Patent Publication Number: US-6666113-B1

Title: Valve wrench

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to tightening wrenches and more particularly pertains to a new valve wrench for tightening a male adaptor onto a valve. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     The use of tightening wrenches is known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 3,482,481 describes a device for tightening a nut to a bolt. Another type of tightening wrench is U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,327 having a wrench for tightening a nut securing a yoke of a yoke/universal joint assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,018 has a wrench providing a low torque ratcheting mode and a high torque non-ratcheting mode for tightening and loosening a fastener. 
     While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the need remains for a device that has certain improved features allowing the wrench to tighten around the male adaptor to ensure a secure fit between the wrench and the male adaptor. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention meets the needs presented above by providing a lever arm selectively engaging the male adaptor once the male adaptor is positioned in the bore to allow for the male adaptor to be secured in the bore. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new valve wrench that is able to lock onto the male adaptor to inhibit damage to the male adaptor when the male adaptor is tightened. 
     To this end, the present invention generally comprises a base member having a pair of opposing ends. Each of the ends of the base member has a bore. The bore of each of the ends extends through the base member whereby the bore of each of the ends is designed for receiving the male adaptor. The base member is designed for being gripped by a hand of the user when the user wishes to rotate the male adaptor with respect to the valve. Each of the ends of the base member has plurality of angled teeth. Each of the angled teeth inwardly extend from an interior surface of an associated one of the ends of the base member whereby the angled teeth are designed for engaging the male adaptor to preventing slipping of the base member with respect to the male adaptor when the base member is being used to rotate the male adaptor with respect to the valve. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a new valve wrench according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the present invention taken along line  2 — 2 . 
     FIG. 3 is a side view of the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 3 thereof, a new valve wrench embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3, the valve wrench  10  generally comprises a base member  11  having a pair of opposing ends  12 . Each of the ends  12  of the base member  11  has a bore  13 . The bore  13  of each of the ends  12  extends  12  through the base member  11  whereby the bore  13  of each of the ends  12  is designed for receiving the male adaptor. The base member  11  is designed for being gripped by a hand of the user when the user wishes to rotate the male adaptor with respect to the valve. Each of the ends  12  of the base member  11  has plurality of angled teeth  14 . Each of the angled teeth  14  inwardly extend from an interior surface  15  of an associated one of the ends  12  of the base member  11  whereby the angled teeth  14  are designed for engaging the male adaptor to preventing slipping of the base member  11  with respect to the male adaptor when the base member  11  is being used to rotate the male adaptor with respect to the valve. The bore  13  of one of the ends  12  may have a diameter of an inch and the bore  13  of the other of the ends  12  may have diameter of ¾ an inch. The angling of the angled teeth  14  allows the angled teeth  14  to grip into the male adaptor and turn the male adaptor when the base member  11  is rotated in first direction and yet allow the angled teeth  14  to slide across the male adaptor when the base member  11  is rotated in the other direction. 
     A pair of lever arms  16  are pivotally coupled to the base member  11 . Each of the lever arms  16  is in communication with the bore  13  of one of the ends  12  of the base member  11 . The lever arm decreases the diameter of the bore  13  of the associated one of the ends  12  of the base member  11  for engaging the male adaptor to secure the male adaptor when the male adaptor is rotated. 
     Each of the lever arms  16  has a hand portion  17  and an engagement portion  18 . The hand portion  17  extends  12  along a medial portion  19  of the base member  11 . The engagement portion  18  is positioned adjacent the bore  13  of an associated one of the ends  12  of the base member  11  whereby the engagement portion  18  is extendable into the bore  13  when hand portion  17  is substantially aligned with the medial portion  19  of the base member  11 . The engagement portion  18  is designed for engaging the male adaptor when the hand portion  17  is aligned with the medial portion  19  of base member  11 . 
     The engagement portion  18  of each of the lever arms  16  has engagement teeth  20 . The engagement teeth  20  are positioned on an engagement face  21  of the engagement portion  18  of the associated one of the lever arms  16 . The engagement teeth  20  are designed for engaging the male adaptor for inhibiting slipping of the male adaptor with respect to the base member  11  when the male adaptor is being rotated. 
     The medial portion  19  of the base member  11  has a pair of channels  22 . Each of the lever arms  16  is positioned in one of the channels  22  of the base member  11 . Each of the channels  22  is in communication with the bore  13  of the associated one of the ends  12  whereby the associated one of the lever arms  16  is pivotal into the bore  13  of the associated one of the ends  12 . 
     Each of the channels  22  of the base member  11  has an arm portion  23  and a recessed portion  24 . The arm portion  23  selectively receives the hand portion  17  of the associated one of the lever arms  16  when the engagement portion  18  of the associated one of the lever arms  16  extends  12  into the bore  13  of the associated one of the ends  12 . The recessed portion  24  is for receiving the engagement portion  18  of the associated one of the lever arms  16  when the engagement portion  18  is retracted from the bore  13  of the associated one of the ends  12 . 
     The base member  11  has a pair retaining portions  25 . Each of the retaining portions  25  is positioned adjacent one of the channels  22  of the base member  11 . Each of the retaining portions  25  is for retaining the lever arms  16  in the associated one of the channels  22  when the base member  11  is not in use. 
     Each of the retaining portions  25  of the base member  11  comprises a magnet. The magnet is for magnetically attracting the hand portion  17  of the associated one of the lever arms  16  when the hand portion  17  of the associated one of the lever arms  16  is positioned in the arm portion  23  of the associated one of the channels  22  of the base member  11 . 
     In use, the user pushes the engagement member into the recessed portion  24  of the associated one of the channels  22  to pivot the hand portion  17  of the associated one of the lever arms  16  away from the base member  11 . The male adaptor is then extended through the more appropriately sized bore  13  of the base member  11 . The user then squeezes the hand portion  17  extended away from the base member  11  towards the base member  11  to bring the engagement portion  18  into contact with the male adaptor and secure the male adaptor in the bore  13 . The base member  11  is then rotated so as to tighten the male adaptor to the valve. The engagement portion  18  of the associated one of the lever arms  16  is the pressed against the male adapted to force the engagement portion  18  into the recessed portion  24  to allow the base member  11  to be removed from the male adaptor. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.