operating portion, has wider flanges in the I-beam configuration than the flanges in the opposite end of the tool handle. 
     The present application provides an improved I-beam tool handle design which provides a 50% increase in the strength of the tool during use over conventional tools having the prior art handle design, without the addition of more material, or any resulting weight, to the tool or tool handle. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic, perspective view of the improved pipe wrench of the present application, which shows the improved handle design in solid and the fixed and movable jaws in phantom. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic, partial perspective view of the handle of the improved pipe wrench of the present application. 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the handle of the improved pipe wrench of the present application. 
         FIG. 3B  is a cut away view of the handle of  FIG. 3  taken along the line B-B. 
         FIG. 3C  is a cut away view of the handle of  FIG. 3  taken along the C-C. 
         FIG. 3D  is a cut away view of the handle of  FIG. 3  taken along the D-D. 
         FIG. 3F  is a cut away view of the handle of  FIG. 3  taken along the F-F. 
         FIG. 3G  is a cut away view of the handle of  FIG. 3  taken along the G-G. 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of the handle of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 4E  is a cut away view of the handle of  FIG. 4  taken along the E-E. 
         FIG. 5  is a partial, cut away view of the section A shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED WRITTEN DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 5 , the pipe wrench or tool  10  disclosed here has an improved I-beam handle  12  design with a ramped or tapered cross-sectional configuration, as well as an optional stronger iron material. Specifically, the portion of the tool handle  12  adjacent the jaw or tool operating portion  14 , has wider flanges  16   a  in the I-beam configuration than the flanges  16   b  in the opposite end of the tool handle  12 . Such a design adds additional strength at what are typically critical stress areas of the handle  12 . The use of the present handle  12  design, along with the use of a stronger ductile iron material, as disclosed here, provides pipe wrenches or other tools using these features with a substantial improvement in tool strength as compared to conventional tools. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a tool handle  12  for a pipe wrench tool is provided with an opening  20  for receiving a movable jaw M, as well as an opening  22  for receiving a fixed jaw F. The fixed jaw F is generally secured within the tool handle  12  via conventional fastening means within jaw receiving flanges  26 . An access opening  24  is also provided for receiving a threaded adjustment member which is engaged with the movable jaw M to expand and retract the movable jaw M with respect to the fixed jaw F. 
     Turning to the detail of the handle  12 , the flange  16   a  is ramped or tapered from a wider dimension near the jaw or tool operating portion  14  to a narrow dimension  16   b  near the distal end  18  of the tool handle  12 .  FIG. 4  illustrates the ramping or tapering of the improved handle  12  design. In particular,  FIG. 4  illustrates that at its widest dimension, the flange portion  16   a  of the I-beam near the jaw portion  14  of the handle, is at least as wide as the jaw portion  14  of the handle. As shown in the embodiment of  FIG. 4 , the widest dimension of the flange portion  16   a , is in fact slightly wider than the width of the jaw portion of the handle, or the external dimension of the jaw receiving flanges  26  for the fixed jaw F. The improved I-beam handle  12  design also provides that the edges  28  of the I-beam formed by the flanges are rounded to comfortably engage the user&#39;s hand. 
     Still further, as shown in  FIGS. 1-2  and  FIGS. 3B ,  3 C,  3 F and  3 G, the flanges  16  of the present I-beam tool handle  12  design have a changing tapered or ramped wedge shape in cross-section, moving from the jaw end  14  of the tool handle to the distal end  18  of the tool handle. As shown, the cross-sectional shape of the I-beam flange varies near the jaw end  14  of the handle, in that the flange  16   a  is wider along the interior of the tool, as shown in  FIGS. 3B and 3C , as compared to  FIG. 3F . Generally, the cross-sectional shape of the handle has a varied bow-tie shaped configuration, as is also shown in  FIGS. 3B ,  3 C,  3 F and  3 G. At the section of the handle near the opening  20  for receiving the movable jaw M, the bow-tie shape on the portion near the jaw opening and access opening  24  for the threaded member, the handle  12  has a concave surface  30 , as best seen in  FIGS. 3B and 3C . 
     Additionally, the present tool handle design may be manufactured from an improved and generally more expensive material, such as QT800-2 ductile iron, which is commercially available from sources such as Helkey Enterprises Inc. of Canada. This preferred material of one embodiment, has increased strength properties over standard ductile iron, which in the I-beam handle  12  design of the present application enables the tool  10  to have approximately the same weight as pipe wrenches of comparable size and capacity, but also to attain the desired increased performance characteristics. Such performance characteristics can be particularly important when dealing with heavy or deteriorated pipe, for example. The chart illustrated below provides weight comparisons for a variety of tool sizes having the present embodiment with the I-beam design and using the more expensive ductile iron material. 
     
       
         
           
               
               
               
               
               
             
               
                   
               
               
                   
                 Pipe Capacity 
                 Pipe Capacity 
                 Weight 
                 Weight 
               
               
                 Tool Size 
                 (inch) 
                 (mm) 
                 (lbs) 
                 (kgs) 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
               
            
               
                  8″ Heavy Duty 
                 1 
                 30 
                 0.95 
                 0.43 
               
               
                 10″ Heavy Duty 
                 1½ 
                 48 
                 1.9 
                 0.86 
               
               
                 14″ Heavy Duty 
                 2 
                 60 
                 3.9 
                 1.77 
               
               
                 18″ Heavy Duty 
                 2½ 
                 75 
                 5.5 
                 2.49 
               
               
                 24″ Heavy Duty 
                 3 
                 90 
                 9.26 
                 4.2 
               
               
                 36″ Heavy Duty 
                 5 
                 140 
                 20.36 
                 9.24 
               
               
                 48″ Heavy Duty 
                 6 
                 165 
                 36.1 
                 16.37 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     Alternatively, where an even lighter weight tool is desired, while still retaining the increased strength performance characteristics, the I-beam handle design of the present pipe wrench tool handle  12  may also be of aluminum or an aluminum alloy material. The addition of the I-bean design in the tool handle  12  provides additional strength at a critical stress area of the tool handle making wrenches with the present design considerably stronger (by a factor of 50%) than their prior art counterparts. 
     It should be noted that the handle  12  of the illustrated tool  10  may be interchangeable with other manufacturers&#39; pipe wrench components. The tool  10  may be provided with a durable epoxy powder-coated finish. 
     While an embodiment of the invention has been described in detail herein, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to the embodiment could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, the particular device and arrangements are illustrative only and are not limiting as to the scope of the invention which is to be given the full breadth of any and all equivalents thereof.